Parklands Private Day Nursery

Parklands Private Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Parklands Private Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY293801 Inspection date 04 July 2005 Inspector Chris Scully

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Parklands Private Day Nursery

Setting Address Broad Lane, Southdene, Kirkby, Liverpool, L32 6QG

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E-mail

Registered person Parklands Private Day Nursery Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School 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 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Parklands Nursery opened in November 2004. It operates from six rooms within a purpose built building. It is situated in the Kirkby area of Knowsley. A maximum of 66 children may attend at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 until 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. The setting provides out of school and holiday care for 8 children aged 5 to 8 years. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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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 There are currently 76 children aged from birth to 8 years on roll. Of these, 4 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 18 staff. Of these 10 staff including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are 4 staff who are currently working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children thrive because staff follow effective procedures and practices which meet the children's physical, nutritional and health needs. They are cared for in a warm, clean environment. Children learn the importance for the need of good personal hygiene through daily routines. Children are confident to wash their hands after going to the bathroom and before meals. Good adult support enables children to gain an understanding of staying healthy such as, blowing their nose and covering their mouths when coughing to reduce the spread of germs. All required documentation is in place, though parents do not always sign the entries. Staff are attentive to the individual needs of children and meet these well in practice, further promoting their health and well being. Staff are proactive in reducing the risk of cross infection, such as ensuring that children have their own face cloths and bedding which are washed

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Helping children to be healthy

daily. Children are eager to explore, test and develop their physical control through indoor and outdoor play. Babies have good opportunities to explore their environment and are supported well by the staff. Babies are confident enough to pull themselves up on furniture and to practise walking skills under the watchful eyes of the staff. Older children are encouraged to practise their balancing and climbing skills on outdoor resources. They are using wheeled toys with increasing control and confidence. Children benefit from highly nutritious home cooked meals and snacks. These are all freshly prepared on site by the cook who values the importance of using fresh produce to improve upon the children's health and well being. Children's individual dietary needs are catered for effectively by the staff and the cook. Drinks are available through out the day in order for children to refresh themselves.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a bright, warm and well maintained environment, which means they can play and explore their surroundings in safety and comfort. They have access to a wide range of age appropriate resources that stimulate their interests and learning opportunities. Children are confident to select their own resources from child height storage systems further promoting their independence. Children are engaged in a range of purposeful play and learning activities that promote their all round

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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 development. Children's risk of accidental injury is minimised in the well designed setting which has good safety and security precautions, such as key pads on the doors. Effective risk assessments are carried out by the health and safety officer which enhance the children's safety both indoors and outside. Staff help to keep children safe on outings, as they are fully aware of and understand the health and safety requirements. Older children learn the importance of keeping themselves safe when walking to and from school and using the green cross code. Children are well protected by the effective child protection systems in place. The child protection officer ensures that procedures are up to date. These effective procedures ensure all staff and students are fully aware of the their responsibility to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the nursery where they are happy and settled. Care of babies is good. Babies receive high levels of support from staff. Staff are skilled at providing a range of interesting activities to stimulate the babies interests. They have a secure knowledge of Birth to Three Matters and use the guidance well to extend the play and learning opportunities to children. This effectively fosters their all round development. Staff spend a considerable amount of time talking to children and extending their vocabulary. Staff regularly introduce new words to children and give clear explanations of their meaning to extend their understanding, such as rhinoceros instead of rhino. Children feel safe and secure in their environment due to the warm caring relationships they have with the staff. This is supported well by the effective key worker system. Children benefit from having their individual needs met within

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

warm, caring relationships which contribute to their sense of belonging. Children's art work is well displayed which promotes their self esteem. They talk happily about growing sunflowers and recent trips to the zoo. Children enjoy a variety of well planned activities that enable them to make progress in all areas of their development. They relate well to one another and have made firm friends. Children develop independence skills as they are able to self select their own activities and resources. Children spend time engaged in purposeful play and learning experiences that have actively engaged their interests, such as painting activities. This includes one child who is able to paint his picture and then extend his play by using his hands to paint with. This is supported well by staff who engage in conversation about what the paint feels like. Nursery Education The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Staff have an understanding of the Foundation

