Guilden Sutton Day Nursery

Guilden Sutton Private Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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305081 Unique Reference Number 09 October 2007 Inspection date Ron Goldsmith Inspector

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A V Wilding Business Park, Guilden Sutton Lane, Guilden Sutton, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 7EX

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E-mail

Anne Stone and Patricia Mitchell 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Guilden Sutton Day Nursery is privately owned and managed. In addition to the nursery the owners also manage three out of school clubs in the area. The nursery opened in 1998 and operates from three rooms in a purpose-built single storey building. It is situated at the entrance to a small business park in Guilden Sutton, on the outskirts of Chester. A maximum of 54 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 approximately 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 99 children aged from birth to under five years on roll. Of these 17 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language. The provider employs 32 staff, most of whom hold early years qualifications and five of whom are working towards a qualification.

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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 are protected from the risk of cross-infection and learn to understand simple good hygiene practices when they wash their hands before they eat and after using the toilet. Staff follow careful procedures, such as wiping tables before they are used and clearing up spills straight away, which keeps the environment suitably clean for children's use.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from regular meals and snacks which are of high quality and freshly prepared each day. The setting have recently been awarded a healthy eating award. Snacks and meals are eaten in small groups and mealtimes are relaxed, social occasions where children and adults sit together and enjoy each other's company. Young children are closely held by staff to be fed bottles. Children are encouraged to develop healthy eating habits as they eat healthy and nutritious food and snacks, such as chicken supreme, spaghetti bolognese, fresh vegetables and fruit. Children have access to water in their own bottles throughout the day and staff remind them about the importance of regular drinks, which ensures they are well hydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children take part in regular physical activity both indoors and outdoors that supports the development of their physical skills and contributes to a healthy lifestyle. They enthusiastically take part in an indoor physical play session, learning how to move their bodies in a coordinated manner to music. Outdoors, children thoroughly enjoy running around in the fresh air, playing parachute games together or kicking throwing and catching balls.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is promoted because there are appropriate procedures in place for keeping records of their health needs. Any accidents they have and any medication they need to be given, for ensuring that parents are kept well informed. There is always someone on duty who has a valid first aid certificate and can respond appropriately to minor accidents or injuries.

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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 welcoming, suitably maintained environment. They have access to a good variety of toys and play materials that are kept clean and in good condition, which ensures they can play safely. Their risk of accidental injury is minimised as staff have conducted a risk assessment and take precautions, such as fitting covers to electrical sockets. A biometric entry system, which matches identified finger prints to a key pad, ensures that only approved adults and parents can gain access to the setting. It also means parents can access the nursery at all times without delay. Any visitors to the setting are required to sign a visitor book. Children learn to keep themselves safe when staff gently remind why they mustn't run inside or how to handle certain equipment such as scissors. Children benefit as staff are aware of potential hazards, have minimized risks and have completed health and safety training. They are very

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

vigilant about supervising children closely at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s welfare is safeguarded because staff understand their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures into practice when necessary. There is a comprehensive policy in place that includes procedures for allegations against staff, and a number of staff have recently completed safeguarding training.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are involved in a broad range of activities throughout each day which help to support their development and learning. They are happy and settled and adults provide a calm and stimulating environment for them. Many of the youngest children have only recently started at the playgroup and are already taking an active part in group routines, such as helping to tidy up. They greatly enjoy circle times when they choose and sing familiar nursery rhymes and quiet times sharing a story with an adult. Children explore a good range of creative materials, such as glue and paint. This encourages them to express their experiences and feelings in a variety of ways. Children gain confidence and self-esteem because staff are attentive to their needs and encourage them to build good relationships with each other through sharing and taking turns, listening as children talk about what they have done at the weekend saying, 'I

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

went on an adventure' or the picnic they have enjoyed. Children are confident communicators and this is promoted by staff who actively listen to what children have to say and value their contribution. Young children and babies have stimulating opportunities to enjoy their time at nursery, happily enjoying the texture of rice as they knead it between their fingers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children settle quickly and most can persist at their chosen activities. Children have made firm friendships and enjoy chatting to each other during their play. They enjoy singing songs at carpet time, particularly the scarecrow song and they enjoy pretending to be sleeping bunnies. They touch their toes, stretch or march to a familiar song, warming up their bodies before going outside to play. Children are developing their communication, language and literacy skills as they recognise letters when 'fishing' for phonics and being supported by staff to say the letters they find. They enjoy opportunities for group stories and listen to each other’s ideas well together. There are opportunities to write for different purposes, for example in role play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore numbers as they find and count apples in a counting and number game. They use number names and begin to be aware of numerals. Children are beginning to use mathematical language as they compare their drinks to see who has the most left or talk about how big the towers are that they have constructed from building blocks. They learn about counting on and counting back as they sing number songs and they sort and match shapes confidently as they complete jigsaws. They develop knowledge of texture, colour and shape as they mix paint, glue and stick. Children have sufficient opportunities to develop their fine motor skills as they draw around templates and colour in with pencils and pens.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff working with funded children are suitably qualified and have a sound understanding of how children learn through play and practical activities. They have attended some training to increase their knowledge of the Foundation Stage. However, they do not fully understand how activities contribute to children’s progress towards the early learning goals. Many activities offer insufficient challenge to children and are over directed by staff who do not allow children sufficient time to complete activities at their own pace. This affects children’s ability to learn. Staff do not make effective use of resources available or use everyday routines to extend children’s learning beyond the planned learning intentions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff manage children well and have high expectations for behaviour, giving clear boundaries and sensitive, age-appropriate explanations for routines. Staff ask children questions to make them think and extend their language well through general conversation. They provide a balance

