Mulberry Bush Day Nursery (Mulbarton) Ltd

Mulberry Bush Day Nursery (Mulbarton) Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Mulberry Bush Day Nursery (Mulbarton) Ltd

EY258132 Unique Reference Number 08 January 2007 Inspection date Rosalie Mary Turner Inspector

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Mulberry Bush Day Nursery (Mulbarton) Ltd

3 Wingfield Court, Norwich Road, Mulbarton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 8JP

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E-mail

Mulberry Bush Day Nursery Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Mulberry Bush Day Nursery is privately owned. It opened in 2003 and operates from a converted building within the village of Mulbarton, Norfolk.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 40 children may attend the facility at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to an indoor garden play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 69 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. Of these 21 receive funding for early education. Children come from the local community and surrounding areas. The nursery 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 19 members of staff. Of these, three are ancillary without responsibilities for children. Of the remaining 16 members of staff, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff is working towards a higher qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children thrive because the nursery follows highly effective procedures and practices that meet their physical, nutritional and health needs. For example, the staff wipe babies' hands before they eat their meals and they help the older children to learn the importance of effective personal hygiene routines by explaining that they must wash their hands 'to get rid of the germs that upset your tummies'. Children are robustly protected from the spread of infection as all the resources are regularly cleaned or sterilised to ensure that toys which young children may put in their mouths are hygienic. Furthermore, the nursery does not provide care if children are suffering from a contagious illness and they are able to isolate individuals in the quiet room if they become ill during the day to prevent cross-infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a well balanced range of home made meals that contribute significantly to their understanding of a healthy diet. The nursery employs a cook who uses a wide range of natural, nutritious ingredients to prepare and cook meals that help children to appreciate foods that are good for their growth and development. Children learn practical social skills by sitting in small groups to eat their meals and snacks. They happily chat to their friends or to staff members who encourage them to serve themselves and tidy their plates away afterwards. Children's likes, dislikes and allergies are clearly recorded and their parents' preferences respected to ensure that their health is protected at all times. Babies' dietary needs are particularly well met because they are fed according to their individual routines. Staff in the 'fledglings' room carefully place bottles and meals on clearly named mats so that babies are protected from being given food

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing a positive attitude to healthy living through the valuable range of physical activities provided within routine play and in the 'garden' room. They enjoy using up their excess energy in this large indoor play area by climbing, sliding or running freely. The attractive murals that depict outdoor scenes give children a sense of being in the countryside, but they also have opportunities to access fresh air when they are taken for walks within the village.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are emotionally secure and they come into the nursery happily. They quickly separate from their carers because they are warmly welcomed into an attractive and safe environment. Children's work is creatively displayed and all resources are extremely well organised and easily accessible to help them to stay settled and relaxed.

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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's safety is given a high priority and the nursery seeks guidance from an independent assessor to ensure that staff continue to meet health and safety requirements. Risk of accidental injury is minimised because they complete a thorough safety check each day to ensure that potential hazards, such as those from cleaning materials and low-level electrical sockets, have been identified and minimised. Staff are extremely vigilant to monitor children as they play and talk to them about what they are doing. For example, older children are reminded to 'Be careful with the sand as it will hurt if you throw it into people's eyes' to help them to take responsibility and keep themselves and others safe. However, younger children access the 'garden' room through an area that is currently being developed to provide a new staff room

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

and storage facilities. The barrier to protect them from the central heating boiler and chest freezer has yet to be installed and, as a result, children's safety is not assured.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is effectively safeguarded because their parents complete a comprehensive range of paperwork that permits staff to act quickly if they become ill or there is a medical emergency. Children are particularly well protected from risk of harm by staff who supervise them closely at all times to ensure they are never left alone with persons who have not been vetted. Children are also suitably protected from 'stranger danger' as they are not released to adults unless the nursery has written consent from their parents and a password is known. Staff are guided by a detailed child protection policy and they demonstrate that they can recognise the signs and symptoms of children at risk. The nursery keeps up to date Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance to hand so that staff may take action as soon as they have concerns about a child. Therefore, children are protected from risk of possible abuse.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are very happy and relish their time in this vibrant nursery. Staff interaction with young children is superb and they are consistently kind and attentive in their approach. They talk in soft, comforting tones to reassure babies and enthusiastically encourage toddlers to explore their environment as they play. Children's individual development is very well promoted as staff have a keen understanding of 'Birth to three matters' which they use to plan and provide an exciting programme of new experiences. For example, toddlers have great fun using disposable cameras to take pictures that are subsequently used to produce a colourful display of 'their world'. Babies have outstanding opportunities to be messy and are captivated by the feel of paint, glue, collage materials and sand from a very early age. Children rapidly build on their existing skills through the staff's superb use of questioning within routine play. For example,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

