Kids Academy - Holt Park

Kids Academy - Holt Park Inspection report for early years provision

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320555 Unique Reference Number 31 May 2007 Inspection date Linda Filewood Inspector

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Holtdale Approach, Holt Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 7RX Setting Address

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E-mail

Kids Academy Ltd 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 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?

Kids Academy - Holt Park opened in 2000 and is run by Kids Academy Ltd. The nursery is situated in the Holt Park area of Leeds and serves the local and surrounding areas. The premises comprise of eight playrooms, offices, staff room, utility room, quite room, store room, kitchen and toilet facilities. There are three fully enclosed outside play areas available for outside play. A maximum of 117 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 101 children from five months to seven years on roll. Of these, 30 children receive funding for early education. The nursery currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 26 members of staff, which includes three auxiliary staff. Of these, 16 hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. The setting receives support from an advisory teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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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 learn the importance of good hygiene practice through consistent daily routines and clear explanations from staff. For example, children brush their teeth in the morning and younger children are encouraged to make bubbles with the soap when washing their hands. High standards of hygiene, such as consistently wearing disposable gloves and aprons when serving food and using separate bedding for each child, maintain the children's good health and prevent cross-infection. The staff follow effective procedures, sometimes seeking advice from outside agencies, to keep children healthy and prevent the spread of infection. Parents are clearly advised of the setting's sickness policy and notices are put up around the nursery to make them aware of outbreaks of infectious diseases. Children are well looked after if they become ill whilst in the setting and most staff have a current first aid certificate.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children help themselves to easily accessible drinking water throughout the sessions and enjoy a good selection of fresh fruit at snack time. Meals are well balanced, freshly cooked on the premises and take account of the individual and cultural needs of all children. Children are encouraged to become independent at mealtimes and enjoy the social interaction of sitting together to enjoy their meal. Younger children learn to feed themselves and older children use child-sized cutlery to cut up their own food. Home routines for babies and younger children are discussed with parents and followed as closely as possible. As a result, they benefit from routines that reflect their individual requirements.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are active both inside and outside the premises. There are daily outdoor activities to help them develop control of their bodies. For example, they dig in the sand and learn to play hopscotch. Children who attend the holiday club and older nursery children have access to a nearby sports hall and enjoy trips to adventure playgrounds, which allow them the opportunity to use more challenging equipment. Staff looking after the babies and younger children have a good understanding of appropriate types of activities and levels of support needed to give children confidence to try out new skills. Older children are developing their fine motor skills well and competently use a wide range of small and large equipment, such as scissors and paintbrushes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Risks of accidental injury to children are minimised because staff use thorough risk assessments to reduce potential hazards. For example, the outdoor areas are thoroughly checked before use. Children play in a secure environment as the setting has good security precautions in place. Visitors are asked to sign in and out and given badges to wear to identify them and parents are reminded not to let unauthorised persons into the premises. The children's artwork is valued and, together with other displays, makes the setting bright and cheerful. Children independently select activities from a wide range of good quality toys and equipment. They are grouped according to age and stage of development so the toys and resources used are appropriate for them. Children's safety on outings is well considered and a checklist containing details of, for example, contact numbers, staffing ratios and expected arrival times, filled in before departure.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are developing a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they know that the floor is slippery when wet and older children are very aware 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 use their knives carefully when cutting up their meals. There is a very good awareness of fire safety. The drill is practised regularly at different times of the day and especially when new staff or children join.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected by staff who have a clear understanding of child protection policies, procedures and current local guidelines. Parents are clearly advised of the procedures in place to safeguard their children's welfare and the staff's duty to protect the children in their care. Effective measures are used to ensure that children are collected only by authorised adults.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. A very good range of enjoyable activities, which are well planned by staff, contribute effectively to the children's development. Staff make good use of unplanned events, such as the dustbin lorry arriving or a hole being dug by a noisy digger outside the nursery, to encourage children to talk about what they are seeing and relate this to other experiences. Children who have English as an additional language or need support in their communication development receive good support. All children are happy and interested in their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Caring relationships with the staff are evident and those children who are new to the nursery are helped to settle by staff, who are sensitive to their individual needs. Babies enjoy the good interaction and individual attention of the staff who respond well to them, particularly to their early attempts at communication. Staff use their sound knowledge of the 'Birth to three matters' framework to provide an interesting range of activities for younger children and make regular observations of their progress. They sing, tell stories and provide mark-making activities to promote younger children's learning. However, they do not always clearly show how they plan for the next stage of the children's development. Toddlers and babies enjoy a good range of creative play, which encourages them to learn using all their senses. For example, they enjoy sitting in the water with bubbles and feeling the paint or sand on their toes. Older children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

who attend the holiday club or out of school facility use a good range of suitable resources, such as games and craft equipment. They are supported in planning activities and outings which interest them, so that they gain maximum enjoyment from their club.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum, which enables them to ensure children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Children access a wide range of good resources, which support their development across all areas of learning. Planning is clear and covers all the six areas of learning. Staff use effective systems to observe, monitor and record children’s achievements but do not consistently use the information to plan experiences that help children take the next step in their learning or challenge the more-able children. Children are engrossed in their play. They benefit from good quality interaction by staff, who use good questioning techniques to encourage children to talk about what they are doing. For example, they discuss the colours and feel of a daisy, which leads to a discussion about pollen, bees and honey.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children chat happily together; they make their needs known, describe events and explain about how their models work. They are beginning to recognise the letters in their name and know which is their cup from the written label. A good variety of activities is available to the children to support their emerging hand and eye coordination and writing skills. All children use marks readily to represent their ideas and older children confidently write their own names.

