Kingston Junior School

Tiddlywinks Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Tiddlywinks Nursery

122626 Unique Reference Number 07 November 2006 Inspection date Felicity Gaff Inspector

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Tiddlywinks Nursery

Hooley Hall, Emlyn Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 6EW Setting Address

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Tiddlywinks Nursery

01737 218427 Telephone number petra@tiddlywinksnursery.fsnet.co.uk E-mail Tiddlywinks Nursery Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School care Type of care

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Tiddlywinks 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?

Tiddly Winks Nursery is privately owned. It opened in 1986 and operates from a detached building in the Earlswood area of Redhill, Surrey. All children share access to an adjacent outdoor play area. Children are drawn from the surrounding urban and rural areas. The day nursery provides care for a maximum of 58 children aged under eight years from 07.30 to 18.30 on Mondays to Fridays for 51 weeks a year. This includes a limited number of spaces for children aged five to eight years to attend after school and during school holidays. There are 51 children on roll. Of these, 13 receive funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. There are 10 permanent staff, of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are working towards a qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are suitably protected from illness and infection as staff follow good hygiene practices and comply with any advice received from the Environmental Health Officer. Children begin to learn how to care for themselves because staff teach appropriate personal hygiene routines and explain the reasons for them. Children's health is promoted by the provision of home cooked meals that include plenty of fruit and vegetables. Staff liaise closely with parents to ensure any dietary requirements are understood and met. Staff handle minor accidents appropriately and maintain acceptable records. Children have regular opportunities to play outside with a suitable selection of resources to promote vigorous activity. However, staff caring for babies do not always arrange for them to play freely outside every day. Staff do not plan clearly how to use the resources for physical play to challenge children and ensure they

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Helping children to be healthy

make progress. Staff caring for funded children make some observations of children's physical skills but do not use these to inform future plans to ensure they provide suitable challenges.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Staff have effective routines for protecting children from hazards on the premises indoors and out. All areas are monitored by CCTV, staff follow routine safety precautions, and there are good security measures in place. The premises are kept in a sound state of repair. Although the nursery is warm and welcoming to children and their parents it receives limited natural daylight and the artificial lighting is muted. Failed light bulbs are not always replaced sufficiently promptly and consequently some areas are rather gloomy. There are suitable, good quality, age-appropriate furniture and resources to meet the needs of the children overall. However, the baby room lacks supportive chairs in which staff can hold babies in safety and comfort, and round which toddlers can 'find their feet'. All areas have welcoming book corners where children can 'snuggle in' to trusted adults to share books in comfort, although the one in the pre-school

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

room is not used for planned story sessions and children sit on hard floors. Staff do not always ensure that babies are seated so they can reach meals and activities safely and independently. Staff have a acceptable understanding of child protection issues overall, although some lack detailed knowledge of how to record and report concerns in order to safeguard children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual needs are adequately met and their welfare suitably promoted overall. Children form close relationships with consistent staff. However, staff caring for babies do not always adapt their routines so that children receive support from trusted adults, for example by swapping roles to allow a key worker to comfort a distressed child. Children have access to a wide range of age appropriate resources, including toys made of natural materials. Staff organise interesting and satisfying activities such as messy play to allow all the children, including babies, to participate.

