Cuddles Day Nursery Parkstone

Cuddles Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Cuddles Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY270251 Inspection date 27 April 2005 Inspector Samantha Powis

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Cuddles Day Nursery

Setting Address Rossmore, Herbert Avenue, Poole, Dorset, BH12 4HR

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Cuddles Day Nursery

Telephone number 01202 747198 E-mail cuddles@nursery002.fsworld.co.uk Registered person Cuddles Day Nursery Limited Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Crèche

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Cuddles Day Nursery

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 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Cuddles Day Nursery is a purpose built facility which opened in September 2003. It is one of two nurseries owned by the same proprietor and is situated within the grounds of Rossmore Community College, in the Parkstone area of Poole. The facility is available for use by members of the local community, as well as those from surrounding areas. There are four main rooms used by the nursery, and a large unit used as the crèche facility.

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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 A maximum of 66 children can be accommodated within the nursery, with an additional 25 places in the crèche. There are currently 300 children from six weeks to under five years on roll. This includes 21 children in receipt of funding for nursery education. Children attend a variety of sessions. The setting supports children who have special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The Nursery is open from 08:00 to 18:00 each weekday. The crèche is available for flexible care arrangements, and is open each weekday from 09:00 to 16:00. There are 24 staff employed to work with the children, the majority of which hold either level 2 or 3 qualifications in Childcare. The Manager has relevant qualifications and experience to enable her to carry out her role.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is maintained due to the effective practices and procedures in place throughout all areas. Hygiene is a particular priority within the baby rooms, with excellent practice followed by staff members, and appropriate resources such as disposable gloves and aprons used. The children demonstrate a good understanding of how they can promote their health, with older children independently washing their hands carefully after using the toilet and before eating. Children's health is promoted by snacks provided by the nursery being healthy. Older children, the three and four year olds, make their own choices and have access to drinking water at all times. Food provided by parents is clearly labelled and stored appropriately until needed. Staff attend food hygiene courses and follow set routines when preparing foods. Children demonstrate a clear understanding of which foods

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Helping children to be healthy

are good for them, and delight in helping to make a fresh fruit smoothie at snack time. All children's individual dietary needs are known to staff. There is an effective system in place to ensure regular updates can easily be made regarding the ever changing needs of younger children. Children demonstrate a clear understanding of the importance of keeping fit and healthy. They participate enthusiastically in physical activity on a daily basis They develop good control when using equipment such as trikes, scooters, balls and climbing equipment. The older children regularly visit the gymnasium in the nearby sports centre, giving them opportunities to a wider range of equipment and to increase challenge.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children's safety is maintained due to effective risk assessment systems in place. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks to back up the formal assessments which are carried out throughout the building. Children are safe due to staff following

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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 effective procedures whilst they are caring for them, this includes checking sleeping babies regularly. Effective consideration is given to staff deployment within most of the indoor areas. This ensures that children are monitored closely. However, deployment is less effective when the children use the outdoor areas, which compromises children's safety when playing in this area. Equipment is of a high quality, and is checked regularly to ensure it is safe for use. Children use equipment that is appropriate to their age/stage of development, for example there is a very good selection of different sized wheeled vehicles to ensure that children of all age groups can use them safely, and develop new skills such as steering or pedalling, within a controlled, safe environment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Most staff have a secure understanding of child protection policies and procedures, however, due to gaps in the knowledge of some staff, concerns may not be addressed effectively, therefore putting children at risk of harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy their time at the nursery, and appear relaxed, happy and stimulated in most areas. Children in the three to five year old room develop confidence, independence and are proud of their achievements. They are encouraged in this by having access to an environment that is well planned and organised. The crèche is sectioned into many areas to maintain safety. However, this restricts opportunities for some children to become fully engaged and involved. Staff in most areas are skilled in the care of the children they are working with. However, this is less evident in the crèche and two to three year old room, where some of the children's needs are not being fully met at all times. Staff working with the younger children have a good understanding of child development. Their use of the Birth to Three Matters Framework ensures children are offered carefully planned activities to support them in their development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The Birth to Three Matters Framework and Foundation Stage guidance are used when planning activities for children. This ensures a broad range of experiences are offered. However implementation of these plans are not as effective in supporting children's learning. Particularly in the two to three year old room and the crèche, where there is a lack of challenge for some children. Early communication skills in the birth to two year old rooms are supported very well by enthusiastic and responsive staff. Babies giggle and babble when engaged in daily activities with a familiar adult, who is sensitive to their individual needs. They take part in a broad range of age appropriate activities, such as finger painting, to support their all round development. Children in the two to three year old room are offered an adequate range of play opportunities, but are not always sufficiently supported by staff, to enable them to reach their full potential.

