Sunny Bunnies Campus

Sunny Bunnies Campus Inspection report for early years provision

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EY347523 Unique Reference Number 06 July 2007 Inspection date Angela Dyer Inspector

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South Birmingham College, Cole Bank Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, B28 8ES

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Setting Address

0121 694 5034 Telephone number lisa.whitehouse@sbc.ac.uk E-mail South Birmingham College Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Setting Address

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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Sunny Bunnies Campus is managed by South Birmingham College and opened in 2007. The nursery was previously registered as South Birmingham College Nursery for 22 years. It operates from three rooms within a separate college building, on the Hall Green campus, Birmingham. The nursery is available to staff and students from the college and families within the community.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 52 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 61 children aged from three months to eight years on roll, 26 of whom receive nursery education funding. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open each weekday from 08:30 to 17:30 term time and 09:00 to 17:00 outside of term time. During holidays the setting operates a playscheme for children aged up to 11 years old. During this time they also have access to the hall within the main college building.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 13 members of staff. Of these, 11 staff, including the manager and deputy, hold appropriate early year's qualifications and two members of staff are working towards a qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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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 is effectively protected as all areas of the nursery are kept clean and hygienic. Nappy changing routines are good and staff wear disposable gloves and aprons for each nappy change to prevent the risk of cross-infections. Soap and paper towels are available in the bathrooms for staff and children to promote good hygiene practices. Older children demonstrate an understanding of the routines and the necessity to wash their hands and staff reinforce this through discussion and gentle reminders.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's welfare is effectively protected in the event of an accident or illness. First aid supplies are well-stocked and a large number of staff hold current first aid certificates. Documentation relating to children's medical needs is well maintained and shared with all staff to ensure children receive consistent levels of care. Staff are proactive in accessing further training relating to children's individual needs, including allergy awareness training, to ensure they have the relevant skills and knowledge to meet children's needs effectively.

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Helping children to be healthy

Meals are provided by the college canteen and transported over to the nursery in a heated trolley. The temperature of the food is closely monitored by staff within the nursery to ensure it meets food and hygiene requirements. Menus, which detail a variety of nutritious vegetarian and meat dishes, are displayed for parents' information. The nursery also provides a range of healthy snacks, including fresh fruits, cereals, sandwiches and toast. Snack and meal times are sociable occasions and staff provide older children with many opportunities to develop their independence, by serving themselves and pouring their own drinks from the jugs provided. All children within the nursery have access to drinks throughout the day to ensure they remain hydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have access to a covered outside area where they benefit from regular physical play that helps to develop their muscles, co-ordination and confidence. Babies also have sufficient floor space indoors to crawl and move around. Children regularly enjoy going for walks within the local community where they enjoy fresh air and exercise. The management team demonstrate a commitment to improving children's opportunities for outside play and are in the process of developing an outside 'garden' space within the college grounds.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Parents and children are greeted on arrival by staff who have created a warm and welcoming environment for children to play and learn in. Children's artwork is displayed throughout the nursery enhancing children's sense of belonging and self-esteem. Children are grouped according to age and ability with older children being cared for on the first floor. The baby area, which is situated on the ground floor, is a well-organised space which incorporates areas for nappy changing, food preparation and sleeping. However, as the temperature of the room is not sufficiently monitored by staff children may become too warm or cold when playing or sleeping.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The management team has worked closely with staff and other health and safety officers to improve safety standards within the nursery. Staff carry out daily safety checks in relation to resources and the indoor and outdoor environment in order to identify and reduce potential risks to children. Children are kept safe whilst on outings. Older children know that they must

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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 hold the hand of a designated person and younger children are transported in buggies. Staff complete written paperwork to safeguard children's care, undertaking specific risk assessments for each outing they go on, writing down their expected time of return and contact numbers.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are developing an awareness of the importance of keeping themselves safe. Whilst older children walk downstairs to go outside they remind each other of the importance of not running. Staff discuss fire safety with children and provide regular opportunities for them to practise the fire drill to enhance their understanding of what to do in an emergency. Staff's knowledge of fire evacuation procedures are clear and fire exits are accessible for children to leave from safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Security is good as external exits are kept locked to ensure unwanted visitors do not gain access to the setting or present a risk to the children. Staff are deployed effectively and children are supervised at all times to ensure their safety. Children's welfare is safeguarded because staff have a clear understanding of child protection issues, including possible signs of abuse and the procedure to follow in the event of a concern about a child. Staff have attended additional training to enhance their understanding of all child protection issues.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enter the nursery confidently where they are treated with kindness and concern by caring staff. Children are allocated a key worker which promotes continuity of care and provides parents with a regular contact to discuss their child's progress with. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children's needs, interests and personalities which helps them to nurture their individuality.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children access a variety of activities which staff plan and prepare to encourage them to develop skills, knowledge and have fun. Plans are displayed for parents to see and include craft activities, sensory play, physical exercise and imaginary play. Young children enjoy making discoveries in the treasure boxes where they explore the textures of items including feathers, sponges and shiny metal containers. All children enjoy a wide variety of creative activities including painting, sand, water and play dough, where staff add colouring and glitter to provide additional stimuli.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Resources are organised in low-level shelving units or trays which children can access independently to support their play ideas. However, some construction resources are limited in quantity and do not allow children to challenge themselves and build on their natural curiosity as learners. Therefore more able children become frustrated as they are not able to complete what they set out to do due to insufficient components.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and children are progressing through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Children enjoy the time they spend at nursery and benefit from the sound understanding and knowledge staff have of the Foundation Stage. Their knowledge is evident in the planning, which covers all the areas of learning, and the understanding staff have of what children are learning from play and activities. However, although staff plan for how they will adapt focus activities, to take into account children's different levels of attainment, more able children are not always challenged sufficiently during group activities, meaning learning opportunities are missed.

