Puzzles Day NurseryOfsted inspection, 25 Oct 2005

Puzzles Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Puzzles Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY301347 Inspection date 25 October 2005 Inspector Mary Kelly

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Puzzles Day Nursery

Setting Address 1145 Bristol Road South, Northfield, Birmingham, West Midlands, B31 2SL Telephone number 0121 476 4111

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E-mail

Registered person Tanya Jeanne Jeffrey Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Full day 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 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery changed ownership in 2004. It operates from three rooms in a converted shop premises. It is situated in a residential area on the outskirts of Birmingham city centre. A maximum of fifteen children may attend at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:00 to 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children have access to a secure enclosed area. There are currently 24 children aged nine months to four years on roll. Of these nine children receive funding for nursery education. At today's inspection ten children are present. The nursery has supported children with additional needs, and also supports

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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 a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs five staff. All of the staff, including the manager hold a current appropriate early years qualification. One of the staff is working towards an additional qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Older children's independence is promoted, as they have free access to the toilet area and are able to go independently. There are some adequate hygiene practices in place, however the children are not always taken to wash their hands prior to having snack time, this puts the children at risk of cross contamination. All of the staff have completed a first aid certificate and suitably stocked first aid kits are at hand ensuring they respond appropriately to any accidents that occur. Children enjoy accessing a range of indoor and outdoor physical activities, which contribute to their physical development and independence. At snack time, the older children offer food to the younger children, and this promotes their independence. Snacks and meals are varied and healthy. Staff discuss healthy eating with the children and encourage them to eat what they can. The children sit at

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Helping children to be healthy

tables for their snacks and meals and this ensures children learn social skills and interact well. The children have access to a choice of drinks at snack time, however they were not able to freely access water all of the time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The premises are secure and procedures are in place to ensure that staff have an awareness of authorised adults allowed to collect the children, this ensures the safety of the children at all times. Staff remind children about safety issues, especially when only using one area of the setting. Staff reinforce these by having clear procedures in place for lost and late collection of children. Staff sign the register upon the arrival and departure of the children, this ensures that they are aware of who is in the setting in the event of an emergency. There is an adequate range of activities available to the children, and extra resources are borrowed from other areas to supplement resources already in place. The resources and all areas of the premises are visually checked on a daily basis for cleanliness and safety. All required procedures are in place to ensure that the children's welfare is

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

safeguarded and promoted. The staff are clear about routines used in an emergency evacuation, these are practiced, recorded and shared with the children and parents. Staff have a good understanding of the procedure they need to put into action if they

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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 have concerns about any of the children. Staff have all attended training on protecting children and act appropriately in reporting concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. There is a suitable range of both indoor and outdoor resources. Equipment is in good condition and regularly checked to ensure that they are safe and appropriate for the children using them. Staff use their knowledge and skills to benefit the children, however they are not always deployed effectively and some of the children are not always fully occupied in activities suitable for their age and stage of development. Staff plan weekly activities using both 'Birth to three matters' and the Foundation Stage curriculum. They ensure the children gain opportunities to access a variety of opportunities and chances to revisit the skills if they needed to. Staff support the children when they require it and they benefit from small groups, this enables staff to know the children well. Children are encouraged to take part in all activities available and staff are aware that all children do not want to join in and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

have contingency plans in place in the event of this occurring. Positive interaction is in place, and the children interact well with each other and readily approach the staff. Staff use consistent assessments throughout the nursery, and have attended training to consolidate their knowledge in this area. They make both formal and informal observations of the children in their groups and this ensures they know the children well. All records are shared with the parents formally and informally.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children learn about the equality of opportunity through play and activities and have access to a range of resources to support this. They begin to develop an understanding of the diverse community through a range of activities and resources. Parents are made welcome and are able to share the experience of various cultural festivals and exchange their knowledge with staff and children. Children with additional needs are made welcome. Staff liaise with the parents to ensure that the children are able to develop their full potential. The designated members of staff for additional needs have attended external training and access support from outside agencies. This in turn benefits the children and ensures their needs are met. Boundaries for behaviour management are in place and staff remind the children about these, calmly and appropriately at their level of understanding. The children

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Helping children make a positive contribution

behave well and staff offer consistent praise and encouragement. Children are given stickers to reinforce good behaviour and staff give clear reasons as to why these have been given. Good relationships with parents are in place and they receive regular monthly

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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 newsletters, informing them of trips and changes within the nursery. They have access to a wealth of information on the parent's notice board, however the details of how to contact the regulator in the event of a complaint needs to be updated.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff working with the children have obtained appropriate clearances, this ensures that the children are safe and protected from harm. The staff are suitably qualified and regular external and in-house training is encouraged to improve and consolidate their knowledge. The staff involve themselves in the children's play and offer support. The resources and activities provide support and supplement this. The rooms used are equipped appropriately and staff organise them to ensure the children can independently and safely access resources themselves. There are many examples of children's art work on the walls and this helps to promotes their pride and self-esteem. They show their artwork to their parents and visitors. Children benefit from the experience of staff, their qualifications and willingness to attend training. Most documentation was in place, however the records for recording

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Organisation

accidents and medication need to be consistently signed by the parents. Overall the needs of the children are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This is the first inspection under the new ownership, but the new owner has addressed the recommendations made at the last inspection: by improving the methods that ensure Ofsted are informed of any changes, the grouping of children is now consistent and key worker system is in place and the staff stay in the same areas, the staff have had in-house training for child protection and the staff are accessing external courses to support this.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets

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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 the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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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): • review and improve procedures to prevent cross infection with regard to hand washing • improve the accident and medication procedures to ensure that they are formally recorded, with the entries consistently signed by parents • ensure children have access to water at all times • review the deployment and organisation of staff so that children are fully occupied and activities for the children are suitable for the developmental ages of the children • update the information for parents so they can contact the regulator, in the event of a concern.

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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

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