Hand in Hand Nursery at Newlands Children's Centre

Hand in Hand Nursery at Newlands Children's Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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EY336529 Unique Reference Number 03 July 2007 Inspection date Linda Patricia Coccia Inspector

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Dumpton Lane, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 7AJ Setting Address

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01843 591200 Telephone number admin@thanetearlyyears.org E-mail Thanet Early Years Project LTD Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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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 outstanding. 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?

Hand in Hand Day Nursery at Newlands Children's Centre is one of six settings run by Thanet Early Years Ltd. It opened in 2006 and operates from four rooms in a purpose built building. It is situated in the town of Ramsgate, Kent. A maximum of 70 children may attend the setting at any one time. The centre is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 50 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 110 children aged from ten months to under five years on roll. Of these 64 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a reasonably local catchment area. 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 is part of a Children's Centre. Kent County Council oversees the operations of the centre. There is an overall centre manager who is supported by a management team which includes the day nursery manager, a qualified teacher and representatives from a variety of other health departments. For example, speech therapists and midwives.

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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 17 staff of whom, 14, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are two staff working towards a childcare qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Excellent standards of hygiene are maintained within the provision. Children have their own individual drinking bottles which they easily identify from their name or a picture stuck on the front. Lino flooring throughout, and a couple of small carpeted areas, are kept clean and dry by staff and children. A separate cleaner is also employed. Toilets are scrupulously clean. Children are encouraged to wash their hands after using the toilet, before meals and after blowing their noses. They understand about germs and can explain why they need to protect themselves from them. Children use individual flannels and towels, utensils, plates and cups. Children are extremely well protected from cross infection and learn about personal hygiene.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are encouraged to pour their own drinks at snack time and to control eating utensils as they cut up their own food with plastic knives and forks. An inviting range of fresh fruit and finger vegetables are offered to children at snack time and those who stay to lunch enjoy two course meals which are prepared in the kitchens of the local adjoining primary school. The staff prepare snacks and teas and those involved in food preparation hold food hygiene certificates. Parents receive written information about what their children eat. Menu's are displayed and notes are made on children's daily record sheets.

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Helping children to be healthy

An excellent, secure, outdoor space is provided leading out from the pre-school room. A covered area is available leading from the toddler room. Both areas are extremely well used by children on a daily basis. In the main garden children use an interesting range of equipment. A wooden climbing frame with ramps and rock climbing cups positioned on one side. Ride on toys are ridden around a designated course and car tyres are rolled down a bank and manoeuvred back up again. The ground comprises different types of textures such as grass, wood bark and tarmac. By placing appropriate activities with suitably textured ground the children are free to take risks for themselves. For example, children can safely launch themselves from the top of the climbing frame or use the rock climbing cups without fear of injury. Awnings positioned on the side of the building allow children to play on the paved area safe from the sun's harmful rays.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children thoroughly enjoy their physical play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are cared for in a very suitable, purpose built building with bright and airy rooms and which have plenty of space. It is welcoming to children as lots of examples of their work are displayed around the walls along with a variety of brightly coloured information posters. In the pre-school room, the children are able to move freely between the designated areas.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A wealth of excellent health and safety procedures are used to keep children safe. Daily risk assessments are carried out on the rooms and hazard forms are completed by staff if they find anything out of the ordinary. Children use an extensive range of toys which are all extremely well maintained and easily accessible to the children. Tables, chairs and toy storage units have been considered and provided in appropriate sizes for the different ages of children and even staff chairs are low level. Children are looked after in rooms which are secure, safe and suitable.

