Robin Hood Junior School

Hayle Montessori Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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102984 Unique Reference Number 04 May 2007 Inspection date Heather Tanswell Inspector

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Methodist Church, Chapel Hill, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 4JU Setting Address

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E-mail

Alison Pauline Fujiwara Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of 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

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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 satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Hayle Montessori Nursery is a well-established nursery, one of two in private ownership. It operates from two rooms, in Hayle Methodist Church, close to the centre of the town. A maximum of 20 children may attend at any one time. The nursery operates from Monday to Friday during term time only. From Monday to Thursday, sessions are from 09:00 until 15:00, and on Fridays, between 09:00 and 11:30.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 37 children on roll aged from two to four. Of these, 25 children receive funding for nursery education. The setting supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Five part-time staff work with the children. All hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is currently attending relevant training. The setting receives support from an advisory teacher from the Local Authority Family Services. The setting follows the Montessori Method.

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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 satisfactory. Children benefit from eating the healthy snacks made readily available to them as part of a rolling programme where children help themselves when hungry. Each day staff prepare portions of fresh foods such as cheese cubes and apple slices, which are accompanied by one plain biscuit, milk or water. However, fresh drinking water is not always accessible to quench children's thirst and keep them hydrated during or shortly after vigorous physical play. Parents supply packed lunches for their children and staff add ice blocks to lunchboxes to keep food fresh.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff fully implement rigorous checks and cleaning duties each morning to make sure the premises are hygienic and ready for children's arrival. Children learn some good personal hygiene routines. They know to wash and dry their hands thoroughly after going to the toilet and how to wash up and dry their plate and drinking glass thoroughly. However, children are not expected to wash their hands before snack time and staff do not always wear the disposable gloves provided when changing nappies. As a result, children are sometimes at risk from cross infection. Tissues are readily available and most children know when to wipe their nose. Medication and accident records ensure staff and parents are kept well informed. Staff have attended paediatric first aid training in the past but none have up-to-date training to ensure they are properly qualified to treat a child in an emergency.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children take part in vigorous daily exercise to develop their physical skills and strength. Children pedal and push ride on bikes and cars, balance, climb up and slide down on large apparatus, run about and stretch their muscles to music. As the setting does not have its own outside play area, most exercise takes place in the large hall where there is little access to fresh air.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. Most potential risks are identified and addressed through the proper implementation of procedures and daily checks, based on an overall risk assessment. This includes assessing the premises, activities children take part in, checking the suitability of other persons entering the premises and keeping doors locked once the children arrive.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are learning to keep themselves safe as they handle drinking glasses and bottles with great care. Some children practise emergency evacuation procedures regularly to ensure they know how to get out of the building quickly and safely. However, these practises are not planned sufficiently often enough to ensure all children and staff become familiar with fire safety procedures. Children benefit from being able to access a range of safe resources and equipment. Safety mats are fitted around climbing equipment to cushion any fall and minimise the risk of injury to children. Staff oversee and supervise all activities offering support and help as needed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's wellbeing is safeguarded because staff have a clear understanding of the settings child protection policies and procedures. All staff receive child protection training during their induction training and know what to do if they have any concerns.

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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 satisfactory. Children enjoy their time at the setting. They arrive happy and settle quickly into the daily routine. Children move freely accessing toys and play equipment that is made available to them. Staff make use of curriculum support materials to ensure activities are varied and worthwhile. Activities vary in pace to include set times to be active in all weathers, times to sit and listen quietly in large group activities, times to work and play. However, staff do not plan as a team or make use of the information gathered from observations of children's achievements to influence planning and inform teaching. As a result, younger or less able children find it harder to stay focussed at large group activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are self-reliant and adept users of tools and miniature resources. They construct complex arches out of tiny wooden bricks, use tongs and spoons to manipulate, unscrew and screw caps, and transport materials from one bowl to another. This refined development of their hand-to-eye co-ordination supports their learning in other areas, especially their handwriting skills. For example, all children are able to hold a pencil correctly, and use it to either trace, copy or write their names on their work, and colour in sections on worksheets keeping within lines.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The large group, registration activity is used particularly well to introduce children to initial letter sounds, which supports their early literacy skills. Children are independent and confident to carry out routine tasks for themselves. They self register, choose when they have snack, wash their dishes, and put on aprons. Opportunities for children to use their imagination or be creative are sometimes limited by choice or time. Role-play, where children act out their own scenarios and make sense of the world they live in, is not available for children in the main room. Most artwork is to a pre-determined end-result, which means that children are not representing their own ideas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have a sound knowledge of the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. They understand how young children learn by carrying out routine tasks for themselves and taking part in a wide range of activities without overt adult intervention. Staff are attentive providing a secure environment for children to explore in. Planning reflects the community the children come from and encourages children to learn more about the wider world they live in. However, it does not always provide opportunities for children to focus on activities and experiences and develop their own interests. For example, when a group of children act out their own scenario, inspired by a police uniform they have earlier tried on, they are asked to change over activities without any warning. As a result, they miss the satisfaction of finishing their game.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and encourage children to be thoughtful by being good role-models and helping children understand how to respect and take care of others, for example, the nursery tadpoles to help them grow and develop into frogs. Staff make good use of space and most of the resources. They have developed an initial profile to find out what children know on entry to the setting and enable them to get to know new children very well. Detailed observations of learning are carried out but these are not always used effectively, shared with parents or children to enable them to set realistic and challenging targets for future learning and teaching.

