Fairfield Primary School

Flying Start Day Nursery (Moorlands) Inspection report for early years provision

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122552 Unique Reference Number 28 March 2007 Inspection date Jacqui Lloyd / Joanne Lindsey Caswell Inspector

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The Marld, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 1RW Setting Address

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01372 279935 Telephone number Flyingstartdaynursery@hotmail.com E-mail Flying Start Day Nursery Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Flying Start (Moorlands) is one of two privately-owned day nurseries in Ashtead, Surrey. It has been registered since 1999. The nursery is accommodated within a large Victorian house on three levels consisting of four play areas, including a baby unit on the ground floor. There is a secure area for outdoor play. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, throughout the year, from 8:00 to 18:00. It serves parents from the surrounding area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 58 children aged under eight years. There are currently 84 children, aged from six months to four years, on roll. This includes 32 children who receive funding for early education. The nursery supports children who have 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 15 staff work with the children. Of these, 14 staff hold a recognised early years qualification. One staff member is currently 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. There is some provision in place for children to learn about the importance of being healthy. Children play outside throughout the year and benefit from plenty of fresh air and exercise. They enjoy taking part in the commercial ‘Fit and Fun’ programme and weekly dance sessions and develop balance and co-ordination by moving in a variety of ways, using a range of equipment. For example, children enjoy using wheeled toys and confidently manoeuvre round obstacles. They kick balls and play with hoops and beanbags. Children negotiate the stairs within the nursery safely and enjoy weekly dance sessions. This enables children to develop their spatial awareness and muscle control.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children develop their dexterity and manipulation by handling tools and resources, such as scissors, cutlery, mark-making resources and threading materials. This enhances children’s hand/eye co-ordination and improves their fine motor development.

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Helping children to be healthy

Most staff are vigilant in maintaining a healthy and hygienic environment. The nursery is bright and airy and there are good levels of ventilation. Some staff are attentive towards maintaining hygiene levels during nappy change routines, although not all staff implement written nursery policies and do not clean the changing mat between nappy changes. This does not satisfactorily protect children against cross-infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff help children to remember the importance of personal hygiene by explaining the importance of hand washing. As a result, many of the older children remember to do this independently after toileting and before eating. Babies and younger children have sufficient rest and sleep, in accordance with their parents’ wishes, helping to promote their healthy development.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are effective procedures in place for the administration of medication. Staff understand the nursery policies and ensure that all medication is recorded accurately. This ensures that written information helps to support children’s health and welfare.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children begin to understand about healthy eating. The nursery chef plays an active part in raising children’s awareness of nutrition. The nursery menu is currently being reviewed to ensure it offers a healthy range of nourishing and well-balanced meals. Children can access drinks freely and snacks consist of healthy options, such as fresh fruit. This contributes towards supporting children’s healthy development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Good consideration is given to promoting children’s security. Access to the premises is closely monitored, helping to prevent unauthorised visitors from gaining entry. The premises is maintained to a satisfactory standard and children are cared for in separate age groups. This helps to ensure that all toys and resources are safe and provide appropriate developmental challenge. Good use is made of the nursery garden and outside play areas to extend children’s learning and provide additional play opportunities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children play with a satisfactory range of toys and resources. However, the storage and accessibility of some play materials in the Baby and Toddler rooms is sometimes limited,

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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 preventing children’s choice and opportunities for exploration. Furniture and equipment is checked regularly to ensure it is safe for children’s use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe. For example, there are good procedures in place for emergency evacuation. Children understand the emergency arrangements as they undertake regular drills. This helps children recognise how to keep themselves safe. Good consideration has been given to safely evacuating the non-mobile babies, with the use of an evacuation cot. This ensures that babies are evacuated quickly and safely. Older children negotiate the stairs safely and understand simple safety procedures, such as holding the banister and not pushing. This helps to minimise hazards and enables children to learn the importance of safety. However, some staff do not always implement safe practice or make effective use of the low-level room dividers. For example, not all staff move the room dividers when lifting and carrying babies. This presents a hazard and does not help children to learn safe practice.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are satisfactory procedures in place to safeguard children. Staff have a sound understanding of their responsibilities regarding child protection and attend appropriate training. This ensures that staff are familiar with the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child in their care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Staff provide a homely and welcoming environment, enabling children to be happy and settled. Children are generally confident within the nursery and relate well to their peers and adults. Children are able to express themselves freely and show increasing independence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Most staff interact positively and enthusiastically with the children and build positive relationships with them. Consequently children laugh during play and approach staff frequently for cuddles and physical affection.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff make good use of regular observations to assess and record the babies' and children's progress and development. There are effective systems in place in the Baby unit for monitoring this process to ensure these are undertaken at regular intervals. This enables staff to be familiar with the babies' needs and plan for their future learning and development. However, not all staff make full use of planned activities and incidental learning opportunities as they arise. As a result of this, babies and toddlers sometimes have limited opportunities to develop their natural curiosity, language skills and imagination.

