Todwick Early Years Ltd

Todwick Early Years Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Todwick Early Years Ltd

EY292653 Unique Reference Number 01 February 2007 Inspection date Angela Howard Inspector

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Todwick Early Years Ltd

School Grounds, Kiveton Lane, Todwick, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S26 1HJ

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Setting Address

01909773494 Telephone number todwickey@fsmail.net E-mail Todwick Early Years Ltd 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?

Todwick Early Years Centre opened in September 2004. It is a privately owned company offering a number of childcare services to children aged eight years and under. The centre is situated in the grounds of Todwick Junior and Infant School in the village of Todwick, in the borough of Rotherham.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children are cared for in a purpose designed, modular unit; it is a single storey building that consists of a large play area, small kitchen and toilet block. Children have access to a secure outdoor play area. Children attending the setting come from the local and surrounding areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The centre provides before and after school care to children aged three to eight years operating from 07.45 to 08.45 and 15.00 to 17.45. Nursery education sessions and a lunch club operate

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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 between the hours of 09.00 and 15.30. This service is for children aged two to five years. The centre currently operates for approximately 39 weeks of the year.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 153 children aged two to under eight years on roll. Of these, 30 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are seven members of staff working with the children, of whom three hold early years qualifications and two are working towards National Vocational Qualification level 3. They are employed on both a full and part-time basis.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The setting is maintained to a high standard of cleanliness. Staff implement good hygiene practices, such as using anti-bacterial spray to ensure food preparation and eating areas are suitably clean. Children learn the importance of keeping themselves healthy through good procedures and consistent routines. They are aware of the need to wash hands before eating and mainly do this without being reminded and children attending the breakfast club clean their teeth after eating. A detailed written policy to exclude children when they are ill is shared with parents. This ensures that the risk of cross infection is kept to a minimum.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a well-balanced, healthy and nutritious range of snacks and light meals in accordance with parents' wishes. Clear records show any dietary requirements are adhered to and children's preferences are catered for well. For example, at snack time children choose from a selection of fruit and light meals consisting mainly of sandwiches with healthy fillings, such as chicken, cheese and ham. Children choose from fruit and yoghurts for dessert. Staff further support children's awareness of the importance of healthy eating through discussion and activities linked to going to the dentist and collage work of healthy food choices.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children thoroughly enjoy worthwhile physical activities and benefit positively from free access to the outdoor play area. They ride bikes and scooters, balance on low-level beams, climb steps, walk on stilts and catch balls which are all vitally important to promote children's physical well-being.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Space is organised successfully to provide children with a very wide range of play opportunities in a safe environment. Children are cared for in a welcoming, safe and very secure environment. Staff are proactive in the safety of children. For example, regular risk assessments are carried out and recorded. No unauthorised persons are able to gain entry due to the secure internal doors. Fire evacuation procedures are practised regularly to highlight children's awareness of fire safety and the need to follow instructions. Children are very well supervised at all times and enjoy a good balance between freedom to explore and staff setting safe limits. For example,

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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 they independently push chairs under tables so other children do not trip over them. This enables children to move around freely and safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children independently select resources from a very wide range of good quality equipment which is developmentally appropriate. All equipment is carefully monitored to ensure it remains safe and suitable for children to use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are very well protected as staff have a very good understanding of their role and responsibilities with regards to child protection matters. This ensures that the setting's practice is underpinned by first class, up-to-date knowledge of possible signs of abuse and the procedures to follow.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. A good range of activities are offered, which help children to extend their knowledge and develop new skills. Children are becoming very independent as they choose between playing indoors or out. They enjoy playing in the water, whisking the water to make bubbles, box modelling and moulding play dough into cakes. They develop wonderful imaginary games as the crocodile comes and they sail away in a magical flying ship. The broad range of activities which are offered each day allows children to practise skills and consolidate their learning. For example, young children experience the use of glue by spreading glue on paper; older children use the glue to attach collage materials and make pictures. However, the range of experiences and activities are planned in line with the stepping stones and some of the children are between the ages of two and three years. Therefore, it is not clear if the four aspects set out in the ‘Birth