they seize opportunities to ask the toddlers 'What colour is this? It's blue!' Children have commendable choices and they make an active contribution to each session. Although staff plan a stimulating range of activities, each day is very much child-led with babies freely exploring the colourful range of manufactured toys that are set out around the room and toddlers choosing resources from the low-level storage units to ensure they are fully engaged in meaningful play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff gently remind the young children to 'use kind hands please' to help them to show the respect for each other that continues to be fostered as they move through the nursery. For instance, older children intermix with the babies and toddlers as they have their meals and during part of their physical play times to provide opportunities for them to care for each other.

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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 The staff look at babies when they speak and constantly chat to them about what they are doing so that they develop their vocabulary. Relationships throughout the nursery are superb with adults and children frequently giggling or laughing together. Babies become particularly excited when they are tickled and squeal with delight. The highly pleasing, close interaction with frequent cuddles and lap time greatly benefits the shy or quieter children because the personal attention helps them to develop confidence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children have an excellent attitude to learning and are making very rapid progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of their learning. All staff have a strong knowledge of the Foundation Stage and how children learn which they have used to develop the nursery's 'Learning for Life' policy. Staff focus on children's dispositions to learning, such as the courageous child, respectful child, resourceful child and pro-active child, to provide rich and varied activities that are robustly linked to the six areas of learning. The superb planning cycle ensures staff discover children's starting points towards the early learning goals by working with parents and carers to complete individual care plans. They continue to rigorously monitor children's progress. For instance, they record 'wow' moments and carry out longer observations that are used to update children's individual focus sheets

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and record progress in their learning stories. The staff ensure that their assessments are always fed into planning, therefore, children are offered a wealth of challenging opportunities that help them to realise their full potential.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The majority of activities are child-initiated, with staff providing support, encouragement and additional resources when they are needed. Staff are exceptionally skilled in promoting this child-led programme, carefully watching children and making judgements about when to introduce their planned activities. All children show great confidence in exploring and gathering their own resources to develop their ideas. They are consistently inspired to try out new experiences because staff pay meticulous attention to detail when providing resources. For example, they place colourful pictures of the Chinese culture on the paint table to encourage children to produce observational art work and mix the paints. Children thoroughly enjoy being creative and have outstanding opportunities to be responsible for their work from beginning to end. They show high levels of concentration because staff encourage them to find solutions

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

for themselves. Adults respond to exclamations of 'I can't do it!' by asking the children 'What can we use to help us?' They use praise or encouragement very sensitively to help young children to persevere with challenges. As a result, children show exceptional dexterity as they use scissors, pencils or paint brushes to produce their work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children make full use of the 'garden' room to gain control of their bodies and increase their physical skills. They thoroughly enjoy using the larger play equipment and demonstrate excellent spatial awareness as they pedal around the enclosed area without bumping into each other. Children work extremely well together and happily share the resources. They have an excellent understanding of their own needs and are learning to appreciate the needs of their friends. As a result, children willingly taking turns and let others use the resources when they are prompted to share.

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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 speak very confidently, chatting amongst themselves as they work and making their needs known within play. Older children wait for adults to finish speaking before they answer and show a pleasing awareness of the listener during conversations. Excellent use of labelling throughout the nursery, in words and pictures, helps children to recognise that print carries meaning. The staff make skilful use of phonics to encourage them to link sounds to letters whilst regular trips to the mobile library help children to enjoy books and develop their reading skills from an exceptionally early age. Children use mark making materials confidently and they are developing superb pencil control to form recognisable letters and write their names without help.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's mathematical development is exceptionally well fostered because they use numbers at every opportunity within routine play. For example, they count as they jump on the mini trampoline and begin to calculate competently as the staff challenge them to work out 'How many?' and decide if they need 'one more' chair. Children have free access to a wealth of resources to encourage them to compare and group objects by size, shape or colour. They have opportunities to develop their design and construction skills by using the manufactured construction sets and children enjoy experimenting with recyclable materials. They learn about the natural world as they plant, tend and harvest tomatoes, eating the results of their efforts at snack time, and enjoy learning about their own community through visitors to the nursery, such as the fire officer, police and local farmer.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children feel a sense of belonging because the nursery welcomes families from all backgrounds and of all abilities. Each child is highly respected and plays a full part in the nursery because staff value their individuality and family context. Children are able to appreciate a wide variety of cultures and beliefs through the superb range of multi-cultural resources, such as puzzles, books, dolls and role play items, that are available to them. They are introduced to festivals from around the world within planned activities and have great fun making Rangoli patterns to celebrate Diwali.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. They make friends easily and have many opportunities to learn about the faiths and beliefs of others through the vibrant posters and positive images in books. Children behave extremely well because the staff set consistent boundaries and use positive practices for behaviour management that are highly beneficial in calming children when they become over excited. For example, they quietly say 'Listen to my words please' and offer clear explanations to help children to take responsibility for their own actions. The nursery's 'golden rules for staff' ensure that all adults model behaviour that is consistently positive by remaining calm, polite and attentive towards children. They praise children for the smallest improvement in their responses and further help them to manage their responses by displaying their achievements on the 'golden tree'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are helped to reach their full potential because the staff are quick to recognise any developmental delay. There are robust procedures in place to guide them if children do not appear to be reaching milestones in their development and the special needs co-ordinator has in depth training and experience of working with children who have varying needs. Children

