Small World Nurseries Ltd

Small World Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY253263 Unique Reference Number 18 March 2008 Inspection date Carole, Jean Craven Inspector

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The Rookeries, Market Street, Whitworth, Rochdale, OL12 8RW Setting Address

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E-mail

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Rookeries is one of two nurseries run by Small World Nursery Ltd. It is a privately run organisation and is located off a busy main road in Whitworth on the outskirts of Rochdale. A maximum of 55 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The ground floor caters for children aged under three years with the rooms split into three main areas according to age. A baby unit, 'Jelly Tots' room for one to two-year-olds and 'Busy Bees' for two to three year olds. On the first floor are three main areas including two playrooms and a 'messy' room/eating area. A kitchen area is situated within the building which provides for the whole of the nursery. There are also staff facilities which includes the toilet and office area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children attend for a variety of sessions with opening hours from 08.00 to 17.30, Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure, enclosed outdoor area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 33 children on roll at the facility, of these, nine receive funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports children with disabilities and there are no children who speak English as an additional language. The provision receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership advisory teacher.

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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 nursery employs eight childcare staff and two support staff. Of these, six of the staff including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications and two staff are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a suitably clean and hygienic setting. They are learning simple, good hygiene practices. Staff pay attention to ensure that consistent routines are applied for hand washing after using the toilet and before eating, and children are learning the importance of dental hygiene by cleaning their teeth after meals. Children stay healthy because practitioners are active in following current and appropriate environmental health and hygiene guidelines and procedures, such as using different coloured cleaning cloths for the kitchen, playroom and bathroom and wearing disposable aprons when working in the kitchen or bathrooms. Children's health is further protected by a comprehensive sickness and medication policy.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished by healthy meals and snacks of fresh and dried fruit and older children are able to help themselves to drinks of water from a cooler at all times. However, snacks of dried fruit are served directly onto the table which compromises good standards of hygiene. Children sit together in small groups at meal times and enjoy the social occasion where staff expect and promote good table manners. Children are given the opportunity to try familiar and unfamiliar tastes as staff provide a wide range of meals from different cultures. They are experienced in providing for children with special diets.

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Helping children to be healthy

Outdoor activity is positively promoted and children enjoy daily physical exercise in the outdoor area whenever the weather permits. They have use of a small slide and climbing frame, stride and ride toys, bicycles and cars. However, there is insufficient large equipment to challenge children to balance and construct and to develop their gross motor skills. Children negotiate the space well, running around the area and riding their bikes; they are able to change direction to avoid collisions. Children enjoy walks in the local community to the duck pond and local woodland. Older children have the opportunity to attend weekly swimming lessons. They are able to rest, relax or sleep as they need, promoting their health and physical well-being.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are kept safe in a well maintained and welcoming environment. The setting is well lit by natural light, warm and well ventilated to promote children's wellbeing. Children are kept safe within the setting as safety measures, such as a visitor's book, safety gates and plug socket covers are in place and external doors are locked while children are present. Staff and visitors to the baby room remove their outdoor shoes so that babies can crawl in safety. Staff do regular risk assessments and electrical equipment is safety tested. However, the safety certificate is currently out of date.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff provide a variety of display boards to brighten the premises and so that children's art work can be displayed. Children experience a sense of pride in seeing their pictures and topic work displayed. They benefit from having plenty of space to move around in safety allowing them to explore their environment and take risks. They have access to a suitable range of equipment which is of good quality and meets the needs of the children attending. Children

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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 are able to make individual choices about their play as equipment is easily accessible from low-level shelving and trays labelled with their contents. This leads to children gaining confidence and learning independence skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are further protected from harm as staff understand their responsibilities under the Children Act to keep children safe. They have policies and procedures in place, record concerns and existing injuries and have up to date information on child protection legislation.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children arrive happily and are eager to chat to the staff and other children. They are relaxed and confident in the secure, caring environment. The toys and resources are easily accessible allowing them to make independent decisions about their play and initiate their own learning. Children are making progress in all areas of development. They develop physically through indoor and outdoor play, intellectually through focused activities and socially through expectations of behaviour and values, such as, caring and sharing with other children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff recognise that children need to spend time developing their senses and value children's freedom of expression, rather than producing an end product. The children in the tweenie room enjoy making Easter nests out of cereal and melted chocolate. They enjoy feeling the textures and tasting the ingredients, developing their fine motor skills by trying to fill the bun cases with the mixture from a variety of different sized spoons. Older children enjoy playing with compost in a tray, squeezing it through their fingers, pouring water into it and planting grass seeds in it when it had dried a little.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have a basic knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and the early learning goals. Planning systems are in place and each child has a learning and development file which is evidenced by art work and observations. However, plans do not evidence a broad and balanced curriculum or fully identify learning intentions. Assessments record what the children know and understand, but as observations are not always dated and records are not fully up to date there is no indication of how quickly the children are progressing or what the next step is in their learning. This does not fully support planning for individual children or ensure the progress of all children. Interaction between the staff and children is good and relationships are secure. Staff ask open ended questions to extend the children's thinking.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enter the setting with confidence and are learning independence skills. They are able to carry out self-care tasks, such as hand washing, putting on their own coats and accessing drinks as they want them. Children's attention is maintained during a story session where they are encouraged to be involved in talking about the story and using their listening skills. They relate it to their own experiences when going shopping. There are opportunities within the session for children to make marks and they are beginning to write letters from their name and recognise that words carry meaning. They write their initials in shaving foam or relate how they write with syrup in their porridge at breakfast time. They develop good hand and eye coordination as they use pencils, paint brushes and scissors. Children count spontaneously in play and can accurately count forward and back to 10. They can recognise when numbers are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

