Thrybergh School and Sports College

Fledglings Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

106956 Unique Reference Number 27 September 2007 Inspection date Valerie Anne Curotto Inspector

p.1

25 Oldbury Court Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 2HH Setting Address

p.1

E-mail

Meryl Malyckyj Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Fledglings Day Nursery opened as a private day nursery in 1987. It operates from an extended, semi-detached house in the Fishponds area of Bristol. Children attending the nursery are from the local area. Children are accommodated on the ground floor of the property, which is close to the local shopping centre and parks. Children under 18 months of age are cared for in a self-contained area which includes two playrooms, a changing area and kitchen. It also has a separate, enclosed outdoor play area. Older children have access to a more open-plan area to the rear of the property which includes an enclosed outdoor play area. Children in this area are separated into two groups according to age.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, from 08.00 to 17.30 hours, 51 weeks of the year. It is registered to care for up to 32 children under five years of age. The nursery has a team of nine staff, seven of whom have appropriate childcare qualifications. Some staff members are able to offer languages, such as Hindi and Punjabi, in addition to English. There are currently 51 children on roll, 13 of whom receive funded nursery education. Staff have experience in supporting children with special educational needs and English as an additional language. The nursery is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and receives support from the local

p.2

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 authority. The setting has been approved for the local authority's Quality Assurance scheme for 2006-2007.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Information is shared appropriately with parents to promote the health of all children. This includes exclusion periods for sickness and current ailments, such as chicken pox. While written procedures are in place, day to day routines to maintain hygiene in the baby unit are not always sufficient to promote their health. For example, the supervision of children's use of dummies and arrangements to prevent cross infection from nappy changing and are not consistent. Children enjoy a balanced menu and healthy snacks during the day. Older children receive positive messages about healthy eating through topic work and spontaneous discussion at meal times. They add their snack time fruit to their 'five a day' tally and think about which foods are more healthy than others during cooking activities.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Older children regularly access the outdoor area where they use a range of equipment to promote their physical development. They develop skills and confidence as they climb frames, scramble inside dens and balance on equipment. Babies have sufficient opportunities for outdoor and physical play. They confidently explore their surroundings, crawling on the floor or using small furnishings as props. All children benefit from music and movement activities which develop their coordination.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Suitable risk assessments are in place and the setting has recently evaluated its practice to promote children's safety. However, the organisation of available space, at times limits younger children's ability to rest in appropriate surroundings and the availability of staff to fully meet children's needs. For example, young children sleeping are not monitored effectively and are disturbed by other children's activities. Scattered toys and other equipment present trip hazards at times and impinge on available space in the baby unit. Positive steps were taken during this inspection by the setting to address aspects of safety procedures and promote consistency. These included the reinstatement of fire drill records and reminders to parents to complete signing in and out sheets.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Older children benefit from a child centred environment where facilities, such as toilets and furnishings, are age-appropriate and promote independent, safe access. A wide range of resources are organised effectively in crates, labelled with pictures at a low level. This enables children over two years to readily mix and match equipment to support their choice of activities.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The setting's focus on active learning and consistent activity planning ensures children benefit from a wide range of activities across the nursery. Babies enjoy musical activities as they shake instruments and clap to favourite songs. They have fun experiencing regular, sensory activities such as water play and hand painting. Older children in the main nursery receive good support from attentive staff during free play. As a result, shape, number and colour are regularly