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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 make appropriate use of this with regards to the planning and provision of activities. However, the limited range and accessibility of toys and resources in the toddler unit sometimes restricts children from initiating play and exploring their own ideas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff are skilled early years practitioners with a secure understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Children’s learning is complemented by additional staff who attend the setting, offering specialist skills in music, sports, dance and French. Children benefit from many practical learning opportunities, enabling them to explore, make investigations and develop their own interests and curiosity. This enables children to explore new ideas, develop an understanding of new concepts and become independent learners.

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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 Staff plan a wide range of fun and enjoyable activities, which clearly motivate children and encourage them to explore the nursery environment, both inside and outside. For example, the current topic of Gardening and Growing encourages children to enjoy a wide range of environmental activities. Children avidly explore natural materials and enthusiastically study plants, insects and flowers. They plant seeds and carry out experiments enabling children to investigate change and explore scientific properties. Children show interest and enthusiasm for learning. They are inspired by the ‘Resurrection Plant’ and question how it changes its appearance. This encourages children to observe and make comparisons.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff make full use of incidental opportunities to extend children’s learning. For example, particularly good attention is given to promoting children’s mathematical skills. Some children have excellent number skills and staff extend this by encouraging children to problem solve and make simple calculations. All children count confidently and this is extended well during daily routine activities, such as lining up and preparing for lunch, helping to reinforce children’s counting and calculation skills. Staff make full use of other practical activities to introduce children to shape, size and more complex concepts, such as weight, height and time. Children freely access scales for weighing and measure themselves on a ‘beanstalk’ height chart. They use sand timers to learn about different time periods.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Curriculum planning is detailed and covers all six areas of learning. Children’s progress towards the early learning goals is closely monitored. Staff carry out regular observations and assessments and understand children’s different learning needs. However, the documentation for short term planning does not clearly, and consistently, indicate how teaching methods will be adapted to meet all children’s needs. This prevents records from clearly reflecting how children’s individual learning needs are planned for.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop very good social skills. They play co-operatively with one another and form strong friendships with their peers and the staff. Children confidently take part in group activities and enjoy team games where they take turns and play together happily. Children are very polite and courteous to one another and adults. They have high self-esteem and are very proud of their achievements. Children excitedly talk about their friends and enjoy looking at their photographs. They are highly motivated and take pride in their work. For example, children talk proudly about their drawings and are keen to share their achievements. Children try hard with all activities. They persevere with tasks and make every effort to succeed. This is gently encouraged by staff who give children plenty of praise and encouragement and motivate children to try their best. As a result, children are self-assured and clearly enjoy their time at

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s language and communication skills are very good. They converse easily with their peers and adults and join in enthusiastically with group discussion. Staff encourage children to develop their vocabulary through effective questioning and group discussion. Children particularly enjoy books and listen attentively to stories. Staff use books as a basis for topic work and activities. For example, children enjoy listening to the story of Jasper’s Beanstalk and then make their own pictures of the story to write about. Children access a good range of fiction books and use reference books to support their understanding of gardening and plants. There is provision in place for children to develop an awareness of letters and sounds. However, the format used for this is not consistent between the different rooms within the nursery. Consequently, children experience inconsistent teaching methods for learning about the

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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 Children enjoy many activities to learn about the wider world. They use Information, Communication and Technology resources competently, such as using the computer and a digital camera. Children clearly understand how things work and select their own programs. They enjoy taking photographs of themselves and ask excitedly to see their pictures displayed on the computer.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is good provision in place for children to develop their physical skills. They enjoy regular access to outdoor play and play with a variety resources in the garden to enhance their play and learning. For example younger children enjoy developing their mobility by playing on the slide and using wheeled toys. Older children thoroughly enjoy taking an active part in the physical exercise programme provided by an external commercial company.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is good provision in place to extend children’s creativity. Children’s art work adorns the nursery, reflecting children’s own ideas and freedom of choice. There is provision for free painting and drawing, encouraging children to make their own pictures and use a range of techniques and media. Children handle a range of textures and materials. They develop their senses as they play with malleable resources, such as soil, compost, soap, rice, dough, sand and water. Children have very good opportunities to play creatively. The role play areas are well-resourced and reflect the current topics, enabling children to develop their own ideas and use their imagination. For example, children play in the ‘Flying Start Garden Centre’ to consolidate their learning from topic work.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children develop a clear understanding of the needs of others. They feel listened to within the nursery as staff value what they say and help children to develop a strong sense of belonging and high self-esteem. For example, children suggest their own ideas for improvements to the outside play area. Staff listen to these and acknowledge children’s contributions in the planning and improvement of this area. Staff treat children fairly and equally and value them as individuals. Children learn about the wider world through topic work and develop an awareness of the cultures and customs of other children and their families. For example, children learn about Chinese New Year, St Patrick’s Day and Easter and other festivals are incorporated into planning. This helps children to value one another and ensures children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff identify individual children’s care routines and give good consideration to meeting parents personal requirements and preferences. For example, staff in the Baby room respect parents’ requests for babies’ sleep routines and comfort measures, encouraging strong links between home and nursery.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There is provision in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff monitor children’s developmental progress and have a clear awareness of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. This enables staff to identify children’s care and learning needs and work in partnership with parents and other agencies to support children’s health and welfare needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well. They clearly understand acceptable behaviour levels and enjoy positive interaction from staff. There is a very happy, relaxed atmosphere within the nursery and staff promote a very fair and positive environment. For example, staff praise children highly and

