Tops Day Nursery

Tops Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Tops Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY290331 Inspection date 04 August 2005 Inspector Anne Mitchell

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Tops Day Nursery

Setting Address 14 Denmark Lane, Poole, Dorset, BH15 2DG

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E-mail

Registered person Tops Day Nurseries Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 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?

Tops Day Nursery is one of a chain of nine privately run nurseries. It opened in 2004 and operates from eight rooms in a converted factory. It is situated in the centre of Poole. A maximum of 105 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 06:45 to 18:30 for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 160 children aged from birth to under 8 years on roll. Of these, 12

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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 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 24 staff; of these, 17 of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. Five staff are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are very well protected from the spread of infection by clear and well practiced procedures. Staff wear aprons and gloves for nappy changing. Children demonstrate a clear understanding of good hygiene routines. Their independence in personal care is effectively encouraged by access to low level toilets and washbasins, soap and paper towels. Children wash their hands after using the toilet and before meals and know why they do this. Displayed photos of the nursery children washing their hands, remind them of good practice and promotes high self esteem. Children are familiar with sun safety and understand the importance of wearing hats in the garden and on outings. Children's dietary health is well promoted through healthy snacks and regular access to drinks. Children are regularly provided with fruit and crackers. Children benefit from healthy and balanced meals provided by Poole hospital. Some parents choose

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Helping children to be healthy

to provide their own meals and these are stored appropriately. Babies' health is well supported by clear procedures to protect them from infection. Staff and visitors remove their shoes before entering the baby and toddler units. Babies and toddlers are regularly changed and fed in line with their home routine, to promote their well being. Children benefit from daily exercise and fresh air in the well resourced garden. They climb and balance on large and small climbing frames and are confident riding bikes and trikes. Children throw and catch balls with increasing confidence and accuracy. They are aware of the changes in their bodies as they run and jump. Children move around the nursery with good control and are aware of their environment. They negotiate stairs up and down to get to the toilets or the garden. Children's fine motor control is well developed through the use of tools, such as scissors, and through

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety is well promoted by the secure and safe environment. There is key pad entry to the nursery, as well as to different areas within the building, so all visitors are carefully monitored. This ensures the safety of children at all times. Children are able to access resources and play activities safely. They benefit from a good range of high quality, well maintained resources and equipment. Toys and equipment are

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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 checked by staff on a regular basis to ensure continued safety. A high staff ratio ensures children are well supervised at all times. During a walk through the busy streets of Poole, children demonstrate their confidence about road safety. They have a very good understanding of looking and listening for traffic and waiting safely at the side of the road before crossing. Children wait for the 'green man' at crossings. Children are safe on outings due to the thorough procedures in place. The nursery's mini bus has fitted seat belts and qualified drivers. Nursery staff have completed child protection training. They are clear about potential signs and symptoms and the procedures to follow. This helps them to protect children from harm and neglect.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children throughout the nursery experience a generally broad range of activities which contributes to their all round development. Babies under a year and children aged 3 to under 5 are particularly well stimulated and their ability to enjoy and achieve is good. Children in these groups are well occupied throughout the day with play opportunities that interest and engage them. Children benefit from the regular use of the outdoor area and local outings for physical play and to develop their understanding of the world around them. Babies are provided with a high level of interaction and stimulation. Staff use facial gestures and expressions to promote children's understanding, confidence and self esteem. Babies enjoy lots of one to one attention in the calm and stimulating environment. They enjoy looking at themselves in a low level mirror and giggle and gurgle with joy. Children aged from one to three years, have a suitable range of valuable activities,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

such as music, stories and messy play. Some activities provided for children in this age group however, are too advanced. Interaction is generally good, although during the lunch period there is limited communication between staff and toddlers. School aged children enjoy a well planned week, with a range of interesting outings and projects. Children in this group are confident and talk freely about the activities they enjoy. Free play within the group is not so well organised. Older children's independence is not well fostered during snack time. Nursery Education. Children are clearly confident and are very much at home in the setting. They arrive with enthusiasm and excitement. They have good relationships with staff and with their peers. Children choose special friends to play with in the home corner, for example. Children have high levels of self esteem. Children have some opportunities to be independent using the toilet, washing their hands and selecting equipment, for

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

example. However, independence is not encouraged at snack time, as drinks are pre-poured and snacks prepared by staff.

