Coston Primary School

Bright Eyes Day Nursery - Cheltenham

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bright Eyes Day Nursery - Cheltenham

101879 Unique Reference Number 12 December 2006 Inspection date Miriam Sheila Brown Inspector

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Bright Eyes Day Nursery - Cheltenham

Knapp Villa, 6 Knapp Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 3QQ Setting Address

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E-mail

Shirley Flook 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 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?

Bright Eyes Day Nursery is a privately run nursery situated on the outskirts of Cheltenham and has been registered since August 2000. It shares a car park with a local business and is easily accessible by foot from the town centre.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Bright Eyes Day Nursery is open each week day from 08.00 to 18.00 and provides care for 48 children aged from three months to under five years. There are currently 65 children on roll. Of these, 18 children receive funding for early education. Children are cared for in one of four groups depending on their age and stage of development. They share access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area and a basement gym.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 14 staff, including the owner. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications or are working towards a 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. Children learn about keeping themselves healthy through daily routines and activities, staff example, and in the pre-school, discussion about why this is important. For example, older children wash their hands independently after using the toilet and before eating and have easy access to tissues for nose blowing, which they dispose of safely. Younger children wash hands with supervision from staff. Nappy changing procedures are generally well organised to maintain hygiene. Children's health needs are met appropriately because staff maintain clear records of individual requirements for eating, sleeping and any medications to be given. These are discussed with parents on a regular basis and accident and medication records shared with them. They also provide written permissions for such things as emergency medical treatment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from a range of nutritious meals which are prepared using fresh ingredients and cooked on the premises. Pre-school children enjoy helping to prepare some of these, for example, making sandwiches for tea and spreading and cutting their toast at snack time. Fresh drinking water is freely available to children throughout the day. Children currently eat together in their base rooms where they chat happily with each other and staff, sometimes reminding each other to say 'please' and 'thankyou' for things offered. Babies milk feeds are stored appropriately.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy energetic games both inside using the gym and outside in the garden. In the gym they greatly enjoy tumbling on the soft play apparatus, taking turns to practise forward rolls and joining in with music and movement. Outside they use wheeled toys, sliding, climbing and imaginary play. Babies learn to crawl in spacious rooms which provide many good opportunities for them to experience standing, taking their first steps, or just rolling, according to their abilities. Children's small muscle control is developing well through many good opportunities to use tools and equipment such as glue sticks, brushes, small construction and jigsaws.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in clean, well-maintained premises, which have been effectively re-organised so that each play room has it's own 'messy play' area and children can move around freely and safely. This enables them to develop their independence by making their own choices. In the pre-school and baby rooms they easily access a wide range of interesting and well-maintained resources. The other two rooms are currently being re-organised to provide the same freedom of access to toys and equipment. Children are kept safe from harm through good adult supervision and clear explanations of safety practice and procedures. For example, children on the first floor understand that stairs may be dangerous if they do not hold on to the banister and walk slowly. Their growing awareness of road safety is enhanced by walks to the local park where they learn to look and listen before crossing roads. Fire evacuation

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

procedures are clearly displayed, known to all, discussed with the children and practised regularly.

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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 Staff supervise children effectively throughout the day and required ratios are maintained at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded because staff have attended child protection training and know the procedures they should follow if they have concerns about a child in their care. The child protection co-ordinator ensures staff understand their responsibilities. However, the policy document does not outline the procedures to be used if an allegation is made about a member of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Babies are happy and settled because staff are welcoming and give them lots of attention. They benefit from a very good relationship with staff working in the baby room, which increases their well-being and sense of trust. Younger children happily play together, and are beginning to take turns, share and to talk to others. They experiment with crayons, paint and glue, and explore treasure baskets, pasta, rice and dough, enabling them to express their feelings and thoughts in a variety of ways. The improvement in the presentation of these resources, together with more imaginative activities, means pre-school children and babies gain much more from their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff in the day nursery have begun to use the 'Birth to three matters' framework as a basis for observation and assessment for younger children. However, the framework is not yet used to plan the week to ensure that children are offered a consistently broad range of activities based on what they can already do.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Since the last inspection senior staff have attended Foundation Stage training and received support from the local authority foundation stage consultant. This is enabling children to make generally good progress because staff have a better understanding of how the curriculum is used to assist their ongoing development. However, although detailed observations are made which highlight areas for development, these observations are not yet linked to the stepping stones for each area of learning. Therefore staff are not able to use them to inform planning about how individual children are assisted in moving on from what they already know and can do.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are happy and settled within the pre-school group. They enjoy choosing and initiating their own activities and confidently ask if they wish to do something which they do not see out. For example, a different computer programme or more glue to do sticking. They take an active part in meal times by setting tables, pouring their own drinks and spreading and cutting toast. Children use language well to organise their imaginary play and to describe what is happening to the glue as it drips from the stick, for example, 'I've made a wiggly worm on the table'. They talk about their homes and what happened at the weekend, demonstrating their growing awareness of time and place. Children understand that print carries meaning and really enjoy the book area where they 'read' with, and to each other, and staff. Some children are

