Old MacDonalds Children's Day Nursery Ltd

Old MacDonalds Childrens Day Nursery Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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314688 Unique Reference Number 12 October 2007 Inspection date Christine Tipple Inspector

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Manor Farm, Lockington Road, Lund, Driffield, North Humberside, YO25 9TG

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E-mail

Elizabeth and John Walker Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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?

Old MacDonald's Children's Day Nursery has been registered since January 1999 and is privately owned. It is located in the village of Lund close to the town of Driffield and Beverley. The children are cared for in three separate self contained areas, all on ground floor level. The nursery provides before and after school care during term time. There two are enclosed areas provided for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered for a maximum of 44 children under eight years old. The nursery operates Monday to Friday all year round and is open from 7.30 until 18.00. There are currently 53 children on roll of whom 18 are in receipt of nursery education funding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 12 members of staff who work with the children, and all have a relevant childcare qualifications, and three staff are currently extending their qualifications. The nursery has two support staff, a cook and cleaner. The nursery is a member of the Private Day Nursery Association.

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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 health and hygiene practices are well managed and effective in ensuring cross infection is kept to a minimum. Older children are confident in using the well placed facilities to manage their personal care. They are well informed about why it is important to wash their hands especially before their snack and dinner. Younger children's needs are supported through the staff's understanding of their personal routines and clear procedures for nappy changing. Bedding in the cots is changed after each use. The information on the care of children when ill and relevant exclusion periods are clear and details are shared with parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Physical activities and fresh air are provided on a daily basis for the children including walks out with the babies. Children have access to two outside areas, the older children use the adventure playground and the younger ones the smaller play area. There is a good range of age appropriate equipment provided that promote the children's physical skills effectively. The adventure area has a rope swing and a larger slide and trampoline as well as sit on ride and peddle equipment. The children have excellent space to run and tumble and manoeuvre themselves around confidently. Ball games and other activities promote their balance, catching and ball skills well. Inside, the resources and activities offer the children a good range of smaller tools and skills which they can access reasonably well themselves.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children have daily snacks and meals provided. There are menus in place that link with the seasons, for example, winter and summer and these are shared with parents. The range and selection of foods offer the children a good healthy balance which always include daily vegetables and fruit. Children are developing their skills in serving themselves at snack time, and staff promote the positives of a healthy diet with the children through encouraging them to try different foods. The children bake and this provides additional opportunities to discuss food in a positive way. Drinks are provided and encouraged through the day and the children have their own water bottles. Dietary needs are recorded as discussed with the parents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children and parents are made very welcome into clean and bright surroundings. Each unit in the nursery is self contained to meet the needs of the children attending. Staff work well to ensure the children's welfare and safety is maintained and the procedures in place minimise accidents occurring. The range and selection of resources and equipment fulfil the needs of the children to develop and promote effectively their various personal and learning needs. These are well maintained and of a good quality throughout the nursery.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety is managed efficiently by the staff. There are clear and detailed risk assessments in place which are regularly reviewed. The security of both indoors and outside is very well managed, an intercom is used for access to the nursery and the internal doors have key pads. Sleeping children are checked regularly and these times are recorded. Provision for the younger children to crawl and move around safely is well managed by staff. Children actively participate in the evacuation process on a regular basis with the staff. The children develop their knowledge and skills in relation to their personal safety through activities, such as a visit from the road safety person, which reinforces the importance of crossing the road in a safe way. This is then

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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 practised when on outings and walks in the village. Staff work with the children to ensure the tools they access, such as scissors, are used appropriately and safely by them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The safeguarding of the children at nursery is positive. The staff and management have detailed information and procedures in place which are shared with parents. They continue to access training to ensure their knowledge and information remain up to date.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. All the children come into the nursery happy and settle quickly into the routines and activities provided. There is a good selection of resources for the younger children to be creative through their play. There are positive opportunities for the children to use a range of materials that enable them to paint and have tactile resources and to use their senses. Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to plan the activities which relate to the children's ongoing progress and to support their individual routines. The continuity of the staff and their relationships with the children promotes their self assurance and sense of belonging well. Staff engage them in finding a voice and making connections in what they do. However, the ongoing organisation and access to resources and equipment for the children in all the units is not yet sufficiently extended to ensure children can freely self select and develop their ongoing independence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The resources in place offer the children a varied and fun environment. This encourages them to be interested and motivated which is successful in promoting their learning and development. Staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage and continue to develop their skills. Staff know the children well which supports them in developing positive attitudes to their learning. Areas are set out that promote construction and mark making skills as well as creative resources for the children. Staff work with the children in a one to one situation as well as in groups. Plans are provided and these cover both long and short term. Although these are detailed there is some overlap which can make it difficult for parents to follow and identify the links to learning. Staff observe and assess the children's progress and there is evidence of what the children have done. However, the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