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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 learn about safety as they play on the premises. They receive reminders from staff, such as not running in the rooms and see posters about safety. For example, road safety, which they then practise as they take trips around the local area. All children are also involved in practising the excellent emergency evacuation procedures. Drills are held once a month and all children participate. Drills are recorded in the fire book and are always assessed, timed and evaluated. The building fire risk assessment has been cleared by the Fire Officer. Children have the opportunity to learn about safety and keep themselves safe in an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A range of excellent procedures are in place to keep children safe from abuse and neglect. All staff have completed training to help safeguard children. They are all aware of internal procedures as well as the Local Safeguarding Children Board's procedures. Any concerns or disclosures are dealt with confidentially on a need to know basis. Any injuries that children arrive with are recorded with the co-operation of parents who sign the records. The procedures ensure that the manager is always made aware of any injuries to children, both sustained at home or within the group. Very good departure policies are in place to ensure children are collected by suitable persons. Again, parents are involved as they provide passwords and details of persons they elect to collect their children. Children’s well being is exceedingly well promoted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. The provision is full of happy, relaxed children. Children are welcomed as they arrive by smiling staff who engage them in conversation. There are lots of smiles, sharing of jokes and laughter throughout. Staff and children show respect for each other as they comfortably work together. Staff are professional with an excellent understanding of how young children develop. They show concern for children as they comfort them, spend extra time with children who may need help, competently treat children's accidents or just offer companionship to children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use a wide variety of toys and activities which ensure they competently progress in all areas of their development. Babies use soft play blocks to crawl, roll or jump on. A range of sensory equipment on wall displays allow children to look, touch, listen and investigate their senses. Children have access to fresh air as they use the covered soft floor area for painting, water and sand play. They sing and perform action rhymes, use musical instruments and listen to music throughout the day. They are encouraged to be creative through a variety of different mediums. Children are involved in investigating nature as they plant and grow flowers in plant pots and tomatoes in the designated planting beds. Children participate in an interesting range of activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children in receipt of funding for nursery education are making excellent progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a very good understanding of the Foundation Stage and have adopted the High Scope approach for delivering it. Children's starting points are fully assessed. Children's next steps are easily identified because each staff member plans interesting activities for their key work group of children and which are aimed at each individual child's interests and needs. Staff meet together weekly to exchange information on their plans and how they can best be extended to suit larger groups of children working together. Children's individual needs are fully appraised.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop their decision making skills as they discuss activities with their key worker at the beginning of every session. They choose the activities they want to use and later, recall

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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 their experiences and achievements to their key worker group. Children are confident and happily approach visitors to introduce themselves. They are interested to know why they are visiting. They are proficient in self care, taking themselves to the toilet or knowing when to sit down and rest after physical play in the garden.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have plenty of opportunity to use language and hone their conversational skills. During all activities they discuss what they are doing with staff, listen to information and ask questions. They use books to read each other stories and animatedly join in at group story time, especially with stories that they love such as 'We're going on a bear hunt'. They eagerly anticipate what comes next throughout the story and readily join in all the physical actions. They regularly have music sessions where they take direction about playing loudly or softly and most of them manage to keep a beat.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are also developing their mathematical skills as they use numbers, measurement, and shape in all areas of play. Three year olds can count in sequence and identify individual numbers out of sequence by using wall charts to compare number shapes. Older children compare numbers and can add together two groups of numbers to make a total. Children understand that numbers are used on everyday items such as post boxes and telephones and that number have meaning, such as telling them what the time is.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children experience a range of different activities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. They tend to plants and watch vegetables grow. They examine insects and animals and care for them. For example, they tenderly look after three African land snails, watch how they move through magnifying glasses and discover what they eat by offering different types of fruit. They particularly like to watch them cleaning themselves in a small amount of water. Children are also proficient using computers, magnets and other scientific equipment, as well as using the full range of pretend electrical equipment in the role play area such as telephones, tills and microwaves.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's creative abilities are fully nurtured. They use anything they can find, in the extensive range of materials, to create pictures or just explore different textures. One child painted her hands and arms to print on paper. Others made faces on paper plates stating if they were happy or sad faces. They often combine their creative skills and their physical skills when the participate in 'Write dancing' when they listen to music, participate in physical dance and actions and then transfer their movements to paper using chalks or crayons. The children all love this and clamour to be picked to join in.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children from a variety of different culture attend the provision, including a number who speak English as an additional language. Key workers work closely with parents to ensure children settle well and to obtain an understanding of how to cater for children's individual needs. The English speaking children are very adept at making children welcome.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children see and use a very good range of toys which show positive images of all equality every time they attend. Books, in particular, show different cultural family groups, and some are in different languages. Most staff have attended equality training and have a good understanding on how to promote it. Children benefit from equality of opportunity. There are also some excellent procedures in place to cater for children with learning difficulties and disabilities. A fully trained Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is available to assess children and, with