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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 starting to write correctly formed, recognisable letters and all are given opportunities throughout their play, to practise mark-making.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Daily routines offer children many opportunities to practise numbers. They count cups, plates and knives at snack time and decide how many pieces of toast they will need. Whilst playing with construction bricks they sort colours and count how many in a set. Cooking activities offer them opportunities to weigh and measure. Children's knowledge of the world around them is effectively enhanced as staff draw their attention to how the toaster works and what over-cooked toast smells like. They look for mini-beasts in the garden and care for the nursery African land snail and the rabbit. Children use the computer competently and some are able to load and play various games which support other areas of learning, unaided by staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children very much enjoy imaginary play and create their own games using role-play areas and dressing-up. For example, whilst pretending to be at the doctors one child used tweezers to make another child better and administered pretend tablets, then referred to the poster of a skeleton which was displayed nearby. They take part in regular music and movement sessions and when the weather is suitable, take instruments outside to hear how different they sound in the open air.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff make good use of activities to extend children’s learning, although the lack of clear plans to meet individual needs means that some more able children are not always encouraged to move on to their next steps in learning and that some younger ones may not receive the support they need.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are valued as individuals and those from different backgrounds are welcomed into the setting. For example one child who speaks English as an additional language has settled quickly, demonstrates a good understanding of nursery routines and has made solid friendship groups. Children receive praise and encouragement, and learn what is right and wrong, for example, they remind each other to say 'please' and 'thank you' at snack time and praise each other when they respond. They willingly join in with tidy-up times and other nursery routines and as a result, behave well, sharing and taking turns with their friends. They develop positive attitudes to others through sharing activities and an environment that reflects the lives of those in the wider community. For example, they visit a nearby school for concerts, visit the park and enjoy walks in the local area. Children begin to appreciate the customs and cultures of others through

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Helping children make a positive contribution

celebrating festivals throughout the year. They show concern for living things around them as they care for the nursery rabbit and African land snail. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Children now benefit from the good relationships and informal contact between their parents and staff. All parents know nursery staff well and share information with them about their children's needs. This is managed through informal discussion, termly reports and open evenings, all of which have been instigated since the last inspection. Parents are invited to attend information meetings about the Foundation Stage and how it is implemented and colourful posters reinforce the aims of the curriculum.

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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 However, specific information about activities and short term plans are not provided, which reduces parents ability to be involved in their children's learning. Parents of younger children and babies receive a daily written sheet containing information about their children's day, but very limited information about planned activities. Parents spoken to during the inspection commented on how pleased they are with the recent changes that have been made and how happy their children are to attend the nursery.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children in the day nursery are now cared for in a well-organised environment. This is following recent re-organisation of play rooms to enable children to take part in a wider range of activities that are not shared with other rooms. They receive good support through effective staff deployment and consistent implementation of the setting’s policies, procedures and daily routines.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of the nursery is satisfactory. Staff work very well as a team and are friendly and approachable. They are well managed by the owner who supports them in their career development through regular appraisals and ongoing training. For example, all staff have attended 'Birth to three matters' training and some are in the process of completing National Vocational Qualifications at varying levels. Effective recruitment and induction procedures are in place, helping to ensure children are cared for by suitable staff who are appropriately vetted. However, the education programme is not yet sufficiently monitored to ensure that individual needs are highlighted and therefore, on occasions, older and more able children lack challenge.

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Organisation

All required paperwork is in place and available for inspection although some policies require further detail and to be made more easily available to parents to ensure they are fully aware of all aspects of the care and education offered. The setting meets the needs of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the nursery agreed to develop staff training, recruitment and induction procedures to ensure all staff are able to do their jobs effectively. They also agreed to improve resources, ensuring they are safe and suitable for children's use, and to seek emergency medical treatment permission from parents.

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Improvements since the last inspection

A robust recruitment and induction programme is now in place. All staff are given a pack containing policies and procedures and sign to say they have read them. Regular staff meetings and an appraisal system provides on-going staff support. Resources have been re-organised in two of the four rooms, with the other two to follow shortly. This enables greater free access for children and enables staff to monitor safety and cleanliness more effectively. Written permissions from all parents to enable the nursery to seek medical advice or treatment in an emergency, are now in place.

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Improvements 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 Nursery education

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the quality of the nursery education was judged as inadequate. The setting needed to improve the staff knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum; the systems for assessing children's progress in relation to the stepping stones; the use of these to inform planning to ensure children's individual needs are met; and the systems to monitor and evaluate the nursery education and its impact. The setting also needed to improve the information given to parents about the Foundation Stage and how they may take an active part in their children's learning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Some senior staff have attended Foundation Stage training to increase their knowledge and understanding of the stepping stones, the early learning goals, and how young children learn. Staff have also received considerable support from outside agencies. These measures have had a positive impact on the quality of the nursery education which is now much improved and includes all areas of learning. Systems to monitor the quality of the nursery education and its impact are evolving, but do not yet ensure the needs of all children are fully met because individual records are not linked systematically to the stepping stones to enable staff to plan effectively the next steps in children's learning. The nursery now invite parents to attend an information meeting about the Foundation Stage and a display of posters informs them of the aims of the Foundation Stage. However, as yet they do not have specific information regarding

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Improvements since the last inspection

planned activities to assist them in taking an active part in their children's learning, or feedback which links this learning to the stepping stones.

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • continue to develop the use of 'Birth to three matters' guidance to assist staff in planning a broad range of activities which assist children in developing their all round abilities • ensure policies and procedures are readily available to parents to ensure they are fully informed about all aspects of care offered.

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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 systems to assess and monitor children's progress, using the stepping stones, and use this information to plan the next steps in their learning to ensure children are effectively assisted to build on what they already know and can do. • provide parents with information about weekly activities to enable them to take an active part in children's learning and development (also applies to care)

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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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