Daisy Chain at Old Hall

Daisy Chain at Old Hall Inspection report for early years provision

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EY340401 Unique Reference Number 26 March 2007 Inspection date Kathryn Mary Harding Inspector

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Old Hall, Stanley Road, Wellington, Telford, Shropshire, TF1 3LB Setting Address

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01952 250035 Telephone number simonwhitaker@btconnect.com E-mail Daisy Chain Day Care Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School care Type of care

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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?

Daisy Chain at Old Hall is run by Daisy Chain Day Care Limited and opened in 2006. It operates from five rooms in a purpose-built building. It is attached to The Old Hall preparatory school within the grounds of Wrekin College. A maximum of 108 children may attend the nursery at any one time, including after school children. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children can access an enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 89 children aged from three months to under eight years on roll. Of these, 36 children receive funding for early education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 14 members of staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene and personal care through the daily routines. Notices to encourage good hand washing techniques reinforce good hygiene practices. There are clear procedures for sick and infectious children, so helping prevent the spread of infection and there is a list of exclusion periods available in an up-to-date booklet. Nappy changing procedures are fully effective as staff use gloves and protective aprons to help to prevent cross-infection. Younger children are encouraged to wash their hands after nappy changing. Consequently, this helps children remain healthy and learn about good personal hygiene.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children begin to understand the benefits of a healthy diet as they are offered healthy and nutritious snacks such as fruit and rice cakes. Younger children are encouraged to try new tastes, as part of their theme. At lunchtime children can have a hot meal supplied by a provider that has achieved a platinum healthy eating award. They are offered regular drinks such as milk and water at snack time and meal times and can help themselves to drinking water throughout the day, so they are able to meet their own needs if they become thirsty.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are plenty of good opportunities for physical play through indoor and outdoor activities. Children confidently use a wide variety of large and small equipment such as, a climbing frame, slide, construction sets and craft actvities. Once a week the pre-school children have a dance teacher into the setting to encourage movement to music. They also have the opportunity to go swimming in The Old Hall swimming pool, along with fully qualified and trained staff. They go for walks around the school grounds to help develop their physical skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The rooms of the nursery are warm and welcoming with children's pictures and posters displayed making them bright and colourful. Safety within the setting is promoted appropriately, as staff undertake and record daily risk assessments of the indoor and outdoor area prior to the children arriving. The outdoor area is enclosed and there is a safety surface fitted so that children can use climbing equipment safely. However, the entrance door is a problem in this brand new purpose built building. Staff have identified this and measures are in place to ensure a new door is fitted as soon as possible, so helping to keep children safe. Children are encouraged to keep themselves safe as they are reminded why it is important to sit on the chair properly and not to run indoors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is a wide range of safe, good quality resources which are organised in low shelving units and storage boxes, which are easily accessible. This enables children to make decisions about their play and become more independent.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected by staff that have a good understanding of child protection issues. They fully understand the correct procedures to follow for reporting concerns and have a good understanding of signs to be concerned about in relation to child protection matters. This helps to safeguard children.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children take part in a very good range of varied activities and play opportunities which they find interesting and enjoyable such as making cress heads and exploring with the spinning tops. They develop good relationships with staff and each other. They learn to share and take turns when using the music maker and the helicopter. They concentrate well as they play with the magnetic blocks and when listening to stories. In the baby rooms staff sit with children and join in with their play, encouraging them to talk and repeat words. They talk about the shape sorters and ask if they can put the shape through the hole and encourage them to pretend to talk on the telephone. Lots of praise is used with the children, so raising their confidence and self-esteem. As staff read stories with the children they snuggle them in and give them a sense of belonging. They talk about the story and point to the pictures encouraging their interest in

