Fairmount Nursery (Clarkehouse)

Fairmount Nursery (Clarkehouse) Inspection report for early years provision

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300827 Unique Reference Number 10 January 2008 Inspection date Sarah Gilpin Inspector

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5 Clarkehouse Road, Sheffield, S10 2LA Setting Address

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E-mail

Fairmount Nursery Ltd 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 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?

The Fairmount Nursery (Clarkehouse) opened in 1998 and operates from a detached building close to local hospitals and Sheffield University. The nursery is owned and managed by Fairmount Nursery Limited. The nursery serves children and families living in the local and wider Sheffield area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 75 children at anyone time and there are currently 103 children on roll. This includes 31 children who are in receipt of nursery education funding. There is provision for children with disabilities and learning difficulties and for those children for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 until 18.00 throughout the year and children attend for a variety of sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 28 members of staff working with the children, of whom 26 hold an appropriate childcare qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher from the local authority and is participating in the Sheffield Pathways to Quality, a local quality assurance scheme. The children can access lessons from a teacher who is helping them to learn basic French.

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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. The children are cared for in a clean and well maintained environment. There are clear policies and procedures, which promote the health and well-being of the children. For example, the staff follow the nappy changing procedure, which ensures that children are protected from cross contamination. Children are learning about good hygiene through daily routines, such as hand washing before meals, which is aided by the low-level facilities, easy to use soap dispensers and paper towels. There are suitable systems for dealing with accidents, staff have completed first aid training, there are stocked first aid boxes on each floor and recording systems ensure that parents know about any incidents involving their children. In addition, a recently introduced monitoring system helps to identify recurring accidents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy nutritious and well balanced meals. The lunch is provided by an outside catering company, while the snacks are prepared on site by the staff and house keeper. The children enjoy fresh fruit at snack time and this also accompanies the breakfast cereal and toast that is available in the morning. The nursery successfully accommodates the parents' wishes by providing foods that meet their children's individual needs as well as their likes and dislikes. The children's mealtimes are busy and sociable, they thoroughly enjoy chatting to staff and friends as they eat together. The older children take an active role in serving themselves from the trays passed around by the staff. The children can have second helpings of their favourite foods and try new tastes, often being encouraged by their peers. Snack and meal times are unhurried and maximise the opportunities children have to practise and refine skills, such as

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Helping children to be healthy

The younger children's individual routines for rest and sleep are met by the staff who recognise when the children are tired and provide suitable sleeping facilities. For example, the younger children sleep when they are tired and meal times are adjusted accordingly to meet their needs. The children have daily opportunities to develop their physical skills; they enthusiastically use the outdoor area to 'go on a bear hunt', play 'farmers in his den' and to chase each other around the apparatus.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in an environment that is maintained to ensure it is safe, secure and welcoming. The staff are vigilant as they support the children in their play. For example, children are closely supervised as they play inside the nursery and explore the secure outdoor area. The children's arrival and departure at nursery is carefully monitored by the staff within each room and the layout of the nursery entrance ensures that all visitors to the setting are monitored. In addition, a clear record is kept of adults in the nursery and as a result the children's safety is maintained. Detailed risk assessments ensure that potential hazards are minimised and the children can play safely. Fire safety precautions are in place and the regular fire evacuation practises mean that children know how to respond to emergency situations. However, the records of fire practises do not provide sufficient information on how each evacuation was

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

managed to inform any changes to the procedures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children safely access the toys and resources, which are carefully stored at their level. Equipment used by the children meets the required safety standards and is routinely checked

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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 by the staff to ensure that items remain safe for them to use. Children's safety when playing outside is managed through daily checks to ensure the area is safe for them before they go out to play. Gentle reminders from staff ensure that children have a growing awareness of how to keep themselves safe. For example, by promoting their awareness of others as they move around the rooms, and when children are negotiating the stairs the staff carefully remind them to hold on to the rail and move slowly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded because staff have attended training on child protection and there are clear procedures for referring all concerns to the relevant organisations. Staff understand the signs and symptoms of abuse and use this knowledge to carefully monitor the children, safeguarding their welfare. There is a clear policy that is understood by the staff and straightforward recording systems, for example, accident, incident and existing injury records ensure that staff act in the best interests of the children in their care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The children's enjoyment and learning is of priority to all staff in the nursery. They work hard to ensure that children are settled and cared for in a well planned and resourced environment. The grouping of children is organised to ensure that children's age and stage of development is carefully taken into account, and as a result their needs are effectively met. The staff work predominantly in designated areas to ensure consistency for the children, while floating staff and room groupings at the beginning and end of the day help the children to feel confident in different areas and with a variety of adults. This results in the children being happy and well settled. New children are supported by the staff to separate from their carer and to begin to form friendships with their peers. Children are confident and comfortable with the staff, they seek support and guidance easily as they play together.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The areas where the youngest children play are organised to provide a good range of suitable experiences. For example, the babies enjoy floor based play, with some easily accessible low storage for the colourful stacking toys and noisy equipment. The toddlers have opportunities to explore the texture of pasta, beans and jelly and they happily potter around the rooms accessing the toys that are around. They independently paint, getting up to the table and use the purple paint to make 'splodge' pictures. Children enjoy role play activities, taking turns to make the dinner for their friends and ring their 'mums' up on the pretend telephone. The young children became enthralled by a small group story session, which included them being told their 'favourite' book, 'Silly Suzy Goose'. Children listen intently and follow the staff in making the sounds that accompany the story. They then enthusiastically sing along to action rhymes and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

well known songs. There are warm and affectionate relationships between the staff and all children, this results in children being confident to explore the setting and helps to raise their self-esteem.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The staff have a good working knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage. They provide children with a range of learning experiences for them to enjoy and which helps them to make good progress in their learning. The staff provide activities that are based on children's interests and they are beginning to use their weekly observations of the children to plan for the next stages in their learning. Staff use open ended questioning when playing with the children to test their understanding and encourage them to think about what they are doing. Staff are beginning to develop the

