Chelsea Open Air Nursery School

Little Pines Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Little Pines Day Nursery

100474 Unique Reference Number 07 March 2007 Inspection date Maria Lumley Inspector

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Little Pines Day Nursery

31 Kings Park Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH7 7AE Setting Address

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Little Pines Day Nursery

01202 301111 Telephone number plj.53@yahoo.co.uk E-mail Pamela Jones Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Little Pines Day Nursery opened in April 2000 and is registered to care for 18 children aged birth to under five years. It operates from the ground floor premises of the registered person's home and from which the nursery has sole use. The setting is close to the centre of Boscombe and Bournemouth. The nursery serves the wider area of Bournemouth and it's surrounding boundaries.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 41 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. This includes nine funded three year olds and two funded four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with specific learning difficulties.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens five days per week all year round from 8:30 until 17:45. Overnight care is not provided.

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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 Four full time and two part time staff work with the children. All of the staff have early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare partnership. They are accredited members of Bournemouth Early Years Quality Standards and Investors in People award.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children's health is very well promoted through the clear and effectively monitored procedures throughout the nursery. For example, staff thoroughly clean the outdoor play equipment with anti-bacterial spray before allowing the children to use the resources. Children are developing good dental health practices. They brush their teeth following lunch. Staff closely supervise this and remind them to brush the upper and lower teeth. The children brush their teeth methodically, ensuring all are cleaned. When finished one child says, "I've brushed all the food off" and smiles to show their clean teeth to their friend. Children have excellent understanding of the need to wash their hands after outdoor play, before meals and after using the toilet. For example, one child carefully washes the front and back of their hand, they then wash between each finger. The child then says, "I had a lot of dirt on my hands, now they are clean". The use

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Helping children to be healthy

of anti-bacterial soap and disposable paper towels minimises the risk of cross infection. Children take responsibility for their personal health and hygiene. One child wipes their nose and as they put the tissue in the bin says, "there might be germs on the tissue".

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are extremely well cared for following accidents. All staff are first aid trained and first aid kits are kept close by. A child has an accident whilst playing in the outdoor area. Staff act promptly and assess the child's injury. Staff offer comfort and reassurance to minimise the stress to the child. Suitable treatment is given and the accident is immediately recorded and left for parents to sign.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have very good understanding about healthy eating. They enjoy a variety of healthy snacks, afternoon tea and drinks provided by the nursery which contribute to their health and development. The nursery provide nutritious foods, avoiding unhealthy amounts of saturated fats, sugar, salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings. At lunch time children talk about what foods are good for them and why. One child says, "Grapes are good for me, grapes are fruit, they keep me healthy". One child drops some toast on the floor and knows that it's not healthy to eat it. They hand it straight to a member of staff saying, "It's dirty". Children take part in activities that raise their awareness of healthy eating. For example they make fresh fruit salads using seasonal fruits. Children's awareness of healthy eating is further promoted as they view images of healthy foods in posters around the room and in books. The

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Helping children to be healthy

nursery are part of the Healthy Early Years project. Staff work in partnership with parents to encourage them to provide nutritious lunches for their children. Parents are given detailed information about what constitutes healthy lunches. This has positive outcome for children, as parents prepare healthy lunch boxes for children that stay at nursery for lunch. Children's individual dietary requirements are respected. Staff implement a system to ensure that children only receive foods that are consistent with their dietary requirements.

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children access the well equipped outdoor play area each day and are developing very good control of their bodies and movement. For example, they use the bikes and pedal forwards and backwards, negotiating direction and controlling speed to avoid collisions. Children play on rockers, they are able to adjust their body weight to successfully make the rockers move and learn that by exercise and body movement, they become warmer. After using a rocker one child says, "I feel hot now" and they unzip their coat. Children confidently use the climbing frame, climbing up the steps before sliding down the slide. Children have good spatial awareness, they negotiate indoor space with confidence. They move around furniture and floor activities carefully. For example, a child negotiates their way across a construction activity, slowly placing their

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Helping children to be healthy

feet so as not to stand on any of the resources. Children's small muscle control and development is effectively supported through a range of well planned activities. They use scissors with dexterity to cut out shapes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept safe and secure in the child friendly environment. The rooms are well maintained and inviting to children as there are colourful posters, photographs and children's art work displayed around the rooms. Staff are very well deployed at all times, monitoring children's movements and offering good levels of supervision to the children. The manager is vigilant in staffing the entrance door at arrival and departure times, this ensures that all visitors are monitored effectively to promote a secure setting for children. Staff are vigilant in ensuring children's safety both indoors and outdoors. Before going to play outside the children line up. Staff talk to the children and remind them of ways to behave to keep themselves safe. For example, not to run on the decked area as it has been raining and could be slippery. Sleeping children are well monitored, staff complete and record checks every 10 minutes, they also use

