Clopton Nursery Trust

Clopton Nursery Trust Inspection report for early years provision

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200556 Unique Reference Number 13 June 2007 Inspection date Lucy Showell Inspector

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Clopton Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6TE Setting Address

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01789 269360 Telephone number clopton.nursery@tiscalli.co.uk E-mail Clopton Nursery Trust Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School care Type of care

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This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Clopton Nursery Trust is a privately owned setting which opened in 2000. It operates in a purpose built annex adjacent to Thomas Jolyffe Primary school in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. The provision offers nursery care, out of school care and holiday playscheme for a maximum of 40 children at any one time. All children have access to a safe and secure outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 08.45 to 15.20. The out of school care opens Monday to Friday, from 08.00 to 08.45 and 15.20 to 18.00 in term time only. The playscheme opens Monday to Friday, from 08.00 to 18.00 in school holidays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

In the nursery, there are currently 65 children on roll. Of these, 51 children receive funding for early education. In the out of school care, there are currently 36 children on roll. The setting serves families and children in the local community and surrounding areas and supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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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 The provision employs nine staff. All of whom, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications and the manager is working towards a degree in Early Childhood studies. The setting receives support from a teacher mentor from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children benefit through the clean and well-maintained environment. Their overall health and welfare is promoted through effective policies and procedures. Appropriate information is shared with parents and systems are implemented with regard to children’s special dietary requirements and any allergies children may have. Children are well nourished through a good variety of balanced meals. They develop increasing awareness of the importance of good health as they independently select drinks and healthy snacks within the sessions.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children’s healthy lifestyle and self-care skills are effectively promoted through discussions and practices within the daily routines. Many of the children have developed good personal care skills and independence with regard to hand washing and toileting. Procedures are hygienically implemented with regard to nappy changes and toilet training. Staffs pro-active approach with regard to first aid training ensures the children are cared for effectively if accidents occur.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are making good progress in their physical development. They are encouraged to use the varied range of resources during free and focussed indoor experiences. They use paint brushes and scissors with ease and support, squash play dough and use rollers and cutters to make recognisable shapes, build well with construction and draw on freely accessed paper with a range of pens and pencils available. Children use the school hall for planned activities such as music and movement and enjoy the challenge of using the balancing and climbing equipment. They eagerly join in their weekly ‘Yoga Bugs’ sessions in which children learn the importance of exercise and how our bodies work.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have great opportunities for physical play particularly in their award winning garden which is used throughout the day in all weathers. The well-planned and well-resourced outdoor area enables children to develop a wide range of skills as they play on the pirate ship; with cars, bikes, balls and hoops; plant seeds and flowers, dig in the open sand area, re-create ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ over the bridge and sit under the gazebo listening to stories and singing songs. Children enjoy going on ‘a bear hunt’ at a local park as they stomp through the mud, walk through the tall grass, climb over fallen trees and under low branches only to find the ‘bear’, or a member of staff, at the end and have to run all the way back to ‘safety’!

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a safe and secure indoor and outdoor environment and space is organised well to enable children to move around freely and safely. The setting provides a warm welcome with brightly coloured displays and good quality equipment and furniture. Children enjoy independent access to resources which are stored effectively and comply with British Safety Standards.