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to three matters’ framework are being clearly covered and is not effective in identifying their next steps necessary for their development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children attending the breakfast and out of school club enjoy playing on computers and games consoles, and have daily access to board games, jigsaws, books, small world and role play, drawing and collage materials. The planning shows they take part in themed activities, such as researching their family tree, valentines activities, planting seeds, examining mini beasts, mask making and baking.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are very happy and content. They are very confident and settled in the environment. Children who become distressed are offered very good levels of support from staff to ease the transition from home to the setting. There are good daily routines in place, which help children to feel secure and at ease in their surroundings. Children share a very warm and caring relationship with staff. They are given good support and encouragement which helps to develop their self-confidence and self-esteem. This increases their sense of trust and well-being. Children respond well to the adults' calm, quiet approach and clear explanations and support. They show delight as staff laugh and play with them and are beginning to develop a sense of responsibility as they help to tidy away at the end of the session.

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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 quality of teaching and learning is good. The staff demonstrate an in-depth and thorough understanding of the Foundation Stage. This enables them to provide a well-planned programme of interesting activities which cover all areas of learning. A good range of teaching methods are used which include adult-directed and child-initiated activities. This keeps children interested and ensures they make good progress at their own pace. Staff are skilful at using questions to challenge children's thinking and language skills. They use good systems to observe, monitor and record children's achievements. However, this information is not used formally to plan experiences that help children take the next step in their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are very self-assured and confident in their play. Their self-esteem is very good as they choose independently from activities and attend to their own personal needs extremely well. For example, they independently wash their hands before snack, put on their own coats, hats and gloves before they go out to play and attempt to fasten zips on coats. Children show utmost kindness and consideration for others as they share play dough, find a chair for a friend and pass someone a tissue. They participate eagerly and with perseverance to chosen activities for quite long periods of time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are very good communicators, speak confidently and are able to hold meaningful and interesting conversations. They express their own needs and ideas successfully. For example, they negotiate a turn with the computer or direct the role play outdoors to ensure the crocodile comes at the right time. Children listen attentively to stories and enjoy singing rhymes which promote physical movement, like 'Wind the bobbin up'. Staff are skilful at extending children's vocabulary as they listen carefully when children speak and introduce new words, such as guava, mango and zebra when telling a story. The environment is very rich in print with alphabet posters and labels on equipment which develop children's understanding that print has meaning. Children know where the title is on a book, where the author's name is and that the synopsis is 'a bit about the story'. Children access a very wide variety of mark making materials freely.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They love to write on laminated cards sounding letters as they make marks to represent words.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use their imagination extremely well during role play. Outdoors, as they re-enact a story, they use small cymbals to represent the 'tick tock' of the clock inside the crocodile. When box modelling, they make ships and cars and in the sand, make a variety of different flavoured birthday cakes, such as a carrot, chocolate, jam and cream. Children confidently and accurately count everyday objects up to 10 and in some instances beyond. They recognise numbers up to 13 and are beginning to understand simple calculations. For example, at snack time they choose three pieces of apple and when they have eaten one, they say how many they have left.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are very active and move their bodies and handle tools and equipment very well. They move around confidently and safely. For example, successfully negotiating space when they all need to sit on the carpet area and negotiate bikes and scooters around obstacles, stopping and starting with ease. However, the physical challenges for more able children are limited.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show interest in simple information and communication technology. They confidently use telephones and calculators and are adept in using the mouse to complete basic computer programs. Children show curiosity about how things work. They show interest in what happens if they use the drill to tighten bolts and why the wet sand will not shake out of the shaker. The

