Early Birds Private Day Nursery

Early Birds Private Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY250442 Unique Reference Number 26 April 2007 Inspection date Ann, Theresa Flynn Inspector

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193 Spendmore Lane, Coppull, Chorley, PR7 5BY Setting Address

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E-mail

Early Birds Private Day Nursery 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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?

Early Birds private day nursery is located on the main road running through the village of Coppull on the outskirts of Chorley. The nursery is owned by a four-way directorship. The named person for the registration who is also one of the directors, holds a level three qualification in childcare and education. At present there are 17 members of staff eight of whom hold a level three qualification in child care, five are trained to level two in child care and the remaining six are unqualified but experienced in caring for children.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered to provide full day care for a maximum of 43 children from 0 to 5 years, at present there are 63 children on role of these 18 are in receipt of funding for early years education. Presently there are no children attending who have learning difficulties or disabilities and no children have English as an additional language. The nursery is open from 07.45 to 18.00, Monday to Friday, 51 weeks per year closing for one week at Christmas and the six bank holidays. The nursery offers full and part time places, there are also places for funded three and four year olds.

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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 Children under eighteen months are cared for in a separate self contained baby unit at the rear of the main building, while children from 18 months to 5 years are cared for in the main building, with the younger children cared for on the ground floor and the pre-school upstairs. There is a small enclosed outdoor play area for the children to use on a rota basis. The nursery operates an open door policy, parents are welcome to visit and observe the nursery in operation. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy a good range of physical activities both indoors and outdoors, providing them with regular access to fresh air and exercise. They enjoy a range of resources including slides, large blocks and age appropriate bikes and cars. If the weather is inclement larger equipment is available indoors, providing opportunities to exercise and helping to develop children's physical skills, thus promoting children's good health and well-being.

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Helping children to be healthy

Generally children stay healthy because staff follow good hygiene practices. For example, cleaning tables prior to snack time and overseeing children, ensuring they wash their hands prior to eating snacks and meals. A nappy changing procedure is followed, which ensures staff wear aprons, wash hands and wipe clean the changing mat after use, thus helping children to remain healthy. However, children presently share towels in the pre-school bathroom following hand washing, which compromises their health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished through the provision of healthy snacks, which includes snacks of either fresh fruit or toast. Children benefit from easy access to drinks, which within pre-school they access themselves, thereby helping to develop their personal independence. Staff promote children's understanding about healthy eating by discussing, for example, why water is better than juice or why dried fruit is better than biscuits, thereby developing children's understanding about healthy eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

During mid-morning snack time, some children eat toast directly off the tables without the use of any plates or place mats. There is limited interaction between adults and children during snack and lunch times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Children are cared for in a welcoming and secure indoor and outdoor environment, which is bright and colourful with displays of children's work and photographs displayed on the walls. Varied resources are available at child height, which children freely access, thereby providing a welcoming environment. Space is well organised for the various ages of children who attend, which enables children to enjoy choices from a balanced range of continuous provision.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Risk assessments are undertaken to minimise hazards around the setting and there are some safety features in place, such as safety gates on the stairs, secure outdoor area, smoke detectors and a fire blanket. However, children are left unsupervised in the pre-school playroom, during the inspection, contrary to nursery policy. Also the emergency escape exit in the baby unit is obstructed with prams. Therefore, nursery policies do not always reflect practice and children's safety is compromised.

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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 are adequately protected because staff understand the correct procedures to follow in the event of concerns about the welfare of any child in their care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The children under two years enjoy their time at the setting, they receive cuddles and individual attention from staff who delighted in the children's achievements. Children enjoy a varied curriculum, following the Birth to three framework, which includes messy play, music sessions, treasure baskets and outdoor play. Staff sit and interact with the young children who enjoy pulling out various types of fabric from a box, thereby providing opportunities for young children to find out what they can do.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Activities and opportunities provided for children are good, varied, stimulating and provide interest for children. These include a quiet room or library in which children access books and the computer. Water play, craft activities, painting, a role play area and story time, all provide interest, stimulation and challenge to help children progress and enjoy their time at the setting.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children access activities both indoors and outdoors wandering freely to choose from the varied range of resources available and staff are available to offer children appropriate support and guidance. The children in the role play area initiated their own imaginary play involving their experiences of breakfast time. Imaginary play, such as this involves developing children's social skills, language and imagination, thereby maximising children's learning experiences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from the staff's sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage, and effective teaching helps children make sound progress towards the early learning goals. Children are questioned and challenged by the staff, who ask appropriate questions to help children to think and to learn at their own pace. For example, discussing the numerals on a clock to help children to develop number recognition, thus helping them to learn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to be independent and are able to make their own choices for learning. The curriculum is sufficiently matched to children's interests and there are continued opportunities for children to choose the activities with which they wish to be involved. For example, children choose, from the four rooms available, where they wish to play and from a variety of activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children socialise well as they learn to wait their turn on the computer, thereby developing an understanding of how to share. Children's personal independence is developing as they learn skills, such as accessing their own drinks and learning to dress and undress during their swimming lessons.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing their literacy skills as they listen to story time and enjoy looking at books. Children understand that books include information because they know to look in there for mini beasts. They are developing their understanding of mathematics, as they identify numerals on a clock. Children are learning about the world in which they live by undertaking visits to places, such as the library and to the local swimming pool, which provides children with hands-on experiences and opportunities to develop their understanding of their