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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 Children’s welfare is effectively promoted through the staff’s pro-active skills with regard to safety. Staff identify and minimise any possible hazards through constant observation and effective written risk assessments are carried out regularly. Practice is reviewed and amendments made to keep children safe. For example, additional supervision is in place as young children negotiate the steps to the outdoor area. Children learn about their own and others safety as they receive gentle reminders during play and are encouraged to take care of the equipment and resources. Outside they handle real child-sized garden tools and show consideration to others and good spatial awareness.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected from harm through the staff’s valuable knowledge of child protection issues. Staff answer scenario questions with confidence and refer to recent Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board’s guidance to demonstrate knowledge of their role in child protection. They have a clear understanding of the procedures to follow if there are concerns regarding a child. However, the written child protection policy has not been updated in line with the current guidance.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children develop good confidence and positive self-esteem as they receive plenty of praise and encouragement for efforts and achievements. They develop independence as they choose activities and resources from their well-organised and familiar surroundings. Younger children’s individual needs are met through a range of free and focussed activities implemented in line with the ‘Birth to three matters’ guidance.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are happy and motivated through consistent and enthusiastic interaction and the staff’s caring approach to all children. Children receive clear explanations during daily routines which promotes the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Older children enjoy independence as they select their own snack when they return from school and make choices and decisions about activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning for children who receive funding for early education is good. Staff have good knowledge of the early learning goals and stepping stones which enables them to plan a good range of activities and experiences to promote children’s learning. They seek advice through discussion at regular meetings and try new ideas to stimulate and maintain interest. The planning, which is displayed for parents, relates to the six areas of development and details appropriate activities to promote overall skills. However, there are no written evaluations of the activities to show knowledge of how children learn and a clear understanding of possible next steps in their development and learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s progress is recorded using focused and spontaneous observations which are shared with parents. However, the observations and assessments are not used to clearly identify and demonstrate each child's achievements and learning styles to match to the expectations towards the early learning goals. Children enjoy activities which are adapted to meet individual needs and the challenges provided are developmentally appropriate. Children’s behaviour is managed well. A calm and consistent approach and effective age appropriate explanations increase children’s understanding.

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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 take time to explore and investigate experiences and play opportunities. They express themselves and develop confidence whilst asking and responding to significant questions. They discuss and extend their play with productive ideas and actions and respond positively with regard to taking responsibilities within their surroundings. For example, they tidy up well and take care of the equipment and resources. The environment is well-planned and set up to encourage independence and children’s free choice.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy a wide variety of activities to develop self-confidence and promote their sense of belonging. They show pride in their work and feel involved in the setting as they self-register. Children take turns to paint themselves on a frieze in the entrance hall and access a range of creative media as they choose glitter, paper and foil to make sea creatures and look forward to seeing their work displayed around the room.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn to respect people’s different needs, views, cultures and beliefs. There are opportunities for children to develop an understanding of diversity through resources, activities and through discussions with staff and peers. Children talk openly and positively about differing needs asking and answering valuable questions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop confidence as they begin to speak up and show consideration for others during group activities. At circle time they listen and respond well to others talking about the weather and days of the week and take turns to choose and sing songs. During general play children interact, talk and negotiate well with others. They use speech to organise and explore real and imagined experiences as they create a range of scenarios in the role play area and during outdoor play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

In the book area they select from a wide range of stories and handle them with care as they turn the pages and follow the words with their finger as they ‘read’ to each other. They begin to recognise letters which form their name as they self-register and write freely for a variety of purposes. For example, during craft activities they have opportunities to copy and write their names and they ‘write’ postcards in the garden as they pretend to be on holiday.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children recognise familiar numerals and begin to count and use mathematical language. They discuss shape, size, colour and position as they look at photographs of sea creatures to draw ‘magic’ wax pictures. In the quiet area they play a range of games, based on sorting, matching and recognition on the computers. They learn to use technology and ask about how things work and why as they explore and investigate with magnifying glasses and magnets.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about past and present events through general discussions during play, at circle time and whilst out and about. They find out about features of where they live as they enjoy first-hand experiences of their local environment, in their garden and during visits to the local park. In the role play area they have set up a kitchen and the children enjoy cooking dinner for themselves and the staff. They ask and answer questions and use their imaginations as they make a beach in the garden and prepare dolls for a safe day in the sunshine.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Overall, the children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s sense of belonging is encouraged through the flexible routines and free choice play. Children show confidence at the setting and are familiar with their environment and the daily

