Kiddi Caru Nursery

Kiddi Caru Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Kiddi Caru Nursery

EY334078 Unique Reference Number 14 November 2006 Inspection date Anita Bartram Inspector

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Kiddi Caru Nursery

Writtle College, Foxburrows Lane, Writtle Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 3SS Setting Address

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E-mail

The Childcare Corporation plc 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 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?

Kiddi Caru Nursery is one of 21 nurseries run by The Childcare Corporation. It opened in 2006 and operates from a purpose-built building. It is situated on the outskirts of Writtle, near Chelmsford, adjacent to Writtle Agricultural College. A maximum of 99 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.30 for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 150 children aged from birth to under five years on roll. Of these 43 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from both the local and wider catchment area. The nursery employs 38 full and part time staff. Approximately 75 per cent of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two members of staff are working towards a further qualification.

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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. Overall, staff follow very effective hygiene routines. For example, staff in the youngest baby room keep areas clean where babies eat by spraying tables with anti-bacterial spray. The milk kitchen is kept clean and thorough procedures are in place to prevent cross-infection. For example, all children have named bottles, water beakers or cups to drink from which prevents germs carrying from one child to another.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are generally able to begin to build valuable habits in helping them to be healthy. Most staff encourage younger children to follow basic hand washing routines and many do this independently. For example, two year olds need no prompting from staff to go off to wash their hands in the sink after getting their hands dirty during painting. Older children check for their name tag before they drink and are becoming aware that some children have to avoid certain foods or they themselves have allergies to foods. Older children help themselves to drinks freely and most rooms have children’s beakers displayed appropriately to prompt younger children to ask for their drink. As a result, babies and children are able to remain hydrated and satisfy their needs following exercise or when they are thirsty.

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Helping children to be healthy

Most staff have a sound appreciation that fresh air helps children’s physical well-being. Older children are taken out routinely and staff strive to use the garden for various activities. Whilst they play staff chase them and encourage them to move freely. Older children's hand-eye co-ordination skills are developing soundly. They use a wide variety of equipment inside to build, construct and shape. For example, three year olds concentrate hard to produce large constructions from octagons and the good variety of writing mediums help children to develop early mark making skills. As a result, older children’s large and fine physical skills are developing very well.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished. Staff work effectively with parents to accommodate children’s food preferences, allergies and religious requirements. Menus are displayed in each room to give parents general information about what their child has been offered and are then informed through either written or verbal feedback of what their child has actually eaten during the day. Most staff are generally proactive in seeking alternatives for children should they refuse certain foods. Consequently, children’s individual dietary needs are generally met well.

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Helping children to be healthy

Throughout the nursery, there are robust procedures in place to protect children’s health. For example, colour coded plates, cups and name mats alert staff to children’s allergies. Procedures to administer prescribed medication to children are comprehensive and staff follow these effectively in practice. Accidents are recorded diligently by staff enabling staff and parents to take appropriate action to ease children’s discomfort or prevent it happening again.

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Helping children to be healthy

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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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a very secure and safe environment. The purpose-built building means structural risks to babies and children are minimal and staff are aware of potential everyday safety hazards. All toys and equipment are in a safe condition and many are displayed for babies and children at low-level. This enables children to safely access a variety of toys which interest them. The premises are bright and welcoming to children. For example, the large fish tank built into the entrance hall wall is a natural draw to children and is a talking point on the way into their room. Staff do not always make best use of room space to enable resources to be more varied and presented in a less restricting environment. Visitors are welcomed onto the premises following identification through CCTV and parents are strongly discouraged from opening the entrance door to others at arrival and departure times. Perimeter fencing has recently been

