Alphabets @ Frankley

Alphabets @ Frankly Plus

Inspection report for early years provision

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Alphabets @ Frankly Plus

EY339956 Unique Reference Number 12 February 2007 Inspection date Esther Gray Inspector

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Alphabets @ Frankly Plus

Frankly Plus Children's Centre, New Street, Rubery, Rednal, Birmingham, B45 0EU

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Setting Address

0121 6831858 Telephone number lcsgirwinlodge@aol.com E-mail Longbridge Childcare Strategy Group Registered person Childcare 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Alphabets @ Frankley Plus is one of four child care settings operated by Longbridge Childcare Strategy Group. It opened in 2006 and operates from three rooms in a purpose-built building. It is situated on a large residential estate on the outskirts of Birmingham in the Longbridge district.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 14 children aged from three to under eight years on roll. None of the children receive funding for early education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 for 50 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. Children come from the local area. The nursery supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and can also support a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs

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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 members of staff, working directly with the children. All of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Positive steps are taken to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures taken when children are ill so that health needs are met. Sick or injured children are well cared for because they are sensitively attended to and they are taken to a quiet area where fully trained practitioners administer appropriate medical attention. They also place a call to parents or carers who return to take children home, or for further medical attention as required. Children’s health is very effectively promoted as the staff take good positive steps to promote children’s good health and encourage them to begin to take the responsibility of meeting their own health needs. Children's attention is drawn to hygiene routines by pictorial reminders of the process at child height around the wash room area. Staff give children constant reminders and demonstrate good practice in personal hygiene themselves. As a result, children are learning

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Helping children to be healthy

about their personal hygiene and how to keep healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy excellent opportunities to experience physical activity and develop their skills. They access a wide range of activities such as, riding and pedalling, running and jumping, balancing and manoeuvring safely around other children and obstacles. This ensures children make very good progress in their physical development because routines provide plenty of opportunities for physical play through well planned indoor and outdoor activities. For example, children play with a ball pool or trampoline indoors and a wide variety of resources outdoors in the fresh air. They also have access to further resources to develop their physical development in emergent writing skills. This helps children develop the confidence to enjoy moving with control, using their bodies in various ways to create and express themselves as they begin to appreciate how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished. Children have nutritious snacks and meals that promote healthy eating. The four week menu, supplied has been checked before the provider was satisfied that the menu was suitably nutritious in content. Children experience a wide range of unusual dishes, and they are encouraged to learn about a healthy diet. Mealtimes are relaxed, social occasions when children and adults sit together around the table to enjoy their food and each other's company. Staff are aware of the many learning opportunities to promote an understanding of healthy eating. Types of activities children enjoy include preparing and cooking food and talking about what is good food for the body, as part of topics linked to experiencing cooking from different cultures and places of the world. The setting are also engaged in promoting healthy eating as a training opportunity with parents and carers. As a result, children and their families

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Helping children to be healthy

are encouraged to learn about a healthy diet.

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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

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are safe and very well cared for in premises that are secure and suitable for their purpose. The premises are welcoming and child centred because children's work is valued and appreciated in well presented displays. All aspects of children's work is displayed as much as possible at children's eye level. The manager and staff ensure that the environment gives children very good access to a comprehensive range of excellent facilities that successfully promote children’s development. Children use safe and suitable resources, toys and equipment, that stimulate and challenge them. The staff are very aware of safety standards and kite marks, have a list of what is in each cupboard and this inventory informs staff of where to make new purchases. The provider also offers a shop which supplies other providers with good resources for child care practitioners to use with children, therefore, the setting has access to a plentiful

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

supply of further resources if required. Consequently, children always use a wide range of equipment that is suitable and safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s safety is very well promoted because the registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings. Proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents and minimise identified risks to children by using check sheets and other monitoring systems to ensure staff adhere to all policies and procedures which protect children. Children are safe as a result of the staff’s good awareness of health and safety and all reasonable steps are taken to minimise risks to children. Risk assessments, both visual and written, are conducted and staff can explain how to minimise risks by checking toys and equipment and logging unsuitable resources. If they become jaded or broken they are discarded. Care is taken, for example, in sand and water play. All children wear sand bonnets to prevent sand getting into children's hair.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are learning to keep themselves safe. They begin to understand about safety issues both within the setting and outside, during planned and spontaneous activities. Staff talk to children about how to balance safely, during physical play. For example, children clamber into the ball pool and they are encouraged to play safely as they negotiate the trampoline and the ball pool so as not to hurt themselves or one another. Children learn about what is dangerous and how to keep themselves safe. They learn about fire safety, rehearsing the emergency evacuation procedure regularly with the provider. Children learn to adhere to rules and boundaries, they seek help and are learning to say no and accept when others say ‘No’.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected from harm because manager and staff have a very good understanding of their role in child protection. They are able to put appropriate procedures into practice. Children are protected by adults who are suitable and vigilant and can identify the indicators of abuse. Children learn how to keep themselves safe, being encouraged to develop their own autonomy and sense of independence through very good adult support in making choices and finding names for the own feelings and acceptable ways to express them. Staff have many resources, such as, puppets to help them. They are well aware of the individual needs of the children who attend their setting. This means children begin to understand their rights and what to do if they are concerned or worried in any way. As a result, children's safety and well-being is safeguarded.