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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 activities. Their continuity of care is promoted as daily verbal feedback supports the good rapport between staff and parents. When children start at the setting the operational plan is shared and individual information about the children is requested and requirements recorded. Parents are happy with the setting and the progress their children have made. They feel there is a 'warm and friendly atmosphere and staff ease the transition through to school.' Parents enjoy taking part in regular events and information, including policies and procedures, is shared effectively although the complaints procedure lacks some detail.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have good self-care skills and most are independent with toileting and personal hygiene. Children's independence is further developed as they select resources for themselves. There are many opportunities for children to express their ideas, thoughts and feelings throughout the day and they respond well to staff’s open ended questions and extension of ideas.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are well behaved and respond well to the boundaries set. They have some responsibility of their own actions as they share space and resources well and learn about maintaining their environment as they help to tidy up after play. Their good behaviour is promoted through positive reinforcement and the calm manner of the staff. Any incidents of bad behaviour are managed appropriately and with regard to the setting’s procedures.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s awareness and understanding of the diverse community is developing. They celebrate a range of festivals and the resources, which are equally accessed, depict positive images of diversity. Children with learning difficulties and /or disabilities are fully involved within the setting. The written statement has regard to current legislation and children’s implemented individual education plans ensure each child progresses well and their needs are met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers of children receiving funding for nursery education is good. Parents are provided with useful information about the setting and its provision. For example, parents receive a pack before their child starts which clearly outlines policies and procedures and the operational plan. They are encouraged to share what they know about their child through completing an entry profile which is used as children’s starting point for learning. Ongoing verbal and written communications, such as newsletters and displayed information, are shared with parents and they are invited to see and comment on their children's development records at any time. Parents are invited to appointments to discuss their children’s achievements and progress using the assessments and observations carried out. They are actively involved in their children’s learning by bringing in requested items from home for the current topic and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

joining in trips, special events and celebrations.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Children’s welfare is promoted well through the implemented policies and procedures that work well in practice. However, some written information has not been updated in line with current guidance. Indoor and outdoor spaces are organised well to ensure children access a good range of fulfilling opportunities and experiences which promotes their health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution.

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Organisation

The quality of the leadership and management of the nursery education is good. Dedicated and caring staff are committed to offering good quality care. They attend relevant training to

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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 update knowledge and skills, and performance management systems ensure that children are nurtured and protected by suitable adults. The group assess their own strengths and weaknesses through successful monitoring and evaluation of practice to ensure children’s progression towards the early learning goals is actively promoted.

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Organisation

There are clear links between the setting and the reception in the school to ease transition. The setting has regular visits from the teacher and children visit the class on a regular basis before joining in September. The trustees are aware of their role and responsibility to the setting and hold regular meeting to discuss relevant issues. The setting is committed to improving the care and education of its children through 'Providing a good quality, child-friendly environment where children are actively involved in stimulating experiences and develop skills in all areas of learning through experimentation, discovery and imagination as they play'.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the setting received four recommendations. With regard to documentation they were asked to ensure all records are completed in pen and that the child protection and complaints procedures are updated. Progress has been made as all records are completed in pen and the policies have been reviewed and updated. However, guidance has been revised since the setting have changed their policies and they need to be updated again in line with current guidance.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The setting also received a recommendation asking to ensure all electrical items are in full working order and effective, particularly the refrigerators. Good progress has been made and procedures are in place to ensure food and drinks are appropriately stored.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection one key issue was raised. The setting were asked to further develop individual assessments to ensure they more clearly show children's progress towards each early learning goal. Some progress has been made and assessments do link with the stepping stones. However a recommendation has been given at this inspection to develop the use of observations and assessments of each child's achievements, interests and learning styles to identify learning priorities and to match to the expectations towards the early learning goals.

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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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • update policies and procedures in line with current guidance.

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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): • develop the use of observations and assessments of each child's achievements, interests and learning styles to identify learning priorities to match to the expectations towards the early learning goals • extend written evaluations to show knowledge of how children learn and a clear understanding of possible next steps in their development and 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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