Sunshine Under 5's

Sunshine Under 5's Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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303487 Unique Reference Number 06 March 2008 Inspection date Susan Patricia Birkenhead Inspector

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441 Eastwood, Windmill Hill, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 6LJ Setting Address

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E-mail

Sunshine Under 5's Nursery Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional 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 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Sunshine Under 5's Nursery was registered in 1987 and is managed and organised by a voluntary committee made up of parents and carers. The nursery operates from a converted house in the Windmill Hill area of Runcorn, Cheshire and children have access to an enclosed outdoor area. A maximum of 16 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 09.30 to 12.00 term time only.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 18 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, eight children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties or disabilities. Children attend from the local community as well as other areas within Runcorn.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs three staff, all staff including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. Of these two staff are working towards an additional qualification. The nursery is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and receives support from the Qualified Teacher Support (QTS). The nursery is in receipt of an Early Years accreditation, awarded in 2006.

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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's good health is positively promoted through the effective practices and procedures in place. Children develop a positive understanding of personal hygiene because they wash their hands at regular intervals during the day. When washing their hands before snack children explain that 'they do this everyday to make their hands clean because you get germs on them'. The procedures for sick children are discussed with parents initially and children learn to cover their mouths when coughing. They benefit from the established nappy changing routines and the cleaning schedules for keeping the setting clean. These include regular use of anti-bacterial spray for the cleaning of surfaces and equipment. As a result, the risk of infection to children is minimised. All staff are qualified in paediatric first aid and resources in place ensure the effective treatment of minor injuries. Consistent systems are in place when recording the details

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Helping children to be healthy

of accidents and the administration of prescribed medication. Parents acknowledge all entries made to these records as they sign against them. However, due to the central record system for recording accidents confidentiality is compromised.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have many worthwhile opportunities to develop their physical skills both indoors and outside. They negotiate space outdoors as they move the wheeled toys around the restricted space skilfully using their feet or the pedals. They climb the structure in place which assists in the development of their balance and access the slide with confidence. The children take part enthusiastically in group games the staff organise, such as the 'parachute game' and often discuss how their heart beats faster after more physical play. The planned physical exercise (PE) and the music and movement sessions allow children opportunities to express themselves. The children develop their fine skills well by using varied resources indoors, such as, scissors, construction and writing materials. Therefore, children are developing good control and coordination over their bodies and begin to understand the effects physical exercise has on

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a healthy range of snacks accessible to them, which are reflected in the menu on display. These include varied fresh fruits daily, vegetable sticks with dips, which the children say they enjoy and cereal. Snack times provide a socially interactive time for the staff and children and the routine they follow encourages the development of their self-help skills. For example, they collect their own snack before sitting down and are assisted in pouring their own drinks or complete this task independently. They sit together in smaller groups with the staff and discuss their day and the snack they eat. Children have a choice of drinking water or milk at snack time, and the positive arrangements within the room enable children to have independent access to drinking water at other times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a very welcoming and secure environment. The entrance to the nursery and the designated outdoor play area are secure and the record system in place monitors visitors to the setting. Staff oversee the arrival and departure of the children, which contributes to the children's security. Good use is made of the space available because the different learning areas established contribute to the continuous play provision. The attractive displays of children’s art work positively contribute to the welcoming environment and clearly reflect the emphasis on self expression that staff value. This supports children's sense of belonging. The notice

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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 boards within the entrance provide a good level of information for parents including the staff qualifications, the registration details and the Ofsted contact. The positive organisation of the premises contributes to the child friendly environment and supports the children's learning and enjoyment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have access to a wide range of play materials that are developmentally appropriate to support, extend and challenge their learning. They select for themselves what they want to play with from the resources set out and additional items, which are stored close by in clear see through boxes allow children to freely make choices in their play, therefore, varying their stimulation. The cleanliness and safety of the play materials is regularly checked by staff.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are cared for within a safe environment because the staff take positive steps to minimise risks to the children. This includes fitting a safety gate to restrict children's access to the kitchen, guarding all radiators and completing a written risk assessment daily before the children's arrival. Children learn to keep themselves safe because they practice road safety during walks and staff make them aware of unsafe practices indoors and outside by explaining the consequences of their actions. The procedures followed for emergency evacuation are on display and sufficient records outline the date, time of the drill they practise and any problems arising. However, the record does not reflect the number of staff and children who are present at the time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is generally safeguarded because the detailed child protection policy makes staff aware of their responsibilities in protecting children. They have a clear understanding of the indicators of abuse and are familiar with the procedures followed for reporting concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy and settle well in the child friendly environment. They are greeted warmly by staff on arrival and procedures for settling the children in ensure they are confident to leave their parents. The established key worker system means that staff get to know the children well and develop positive relationships, which contributes to their sense of security. Children soon become familiar with the routine, for example, they know to wear an apron for creative activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The positive organisation of the setting enables children to make choices and become interested in all that they do. Children have opportunities to play independently as well as take part in adult led activities as a group. For example, they make 'muddy pigs' for the display. They paint them using a mixture of paint and shaving foam, using their senses to describe the texture. They develop their understanding of the natural world as they plant seeds and talk about watering to make them grow. The role play changes in emphasis periodically associated with the theme they follow, for example, the garden centre, the house and a café, to promote the children's imagination. They access the construction materials or play quietly with the small world items, such as the road way and play people. As a result, children have fun and make satisfactory progress in all areas of their development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have not developed a full understanding of the 'Birth to three matters' framework, which means it is not used to inform the planning of activities. As a result, children under three are involved in activities, which are not always developmentally appropriate. Staff at times are not deployed effectively which results in their time not being equally divided between the different age groups. For example, two staff focus on the mathematical concepts with a group of children