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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 outstanding. All children have their individual needs met and are developing a good range of knowledge and skills because there are effective plans which provide activities and play opportunities that help children achieve in all areas. In full discussion with staff at the school, the staff at the nursery offer care rather than education, however, they plan activities to cover all areas of the foundation stage. They organise the programme in a holistic way, following child initiated activities and giving children a wide variety of experiences. Staff use their knowledge of the children's interests to entice them to participate in activities and experiences which enable them to make progress and take the next step along the stepping stones. Staff continue to develop this and other projects as they intend to develop more individual specific observation of children to inform them of their future plans for the children. Other projects include

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

cooperatively developing the outdoor area within the children's centre and school grounds.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff lay out a room which provides a wide choice of experiences for children and which promotes their social development and helps reduce emotional stress as they settle to play with sand and water and many other independently accessible resources. There are a lot of opportunities for physical play, both indoors and outside. Staff also provide and engage in play with the children, encouraging their imaginative play and extending play. For example, with one adult in the ball pool with the children and children reaching for some material to pull over the balls as they hide underneath, another staff member gathers some more material around her shoulders taking part in their imaginative play scenario developing language skills, and reinforcing emotional as well as intellectual development. Children squeal with delight as they change the play suddenly and the staff adapt and join in with a throwing and retrieval game. Children are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

able to practise their physical throwing skills and think about the number of balls and their colour. As a result, children's educational and intellectual development is promoted encouraging a good disposition towards learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children begin to distinguish right from wrong and form positive relationships. There are consistent boundaries and very good adult support which helps children to develop appropriate skills. Younger children and children who have identified educational, physical or medical needs, are encouraged to develop their communication through language and gestures. Children are developing their ability to use language appropriately to communicate their thoughts, ideas and experiences. They use their growing language skills to socialise, become part of the group and begin to negotiate with others as a member of that group. For instance, children learn to settle to a meal with the staff using cutlery and learning about table manners. All children enjoy and share stories, songs and rhymes. Staff model good language and give children the opportunity and time to use their language skills. They talk to children and listen to their

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Very good arrangements are made to ensure all children are included. There are sufficient excellent resources and activities to help children learn about a diverse society through their play. This means children have a balanced view about the wider world. Although the setting is

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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 not providing funded education, staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage. They clearly explain how they support children’s learning through a wide range of play experiences, both indoors and outside. For example, children are encouraged to compare similarities and differences in size. Plans show that children are able to take part in activities that aim to help them explore, experiment and solve problems. The children have recently drawn around a shadow of other children and this shadow was measured for size on a height chart and then displayed in the room. Children are encouraged to think about similarities and differences in all aspects of their play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with learning difficulties and disabilities receive excellent, sensitive support in cooperation with the children's school within the children's centre and as a result of their very good understanding of children's individual circumstances. They support children with identified educational as well as physical or medical needs very well. Children’s needs are well met because staff understand and can implement the code of practice. They monitor, assess, seek advice and work with parents and other agencies, and frequently do as part of the children's centre arrangements. Play resources are organised in a manner which helps to promote children’s free choice. They are sufficient in quantity and easily accessible on low level shelving around the room.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave extremely well in proportion to their level of understanding and maturity because staff create an environment that encourages children to respect boundaries and begin to control their own behaviour. They learn to consider others and what is expected of them. They take a part in the development of rules and they understand that the nursery is not the same as the school nursery or classroom where routines are less flexible. Children are learning to manage their own behaviour because they are asked to independently help tidy up, to wash their hands before meals, to join in with games whilst also being provided with the space and time to release energy. As a result, children are able to feel a good sense of belonging, work harmoniously with others and make choices and decisions. This enables children to develop good self-esteem and respect for others. Children are developing very good, consistent

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Helping children make a positive contribution

relationships with adults and other children in a setting where staff work closely with parents and carers to meet individual children’s needs and ensure they are fully included in the life of the setting. Children benefit from the strong partnership between the setting and their parents and carers who act together and give consistent messages which promotes children’s development and learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The management and organisation of the setting is pro-active in ensuring the practice of all staff contributes positively to children’s good health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to take an active part in the setting. Children are well cared for in a setting where the staff are committed to continue to update their skills and knowledge by attending training having a clear sense of purpose, and a commitment to continual improvement. The priority given to staff development and training is excellent. The nursery has a clear management structure and all senior members of staff have defined roles and responsibilities. Systems are well developed to evaluate and monitor staff performance and development. As a result this

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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 has a very good effect on the nursery programme which promotes children’s progress very well. This ensures the nursery fulfils its vision to provide a high quality standard of care for children and provides maximum learning opportunities. Children are developing positive attitudes and dispositions towards their learning. All children are supported appropriately to achieve their potential by knowing their starting points and working with parents and carers and teachers to support this progress.

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Organisation

Children are protected from harm as the staff are aware of the importance of ensuring that all unvetted visitors are suitable and are not left unattended with children in the setting or whilst on outings. Children benefit from very effective organisation of the setting. It ensures that children’s health and safety and well-being are met. The staff are actively engaged with children and ensure all ancillary tasks are organised outside of the time when children are cared for. Staff are well deployed, ratios maintained, cover arrangements are suitable and additional staff are employed as required. The committee are committed to training and the manager ensures additional staff are employed to allow staff to undertake training. The operational plan is effective because staff know and understand how to implement the policies and procedures to meet the regulations and to keep children safe, healthy and promote their well-being as well

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Organisation

as promote their education. All policies and procedures protect children effectively and are well and consistently implemented to promote all the outcomes for children. Records are available and retained for inspection. They are well organised and kept confidential. Overall children’s needs are met

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are outstanding. 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

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

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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 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 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

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