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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 having learning difficulties follow individual educational and care plans that are specific to their needs. Staff demonstrate great sensitivity in this area and work closely with parents and other agencies to make sure that children of all abilities make rapid progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. Staff show a pleasing commitment to involving parents in their children's care and learning by actively seeking their views or comments. For example, they ask parents to inform them of any milestones reached at home and staff tell parents about their children's progress through newsletters, informal chats as children are collected or delivered and parents' evenings. There are many highly informative displays containing a wealth of information about the Foundation Stage, 'Birth to three matters' and dispositional learning. In addition, printed guidance is able to be taken home to help parents with a variety of child related issues, such as nutrition and sleep patterns. Consequently, parents speak extremely positively about the nursery. They specifically like 'the friendly atmosphere', 'the impressive skills of the staff' and say their children 'really enjoy coming to nursery and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

getting involved'. The excellent exchange of information not only enables staff to meet children's individual needs, but also ensures that parents' views are valued, standards are maintained and high quality care can be provided for each child.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care is enhanced by the effective organisation of the premises and resources together with the outstanding leadership of the nursery. The thorough recruitment procedures ensure that appropriate checks are completed to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and they all have an in depth understanding of the National Standards, the Foundation Stage and 'Birth to three matters'. The competent staff teams enjoy working together and individuals show pleasing support for each other. They display an exceptional vitality and commitment to working with children that ensures they maintain a vibrant and happy learning environment. Therefore, children are highly motivated; they are eager to play and make outstanding progress in all areas of their development. Staff are committed to continuous improvement and development and they regularly meet to monitor, evaluate and improve the quality of their

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Organisation

provision. As a result, children's care and learning is effectively promoted.

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Organisation

All legally required documentation is well maintained and the accurate records of staff, visitors and children's attendance ensure that all are kept safe in an emergency because the managers always know who is present. Children are also safeguarded by a valuable range of policies and procedures that are understood by the staff, consistently applied and shared with parents. The clear aims and objectives that guide the nursery, such as 'to be a home from home for your child' and 'to nurture each child's self worth', further enable staff to provide a safe, caring and supportive environment in which children thoroughly enjoy themselves.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is outstanding. The roles and responsibilities of the staff members are clearly defined. The partners have developed a superb operational plan to ensure that the nursery operates extremely efficiently and they give exceptional support and guidance to the skilled staff teams. They meet daily with the deputy manager to review the provision and ensure that children's welfare and development is supported to a very high level. All management staff have excellent leadership qualities and are proactive in drawing up, 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 working to, development plans that cover the premises, documentation, curriculum and personnel to address any perceived weaknesses. For instance, they are currently working towards accreditation within Norfolk Quality Assurance scheme and plans are in place to develop a sensory room for the younger children. Consequently, children are able to develop their personalities within a rich play environment and they make very rapid progress in all areas of their learning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the nursery was asked to ensure that the play space and physical resources are organised effectively to meet children's needs and to update their child protection procedures.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Staff have radically changed the layout of the 'ducklings and goslings' room to provide an open plan area that contains all resources and activities that children require to develop their skills in all areas of their learning. Children lead play through out the day with staff introducing planned activities in response to their needs to rest, be active or engage in more structured play. As a result, children are fully engaged in meaningful play throughout the day. The child protection policy has been updated to include actions that would be taken if an allegation of abuse were to be made against an adult in the nursery. Staff are robust in their understanding of how they would respond so that children are protected from the risk of possible harm.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This is the first inspection of early years education.

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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 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 outstanding.

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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): • continue to complete the improvements to the premises so that staff have a room available for breaks and possible hazards as children access the 'garden' room are minimised.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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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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