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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 Staff caring for toddlers provide good support to develop their language, engaging them in lively conversations during everyday care routines such as nappy changing. Staff caring for babies sit with them and encourage them to play but do not always provide effective language models. They praise children but do not extend learning by describing what they do, and occasionally interfere with babies' self chosen, satisfying play. They do not use their observations of babies to plan play opportunities for their future development. Some planned activities are insufficiently resourced; for instance, 2 year olds delight in carefully bathing their dolls but are unable to develop their play as staff provide no towels or clothes for them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are polite, cooperative and behave well. For example, they understand how to take turns on climbing apparatus and during circle games. They contribute to the welfare of the group, as well as developing their mathematical skills, by helping lay the tables for lunch. However, the organisation of activities does not always allow children to make decisions about what they do, when they do it and how. This limits their development as confident and independent learners with high self esteem.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop their speaking and listening skills adequately as they take part in well resourced role play and join in a wide variety of songs and rhymes. Staff talk to children as they play and during meal times, but often use closed questions which fail to promote wide ranging conversations. Staff ensure role play areas provide good opportunities for children to practise reading and writing for real purposes in their play. Children learn to recognise their names by finding their own name cards at snack time, although this is not consistently well organised to ensure the youngest children understand the task. Everyday routines such as going up the stairs are well organised to encourage children to count confidently and they begin to link numbers to written numerals. Staff use number rhymes well to help children begin to compare numbers and calculate.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop their knowledge and understanding of the world through practical activities such as cooking. They go on regular outings to explore the local environment. They enthusiastically experiment with remote controlled I-Bug robots to develop their understanding of how things work. Children develop their fine motor skills as they experiment with a wide range of creative media in one and two dimensions that allow them to express their own ideas. They understand that their work is valued because it is prominently displayed in the nursery. Children accompany their singing with a variety of percussion instruments, using them to explore volume and rhythm, and enjoy regular weekly sessions with a visiting music teacher.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have a basic understanding of the Foundation Stage but do not adjust their provision to meet individual needs. Although they record what children do they do not use their observations to assess children's understanding or to plan for their future learning. Plans do not identify how activities will be adapted for children at different ages and stages of development to ensure they make steady progress.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. There are good systems to liaise with parents before children first attend the nursery in order to identify their care needs. As a result, parents are fully informed about the different kinds of food their children receive and staff are made aware of children's accustomed routines. However, staff do not always use their knowledge to ensure children receive appropriate care. For example, they do not routinely use visual timetables to explain nursery routines to new children, who occasionally become confused and distressed. The nursery welcomes children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and there are suitable systems in place to meet their needs. The nursery is pro-active in adapting routines to ensure that both children and parents with disabilities feel welcome and are included.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well at the nursery. Staff and parents work together through two-way diaries, detailed incident records and regular times to talk, to develop consistent expectations and approaches. Staff use techniques such as sticker charts featuring attractive cartoon characters to help children understand how they ought to behave and develop a sense of right and wrong. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Parents receive suitable written information about the setting and the education offered and receive occasional newsletters. Although they receive information about the written policies and procedures these are not readily available for them to consult for themselves. Staff display details of plans and topics to keep them informed. They encourage parents to share and contribute to children's individual records but do not use this information systematically

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. There are effective procedures to ensure that staff caring for children are suitable and have the necessary skills to do their jobs. The provider organises appropriate induction and appraisal to aid staff development and encourages staff to undertake both initial and further training. Staff deployment is effective in ensuring the required ratios are met at all times and there are appropriate arrangements for covering unexpected staff absences. All the required documentation is in place and is generally acceptable, although the procedure for reporting allegations against staff lacks detail.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of the nursery education are satisfactory. The pre-school room is well resourced and provides a rich range of age appropriate play materials to help children learn. The provider carries out periodic audits of the provision to identify any areas for development and, as a result, has expanded the resources available to support ICT. Although many staff hold relevant qualifications, the staff caring for funded children are relatively inexperienced and receive insufficient support in planning and delivering the Foundation Stage. Consequently, children's progress towards the early learning goals is inconsistent.

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Organisation

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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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last combined inspection of care and nursery education the provider agreed to revise policies and procedures, and make them accessible to staff and parents. She agreed to improve health and safety procedures and the provision for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. She also agreed to improve the role play area for funded children and the use of assessments.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The revised child protection statement has been revised to improve the support it provides to staff in safeguarding children. It now includes basic procedures for dealing with allegations against a staff member. Staff maintain a suitable incident record, including pre-existing injuries, which they share with parents to keep them informed. Parents receive information about policies and procedures but do not have easy access to them as they are stored in the office. New staff become familiar with policies by reading and discussing them as part of their induction. This has made the handling of unwanted behaviour more consistent within the setting. The setting follows current legislation and guidance for supporting children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities adequately to meet their individual needs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider has taken effective steps to improve safety. All staff are familiar with the fire safety procedures and worn resources are replaced before they become dangerous. However, there is still insufficient lighting in areas that receive little natural daylight, and staff still lack appropriate furniture in which to bottle feed babies safely and comfortably. Staff protect children’s health by ensuring access to drinking water at all times and by following good hygiene procedures when washing up. The nursery education offered to funded children has been improved by providing exciting, well resourced areas for imaginative role play. Staff do not use their observations of what children do to assess children's understanding or to plan for their future learning needs.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. 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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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 AND 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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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): • provide appropriate furniture to promote the comfort and safety of staff and children • develop staff's understanding of how to support children's play and language development effectively • revise procedures for dealing with allegations against staff and ensure all written policies and procedures are readily available to parents.

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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): • improve the use of observations to assess children's understanding and to plan for future learning needs • improve children's opportunities to develop their independence, confidence and self esteem by selecting what they do and how they use the play resources provided.

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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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