Christ Church CofE Primary School

Manston School House Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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127366 Unique Reference Number 23 March 2007 Inspection date Beth Kingsland Inspector

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Preston Road, Manston, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 5BA Setting Address

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E-mail

Lisa Jayne Stewart Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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E-mail

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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Manston School House Nursery opened in 1993. The nursery is housed within self-contained premises and occupies three rooms and an enclosed garden. The nursery caters for children who live within the local rural community of Manston and surrounding villages.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open weekdays from 08.15 to 16.00, 50 weeks a year and offers sessional, daily and weekly care. There are currently 23 children on roll, seven of whom receive funding for early education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are four staff working with the children, three of whom have early years qualifications. All staff attend short training courses. The setting receives support from a teacher from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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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 inadequate. Children are beginning to understand the importance of healthy eating. They use snack time as a social time, talking about which types of food are good for them. Staff encourage the use of good manners. Children's individual needs and parental preferences are clearly displayed for practitioners to ensure their individual needs are met and respected at all times.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children’s health is promoted because most practitioners have relevant first aid training and ensure medication is administered, and accidents are recorded appropriately.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are encouraged to enjoy outside play on a regular basis, consequently, they learn the importance of physical activity in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Indoors, due to space restrictions, they have limited opportunities to practise and develop co-ordination and an understanding of spatial awareness, which impacts on their understanding of the benefits of exercise.

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Helping children to be healthy

Procedures for ensuring that all equipment is clean and well-maintained have not been appropriately implemented. Therefore, children have access to some equipment that is dirty and in a poor state of repair, for example, construction materials. Younger children are not introduced to appropriate procedures to allow them to learn about the spread of infectious diseases, for example, they are not encouraged to wash their hands at nappy changing routines. Although staff ensure nappy changing facilities are appropriate to afford children their privacy and dignity, the procedures do not ensure children's health is not compromised. Staff wear the same apron while changing all the children, thus not preventing cross contamination.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Children under the age of two are not appropriately protected, due to poor organisation and management of the available equipment and space. Therefore, children's safety cannot be assured. For example, children receive little guidance to place equipment away, resulting in babies tripping and falling over equipment sprawled over the floor. Staff fail to plan activities and organise play space and resources so that babies are safe and have suitable toys and equipment to meet their needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The temperature of the setting is maintained using a gas heater. This system does not ensure that satisfactory temperatures are achieved for the children attending. In addition, staff cannot demonstrate the safety of the appliance as no servicing certificates are available for inspection. As a result, children's safety is compromised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Procedures to ensure the children's safety with regard to their arrival and departure are implemented well. Clear systems have been developed to ensure that children are only collected by authorised adults and entrances and exits are kept secure at all times. Fire drills are carried out regularly to ensure children are confident and familiar with the routine.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have an adequate knowledge of child protection issues and an appropriate understanding of how to implement local procedures, ensuring children are protected from harm.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is inadequate. Although younger children are happy and enjoy coming to the setting and the practitioners are pleased to see them, the activities and experiences offered are not tailored to their individual needs and interests.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children know the routine and most children settle quickly and confidently on arrival to the group. Most happily leave their parents and walk in making their own choice of activities from the selection made available to them by staff. Practitioners talk to children about their family and home life, increasing their sense of belonging, However, the younger children are not consistently encouraged to become skilful communicators, as they have limited opportunities to talk about their experiences at home and contribute to discussions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Opportunities for younger children to select from a range of equipment that allows for discovery and exploration are limited. Although some staff have attended training for the Birth to three matters framework, this knowledge has not been put into practice. As a result, when questioned, staff have a limited knowledge of early childhood development and the importance of self discovery and creativity. Children have access to materials, such as sand and paint, however, the opportunities are poorly planned and appear to be the same every day, for example, dry sand and previously mixed paint. As a result, children do not experience a balanced range of activities that allow them to explore, express their own ideas, discover how things happen and respond using their imaginations and thoughts. Activities are not appropriate to children's stages of development, for example, children aged under two are provided with the same

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

equipment as the other children resulting in children losing interest and looking around for other activities. Although staff are beginning to make assessments of children's achievements, they fail to make effective use of these within planning. As a result, all activities are the same, with no adaptation or differentiation for individual children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The overall quality of teaching and learning is inadequate.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are aware of their environment and have developed clear relationships together. Children appear confident within their environment and are beginning to select from equipment stored in stacker boxes. However, children do not experience activities that allow them to use their initiative and take control of their own learning. Children confidently take themselves to the toilet; however, opportunities to develop personnel independence as part of their daily routine are limited. For example, at meal times children do not pour their own drinks, lay the table or serve themselves their choice of food. Children are beginning to work together, and receive support to learn about and respect the values and feelings of others. As a result, children's behaviour is good. Children are beginning to communicate their ideas; however, staff do not actively question children throughout the activities they complete. As a result, activities

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

lack challenge and children soon lose interest. Children listen attentively to stories read to them by staff, actively joining in with the story and discussing the pictures they see. Although children are provided with a range of books to select from, the poor organisation of the room inhibits self-selection and freedom of choice. Children confidently count to ten and beyond. However, opportunities for children to solve simple mathematical problems are not incorporated into the daily programme. As a result, there are insufficient opportunities for children to identify numbers, recreate simple patterns and use practical problem solving as part of free-play.