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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 whilst younger children play alone. Staff complete a record of achievement four weeks after the children begin attending. They record observations, which contribute to their assessments, however, these are linked to the Foundation Stage curriculum and not the 'Birth to three matters' framework for children under the age of three years.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals as a result of the many opportunities available to them. The manager has a positive understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and how children learn. Other staff are developing a sound understanding from the role model the manager presents and the training they attend. All staff contribute to the development of the short term planning of activities using the long and medium term plans in place. The planning of activities is linked to the areas of learning, the role of the adult, the assessment focus and the themes they follow which include 'the farm', 'people who help us' and 'spring'. Activities are evaluated, however, how staff plan for the next steps in children's learning, and the needs of the more and less able children are not clear. Information obtained during focused or

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

spontaneous observations assist the staff in the assessment of the children's developmental progress, which is transferred into the local authority transitional documents held for each child. Through the focused activity groups the key worker staff plan weekly opportunities for children to practice and develop skills associated with the areas of learning. Staff positively interact with children and are developing their questioning skills appropriately to extend and challenge children's thinking, learning and foster their enjoyment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing good relationships with one another and are becoming confident communicators as they engage in conversations. Children are attentive at group story times and show respect by sitting quietly when children stand up to sing a song. They begin to give some meaning to the marks they make and good opportunities allow children to write for a purpose both indoors and outside. Children learn to recognise their name as they select their name card from those set out as part of the self-registration system. Some children confidently write their own name on their pictures and others give meaning to the marks they make. They combine music and their understanding of letters sounds as part of the daily routine at circle time. This means that the children are encouraged to have fun whilst learning. Children show interest in books and frequently visit the book area independently to look at a book of their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a sound understanding of mathematics through the activities organised and the good level of written numbers on display. Staff reinforce basic addition and subtraction during activities and use language to describe, size, number and position. Children select four 'tiny' bears, and spontaneously show four fingers to consolidate their learning. They recognise by adding one more it makes five bears and some count the ones they have in their tray to beyond 10. They talk about size, as they select and match the 'bigger and smaller bears' when asked. Children also skilfully name and match various shapes they post into the box and associate the shape of a cross with the symbol they see at the doctors.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Opportunities for children to explore and investigate are promoted positively. They use magnifying glasses to examine the small seeds and discuss the differences they see. One child comments 'my hands look bigger too'. Children develop their creative skills well using a wide range of materials and extend their understanding of colour in everyday situations. For example, they wind the pink pipe cleaners around their forefinger to make a curly tail to attach to the 'muddy pig' they paint. They complete observational paintings of themselves using a mirror

