St Clement's and St John's Church of England Infant School

Woodstock Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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113839 Unique Reference Number 18 April 2007 Inspection date Shan Gwendoline Jones Inspector

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1 Farncombe Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2BE Setting Address

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01903 233655 Telephone number woodstock@nestledownchildcare.co.uk E-mail Anne Colbourne Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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?

Woodstock Day Nursery is run by the Nestledown Child Care Ltd. It opened in 2000 and operates from four rooms in a converted Victorian house. It is situated to the east of the town centre of Worthing. A maximum of 44 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 67 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. Of these, 26 children receive funding for early education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 13 members of staff. Of these, ten hold appropriate early years qualifications and three are working towards a 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. Children's health and well being is fully promoted. They are learning the importance of good hygiene practices and personal care within their daily routine. For example, children are encouraged to use tissues when required. In addition, staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the nursery's health and hygiene procedures to promote the children's wellbeing and reduce risks of cross infection. There are routines in place for cleaning toys and equipment, while nappy changing procedures are thorough and ensure young children are protected.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children benefit from a good healthy nutritious diet and their individual dietary requirements are taken into account. Their independence is very evident at meal times when children routinely lay the table for meal times. Older children assist staff in collecting the plates and cups for snack time and carry these carefully up-stairs to their playroom. Younger children are offered drinks throughout the day. Whilst older children are learning the effects of activity on their bodies, and can help themselves when they need another drink, as fresh water is easily accessible.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff plan and provide a range of stimulating and interesting activities to support the children's physical development. Children ride tricycles with confidence, throw and catch balls and they relish opportunities to play hide and seek or dig the compost with gardening tools.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from this warm, clean and safe environment. They enjoy playing with a wide range of very good quality toys and equipment that is appropriate for their age and stage of development. Children are able to be independent learners as they help themselves to toys and resources.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety is of great importance. All areas and activities are risk-assessed and any hazards are immediately reported and dealt with. Staff carry out daily checks to ensure all areas are safe and there are regular fire drills and checks of fire equipment. Security of the premises is good. No one can enter the premises unchallenged, and children can not leave unobserved. Risks to children are minimised because of the procedures staff have in place, such as keeping a detailed record of the time of arrival and departure of all visitors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected because practitioners have a clear understanding of their role with regard to child protection issues and know how to implement local procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Warm relationships are very evident between staff and children. Children demonstrate good social and emotional development by their happiness and their engagement in the activities. Children enjoy interacting together for sessions on the computers. Some of the younger children were able to independently use the mouse and create 'clip art' pictures. Staff are close by to offer support and supervision when needed with lots of praise for their achievements.

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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 Early communication skills are appropriately supported by staff in the baby area, with staff echoing the sounds the babies make as well as supporting their early conversations and communication. The children are offered and participate in a variety of interesting, fun activities. During the inspection toddlers giggled with delight as they darted under the parachute and out the other end.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are progressing very well because of the staff's good knowledge of the stepping stones and how children learn. An effective system is in place for the planning and evaluation of activities. Children speak confidently in familiar groups and are beginning to express their own thoughts and ideas. Staff members listen intently to the children, although at times there are missed opportunities to effectively question the children. This would further develop their thinking and communication skills. Everyday opportunities are used well to promote children's understanding of maths.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are engaged and enthusiastic and have good levels of concentration as they explore the activities and make choices. Continued praise is given to all children and their achievements are celebrated and shared. This encourages the children to feel confident. All children are making good progress as they learn new skills and knowledge such as counting, learning colours and shapes through interaction with staff during everyday routines.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have plenty of opportunities to write for a variety of purposes using a number of medium. This results in children being provided with suitable opportunities to practise and develop their early writing skills. They respond with interest at story times and are interested in looking at books independently. A funded child read aloud a large print book. He was able to retell the narrative in the correct sequence of events. Staff gave positive recognition for these efforts.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is particularly well promoted. For example, the interesting range of available resources enables children to explore, discover and experiment. In addition children have plenty of opportunities to monitor the development of living things, such as growing beetroot and runner beans. On the day of the inspection 'zoo lab' visited to show the children an array of animals. They were mesmerised and looked on with awe and wonder as they observed the tarantula spider and the hissing cockroach that lives in Madagascar.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are developing good confidence and self-esteem as they explore independently in the safe environment. Children are finding out about the world in which they live as they celebrate festivals such as Christmas and Chinese New Year. There is a good range of toys and resources to promote children's understanding of diversity, for example, dressing up clothes and books.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All children are respected and valued as individuals. Their individual needs are met well because staff find out from parents about the child's routine, such as diet and sleep patterns, and incorporate them effectively into the daily routine. There are no children who have been identified with learning difficulties or disabilities. The setting has a positive approach to this area. Staff work closely in partnership with parents or carers, and other professionals to promote the well-being of the child.

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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 Children are very well-behaved as staff manage their behaviour sensitively and appropriately. Babies and toddlers are re-directed or distracted. More able children are able to listen to reason and they know and accept the rules within the setting. However, the behaviour management policy does not include how instances of bullying will be dealt with, in line with the National Standards for Day Care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents are invited to come into the nursery at any time where they receive information about the progress their children are making. Information is exchanged daily and parents comment that they are very happy with the amount of information they receive and they are very pleased with the progress their children are making. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection stated; 'The staff are friendly and approachable, we receive sufficient information and feel confident to approach staff'. 'I prefer to bring my child to nursery later in the morning, staff have been flexible with this and have accommodated my needs.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the nursery is good. The management team are clear on their roles and responsibilities and, as a result, the day runs smoothly for the children. Children benefit from the highly qualified and skilled staff; recruitment and induction procedures are very thorough and staff have regular appraisals to review their practice and identify any training needs. Staff also have regular supervision and team meetings; they review, analyse their practice and seek to improve the care they provide.

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Organisation

Good support is given to staff, both informally on a daily basis and formally through staff appraisals and meetings. They have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities, and their deployment around the nursery is good. They ensure that all children are happily engaged in purposeful activities.

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Organisation

The premises are well organised and children are happy, secure and confident in their surroundings. Their individual needs are met effectively because staff have a good understanding of child care and development. Children also profit from the effective partnership staff have with parents. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last care inspection, the setting was required to seek written permission from parents for emergency medication treatment or advice; and devise a form for any pre-existing injuries that occur prior to the children arriving at the nursery.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Written permission is now sought from parents regarding emergency medication treatment or advice. A form has been devised for parents to complete recording any injuries that may have occurred prior to arriving at the nursery. Implementation of the above has further ensured children welfare is safeguarded.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous nursery education inspection the nursery was asked to continue to implement the new assessment system. The nursery use the West Sussex development profiles. Staff carry out observations of the children, to monitor and record their developmental progress along the stepping stones towards the Foundation Stage of learning.

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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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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection 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.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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): • ensure the behaviour management policy includes how any instances of bullying will be dealt with

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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 staff's knowledge and understanding of questioning techniques to develop children's thinking and communication skills (also applies to care)

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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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