Tiddlywinks York

Tiddlywinks Private Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Tiddlywinks Private Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY275935 Inspection date 15 June 2005 Inspector Jackie Phillips

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Tiddlywinks Private Day Nursery

Setting Address Murton Way, Osbaldwick, York, North Yorkshire, YO19 5UW

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Tiddlywinks Private Day Nursery

Telephone number 01904 415 144 E-mail info@tiddlywinksyork.co.uk Registered person Tiddlywinks Private Nurseries Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Tiddlywinks Private Day Nursery

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 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Tiddlywinks Private Day Nursery became registered in 2004. It operates from two separate buildings on one site. A two storey building accommodates children from birth up to three years of age and a single storey building is used for children aged from three years to under five years of age. The nursery is in the village of Osbaldwick on the outskirts of York. A maximum of 58 children may attend at any one time. The nursery is open each

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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 weekday from 07:30 to 18:30. The setting closes during bank holidays. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There is off road parking provided for staff and parents. There are currently 75 children on roll. Of these 21 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend mainly from local and surrounding areas. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and also children who use English as an additional language. The nursery employs 14 staff that work full or part time with the children. The majority of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association and the local Early Years Childcare Partnership. Support is also received from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's good health is promoted as they access a variety of well balanced meals and snacks throughout the day with emphasis placed on healthy eating. The majority of meals are freshly produced in the nursery kitchen and consideration is given to parental opinion on foods they would like adding to the menu. The setting issued a recent questionnaire to parents and have made amendments to the four weekly rotated lunch and tea menu. This has improved the quality of the meals and increased the opportunities for children to be provided with regular servings of fresh fruit and vegetables. The needs of those children who have special dietary requirements are met well by the setting with information circulated to all staff members. Currently there is no protection from insects at the door of the kitchen in line with environmental health and food safety regulations. To further support their health and well being children take regular exercise in the

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Helping children to be healthy

setting's enclosed outdoor area. A good range of resources and activities promote children's physical skills including climbing, running and using mobile equipment. The older children use other interesting resources such as a parachute to develop physical competences and engage in activities that support their skills in working together as a group. Indoors natural light and good ventilation effectively helps to maintain a healthy environment for children. Well written procedures are established and shared with parents regarding the administration of medicine, when emergency treatment or advice is necessary and when children should be absent from the setting due to illness. A high percentage of staff hold a valid first aid qualification. Children are increasingly aware of basic personal hygiene procedures as they are reminded by staff to wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating food.

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Helping children to be healthy

The older children access the bathroom area independently. A familiar song is sung by the two year olds to help remind them and make the hand washing process more fun.

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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 The provision is satisfactory. There are some good procedures in place to maintain children's safety but not all are fully effective. On occasions fluctuating staffing levels impact on the quality of care children receive and pose a risk to children's safety and welfare. Within the child care environment cleaning systems are well established although products are not always placed well out of children's reach. The emergency evacuation of the building is practised regularly with all children. This includes good staff support systems which are established to provide assistance and details are recorded. Parents are kept well informed of children's accidents, and written permission is sought for cream to be applied during hot weather to keep children safe in the sun. Children are cared for in a bright and stimulating environment. Good attention is paid

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

to providing children with easy access to their resources which are clean and well maintained. Designated areas are created for children according to age, and child sized and domestic style furniture are in place to support children's safety and sense of belonging. Effective systems are established to fully inform staff when children are collected by unfamiliar family members or friends. Clear written guidance, some effective procedures and staffs knowledge of child protection issues all help towards keeping children safe. However, not all entry routes to the building are secure and are a potential risk to young children. The nursery kitchen at the rear of the property does not have a secure entry system in line with two other entry doors to the setting. This may pose a potential security hazard for children when left open or unattended.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. All babies and children take part in a wide variety of activities, including those involving art, craft and display work. Most are initiated by the children and some are adult led. The creative work of the children is displayed throughout the setting in 2D or 3D format. This has a positive effect on the environment providing a colourful and child orientated feel to the setting. Children play well together and secure relationships are formed. They are enthusiastic to become involved in the range of activities provided and staff help them to become more confident by placing clearly labelled toy storage containers within their reach. Resources for babies and older children are varied and of a good quality. They include some that are made from natural materials and some which are interactive to increase children's interest. A range of pre recorded music is enjoyed by children in all areas and babies listen to a soothing sound box when placed to rest

