Bole Hill Nursery

Bole Hill Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bole Hill Nursery

300754 Unique Reference Number 26 January 2007 Inspection date Yvonne Victoria Facey Inspector

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Bole Hill Nursery

85 Bole Hill Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S6 5DD Setting Address

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Bole Hill Nursery

0114 2812864 Telephone number unitycentreltd@aol.com E-mail The Unity Centre Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Bole Hill Nursery

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Bole Hill Nursery opened in 1998. It operates from six main playrooms within the grounds of a converted school. The nursery serves the local and wider community. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00, all year.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 123 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 105 children on roll. This includes 41 children who receive nursery education funding. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 23 staff employed to work with the children. Most have early years qualifications and there are four currently on training programmes. The setting receives support from a

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 qualified teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are protected from infection because staff follow appropriate standards of hygiene procedures to minimise the risk of cross-contamination. For instance, they consistently wear disposable gloves and aprons when changing children, changing mats are cleaned with antibacterial spay and staff wash their hands after all changes. An exclusion policy for childhood illnesses is in place and shared with parents, protecting children from the spread of illness and infection. Children who become unwell during the session are appropriately cared for by the staff and parents are informed. Medication is generally recorded suitably, although this is inconsistent as some records are not signed by parents. Children's needs are met appropriately if they have an accident, as staff hold appropriate first aid certificates and first aid boxes are readily accessible. Accident records are generally well maintained and shared with parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children stay healthy and have satisfactory opportunities to learn about their personal hygiene through the daily routines.

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Helping children to be healthy

Meal times are social occasions that provide children with opportunities to interact and mix with their peers. However, children are not given plates at snack time and in some areas they stand up to eat their snack. Children are given little opportunity to choose what they eat, as staff put their meals on their plates at lunch time. This results in missed opportunities to develop children's self-help skills. Meals are freshly prepared on the premises and are nutritious and balanced and staff are aware of children’s individual dietary needs. Menus are displayed for parents. Children also have access to drinks throughout the day as a jug of water is provided in each room.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from satisfactory physical exercise both indoors and outside. They have access to a soft play area, based in the main hall on the premises, and outdoor play areas. Children thoroughly enjoy climbing, crawling and running. They move with confidence and are able to negotiate around each other and obstacles. This helps them develop a positive attitude towards exercise and contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Regular use of small tools, such as pencils, scissors and a suitable range of construction toys, helps children develop their fine manipulative skills competently.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The premises are safe, secure and appropriately maintained. The children have access to a suitable range of resources which are appropriate for the ages of children cared for. These are safe and presented at suitable levels to encourage independence and ensure children are fully supported to develop safely in appropriate surroundings. Equipment is clean and well maintained and staff check for suitability of toys as they set up.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children have access to sufficient safe space to allow them to access a balanced range of activities. Children's welfare is safeguarded as appropriate staff have attended training in child protection and have sound knowledge and understanding of the setting's policy and procedure and current guidelines. However, procedures to be followed where an allegation is made against a member of staff are not clear in the policy, therefore this does not fully protect children. The child protection policy is easily accessible to parents, ensuring parents are aware of the setting's responsibilities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Suitable precautions are in place to help keep children safe. For example, there is a visitors' log book, risk assessments are conducted and there is an appropriate procedure to follow in the event of a child being lost or not collected. Fire drills are undertaken regularly and ensure children are safe if evacuation is necessary. Children are beginning to develop a sound understanding about keeping themselves safe and staff talk to them about safety as everyday issues arise.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy their time in the nursery and they have fun. The staff are friendly and this contributes to creating a relaxing atmosphere where children feel a sense of belonging. Children develop their independence by selecting resources of their choice and initiating their play. Children settle quickly in the nursery and have friendly relationships with the staff. They are confident and keen to access the suitable range of activities. Children's daily activities and developmental progress is planned and the staff share information with their parents. Staff working with babies have attended some training in relation to the 'Birth to three matters' framework and have begun to incorporate this when planning activities. However, children in the toddler rooms are not yet benefiting from the framework as staff in those areas have not yet completed the training.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have an adequate knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. However, not all staff are confident when planning for all the early learning goals. For example, some areas are not planned for on the weekly planning sheets. Children's next steps in learning are identified from observations, although these are not consistently or effectively used to successfully inform the planning. As a result, learning intentions for activities are not secure to ensure all areas will be covered sufficiently over time to offer children a broad and balanced curriculum. Staff use a reasonable range of teaching methods, including adult-directed and freely chosen activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to develop their communication skills because staff engage in meaningful conversations with them. They are eager to ask questions and communicate well with each other and staff. Children have satisfactory opportunities to develop their writing skills. Many children can write their own names confidently with recognisable letters and older children can draw detailed pictures of people. For example, they draw pictures of themselves for their coat pegs and the birthday board. However, they do not have opportunities to practise writing for a purpose in different areas of their play. They are beginning to link sounds to letters

