ABC Day Nursery

ABC Day Nursery (Lincs) Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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ABC Day Nursery (Lincs) Ltd

Unique Reference Number EY274214 Inspection date 13 June 2005 Inspector Melanie Arnold

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ABC Day Nursery (Lincs) Ltd

Setting Address 43 Main Ridge, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6ST

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E-mail

Registered person ABC Day Nusery (Lincs) Limited 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 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

ABC Day Nursery is a privately owned provision which opened in 2003. The nursery operates from converted domestic premises close to Boston town centre. Accommodation is on two levels. There is an enclosed outside play area sited to the rear of the building. The nursery serves commuters travelling to Boston as well as the local community and surrounding areas. The nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year

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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 from Monday to Thursday from 07:30 to 18:00 but closes earlier on Fridays at 17:30. There are currently 68 children on role. Of these 18 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with special education needs. There are 13 members of staff who work directly with the children, of these 11 hold a child care qualification. In addition, staff have attended a wide variety of courses relevant to their work.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy and benefit from nutritious meals and snacks. Their well-being is further promoted as the cook provides children with a varied diet and checks ingredients well to ensure foods are free from additives and salt. Children have a choice of healthy options at snack times and fruit is always offered alongside puddings to promote children's health. Babies' individual needs are met well by staff as they provide them with appropriate support and help when they are being fed, although the expectations of older babies in the toddler room are sometimes a little high at mealtimes as they are not always given cutlery they can manage. Children within the Pre-School room enjoy independently accessing their snack when they are ready, which helps to promote their independence. They skilfully pour their own drinks and choose their snack, although staff do not always fully utilise this time fully

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Helping children to be healthy

to promote children's understanding of healthy choices. Children's individual dietary needs are well catered for due to the effective systems the nursery has in place to ensure staff are fully informed of children's dietary requirements. Staff implement good hygiene routines and practices with the children to help prevent cross infection and to ensure they remain healthy. Children are encouraged to wash their hands from an early age, which helps to promote their understanding of good hygiene routines. Older children regularly benefit from physical activities both inside and outside to promote their well-being. They enthusiastically join in with action songs and ring games and enjoy playing outside with an appropriate range of resources, which helps them to develop a positive attitude to physical exercise. Their physical skills are being developed generally well as they run around outside in the fresh air and confidently

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Helping children to be healthy

learn to use all resources appropriately, i.e. balancing on the balancing beams, riding a bike using the peddles, throwing and catching a ball.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety is maintained well because of the effective systems the nursery has put in place. Risks of accidental injury to children are minimised because staff

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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 supervise children well and use thorough risks assessments to reduce potential hazards. Parental consent is obtained for any outings the children go on and staff ensure they have the means to contact appropriate people in an emergency by taking the nursery mobile phone with them. This results in children's welfare being maintained at all times. Children are regularly checked while they sleep to ensure they remain safe and well. Security at the nursery is good and staff vet people at the entrance door before allowing them access to the nursery, which ensure children remain protected. Children are cared for in a well organised environment where they use good quality equipment and resources appropriate to their age and stage of development. Children are also well protected by staff who have a clear

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

understanding of child protection policies and procedures, which ensures children's welfare is maintained at all times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is inadequate. Children generally enjoy their time at the nursery. They are cared for in separate rooms according to their age and abilities, with appropriate resources in these rooms to cater for their needs. Babies are settled and confident with the staff as they receive appropriate attention to meet their needs. They are beginning to develop their communication skills because staff interact well with them. Activities are well planned using the Birth to three matters framework to provide babies with good opportunities to express themselves and explore textures, for example through messy activities like play dough and baked bean play. However, within the toddler room, children's individual needs are not so well met as their abilities are not always fully considered when activities are being planned. Staff expectations of children are pitched slightly high so children are sometimes left feeling unsettled. Toddlers enjoy playing with the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

good range of resources within their room and during free play activities they are settled and content. Children from age two join those in the pre-school room where they enjoy accessing a good range of resources, they participate in all activities and appear content in their surroundings. However, staff do not give full consideration to the Birth to three matters framework when planning their care. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is inadequate as staff have limited knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage curriculum. Short, medium and long terms plans are in place but these have significant gaps in most areas of learning. Children are therefore failing to progress satisfactorily in all areas of learning. Their mathematical development is particularly limited. Children are not adequately supported or sufficiently challenged as observations and assessments are not being used to effectively identify their individual learning needs

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in future planning. Children are also not developing to their full potential as their starting points and learning needs are not identified resulting in inappropriate grouping. For example, during large group time all children within the room are grouped together and when younger children become restless this distracts the older children.