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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 Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children work well together and develop comfortable and confident relationships with staff and other children. They operate successfully within the agreed codes and routines. Resources are accessible and appropriate to children's needs. Staff are consistent in the praise and encouragement they offer to the children. This makes children secure and well behaved in general. Children in the three to five year old room are offered a very interesting and exciting range of stimulating activities which challenge them effectively. However, the challenge offered to this age group of children attending the crèche is less well planned and implemented. The activities are not fully extended to ensure children remain excited and interested by the activities offered.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All areas of learning are included in detailed long, medium and short term plans. This identifies learning intentions, ensuring that children follow a varied and broad curriculum. Assessment records identify children's developmental progress as they move through the nursery. This allows staff to plan the next step in children's learning. Systems to record children's progress within the crèche are limited at present, restricting staff from effectively planning the next step in children's learning. In the three to five year old room, good teaching methods are used and there is a broad balance of activities and accessible resources. The children are increasingly independent within the room, using equipment confidently. They show an interest in others they know, and are fascinated by other cultures and beliefs. They listen well to adults and to other children, and speak with confidence questioning and making

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

suggestions during new and familiar stories. They count everyday objects in both the indoor and outdoor environments, and use numerals they have made out of clay to label a group of objects. They learn about life cycles and growing, planting their own seeds, and making observations about how and why they grow. Children have good opportunities to develop their own creativity, having free access to a wide range of resources and equipment to make their own models. They use musical instruments independently, to accompany each other when singing familiar rhymes and songs. Staff have a good understanding of what it is they want the children to learn. They extend activities appropriately to offer appropriate challenge. They demonstrate a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage Curriculum. However, the teaching methods in the crèche are less effective for this age group. Although resources have been recently increased in this area, organisation of the room limits children's access

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to these. Crèche staff are increasing their knowledge of the Foundation Stage Curriculum.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are well behaved. They are familiar with the clear and consistent behavioural expectations of staff. Three and four year old children have opportunities

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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 to contribute to the rules and demonstrate a good understanding of personal responsibility. Children have a caring attitude towards each other. They also develop a sense of responsibility when caring for the nursery pets. Children show an awareness of their own community, they make visits to local places of interest including the library, theatre and beaches. Their awareness of the wider world is developed through activities, resources and discussions. This positive approach ensures children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children feel valued and included. Key workers liaise effectively with parents to ensure they are familiar with any individual needs. An identified special needs co-ordinator liaises with parents and related professionals. This supports staff in

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Helping children make a positive contribution

ensuring that each child's individual needs are met. Partnerships with parents and carers are good. They are provided with detailed information about the setting, with different information packs for each room. This helps them to make an informed choice about their child's care. The staff team are welcoming to parents. Parents are familiar with their own child's key worker, and feel confident to discuss their individual needs. Opportunities are created for parents to share records about their own child, both formally and informally. This ensures they are fully aware of their child's progress and also creates time for staff and parents to learn from each other. Information on children is regularly updated, particularly with the younger children, ensuring their individual needs continue to be met. A daily information sheet is shared with parents of children in the birth to two year old room, to keep them well informed of their child's

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Space within the main nursery is well organised. This offers children free play space, which is bright, stimulating, and allows them to move freely between areas. Resources are well organised, allowing children to develop independence and select from the wide range. The range of resources, challenge offered and organisation of space is not as effective in the crèche or the two to three year old room. Children benefit from having well qualified and skilled staff. They follow a clear recruitment and vetting procedure to ensure they are appropriate to their roles. The detailed induction procedure ensures most staff are familiar with policies and procedures to maintain children's safety. However, these need to be revisited more frequently to ensure clarity. Overall, the needs of the range of children attending are met. The leadership and management of the setting is satisfactory. The management

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Organisation

systems are generally well organised, further enhancing most children's experiences.

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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 Managers value the skills and experience of staff, and support individual staff members in continuing their own personal development, through annual appraisals and training. This ensures staff have a full understanding of their individual roles, and are able to offer consistent care to the children. Although systems have been set up to monitor the effectiveness of the setting, these have been ineffective in identifying the weaknesses within the crèche provision and two to three year old room. This results in children not achieving their full potential.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The previous care inspection recommended that the nursery made changes to the main entrance door to ensure safety and security was maintained. A new door release system has been installed, which allows staff to allow only known persons to gain access to the building. To leave the building, a high level switch needs to be operated to release the door, ensuring that children could not leave the building, without an adult being present.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, Ofsted has received two complaints about this provider. The first related to National Standards 2, Organisation; 6, Safety and 12 Partnership with Parents, and raised concerns regarding staffing ratios and levels of supervision. Ofsted carried out an unannounced visit and after discussion and observation were satisfied that the standards were being met. The second complaint related to National Standards 1, Suitable person; 11, Behaviour management and 13 Child protection. The anonymous complainant raised concerns regarding staffs management of children's behaviour. Ofsted requested that the provider investigate the allegation and report back their findings. The provider duly responded, and from the information received, there was no evidence that the National Standards were not being met. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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 satisfactory.

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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): • consider the organisation of space, resources and deployment of staff, to ensure they contribute to children's enjoyment and achievement. (Also applies to nursery education) • review the systems in place for monitoring the effectiveness of the nursery, to ensure the needs of all children are met. (Also applies to nursery education)

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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): • make improvements as indicated in the care section above.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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