observations and assessment of individual children's progress and how these link to the stepping stones and early learning goals is not sufficiently clear to inform future planning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore their surroundings through the use of the garden area which has a range of interesting areas to dig and search. Children access their community on outings and visitors attend the nursery, such as the emergency services and the vet. Children have visited the local mill to grind the wheat for the bread and the local farm to have close contact with the animals. The children enjoy mark making and older children are confident to recognise and write their names. The good selection of books in the nursery and access to the mobile library encourage the children to be interested in them and the stories they tell. Staff and the children engage positively in conversations and questioning supports the children in extending their language and thinking skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are ongoing opportunities for the children to use numbers in their play and to use mathematical language, such as more or less, heavier and longer. Children have opportunities in their role play to act out their experiences and develop ideas in what they are doing, such as the area being a café or a beach scene. Creative resources enable the children to use a range

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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 materials to cut, stick, shape, paint and print. Examples of the children's work is displayed and recorded in their individual files which parents can see at any time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff in all the units in the nursery know the children and their families well which benefits the children in meeting their individual needs effectively. There is a good selection of information and resources which promote and celebrate the wider world and diversity. There is an interest table where artefacts of another country are displayed. Visitors to the nursery and outings in the community provide the children with experiences of different roles and in celebrating different cultures through the year. The staff are supported through attending training to extend their ideas and skills in relation to equal opportunities. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well and staff support them through the caring and supportive relationships developed. Good behaviour is encouraged and the older children take a level of responsibility to manage this themselves through the routines and boundaries in place. There is a reward system where the children see the positives of good behaviour and the importance of using their manners, sharing and taking turns. All the children receive ongoing praise and recognition of what they do which is effective in supporting their self-esteem and confidence.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. In all the nursery units there is a good display of information, photo's about the staff and what the children are doing as well as other details that may interest them as parents. Daily verbal contact with staff provides parents with up to date details of their child's day and with the younger children a daily diary sheet is also completed. The information for parents on registration includes access to the nursery policies and procedures and they complete details of their child's routine, dislikes and likes. There is a positive settling in process to ensure both parents and their children feel confident and secure. Parents are able to attend nursery twice a year to discuss more fully with staff their children' progress and development. Reports are also issued at this time and enable parents to add their comments. Consent details are recorded and parents sign this to confirm their agreement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Feedback from parents was positive and stated that there children were 'happy' and 'enjoyed coming to nursery'.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are settled in the nursery. Staff provide an organised approach to the routines which reflect the needs of the children effectively. Space overall is managed appropriately in all the units. The comprehensive range of policies and procedures are detailed and reflect nursery practice and are regularly reviewed to ensure they are relevant to meet current operational requirements. These are shared with parents and all staff. The recruitment and selection procedures are clear and robust in approach to ensure suitability of staff employed in the nursery. The staff induction programme is recorded and enables staff to be fully informed in all areas of the nursery's practice and procedures. The records and other relevant documentation is maintained and updated as required and kept secure to maintain confidentiality.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. Staff work well as a team in each of the units and have been a consistent group since the nursery opened. This has provided a positive contact for parents and their children attending. There are regular monthly staff meetings which 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 recorded, and staff contributions are encouraged and supported. Training is accessed throughout the year and made accessible for all staff as relevant to their developmental needs which is managed through the yearly appraisal system. Senior staff are receptive to ongoing development and have evaluated and reflected on the nursery and staff practice's. This has resulted in clear and effective development plans which take account of the future changes in childcare and education. 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

The last care report recommended that the nursery develop their medication procedure to include parent's signatures; to include the regulator's details in the complaints procedure, and establish a system to store records and information in relation to the children being cared for.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery has devised a clear policy and procedure to ensure parents sign before medication is administered to their children. Information of the regulator and contact details are displayed on the notice board for parents. The nursery store records on site as required to ensure they are available as requested and maintain confidentiality.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last funded education report recorded points to consider for the nursery in relation to developing and extending physical challenges for the more able children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery has developed an adventure play area outside to provide additional larger equipment for the older children which extends, develops and challenges their physical skills and abilities very well.

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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 can be seen 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):

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • review the organisation of all the units for the children to ensure resources are more accessible to promote independence and self selection (also applies to nursery education).

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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): • review the planning, observation and assessment of the children to provide more details of their ongoing individual learning and progress in planning for their future needs.

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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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