Davison Day Nursery

Davison Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY244743 Unique Reference Number 26 April 2007 Inspection date Shan Gwendoline Jones Inspector

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Selborne Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2JX Setting Address

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E-mail

Davison Day Nursery 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?

Davison Day Nursery opened in 2003. It operates from a self contained building in the grounds of Davison Church of England High School for Girls (Technology College), in Worthing. It is run by a management committee. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 until 17:00, term time only. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 51 children aged from six months to under five-years on roll. Of these, 18 children receive funding for early education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 15 staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications and five are working towards a qualification.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery receives support from Davison Church of England High School for Girls and 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 are cared for in a very clean, warm nursery. They thrive because staff members follow highly effective procedures and practices which meet the children's physical, nutritious and health needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receive good care when they are unwell or injured. The majority of the staff team hold a current first aid qualification. Systems for obtaining consents and for recording accidents and medication are effective. Children are protected from infection by the good daily cleaning routines throughout the nursery. They learn to manage their personal hygiene and to adopt good practices regarding hand washing.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy sociable and relaxed snack and meal times. They are learning about healthy eating through cooking activities, for example, making home made rock cakes and on going daily discussions. Children benefit from being provided with a wide range of cooked meals and snacks. These are supplied directly from the school, and place emphasis on supplying a healthy and nutritious diet that takes account of children's individual dietary needs. The range of meals includes noodles, vegetable bake, yogurt and fresh fruit. Staff liaise regularly with parents to ensure that babies' needs are met. Such as bottle feeding and weaning and that all children’s individual dietary requirements are followed.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing a positive attitude to exercise which is enjoyed on a daily basis. They show great delight and excitement when playing outside as they are having fun running around freely in the garden. They enjoy playing ball games and riding their bikes with great confidence and skill.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from this warm, clean and stimulating environment. Children’s health and lifestyle is extensively promoted through provision and encouragement to enable development of self-care skills. They are encouraged and supported in achieving and being responsible for their own needs. For example, children freely select from the low level shelves and are given ample choices in their play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children use the space with confidence and are able to play in safety and comfort as staff take good practical precautions to protect them. Children enjoy using a range of equipment that is safe and well maintained. They benefit from the good overall safety awareness of staff who effectively minimise the risk of accidents. There are robust security measures in place to protect children, such as controlled entry to the nursery. Implementation of good systems, such as conducting regular fire drills, security systems, collection of children and recording of visitors contribute to ensuring children’s safety and well-being.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is also safeguarded by the staff's sound knowledge and understanding of child protection matters. They know the signs and symptoms a child may exhibit that could indicate they were being harmed and the procedure to follow to report such concerns.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive happy and confident and quickly settle into the routine making their own choices about their play. Staff know children well and talk to them about their family and what they have been doing at home. This interaction, and the implementation of a successful key worker system, helps to secure relationships between children and staff, developing a sense of trust.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have a very good understanding of how children learn and use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to plan a varied range of activities to enhance children's development and help them acquire new knowledge and skills. This is recorded in photographs, children's work and written observations; records of children's achievements are attractively presented and shared with parents. All children are well settled and confident and are given appropriate support that is closely connected to their own developmental path.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of the teaching and learning is good. Robust planning and evaluation of activities is in place. The monitoring system enables staff to identify and provide appropriate support, to help children achieve the learning intention. Children feel happy to grow and learn in the nursery's secure, family-like environment. As a result, the children are confident and articulate, enthusiastic, very friendly and welcoming.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children speak confidently in familiar groups and are beginning to express their own thoughts and ideas. Staff members listen intently to the children and respond appropriately, helping children to feel good about their discussions. A key strength in communication, language and literacy is due to staff's abilities to skilfully and sensitively question and engage children in conversation. They build children's confidence through offering lots of praise and encouragement.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have many opportunities to link letters and sounds as they discuss the letter of the week and other initial letter sounds. They enjoy stories and use the book area well, two children were mesmerised with a book on dinosaurs, staff pointed out which ones were mammals and food they ate. Staff use effective teaching skills to extend their language and develop a questioning attitude in the children. They write for different purposes, such as in their role play and begin to read and write their name. They count regularly in a variety of practical activities and routines. For example, a child was assisted to count up to 19 to identify how many yogurt pots they had at lunch time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy a variety of creative activities, such as arts and crafts, often using natural resources, such as a star fish and pictures of rock pools for reference to inspire them. They are very imaginative in their role play and small world play when they are effectively challenged by the skilful interventions of staff. For example, the current theme is 'underwater cave' children become immersed in 'role play' diving in the water using inflatable toys and submarines. They learn much about the world, especially the natural world, through outings and carefully planned activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Older children have good opportunities to develop their large muscle skills during activities during outdoor play. They enjoy a wide range of physical activities, such as climbing, throwing and catching balls, riding wheeled toys and running games. However, the outdoor area does not cover all areas of learning in sufficient detail. Further development in this area would further enhance the learning experiences for the funded children.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued and respected as individuals, and are given appropriate praise and encouragement to enhance self-esteem and confidence. Their individual needs are met well because staff find out from parents about the children's routine and development. Children also enjoy being with familiar and trusted adults within a secure environment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are extremely well behaved as clear rules and boundaries are implemented consistently. Children know exactly what is expected of them and they respond well to the high expectations of staff. Staff praise and encourage the children at every opportunity. Children feel valued and respected because they are listened to, and staff respond fairly. Children are well mannered and polite as staff are very positive role models; they thank the children and say please when asking them to do something. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The behaviour management policy is shared with parents. However, there is currently no system in place to record incidents, to further promote the children's welfare.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There are no children attending with disabilities or learning difficulties. However, a thorough policy is known and understood by staff. A key worker system is in place and a readiness to liaise with parents and other professionals when the need arises.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the effective partnership that staff enjoy with parents. All relevant information is exchanged verbally each day to ensure the child's needs are met. Written information is given to parents of younger children to ensure they are aware of what their child has eaten and how long they have slept. Policies and procedures are available for all parents to consult. A range of relevant information is also displayed on a notice board.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of children who receive nursery education is good. Parents have the opportunity to discuss their child's progress with staff at parent's evenings. In addition, parents are informed about the topical themes the nursery is working on to enable them to reinforce the learning intentions at home. Regular news letters are also produced to ensure all parents are kept up-to-date regarding all relevant issues. Comments from parents are very positive and include; 'There is a very open and friendly atmosphere'. 'The staff have been fantastic. I receive a daily written report regarding significant things and there are good opportunities for social events'.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children develop a secure sense of belonging because the nursery is well organised and staff work with parents to ensure they have a good knowledge of children’s individual needs. Children’s care and learning is enhanced by the deployment of staff in relation to child staff ratios which helps to ensure children's well-being. The setting offers training support for students studying early years courses both from the local college and from the Davison Church of England High School.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery is good. Recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to ensure children are well protected and cared for by staff with relevant qualifications and experience. The manager works closely with the management committee to review and improve practice. Most of the required records are held on site and many of the

