Lavender Hall Kindergarten

Lavender Hall Kindergarten

Inspection report for early years provision

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Lavender Hall Kindergarten

251765 Unique Reference Number 17 January 2007 Inspection date Nicola Mary Eileen Matthews Inspector

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Lavender Hall Kindergarten

The Gattinetts, Hadleigh Road, East Bergholt, Colchester, Essex, CO7 6QT

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Setting Address

01206 299511 mb07767 651589 Telephone number lavenderhall@eastbergholt.fsbusiness.co.uk E-mail Andrea Clare Lewison Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Setting Address

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?

Lavender Hall Kindergarten is one of two nurseries privately owned. It opened in 1998 and operates from three rooms in a converted barn. It is situated in the village of East Bergholt in Suffolk. A maximum of 57 children may attend the Kindergarten at any one time. The kindergarten is open each week day from 08:00 to 18:00 for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 76 children from birth to under eight on roll. Of these 25 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local area. The kindergarten currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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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 The nursery employs 12 staff who work directly with the children. All of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. There is one member of staff working towards a higher qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is maintained well as effective hygiene practises are implemented to prevent cross infection such as washing hands before meals and after toileting. Babies have their nappies changed hygienically as staff know the procedure to follow and dispose of the dirty nappy appropriately. Children who are unwell are looked after appropriately. The staff implement the clear well written sick children's policy ensuring the children's needs are met and cross infection is minimised. Children benefit from a team of staff who have completed first aid training which enables them to deal with minor medical emergencies to ensure the children are cared for appropriately. Children's parents give permission for medication to be administered. Very occasionally some do not sign the written permission in the record book which compromises the children's well-being. Children's accidents are recorded clearly and parents countersign

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy eating nutritious foods, prepared by the employed cook, for example, sausage, pasta, peas and green beans. They are given a snack tea which includes sandwiches with a healthy filling such as cheese or cold meat. Babies are given foods liquidised, mashed or chopped according to their age. Pre-school children can quench their thirst when ever they want to by independently accessing fresh drinking water provided near the playroom door.

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Helping children to be healthy

Babies' emotional well-being is supported effectively as staff follow the good settling in procedure and implement a key worker system to provide consistency of carers. Children's home routines such as sleep and feeding times are followed in the kindergarten. Their growth and development is given good priority as they enjoy crawling or toddling around the room independently exploring the attractive resources.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children experience fresh air during the day as they use the small enclosed outdoor area. They enjoy moving freely around the garden using bats, balls and bean bags, Children climb on the plastic frame developing their balance and coordination well. The two-year-olds and over enjoy participating in exciting imaginative movements during the ballet lessons which strengthens their bones, muscles and the vascular system.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a very welcoming and safe environment. Their safety is maintained well and improved through clear policies and procedures and the monitoring of accidents. Children are cared for in a very secure environment where features such as key pads, high door handles and lockable gates are used to ensure children cannot leave the premises unsupervised. They experience a warm and friendly welcome as the setting is ready to receive them each day.

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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 Children settle quickly and safely access the very good range of play resources available on the low-level shelves or placed on the floor or table tops. The very young safely and freely manoeuvre around their playroom as staff are vigilant in making sure the floor is clean by ensuring no one wears outdoor shoes in the room. Sitters are able to access toys around them and have cushions or large soft toys placed behind them in case they should fall backwards. They sit on the floor in a screened off area to ensure they are safe from those beginning to walk whose coordination and balance is still developing. Children are always strapped into the high chairs during meal times and those sleeping monitored closely to ensure they are safe at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children safely access a wide range of good quality play resources throughout the nursery that are clean and well maintained. The toddlers self-select toys from the very low-level shelf and pull the lightweight baskets onto the floor. Older children are encouraged to hold the baskets appropriately as they take them off or replace them on the shelving units in their room.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is paramount. Staff have sound knowledge of the child protection procedures they need to implement when a child's welfare is compromised.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children confidently leave their parents and settle quickly showing a good sense of belonging. Those children less confident are given one to one support and if this still does not help them settle parents are called to collect. Children are very interested and motivated to interact with the staff and the play resources to explore and experiment using all their senses. The babies eagerly crawl to catch the windup small car and make, 'brum, brum' noises as they move vehicles along the road mat. They enjoy handling books and having simple stories read to them trying to imitate staff who name the animals in the pictures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All the children are developing excellent communication skills as they initiate contact with each other and the staff. Babies use vocalisations to attract staff's attention. Those a bit older imitate sounds and words as staff sensitively talk to them trying to understand what they are saying and reinforce the correct way to pronounce words.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children participate in planned activities based on a theme such as favourite stories and currently 'our village'. They benefit from staff who help them make links in their learning. For example, children visit the local church then back in the kindergarten build an imaginary village using bricks incorporating a church. Children experience and are comfortable with a varied and well paced programme of adult led and child initiated activities to support their learning. They benefit from programmed activities led by experienced visitors for example, French lessons and ballet. Children are provided with interesting activities to support different areas of learning such as the emergent writing area.

