Fisherfield Childcare

Holiday House Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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503593 Unique Reference Number 28 June 2007 Inspection date Carole, Jean Bell Inspector

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Holiday House, Sandbrook Park, Sandbrook Way, Rochdale, OL11 1SA Setting Address

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01706 352 333 Telephone number ffn.4@ffn.co.uk E-mail Fisherfield Farm Nursery 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 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?

Holiday House Nursery is one of six nurseries operated and run by the Fisherfield Farm Nursery Group. It is primarily for the employees of a travel company with any surplus places being offered to the general public. The Nursery is situated on the Sandbrook Park retail business complex, close to Rochdale Town Centre and the M62 motorway. The nursery is registered to provide care for 55 children at any one time, and currently there are 69 on roll. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities. The nursery occupies part of the ground floor of the premises, can accommodate children aged from three months and is open for business from 07.45 until 18.00 Monday to Friday, closing for one week between Christmas and New Year and all statutory bank holidays. All children share access to a fully enclosed outdoor area which includes soft impact surfaces and paved areas. The nursery group has its

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

own website which is available online to the public.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 22 staff, including three support staff. Of these, 15, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are four members of staff that are working towards a qualification. The remaining member of staff has over 30 years experience of childcare.

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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 protected from illness and infection because the nursery is maintained to a very high standard of cleanliness and staff follow effective hygiene routines. For example, protective clothing is worn when changing nappies, colour coded cloths are used for cleaning and staff use fresh bedding and individual facecloths for children, which are laundered after each use. This reduces the risk of cross-infection. Children have a good understanding of personal hygiene and they are developing some independence with their care needs. The bathroom is attractively set out with coloured, pump action soap and novelty nail brushes which children enjoy using. There are clear procedures in place for recording accidents and administering medication and an effective sick child policy protects children from illness.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished by healthy and nutritious snacks and meals which are freshly cooked on the premises. They all enjoy their meals and are able to have second helpings if they wish and can help themselves to drinks of water throughout the day, which promotes their independence. Parents are given good information about the children's diets on a nutrition notice board and there are different menus for each age group and season. Weaning menus provide finger foods to encourage self sufficiency. Babies are supported by staff who sit with them and are attentive to their needs, for example, they take into account stages of weaning and cuddle babies as they bottle feed them. As they eat, staff encourage children to try new foods and offer praise for good table manners. Their health and dietary needs are very successfully met. The nursery has recently been awarded a 'Golden Grin' gold standard award

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Helping children to be healthy

by the local authority for its commitment to healthy eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have excellent opportunities for outdoor play. They have use of a hard and soft surface play area which is imaginatively set out. Very good quality large equipment is in place, for example, a fixed wooden ship, a large house, a climbing frame and slides are available. Children also have access to planks and tyres to balance and negotiate space, a planting area, bikes, hoops, cars and balls. The fence is decorated with resources, such as trellis and ribbon for weaving, plastic jugs to measure rainwater, kitchen implements to use as musical instruments and children's paintings which are laminated. Children giggle as they spray paint with garden sprays and laugh at what they can see using binoculars the wrong way round. Pre-school children 'make cakes' in the planting area with buckets, soil, water and trowels. They refine their coordination skills as they balance on planks, climb across bridges and crawl through tunnels.

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Helping children to be healthy

They negotiate space well, riding bikes around the area and changing direction to avoid obstacles.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept safe in very well maintained and welcoming premises. The setting is well lit, warm and well ventilated and this promotes children's well-being. Children are kept safe within the setting by a range of safety measures, such as regular risk assessments, swipe card entry for staff, regular fire safety checks and all visitors are signed in and out. Staff wear bright sweatshirts so they are easily identifiable. Children are learning to keep themselves safe with gentle reminders from staff, such as being careful near their face and eyes when using scissors.

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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 are able to develop a good sense of belonging through the warm and welcoming accommodation. Their names are displayed on coat pegs and their artwork and photographs of various activities are exhibited throughout the building. Children experience a sense of pride in seeing their work displayed for others to admire. They benefit from having plenty of space to move around in. They have access to their playrooms, a large area in the entrance of the building and the outdoor area. This allows them to explore their environment and take risks. Staff provide an excellent and stimulating range of toys and equipment that meets the needs of all the children attending. For example, table games, craft resources, construction activities and outdoor equipment are provided for older children. Toys are easily accessible to all children

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

as they are very well presented in low storage boxes, open shelves, baskets and low-level units. Babies are provided with low-level mirrors and tactile and sensory experiences, as they crawl around the room and explore the different textures and resources provided.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is further protected because clear safeguarding guidelines are in place. Staff have a good understanding of child protection issues and are aware of their responsibilities under the Children Act. They are aware of possible signs and symptoms of abuse and know how to contact social services for advice or to make a referral. Staff complete forms and parents countersign them, detailing any injuries on arrival at the nursery.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive happily and are eager to chat to the staff and other children. They confidently join in group activities or choose their own play. Children are all happy and settled in the secure, caring environment and there is lots of laughter and giggling throughout the day. The toys and resources are easily accessible allowing them to make independent decisions about their play and initiate their own learning. For instance, they help themselves to more paint to refill the paint pots and enjoy mixing the colours. Older children also choose the resources to help set out the different areas of learning, such as the mark making and construction areas. Children are making good progress in all areas of development. They develop physically through indoor and outdoor play, intellectually through focussed activities and socially through expectations of good behaviour and values, such as sharing and caring for their friends.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are skilled in providing activities to suit the developmental ages of the children and understand children's need to cut, stick, paint and experiment with no expectation of an end product. Children are extremely involved, stimulated and interested in the activities provided and all children have access to the full range of resources. The 'Birth to three matters' framework is used very well to provide a wide range of activities and learning experiences for young children. For example, physical well-being is promoted through the well equipped indoor and outdoor play areas. Babies shuffle across the room and use the sturdy furniture to maintain their balance.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have a sound knowledge of how children learn and make progress. They have a good awareness of the different frameworks to support children's learning and development. All staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework and the early learning goals and stepping stones to plan and assess children's learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and children's learning is good. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals because staff have a secure knowledge of the Foundation