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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 value their work, contributions and achievements. This enables all children to feel special and respected as an individual.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff display information on the Foundation Stage curriculum and ensure parents and carers are fully informed of all nursery topics and activities. This helps parents and carers to be involved in children’s learning and understand the nursery curriculum. There are good procedures in place for staff to share information on children’s progress and learning needs, through written reports, parents’ meetings and daily information. Parents are actively encouraged to look at children’s work and records and be involved in the assessment process. This enables parents to share their own knowledge of their children’s learning needs and encourages strong partnerships between staff and parents. As a result, children see their parents and the staff are equal partners in their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff provide a relaxed and welcoming environment for parents and carers. This enables parents to approach staff confidently and share all relevant information about their children’s care and development. All necessary consent forms are in place, ensuring that children’s care routines are discussed and agreed to ensure consistency in care practice. Staff maintain written information for parents on a daily basis, enabling parents to understand children’s nursery routines and share in their daily achievements.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Nursery policies and procedures are clearly displayed for parents, together with supporting information on staff. This helps parents to understand nursery routines and be familiar with the staff caring for their children. All relevant information regarding Ofsted is clearly displayed, including a complaints procedure, in compliance with regulations. Feedback from parents is welcomed and valued, reflecting staff’s strong commitment to reviewing practice and work closely with parents to ensure high standards of care for children.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The nursery team consists of professionally qualified, early years practitioners. The leadership and management are good. The nursery manager and senior management team oversee the delivery of the Foundation Stage curriculum and ensure that staff have regular access to further training to develop their knowledge and skills. Areas of responsibility are delegated effectively and staff play a full part in team meetings, helping all staff to feel valued and acknowledged as part of the team. Staff demonstrate a positive commitment and strong loyalty to the success of the nursery and the senior management team value the contributions made by all staff. As a result, all staff work together well and actively seek improvements they can make to enhance the delivery of the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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Organisation

There are robust procedures in place to ensure that all staff are appropriately vetted and cleared to work with children. Agency staff and students are effectively supervised and the detailed staff induction programme ensures that temporary and less experienced, staff are supervised appropriately. Effective staff deployment ensures that all staffing ratios are consistently adhered to.

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Organisation

Staff mainly work well together, although some staff working with the younger children lack confidence in their own abilities. As a result, some staff do not always interact with the babies and toddlers effectively and do not always implement written nursery policies in their daily practice. For example, the range of activities in the Baby and Toddler rooms, does not always reflect the expectations of the senior management team. The ineffective organisation and

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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 restricted access to some resources and play materials sometimes limits children’s choice and the opportunities to explore and initiate their own learning.

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Organisation

All regulatory documentation is maintained appropriately. Staff ensure that children’s records are stored confidentially. Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and most policies are implemented in daily practice.

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Organisation

The setting 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 training and qualifications of staff working in the Baby unit. Since the last inspection, there has been a change of staff. As a result, more than 50% of staff working in the Baby unit now hold, or are working towards, a recognised qualification. This ensures that all staff training and qualification regulations are adhered to, improving the general organisation of the nursery.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection, two points for consideration were raised. These related to the provision of physical play activities and staff’s use of the daily routines to extend children’s learning. Both these issues have been addressed. Staff have purchased additional resources, equipment and small apparatus to promote opportunities for physical play, both inside and outside. This improves the range of activities for children to move in a variety of ways and develop large muscle development.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Staff undertake appropriate training to improve their knowledge and understanding of Foundation Stage teaching. This enables staff to utilise daily opportunities and spontaneous events to extend and development children’s progress towards the early learning goals.

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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 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):

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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 • ensure staff consistently follow good procedures during nappy changing to prevent the spread of infection • ensure staff implement safe and appropriate methods for lifting and carrying babies • ensure staff working in the Baby and Toddler units enable all children to build on their natural curiosity, develop their language skills and use their imagination • review the organisation of the Baby and Toddler units, including daily routines, space and the accessibility and range of resources to meet the individual needs of the younger 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): • continue to develop the format of short term planning to 1) clearly identify how children's individual learning needs are planned for and 2) utilise evaluation of activities to inform future planning • review the provision for introducing children to letters and sounds to ensure consistency in practice between all nursery rooms

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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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