Wonder Years Nursery School

Wonder Years Nursery School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Wonder Years Nursery School

EY218075 Unique Reference Number 21 March 2007 Inspection date Christine McInally Inspector

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Wonder Years Nursery School

2 Surrenden Crescent, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6WF Setting Address

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Wonder Years Nursery School

01273 553083 Telephone number info@wonder-yearsnursery.co.uk E-mail Wonder Years Nursery Schools Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Wonder Years Nursery School

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 good. 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Wonder Years Nursery first opened in 2001, is privately owned and offers full day care. It is registered to care for 48 children aged under five years, of these no more than 28 can be aged under two years. The nursery is open Monday through Friday from 07.30 to 18.00 all year round, except for bank holidays and one week over Christmas. The nursery is situated on the main route into Brighton and is accommodated in a large, purposely converted house. There is a safe, secure garden area which offers good outdoor play opportunities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery currently has 89 children on roll, of these 26 receive funded nursery education. Children attending are representative of the local community. The nursery currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The Proprietor employs a Manager who oversees the day to day running of the nursery. Including the Manager there are 15 members

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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 of staff of whom 12 hold relevant child care qualifications, the other three are all undertaking appropriate training. Staff receive support from a qualified teacher attached to the local Early Years and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children thrive because staff follow effective procedures and practices which meet their physical, nutritional and health needs. Children learn good personal hygiene practices such as when they should wash their hands and why. Good arrangements are in place for dealing with sickness and accidents minimising the risk of the spread of infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy plenty of exercise which is good for their health. Staff have a sound knowledge of Birth to three matters; they use the guidance well to provide a range of physical play experiences for babies and young children. Babies are encouraged to stand, crawl and extend their own physical skills through interaction with the caring staff. A wide variety of activities helps older children gain increasing control of their bodies for example, as they dig in the soil or as they put on the dressing-up clothes. All children are able to rest and be active according to their needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Meal and snack times are sociable; children sit at the table with their friends and staff. Children enjoy using the café style system to help themselves to snacks and refreshment during the session at a time that suits them. They are provided with a range of healthy snacks including fresh fruit and vegetables encouraging them to develop healthy eating practices. Children enjoy varied and nutritious meals which comply with all special dietary requirements to ensure they remain healthy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The nursery offers a welcoming environment for the children. They are cared for in premises which are well maintained and secure to keep them safe. Regular risk assessments, indoors and outdoors, further ensure children’s safety. Children and parents are warmly greeted on arrival and this supports children's enthusiasm to enter confidently and happily. Good displays of children's work adorn the walls helping to develop their self-esteem.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from playing in a spacious well organised environment. This allows them to move around and play safely. They have easy and safe access to a good range of toys and resources appropriate for their age. For example, babies and very young children have access to treasure baskets and older children may choose from stimulating materials stored at their height. Toys and resources are carefully selected to ensure they are suitable for children. They are encouraged to help tidy up at particular times of the day. This helps children to take responsibility and to look after the resources and their environment.

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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 are safeguarded by staff that have a clear understanding of child protection policies and procedures. There is a clearly written policy which is shared with the parents. Children and staff have a good understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of a fire because these are regularly practised. All of these measures contribute to the safety and welfare of the children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The care, learning and play experiences for children are good. Children are secure in the nursery's welcoming environment and have positive relationships with staff which increases their sense of trust and well-being. An effective key worker system ensures that babies and toddlers are cared for by consistent staff, whenever possible. Children achieve well because staff are skilled and use their understanding of early years guidance, such as Birth to three matters and the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage, to provide good quality care and education. Children show considerable independence and make choices about the toys and resources they want to play with. A wide range of appropriate resources and activities effectively promotes children’s development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff use the Birth to three matters framework well to plan and provide activities for young children's development. Babies and toddlers enjoy playing with sand and water and are able to help themselves to resources such as sensory bottles, which contain coloured liquid and glitter that they can shake and watch. Older children are interested in the activities available and spend time concentrating on self-chosen activities. Staff encourage children to play together and share. Lots of praise and encouragement develops children's self-esteem. All children benefit from a colourful, stimulating and interesting environment in which they are happy, content and well cared for.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals because staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage. Planning is good, links clearly to the stepping stones and ensures a wide range of activities and experiences are provided to extend children's learning. Observations and assessments, provide evidence of learning, and are used effectively to inform the planning. Children flourish as the balance between adult and child-led activities allows them to learn at their own pace. Staff encourage children to make decisions and to self-select resources and equipment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children play independently, explore and have a positive approach to new experiences and are well supported by the staff. Children are happy and confident in the nursery; they relate well to each other and to the staff. Their independent skills are well established; they use the toilet, wash their own hands and put on their own coats before going out to play. Children are confident speakers; they understand they can use writing for a variety of purposes and are beginning to write for themselves. Children skilfully use and recognise numbers in everyday activities; they count confidently and know numbers that are important to them. They choose number activities during free play and enjoy number rhymes and songs.

