Planet Kids Day Nursery

Planet Kids Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Planet Kids Day Nursery

EY335615 Unique Reference Number 05 February 2007 Inspection date Ann Lee Inspector

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Planet Kids Day Nursery

Planet Kids Day Nursery, Broadway, Eccleston, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA10 5PJ

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Setting Address

01744 754 555 Telephone number andrew@gascylinders.co.uk E-mail Andrew Mikhail and Vicky Mikhail Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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?

Planet Kids Day Nursery was registered in 2006. It operates from a two storey building in Eccleston, St. Helens, Merseyside. The provision is registered to provide care for a maximum of 57 children aged from birth to five years at any one time. The nursery operates from 07.30 to 18.00 each weekday, during term-time only. There is also a breakfast and out of school club providing care for a maximum of 11 children aged five to eight years which operates daily from 07.30 to 09.00 and 15.15 to 18.00. There are currently very few children in the out of school club therefore they are accommodated in the nursery with the pre-school children. However, if the numbers of children increase they will be provided with their own play room. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor area.

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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 There are currently 72 children on roll and of these 28 receive funding for early education. The provision caters for children who live in the local area. The nursery supports children with additional needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 11 members of staff. Of these, 9 have early years qualifications and 2 are working towards a qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm, clean and very well maintained environment where the staff take good steps to keep them free from infection and cross contamination. The premises are thoroughly cleaned each day and staff follow their rotas to ensure that toys, cushion covers and baby equipment are washed regularly. There are laundry facilities on the premises and this enables bedding and other items to be washed daily. Children learn about good personal hygiene through discussion and activities. However, they do not always use plates at snack time to ensure good standards of hygiene are maintained at all times. Children are encouraged to wash their hands appropriately and they also clean their teeth after lunch so that they learn the importance of good dental care. They do not help to serve the food and pour their own drinks at lunch time in order to encourage their independence.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff are trained in first aid and all of the necessary documentation is in place, such as accident and medication records, to safeguard children in the event of accidental injury or illness. They are further protected because staff follow the correct procedures when dealing with children who become ill and there is information available for parents to inform them about infectious diseases.

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Helping children to be healthy

All meals are cooked on the premises and the menus are designed to ensure that children have a varied, nutritious diet which includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Parents provide information about any special diets, allergies or food preferences to enable staff to meet the individual needs of the children. Children in the out of school group are offered a healthy snack and drink when they arrive in the nursery.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are daily opportunities for children to develop their physical skills in the well equipped outside play area. They climb and slide on the challenging climbing frame, ride wheeled toys, throw balls and bean bags and bounce on space hoppers. Staff also use tyres and crates to create a stimulating and interesting environment where children become competent at balancing and negotiating the outdoor space. Indoors children also enjoy dancing to music and taking part in action games. They practise their small motor skills when painting, making models, building using different types of construction materials and when manipulating dough, puzzles and shape sorters.

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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 good. Children are safe and secure in the setting because the front door is always locked and visitors are well monitored. There is a system in place to ensure that children cannot leave the play rooms unattended and they are closely supervised by the staff at all times both indoors and in the outside play area. Staff follow their collection procedures to ensure that children in the out of school group arrive safely. Staff follow the health and safety procedures to check that all areas are safe for children and the toys and equipment are regularly checked for safety and cleanliness. All of the necessary safety equipment, such as socket covers, radiator covers and safety gates are in place to minimise the risk of accidental injury to children. The fire evacuation procedure is displayed around the premises and children learn how to keep themselves safe in an emergency when they practice the fire drill.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The premises are warm, bright and welcoming to children because they are attractively decorated with colourful posters, photographs, mobiles and examples of the children's work. This helps children to feel that they belong in the setting. The rooms are well organised to allow children freedom of movement and the resources are set out in easily accessible storage and on low level shelving to enable them to make choices about what they play with.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is a wide range of stimulating toys and equipment which is safe and suitable for the ages of children cared for. The items are imaginatively displayed and areas and boxes of toys are labelled to encourage the children to learn and to have fun.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff follow the child protection procedures to safeguard children in the setting. They have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and all of the necessary information and emergency telephone numbers are available so that they can seek help and advice when necessary.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children benefit from being cared for by kind, friendly and approachable staff who help them to feel safe and secure in the setting. The staff create a happy, and relaxed atmosphere which helps children and parents to feel comfortable and at ease. Children settle in quickly because parents provide information about them so that staff can follow their own routines as far as possible. The key worker system is used to good effect and this also helps to create close, affectionate relationships between the staff and children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to devise a stimulating range of activities which help children to make good progress in all areas. The children are observed closely and these observations are used by staff to inform their planning and ensure that the activities provided meet the individual needs of the children and help them to move on to the next stage of development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are happy and relaxed in the setting. They play with a good range of interesting and stimulating toys and equipment and take part in a wide variety of activities such as baking,