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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 environment. However, children's access to IT is limited and therefore hinders children's learning and understanding of technology.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's creativity is developing through good experiences, such as painting, gluing, construction and imaginary play, all of which provides good and varied opportunities to develop children's creativity and imagination.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Planning is clear and identifies all six areas of learning within the curriculum. However, planning does not clearly show how children's assessments and observations are used to inform future planning and children's assessments do not provide a clear picture of their progress or clearly identify the next steps in their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is inadequate. A complaint procedure is in place, however, the regulation regarding the maintaining of a complaints record has not been met. No record of a recent complaint has been made, which is a regulation and therefore the setting is failing to meet requirements.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are provided with some opportunities to develop their awareness and understanding about diversity. They have access to a range of resources, including books, dolls, pictures, puzzles and fabrics in which to dress up. Children undertake activities involving cultures and festivals from around the world, such as Chinese new year and Diwali, which help children to understand about the needs of others and of the diverse society in which they live.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have their individual needs met appropriately. For example, children have taster visits to other rooms to ensure their transition from one room to the next is not to traumatic and which therefore helps them feel secure. Younger children in the baby room have their individual routines adhered to provide continuity of care between home and nursery.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The behaviour of children is good. They accept and work with age appropriate strategies, praise and encouragement, to promote positive behaviour and to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Younger children within the baby unit have their attention distracted if behaviour becomes an issue. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately as they learn to take turns and to share. For example, when using the computer and when sharing the play dough.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Children's individual needs are met because of the positive relationships which have been established with parents. Information is shared through written policies and procedures, newsletters, daily discussions and for younger children daily information sheets. Information about the Foundation Stage is provided for parents at the beginning of their time at the setting and they receive regular newsletters informing them of topics to be covered.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. Overall, the provision does not meet the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides. Time and space is organised so that children are able to independently play and relax within the setting. Children easily access varied resources both indoors and outdoors, which helps in

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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 promoting their all-round development. Time is satisfactorily organised to cater for structured, free play and snack times, therefore meeting children's individual needs.

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Organisation

All staff employed have an enhanced criminal record check, however there is no procedure in place to ensure such checks are effectively managed. The manager is unclear about the procedure regarding concerns, which may be disclosed within a criminal record check. Therefore procedures regarding such checks are lacking.

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Organisation

Good staff-to-child ratios are consistently maintained, thereby ensuring that children receive appropriate levels of support to help their individual developmental requirements.

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Organisation

The majority of required documentation is maintained in line with National Standards and helps in promoting the generally efficient management of the setting and therefore the care of children is maintained.

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Organisation

The quality of leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory.

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Organisation

Staff have an understanding of children's learning through clear curriculum planning, which is implemented and delivered by the majority of staff, therefore helping children to progress. However, the monitoring and evaluating of the provision of nursery education is limited and there is little evidence in how strengths and areas for improvement are identified and used to improve the provision.

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Organisation

Staff identify their own training needs and access appropriate training as required. There is a formal staff appraisal system in place which includes a record of staff's professional development.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following the last inspection two recommendations were raised relating to documentation and resources.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Both recommendations have received attention, the 'non collection of a child' procedure has had details for the local social services included and minimal resources which reflect disability have been provided.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Due to the action taken the care and safety of the children has been enhanced.

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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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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure positive steps are taken to promote safety within the setting by supervising children appropriately within the pre-school rooms • keep a record of complaints relating to the national standards and any action taken • ensure that there are effective procedures in place for checking that staff are suitable to work with children • ensure positive steps are taken to promote safety within the setting by ensuring the emergency exits within the baby unit are not obstructed. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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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): • provide more opportunities for children to access IT • ensure children's assessment records clearly identify the next step in children's learning, provide a clear record of progress and identify how they are used to inform future planning • develop the way in which the educational provision is monitored and evaluated to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

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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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