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

books. As they sing nursery rhymes they are encouraged to choose which one they want to sing making them feel valued and encouraging their independence. They talk about the different colours of the crayons and are encouraged to try new tastes as they taste food from the farm linked in with their theme. They talk about the cress heads they are making and how they need water. They make marks on the paper making patterns and draw daddy and mummy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Snack times and meal times are sociable occasions with staff sitting and chatting with the children about the food they like and their families. They have lots of fun as they access the musical instruments and spontaneously dance around the room. They are excited at the activities on offer and thoroughly enjoy using the wide range of equipment. They are happy and obviously enjoy their time spent in the setting. Staff have a good understanding of child development which enables them to offer good quality care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The 'Birth to three matters' framework is effectively implemented for younger children. Staff observe children as they play and records of their work are stored in their individual learning journeys and folders. Plans link to aspects of the framework and are informed by children's observations and assessment so ensuring children's progression.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage and a good understanding of how children learn and progress. Planning of activities is very detailed and enables all staff to deliver the programme of activities and it is clearly linked to the stepping stones. Staff use effective methods to help children learn and maintain their interest. They sit and engage in their activities and ask challenging questions to extend their play and learning. Regular observations are made and weekly evaluations of adult-led activities ensure staff know how children are progressing. These records are used to inform planning to identify the next steps in the children's learning. Behaviour is managed very well with staff consistently explaining to the children that they need to share the resources. The rooms are organised very effectively and offer a stimulating, environment with a good

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

range of resources to promote children's learning in all areas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children sit and concentrate well as they play a number game and write in their work books. Staff have drawn up, in conjunction with the children six golden promises to encourage good behaviour and consideration to each other and a child gets to sit on a golden cushion at the end of the week. They manage their self-care needs competently, as they pour their own drinks at snack time and access tissues. At child-led times children choose from activities that are selected by adults. This could be further developed. Children are reminded to change shoes

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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 and put their coats on prior to going outside, which they manage well. They are encouraged to tidy up the activities at tidy up time and children ask adults if they can help tidy up the mat.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children confidently talk in a large group about when they went to the chapel and what they saw there. They listen well to instructions and respond accordingly. They freely access books and share with each other, so encouraging and motivating their interest in books in the older pre-school room. However in the younger pre-school room they cannot access an attractive book area. They learn to mark make as they paint pictures and are encouraged to develop their early writing skills in their bean books and their work books. The environment is well-labelled with children's own writing of signs being displayed. They can recognise their names on their coat pegs, shoe cupboard and on their name cards at circle time, when they often recognise other children's names.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children gain confidence in using and recognising numbers during the daily routines and respond to challenges to extend their mathematical vocabulary and skills in planned and spontaneous opportunities. They are encouraged to solve problems in a practical way for example, when singing "Five Shiny eggs". As they play a number game and complete a number jigsaw, they learn to recognise numerals and count the pieces. They look at and measure themselves as they use cubes to record this.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children gain knowledge of the world around them and of time and place through a variety of activities. They freely talk about their families and their lives and important events to them such as, when they are going horse riding, so making them feel valued. They build and construct with a wide variety of construction sets. To gain an awareness of their environment they have looked at the life cycle of a chick and are growing and caring for their beans. They explore, predict and investigate when using the torches magnets and magnifying glasses. They can access a computer with educational programmes to consolidate their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's large scale movement skills develop and improve through a wide variety of experiences, including activities to develop skills of climbing, sliding and pedalling. They move confidently around the indoor and outdoor area and access a wide range of activities to develop their fine control skills including construction sets and craft activities. They particularly enjoy pretending to be robots as they move in a robotic way around the room, stopping and starting as they pretend to be tractors.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore using their senses, different textures and materials. They can freely access an art area to make their own creations. They talk about the different colours of their pictures and the bottles of paint. Wall displays show children have used different painting techniques to express their ideas. They play imaginatively in the hairdressers as they pretend to cut and style each others hair and in the home area making meals for others. They enthusiastically and with obvious enjoyment sing their favourite rhymes and can freely access musical instruments to make their own sounds.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Systems are in place that support children with special educational needs to effectively meet their needs. This includes liaising very closely with parents, external agencies and drawing up individual education plans.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Overall, children make good progress in all areas of learning.