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 and many know what letter their name begins with. For example, they know 'd' is for dog and 'e' is for egg. Children enjoy looking at books, and often access them freely from the book corner. They are able to turn pages one at a time, reading from front to back. Displays are labelled, providing children with access to written words.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children understand and use numbers satisfactorily. They can count up to ten confidently and some older children can count beyond. Children are able to match shapes well and are beginning to compare and sort numbers. Opportunities for children to calculate, particularly using their problem solving skills, are limited. Children are developing an awareness of the needs of others and themselves though topics, such as my family, and relating to festivals. They are beginning to learn about creatures of the natural world. They have some opportunities to explore how things work, although this is inconsistent in planning, particularly with regards to using technology in everyday activities. Children build up the train track independently and construct with junk modelling and building blocks. They suitably develop their creative experiences as they have access to a balanced range of craft, music and role play. Children explore different

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

media, such as play dough, clay and paints. They enjoy singing and use musical instruments freely. Children's physical skills are well developed and they enjoy outdoor play, although, outdoor activities are not effectively planned so that children can have varied experiences.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All children are welcomed and their individual needs are identified. Procedures are followed to ensure children's likes and dislikes are known to staff. Children are encouraged to learn about themselves and others through the appropriate positive images in books, resources and planned activities. Staff gather personal information regarding children’s needs to ensure that they are cared for in an environment that is sensitive to their individual needs. Children are helped to feel good about themselves because staff give them praise and encouragement for their attempts and achievements. They are generally well behaved and polite, and learn to accept the rules and respond to consistent expectations of the staff. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is good. Information about the curriculum Foundation Stage and the early learning goals is explained well in the parent booklet. Children's developmental records are available at any time for parents to read and they are given a report each term, on which they can comment about their child's progress. Staff have formed friendly relationships with the parents and information is exchanged daily about what the children have been doing, both written and verbal. Parents are confident in approaching staff and this encourages them to share information and ask questions about what the children are doing and learning. This helps parents to share in their children's learning. Parents have access to a range of policies and procedures which are displayed in each room. Questionnaires are used to gain parents' views and ideas about the care their children receive and these are effectively used to improve the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

service provided. These assist in promoting the welfare, care and learning of the children. Notice boards and newsletters keep them fully informed of the current topics, daily activities, the menu and how they can contribute to their children's learning. However, this is not consistent

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 throughout the nursery. They give very positive comments when asked about how their child is cared for in the different areas within the nursery.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The welfare care and learning of the children is generally promoted through the maintenance of records, policies and procedures. Children are in the care of qualified and suitably experienced staff, who are fully supportive to ensure they are happy and settled in the nursery. Appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures are followed to ensure staff are suitable to care for children. Policies and procedures work generally well in practice to help staff understand their roles and responsibilities. The ratios are adequately maintained. Risk assessments are in place and the staff ensure children's safety throughout the premises.

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Organisation

The leadership and management are satisfactory. Staff have access to training and development opportunities and there is an appraisal system in place to ensure staff access the appropriate training to enhance their skills. Support has been put in place from the local authority to help staff to implement the Foundation Stage and develop assessment of children's progress. There are some opportunities for staff to meet as a team and they are involved in planning activities.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection the group have reviewed their child protection and complaints policies and procedures. The complaints policy is shared with parents and has the relevant details. The child protection procedure is not clear on actions to follow if allegations are made against a member of staff. This still remains an area for improvement. They have produced a new policy for accident recording which is shared with all staff.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery have considered the improvements for the nursery education raised at the previous inspection. They have begun to develop how they use assessments for planning activities, and children have more opportunities to access musical instruments as the nursery has purchased a wider selection.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Concerns were raised under National Standard 2 regarding staffing ratios. A visit was made by a childcare inspector to the provision to discuss the concerns. Appropriate actions were agreed to meet the National Standard. Ofsted are satisfied that the provider remains qualified for registration.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop the provision for all children under three years by using the 'Birth to three matters' framework • review procedures for administration of medication, giving consideration to all parents signing the record • review procedures to follow if allegations of abuse are made against a staff member

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop the curriculum planning and observation records to clearly identify children's next steps in learning and their progress in the six areas of learning • provide children with more opportunities to practise writing for a purpose and use equipment for technology during everyday activities • develop children's skills in calculating and develop outdoor play experiences.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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