Toad Hall Nursery Langley

Toad Hall Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY231585 Unique Reference Number 02 July 2007 Inspection date Helen Ann Woods Inspector

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Parlaunt House, Parlaunt Road, Langley, Slough, Berkshire, SL3 8BB Setting Address

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01753 542811 Telephone number langley@toadhall-nursery.co.uk E-mail Careroom Ltd 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?

Toad Hall Nursery opened in 2002. It is one of 16 nurseries run by Careroom Limited. The nursery operates from a building in Langley, Slough. A maximum of 52 children may attend at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:45 until 18.00 for 51 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 83 children aged from three months to five years on roll. Of these, 22 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend from the local surrounding area. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and also children with English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs a total of 15 staff who work directly with the children. The manager and all staff hold relevant early years qualifications to level 3 and a current first aid 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. The children are cared for in a warm and clean nursery, where the level of hygiene is of a high standard. The staff take steps to prevent the spread of infection through efficient routines, such as removing outdoor footwear before entering the baby room and using disposable gloves when nappy changing to protect the children from cross infection. All staff have relevant first aid training and implement procedures, such as the recording of accidents and administration of medication. Children learn about good personal hygiene through daily routines, such as regular washing of hands. Key staff take children to the cloakroom to meet personal needs and brushing their teeth after eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

The staff follow the Birth to three matters framework, to promote the younger children's health and their understanding of the importance of being healthy. Children take turns to participate in physical activities outdoors in the small garden where they climb on climbing equipment and ride bikes daily when the weather permits. However, children are sometimes restricted indoors for more robust activity when the weather prevents them going out.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children enjoy nutritious and well-planned meals, such as fish pie, carrots and fresh fruit salad for dinner. Their individual dietary needs are clearly known and catered for by the cook and the childcare staff. Meal times are orderly social occasions where children are encouraged to talk about their family and other topics, such as which sort of fish live in the sea and places the children have visited at the weekend. The staff encourage the children to engage in conversation with their peers; as a result, the children’s social skills are developing well.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Implementation of effective systems, such as the collection of children, recording of visitors and more than sufficient staff contribute to ensuring children’s safety. Risk of accidental injuries to children are minimised because staff reduce potential hazards through regular risk assessments and consistent supervision. Children use good quality equipment that is appropriate to their age and stage of development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The nursery building is well maintained and organised so the children have sufficient room to move around easily and in safety. An extensive range of good quality toys and learning resources ensures there is sufficient equipment for all the children to engage fully in their play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children and staff talk confidently about procedures to follow if there was a need to evacuate the building in an emergency. Access to the nursery is protected by coded key pad, intercom and visual monitoring. 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. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. They arrive happy and quickly become engrossed in their play. They settle very well at the nursery where they receive very good quality

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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 care. Staff ensure children have well supported positive learning experiences within a stimulating environment. Children are happy, settled and involved in a broad range of activities which support their development and overall learning. Babies are well nurtured by close interaction with key adults who anticipate their needs by responding to them straight away when they wake up and when involved with their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children interact well with staff and their peers, building positive relationships with them. Young children are busy with the activities provided and are interested to learn as they seek out and retrieve toys within the playroom, such as soft toys from the toy box, dressing baby dolls, exploring paint when hand painting and using large crayons when drawing. They show pleasure feeling the texture of the play dough as they squeeze it through their fingers and as they use cutters to make shapes. Staff encourage pre-verbal children to develop language skills by talking about different colours, textures and characters from books that they read with them. Children have opportunities to build and construct with a range of objects and materials. They work well individually or in small groups and organise their time well, letting staff know when they have completed a task before moving on to another.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff work together to plan activities which give all children opportunities to develop their skills. Planned documents show how activities are successfully linked to the Foundation Stage curriculum and Birth to three matters framework.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children make choices with confidence and their interest is captivated when playing in the home corner pretending to feed the children before going to school. The children are calm, confident and very well behaved because the staff offer lots of praise and encouragement. They write and pretend to take phone messages in the 'travel agent' corner although sometimes a few of the children were beginning to loose interest and needed a little guidance and inspiration to expand their imagination.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Some children make very creditable attempts at writing their own names and many children enjoy mark making during organised activities. The children are beginning to recognise their own names and there is good labelling around the nursery on different projects, such as describing how they are feeling.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s attitude to learning is positive as they make their own choices about their play. They concentrate well during routine activities, such as story time and singing songs. They enjoy exploring books, both individually and in small groups throughout the session. The book area is comfortable with rugs, cosy cushions and books displayed for easy self selection. A chart shows what fruits the children liked or did not like during a tasting activity. They tried lemons, bananas, strawberries and apples. Lemons have some smiley faces but bananas and apples have the most. Children negotiate well with one another making their own suggestions and using good vocabulary to describe their imagined ideas. They get pleasure planting flowers and salad vegetables in plant pots in the garden and recording how they are growing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teaching methods aim to promote the children's independence, perseverance and concentration. Staff make good use of planned activities, and are familiar with the curriculum, know the children's needs and stage of development. The staff plan well to ensure that the children are presented with a variety of activities that have regard for all areas of learning and which focus on specific outcomes. The staff collate information about the children's achievements, through observations and assessments.

