Twyford Tots Nursery

Twyford Tots Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Twyford Tots Nursery

Unique Reference Number 224215 Inspection date 20 September 2005 Inspector Juliette Jennings

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Twyford Tots Nursery

Setting Address Twyford House,, Belle Vue Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 7NP Telephone number 01743 357083

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E-mail

Registered person Karen Jones 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Twyford Tots Nursery is situated in a large Victorian house in a residential area in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The nursery serves Shrewsbury and the surrounding area. There are currently 154 children aged from birth to under 5 years on roll. This includes 54 funded 3 and 4-year-olds. Children can access a variety of sessions. There are appropriate procedures in place to support children who have special needs or who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is open Monday

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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 to Friday from 08:00 until 18:00. There are 31 members of staff working with the children, of whom 27 hold suitable childcare qualifications. The registered person, the person in charge and the deputy are all supernumery. Staff access regular training on early years issues and receive support from the Local Education Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for within an environment which is clean and hygienic. Their health is important and there are very clear policies and procedures in place which all staff are aware of and adhere closely to. Older children can access toilets independently, know to wash their hands after activities and prior to snacks and meals, thus developing an understanding of the importance of hygiene through consistent daily routines. There are thorough procedures in place for recording children's accidents in line with requirements. In addition, medication records are detailed and are in good order. Parents are asked to sign these records when they collect their child and are often contacted by telephone as well so that they are fully informed about their child's well-being. Children enjoy a wide range of healthy snacks and meals provided by the setting. They choose from an extensive range of fruit and other healthy snacks, for example

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Helping children to be healthy

apple, banana, grapes, rice cakes, raisins and breadsticks. Children can choose milk, juice or water as a drink at snack and meal times and drinks are also available regularly throughout the day. Special dietary requirements are accommodated and all staff are aware of children's individual likes and dislikes. Staff preparing snacks and meals have completed food hygiene training, thus helping to ensure that the food that children eat is prepared properly. A review of the menu for children, in consultation with parents, has had a positive effect on the range of meals that they enjoy. An excellent range of healthy, well balanced meals and snacks are available and these are freshly prepared on a daily basis using fresh produce which is delivered on a twice weekly basis. Processed food and reformed meats have been eliminated from the menu. All of this has had positive feedback from parents and children visibly

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Helping children to be healthy

enjoy the food that they are offered. Some children are provided with packed lunches by parents. Children's physical development is promoted very well. They have extensive access to fresh air and outdoor activity in the garden space which is used very effectively as an extension to the learning environment. This aspect will be further enhanced with the opening of the baby garden so that they have their own specific outdoor space to explore. Children have good opportunities to climb, slide, run, walk, manoeuvre around and develop other skills such as hand and eye coordination through activities such as quoit throwing, building with blocks, using chalks and painting the area outside with a variety of brushes. In addition, they are developing a sense of space and enjoy using their imagination in the outdoor space, for example in role play games, parachute games and whilst exploring compost, fruit and vegetables with a

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 variety of utensils, the latter of which was thoroughly enjoyed by all of the children from babies through to 4-year-olds.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children enjoy a clean, colourful, exciting and child-orientated environment which is largely safe. A recent re-organisation of the use of the rooms has looked at implementing an open plan environment with the aim of maintaining children's safety and security. This initiative has been very successful within the upper and lower baby rooms and the foundation stage area, with ongoing development in the toddler rooms, and has ensured that children continue to be cared for appropriately and according to their individual needs. The resources that children use are age-appropriate and are maintained in good, clean condition. A good amount of low-level storage allows most children to easily access whatever they wish during their child-initiated free play activities. Safety procedures, including risk assessments which help to inform a review of the accident record, are thorough and detailed. Safety checks are carried out on a daily,

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

weekly and monthly basis. There is a system in place which allows staff to record any broken equipment or safety issues and this is checked regularly and acted upon by the management team. There were a small number of safety issues highlighted at inspection in one room within the downstairs baby unit in relation to a trailing cable, some low curtain cords and some nappy bags in a low-level drawer, all of which were within children's reach. These issues were dealt with quickly and efficiently by the management team at the time of the inspection. Children's welfare is promoted appropriately with clear and detailed guidelines for child protection concerns readily available and annual access to training to ensure that all staff are confident in recognising concerns and following correct procedures. Most staff hold up-to-date first aid qualifications, therefore are trained to deal with accidents and emergencies. Fire precautions are in place and evacuation procedures