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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 the permission of parents, find the most appropriate resources available to help children reach their developmental milestones. Staff readily welcome other social care and health professionals onto the premises to visit children and staff liaise regularly with other groups that children attend. Children's individual needs are extremely well met. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Some very good behaviour management strategies are in place to help children learn about their behaviour. Children are regularly reminded to be considerate to each other and think about each others feelings. Most children are eager to help staff with small tasks. Children are reminded about having patience and taking turns. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff for all sorts of instances, such as being kind, thoughtful or listening when required. Staff behaviour is exemplary. Children build self esteem and play within very well defined boundaries.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff work very closely with parents. Parents report that they receive a wealth of written information about the nursery and they have a good understanding of procedures used to care for their children. Parent notice boards are in each room where information about the Birth to three matters framework is displayed. Parents of babies get daily information sheets about their child. Parents also report that they know their child's key worker well, see their children's development records on a regular basis, and feel very well supported along with their children. Children benefit extremely well from continuity of care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. The parents of children in receipt of nursery funding, report that they are extremely happy with the progress their children are making. They are able to see their children's records at any time and know where they are kept. Parents are able to see a display about the High Scope approach to learning that staff use with children. They get additional information about High Scope with the parent handbook. However, there is no such information relayed about the Foundation Stage. Parents are involved in their children's learning. They borrow books and read with their children at home. Occasionally parents are asked to help with activities and share their expertise. For example, one parent, who also works in a dental surgery, talked to the children about keeping their teeth clean and eating the correct foods to keep their teeth healthy.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The provider has some excellent procedures in place to ensure staff working with children are suitable to do so. Staffing and vetting procedures are rigorous and robust. Senior nursery managers participate in staff interviews to ensure staff are compatible with the nursery ethos. Following appointment, staff undergo an intensive induction period, which includes refresher training in subjects such as health and safety. There are also a wealth of policies and procedures dealing with staffing issues, including staff discipline and procedures if allegations are made against staff. Children are looked after by persons who are eminently suitable to do so.

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Organisation

The nursery has all regulatory paperwork in place which is all exceptionally well maintained. Children's arrival and departure times are recorded and the un-collected and lost child policies have recently been updated by head office. The nursery registration certificate is displayed. Staff hold childcare qualifications and keep their training up to date by attending additional workshops and training sessions. Having been on a course, staff are expected to cascade information to their colleagues. Children’s records are maintained confidentially and stored appropriately. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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. The provider welcomes staff input in to procedures and policies and encourages staff to work as a team. The manager, her deputy and the team of room supervisors all contribute to providing strong leadership for the nursery. The manager and deputy are within the setting full time and constantly monitor the work that is carried out. Both are supernumerary to staffing ratios. They offer training opportunities to staff and support for parents and children. The manager attends regular team meetings with other provision managers from the Thanet Early Years Project, where they have regular discussions on implementing policies and procedures. Within the nursery, the manager encourages weekly room meetings to encourage further discussion on best practise. Toys and equipment are

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Organisation

suitably provided, regularly reviewed and updated or replaced periodically. The manager regularly monitors all health and safety aspects within the provision. There are some good monitoring systems in place to ensure staff are adhering to procedures and to ensure the Foundation Stage is delivered appropriately. Staff appraisals have been completed. Staff self evaluations systems are in the process of being developed and the manager is also working on an internal monitoring system for staff. Staff are offered training opportunities on a regular basis and individual training needs are discussed during one to one supervision. All staff are involved in the activity planning which is overseen primarily by the deputy but which includes the manager. All staff are available to discuss issues with parents and offer them and the children support.

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Organisation

The nursery is part of a Sure Start Children's Centre. The centre provides a number of services for children and their parents. A community worker is on site, a crèche runs daily to enable parents to attend courses which have often led to job opportunities and employment, a parents and toddler club allows parents to attend with their young children, and regular health visitor and midwife sessions are held to monitor the health of pregnant women and babies. The nursery manager attends the centre management meetings. She reports that services are being very well used by local families. There are very close liaisons between the centre, the nursery and the local primary school. The children in the nursery greatly benefit from the multi agency approach being used within the centre.

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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 outstanding. 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

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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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 parents have the opportunity to receive written material to help them to understand the similarities and differences between the Foundation Stage and the High Scope approach which is used in the nursery

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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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