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

or sleep. Nursery education The quality of children's teaching and learning is good. Staff provide children with regular opportunities to question, think for themselves and develop a range of skills. Consequently children are developing well in all six areas of learning. They are very familiar with their environment and know where their resources are kept. When requiring a magnifying glass to inspect a bee, a four year old girl went to find exactly

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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 what she required to observe the insect in safety and more closely with the help of an adult. A well balanced curriculum is planned for the three to four yare olds which meets their development needs and engages them for sustained periods of time, developing their concentration skills. Children enjoy a range of stories including those that are traditional. They can identify individual letters and make appropriate links with those contained in their first name or surname. They have a good understanding of number and regularly use visual aids around the setting to help them calculate, such as a number line. Children are well motivated and excited to learn. They become engrossed in a varied range of activities that are well planned and take place on a regular basis. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are confident because the staff encourage each child to reach his or her full potential and support their development well. Those children who are progressing rapidly are provided with additional challenges to maintain their interest and enthusiasm, although the assessment of children's progression is not clear and well understood by all staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are encouraged to be independent and develop their self and personal care routines, such as accessing their drinks when required, using the bathroom area and putting on coats when outside play is to take place. This is well supported by the provision of coat pegs with corresponding individual photographs to develop children's sense of belonging and promote self esteem. All children are fully included. Support is available for children who have a special need or for those children who use English as an additional language. Children are aware of a range of festivals and traditional events linked to their own culture and that of others. Their awareness of diversity and disability is also raised through a range of resources including books, jigsaws, small world equipment, dolls and photographs, although pictures of positive images around the setting are less evident. Children's progression is recorded and information is shared with parents. Activities

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Helping children make a positive contribution

are evaluated to highlight children that need additional help or require further challenge. Older children each have a drawer where their development files are stored, and where they may add additional creative work or personal belongings to keep safe. Staff manage children's behaviour well and their achievements are often rewarded with a sticker to celebrate their success. When they do not behave appropriately they are provided with clear explanations by staff to help them understand between right and wrong, for example when snatching toys or pushing one another. Staff act as good role models and remind children to say please and thank you when necessary. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development appropriately. A good partnership with parents is in place. Parents are informed of the curriculum planning which is displayed and available for discussion. Ideas for activities, songs to

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Helping children make a positive contribution

share and sing with children and stories that link with the theme or topic are made available to parents via a newsletter, enabling them to share in their child's learning

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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 and education. Parents views about their child's needs are actively sought before the child starts at the setting, and occasionally during their time there, such as parental contributions to the improved menu. Verbal, written and displayed information supports an effective partnership with parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children's care and education is supported well by a range of policies and procedures that is periodically reviewed and updated. The Birth to three matters framework for younger children is being implemented into the nursery curriculum to support current systems in place to enhance children's care, learning and progression. Leadership and management is satisfactory. The setting is mostly well organised, although fully effective systems to ensure minimum staffing levels are consistently met throughout the operational day are not in place. Clear policies and procedures for maintaining all aspects of children's health and safety, including the overall security of the setting are not yet fully established. The assessment system for children who receive nursery education funding is not sufficiently well developed to give a clear picture of children's development, although overall children are

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Organisation

progressing well in all areas of learning. Children's care and education is enhanced by the commitment of the staff and the management team who implement suitable recruitment, induction, training and supervision processes. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection staff were asked to develop and extend their knowledge and skills at managing children's behaviour and to ensure that all medication forms were signed by parents. Staff have improved their behaviour management techniques by implementing a range of strategies to enable all children to behave well, and support them to understand right from wrong. This will be further enhanced by all staff attending a training course planned for October 2005. A safe procedure is in place for the administration of medicines given to children which includes prior written permission from parents. This also includes the gaining of a signature to confirm that medication has been given and a record made in the medicine log to acknowledge the entry. These help to enhance the care provided for children.

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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 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 good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • establish suitable contingency arrangements to maintain minimum staffing levels throughout the day • improve the system to prevent unauthorised access to the building from the kitchen area and ensure that the kitchen conforms to environmental health and food safety regualtions • ensure that hazardous cleaning materials are made inaccessible to children

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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 the assessment process to help children to move to the next stage in their learning and to give a clear picture of the progress made.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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