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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 role play, story time, singing, arts and crafts, sand and water play and construction. Children play well together and are well behaved. The staff talk to them and join in their games in order to extend their play and introduce new ideas and language. Children help to tidy away the toys and put on their own outdoor clothes which helps to promote their independence. Children in the out of school group join in with the pre-school children and enjoy playing with them. They also like to use the computers, read books and play with puzzles and games which are suitable for their age and stage of development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good and staff use good assessment methods to monitor the children's development. Staff have an understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are happy, enthusiastic and interested in their play and they confidently explore their environment. The staff develop close relationships with the children and this helps them to settle in quickly and feel secure and comfortable in the setting. Staff observe children closely and they use good evaluation systems to ensure that the focused activities meet their individual needs and help them to make good progress. Staff intervene when necessary to challenge them to think and to extend their play and vocabulary. The space, resources and time are well organised to support children's play and learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children talk confidently to adults and to each other. They show interest and curiosity when listening to the story and when taking part in activities such as singing and arts and craft. They have good concentration skills and they communicate well when sharing information in the group activities. Staff help them to understand about feelings during discussions and with the help of stories and puppets. Children are well behaved and there is a friendly, cheerful atmosphere in the group. Children show kindness towards others and staff acknowledge and praise their behaviour and achievements to build their self esteem. For example, when they help one another to fasten their coats before going out to play. Children are given plenty of choice about what to do so that they become confident and independent.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff talk to the children and encourage them to develop good language and communication skills. They talk to them, listen carefully, read stories and encourage them to take part in discussions and to sing songs from memory. There is a wide selection of books which children enjoy looking at and they also visit the library so that they can choose their own books for topics such as Chinese New Year. There are many examples of writing on display so that children become familiar with the written word. Areas for play and boxes of toys are labelled. Children learn to recognise their name on the coat pegs and when they select their name from a magnetic board. Staff regularly reorganise the mark making area and provide a good range of pens, crayons, chalk and paper to make it attractive for children. There is a large post box to encourage children to write and post letters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are displays of numbers around the play room which enable children to become familiar with numerals. Staff take every opportunity to encourage children to count and to recognise numbers and they help them to learn shapes and to practise making patterns during their play. Children count to ten with confidence and they develop their mathematical skills as they discuss

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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 volume and capacity when filling containers with water and sand. Children also learn numbers when singing songs which involve counting such as 'Five currant buns'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's creativity is well promoted through a range of interesting activities. They explore a wide variety of materials such as paint, dough, glitter, glue, pasta shapes and gloop. Children also enjoy singing songs and rhymes and playing musical instruments. Their imagination is fostered well through creatively organised role play and they have free access to a good variety of small world toys, dressing up clothes and different types of construction equipment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff devise activities which help children to learn about living things. They feed the goldfish, grow plants from seeds and observe how eggs grow into fish. They also enjoy handling small animals during a visit by a parent. The children learn about the wider world when they take part in activities relating to Chinese New Year. Staff decorate the play room with examples of Chinese writing and clothing and children visit the library to borrow books about the festival. Children explore different materials, such as sand, water, jelly and ice. Staff bury toy animals in the ice and children chop the ice away to find the animals and then watch the ice melt. A teacher visits the group each week to teach the children some French words and songs and to introduce them to the French culture. The children learn about technology when they play with telephones, cash registers and programmable toys and they confidently use magnets and scales