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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 enjoy looking at books, either in a group or having a member of staff read them a story. They listen attentively and can recall their favourite part afterwards. All children manage developmentally appropriate tasks very well. For example, they dextrously pour water from a jug into a plastic cup for a drink and succeed in fastening their own coats. They form small friendship groups to enjoy activities and adapt their behaviour well to changes in routine. For example, they excitedly relate why they cannot play in their normal room because of a leak in the roof. All children confidently make good use of resources which contribute to their creativity, such as music and movement, listening to music, playing instruments, painting and model making.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a good understanding of number through a wide variety of activities and games. Older children name numerals correctly and all spontaneously use mathematical language, such as 'big', 'little', 'more' or 'less', in their play. Children explore a wide choice of resources to encourage their design and making skills. They construct using bricks to build large towers and enjoy squeezing, rolling and cutting clay and play dough. Children are well supported in developing a good understanding of technology and progress from learning to use a mouse with the computer to being able to download programs to enjoy. Staff encourage children well through open questions to recall events, such as planting seeds as they water the soil in the 'garden centre'. They show an interest in the world around them and learn using all their senses as they feel the softness of leaves.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are warmly welcomed into the setting and discussions with parents before children start ensures that staff are fully aware of the individual needs of each child. Staff make sure that they provide an inclusive environment and work successfully with parents and outside agencies. The children have many opportunities to learn about themselves, each other and the world around them through well-planned activities, visitors to the nursery and outings in the local environment. Children are well behaved, play harmoniously together and older children in the out of school club devise their own club rules. All children are given good encouragement to become independent, particularly in their self-care, and older children have time to relax after school as well as be active. Many opportunities are offered to children to learn to express themselves

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Helping children make a positive contribution

in pictures, painting and spoken words to what they see, hear, taste and feel. Staff act as good role models and children are actively encouraged to be well mannered and say 'please' and 'thank you'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. This contributes significantly to children’s well-being as they receive good continuity in their care. Staff regularly seek parents’ views about the care their children receive throughout their time at the setting. Very positive comments are received from questionnaires. Regular exchanges of information with key persons ensure that all parents know how their children are progressing and developing. Staff invite parents to play a full part in their children's education by encouraging them to look at their child's assessment records and inviting them to become involved in the topics their children are covering. For example, asking for photos from home of family members or pets and providing a page for them to make comments on in the children's profiles. Parents receive good quality general information about the nursery and are very clearly informed about details of the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Foundation Stage and the 'Birth to three matters' framework. There are good communication systems, through open evenings, regular verbal exchanges, written reports and informative

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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 newsletters, to ensure effective partnerships are in place, clearly enhancing the quality of care the children receive.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the setting is good. Children are cared for by a well established staff team, who are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures are in place, which ensure children are well protected and cared for by staff who are appropriately qualified and suitable for their roles. The good induction system ensures that the setting's comprehensive policies and procedures are consistently applied and clearly understood. All staff show good commitment to professional development and are well supported by the provider. The setting works closely with advisors from the local authority to develop the quality of care throughout the setting. The premises and resources are well organised contributing fully to the children's safety and promoting their independence and confidence. However, occasionally confidentiality is compromised when displaying children's work within

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Organisation

the setting. The use of the indoor space and grouping of children maximises their play opportunities and the outdoor provision for older children is being developed to provide a more effective play area.

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Organisation

Policies and procedures fully support the practice of the provision. Records are well organised, easily accessible and well maintained. All legally required documentation, which contributes to children’s health, safety and well-being, is in place and is regularly reviewed to comply with any changes to regulation. Planning of activities is comprehensive and enables children to make good progress in all areas of their development. Staff exchange useful information between key persons and parents, which helps to ensure children's individual needs are met and children receive continuity in their care. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to ensure good hygiene practices were in place regarding children's bedding. The provider has reduced the risk of cross-infection for the children by providing smaller blankets which are individually named and solely used by individual children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

It was also recommended to the provider that they ensured the curriculum planning continued to be monitored to make sure that there was a well-balanced programme over time. The manager carefully monitors all the planning and all areas of learning are well covered.

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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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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

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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 that confidentiality is respected at all times, particularly on displays and noticeboards within the nursery.

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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 the information gained in observations and assessments is consistently used to plan the next steps in children's learning and increase the challenge for the more able children (also applies to care).

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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

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