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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 Stage. The planning systems are clear and detailed. They include good observations which recognise children's individuality and identify their next steps in learning. However, not all observations are dated, which makes it difficult for parents and staff to track children's progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enter the nursery with confidence and are learning self-help skills. They are able to carry out simple tasks, such as hand washing, hanging up their coats, blowing their noses and putting on their coats to play outdoors. Children respond well to the literacy rich setting where staff have mature conversations with the children. The children respond with confident conversation about what they have been doing and ask visitors questions about why they are in the nursery and how long they are staying. Many words are displayed throughout the setting and staff sit with children in the book corner and encourage them to choose books to look at together. They have good listening skills and are able to look at a book and re-tell the story in their own words to staff and other children. Staff take every opportunity to extend their language skills and ask open-ended questions to gently challenge the children and extend their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

thinking. They are encouraged to recall events in stories, such as who, where, when and what happened next. Children are beginning to recognise their own names on flash cards, coat pegs and on their artwork. They have lots of opportunities to make marks and some children are beginning to make marks in a notebook to tell a story. Children have very good opportunities to construct with different sized resources. They use mathematical language in their play, such as more than, less than and are beginning to calculate when objects are added or taken away. They compare growth and size of animals, babies, children and adults and are learning about the life cycles of different living things. They develop good hand and eye coordination as they pour themselves drinks and use scissors.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are learning about the community they live in and the wider world, allowing them to develop a sense of place. Children select and carry out activities themselves. They operate independently and are confident in asking questions about how things work. Children show an interest in everyday technology and observe what happens on the computer screen as they click on the mouse. Children have access to living things and learn to take care of them, such as indoor and outdoor plants, pets, such as goldfish, and they observe movement in the wormery.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are aware of the wider world because staff provide them with a very good range of resources, such as puppets, books and dressing up clothes, that promote all aspects of diversity and which promote positive images. These develop children's understanding of diversity whilst increasing their self-esteem and respect for others. They are developing a good sense of the community, with interesting visits from the guide dogs for the blind scheme and walks to the duck pond to look at pond life and feed the ducks. Staff are experienced in meeting the needs of children with disabilities. They successfully promote children's development by working with parents and outside agencies to provide special services. They develop individual education plans in conjunction with parents and other specialists to determine attainment and future goals. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are very well behaved and staff have high expectations of them. Staff are extremely good role models for children, offering praise and support, which increases children's self-esteem. Children are given gentle reminders from the staff to take turns and are reminded to say please and thank you. They encourage children to be responsible for their environment by giving praise for small tasks, such as tidying toys away and putting rubbish in the bin. Children in the pre-school room have the opportunity to take a special doll home for the weekend as a reward

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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 for good behaviour or good work. The doll has her own bag with her toothbrush, diary, story book and camera which children and parents use to record what adventures she has had over the weekend.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff are very aware of children's individual needs and capabilities from information received from parents at intake. This ensures a smooth transition from home to the nursery and enables children to feel secure. There are very good procedures in place to keep parents informed of their children's progress, such as development and feedback files, daily diaries for babies and notices of what children have done during the day are displayed on the playroom door for parents of older children. There is good information for parents including notice boards, questionnaires, a very good information pack for new parents and a comments book. The complaints procedure includes time scales for an outcome but information for parents on how to contact the regulator is out of date. Children who are in receipt of nursery education funding have their achievements cross referenced to stepping

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Helping children make a positive contribution

stone charts, giving parents a clear view of their children's progress towards the early learning goals.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The happy atmosphere of the setting contributes to the children's confidence and their independence skills. The staff work extremely well as a team and are a happy and enthusiastic group. Their commitment to further improvement is reflected in the programme for staff training and the clear process for self-evaluation and continuous assessment. Staff regularly meet with colleagues from other nurseries in the group and consult with the managers and directors to ensure consistency and quality. This maintains the high standard of care and learning for all children.

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Organisation

Records detail the individual needs of each child and include all relevant consents and contacts. All required policies and procedures are in place and are reviewed and updated on a rolling programme. Policies and procedures work well in practice to promote children’s health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the children's education is good. Children benefit from the good leadership of the group and staff have appropriate qualifications or are working towards a qualification. Good planning is in place. All staff are involved in planning in regular team meetings and have time allocated each week for updating children's development files and planning the next steps of their learning. They have regular review meetings to ensure that all stepping stones are sufficiently covered to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum. The staff work closely with their local authority advisory teacher to monitor the effectiveness of the delivery of the nursery education curriculum.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the group agreed to make improvements to hand washing facilities for children who were toilet training. Children now have easy access to wash hand basins, liquid soap, nail brushes, wet wipes and paper towels. They are able to develop their independence skills through the provision of step stools to ensure they can reach the hand washing facilities. The group also agreed that staff preparing food would comply with local environmental health

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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 department guidance and regulations. All staff are given the opportunity to access training in food hygiene and currently 18 staff now hold food hygiene and handling certificates, leading to a safer and healthier environment for the children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that information for parents on how to contact the regulator is kept up to date.

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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 that all observations of children's learning and development are dated to enable staff and parents to track progress.

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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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