missing or transposed in sequencing. They are learning to calculate small numbers by searching for a variety of frogs hidden in the outdoor area. Children collect and count the frogs and

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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 calculate how many are still missing. They enjoy shadow hunts on sunny days and compare the length and size of shadows.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are learning about the community they live in and the wider world allowing them to develop a sense of place. Staff provide opportunities for the children to learn about people who help them. They have interesting visits from a doctor, nutritionist and teachers of French and samba dancing. Children learn how their bodies work as they listen through a stethoscope to their heart beat or look at x-rays to understand how their bones support them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are developing a sense of the community they live in with visits to the local supermarket, duck pond and woodland areas. They also have visits from people who offer services in the community. Staff respond very well to the needs of children with disabilities. They work together with parents and inclusion workers to ensure they give consistency of care and encourage children's confidence and independence. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children experience a sense of belonging as they are greeted by name on arrival. They are well behaved and staff have high expectations of them. Staff are good role models for the children and offer praise and encouragement, which increases children's self-esteem. Children are learning to take turns and play harmoniously with each other. They are learning responsible behaviour, such as helping to tidy away and sweep up spilt potting compost they have played in. They are given praise for good manners and sharing or waiting for their turn at an activity.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents are provided with information on the notice board and policies and procedures are available to them. They have regular newsletters which tells parents about forthcoming topics and events. Parents and children have introductory visits before the placement begins. Children have individual development files and those in receipt of nursery education funding have their achievements partially referenced to the stepping stones charts. However, links between home and nursery are not fully effective as parents are not provided with information on how they can extend their child's learning at home or given the opportunity to add to their development files. Information for parents on how to contact the regulator is not up to date.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The happy atmosphere of the setting contributes to the children's confidence and their independence skills. The staff working with babies and younger children work well as a team ensuring that children and parents experience consistency and continuity of care. However, recent staff changes in the pre-school room have led to a less experienced staff group and the manager taking most of the responsibility for organising daily routines. The group's commitment to self improvement is reflected in the system of staff appraisal and identification of training needs.

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Organisation

Records detail the individual needs of each child and include relevant consents and contacts. All required policies and procedures are in place and are regularly reviewed to promote the safety and well-being of the children.

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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 The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. All staff have appropriate child care qualifications, or are working towards a qualification, and a commitment to further training and self evaluation. However, not all staff working with pre-school children have had training in delivering the curriculum and do not fully understand the learning outcomes for children. Planning is in place. Planning for younger children is shared by all staff but pre-school planning is done by the manager and shared with other staff. There is no system to ensure that all stepping stones are sufficiently covered ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum. The staff have previously worked closely with the local authority advisory teacher but have recently had little support to improve the quality of teaching and effectiveness of the delivery

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Organisation

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 recommendations were raised to ensure relevant consents from parents are in place to cover the need for any emergency treatment or medical advice, to implement a key worker system and to increase knowledge and understanding of special needs issues in order to fully support children and parents. These recommendations have all been implemented leading to a safer environment for minded children.

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that good hygiene routines are upheld when serving snacks • ensure that portable electrical equipment testing is kept up to date • ensure that information for parents on how to contact the regulator is up to date.

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The quality and standards of the care

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 nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • provide a wider range of outdoor resources to promote children's physical development and to challenge older children • ensure parents are given opportunities and information on how to extend children's learning at home • ensure that the curriculum is monitored, by management and staff, and evaluated in more detail to ensure that all areas of the curriculum are covered • improve staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals and stepping stones • ensure that all observations are dated and children's records of achievement are kept up to date to show progress of development.

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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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