Erskine Day Nursery

Erskine Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Erskine Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY277540 Inspection date 23 June 2005 Inspector Susan McCourt

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Erskine Nursery

Setting Address Erskine Villa, Brighton Road, Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9EF

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E-mail

Registered person Susan Jane Adair Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Erskine Nursery was registered to provide full day care in 2003. It operates from four rooms in a large house near Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex. The nursery serves the local area. The setting opens from 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, all year round. The nursery is registered for 16 children and there are currently 20 children on roll, one of whom is in receipt of funded education sessions. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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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 The setting is able to support children with special needs and those who speak English as an additional language. Most play takes place in a large room with separate areas for younger and older children. There is a spacious hallway and a small bedroom upstairs for babies to sleep. The garden provides a secure area for outdoor play. There are five staff who work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. The setting receives support from a mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and the nursery are members of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and the Playgroup Network.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy healthy eating in a social atmosphere with hot meals freshly cooked on the premises. They try a good variety of foods including fresh fruit and vegetables on a daily basis and enjoy simple cooking activities too. Children benefit from regular physical exercise both in and out of doors. They are aware of sun safety issues because staff give simple explanations about hats and sun cream. Children know the importance of good hygiene and follow the established routines happily. Children's health is safeguarded because staff maintain their first aid training and records meet the standard. Children sleep well in clean and comfortable surroundings.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children enjoy playing in a homely environment which provides a fresh and stimulating place to play. Children can choose from a good range of toys and play equipment which means that they are busy and interested during activity sessions. Children are enthusiastic explorers when playing outside with a variety of challenging physical play equipment. Children benefit from the fact that equipment is rigorously checked for safety and children learn about safety through staff's clear and simple explanations as to why a rule is in place. Children's welfare is paramount and staff are clear about their duties and responsibilities as regards child protection.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children settle easily into the homely environment and enjoy warm, strong relationships with the staff. Children's individual routines are given a high priority which ensures that children experience continuity of care as well as having their

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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 needs immediately met. Children learn to relate well to each other and can become increasingly independent and active in the setting because most equipment is easily accessible to them and staff are committed to facilitating their play. Children are provided with interesting activity sessions and have fun with imaginative and sensory play. Nursery education Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory. Staff know the children very well and establish strong, caring relationships. Children enjoy a learning environment in which their choices can be spontaneously included and they are welcome to move between activities as their interest takes them. Staff are familiar with the Foundation Stage and bring out relevant aspects as they play alongside children. Staff do plan a basic

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

theme related to the learning areas for each week, but no specific activities are formally planned. Children complete a worksheet each week related to a theme and these are put into a work folder which goes home every month. No other records are made of the children's progress. This means that children's progress is not formally monitored and therefore plans may not build on children's achievements. Overall children make satisfactory progress in all areas of learning. Children can be independent in a learning environment that gives them access to a good range of activities. Children's ideas of what they want to play are easily incorporated by staff who can access further equipment, such as art and craft materials, on request. Children are confident speakers and enjoy sharing books. They use mathematical language in their play but staff do not use practical activities such as snack time to reinforce mathematical learning. Children learn about the natural world through

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children have a sound introduction to other cultures and staff continue to develop their resources to reflect diversity. Children learn about difference in a positive way through stories and a specific activity box about self-acceptance. Children learn to behave in sociable and respectful ways through consistent, clear messages about acceptable behaviour. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Staff build excellent relationships with parents and work closely with them to ensure that children's individual needs are met. Children take home their workbooks every month and take reading books home every day. In terms of nursery education, the partnership with parents is satisfactory because the verbal feedback is not grounded in a formal, comprehensive record of the child's progress.

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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 Children's needs are met. Staff are committed to ensuring that children are well-supervised at all times and are vigilant about security. They have established a good routine although transitions between one activity session and another - moving to outdoor play or preparing for lunch for example - can lack focus, resulting in children becoming aimless and bored for short periods. Children's information is kept confidential and registers are maintained accurately, although children's files and staff folders can lack consistency. Staff attend training and appreciate the support of mentors from outside organisations. The leadership and management of the setting is satisfactory. The staff team work very closely together and their values and beliefs about childcare are clearly shared

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Organisation

and put into practice. The lack of systems for planning and recording means that there is no monitoring of how the Foundation Stage is being implemented although practical plans such as developing the learning environment, are in place.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the previous inspection, the staff have implemented a good risk assessment and they follow safety procedures rigorously, which minimises any risk to children. Accident and medication formats now meet the standard, as does the complaints policy and information for parents. Staff have begun to increase the resources and activities to reflect diversity and plan to continue this work which will ensure that children have meaningful experiences of other cultures. Similarly, work on planning has begun and needs to develop further to ensure that children's progress through the Foundation Stage is secure.

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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 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):

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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 • plan activities for transitional times to ensure that children are fully occupied when preparing for meals or for going outside • continue to develop the activities and resources that reflect diversity

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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): • develop planning and recording systems to ensure that children's progress through the Foundation Stage can be tracked

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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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