Bridlington School

Happy Child Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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118111 Unique Reference Number 20 June 2007 Inspection date Deborah Jane Orchard Inspector

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Green Man Passage, Ealing, London, W13 0TG Setting Address

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E-mail

Happy Child Limited 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Happy Child Day Nursery opened in 1990 and is one of 17 nurseries run by Happy Child Ltd. The nursery operates from the study centre in West Ealing, in the London Borough of Ealing. It is open from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00 all year round. It serves the local community.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery provides care for a maximum of 35 children at any one time. There are currently 45 children from one year to five years on roll. Of these, 20 children are in receipt of nursery education funding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 14 members of staff, including the manager. Of these five hold appropriate early years qualifications and eight are working towards a level two qualification.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. (EYDCP)

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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's health is being promoted through good practice and routines, as the staff are clear of their roles and responsibilities. Staff ensure the toilets and premises are kept clean throughout the day, which enables children to play in a hygienic and well maintained environment. Children are able to gain an understanding of the importance of being healthy as they discuss why they need to put on their sun hats and sun cream before going out to play. They wash their hands regularly and use paper towels for drying, which protects children from the risk of cross-infection. Children participate in a range of activities to promote health. For example, health awareness week and a visit from the dentist.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from nutritious meals and snacks, which include fresh fruit and vegetables and a variety of foods from different cultures. Special dietary requirements are respected to ensure children remain healthy and individual needs are being met. Children sit together at meal times and chat about which foods are good for us and make us strong. They have opportunities to develop their independence as they set the table and older children are able to serve food. Children are able to access drinking water throughout the day as they are provided with individual cups.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy regular fresh air and exercise in the enclosed garden area. They have fun on wheeled toys and climb and slide on large apparatus. They have opportunities to participate in various activities, such as drama. Parents can also access additional services for their children, including ballet, yoga and tots in sports.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are able to play in a bright and cheerful environment which is welcoming and child focused. They feel at home in the setting as their art work is attractively displayed. Resources and equipment are kept clean and in good condition. Children can access toys and resources easily as these are stored at a low level and displayed in an inviting way.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The premises are kept secure and all visitors are required to sign a visitors book on entry. The staff conduct regular risk assessments to help identify and minimise any risks. Regular fire drills are carried out, which helps children learn what to do in the event of an emergency evacuation. Children develop their understanding of keeping safe as staff discuss potential dangers. For example, children are reminded to walk slowly when the floor is wet.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Policies and procedures are in place to help keep children safe. However, the policy regarding safeguarding children does not contain all the necessary detail, which reduces protection to children. Some staff have received child protection training and the manager ensures all staff are made aware of their roles and responsibilities in this area. There is a designated person in place who has responsibility for child protection issues.

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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 enjoy their time at nursery as they are able to participate in a range of stimulating activities. The Birth to three matters framework is used by staff in planning a variety of experiences for younger children. Children have fun as they explore different textures, such as, trickling the corn flour, making cakes and participating in finger painting. This helps develop their creative ideas and gain from sensory experiences. Children are being imaginative as they dress up in the home corner area and wash the dolls in bubbly water. Children's play is supported by staff as they praise children as they create different shapes with play dough and talk about colours and rainbows as they sit together.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have knowledge of the Foundation Stage, which enables children to develop in all areas of learning. The staff work together to plan a range of interesting activities for the children attending. They know children well and monitor their progress, which helps to identify the next stage in individual learning. The staff are friendly and approachable, which enables children to feel confident in the setting. The staff team use a range of teaching methods which support children's learning. These include good use of open ended questioning, recapping on things the children are learning and being actively involved in their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making progress in their personal, social and emotional development as they play well together, share and take turns. They are developing their independence as they help tidy up and assist at meal times. They enjoy being 'helper of the day' which helps develop their confidence and sense of self-worth.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident and happy in the setting as staff listen and value their ideas. For example, as they discuss what pictures they are going to make.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children contribute freely at story time, they engage in lively discussions and make links in their learning as they discuss the ducks and how they also like to go swimming. They are able to self-select books from the comfortable book area and hold these correctly. They are aware that print and pictures carry meaning. They are able to recognise their own names on their cups and recognise letters from labels in the room. However, not all the labelling is clear and children are not always being encouraged to make their mark on their own work, which reduces children's opportunity to develop their ability to correctly form letters. Children have some opportunities for mark making as they use the white boards and have access to paint brushes and pencils. However, there are missed opportunities for spontaneous mark making, for example, in the home corner.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing an understanding of mathematical language as they discuss position such as, in front and behind during story time and weigh and measure during sand and water play. They learn about shape as they look at pictures of different shaped buildings and create homes for the three little pigs, using two and three dimensional shapes. Children are able to match and sequence as they play games and count to 10 and beyond as they join in number songs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have good opportunities to be creative as they build mountains out of shaving foam for the 'mountain goats' and discuss what giraffes like to eat as they play with the animals and natural foliage. Children develop their ideas as they create their own pictures of their families