p.3

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 reinforced and children are encouraged them to think for themselves as staff ask questions about their activities. Children also develop an understanding of the world around them in response to spontaneous events. For example, they investigate shadows as the sun comes out and staff introduce different hand shapes to copy in the garden. Toddlers are introduced appropriately to the main nursery area at quieter times of the day. They learn to access resources with support, often on a one to one basis, which promotes independent use as they develop confidence.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children engage well in adult led activities as small group size promotes their involvement and staff value their ideas. Older children show interest in how pop corn is made and express preferences for sweet or salty tastes. Two year olds gain confidence and language skills as they share details of their activities with others in a small group. Here they review their achievements and demonstrate their understanding of what they have learned. For example, which things float and sink. Suitable frameworks are used to plan age-appropriate activities within the Foundation Stage and for children under three. Children's formal assessment records do not always reflect the breadth of their activities and development. However, this is reflected well in activity evaluations where individual children's responses are noted by staff.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Resources are organised effectively into specific areas within the open plan room. In each area, resources are attractively laid out by staff which supports children's development across all areas of learning. Children confidently combine a wide range of resources throughout the day, which promotes choice and independent learning. In addition, useful prompts are displayed for staff which supports their interaction with children. Planned rotation of resources provides ongoing interest and reinforces children's learning during free play. For example, resources from adult led activities are left out to help reinforce ideas which children investigate further, at their own pace. At other times, children's own activities are sustained and extended well as staff engage with them.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Effective medium term plans are drawn up in discussion with children to provide interesting ideas for topic work. These are developed further to ensure activities are consistently provided across all six areas of learning. Short term plans are thoughtfully organised including resource lists, key questions and general extensions for more able children. This ensures children receive good support in small group activities and their individual contribution is acknowledged. While children's assessments are not routinely used to inform planning, spontaneous staff support enables children's developmental needs to be met and regular observations track their progress.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's assessments are a varied combination of the local authority's tracking record, work books, photographs and additional observations. Activity evaluations provide further evidence of children engaging in the broad and balanced curriculum offered by the setting. Children are confident speakers and willing to share their ideas. They play cooperatively in small groups and initiate their own activities, arranging chairs for an imaginary trip to the zoo. They spontaneously use number and shape as part of everyday activities. They use a range of resources, such as magnetic boards and construction materials to demonstrate their understanding of positional language and number. Children enjoy number games as activities to support their mathematical understanding are varied and regularly planned. Children's creativity is fostered well as opportunities to explore a wide range of materials are freely available. They develop

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

concentration manipulating small items as they thread cereal bracelets.

p.4

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

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have opportunities to feel valued and share with others as they display photographs from home on the sharing board and review their activities in small groups. Older children are familiar with the busy daily routine and are well behaved. Staff offer consistent guidelines about their behaviour and children are responsive to requests to help and listen at group time. Children develop confidence as they are encouraged and praised for their use of new equipment. Children with additional needs and English as an additional language are supported effectively and visual aids support their inclusion and understanding of the daily routine. Children become familiar with their local community through walks in the local area and library visits. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents are welcomed into the setting through a combination of an open door policy and social events Initial information is gathered from parents, including their children's health and dietary requirements. Informal discussion ensures children's needs continue to be met and provides parents with regular updates. Individual developmental records are shared at parent's evenings and are accessible to parents at other times. Parents receive good information about the Foundation Stage and how children learn through play. A combination of written information, notice board displays and shared, developmental targets supports parental involvement in their children's learning. Parents comment positively on the care their children receive.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Suitable recruitment procedures are in place and a revised induction programme supports new staff appropriately. Training needs, such as child protection updates and Foundation Stage training, are routinely identified to ensure staff continue to meet the needs of all children. Children are grouped appropriately and younger children are supported well through the transition to the main nursery area. Children benefit from a consistent staff group and effective cover arrangements which adds to their security. Documentation is generally well organised, although an accurate record of hours children attend is not effectively maintained. Appropriate records, for example medication, accident records and parental consents are in place. There are some inconsistencies in the updating of information for parents, such as the complaints procedures.

p.5

Organisation

Leadership and management is good. The manager provides a positive role model for staff in her interaction with children and the setting demonstrates a strong commitment to improving provision for all children. Using the local authority's quality assurance scheme, it continues to identify areas for development and implement action plans, which are generally effective. The programme for nursery education is monitored effectively and the setting continues to review the coordination of children's assessments. At present, the organisation of the baby unit is less effective due to inconsistencies in some procedures and the use of available space. For example, space used at times by older children sleeping, limits younger children's opportunities for play and restful sleep. However, the setting continues to actively review these arrangements to benefit children. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

p.5

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

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

The setting has taken positive steps to address recommendations made at the last inspections of children's care (2004) and education (2005). Outcomes for children's health have been improved as the format for medication and accident records has been developed to include more details. The child protection procedure had been reviewed and now contains appropriate information and clearer procedures. The programme for children's communication, language and literacy has been developed to benefit children. Story times are part of the daily routine and the book corner has been arranged to promote children's use in comfortable surroundings.

p.6

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. 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.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

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.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.6

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 consistent, effective procedures are in place to promote the health of young children. • Review sleeping arrangements for young children to ensure they have sufficient space in a restful environment and that they are monitored effectively to promote their wellbeing. • Continue to review documentation and record keeping to ensure it is up to date and consistently maintained, particularly records of attendance.

p.6

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 review the effectiveness of children's assessments and their use in planning for individual children's needs.

p.6

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 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

p.6

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

p.7