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

are available in every room. Fire drills are practised very regularly so that staff and children know what to do in the event of evacuation. This has been reviewed at length since the introduction of the open plan environment and keyworker system, to check that this procedure is still effective in keeping children safe. An evacuation practice observed at the time of the inspection showed staff to be efficient, quick-thinking and fully aware of the procedure and this enabled a very effective evacuation of all children from the building.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. All children benefit from and enjoy a colourful, stimulating, exciting and interesting environment in which they are happy, content, comfortable and secure. Younger children and babies enjoy age-appropriate activities within an open plan environment and this new initiative is working very well. The younger babies are cared for in a

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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 comfortable and cosy space where they are confident to explore, discover and investigate the world around them. They are supported very well by staff who are caring, display warmth and so obviously enjoy being with them. This upstairs baby unit is a particularly strong aspect of the provision. All babies move around their environment happily and with confidence and an inquisitive nature, busily occupied with favourite activities that include role play, painting, discovery toys, puzzles, small world play and a wide variety of creative activities for sensory exploration such as cornflour 'gloop' and water play. However, older babies do not always have independent access to the range of toys and resources available as there is limited low-level storage in this specific play space.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing their independence and confidence and enjoy close relationships with their keyworkers, who will move through the baby unit with them. They have very good support and encouragement from staff, who actively engage in their play and help them to extend their learning through modelling and discussion. Planning for this younger age group is formulated on a weekly basis, taking into consideration their individual stages of development which is monitored effectively through the 'Birth to three matters' assessment system. All children are happy, confident, comfortable and secure in the nursery environment. They obviously enjoy their time at the setting and form good relationships with the staff, who evidently have a commitment to maintaining a learning environment which is fun and exciting. Children aged 2 to 3 years are making good progress. They are confident and secure in the space and this allows them to make independent choices

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

about what they want to do, develop relationships with their peers and adults and enjoy their time in the setting, though again the opportunities for children to independently access toys and resources at low-level is sometimes limited. Planning and assessment follows the same format as for the babies, with staff here effectively using the 'Birth to three matters' framework, the implementation of which has been developed since the setting re-assessed their provision and looked at the organisation of their provision for children aged under 3 years. Children are grouped appropriately, based in two rooms which will soon be knocked through so that it is one large space, with their individual keyworker and this helps to ensure that they feel content and secure. They have good opportunities to see siblings during outdoor activities throughout the day. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

excited, motivated, interested and keen to explore and investigate. They benefit from continued re-enforcement and lots of positive language from staff which helps to keep them interested and motivated in activities. Most children are very well-behaved, sitting and listening well at planning time, waiting their turn to make a decision about what they will do and responding to questions and requests. They have plentiful time to develop and sustain their play and the recently implemented open plan organisation of space is already impacting on this in a very positive way. However, the book corner is used infrequently in spontaneous child-initiated play and some toys are still stored out of reach. The outdoor garden space is used imaginatively and creatively so that children have excellent opportunities to develop, explore, investigate, extend and reinforce their learning through valuable

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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 child-initiated play and well organised, appropriate adult-led sessions. There is very good support from staff, who spend time with the children and engage in their play, help them to progress by asking questions, allow them to be independent in activities and give lots of positive praise and encouragement. Children can describe aspects of their lives and what is familiar to them. They talk about what they enjoy doing, recall favourite activities, comment on what is happening and develop role play from this, for example a child who notices that the toy elephant has got stuck then continues a role play game telling everyone that they must only use small toys in the truck. Children listen very well to instructions, for example at the puppet theatre activity where they model puppets using card and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

sticks, then tell a story using these puppets. One child confidently tells a complicated story to the rest of the group which has a beginning, a middle and an end. They enjoy using the computer, role playing in the imaginative room and partaking in creative activities such as printing, water play, cutting and sticking. They have good opportunities to develop early writing skills and mathematical concepts through their play. Children have access to an extensive range of physical activities and have opportunities to develop climbing and balancing skills. Planning is efficient, works in practice and clearly shows the learning focus for 3 and 4-year-olds. The assessment system is effective and tracks children's progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. A keyworker system is in place which helps to ensure that staff know what children need to do next to progress. Any areas for improvement are highlighted through assessment and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

evaluation of activities and then included in future plans. Parents of 3 and 4-year-olds are provided with regular opportunities to discuss their child's development, for example parents evenings and daily contact with staff. Information about what their child is doing whilst attending the setting is displayed in the main nursery close to where children play. Written information is also given which outlines the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's understanding of diversity is promoted appropriately through themed activities, resources such as books, dolls and small world people and posters, though it was discussed that images are not always so readily available within the baby unit. Children's individual needs are accommodated well and supported appropriately within the daily routine of the setting. Children with specific needs are supported well. Close partnership with parents and ongoing assessments help to ensure that all children can develop at their own pace. Children are busy, occupied, keen and interested to learn. They motivate themselves and enjoy the range of activities which are accessed in free play or made available by imaginative and enthusiastic staff. Behaviour is good, with children developing positive relationships with other children and staff, who use appropriate techniques to foster positive behaviour. Children are constantly praised and their efforts are

