Coco's Pre-School Centre Ltd

Coco's Pre-School Centre Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Coco's Pre-School Centre Ltd

EY340767 Unique Reference Number 15 February 2007 Inspection date Cheryl Langley Inspector

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Coco's Pre-School Centre Ltd

Cocos Nursery, Blindmans Lane, Cheshunt, WALTHAM CROSS, Hertfordshire, EN8 9DW

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E-mail

Coco's Pre-School Centre Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Sessional 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 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?

CoCo's Pre School Centre Limited is a privately owned nursery and which changed ownership in September 2006. It was originally established in 1991. The nursery has five separate areas inside and a secure outside area for play. Children attend from the local and wider geographical areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered to provide care for a maximum of 50 children aged two to five years. There are currently 69 children on roll, 40 of whom are funded for nursery education. The setting offers both sessional and full day care, opening between the hours of 08:00 and 18:00, five days a week, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and welcomes children with English as an additional language. Fourteen staff work directly with the children, over half of whom have early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the Local Authority.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The children's health is promoted through good standards of hygiene and suitable procedures. These enable staff to respond to their healthcare needs. For example, all parents are requested to give consent to seek emergency medical treatment and advice at the time of placement, the sick children policy helps to prevent the spread of infection and staff ensure equipment and toys are cleaned regularly for use. Children have the opportunity to be active, rest or sleep according to their needs. The daily routine for each session and organisation of the rooms offers space and appropriate areas for quiet activities and sleeps. This makes sure the children feel comfortable and content at the nursery. Regular periods of outside play ensure the children benefit from the fresh air.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn the importance of personal hygiene through well organised routines and activities. They know why they need to wash their hands at appropriate times. Children take part in routines to help clean and tidy up and lay the tables for meals. More able children prepare themselves for art and craft activities and wash their hands afterwards independently. They learn about personal healthcare through topic based activities, books and role play. For example, they create information posters warning people of the dangers of the sun.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children's physical skills are developed and enhanced. They take part in a wide range of activities and use various toys and equipment to improve control of their bodies. For example, they manoeuvre the sit-on rides and negotiate space with the awareness of the others. Children have fun moving all their limbs to music and movement sessions, dancing to the rhythm or operating musical instruments. They use their hands to build models with different types of connecting bricks or to manipulate different materials with their fingers and utensils, such as play dough, sand, water and foam. Children become adept at using different implements to make marks with. They draw with crayons, paint, chalk and pencils. For example, children write short captions with their drawings in their work books.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are nourished. They have regular snacks and meals from a varied menu. However, on some occasions this does not provide a balanced diet for children attending the whole day. Children have regular drinks so that they do not feel thirsty. They have fun investigating and tasting foods from around the world to increase their knowledge and understanding of food. They enjoy cooking regularly and sharing meal times with their friends. Specific dietary requirements are respected by staff, who ensure all foods comply with children's individual dietary needs, so that children remain healthy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming, secure and safe environment. Safety is a high priority and good systems are in place to maintain high standards to protect the children from harm. For example, thorough risk assessments are carried out regularly to identify any hazards and action taken to remove them without delay. Accidents are reviewed to monitor areas for

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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 improvement to prevent further occurrences where possible. All of the required documents are in place to support the children's safety. The fire drill is practised regularly so that children and staff know how to keep themselves free from harm in the event of a fire. Children move around freely to play and choose toys. This promotes their independence and gives them a sense of belonging. Parents and children feel welcome as they enter the building. All areas of the nursery are decorated with the children's work and creations and there is informative literature and displays for parents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn how to keep themselves safe. Staff use sensitive reminders to protect the children from harm, such as not running inside, sitting safely on chairs and taking care of others when using the sit-on rides. They take part in interesting topics to gain understanding of how to cross the road safely and of the dangers of fire. They enjoy visits from the fire safety officers. Children paint pictures of fires, fire engines, a zebra crossing and traffic lights as part of their transport and keeping safe topics.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded. All staff have a good understanding of the signs of abuse and are aware how to monitor and record information appropriately. However, the child protection statement lacks detail and some staff are not aware of procedures to follow in the absence of the designated member of staff. This may compromise the safety of a child in certain circumstances and undermine any endeavours to protect them from further abuse or neglect.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled in this supportive and caring environment. The staff have a sense of fun and join in with play and activities. They listen and talk to the children to extend their play and thinking and help their development. Children take part in enjoyable and stimulating activities which provide appropriate challenges for them. This keeps them interested in what they do and encourages them to use their initiative.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children acquire new knowledge and skills. They recognise colours as they mix paint or pick items in a book. Through effective interaction with staff they begin to learn about words and meaning. Children join in with stories, rhymes and songs. They use different words to describe what they see, feel or smell as they mix ingredients to make play dough or explore in the wet sand. Children name the parts of their face for their 'All about me' book. They confidently use tools, utensils and technology toys. For example, they cut bananas to make wheels for their transport topic, use a knife and fork at meal times and practise cutting paper with scissors. Children select and match shapes correctly and use patterns to make pictures, such as, black and white stripes to create zebras. They are aware that we communicate and receive information in various ways, through speech, the written word and other signs, such as pictures or traffic

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

lights. Children enjoy using their imaginations, they dress-up and become different characters such as 'Snow White' and have fun using the role play toys to prepare meals for their friends and the staff.