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children freely access a comprehensive range of well maintained resources. Resources are stored in clear plastic containers on low level units. Containers are clearly labelled to ensure that children can find resources easily. Consequently, children of all ages can participate in all activities freely. Staff ensure that equipment and resources remain suitable and safe for children to use as they carry out regular checks on them, broken items are discarded and replaced. Resources in the baby unit are frequently sterilised to ensure they are hygienic. The well maintained, child height furniture is used effectively to create separate areas for particular activities and play opportunities. For example, comfortable child sized settees are positioned to create a quiet book corner and divide the room.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded as staff are aware of child protection issues and procedures. They have clear understanding about signs and symptoms. The comprehensive child protection policy informs parents of the staff's responsibilities.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are confident and happy. A three year old runs along the road to get to nursery. The child excitedly rings the bell, takes off their coat and rushes in to find friends. Staff greet all children by name which makes them feel welcome and secure. Staff talk to them and their parents about their weekend, children are keen to share their news with staff. For example, one child talks about their birthday party. Staff are very attentive to the children, they listen to what children have to say and value their contributions, building children's self esteem and confidence. For example, a child asks if they can sing "Twinkle Twinkle", a member of staff says of course they can and the child sings loudly.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children participate in a wide range of stimulating activities that keep them interested and absorbed. For example, staff use the Birth to three matters framework to plan for young children's learning and development. Two year olds enjoy planned activities linked to rabbits. They look at picture books of rabbits, staff make eye contact with the children and gain their attention. Staff say the word rabbit which the children then attempt to repeat. Staff offer high levels of praise and claps to reward children's achievements. Staff then sing "Jump little bunnies" and support the children with jumping and hopping. The children are given paint, brushes and cut out rabbit shapes. The children are fascinated and use the brushes and their hands to explore the paint. They successfully stroke and pat the brushes on the paper. They then use their hands to swirl the paint on the table. Staff allow them to experiment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning are good. Staff have good understanding of the Foundation Stage, stepping stones and early learning goals. They attend training to ensure that they keep up to date with best ways to deliver nursery education. The nursery's deputy is responsible for planning for the Foundation Stage. She is very experienced and shows great confidence and commitment to her role. Plans cover all areas of learning and support children's development and progress. Topics frequently link to children's particular interests and ideas. Staff organise group and individual observations and use this information to highlight children's strengths and weaknesses. Activities are evaluated and this information is effectively used for future planning to ensure progression. "I can do" books clearly evidence the progress that children make.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff use a variety of teaching methods to help children progress. These include discussion, demonstration, questioning, listening and praise. Children are confident to try challenging tasks as staff support them well and offer words of encouragement. For example, a member of staff notices that a four year old is completing 12 piece puzzles with ease. She suggests that they try a more difficult puzzle, the child is initially reluctant. However, the member of staff assures them that they are very good at puzzles and feels sure that they could do well if they try. The child agrees and selects a 20 piece puzzles. They are challenged by the complex puzzle. Staff offer constant words of encouragement, "You're doing really well, that's fantastic" this keep the child motivated. They become focused and determined to complete the task and after trial and error they succeed. Staff reward the child. "You've done a great job, you're very clever, we

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

will tell Mummy when she comes to collect you". The child smiles and is excited to share his

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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 news with the rest of the staff. Children's independence is well promoted most of the time. However, this is inconsistent at snack time, at hand washing and when putting on coats. Children are not always encouraged to tackle these tasks for themselves.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident and happy. They arrive at the nursery and part from their carers with ease. They eagerly seek out friends and quickly settle at activities. Children talk freely about their families and significant events. For example, one child talks about their birthday party, telling their peers about the birthday cake and presents they have received. Another child says, "My sister is eight or nine and she goes to school". Children are confident and familiar with the environment and their carers. They make choices about their play and help themselves to resources that are stored within their reach. Children are very well behaved and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are curious about the world around them and investigate nature in the garden. For example, two children find a bug on the climbing frame. They kneel down and study the bug close up. One child says, "It's tiny", the other child says "Lets look for some more". Whilst looking the four year old spots a spiders web, they excitedly call out to their friend, "There must be a spider near here because I've found a spiders web". The children continue to explore the environment until one spots a pine cone on the floor. They look up at the trees above and say, "It's come from that tree" and point to the pine tree. Children use the camera to take photographs of each other and activities. One child looks through the lens and turns the camera to capture their friend in the frame. They push the button take the photo. Children use mobile phones at planned activities. They learn how to press the number buttons and to make calls.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are fascinated as they use the Bee Bot. They push the arrows to programme directions and press the green button to start it's movement.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident counters. They practise at planned and everyday activities. After completing a puzzle, one child confidently counts up to 20 without hesitating. At circle time the children count as a group, counting the number of children present. Children recognise numerals in print, for example lining up numbers 1 to 10 in a puzzle. They use mathematical language in their play. For example, as they empty a bag of sand into the sand tray they use words including heavy, light, less and more. Children compare size and shape whilst using construction resources. One child says, "My one is taller than yours". The other child looks and adds some more pieces to make them equal heights. As one tower starts to topple, a child says, "I think we need to take some off", and does so to stabilize the tower.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children communicate confidently with their peers and staff. They speak clearly when sharing their news. For example, one child tells their friend, "I play football in my garden". The other child listens and waits for their turn to speak then says, "My dog chewed my football". During an 'Old McDonald had a farm' activity the children sound out the names of different animals. They are able to match the initial sound to each animal, selecting the correct letter card and placing it with the animal. They are able to distinguish one sound from another. Children enjoy using the well resourced book areas. They handle books with care, starting at the front and turning the pages in order to follow the story. Children have good control when using pens and pencils. They use pads and paper by the phone in the home corner to write down messages. The children trace their names and copy Chinese writing.

