New Bewerley Children's Centre

New Bewerley Children's Centre

Inspection report for early years provision

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New Bewerley Children's Centre

EY341726 Unique Reference Number 06 March 2007 Inspection date Ann Webb Inspector

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New Bewerley Children's Centre

New Bewerley Community School, Bismarck Drive, Beeston, Leeds, LS11 6TB

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E-mail

Leeds City Council - Early Years Service Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Sessional 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 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?

New Bewerley Children's Centre is accommodated within New Bewerley Community School in Beeston, a suburb of Leeds. The provision serves the local community and surrounding areas. A maximum of 72 children under the age of five may attend for full day care or sessional care at any one time. The children's centre also operates a 40 place out of school club for children aged four to 11 years. There are currently 127 children on roll. The provision opens each weekday from 08.00 until 18.00 all year round. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 47 children in receipt of funded nursery education and the provision supports a number of children with learning difficulties and disabilities, and English as an additional language. There are 26 staff including the manager and early years teacher, 23 staff have an early years qualification.

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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. There are good opportunities for the children to learn about being healthy. For example, they have a healthy choice of fruit and vegetables at snack time and they enjoy cutting their own fruit. For example, they try kiwi fruit, melon and orange, the children say the orange smells good and the melon has pips. During food tasting activities the children try noodles, humous and pancakes. Some children know that pasta is healthy and that cucumber is green. When the children are thirsty they can help themselves to drinks of water. Additionally, the children see posters and books with images of healthy ingredients and talk about good foods with the staff.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children's physical development is generally good. The children play outdoors everyday and enjoy being in the fresh air. They ride tricycles around marked areas, jump from wooden blocks and balance along planks. Indoors there is sufficient space for the children to stretch out on the floor and to move around furniture and equipment.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children have a reasonably good understanding of the importance of personal hygiene. They know that they need to wash their hands after visiting the toilet, however, not all children clean their hands before they eat their snack. The staff are good role models and ensure that they maintain a high level of hygiene. For example, they wash tables before the children have a snack, remind children to wipe their noses and keep all areas clean.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children's health and well-being is further enhanced through the effective management of children's illnesses, for example, children with an infectious illness are not expected to attend. The children are able to rest and to sleep following their own routines and their parents' wishes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The children are cared for in a safe and secure environment where potential risks are minimized effectively by the staff. For example, written risk assessments are completed for indoors and outdoors, hazardous materials are inaccessible and resources are suitable for the ages of the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Additionally, the premises are secure and children are unable to leave unattended, internal doors are secure and can only be opened by using a security key. The system used to monitor visitors to the setting is very effective, for example, all visitors are required to sign in and out at the reception area. The staff carefully monitor children as their parents arrive and depart to ensure all children leave with the named adult.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All areas used by the children are well organised with safe storage for furniture and equipment. The children play with a good range of suitable toys which are safe and in good condition. Careful consideration is given by the staff to ensure that the activities they provide are appropriate for the ages of the children and that they can be safely and independently accessed.

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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 For example, low storage shelving with clearly labelled areas enables the children to independently access resources and return them to the correct location.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Child protection procedures are robust and fully understood by all the staff. For example, a named member of staff is designated to the coordination of child protection, there is a written child protection procedure and concerns are clearly recorded and confidentiality maintained. This further promotes the safety and welfare of the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Some staff are first aid trained and can respond to minor medical emergencies. Additionally, all accidents are recorded with a parental signature and a record of all medication administered to children is consistently maintained. This ensure that parents are kept fully informed about their children's care. The children contribute toward their own safety through rehearsing emergency evacuations and following the green cross code when on outings.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The staff working with the younger children have attended 'Birth to three matters' training and successfully implement the framework. The planning and assessment systems are effective for this age group and capture aspects of the children's development with photographs and informative captions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young children enjoy attention and being physically close to familiar adults. For example, when babies are having their milk feed they snuggle up close to the staff, instinctively responding to the affection and security provided by the staff. The staff echo sounds young babies make and interpret meaning to children’s words which encourages them to be confident and competent language users. Children are given opportunities to share their thoughts, feelings and ideas. They talk with other children, visitors and other adults and speak confidently about what they see, hear, think and feel.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All the children have access to a good range of toys and resources, for example, paint, sand, water, construction, role play and books. The children learn to concentrate, share and take turns through group play and activities themed around the seasons. For example, an interactive display helps the children to explore aspects of spring, with flowers and pictures. The staff have linked this activity well to food tasting, encouraging the children to learn about pollen and how honey is made, they eat honey and bread at snack time. The children's creativity is enhanced through good opportunities to experiment with a wide range of paint, print and collage. Examples of their art work, such as collage, box craft models and paintings are displayed around the room where the children can see and identify their own work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Older children enjoy relaxing with computer games, art and craft and group games. For example, a group of children play catch a fish and identify names of the fish from pictures. The planning of activities for this age group is flexible and enables the children to make their own choices.