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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 Children are confident speakers and demonstrate good listening skills. They listen intently to members of staff talking about the visit to the travel agents. They participate with enthusiasm in story time. There are good opportunities for children to begin to recognise text around the room, with clearly labelled equipment, resources, pictures and posters. Children enjoy painting and colouring, and make marks in a number of ways, as paper and pencils are available much of the time. Children are well able to count confidently to ten and above. They count the dolphin motif's seen during a walk through the town. There are good opportunities for children to familiarise themselves with numerals with number lines displayed. Children recognise and name shapes confidently and there are shape displays

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

around the room and out and about. They recognise that boats they see at the quay have triangular sails. Children use mathematical language with confidence and understanding. Children's understanding of the natural world is enhanced by relevant projects such as the weather and growing. Children have regular access to a computer and are adept at mouse control and use simple programmes with confidence and clear enjoyment. Construction activities are varied to enable children access to a broad range of experiences of how to build, join and construct an array of models. Children have a good sense of time and place and recall family events and holidays. They are becoming aware of the beliefs of others through their exploration of diverse cultural festivals. Children become familiar with their local community through visitors to the setting, such as the police and paramedics, and regular, well planned outings.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are good opportunities for children to explore a range of media to promote their creative development. Children are encouraged to use their own imaginations to create collages and models. Children are self assured and confident in music sessions and participate in singing and action rhymes with enthusiasm. Their imagination is fostered effectively in the home corner and through miniature play. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a very good knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum and plan a variety of enjoyable and interesting activities for children. These cover all the areas of learning. Children learn effectively through activities and projects that are meaningful to them, such as 'people who help us' and 'holidays'. Staff use effective teaching methods, such as praise, encouragement and open ended questioning to enhance children's thinking and problem solving. The high

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

staff ratio allows a very good level of interaction and individual support. Staff take positive and effective steps to support children who speak English as an additional language.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's understanding of the wider world is well fostered through projects such as cultural festivals, travel and food tasting. All children have access to resources that provide positive images of cultural diversity and disability to help them respect differences. Boys and girls have equal access, and are encouraged to participate in all activities to ensure there is no gender bias in play. Parents complete child profiles,

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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 giving details of their child's individual needs and routines. This ensures that children are settled and happy and follow consistent routines. This ensures children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children's behaviour is good throughout the nursery. Staff act as effective role models, speaking to children and to each other with respect and listening to the response. Staff praise children for their achievements, helping and being kind. Consequently, children are polite. They understand the clear boundaries set, such as waiting in line to leave the room, and tidying up. Partnership with parents is good. They are provided with comprehensive information about the setting. Parents of babies and toddlers are kept well informed of their children's daily routines and progress through daily recorded reports. Annual parent

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Helping children make a positive contribution

questionnaires invite suggestions for improvement as well as monitoring what is done well. Parent evenings allow parents to discuss child's developmental progress with key worker staff.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. All legally required documentation, which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being, is in place and is regularly reviewed. Children are cared for by qualified staff who are committed to training. They have a sound knowledge and understanding of child development. A high staff ratio is maintained. However, in some areas of the setting, and at particular times of the day, staff are not always deployed effectively, to ensure children are well supported in their care. Many rooms in the setting are well organised. However, the organisation of space and resources is not effectively used in all areas. This limits children's ability to explore and inhibits their choices in play. The leadership and management of the setting is good. Regular staff appraisals highlight training needs and recognises staff skills and areas for development. The registered person and staff monitor points for improvement through regular meetings.

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Organisation

The setting meets the needs of the range of children attending.

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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 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 space is used effectively to improve children's choices in play • Ensure staff are deployed effectively to support children's care, and improve interaction during meal times.

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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): • Continue to develop opportunities to promote children's independence

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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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