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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 and copy the daffodils placed in the middle of the table. They create patterns using templates of 'Elmer the elephant' and explore texture when looking for the hidden animals in the sand. Children differentiate between sounds as they use the musical instruments quietly and loudly. They experiment with rhythm as they say their name and create a number of beats according to the length of their name.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy each other's company and play happily together in the relaxed atmosphere of the nursery. They are confident within the setting, and question what the inspector is doing at the nursery. Children gain an appreciation of the wider world. They have access to sufficient resources that reflect positive images of diversity and celebrate a number of different festivals. For example, they dress up, sample different foods and complete creative activities when celebrating Chinese New Year and St David's day. The nursery demonstrates a positive attitude towards inclusion and is happy to give consideration to the care of children with learning difficulties and disabilities. Staff attend basic specialist training to support children's needs for example, Makaton. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children receive individual care and respect and staff get to know them well. The staff act as positive role models and use appropriate strategies to manage children's behaviour. For example, staff intervention diffuses minor squabbles and encourages children to play cooperatively, take turns and consider others. Staff work together closely to provide a consistent approach and when necessary discuss concerns with their parents. As a result, the children behave well. The staff positively recognise the children's good behaviour and achievements through continuous praise. They use reward systems, such as stickers, draw smiley faces on their work and applaud each other as they stand in front of the group to sing a song. Children are delighted as their achievements are shared with others in the group. These methods contribute to the building of children's self-esteem, confidence and make them feel good about themselves.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. The strategies in place encourage parents to become involved in the running of the nursery, for example, by joining the committee or attending the parent rota. However, little interest is shown. The information leaflet the parents receive contains details of the 'Foundation Stage' curriculum and how staff promote the children's learning. The prospectus available, which is currently under review is more detailed and incorporates the policies for parents to read. The staff involve parents in extending the children's learning at home. For example, the colour card they take home encourages them to recognise and bring in to nursery associated items to further reinforce their learning. They enter into a book loan scheme, which encourages parents to share books and read to their children at home to further their enjoyment. However, children's assessment records are not

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Helping children make a positive contribution

routinely shared with parents although they can ask to see them at any time. Information about their children's developmental progress or their well-being is exchanged verbally. Parents positively comment on how well their children have progressed since attending the nursery and how much the setting is valued.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Established procedures in place demonstrate some clearance the staff complete for example, the criminal records bureau checks (CRB). However, this involves retaining the CRB disclosure

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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 notices on the staff file which compromises confidentiality. The necessary procedures for informing Ofsted of the changes to the manager and the committee members that make up the registered body have been delayed. This means that the necessary checks have not been completed, which constitutes a breach in regulation and compromises children's safety and welfare. Staff files contain information regarding their contract of employment but do not include personal details in the event of an emergency arising and other information associated with their appointment.

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Organisation

Good staff to child ratios means children receive a positive level of support and attention. All staff hold relevant qualifications and some staff are working towards additional training to develop their own practice and benefit children’s learning. In the main, written policies provide a detailed account to reflect the setting's practices and procedures. However, the complaints policy has not been updated following the changes in regulation and the procedure for lost children is not included. All legally required documentation is generally in place, however, the daily registers for staff and children do not include their hours of attendance, which is a breach in regulation. Entries to the accident record are listed one after the other, which compromises confidentiality.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The manager is aware of her role, however because she has only been in post a short time her confidence in managing the setting and staff team is developing. As a result, staff performance is not monitored through formal appraisals. However, they do work well together to deliver the programme of activities. Infrequent meetings with the committee mean that the manager and the staff feel unsupported in their role. The monitoring of the nursery practices is restricted to the occasional support they receive from the Qualified Teacher Support Teacher (QTS).

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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

During the last care inspection the provider was asked to carry out risk assessments of the nappy changing facilities, to obtain parental consent in writing for taking photographs and extend policies to include use of the digital camera. Since the last inspection the provider has given attention to the nappy changing area and conducts daily risk assessments. A system for obtaining parental consent for the taking of photographs is in place although not completed for all children and the digital camera is no longer used, generally promoting the children's welfare and safety.

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Improvements since the last inspection

During the last education inspection the provider was asked to provide opportunities for the children to link sounds and letters and have access to writing materials in the role play areas. Also to provide more opportunities for more capable children to be involved in focused activities away from the younger children. Since the last inspection the provider has introduced many opportunities for the children to link sounds and letters within the daily routine and writing materials are accessible to children playing in the role play area. The planning of focused activity groups weekly ensures older children are involved in some activities away from the younger children. Therefore, providing opportunities for children to further extend or consolidate their learning.

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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. The provider is

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Complaints 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 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 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 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): • review the planning of activities and the assessment records for children under three years to incorporate the 'Birth to three matters' framework • review the complaints policy and implement a system for the recording of complaints, which can be shared with parents in line with the changes in regulation • review the policies to include the procedures followed in the unlikely event of a child being lost and review the system for recording staff and children's attendance to reflect the hours they attend • complete the required clearance to ensure the manager and the committee members are suitable for their role, update staff records to reflect information associated with their employment, including contact details and develop a more robust system to reflect the staff and committee members clearance

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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): • consider and implement appropriate systems to ensure the professional development of the staff employed and the nursery education are regularly monitored • further develop opportunities to share the children's developmental progress with parents • continue to develop the children's assessment records and observations to clearly reflect the next steps in children's learning and use this information to inform the planning of activities.

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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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