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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 initiate play, using their imagination and the resources. For example, one child sits in the book corner with some friends. The child acts out the nursery's story time with them self being a member of staff. The child sits in front of their peers, tells them to sit quietly, holds up a book and asks them questions about the pictures. The other children are happy to go along with the activity. Children enjoy joining in with familiar songs and rhymes. They enthusiastically sing along, using speech and actions. They use musical instruments alongside singing. For example, the children beat drums loudly and shake rattles and tambourines fast as they say, "Run, run as fast as you can you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man". Children use a variety of media in their creative play. Their work is displayed around the room on the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are very well behaved and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They know the clear and consistent boundaries. These are displayed on the walls, and frequently re-visited to remind children of how they should behave. The children respond to what they are asked to do, familiar with the nursery's routine. For example, a member of staff asks children to help pack away the puzzles, saying "Could you please help me, you're very good at puzzles". This effectively motivates the reluctant helpers. Staff thank them saying "Well done children, that was brilliant tidying up".

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are developing an awareness of their local community and the wider world. For example, the children visit a local care home at Christmas and sing to the elderly. They participate in fund raising for Barnardos and the money goes towards helping children less fortunate than themselves. Staff talk to the children about all the things they have and how other children have very little, raising their awareness of others. Children learn about festivals and countries such as Chinese New Year and Africa. Story tellers and musicians visit the nursery and bring along traditional costumes and instruments to capture children's interest. Children have access to a wide range of resources that show positive images of diversity, including multi-cultural dolls, books, puzzles, figures with disabilities and dressing up clothes. The nursery support children who have specific learning disabilities. They work in partnership with parents and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

relevant agencies to ensure that all children's needs are fully met. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents are very well informed about what is happening at the nursery through regular newsletters and informal discussions. Parents benefit from the detailed two way diaries that record children's sleeps, feeds, nappies and activities. Parents are encouraged to look at children's folders that contain photographs and examples of their work. Children benefit from the strong links between home and nursery as it promotes consistency between both settings. Parents of children in receipt of nursery education funding are very well informed about the Foundation Stage curriculum and the areas of learning. The pictorial display on the entrance wall clearly explains all about the Foundation Stage. Parents meet with key workers in April and July to look at children's records and discuss their progress. Staff regularly update parents when children achieve tasks. For example, a parent is told that their

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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 child has worked really hard at recognising letters and that they are able to find letters from their names.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from the established, qualified staff who care for them. Staff are committed to training and attend regular training events to update their skills and knowledge. This has a positive impact on the children. All staff have very clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They work together well to provide children with good quality care. New staff are recruited in line with the nursery's employment policy. This ensures that staff working with children are skilled and suitable to carry out their roles. There are very good induction procedures in place for new staff, who are mentored by established staff members. There are effective contingency plans to cover holidays and sickness, this ensures that staffing levels are maintained and children receive high levels of adult support. Deployment of staff is very good. Activities are well organised and supervised to support children's learning and to keep them safe. All

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Organisation

required documentation, which contributes to the children's health, safety and well-being is in place. However, some entries do not include signatures from parents.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery is good. The provision is well led and managed. The manager and deputy work closely together to ensure that the Foundation Stage covers all areas of learning. They include support and challenge to ensure the needs of all children are being met. The manager ensures that plans are evaluated and that all observations are recorded and link with the early learning goals. The key worker system works effectively to ensures that all children's needs are highlighted and addressed. The nursery have gone through quality assurance and this has been beneficial in highlighting the nursery's strengths and weaknesses and improving nursery education. For example, the nursery recently purchased outdoor balancing steps to stimulate physical play and magnifying lenses to further enhance knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Organisation

The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides care and education.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous care inspection the provider agreed to consider displaying the fire evacuation procedures. Fire evacuation procedures are now displayed throughout the nursery improving safety at the setting.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous nursery education inspection the provider agreed to provide children with the opportunity to choose resources and activities freely. Low storage units with clear plastic containers have been purchased to store resources, improving children's access to resources and activities.

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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 to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that all medication and incident records are signed by parents

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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 children's opportunities to gain independence at snack time, when washing their hands and when getting their coats on

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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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