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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. There is a good range of resources to raise children's awareness of diversity, for example, books, dolls and cooking equipment. Different festivals such as Chinese New Year, are looked at. This helps children to develop their knowledge of the wider world. Outings into the school grounds and the chapel help children learn about their immediate environment. Systems are in place, such as individual education plans and staff liaise very closely with parents and external agencies to effectively promote children's learning. This ensures inclusion for all.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's confidence and self-esteem are developing well as staff use lots of praise and encouragement with the children. They are chosen as a special helper to do different jobs and are told well done for their lovely sitting. Children behave very well and respond positively to boundaries set by staff. Staff have drawn up, in conjunction with the children six golden promises to encourage good behaviour and consideration for each other and each week a child gets to sit on a golden cushion. Good manners are encouraged at snack times, so promoting consideration for each other. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. Parents and carers are respected and made to feel extremely welcome in the nursery, by the approachable and friendly staff. Staff obtain detailed information from parents concerning their child’s development stages and their particular interests, which is used as a starting point for planning for their child's individual needs. This information can be added to through formal and informal discussions on a regular basis. Parents are invited to attend open evenings to discuss their child's achievements. They are provided with excellent information about nursery education and the stepping stones. They are consulted and kept well informed about what their children do and their achievements and they have access to their child’s learning journey, which they are encouraged to add to, their art books and folders. They are provided with excellent information about the nursery through

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Helping children make a positive contribution

the attractively presented information packs, weekly newsletters, photo displays and information displayed on the notice boards. Staff e-mail photographs to parents and along with the activity board parents are aware of what the children are doing in the nursery. Activity sheets for parents to extend their child's learning are provided for them to take home. A bookcase containing relevant books and childcare information is available for parents to borrow. Parents spoken with commented very positively on the service provided.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in the life of the nursery. Details about the range of activities their children are involved in are displayed, which outline the topics they will cover. Children and parents are encouraged to bring appropriate artefacts into the nursery from home, therefore supporting these learning experiences and opportunities. Parents have the opportunity to fill in evaluation forms, which are reviewed and used to improve the nursery’s service and practice. All the required documentation and consents are in place to ensure children are looked after according to their parents' wishes. Staff and parents share written and verbal information effectively to ensure children's changing needs are met and to provide continuity of care.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff are deployed effectively throughout the setting and are clear about their roles. This ensures that children receive good adult attention and ratios are maintained according to the

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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 needs of the children. There is a thorough, detailed operational plan in place outlining the service offered. Staff have opportunities to attend training and this commitment to training helps to broaden children's experiences and contributes to the good quality care provided.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the setting is good. The management are very committed to improving the quality of care and education for children and to supporting and helping staff to achieve this objective. Regular reviews and appraisal are undertaken. The management team are very supportive and use effective recruitment procedures which ensure that staff are appropriately vetted and qualified. Very thorough induction procedures are in place to ensure that staff know and implement the setting's policies and procedures consistently. This ensures that children are safe and well cared for.

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Organisation

The staff team are committed, well qualified and offer a wealth of experience and expertise. They work very well together and meet regularly to review the education programme, to share good practice and ensure consistency. The key worker system enables staff to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the settings practice in meeting individual children's educational needs, and to build effective relationships. Staff work very closely with local schools and provide detailed information on how each child is progressing. This helps children to make the transition from the nursery into formal education.

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Organisation

All documentation is maintained in good order, well organised, thorough and in line with the regulations to support the care of the children. Staff observe children's development and keep detailed records that help them meet children's needs and these are shared with parents. This helps to ensure children are cared for and progress well.

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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 AND 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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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 the entrance door is made safe.

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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 further develop child-initiated play.

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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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