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are active and well co-ordinated and staff ensure that they have regular opportunities to play outside. They enjoy exploring the interesting climbing equipment and practise balancing on crates and tyres. There are wheeled toys, balls, bean bags and space hoppers which children use with confidence.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are made welcome in the setting and their individual needs are well met. Staff work effectively with parents and outside agencies to ensure that children with additional needs and/or disabilities are appropriately catered for and are included in all of the activities. This helps to promote their all round development. Children gain an awareness of their local environment and the diversity of the wider world through a good selection of resources and activities which promote positive images. For example, children learn about the French language and culture during weekly French classes. They also celebrate Chinese New Year by reading stories, eating Chinese food, making dragons and examining examples of Chinese writing and clothing. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well as staff give them plenty of praise and encouragement for their efforts and achievements. Children with behaviour problems are integrated into the group and staff work with the Early years advisor and parents to devise the most appropriate methods of dealing with the behaviour. Staff act as good role models, showing respect and consideration for children and for each other. They are friendly and approachable and they offer a clear and consistent approach which takes into account the children's age and stage of development. Children respond well and as a result they show an increasing awareness of right and wrong. The 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 in the out of school group are well behaved and they play with the younger children and help them with their games and activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. They are invited for introductory visits with their children and this helps children to settle in quickly and feel secure. Parents are provided with information about the setting including the policies and procedures. They are kept informed about their children during daily conversations and there are open evenings when they can look at their children's profiles and discuss their progress and development. Regular newsletters keep parents informed about any issues, events and changes in the nursery. Parents are pleased with the service provided and feel that their children are happy and well cared for. However, although there is some information displayed for parents in the form of posters about the Foundation Stage they are not fully informed about the curriculum and how they can help their children to learn at home.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from good leadership in the nursery. The provider and manager work together to ensure that children are provided with good quality care and education. There are thorough procedures in place for the recruitment and induction of new staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Children are protected in the setting because they do not come into unsupervised contact with people who have not been vetted. Most of the staff are fully qualified in child care and they are well supported through regular team meetings and appraisal. The nursery's strong commitment to improvement is reflected in the programme of staff training and the involvement of the Early Years advisor. This commitment helps to maintain and improve the quality of care and learning for children.

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Organisation

The correct ratios of staff to children are always maintained to ensure that they are well supervised and supported and there are good contingency arrangements in place for staff absences. Space and resources are organised well with creatively designated areas for children to play and relax. There is sufficient space to allow children some freedom of movement and the resources are stored in easily accessible drawers to enable children to make choices about what they do in the setting. The out of school children are currently accommodated with the younger children although they have their own resources which are suitable for their age.

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Organisation

All of the necessary records, policies and procedures are in place to safeguard the welfare, care and learning of children. The records are stored confidentially and they are regularly reviewed and updated in line with current guidelines.

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Organisation

The quality of leadership and management is good. The provider and manager work well together to ensure that children are provided with good quality care and education. The nursery is well organised to provide a warm, stimulating and comfortable environment where children feel secure and happy. Staff receive good support from the management and there are thorough systems in place to monitor and evaluate children's progress. The setting is committed to a programme of ongoing training in order to improve the care and education for children. All new staff receive induction training and rotas are displayed so that everyone knows their roles

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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 responsibilities. This ensures that children are safe and helps them to make good progress. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the 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 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): • provide plates at snack time and encourage children's independence by allowing them to help set the table, serve the food and pour their own drinks.

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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): • provide more information for parents about the Foundation Stage curriculum and the early learning goals and develop strategies to involve parents in their children's learning.

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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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