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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 count confidently and show increasing skill in counting pieces of fruit at lunch time and tell staff how many pieces they have. They also solve simple problems, such as who has the most and how many they need in order to match it. They recognise numerals and shapes, and are able to match these when operating computer programs. They enjoy using the computer and are able to perform simple functions, such as clicking, dragging and changing programs. Children have opportunities to build and construct with a range of objects and materials. They work well individually or in small groups and organise their time well letting staff know when they have completed a task before moving on to another.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s individual progress is observed and information gained from these assessments is used to plan the next stages of their development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The nursery is very welcoming to families and children. Children are valued, included and have their individual needs met. Children have very good relationships with staff and each other. They show care and consideration to others during the day, such as helping to put away toys at clearing up time even if they were not necessarily playing with it. They share resources and are patient, for example, as they wait their turn on the computer. A well established settling in process ensures the children's security when starting the nursery. Children are encouraged to develop independence by pouring their own drinks and dressing themselves appropriately when going out to play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The nursery is pro-active in ensuring there are appropriate support systems in place for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff liaise with parents and outside agencies to ensure children receive very good levels of support to develop their knowledge and skills. Children’s behaviour is very good; they know what is expected of them and are clear about what is right and wrong. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents of children receiving nursery education is good. Children's care is set out in clear policies, procedures and in the operational plan which are accessible in the entrance foyer. Parents receive useful information about the nursery and activities their child is involved in through regular discussion with their child's key worker, notice board and informal discussions. Older children benefit as records of their achievements are shared between staff and parents. The nursery values parents' input and invites comments and suggestions encouraging them to be involved in the nursery.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are well settled and enjoy their time in the nursery. Staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities within the nursery and the deployment of staff is good, ensuring all children are secure and happily engaged in activities. There are effective systems for ensuring the suitability and competence of the staff.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is good. Staff work well as a team, and children’s learning is promoted through established routines. Staff are efficient, professional and organise a stimulating environment in which children focus on learning through well supported, purposeful play. They have a good understanding of how children learn and update their skills by regularly attending external training.

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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 Documentation to support all areas of practice is well maintained, and policies and procedures promote children's health, safety, enjoyment and achievement. Children develop a secure sense of belonging because the nursery is well organised and practitioners work with parents to ensure they have a good knowledge of children’s individual home and family circumstances.

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Organisation

Staff are supported by management through regular meetings and appraisals. They plan the curriculum together and discuss how activities went. Systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum as well as the impact on children’s individual progress. The nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the nursery was asked to ensure behaviour management procedures are consistent for children aged over two years, plan a more stimulating range and balance of activities that reflect more positive images, and to ensure all children are included on the register. Staff provide good role models for children by being calm and polite. Praise is given freely ensuring children develop confidence and self esteem. Children have access to a range of stimulating, good quality equipment which reflects diversity and acknowledges cultural differences. All the children are included on the registers. As a result the children's safety and well-being has been enhanced.

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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 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure children have frequent opportunities and space to take part in activities that provide physical challenges

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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):

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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 • facilitate and support opportunities for children to explore and experiment with ideas, materials and activities to extend their learning.

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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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