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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. The staff have positive interaction with the children and give them praise and encouragement for their efforts and achievements. The staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and plan a varied and interesting range of activities, which are themed and focused around seasonal changes, events and children's choices. Key worker staff observe the children and record their progress in individual development profiles. The information gathered from observations is used successfully to plan for the next steps in children's learning. Resources are effectively organised, interestingly presented, and support children's learning in most areas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Some older and more able children are able to form recognisable letters and make good attempts to write their names, some children can recognise their written name. For example, they find their own name for self-registration and arrange magnetic letters on a board to make their name. The younger children make marks for a purpose using marker pens and pencils to draw lines and circles, a child makes a birthday card and copies an image of a cow onto the card. The child then makes a mark and says 'Its my name'. The children are confident to speak to each other and with adults, they are able to make their needs known and are able to ask for what they want, such as drinks and snacks. They know where resources are stored and make independent choices from a good range of activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show curiosity, observe and manipulate objects. They realise tools can be used for a purpose and construct with a purpose in mind, using a variety of resources. For example, they use boxes and cartons to model make and roll out dough with a rolling pin. The children show an interest in the world in which they live. They remember and talk about significant events that have happened to them, for example, having a birthday party. They are beginning to know about their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people, such as celebrating Chinese New Year.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children's mathematical understanding is developing well. Most of the children count out familiar and everyday items, such as cups and plates. Older children can count to ten and most children join in with counting songs and rhymes. They can successfully name shapes, such as square, triangle and rectangle and more able children know that a square can also be a cube and a triangle a pyramid. They are also beginning to use positional language, such as on top, inside and next to.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are physically very active and develop good skills in running, jumping and pedalling tricycles. They have good coordination and can negotiate space to avoid any collisions with other children, for example, they move out of the path of children riding wheeled toys. However, the children have limited opportunities to practise and master large movements for climbing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are confident to use information technology equipment and programmable toys. They know how to load the compact disc player and make good attempts to follow a program on the computer. They are beginning to understand about seasonal changes and some aspects of the natural world, however, opportunities to further explore the living world are limited.

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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. The setting effectively supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities, and children with English as an additional language. For example, there is a designated coordinator whose role is to liaise with parents, children, staff and other professionals to ensure that individual care and learning needs are met. Additional staffing, adapted resources and translation services also support children's individual needs. The staff ensure that all the children are fully included in all the activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children are well settled in their environment. They behave well and their behaviour is successfully managed by the staff who offer clear guidance and support. For example, they gently remind the children to be kind to their friends and to share and take turns. The staff reward positive behaviour with praise and encouragement and ensure that the children understand what is expected of them. The children know about sharing and taking turns and play well together in groups, happy to be involved with their peers.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn effectively about the world around them through planned activities taking them out into the local community. For example, the children visit the library, shops and parks. They participate in the celebration of cultures other than their own, such as Chinese New Year, Diwali and Easter. The children have access to a good range of resources which reflect positive images of gender, race and disability, such as books, small world figures, dressing up clothes and posters. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents receive clear and detailed information about the educational provision through regular newsletters, the notice board and information leaflets. Additionally, a parents' committee meets monthly to support fund raising, organise events and to review policy development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

They have good opportunities to share what they know about their child through regular discussions with staff and an effective settling in procedure, which includes a home visit by the child's key worker. They are well informed about their child's achievements and progress. The parents are effectively encouraged to be involved with their children's learning, for example, they assist with self-registration, a question of the week, the toy lending library and are able to view and add comments to their child's development profile.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The children benefit from a good level of qualified and well deployed staff. The staff consistently interact with children and offer effective support and encouragement, which helps children feel secure and confident.

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Organisation

All the required documentation is in place, is easily accessible and stored securely, such as emergency contact and registration details. A good system is in place to record the staff and children’s daily attendance and this is accurate and up to date. However, the certificate of registration is not clearly displayed.

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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 There is a strong management structure in place which ensures that the staff are supported at all levels. The staff receive additional and ongoing support through staff appraisals, staff meetings, planning meetings, training and a comprehensive induction process.

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Organisation

There is a robust system to ensure that the staff working with the children are suitable to do so, for example, background checks are carried out, references are taken and qualifications are checked. Adult-child ratios are maintained at all times which ensures that the children receive good levels of adult support.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is good. The staff team are committed to improving care and education and have regular opportunities to further develop their child care knowledge through attending training, such as 'Birth to three matters' and the Foundation Stage. The staff regularly work with relevant professionals, early years professional and members of the local community. All the staff are fully involved in planning the curriculum and assessment records are frequently updated by the child's key worker.

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Organisation

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. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaint 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): • improve hygiene routines with regard to hand washing • ensure that the registration certificate is clearly displayed.

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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

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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 opportunities for the children to develop large physical skills and explore aspects of the living world.

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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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