Toton Bispham Drive Junior School

Flying Start Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Flying Start Day Nursery

122554 Unique Reference Number 23 January 2007 Inspection date Jacqui Lloyd Inspector

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Flying Start Day Nursery

Barnes Mead, Woodfield Lane, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 2BT Setting Address

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Flying Start Day Nursery

01372 276825 Telephone number Flyingstartdaynursery@hotmail.com E-mail Elizabeth Chambers Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Flying Start Day Nursery

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?

Flying Start Day Nursery has been registered since 1994. It is one of two, independent, privately owned nurseries in Ashtead, Surrey. The nursery is accommodated within a large detached building, consisting of an open plan nursery room with separate baby unit to the ground floor and two nursery rooms to the upper level. There is a secure area for outdoor play, which is divided to provide suitable areas for different age groups. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, throughout the year, from 08:00 to 18:00. The nursery serves the surrounding area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 77 children, aged from six months to four years, on roll. Of these, 29 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A team of 17 staff work with the children. Of these 12 staff hold recognised qualifications.

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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’s health and physical development is mainly promoted well. There are some opportunities for children to learn effective personal hygiene routines. For example, older children take themselves to the toilets and begin to understand the importance of washing their hands to promote their good health. Staff implement generally effective cleaning routines to help protect children from infection. For example, babies’ toys and feeding resources are cleaned regularly and sterilised. Nursery policies ensure that staff use separate cleaning cloths for different surfaces to guard against cross-infection. Staff wear gloves and disposable aprons during nappy changing routines and all children’s toiletries are clearly labelled. This helps to promote each child’s individual health and welfare needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children have opportunities to play outside and benefit from the fresh air. Children run around and move in a variety of ways to enhance their physical development. Older children take part in a commercial fitness programme and enjoy activities, such as movement and dance. This helps to encourage children’s balance and co-ordination. Babies develop their mobility and confidence as they begin to move in a variety of ways. For example, older babies enjoy playing with push-along toys, helping them to have confidence in moving and standing unsupported. All children use a range of resources to enable them to move in a variety of ways. For example, children crawl through tunnels, manoeuvre wheeled toys and play active games with the parachute.

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Helping children to be healthy

The nursery is well-ventilated and is maintained to a satisfactory standard. The nursery decoration is adequate. All nursery rooms have natural light and staff ensure that sick and infectious children are appropriately excluded from the nursery. This helps to maintain a healthy environment for children.

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Helping children to be healthy

There is some provision in place for children to learn about healthy eating. Children enjoy fresh fruit snacks and have access to drinking water. However, the provision of some cooked meals does not always meet all parents’ preferences, due to some meals containing processed foods. The current menu does not always reflect a healthy range of freshly-prepared foods, incorporating nutritious and well-balanced meals.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Staff implement appropriate procedures to keep children safe. For example, older children learn how to negotiate the stairs to the first floor rooms safely. A low level handrail helps children to be supported in this. Children are prevented from accessing hazardous areas, such as the nursery kitchen. Radiators are adequately covered to protect children from injury. Staff take effective precautions to enable children to play outside safely. The nursery gates are closed preventing traffic from entering the grounds, when children play in the front car park area. Staff use temporary fencing to identify a safe area for children to play. This helps to protect children from potential hazards.

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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 are attentive in ensuring children’s security. For example, visitors to the premises are escorted by staff and only authorised adults are permitted to collect children from the nursery, with the use of a password system. This contributes towards promoting children’s safety and security.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children play with an adequate range of toys and play materials. All resources are maintained to a satisfactory standard. Risk assessments help to identify potential hazards and ensure that appropriate maintenance work is carried out. This helps to ensure a safe environment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff and children regularly practise an emergency evacuation drill. This helps to ensure children understand appropriate procedures to keep themselves safe. The emergency drill is used effectively to enable staff to review their practice and identify safe exits to ensure children’s safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a satisfactory understanding of child protection issues. They complete appropriate training and have a sound awareness of the appropriate procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child in their care. This contributes towards safeguarding children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are generally happy and settled. They enjoy their time at nursery and benefit from close relationships with staff. Interaction between staff and children is positive and staff succeed in creating a welcoming and homely atmosphere for the children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Some staff have an awareness of the Birth to three matters framework and use this as a basis for monitoring children’s development. Staff carry out some observations on children’s progress. This enables staff to have a basic understanding of children’s individual needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies have opportunities to explore and develop their curiosity. They enjoy watching bubbles and show interest in musical toys. Older babies enjoy playing with paints and different textures and join in happily with songs and rhymes. Infants and toddlers explore a range of topics, such as the jungle and 'Foods from Around the World'. This helps younger children to explore a range of activities and develop new skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies and children have opportunities to experience a range of play. Younger children learn to share and play co-operatively. This helps them to develop social skills. Toddlers and infants enjoy imaginative play. For example, they arrange the chairs into a ‘bus’ and play creatively, to recreate a bus journey. This encourages children to develop their imagination. Children explore using their senses and enjoy handling a range of resources, such as spaghetti, cornflour and soap.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are attentive in meeting children’s care and welfare needs. Some strategies are in place to encourage babies’ language development. For example, staff use the Baby Signing programme. Additional care routines, such as baby massage, help to encourage close interaction between children and staff.