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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 Children learn about living things, through observations and care of the animals within the nursery. Opportunities for children to learn about the local and wider world are limited. Children do not work with a wide range of materials that allow them to explore, investigate, observe and re-visit. Staff fail to provide appropriate questioning techniques that allow children to be naturally curious or enthusiastic about the activities they experience. Children do experience opportunities to develop their gross motor skills when they play outside. However, children's overall development is not effectively extended or developed due to poor staff knowledge and ineffective planning for this area of learning. Children's creativity is stifled due to staff not creating a stimulating environment in which children can use all their senses to explore, express

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and communicate their ideas, while using their imaginations freely.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff display a poor knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage, which has a direct impact on children's development. Staff fail to plan and provide an appropriate range of purposeful and meaningful activities that allow children to build upon what they already know. Although staff have begun to make assessments of children's development, staff fail to make effective use of their observations. As a result activities are not effectively planned to meet the differing needs of individual children, with activities provided with the same learning objectives and outcomes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is inadequate. Children have a positive attitude towards themselves and one another and recognise the need to share and take turns when involving themselves in each others play. Children’s behaviour is good. They understand the difference between right and wrong and respond well to boundaries set by staff. This positive attitude fosters children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and they show good confidence and self-esteem. However, opportunities for them to learn about the views, feelings and needs of others from the wider world are not effectively supported. There is a limited range of equipment for children to develop a positive attitude to and increase their awareness of diversity. In addition, the individual needs of younger children are not sufficiently addressed, for example, issues relating to health and safety.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is inadequate. Parents are welcomed into the nursery and encouraged to stay and settle their children. This contributes effectively and leads to an easy transition that benefits children's development. However, parents are not fully informed about the curriculum their children receive and do not have access to assessment records. As a result, this limits children’s progress and affects parents’ ability to fully contribute to their child’s learning. Parents are aware of the procedures for complaints.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. Overall the provision does not meet the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. The registered person has not been sufficiently proactive in ensuring that issues relating to the care of children are met.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery is inadequate. Monitoring procedures are not effective to ensure that children receive a suitable range of activities that support their progress in the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Staff knowledge of the curriculum is not consistent; therefore, they are unable to support children within the provided activities to help them progress on to their next steps in learning. Assessments of children are not effective

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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 and are not used to inform the planning of activities. As a result, activities are not adapted to meet the differing needs and abilities of children. Practitioners lack of knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals and stepping stones impacts on the challenges and experiences they provide for children. Consequently, the more able children are not sufficiently challenged and do not meet their potential as young learners. Insufficient detail is paid to ensuring all aspects of the curriculum are sufficiently covered and maximum use of time and resources is used to extend children’s learning.

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Organisation

There are effective procedures in place to ensure all staff are checked and suitable to work with children. Records of individual children are kept appropriately and the certificate is prominently displayed.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, four recommendations were identified for progress within care and four recommendations within nursery education.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Within care, the setting were asked to develop planning for younger children; develop staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues; meet any recommendations made by the Fire Safety Officer and request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment. Staff have a satisfactory knowledge of child protection requirements and have obtained all required permissions for children. Staff inform that they have been visited by the Fire officer and have met the required recommendations. However, no paperwork was available for inspection and insufficient progress has been made to ensure that the nursery plans an appropriate range of activities for younger children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Within nursery education the nursery were asked to organise the available space to initiate their own learning; use observation and assessment to further planning; increase staff's knowledge and understanding of the stepping stones towards the early learning goals in all six curriculum areas and increase staff's knowledge of the Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs. Staff have attended training to support children with specific learning delay. However, progress within the other recommendation has been inadequate, resulting in poor outcomes for children.

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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.

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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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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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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, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure hand washing and nappy changing procedures are completed hygienically to ensure children's health is not compromised • introduce effective cleaning procedures to ensure children play with equipment that is well maintained and clean • ensure the space environment for children under the age of two is organised effectively to allow children to be safe and free from harm. Ensure children have access to a suitable range of play equipment to meet their individual developmental needs • ensure the indoor physical environment is maintained at an appropriate temperature to allow children to play in a suitable environment • develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the Birth to three matters framework plan and provide a suitable range of activities for children, which are appropriate for their stage of development and based on their individual needs

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The quality and standards of the care

These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education, the registered person must take the following actions: • develop staff’s knowledge and understanding of the stepping-stones towards the early learning goals in all six curriculum areas • make effective use of observations in order to identify individual children’s next steps in learning and to incorporate such information in planning to provide necessary progress and challenge • develop the quality and type of information that is given to parents about the Foundation Stage available to their children so that they can support learning and progress for children • develop the leadership and management’s processes and systems for monitoring the quality of provision especially teaching to ensure progress and challenge are guaranteed experiences for the children These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

specified in the notice. The Department for Education and Skills and the local authority have been informed.

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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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