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

replaced preventing any children from leaving the premises unsupervised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Stringent emergency evacuation plans are in place. For example, notices are obvious in all play rooms alerting staff to procedures to be followed, an evacuation cot is close to hand to help staff evacuate non-mobile babies, and an emergency bag is kept by the main exit door. Consequently, staff are able to take appropriate action to keep children safe in an emergency and whilst off the premises. Staff have a sound understanding of child protection procedures. They are aware of their roles and responsibilities and the signs and symptoms of abuse. Staff have completed recent refresher training during a staff meeting and written flow charts are readily available to them in their rooms to refer to for guidance. There is a written ‘whistle blowing’ policy and all staff have access to this on site. As a result, measures to safeguard children are firmly in place and children are suitably protected from non-accidental harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Overall, staff have a very sound understanding of child development and are keen to ensure babies and children enjoy their time in the nursery. Staff know their key children very well and warm relationships are generally evident across the whole nursery. This has a valuable effect on babies’ developing communication skills. For example, babies under one year smile at visitors and even very timid babies use the security they get from familiar staff to feel brave enough to eventually approach new people in the room. Two year olds eagerly chat to adults about their home lives and are keen to talk about the pictures they have drawn on the large easel. As a result, by the time two year olds move into the pre-school room they are confident, secure and eager to learn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Across the younger end of the nursery, some staff are still developing the planning of activities they provide for babies and children under three years old. As a result, opportunities to move babies onto the next steps in their learning are sometimes missed. Valuable learning experiences are not always fully exploited by some staff. For example, staff in the ones to twos' rooms do not fully appreciate the value that outdoor play can add to children's learning or the worthwhile conversations that can be had with babies over meal times. There are some examples of good practice in the two year olds’ rooms where staff are beginning to link areas identified in children’s

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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 assessment records to the planned learning they want children to experience. As a result, two year olds make good progress through the challenge and stimulation offered to them in activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The staff team working with the children who receive funding for nursery education have a thorough understanding of the Foundation Stage and how young children learn. This reflects in the overall good progress children are making in the six areas of learning. Staff plan a relevant and child centred curriculum, choosing activities which children enjoy and which help them to extend their learning. Staff are using individual children’s development records to inform planning and challenge is provided to children to move them on to the next steps in their learning. This results in children making good progress towards achieving the early learning goals identified at the end of the Foundation Stage.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff interact very positively with the children. Overall, children have very high levels of self control and respond well to methods staff use to help them learn to play co-operatively alongside each other. For example, the numbered tags children wear as they play in the sand helps them to appreciate when the limit has been reached that allows them to play harmoniously in the sandpit. Staff recognise the areas of the nursery their children particularly enjoy, for example the role-play area, and aim to use this area to offer other parts of the curriculum. Staff work very coherently as a team. Consequently, the methods they use to manage children’s more challenging behaviour are consistently applied. This means children are developing a very valuable awareness of right from wrong.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff use of time and resources is developing steadily. Children are able to use the garden for a variety of activities as well as large physical play. For example, staff take them out to collect leaves to help reinforce their learning about Autumn. However, children are not yet able to make full and independent use of the valuable adjacent outdoor play space as part of the everyday curriculum which is on offer to them. Consequently, opportunities are missed for children to learn and explore in the wider, less restricting environment. The overall organisation of having two pre-school rooms means staff duplicate resources and in their strive to offer more breadth and variety the rooms are sometimes too full for children to develop their play. This has a particularly noticeable effect on children’s creative development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The vibrant atmosphere in the pre-school rooms and the purposeful interaction from staff means the children are confident and eager to learn. They are developing very good personal, social and emotional skills to enable them to learn. For example, children move between activities purposefully and sit still and quietly to listen to staff during discussion times. They talk copiously about what they are doing and why and are willing to try to answer problems posed to them from adults. Children are developing good skills in early literacy, for example, many know the initial letter sounds to their names and children use visual cues to help them recognise their names as they sit at the table for lunch or to self-register.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s mathematical skills are developing well. All children enjoy counting and many can recognise familiar numbers such as three and four. Children ask inquisitive questions about what they see around them, for example, what the shapes are called that they see on posters and are beginning to use purposeful mathematical language such as 'underneath, over there,