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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 Topic work and practical activities arouses children's natural curiosity and develops their exploration and investigation skills. They learn about nature and the local environment as they engage in topics such as, People Who Help Us and Mini Beasts. Children move confidently showing a good awareness of space and others in both the indoor and outdoor space. Children express themselves creatively using all of their senses to actively explore a stimulating range of new experiences. For example, as they explore texture using 'feely boxes' or discuss how things taste and feel during food tasting activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are greeted warmly by staff who ask how they are and what they have been doing at home. This helps them feel secure and develop a sense of belonging. Children are encouraged to select their own activities, learning to make their own decisions. The café style system for giving children their snack encourages them to eat when they chose developing their independence. Staff respect parents wishes with regard to any individual needs, helping to promote the children's self-esteem. Children are developing an awareness of their own and other cultures through a range of resources, planned activities and as they celebrate a variety of festivals. Good use of visual symbols helps bilingual children develop an understanding of the nursery routines. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are very well supported through liaison with parents and other agencies. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave very well, care for each other and freely share and take turns. Staff give good encouragement, for example, when playing at dominoes, the children take turns and follow the simple rules of cooperation. They are developing a good understanding of right and wrong and are able to play happily within clearly set boundaries. Good use is made of the 'Please Remember Book' to gently remind children of what is expected of them within the nursery. For example, please remember to treat our books with care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good and this contributes considerably to children's well-being while at the nursery. Parents receive good information about Birth to three matters and the Foundation Stage. Staff are friendly and approachable they ensure that all parents know how their children are progressing and developing. Information regarding the educational provision is displayed on notice boards within each room, detailing plans for the week. They receive regular newsletters and a parent consultation evening twice a year. However, opportunities for parents to be directly involved in their child's learning are limited.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children play and learn in a warm, welcoming and well-organised environment. Their care is further enhanced by extremely good organisation and resources to support and extend their developing and learning. The nursery uses a 'free flow' system which allows the children to choose the activities they wish to participate in and when. This works extremely well within the nursery, however, staff acknowledge some minor problems when children wish to play

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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 outside. Good recruitment procedures ensure that children are cared for by staff who are suitably and appropriately vetted. There is a very good level of qualified staff working with the children and correct adult to child ratios are met at all times. This means children receive appropriate support when needed. Staff sit and play with the children, give them comfort when needed and one to one support. Children are familiar with the routine and are comfortable and at ease in the setting. An effective key worker system ensures that children and babies are cared for by consistent staff.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. There are systems in place to monitor and evaluate the funded nursery education. Policies and procedures to guide the staff team are in place, and available to parents. These are used effectively to promote the welfare, care and learning of children. All aspects of the children's care and learning are discussed with the parents, who are kept well informed of their child's achievements. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the previous nursery education inspection the nursery has improved the use of daily routines and planned activities to extend the children's understanding of mathematics. They have increased the opportunities for children to choose creative materials as they wish and to express themselves through imaginative play. Planning has been developed further to include extension ideas for the more able children. All of these measures aid children in progressing in their learning and development.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following the last care inspection the nursery developed planning to provide a stimulating range and balance of activities for all ages within the nursery. This helps children make good progress in all areas of their development. The nursery has tried different things within the toilets to help provide more privacy for the children. However, they do acknowledge that this has not yet been fully resolved, but are committed to finding a permanent solution.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection 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 good. 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 good.

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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): • continue to develop the 'free flow' system to incorporate outdoor play more effectively

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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 more opportunities for parents to be directly involved in their child's learning

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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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