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Stage and how children learn. They provide an interesting range of activities to stimulate the children's interest, such as growing sunflowers and pumpkins within the nursery garden. Right from the start, staff find out about the children's skills and interests and build upon this to enable children to achieve as much as they can. 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 are skilled at asking open ended questions that enable children to think, solve simple problems, and build upon their self esteem. The use of regular observation and assessments enable staff to plan learning opportunities to meet children's interests. Staff are creating a number line of horses to encourage children to recognise numbers. As a result of this, children are making steady progress in all areas of their development. Children are often engaged in a range of purposeful activities and learning experiences. Children are confident to choose resources and where to play. However, the organisation of some resources does not actively contribute to child initiated play opportunities. Children listen well to stories such as Lawrence the Lion and talk about this enthusiastically. They are developing mark-making skills, with

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

some children writing recognisable letters. They are confident to recognise their own names, but have limited opportunities to write for a purpose within the setting, such as shopping lists. Children use their imagination well and often engage others in their play. They negotiate well and organise others in play, such as deciding who is going to the shops. Children use their mathematical skills and language well in every day conversation to describe ideas, for example "I have drawn a big long fish". Though there are limited opportunities for children to identify numbers within the environment and understand the meaning of numbers. They make sense of the world through a range of interesting well planned activities. These include looking at other cultures and beliefs, such as Chinese New Year and Norwegian Day. Children enjoy dressing in the colours of Norway and tasting foods from the region. Children work well together. They share and take turns well in organised games and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in child initiated play. They are well behaved and understand the clear rules and boundaries to keep them safe. They have developed good independence and self-help skills, such as putting on their coats and seeing to their personal needs. Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills through a variety of ways such as outdoor play and music and movement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled at the nursery. Staff have built good relationships with the children that enable them to feel safe and secure. This includes a number of 'settling-in' visits with their parents to help them to get to know the staff and the setting. Staff are skilled at obtaining information from parents about the children's individual needs and preferences. Babies settle well because staff work closely with the parents to ensure they follow their home routines. The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is satisfactory. Staff are in the process of implementing open days and encouraging parents to become involved in activities. All parents receive high quality written information about the setting and the care that children receive. They are engaged in daily exchanges with staff which keep them informed about their child's progress and activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn about the world in which we live through a range of well planned activities and resources. This helps children to develop a positive attitude towards

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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 others. Children are well behaved and respond well to staff requests, such as not to climb on the settee. They are familiar with the daily routines and understand the safe boundaries that are in place. Children take turns well and show concern for others. The children's knowledge and awareness of the local community is enhanced by trips to the pet shop and other local amenities. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from a well organised and stimulating environment. This enables them to be happy and confident in the play environment. They have good opportunities to play, rest and explore their surroundings. Children are well supported by qualified and skilled staff who are effectively inducted. The regular opportunities to meet as a team to discuss policies and procedures ensures that they are consistently applied. Records are well maintained, however parents do not always sign entries within the accident and medication record. Staff are committed to continuous improvement and training opportunities. Staff attend courses at weekends and evenings to improve their skills and knowledge. This enhances the play, learning and safety of all the children. Children enjoy effective staff ratios to maintain their health, safety and well being. However the collection systems for out of school do not always conform to best practice. Procedures are

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Organisation

constantly monitored and evaluated to improve upon the quality of care and education provided. The management are proactive in keeping parents informed of policies and staff roles within the setting, enabling them to be fully informed about the care provided. The enthusiastic leadership and management of nursery education have successfully identified weaknesses within specific areas. They have already implemented steps to address these issues and are proactive in their approach to providing quality education to all children. Overall, the provision meets the needs of all the children who attend.

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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

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 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 satisfactory.

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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 parents sign all entries in the accident and medication records

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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): • improve the organisation of resources within the individual areas • improve the opportunities for children to write for a purpose and to recognise numbers within the environment

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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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