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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 more and enough'. Older, more able children enjoy the challenge of simple number problems, such as guessing the total of counters in their hand after adults have added one more or taken one away. More able children are not always given sufficient opportunities to record number in everyday activities such as recording how many children are in the group or how many want dinner or snack.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are becoming skilled at using information and communication technology during their everyday play. Staff provide valuable equipment in the role-play area and children are skilled at manoeuvring the mouse during their turn on the computer. Children are keen and curious to find out and explore. They eagerly collect leaves from outside and use new vocabulary to name natural artefacts such as pine cones, sunflowers and acorns. Staff display reference books for children to refer to although some resources to help children explore their environment are limited. Many children use their imaginations well, delighting in pretending ‘there’s a big bear in there’ as they enter the willow tunnel outside. All children are keen to enjoy singing and readily join in action songs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff work closely with parents to meet individual babies’ and children’s needs. Daily diaries have just been introduced by senior management and staff use these to inform parents of babies' routines and activities. Parents are able to add their own comments to staff about babies’ routines at home. This valuable two way communication provides the exchange of essential information, resulting in high levels of consistency in children’s care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff use their close working relationships with parents to address any concerns they may have about children’s developmental progress. The co-ordinator for special educational needs has a sound appreciation of her role and staff are aware that she is able to offer additional support should they need it. Consequently, all children are fully included in the life of the setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s behaviour is very good. As a result of warm and consistent staff interaction there is very little unwanted behaviour shown by children. For example, due to close relationships between children aged two and their staff, children are secure and content, enabling them to calmly accept turn taking or staff intervention without undue disgruntlement. Older children are developing good levels of self control. Following minor disagreements they remove themselves from the situation and then accept staff distraction to help them re-join the group on a positive note.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Overall, there is an effective range of resources and images in the nursery reflecting diversity. Older children can see different texts and different languages used on signs around the pre-school rooms. Whilst they celebrate festivals such as Christmas and Diwali with staff children are able to learn new vocabulary and see that families have different cultures and traditions. This helps them to develop acceptance and tolerance of the differences and similarities between themselves and others. Younger children and babies have dolls, dressing up clothes and small world toys to play with to help them form a balanced view of the wider world around them.

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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 The partnership with parents and carers of children who receive funding for nursery education is good. Parents receive valuable written information about the Foundation Stage when their child starts in the room and receive regular written information about what topics their child is covering. Parents are encouraged to send in objects or artefacts with their children to help support topics and provide links between home and nursery. Developmental records are available to parents to take home to look at in more depth at how their child is progressing. Parents are able to meet staff informally at the end of the working day or at formal parents' evenings to discuss their child’s progress. As a consequence, parents are kept well informed about why their children are participating in activities and how they can help their child learn at home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Overall, children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The registered provider has a high regard for the children in their care and is committed to providing good quality care and education. There are firm and robust organisational procedures for staff to follow and overall staff carry out policies and procedures very effectively in practice. As a result, opportunities for children’s health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution are generally well exploited.

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Organisation

The organisation of staff is good. For example, at lunchtimes the same support staff work in the same rooms to enable them to get to know the children’s likes and dislikes. This promotes consistency of care for the children and babies. The organisation of resources in each room is comprehensive and covers all areas of babies' and children’s development. However, the organisation of having two separate pre-school rooms does limit the scope to which staff can expand core areas of learning. The management team has a very sound knowledge of the nursery’s strengths and weaknesses and as a result has a clear development plan in place.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery is good. There is a clear hierarchy of management to offer staff support and guidance and to help them reflect on their practice. The overall manager of the nursery delegates daily co-ordination of the Foundation Stage to a senior member of staff who has a thorough understanding of how young children learn. Professional development is actively encouraged at all levels and staff respond positively by incorporating new ways of working into their everyday practice. This has an encouraging effect on the continuous improvement of the care and education of the funded children.

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Organisation

Overall, the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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

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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop consistency in the planning of activities for children under three years to link to the good practice guidance found in 'Birth to three matters' and to identify activities linked to children's next steps in their development • continue to develop staff care practice in helping babies aged between one and two years to be healthy

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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 way indoor and outdoor space in both pre-school rooms is used to provide greater variation in experiences for the children • increase the range of resources to develop children's exploratory skills.

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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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