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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. Children are progressing well, supported by staff that have a competent understanding of the Foundation Stage. Plans cover all six areas of learning and there is a good observation and assessment system in place. The plans link closely to the stepping stones. However, the observation and assessment records are not used to inform the written plans of the next steps in the individual child's learning. The level of challenge is sufficient to interest all of the children, although the plans for more able children's learning does not include practical activities for simple calculation. There are effective systems in place for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident. They suggest ideas and speak in a group. For example, they join in with the narration of stories or talk about their experiences at the seaside. Children concentrate and sit quietly to complete puzzles, listen to speakers or finish their paintings. They have a developing respect for their own and other cultures and beliefs. Children share books about children from other countries and of differing abilities and enjoy an extensive range of activities which promote diversity. They take part in an excellent range of activities to promote reading and writing skills. For example, they create the letter of the week in play dough, paint, chalk and pencil regularly as well as linking the sound during games and activities. More able children write clearly formed letters of their name and copy simple sentences. Children count in sequence, some beyond ten with confidence. They recognise numbers and complete puzzles to put them

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in the correct place. They are aware that a number represents their age. Children are beginning to learn simple addition and subtraction by singing nursery rhymes and through some discussion during routines. Children are aware of shapes. They pick out shapes from the 'lucky dip' with their eyes closed and describe what they have chosen. Children use positional language correctly such as 'under', 'over', 'big', 'little', 'in front' and 'behind'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children find out why things happen and how things work. They record sounds on a tape recorder and observe how records play music. Children use programmable toys with confidence, such as the toy computers. They are aware that orange juice comes from an orange and that it has to be squeezed to make it come out. Children explore changes as they watch snow melt. They find out about and identify the features of living things, such as growing carrots and labelling the different parts of a flower.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use their design and making skills to build and construct different types of transport. They use various materials or connect bricks to create models and towers. Children develop a sense of place through topics and activities about themselves and their nursery. They follow a map of the building and create a book 'All about me' with information about themselves. Children move their bodies as they follow instructions to action songs and games. They have fun in regular music sessions as they sing, dance and play musical instruments. Children know how to sing 'loudly' or 'softly' as they pretend to be 'Dingle dangle scarecrows'. This develops their listening and speech development as well as hand-eye co-ordination. Children express their ideas creatively through a good range of art and craft activities. They create mobiles of air ambulances, draw pictures of buses, make large friezes of transport and safety pictures.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children receive a warm welcome. Staff are attentive and affectionate and make the children feel comfortable. This gives them a sense of belonging and the confidence to join in. This enables them to make independent choices about their play and care. Children feel secure enough to rise to challenges and try new experiences, such as exploring and investigating foam. They make good relationships, with both the staff and other children. They understand that their behaviour has an impact on others. Children are polite, share and take turns. This is due to the positive role models and the staff's ability to manage behaviour effectively. Children develop self-esteem. The staff praise them and show that they value their achievements. The nursery walls are covered with the children's displays and they are congratulated for being kind or for working well.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported and take part in all the activities. A strong partnership with parents helps the staff meet all of the children's individual needs and ensure they are included in the nursery. They know their care routines and level of ability, from the information gathered at the time of placement and have good systems in place to maintain communication with parents. This enables the staff and parents to work closely together and provide consistency in the children's care and learning. Clear information is provided about the daily routine, the activities and the 'Birth to three matters' framework. Parents are invited to give feedback and have regular discussions with the friendly staff at the end of sessions. The nursery has received positive and complimentary comments about the care the children receive.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have great fun learning about people from other countries and cultures. They take part in food tasting, dancing and art and craft activities to celebrate difference. For example, they taste fruits from Africa, dance the Flamenco from Spain or line dance like Americans and make Chinese Lanterns to celebrate the New Year.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents receive good quality information about the provision, including Nursery Education. They receive a prospectus as well as regular newsletters and there is a good display of information in the nursery. Parents are informed about current topics and invited to take part in their children's learning by continuing activities at home or joining in with sessions. They are invited to speak to key workers at any time and receive detailed assessment reports and samples of their children's work showing their progress. The setting fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. There are good procedures in place to recruit, vet and induct staff who have the required knowledge and experience to work with children, keep them safe and help them develop. Policies and procedures have been devised to allow the effective running of the nursery to the benefit of the children. The daily routine enables children to enjoy large and small group times to socialise and have different experiences. Throughout the day or session they benefit from a good range of planned activities, free choice and selection of resources which enable them

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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 to chose their play independently. Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to plan appropriate activities for children up to the age of three years. Overall, the range of children's needs are met.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. The manager promotes the professional development of all staff and encourages them to update their skills and knowledge. For example, all staff attend in-house training, regular meetings, formal appraisals and take part in planning for the children's care and education. Plans are monitored and evaluated regularly. This is to ensure all six areas of learning are covered in a balanced way and children make progress through the stepping stones.

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Organisation

Children benefit from an organised setting. The manager, deputy and dedicated and enthusiastic staff team work effectively together. They have a clear sense of purpose and commitment to continual improvement. High levels of staff ensure that the children are well supported. The positive working relationships they have fostered provides a secure and inclusive environment for all children to develop to their potential.

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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. 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 healthy and nutritious meals and snacks for all children every day

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • update the child protection statement in accordance with the Local Safeguarding Children's Boards procedures and make sure staff are able to implement the child protection policy and procedures in the absence of the designated member of staff.

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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 practical activities for more able children to add and subtract • make sure there are systems in place to use the information gained from assessment to help children move to the next stage in their 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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