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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 are encouraged to answer open ended questions to demonstrate what they know. Their achievements are recorded effectively in the step by step record books. Children's records are used to inform the short-term planning to enable individual children to progress in towards the early learning goals during specified activities. However, once children have achieved the early learning goal their progress is not recorded or specifically planned for to enable them to progress in their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children choose activities mostly independently and spend time completing a task such as finger painting or making doughnuts with the play dough. They persevere outdoors when trying to hit the ball with the bat and are successful most of the time in being able to direct the ball towards the partner. Children are developing a very good sense of right and wrong as they share and take turns with the resources available. They show care and consideration for each other at snack-time as they pass the plate of food round and come back for seconds.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to use books for pleasure and recall accurately the sequence of the story using the creative story sacks to support their literacy development. They are very articulate and use language for a variety of purposes. For example, making their needs known, describing what they are doing during their imaginative play in the shop and working out problems such as, 'how many grapes have you got now?'. The more able children confidently recognise their own names and are beginning to label their work forming the letters correctly.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy activities associated with number such as matching the large wooden number dominoes. They accurately talk about how many specific coloured fruits are in the basket and count reliably to ten and above. They excitedly join in number songs that support their early calculation skills. They are encouraged to count how many children are at their table and how many plates are needed at snack-time. Children have limited opportunities to record their observations using a mathematical solution which limits the challenge for the more able ones.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are learning about their local community and creating maps as they go on walks to the village and build imaginary places using bricks. They are learning about others beliefs and values as they participate in cultural festivals such as Christmas and Divali and look at pictures and handle positive images of a multicultural society.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children participate in activities that develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. They are becoming aware of the natural rhythms of life as they participate in growing barley and planting up hanging baskets for the kindergarten garden. Children explore the life cycle of the butterfly through interesting activities based on the book about the hungry caterpillar. They enjoy using information technology for example, computers and are supported in linking phonic knowledge by using keyboards that show lower case letters. Children excitedly programme the bugs and make them manoeuvre around the room using the remote control handset.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore colour as they participate in a variety of painting activities. They use their feet to print patterns on paper and enjoy handling the colourful resources making patterns. For example, as they stand the wooden figures on the small steps following a repeated colour pattern.

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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 participating in action songs, rhymes and move imaginatively to music played on the piano. They sing with gusto songs that are very familiar to them such as twinkle, twinkle little star. Children have opportunities to explore pitch and rhythm as they regularly handle a good selection of musical instruments. They use a wide variety of media, such as drawing, writing, paint and play dough and construction resources, to represent their own ideas.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are encouraged to make a positive contribution to their own learning as they independently choose activities from the wide range of resource readily available. They are learning about others beliefs and values as they participate in cultural festivals such as Divali, Christmas and Halloween. Children look at pictures and handle positive images of a multicultural society in their play. Children are developing a community spirit as they participate in the village celebrations like the scarecrow hunt and the Hadleigh show. Children are developing a very good sense of self as they identify themselves in recent photographs displayed on the Bluebell playroom wall. They also confidently recognise and name others.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good. They show good levels of respect for their kindergarten environment as they take some responsibility for tidying away toys and enjoy planting hanging baskets for the garden. They use social competencies spontaneously as they enter the pre-school room saying please and thank you when appropriate. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children who require extra support have their individual needs met very well. They benefit from staff who are currently attending the required training and are supported from the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) from the Early Years Development Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Children's parents receive clear and well documented information about their children's progress throughout the nursery by reading the diary books completed and sent home monthly. Parents are given an attractively presented brochure which includes basic policies and procedures to enable them to understand how their children will be cared for. Information about the children's day is passed on informally by the staff who take time to talk to the parents and tell them news such as what the children ate for lunch and when they slept. Parents are able to take an active part in their children's early education as they take home folders which suggest how they can support their children's current curriculum topic. For example, they are asked to help their child find items in and around the home that are yellow.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's safety and well-being are promoted effectively through the implementation of clear and well written policies and procedures. The standard of records is good to ensure individual children's needs are met. There is a record of attendance in each room however; there is not

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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 consistency of recording the times of arrival or departure which compromises children's safety. Children's experiences whilst at the kindergarten benefit from management who are committed to providing good quality care for all children. They are supportive of the staff and encourage their development, often through further training, to ensure most children are provided with an appropriate curriculum to progress in their overall development. Children are cared for by staff who have undergone a robust recruitment procedure and induction process to ensure their suitability to look after children.

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Organisation

The quality of the leadership and management is good. The staff work well with the EYDCP and are reflecting on what they do and how they can build on good practice by completing the detailed self assessment forms to enhance the children's play opportunities. Staff's skills are used to benefit the children's planned learning for example organising the curriculum plans to make them work for the setting. The registered provider values the team of staff and builds in time for staff to influence practice at team meetings and enjoy themselves during social outings such as shopping trips. These benefit the children's experiences as staff who feel valued are conscientious about providing good quality care and education for the children. Children are cared for by staff who are aware of their roles and responsibilities ensuring each member of the team takes an active role in the organisation of the day to day running of the kindergarten.

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Organisation

Overall the range of the children's needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to review the large group story session to ensure the needs of the two-year-olds were met. The younger children have their own short story session in their room to ensure their needs are met well.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since April 2004 there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any actions 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 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 AND 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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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 parents sign the written permission to administer medication to their child • ensure the times of children's arrival and departure are recorded on the register.

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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): • enable children to record their observations using simple mathematical solutions • develop a system to continue to record children's achievements once they have attained an early learning goal. Use this information to plan their next step to ensure they continue to progress in their 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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