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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 environment to ensure that children can access a range of resources and can accomplish many tasks independently. This includes setting up areas around the room that provide continual provision, some of which are well resourced, such as the mark making area, while others require further consideration.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children build warm and harmonious relationships with the adults and their peers who share their room, and this helps many of the children to feel confident. They are inquisitive and ask questions about the things they see around them, both in the indoor and outdoor environments.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show good awareness of their own needs and can manage their own personal hygiene. The layout of the nursery means that children need to be accompanied to the toilet by the staff, but the low-level facilities ensure that children can manage their needs independently. The children enjoy the company of their peers as they seek others out to play with chosen activities and resources. They speak very confidently using a comprehensive vocabulary that is extended well by the skilful interactions of the staff as they talk and question the children during their play. Group story times are enjoyed by the children, however, they are somewhat interrupted by the organisation of lunch and some children do not hear a story to its completion. Children use the book area independently at other times and love one to one story telling with staff. The children enjoy many opportunities to write purposefully and the older and more able

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children are developing their pencil control. This is extended by the use of writing materials in the role play 'post office'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children spontaneously use mathematical language in their play as they talk about the number, shape and position of items and toys. They use their knowledge of shape and size to fold paper to size to put into envelopes for the 'postman' to deliver. The nursery computer is enjoyed by the children who show their well developed skills in completing programmes and using the mouse to accurately click and drag to draw pictures on the screen. Children enjoy taking roles in the 'post office' imaginary area. They use their own experiences to queue for stamps and to post their letters. Children's individual creativity is developing well and they produce some interesting collage pictures, paintings and drawings using a variety of media and resources. The children's physical development is encouraged through a range of planned activities including music and movement, and through regular access to the outdoor environment. They

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

use tools such as scissors and cutlery with confidence to cut items such as paper and sausages with growing ease.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children are cared for in an inclusive environment and by a staff team who work well to meet their individual needs. Parents are asked to provide information about their children prior to them being cared for, which assists their smooth transition into the provision. There is provision for children with learning difficulties and disabilities and clear procedures ensure that all children's development is monitored. Many children with English as an additional language attend the nursery and staff take time to find out simple terminology to ensure they can communicate the children's basic needs in a language the children can understand.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children take a pride in their art work and creations and these are celebrated by staff who carefully display their pictures around the rooms. The children play harmoniously together, playing cooperatively when it is appropriate to their stage of development. Staff generally manage the handling of children in a consistent way, however, on the day of the inspection an

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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 observation was made with regard to the inappropriate moving of a young child. Children follow the instructions of staff particularly when the routine of the day requires them to tidy up their toys or help staff to set the tables at lunch time. The children show their awareness of the conventions of society, such as good manners and when they allow their friends a turn at favoured activities. There is a good variety of resources and activities for them to access and the children can successfully make choices and take decisions about what they do and enjoy. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Displays of planning in each area of the nursery help the parents to share in their children's learning. Parents and children are made very welcome by the staff and easy going informal discussions ensure that all information relating to the children is successfully exchanged each day. The staff manage the children's sleep routines and diet to ensure they are cared for according to their parents' wishes. There are clear procedures for the recording of concerns raised to staff. However, when asked some parents are unclear about the role of the regulator in dealing with complaints.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The children are cared for in a well managed and successfully organised setting. There are effective systems in place to recruit and check staff, this ensures that children are cared for by adults who are suitable to do so. There are clear policies and procedures that are implemented by the staff and as a result the children's well-being is effectively promoted. Staff enjoy regular access to training and development opportunities, and they demonstrate a good understanding of child development and are up to date with current practice. In addition, the nursery staff are working towards the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Organisation

The management team recognise the staff team are a strength in the nursery and understand where there are areas for development in the provision. The effective deployment of staff means that children are successfully supported as they play and are carefully monitored throughout the day.

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Organisation

The leadership and management with regard to nursery education is good and contributes to the good progress the children make in their learning. The planning and assessment systems have recently been altered and early indications are that the new system will provide for children's individual development and learning. 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 nursery was required to ensure staff continued to access training. There is evidence from discussion with the staff and reviewing the training records that demonstrate the commitment the nursery has to training and developing the staff team. This ensures that children are cared for by knowledgeable staff.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last inspection of nursery education recommended that improvements be made in the opportunities children have to write for a purpose and to extend their mathematical skills. There are many opportunities for the children to practise and refine their writing skills and sufficient resources are easily accessible to encourage the children further. In addition, the children have frequent opportunities to develop their mathematical understanding through a range of everyday activities.

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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

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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): • consider how the consistency in the handling of children is managed and assured • develop the fire evacuation record to include all of the required details.

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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 the continual provision for children, to further promote their independence and to develop their play and extend their learning • consider how the routine of the day impacts on group times and story sessions.

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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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