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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 use of the three minute egg timer gives children a sense of time and allows them to bring their play to a conclusion. Overall children make good progress in all areas of learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children show a very strong sense of belonging and feel at ease in the setting as they all receive an individual greeting from friendly, familiar staff. Staff know the children well and show they are interested in what they do and say by talking and listening to them. They value children's attempts and achievements and promote an environment of praise and encouragement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Behaviour of children is very good. They are learning to manage their own behaviour as they understand and talk about the 'school rules'. They follow the good role model of staff in treating each other with courtesy and consideration. Praise is used highly effectively to promote positive behaviour. Children are becoming aware of the wider community through playing with a wide range of resources which reflect diversity. Festivals and celebrations from around the world, such as Dharma day, Navratri, Diwali and Guru Nanak are celebrated throughout the year. Staff have a very good understanding of caring for children with learning difficulties and disabilities. They are proactive in ensuring that everyone is welcomed in to the setting and receive the appropriate support and guidance to allow them to be cared for successfully. Children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. They receive a good range of information in a variety of ways: policies and procedures, information booklets, assessment and observation records, regular newsletters and parents' meetings to discuss children's progress. The setting has an open door policy and parents are welcome any time. Any incidents causing parents concern, for example, the incident of children accessing inappropriate information on the internet, are responded to swiftly and rigorously. A very detailed account of the event and subsequent action taken are recorded. Parents appreciate the warm welcome that they receive and ongoing daily verbal communication ensures they are kept fully informed. All children benefit greatly from the good relationship and informal contact between parents and staff on a daily basis. This effectively links the home to the setting. Therefore, children are clearly

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Helping children make a positive contribution

benefiting from the positive partnership, are very settled and are making good progress in response to this.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for in a well-managed and successfully organised setting. There are clear and robust systems in place to recruit and check staff's suitability. Children are comfortable in the predictable environment and move around with confidence making decisions about their own play. Staffing ratios are good and staff are deployed effectively to ensure children receive good levels of support and care.

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Organisation

A highly comprehensive range of policies and procedures, which contribute to children's health and safety are in place and regularly reviewed and shared with parents. Staff are very committed

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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 and attend a vast amount of training. For example, fire fighting training, baby massage, understanding children's behaviour, food hygiene and caring and working with children. The manager has just begun a degree course. Children's experiences are, therefore, enhanced as staff access good training and development opportunities. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. Staff are supported very well by the manager and directors of the setting. They all work hard together as a cohesive team to provide good quality care and education for the children. The manager is a strong leader who is very experienced, dedicated and knowledgeable. She successfully promotes an inclusive environment where staff feel valued. Space and resources are used in a highly effective manner to promote children's independence and learning. The effective organisation of clearly defined areas for play allows children to initiate their own play and learning. Regular staff meetings and the manager working alongside staff every day ensure that the curriculum is continually monitored and evaluated. This effectively contributes to the good progress the children are making in their learning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection five recommendations were made: to ensure children take part in fire drills, that there is an appropriate rest area, to ensure all staff are informed of children's dietary needs, that resources are used which reflect diversity and that child protection procedures contain appropriate contact numbers.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Staff now ensure all children take part in regular fire drills. The room has designated quiet areas for children to rest safely without disturbance and management have purchased more resources that reflect diversity. The child protection procedures have been reviewed and now contain appropriate contact numbers. Appropriate systems are in place to ensure all staff are aware of children's dietary requirements. Therefore, children's welfare and safety are promoted.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there has been one complaint made to Ofsted that required the provider to take action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

A concern was raised against National Standard 3 - Care, learning and play. The concern was about children accessing inappropriate information on the internet. A visit was made by an Ofsted inspector and actions were raised to improve standards. The provider took appropriate action and remains qualified for registration.

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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

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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • review the range of planned activities and experiences for children under three years.

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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): • review the records of children's progress to clearly identify their next steps in learning and use the information to effectively inform the planning for individual children's learning • improve physical challenges for more able children.

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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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