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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 and flowers. They explore the underwater world as they use their imagination whilst playing with ships, dolphins and small world people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have good opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the world. They learn about weather patterns using the weather chart. They talk about their families and home life as they discuss family members and activities they like to participate in. They observe change as they play with ice cubes and discuss freezing and melting. Children explore living things as they participate in activities linked to their theme on animals. They look at insects and leaves in the outdoor area using magnifying glasses. They have regular opportunities to explore natural materials as they play with sand, soil and water. Children are gaining an understanding of technology and how things work as they use the computer and confidently move the mouse and use the keyboard to select a variety of educational games.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children move around indoors and outside with control and co-ordination. They demonstrate good spatial awareness as they change direction whilst playing on wheeled toys in the outdoor area. They are able to develop their fine muscle movements as they manipulate the play dough with their hands and use a range of tools available to them. They develop their large muscle movements as they play on the large outdoor apparatus.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy in the setting as they are treated as individuals and their needs are being recognised. For example, staff give reassurance to new children who are settling in and demonstrate an awareness of children's dietary needs. Children learn about the lives of others as they are able to access resources which reflect diversity within the community. These include a range of home corner equipment, books and dolls. Children learn about other cultures through planned activities throughout the year. These include, St Georges day and celebrating Vaisakhi by dressing-up and participating in a tea party. The nursery staff have a positive attitude towards inclusion and provide a range of small world people and posters which positively reflect people with a disability. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural needs are being met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well as staff are calm, friendly and polite. The staff use appropriate strategies to manage behaviour. For example, they praise and encourage children during daily activities and reward positive behaviour through stickers and achievement certificates. This helps to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers for funded children is good. They receive information about the nursery and have opportunities to attend parents evenings to find out about their child's progress. In addition, they are invited to curriculum evenings, where they are able to find out about the educational programme and participate in some of the activities on offer to their children. Staff keep individual profiles on each child, which they share with parents. These include assessment records, scrapbooks containing samples of their work and individual photo albums of their children participating in activities. Parents and carers have opportunities to extend children's learning at home, as children are able to take home books which they bring back to nursery and discuss. There is also a comment sheet provided for parents.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Individual diaries are kept for younger children which contain details of sleep, toileting and feeding patterns throughout the day. In addition, parents receive written information regarding their child's development. The notice board displays relevant information and polices. However, the complaints procedure does not contain all the necessary details for parents, if they wish to

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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 make a complaint. There is a key worker system in place, however, this is not consistently implemented, particularly in the areas for younger children. This means parents are not always aware which member of staff is key working their child. This reduces the effectiveness of communication. Parents and carers views are valued and questionnaires are used to obtain their ideas. They are welcome in the setting and encouraged to share their knowledge, for example, when celebrating different festivals.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The team work well together to ensure children have positive play and learning experiences. The rooms are organised well, allowing children to independently select resources. Planned routines take into account regular meal times, rest times and outside play. The children are supervised and are not left alone with any person who is unchecked. There are clear recruitment procedures in place to ensure staff are properly vetted. The nursery is currently seeking new staff, including a person to be in charge of the area for children under the age of two years. The manager is aware of the importance of deploying staff effectively, however, due to recent changes and staff attending training, some areas are not operating the key worker system. The area for the youngest children does not currently have staff with the required level of experience. This impacts on children's sense of security and belonging.

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Organisation

Most documentation to support the smooth running of the provision is in place and kept up-to-date. Although, the complaints procedure and the policy for Safeguarding children needs updating to ensure they contain all the necessary detail. The required paperwork is stored securely and made available for inspection.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery is good. Children are able to make good progress in their learning as the staff have a clear understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and use this knowledge to effectively plan and evaluate children's learning experiences. The staff are being supported in their work through regular training opportunities, meetings, supervision and appraisals. The manager values team members ideas and seeks their opinions through regular questionnaires. In addition, she provides opportunities for staff to take a lead in key areas. Overall, the nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the setting was judged as good. The setting were required to ensure children had access to a range of activities which promote equality of opportunity. In addition they were asked to ensure the policy for protecting children was made available for the parents.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery provides a range of resources which positively reflect diversity in the community. They recognise and celebrate the beliefs of others. This helps children gain a better understanding of the lives of others and value differences. Parents and carers now have access to the polices and procedures, including the policy for protecting children, which helps safeguard children. However, this policy currently needs updating to ensure it contains all the necessary detail.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the setting was judged as very good. The key issue identified for improvement was to provide opportunities for children to assemble, construct and join materials for a variety of purposes.

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Improvements 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 Children are able to use a range of construction toys to build and construct. In addition they have opportunities to use junk to create their own models. This helps children develop their creative and thinking skills.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made 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 can be seen 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 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): • ensure the complaints procedure is updated to contain all the necessary detail • update the procedure for Safeguarding children to ensure it contains all the required detail • ensure the key worker system is effectively implemented throughout the nursery and staff working with the under two year olds have suitable experience

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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): • extend children's opportunities to mark make in everyday activities • regularly encourage children to attempt to write their own names on their work, ensuring labelling is clear to support them in forming letters correctly

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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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