Woodland Private Day Nursery

Woodland Private Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Woodland Private Day Nursery

EY337977 Unique Reference Number 23 February 2007 Inspection date Susan Elaine Heap Inspector

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Woodland Private Day Nursery

Regent Street, Heywood, Lancashire, OL10 3BX Setting Address

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E-mail

Woodlands PDN Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Woodland Private Day Nursery opened in 2006 and operates from three rooms in an extended school building and is part of a Sure Start initiative. It is situated in Heywood, Rochdale. A maximum of 44 children may attend at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 hours, Monday to Friday, 51 weeks of the year and closed for one week at Christmas and Bank Holidays. All children have access to enclosed play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 36 children aged from nine months to under four years on roll. Of these, eight children receive funding for early education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs five members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. Of these, one is working towards National Vocational Qualification level 3 in Childcare and Education and one is in the first year of a Foundation Degree in Early Years.

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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. Children are cared for in a clean and hygienic setting. Consistent routines are applied for hand washing after using the toilet and before eating. Children are encouraged to clean their teeth after lunch and use individual disposable facecloths. This ensures they are learning simple hygiene practices. A picture card is displayed over each wash basin to remind young children to wash their hands after using the toilet. There are written health and hygiene policies in place which contribute to children's health and safety and minimise the risk of cross infection. Most staff follow these in practice. Children's individual needs are met as the staff work closely with parents, for example, by following the child's home sleeping routines to ensure continuity of care. Children's welfare is satisfactorily promoted as four members of staff have current first aid certificates and there are systems in place for the recording of accidents and medication.

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Helping children to be healthy

However, medication records are not recorded confidentially.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have opportunities to develop some independence skills as they butter their own toast and spread their jam for their morning snack. However, the main meal of the day is provided in the school hall alongside the schoolchildren. As a result of this, children sometimes have to wait for 10 minutes for their food and many learning opportunities are missed, such as setting the table, counting the number of children present or pouring their own drinks. They also miss the opportunity to develop their social skills as it is quite noisy and sometimes they become overwhelmed by this. Babies freely access drinking water from their own cups and are learning when they need refreshment. However, although all the children have their own water bottles, these are not always freely accessible to children aged over two years.

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Helping children to be healthy

Outdoor activities are positively promoted and planned for daily. Children enjoy the daily physical exercise in the outdoor area. They are able to choose when to go outside or stay indoors, and each day all children go outside after their lunch. A covered area ensures children have access to fresh air and exercise whatever the weather and also offers protection. They choose between the small slide, bikes, large tyres, and sit and ride toys to develop their gross motor skills. They also have access to sand and water play outdoors. They enjoy painting the walls and windows with paintbrushes and water. Children negotiate space well, running around the area and changing direction to avoid the large equipment and the other children. All of these are enjoyable and contribute to developing children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are kept safe in a well maintained and welcoming environment. The setting is well lit by natural light, warm and well ventilated to promote children's well-being. Children are kept safe within the setting as safety measures are in place, such as the visitors' book, and a bell entry system. They are reminded by staff about keeping themselves safe, such as not running in the room or they might fall and hurt themselves. They are learning to keep themselves safe and often act out what they have learnt. For example, while playing in the home corner a three-year-old warns the other children to stay away from the cooker because it is hot.

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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 Indoor space and furniture is organised to meet the different age groups of children, for example, in the baby room adult-sized seating provides a comfortable place to bottle feed or nurse babies. Children's topic and artwork is displayed attractively which develops children's self-esteem and sense of belonging.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's play and development needs are met through the provision of a good range of safe toys, equipment and resources. These are well maintained and address all areas of diversity. Low-level storage units in each of the rooms ensure that even the youngest children can choose what they want to play with. This develops their independence; for example, babies choose from the natural materials stored in a wicker basket while in the pre-school room children can self select from a range of writing materials.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected as the staff team understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe and know to report any concerns to the manager. There are policies and procedures in place and most staff have attended child protection training.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are generally happy and confident in the setting. Less confident children are supported well by the staff who readily cuddle them or allow them to explore the activities on offer within the room. The toys and resources are easily accessible allowing them to make independent decisions about their play and initiate their own learning. Areas are defined for the children to choose where they would like to play, such as the role play area, puzzles, construction and art and craft activities in each of the playrooms. As a result, children are making steady progress in all areas of their development. All children benefit from exploring different media, such as paint and play dough. Younger children particularly benefit from having sensory experiences, such as exploring spaghetti, play dough, jelly and baked beans. Babies enjoy exploring treasure baskets filled with metal or natural materials. Staff work at children's level at all times either