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Helping children make a positive contribution

acknowledged, for example through discussion, photographs and displays of their

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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 own work. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. The partnership with parents is good. Regular information is available in the form of newsletters, notices, photographs and good daily contact. A detailed prospectus is given to all parents which outlines the childcare and education provision effectively. Regular parents evenings ensure that parents can be informed of their child's progress and development. The activities that younger children participate in are relayed via a profile book which goes home every evening. This includes the development sheets showing children's progress within the 'Birth to three matters' framework. The setting seeks to include parents wherever they can, for example, in reviewing the provision of meals and snacks to encourage a healthier, balanced diet.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management is good. The management team have a very clear understanding about the service their setting provides and have a sound overview of what can be done to further meet the needs of the children and parents. Consultation with parents allows them to be aware of these needs on an ongoing basis. Children are comfortable within a secure environment and benefit from a stable staff group who obviously enjoy caring for children. Systems are in place to ensure that staff are aware of current good practice guidelines and can develop and extend their experience, for example through training, access to childcare publications and other agency support. Some examples of this has been access to training and external support for the 'Birth to three matters' framework and the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage, with both being implemented successfully and with a positive

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Organisation

impact on the children. Staff appraisals, team meetings and a clear management structure all help to ensure that staff remain committed to providing an exciting, happy and comfortable environment for the children in their care. Staff work well together as a team and this supports a happy, relaxed and caring environment for children. Most staff working with children have appropriate childcare qualifications and have a commitment to accessing ongoing training. Good child to staff ratios mean that children have good individual attention where required and this helps them to develop well. However, ratios were not always fully maintained appropriately at busier times such as after lunch and early morning when children are arriving. In addition, staff do not always record the times that children depart in the register. Good procedures are in place for ensuring that children are cared for by staff who have had appropriate experience, enjoy working with children and have completed

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Organisation

appropriate checks. Documentation, policies and procedures are organised very well and are clearly working documents. Regular review of procedures ensures that these documents work in practice, with involvement from all staff so that they are clear about what is expected. Other records relating directly to children are stored confidentially and in line with requirements. Overall the range of children's needs are met.

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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

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider was asked to address some significant issues in relation to the provision of nursery education for funded children. These issues included making sure that staff have a good understanding of the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage so that children could be appropriately supported to make progress towards the early learning goals; providing an environment that promotes child-initiated learning, exploration and discovery, with a reduction in the reliance on reproduced worksheets and adult-led activities and, finally, ensuring planning and assessment systems work effectively in practice. Staff have accessed a considerable amount of training and there has been substantial input and support from the Local Education Authority. In addition there has been a review of the planning, the systematic observations and the assessments and more generally of the learning environment and routine. This

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Improvements since the last inspection

has all had a very positive effect on the provision for the funded children as outlined in this report. There were also a number of issues raised in relation to the care inspection. These were all dealt with within a short timescale, some at the time of the inspection, and so help to ensure that children are cared for in a safe space and in line with requirements. These issues related to policies that required updates, issues relating to risk assessments, how children were served snacks, the availability of drinking water and the contents of the first aid boxes.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there has been one complaint relating to the National Standard 6 Safety. Concerns were raised about an injury sustained to a child whilst in the care of Twyford Tots Nursery. Ofsted investigated this concern by carrying out an unannounced visit to inspect the nursery on 8 October 2004. One action required was identified with the provider regarding risk assessment where the accident occurred in the nursery corridor area. The provider has reviewed the risk assessment and the Officer in Charge and staff have received further training. Ofsted are satisfied that these measures will improve the quality of assessing risks within this setting. As a result, the registered person remains suitable for registration.

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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 MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

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): • encourage children's independence still further by providing improved access to resources through more low-level storage for older babies, toddlers and children aged 3 and 4 years • make sure that staff are deployed effectively at all times to ensure that staffing ratios are consistently maintained, particularly with babies. In addition, make sure that staff record children's departure times consistently on the register • make sure that daily safety checks are rigorous so that areas used by children are safe at all times

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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): • improve the appeal of the book corner by making it a more comfortable and inviting space, so that children aged 3 and 4 years are encouraged to more readily and independently look at the range of books available to them.

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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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