Whitesmore Wise Owls Nursery

Whitesmore Wise Owls Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Whitesmore Wise Owls Nursery

EY319675 Unique Reference Number 10 January 2007 Inspection date Janet Ashcroft Inspector

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Whitesmore Wise Owls Nursery

Chapelhouse Road, Fordbridge, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 5JS Setting Address

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E-mail

Gina Godwin & Sue Evans 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 satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Whitesmore Wise Owls was registered in 2006. It operates from premises in Fordbridge, Birmingham and serves the local and surrounding areas. The children have access to a secure outdoor play area. The setting is open for 51 weeks, excluding bank holidays; opening times are from 07:30 until 18:00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting is registered to care for 49 children at any one time. There are currently 34 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. Of these, nine children receive funding for nursery education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are nine staff who work with the children; of these, two-thirds hold relevant early years qualifications to level 3 or above, the remainder are working towards levels 2 or 3. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The children are actively learning about personal hygiene through the staff's good example and practice. Younger children know the hand washing routine and older children talk confidently about the importance of hand washing and the effects of germs on their bodies.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children’s health is generally safeguarded through the setting's policies, procedures and records, which are easily accessible and well-organised. However, their welfare is not fully assured as the procedure for informing parents that medication has actually been administered is not reliable as the records are not presently countersigned by parents. Furthermore, not all medication records are maintained confidentially.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are given frequent opportunities to play outdoors, where they are able to practise a variety of physical skills. The covered play areas allow outdoor play in all but the most extreme of weather conditions and the children benefit from the additional sensory experiences that this offers. For example, they have helped to plant and care for the garden and to position wind chimes.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's nutritional needs are accommodated well. Main meals are provided by an outside caterer and staff are able to select from a nutritious range. A fruit snack is offered daily and drinks are freely available. Meal times are a relaxed and social occasion, where staff and children sit together and where good manners and socially acceptable eating skills are developed and promoted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The setting is exciting and stimulating; child-centred posters and examples of the children's creative work are attractively and extensively displayed, making a welcoming environment for all. Most areas are effectively organised to allow the children to participate in the full range of activities offered. The design of the building allows frequent interaction between children of all ages, promoting their social skills and language development. The children are able to freely select toys and equipment, which has been thoughtfully provided to foster all areas of their development; it is mostly accessible and well-positioned and is kept in a very clean and safe condition.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff are aware of possible risks to children’s safety and have taken steps to remove hazards in the setting. The children regularly participate in fire evacuations and the staff are creative in providing opportunities to reinforce aspects of personal safety, for example, by encouraging the children to participate in routine risk assessments. Consequently, older children in particular are very knowledgeable about personal safety and all children are actively learning how to keep themselves safe.

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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 protection from abuse and neglect is promoted through the staff's thorough knowledge of signs and symptoms and of reporting procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are able to engage in a stimulating and well-balanced range of activities, planned to provide them with rich experiences upon which to build their future learning. The babies are able to engage in a splendid range of activities planned to develop their sensory and physical exploration, for example, whole body water play and sensory play with custard; tweenies are learning about cause and effect as they make gloop and experiment during tactile play with wet and dry sand. Most staff are trained in the 'Birth to three matters' framework; their effective assessment and planning actively supports the children in making decisions and choices, helping them to become autonomous and competent learners.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from regular learning and play opportunities outside the setting; frequent trips to the library and special trips, for example, to a local building site, offer excellent opportunities for them to explore and investigate and to relate to others. Children further benefit from the knowledge and experience of expert peripatetic staff who visit the setting, for example, the animal lady, who provided them with opportunities to observe and hold a variety of unusual creatures, such as snakes and owls.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s language and thinking skills are enthusiastically promoted through general conversation and through the frequent questions asked of them by the staff. The children's confidence and self-esteem is enhanced as the staff listen carefully to their responses; social skills are developed as the children are encouraged to take turns in speaking and listening.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of the teaching and learning of funded children is good. Staff are very knowledgeable about the Foundation Stage and make excellent use of assessments to plan activities that match the children’s maturity and provide challenge for their varying abilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children investigate objects and materials through a variety of experiences. For example, their regular participation in food preparation activities extends their understanding of the scientific principles of freezing and melting and of cause and effect; activities such as feeding the birds and watching chrysalis turn into butterflies, inspires their interest in the natural world and living creatures. Children are able to observe and find out about their own environment through activities such as planting seeds and through regular outings, for example, to the local park. They are given frequent opportunities to explore shape, colour, form and space during creative activities and particularly enjoy role play activities where they are able to recreate their past experiences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy listening to stories and are able to confidently discuss aspects of their favourite books. The print-rich environment fosters their understanding that print carries meaning and can be used as a method of recording and communicating, particularly at arrival time when they self-register their presence. Children are using mathematical ideas and methods to solve

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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 practical problems and are learning to negotiate and work together. They are able to work independently and are developing skills of self-reliance as they independently access resources and activities. Their sense of responsibility is fostered through small tasks and daily routines, for example, tidying away toys and offering food to each other at snack time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The staff have a real commitment to equality of opportunity, they recognise children as individuals and as a result the children benefit from having their differing needs met. Children's individual interests are enthusiastically acknowledged, for example, the recent trip to the building site was the result of one child's fascination with 'diggers'. Through discussion, the staff described a proactive and sensitive approach to caring for children with learning difficulties. Children are able to access a good range of resources and activities to raise their awareness of diversity and to promote their understanding of others, including books, role play and cookery activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children behave very well. Staff have high expectations of the children and strategies to promote positive behaviour are consistent, age-appropriate and positive. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Younger children respond well to gentle reminders to care for their environment, nursery resources and each other; older children are actively encouraged to resolve their differences through discussion, developing their skills of negotiation and compromise.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children thrive as a result of strong continuity of care; this has developed through the good relationship that staff have built and strive to maintain with parents. Parents are warmly welcomed into the setting, both personally and through the CCTV system, which allows them to remotely log in to the setting's webcams and observe their children at play. Parents are actively encouraged to be involved in their children's learning; daily diaries and notice boards keep them fully informed of all aspects of the provision.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of funded children is good. Information is exchanged regularly in a variety of ways and staff provide parents with informal information about their children's progress. However, a more formal system of sharing children's progress towards the early learning goals has not yet been implemented. A good range of leaflets and posters keeps parents informed about current aspects of child care and education, including information on the Foundation Stage.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The children are able to explore and investigate in the available space, which is generally well-organised to meet their needs. The effective and consistent adult support and the familiar daily routine fosters children's sense of security. The setting's commitment to continuous improvement ensures that staff are kept fully informed of current trends in child care practice.

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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 Children’s welfare is generally promoted through the staff's record keeping, however, their safety is potentially compromised as the registration system fails to accurately record the children's arrival and departure times.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of funded children is good. The staff regularly review the provision and the children benefit as a result of the improvements they strive to implement. There is a real commitment to the promotion of quality education for young children, evidenced by the strong programme of continuing professional development.

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Organisation

The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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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Complaints since the last inspection

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • take positive steps to promote the good health of children by ensuring that parents countersign the records of medication administered and by ensuring that records of medication are confidentially maintained • ensure that the system for registering children's attendance is completed on a daily basis and shows hours of attendance

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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):

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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 • implement a procedure which will ensure that parents are given accurate information on their children's progress towards the early learning goals.

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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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