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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 of adult-led and child-initiated activities and encourage children to try new experiences. Although careful observations and assessments are made of children’s stage of development, these are infrequent and are not yet used to plan for the next stage in children’s learning. As a result, activities and experiences are often not well enough matched to children’s needs to provide a suitable level of challenge.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All children and parents are welcomed to the setting each morning. Children demonstrate their confidence by settling quickly to group routines. They are well known by staff who efficiently record individual details and highlight specific needs to ensure these are met effectively. Toys and resources set out by staff are easily and equally accessible to all children. Children celebrate a variety of different festivals throughout the year, such as Chinese New Year, increasing their awareness of the wider world and different lifestyles. This awareness is further supported by resources, such as some posters and dolls. Staff demonstrate an awareness of children's additional needs, such as disability or learning difficulties, enabling them to effectively support those who attend the group. They work closely with outside agencies and parents to ensure continuity of care and learning

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are generally well behaved, and have good opportunities to learn about sharing and taking turns in their play and activities. They are rewarded with stickers when they have demonstrated perseverance, kindness or helpfulness. This encourages them to take responsibility for their own behaviour. Staff provide positive role models for children. They offer frequent, meaningful praise, helping to develop children's self-esteem. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Staff are available each day to talk with parents, and basic information about weekly activities and how the Foundation Stage curriculum is delivered and is readily available to them. However, parents do not have detailed information about how the curriculum is tailored to children's individual developmental needs through use of the stepping stones. The complaints record does not meet current guidance legislation. Termly newsletters provide information about topic work, although they do not include ideas of how to extend these topics at home. Discussion with parents demonstrated very strong support for all aspects of the settings care and the relationship the provider maintains with parents is very positive.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. All areas of the nursery provide space for children to move around safely and independently, although the room used by funded children is a busy thoroughfare to other parts of the nursery and the frequency of planned fire drills is insufficient. Staff use records effectively to support the care of children and comply with regulations, however some accident records have not been signed by parents. Children across the age range are relaxed and at ease in the nursery because they have positive and settled relationships with the established key worker and staff team. Management are effective in ensuring children’s health, safety and well-being is maintained. Systematic recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. A good proportion of staff hold recognised childcare qualifications to level 3 or above, so helping to provide a secure basis for children’s care. Appropriate adult to child ratios are

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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 maintained so helping to ensure children are well supervised at all times. Staff generally have a sound awareness of the policies and procedures helping to support their work with children. All required records are maintained to underpin provision for children’s care and welfare.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of nursery education is satisfactory. Staff have regular opportunities to meet as a team to discuss planning of activities. They use outside help, such as the local authority to monitor and evaluate their practice. The setting has some internal systems in place to identify priorities for the future and they are committed to improvement to ensure children receive quality education. However, the procedure for evaluating the setting’s activities is not sufficiently developed to make an object assessment of the overall performance. For example, not all aspects of the areas of learning are covered consistently in daily activities and learning intentions are not clearly identified in planned activities. This means that not all staff are clear about the outcome that children are to achieve. In addition, daily activities are not sufficiently well evaluated to provide information about how effective or how well suited they are to

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Organisation

promote and extend children’s learning across the curriculum. Overall, the setting meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides

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Improvements since the last inspection

There was one recommendation made in the last care inspection and two areas for consideration in the education inspection. The setting have improved safety for children by ensuring that all medicines are clearly labelled with the names of the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

To improve education the setting has provided greater opportunities to promote children's understanding of the different ways in which writing can be used to communicate by providing more varied opportunities for children to write, for example, by providing, writing tools in the free play area. Secondly, although staff have had some training to increase their knowledge of the Foundation Stage they do not fully understand how activities contribute to children’s progress towards the early learning goals.

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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 satisfactory.

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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

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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 the complaints record meets current guidance and legislation • make sure parents sign to acknowledge any accidents involving their child in the setting and ensure sufficient fire drills are carried out

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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): • develop the observation, planning and assessment cycle to ensure that challenges are appropriate to individual children and help them to move on from what they already know and can do • further develop monitoring and evaluation systems of nursery education to provide information on how effective it is to promote and extend children’s learning across the curriculum.

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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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