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

by sitting with them on the floor or at the table. Most staff spend time talking and playing with the children, helping them learn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Planning, observation, evaluation and assessment systems are at the very early stages of planning for all children. The staff are working closely with the early years advisory teacher to develop this further. These plans follow the 'Birth to three matters' framework, the stepping stones of the six areas of learning and the staff plan on a daily basis following children's individual interests. At the time of the inspection these had been in place for two weeks. As a result, the staff are not fully confident in the delivery of this.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children generally settle well and enjoy their time in the setting. They show interest in the activities provided for them. There is a satisfactory range of teaching styles, such as in a small group or a one-to-one basis which ensures that children are generally engaged in the activity. As the pre-school room has recently been opened, staff are laying firm foundations with 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 children by introducing the specific learning areas to them gradually. As a result, children are learning how to handle the equipment appropriately and guide their own learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are steadily growing in confidence as they attempt to carry out self-help tasks, such as when a three-year-old child attempts to put his own paper on the paint board. When he realises he cannot do this himself he confidently asks for the help of a nearby adult. Children's attention is maintained during a singing session where they are encouraged to be involved and choose their own songs. A child confidently tells a member of staff that she wants to sing '1,2,3,4,5', as this is her favourite. However, some children lack concentration while listening to a story and are easily distracted. They are learning that print carries meaning and a three-year-old child selects a favourite book from the book corner and goes to sit and read it. She carefully turns the pages following the words with her fingers. They are learning about numbers during singing activities and count on their fingers as they calculate how many are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

left. They do not routinely use number in everyday activities, such as counting how many children are present or how many knives and forks are needed at lunchtime. They are learning to sort shapes and objects by colour during collage activities or using the sorting trays.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to mark make in the designated writing area which is well stocked with different writing materials, however, they do not routinely visit the area. They are developing a sense of the wider community and are learning about different cultures, beliefs and abilities through the activities and resources available to them and through their discussions with the staff. For example, during the recent Chinese New Year celebrations they made Chinese hats, lanterns and a dragon. Opportunities to learn about the local community include visits to the local pet shop. As the setting currently does not have a computer, opportunities to explore simple information and communication technology equipment are limited. However, one has been ordered together with a selection of suitable software programs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Each day children have opportunities to develop their physical skills as they play on the outdoor equipment or join in music and movement activities. They use a good variety of tools and equipment which helps them to develop their fine motor skills, such as using rolling pins and pastry cutters as they play in the play dough. Children regularly explore a variety of media, such as sand, water, paint and collage materials. They confidently use their own ideas to create their own pictures from a selection of collage materials and they enjoy their role play experiences where they express their own thoughts and ideas.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The partnership with parents is satisfactory. Children's individual needs are identified in the initial placement visits and is shared daily, either through the babies' daily diaries, or verbally with parents. The daily communication between parents and staff helps to promote children's welfare, safety and learning. Staff are sensitive to children's needs while settling; they provide children with close support and reassurance during periods of separation from their parents, which helps children to feel secure and happy. However, there are no formal systems in place to share pre-school children's assessment and progress records with parents or involve them in supporting children's learning. These are in the early stages of development due to the recent changes in the planning systems.

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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 Children make free choices from all the toys. They are beginning to develop a sense of belonging and they are learning where things are kept and encouraged to achieve growing independence. An appropriate range of toys and resources promote a positive view of the wider world and contributes to children's increasing awareness of diversity. Although there are no children with learning difficulties or disabilities who attend at the moment, the staff understand where to access the help of other professionals when needed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are learning responsible behaviour as they are beginning to work cooperatively with each other and are encouraged to share and take turns. Most staff use consistent methods of behaviour management, such as giving good eye contact and explanations to children. They are encouraged to say sorry to another child if they have hurt them, and are learning about the boundaries in place which are there to protect them, such as being asked to get down off the furniture or they might fall and hurt themselves. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are cared for by a staff team who have a sound understanding of their roles and responsibilities in helping children enjoy, achieve and stay safe. They benefit from being cared for in a setting where all staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. Some are working towards gaining additional qualifications. For example, one member of staff is working towards National Vocational Qualification level 3 in Childcare and Education while another member of staff is currently completing the first year of a Foundation Degree in Early Years. In addition, the provider positively supports staff in attending short courses to develop their skills and knowledge of good quality childcare practice.

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Organisation

Records detail the individual needs of each child and include relevant consents and contact numbers. All the required policies and procedures are in place and are reviewed annually to promote the safety and well-being of the children. Space and time is generally organised to a satisfactory standard to enable the individual needs of each child to be met. However, there is no key worker system in place.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. Staff currently have weekly meetings with the early years advisory teacher to ensure that they all understand the new systems, and that children's individual interests are followed and challenged within the planned activities. A manager has recently been appointed and has put an action plan in place to develop the service further. Both the provider and the nursery manager have a vision for the future to develop the setting's aims of child-centred play, learning, caring and respect. This means that children are being cared for in a positive and supportive environment which satisfactorily promotes their social and educational development. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements 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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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 satisfactory.

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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): • improve meal times to provide children with opportunities to develop independence, self help and social skills and ensure drinking water is freely accessible to all children at all times • ensure medication records are stored confidentially • ensure arrangements for staffing minimise the number of carers for the individual child by implementing a key worker system.

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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): • continue to develop systems to ensure staff are fully secure in their delivery of the observation, planning and assessment systems to ensure children's individual development needs are met (also applies to care) • improve partnership with parents by developing systems of involving parents in children's learning and by sharing children's assessment records on a regular basis.

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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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