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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 Topics are planned for the year and the learning objectives are highlighted in the weekly activities. Staff follow the weekly activity plans and regularly evaluate their effectiveness. Staff record observations of the children in their care, however, these are not transferred or sufficiently linked to children's assessment records to make the assessments objective and informative to assist with future planning. They offer appropriate support to children with special educational needs, adapting activities and equipment to ensure that all children are able to access the provision. Staff have a calm approach to managing children's behaviour and use positive behaviour strategies.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident, outgoing and relate well to others. They are aware of the expectations of staff and respond positively to gentle reminders from the staff to share and take turns. Children show high levels of independence selecting resources and activities for themselves and assisting with routine tasks including clearing the table after dinner, pouring their own drinks and sweeping up after activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show an interest in numbers and problem solving. Staff encourage children to count as part of the everyday routine and number rhymes are used to make learning fun and teach the concepts of more and less. Spontaneous and planned activities are beginning to be used to encourage children's awareness of mathematical concepts and develop their investigative skills. For example, during snack time a child noticed that their milk had turned brown from the effects of the chocolate cereal, this then led onto children wanting to see what would happen when you put red play dough into water or milk and whether it floated or sank. Children show an interest in information communication technology and confidently use computers knowing to turn the egg timer over to mark when its someone else's turn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Opportunities are provided for children to be creative through activities such as music, role play, painting and exploring materials that include dough, sand and water. Children are able to describe texture and use words such as soft, hard, sticky, cold, wet and warm. For example, when making noodles children talked about how they initially felt 'crunchy' but once the water was added they went 'soft'. They enjoy role play, where they serve each other from their 'shop' and make shopping lists on the whiteboard and paper provided.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children demonstrate developing physical skills. They are able to negotiate an appropriate pathway when walking, running and using wheeled toys. They know how to find a space and can move in a variety of ways, for example, jumping and balancing. Children follow simple instructions and react accordingly when asked to tip-toe and move through obstacles. Children also have daily opportunities to handle a range of equipment where they develop skills such as pouring, cutting and moulding.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show an interest in stories and books. Many children know letters within their own name and can correctly identify those letters when they see them in other words. Children also have opportunities to develop early reading skills during self-registration where they are starting to recognise their own names. They are developing pencil control and some are starting to form recognisable letters. Resources to support and encourage emergent writing are easily accessible and children can help themselves to whiteboards, paper, pens, chalk and pencils.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued as individuals. Older children freely talk about their home and community life and they are learning to respect and value both their own culture and that of others. Children

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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 have access to a range of play resources, posters and books that show positive images of culture, ethnicity, gender and disability. They gain an understanding of the wider world as they follow themes and projects and celebrate a number of different festivals. Children also go out on visits within the community to support topic work and photos show children visiting the fire station and posting letters in the post box.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Clear arrangements are made towards ensuring the setting’s practice is inclusive and staff show a commitment to ensuring all children are included. Staff work closely with parents and outside professionals to build a collaborative approach to meeting the individual needs of children. Staff have experience of working with children with English as an additional language and children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff use picture symbols to assist children in understanding routines and in enabling children to express their needs and wishes. Children and parents also benefit from the employment of bi-lingual staff members who are able to converse with them in their first language.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff have a clear and consistent approach to managing children's behaviour. Children are well behaved, play well together and have formed positive relationships with other children and staff. Children have a good understanding of the boundaries and respond with enthusiasm to staff praise and encouragement. Stickers and other behaviour charts are used effectively to reward children for their positive actions and to develop a sense of pride in doing well. Children are able to take turns, with suitable adult support, and show care and concern for each other. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is appropriately fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Positive and friendly relationships have formed between staff and parents, which contributes to children's well-being. Parents share information about their children at induction to enable staff to find out about their likes and dislikes, their abilities and individual routines. Therefore children benefit from consistent levels of care and settle quickly into the setting. Parents report that they are happy with the care their children receive and comment on how settled their children are and the improvements that they have observed in relation to the environment, stability of staff and care of their children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. For parents whose children are in receipt of nursery education funding opportunities are provided to discuss their child's progress with staff informally. However, the information provided in relation to the curriculum is basic and therefore the involvement of parents in their child's learning can be limited. Copies of children's progress reports are also provided for both parents and schools, who are invited into the setting to meet with staff and children, to assist with the transition from nursery to school.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff are well-qualified and a significant number of staff are committed to enhancing their knowledge and qualifications through completing degrees and further college training courses. Recruitment and vetting procedures are thorough, ensuring staff are suitable to work with children. Staff and students receive robust inductions into the policies and procedures of the setting resulting in staff having a detailed knowledge of the nursery's practices.

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Organisation

Children’s welfare, safety and care are effectively promoted as the staff and managers ensure that all legally required documentation and records are maintained. There is a well-organised operational plan containing all policies and operational documents, which have been recently amended and updated to reflect changes in practice. Overall, children's needs are met.

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Leadership and management is good. Children and their families benefit enormously from the commitment and professional approach of the management team. Staff work well together and communicate with each other successfully, offering each other support where needed. The manager has a clear vision for future practice and is fully aware of the setting's strengths and weaknesses. As a result, weaknesses have already been identified and improvements have been planned for.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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 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 that the baby room is maintained to an appropriate temperature • continue to improve the provision of toys and resources to ensure they provide appropriate challenges and build on children's natural curiosity as learners.

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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): • ensure that assessments are informative and objective to assist in planning for children's future learning needs • further develop the partnership with parents to enable them to become involved in and support their children's learning • review the organisation of group activities to make learning opportunities for older and more able children more effective.

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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 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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