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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 NURSERY EDUCATION

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have a basic understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum, although not all areas of play are utilised fully to extend children’s learning. Planning records cover the six areas of learning. Evaluations and observations of children’s learning are carried out, but these are not always used regularly to inform further planning. This restricts staff from consistently adapting activities to cater for children’s individual abilities. Some teaching methods are rather adult-led, which restricts children from enjoying more child-initiated play and learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop social skills through their play. They mainly share and take turns well and play co-operatively. The lack of some play materials prevents all children from taking part fully. For example, there are few role play resources, enabling all children to take part. Children become increasingly independent within the nursery. For example, they take their coats off after outside play and pour their own drinks at snack time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are polite and courteous to one another and listen to each other well. Children confidently take part in group discussions and enjoy sharing their news. There are some opportunities for children to develop pencil control, although these activities are quite adult-directed, through the completion of worksheets. Children enjoy stories and enjoy talking about their favourite story characters as part of Book Week.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is provision for children to count and develop number skills. Children sort using different attributes and develop an awareness of colour, size and shape. Children count confidently, although, not all opportunities within the daily routine are utilised fully to extend children’s number and calculation skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop an awareness of the wider world. They begin to understand different cultures as they participate in French lessons with an external teacher. There is some provision for children to use computers and electronic toys and resources. This helps children to learn how things work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop their physical skills as they learn to move in a variety of ways. They enjoy outside play, using resources, such as wheeled toys, balancing equipment and climbing frames. Timetabled activities include gym, dance, parachute games and fitness games. These activities help children to develop muscle control and co-ordination. Children improve their dexterity and manipulation as they pour their own drinks; manage fastenings on their clothes and handling cutlery at meal times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have some opportunities to develop their imagination. There is a very small role play area and a small range of supporting resources. Children devise their own games and express their own ideas, using the limited play materials. There is some provision for art and craft and children learn about colour mixing. The weekly timetable enables children to participate in musical activities with a visiting teacher, which they thoroughly enjoy.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. There is a happy, homely atmosphere evident within the nursery with a strong family ethos. Staff welcome all children and their families into the nursery and there are many photographs of children displayed. This encourages children to talk about their friends and feel valued within the nursery. There is some provision for children to learn about the wider world through topic work. For example, children enjoy cookery activities and sample foods from other countries.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children mainly behave well and understand some behaviour boundaries. Staff reward positive behaviour and use incentive strategies, such as awarding stickers. This helps children to learn about right from wrong. As a result of this, children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There is some provision in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. However, the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator does not always liaise sufficiently closely with other staff, to ensure that identified goals and targets for children’s development are effectively monitored and planned for.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents and carers receive information on the Birth to three matters framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum. Children’s developmental records include provision for parents to be included in the assessment procedure. There are many photographs displayed, helping parents to understand the Foundation Stage activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are welcomed into the setting and written information is provided regarding each child’s care routines. All relevant parents’ consent is obtained, ensuring that children’s care routines are discussed and agreed. This helps to ensure consistency for children between routines followed at home and those implemented at nursery. Parents’ preferences are complied with, particularly in the provision of meals.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Staff have a satisfactory understanding of the National Standards. This ensures that staff ratios are mainly effective to meet children’s needs. The current organisation of the nursery is satisfactory. However, at times, staff do not utilise space effectively. As a result of this, some children of mixed age groups are cared for together. This restricts the range of activities that can be organised to meet children’s developmental needs and abilities. The organisation of some resources is sometimes effective. For example, the babies can access their toys easily from low level shelves. However, not all children can access a wider range of resources. This restricts the range and type of play opportunities available to older children and limits their choice and learning.

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Organisation

Staff are committed to further training and many staff are currently undertaking courses to develop their knowledge and experience. All regulatory documentation is maintained to a satisfactory standard and is stored securely to ensure children’s confidentiality.

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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 The leadership and management are satisfactory. The nursery manager is a supportive and dedicated leader. She supports staff at all levels and takes an active interest in the delivery of the Foundation Stage curriculum. The senior management team reflect a commitment to training and staff development. However, evaluations on nursery practice have not identified the staff’s weak understanding of Foundation Stage assessment procedures. As a result, curriculum planning is not utilised fully to identify children’s future learning.

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Organisation

The nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides care.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection, one recommendation was raised. This related to the format for recording accidents. Staff have addressed this fully. All accident records now ensure children’s confidentiality. As a result, documentation is secure and contains necessary information regarding children’s welfare needs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection, three key issues were raised. These related to documentation relating to curriculum planning, staff’s knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and the involvement of parents in the assessment process. Staff have partly met these issues. Children’s developmental records have been reviewed and now include provision for parents to be included in the assessment procedure, by sharing their own observations and knowledge of their children’s developmental progress. This helps to strengthen the partnership for children between their parents and the nursery staff.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, new staff have been appointed to deliver the Foundation Stage curriculum. Staff have a basic understanding and awareness of the curriculum, but the format of planning and some teaching methods still have weaknesses. Activities are not evaluated effectively to identify children’s individual learning needs. As a result of this, staff do not consistently use activities to challenge all children effectively. Staff's limited understanding of the use of evaluation and assessment sometimes inhibits how they plan for children’s learning through the use of child-initiated play. As a result, some activities are very adult-directed and restrict children from leading their own play and learning.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been no complaints made to Ofsted which required the provider, or Ofsted, to take any action in which 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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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

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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): • review the provision of meals and snacks to enable children to receive nutritionally balanced meals and learn about the importance of healthy eating • improve the provision for children with learning disabilities and/or difficulties to ensure their individual needs are clearly identified and consistently monitored by all staff, enabling all children to progress in all areas of development • review the organisation throughout the nursery, of space and resources, to meet the individual needs of all children 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): • improve staff's knowledge and understanding of Foundation Stage curriculum planning, to enable them to deliver activities which provide appropriate and suitable challenge for all children • improve staff's understanding of how to plan for, observe and monitor children's individual progress and use assessment records to inform future planning and learning • review the daily routine to encourage children to explore their own interests and develop their own ideas through uninterrupted child-initiated play covering all six areas of 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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