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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 know they must tidy away before they move on to another activity so put away mats and resources where they belong. Children choose what to do by accessing the different trays of resources stored in low-level shelved cupboards. They communicate confidently and clearly to involve others in their play and reflect on what they are doing. Children enjoy listening to stories chosen to fit in with topics. Children count competently and reliably to ten and beyond. They are beginning to compare size and shape as the complete complex puzzles and try on the large police officer’s hat. Children know how to form letter shapes and numerals correctly as staff carefully model the right way then ask them to copy their actions as they put into words what to do next. Children label their own work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

By paying close attention to the development of the pet tadpoles and playing games all about naming the body parts of fish, children learn to recognise and match the features of living things and begin to understand how animals that live in water breathe. Children have few opportunities to use technology to gain an understanding of how things work and to build on skills they develop at home. Children make good use of tools such as cutters and rollers to manipulate dough. They cut, roll and make round shapes that represent pancakes ready to be cooked for breakfast. This activity stimulates co-operative play and good use of language between children to organise their play but ends abruptly because the children do not have access to suitable role-play resources or space where they can cook their pancakes, so they loose interest. Children show enthusiasm for free play activities in the large hall where they

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

can run about, explore on a larger scale, join in with favourite songs, and dance.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are provided with a range of resources and play opportunities, which promote a positive view of the wider world, and increases their awareness of diversity. Children are treated with concern and all children have equal access to resources and activities. The nursery ensures they are aware and able to meet any specific needs a child may have through discussion with the parents based on the initial profile they fill in on entry to the setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well. Children are encouraged to be considerate, respect each other’s feelings and to take turns. For example, children wait patiently for their turn to feel and copy the shape of the letter and all tidy up after themselves. Children are set clear boundaries with behaviour managed in a positive manner by staff who act as good role models. As a result, relationships are very good. Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Children benefit from effective information sharing between their parents and key workers on entry to the setting, and through regular newsletters, displays, and notices. The setting's policies and procedures are available to parents in the entrance and copies of the planned activities are on display in the main room. Staff talk to parents when children arrive, which ensures information is exchanged to benefit children's overall care. However, the nursery has not yet developed an effective method of ensuring all parents have sight of the detailed records of children's achievements towards the early learning goals to ensure parents are fully involved in their child's learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a well-organised environment. Staff know their roles and responsibilities and implement routines to give children a wide range of experiences. All staff working with

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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 children have completed appropriate checks and hold relevant early years or Montessori qualifications. Although staff have attended training in first aid for young children and babies in the past, none hold a current certificate. This is a breach of regulations. However, the registered person is actively seeking out an appropriate training course for all the staff to make sure children receive appropriate care in an emergency.

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Organisation

Children are supervised and supported in their play by staff that work well together as a team and know what their roles and responsibilities are. Required staff to child ratios are maintained and staff are deployed well. All legally required documentation, which contributes to the efficient and safe management of the provision and to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are in place and confidentiality is always maintained. The setting meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and Management is satisfactory. Staff attend some in-house training. They make use of curriculum support materials to plan a range of experiences for children based on the stepping stones to the early learning goals. Staff work independently or as a team to plan and supervise each session. There is a formal self-appraisal system in use but this is not acted on promptly by the registered person to ensure training is kept up to date. Key workers who monitor children’s achievements and development always update assessments records. Assessment records do not always include plans for next steps in children's learning. They are also not used effectively to inform parents or the planning or future activities.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the provider agreed to: plan opportunities for children to talk activities through, reflect on their ideas and explain what is happening; evaluate the planning and organisation of role play to enable children to make better use of their imagination and learn as they play; and, provide parents with the opportunity to share and record what they know their child already knows, understands and can do on entry to the setting. Children now speak confidently at group activities, sharing their ideas for example about what foods the tadpoles might eat and how fish can breathe through their gills. The evaluation of the planning and organisation of role play has not been effective, as children do not have access to a range of suitable resources, space or sufficient time to develop their own ideas. The nursery has now devised an initial child profile, which is filled in by parents and used effectively by

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection, the provider also agreed to: ensure that a suitable temperature is maintained in the large hall; provide hygienic hand washing facilities for all children; and, provide safe and suitable area for nappy changing and occasional use for rest or sick children. The provider now makes sure the room is prepared to a suitable temperature ready for children's use. Suitable hand washing facilities have now been installed in the toilet area for children use. An area is now set aside for nappy changing and rest.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there has been one complaint made to Ofsted that required the provider to take action to meet the National Standards. The complaint related to National Standard 3: care, learning and play and National Standard 11: behaviour. On 5 October 2005, Ofsted made an unannounced visit to the nursery to discuss these concerns. As a result of this visit, Ofsted asked the provider to: devise a system for obtaining information regarding children's individual abilities on entry to the setting; keep a sufficiently detailed record of significant issues and

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Complaints 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 share this with parents and record information about children's individual needs and ensure these details are shared appropriately with staff. Ofsted is satisfied with the provider's response to these actions and the provider remains registered to provide childcare.

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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 satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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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 there is at least one member of staff with a current first aid training certificate on the premises or outings at any one time • improve personal hygiene routines to prevent the spread of infection • practise fire drills at regular intervals that have regard for the attendance patterns of children and staff • provide opportunities for children to have time to explore and express their creativity by representing their ideas using a range of media and through role-play.

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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): • make use of the information gathered from observations of individual children as a basis for discussion between practitioners, parents and children about achievements and targets to inform teaching and planning for future development and learning • incorporate technology resources into the setting so that children can gain basic skills and interest in ICT.

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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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