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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 policies are being updated. However, not all of the staff files were available for the inspection and some lacked the necessary detail. Staff members are supported by a management team through regular meetings and appraisals. They are a settled team and they work together effectively to constantly improve the quality of care provided for children.

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Organisation

There is a genuine commitment to further improvement. Strategies have been put in place to further develop the quality of care and education offered to the children. For example, management have plans to explore training for staff on the new framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At last care inspection the setting was asked to extend the range of resources, throughout the nursery, which promote positive images and awareness of disability. More resources are now in place including posters, pictures, puzzles and books. The setting celebrates a variety of festivals, for example, Chinese new year. The children made a dragon and explored aspects of the festival in their play and discussions. Staff talk to the children using these positive images to raise their awareness.

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Improvements since the last inspection

They were also asked to update the complaints policy so that parents have written information regarding Ofsted's contact details. The complaints information is clearly displayed for parents on the notice board and includes Ofsted details. This ensures parents are aware of the complaints procedure, should the need arise.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the setting was asked to increase staff's knowledge and understanding of the stepping stones and the early learning goals. All staff have attended curriculum training in the last three years. A room leader has recently been employed to work with the funded children to support staff and focus on the Foundation stage of learning. New planning methods have been introduced. This has had a positive impact on children's learning and development.

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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 complaint record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure all information relating to staff details are readily available • devise a separate recording system for any incidents

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop planning for outdoor play opportunities to cover the six areas of learning

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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

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