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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's zest for exploring and investigating is not fully encouraged by staff and because children are not fully challenged when completing activities they have limited hunger to learn. Staff do not have clear learning objectives and are not questioning children in a way which encourages them to think or progress. For example, staff do not incorporate mathematical concepts like numbers, counting, adding and subtracting into the daily routine or during activities to promote children's problem solving skills and mathematical development. Children are beginning to enjoy and appreciate books as they freely spend time in the attractive reading area, supported by staff. They are not, however, practising mark making skills in different situations as a variety of writing opportunities is not provided. Children's understanding of the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

wider world is developing generally well because they have access to adequate resources reflecting diversity and they are involved with caring for the pets within the nursery. They also confidently use the computer helping to develop their information technology skills. However, children's design and making skills and creative development are not fully promoted consistently as they do not have independent access to creative resources. Children enjoy craft activities when they are able to access the creative area, but their skills are not being promoted effectively as activities are not adapted to suit children's differing abilities and level of understanding. Children are starting to show care and concern for each other as they greet their peers when they arrive. They also play well together and are encouraged to share appropriately, helping to develop their social skills. Children are beginning to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

develop some good self care skills, but they are not provided with consistent opportunities to fully develop these skills. For example children confidently pour their own drinks at snack times and wipe their own faces after meals but are not encouraged to put their own coats on, or learn to fasten them up because staff do it for them. Children enjoy playing with the toys and participating in the activities but they are not fully benefiting from accessing resources covering all the six areas of learning and staff do not maximise their potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children relate generally well to staff who provide appropriate care to meet their basic needs. Parents complete an informative record about their child's individual needs, for example listing their child's favourite toys, events celebrated, family members, etc. This enables staff to help children settle into the nursery because they have an understanding of the child's basic individual needs form the outset. However, staff are not fully meeting older children's individual needs effectively throughout the day as their capabilities are not always considered when planning activities. Children are beginning to understand about the wider world through outings, visitors from the local community and a variety of topics covering different cultures. Staff are not fully encouraging children's awe and wonder during activities or the daily routine because their use of questioning is poor. Therefore, although children enjoy the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

activities provided, their interest and excitement to learn is not being fully developed. Children with special needs are valued and respected as staff provide appropriate

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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 care with extra support and help provided as necessary. Children's behaviour is generally good, with staff using effective praise and encouragement to promote their self esteem and the use of a reward chart to reinforce positive behaviour. However, children do not always understand as some behaviour management methods are not appropriate to the child's age and stage of development, for example, the list of rules shared with children on a daily basis which is in written from with no illustrations. Overall, children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is not fostered. There is a satisfactory partnership with parents. Staff ensure that all parents know how their child is progressing and developing through the use of record sheets, daily verbal feedback and regular parents evenings where parents are invited to view their

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Helping children make a positive contribution

child's assessment records. However, as children's assessment records for older children are not being effectively used and staffs understanding of the foundations stage curriculum is inadequate this results in only satisfactory information being shared with parents. Good information is provided for parents on the nurseries policies, procedures and daily routines, however, limited information is currently provided for parents concerning the foundation stage curriculum for children aged over three.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are well cared for and protected due to the appropriate procedures the nursery has in place for appointing, vetting and inducting staff. Staff keep up to date with regular child care practices as they attend a good range of courses. However, the manager has yet to attend training in Birth to three matters and foundation stage curriculum education to enable her to better evaluate her staff's practice. As a result, leadership and management is inadequate because significant weaknesses have not been identified within the delivery of the educational curriculum. Children's care needs are appropriately catered for because space and resources are organised well and their welfare is promoted because staff are deployed effectively enabling them to supervise children appropriately. Informative policies and procedures are in place. Records are completed with relevant information and held confidentially ensuring staff are able to promote

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Organisation

children's health, safety and well-being. Overall, the provision is not meeting the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Some improvements have been made concerning the recommendation to promote children's positive contribution. The nursery has implemented a new behaviour management policy but it currently lacks guidance on taking children's age and stage of development into account. Staff use some effective methods to promote children's good behaviour, developing their self esteem but also, on occasions, use methods which are inappropriate to their level of understanding.

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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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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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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): • ensure all staff fully understand appropriate behaviour management strategies in relation to children's age/stage of development • ensure children's individual needs are met through the planned activities and daily routine which are appropriate for their age and stage of development, for example, through the use of the Birth to three matters framework for all children under three

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure the manager and staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum in order to provide a broad and balanced range of activities fully covering all six areas of learning • ensure that activities have clearly identified learning objectives, which staff are aware of and can actively promote enabling them to fully support children's learning through the use of effective open ended questioning • develop the use of observation and assessment to fully inform future planning ensuring that children of all abilities are supported and challenged to reach their full potential These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice. The Department for Education and Skills and the local authority have been informed.

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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 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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