Tiny Tots Nursery

Tiny Tots Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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316011 Unique Reference Number 30 November 2007 Inspection date (Kate) Kathryn, Jane Ryder Inspector

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Meadow Bank, 361 Green Lane, Great Lever, Bolton, Lancashire, BL3 2LU

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E-mail

Marilyn Cooper 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 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?

Tiny Tots Nursery is independently owned and has been registered since 1987. It operates from a two storey semi-detached property in the Great Lever district of Bolton. Children are accommodated within five main playrooms according to their age. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00; 51 weeks of the year. A maximum of 40 children from birth to five years may attend the nursery at any one time and currently there are 48 children on roll. Of these, 10 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with English as a second language. Children attend for a variety of part time and full time sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 13 members of staff and they all have relevant early years qualifications. Four members of staff are currently working towards higher qualifications. The setting has links with an early years advisory teacher.

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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 satisfactory. Children's health is appropriately fostered through the procedures followed for minimising the spread of infection. Members of staff follow cleaning rotas which make sure that the environment, the furniture and the toys are kept clean. Staff regularly use a hand sanitizer to reduce the risk of infection as well as appropriate hand washing. The majority of staff have current first aid certificates and a first aid kit is located on both levels of the setting. This ensures that practitioners respond appropriately to poorly children and minor injuries. Children develop an understanding about their personal care needs as staff promote regular routines, such as brushing teeth after meals and hand washing after creative activities, after visiting the bathroom and before meals. However, children are not protected from cross infection as they use the same wash hand basin of water. This impacts on children's health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have daily opportunities to enjoy fresh air and exercise as staff follow a rota for visiting the outdoor play area. Young children enjoy riding push bikes and scooters, and older children learn to pedal bikes. The wooden cottage play house enables children to participate in some outdoor activities even during poor weather conditions. Staff encourage babies to exercise their bodies as they make them comfortable on the rug and provide the space for them to kick their legs and roll forwards and backwards. They encourage them to stretch and reach out and crawl as they place toys out of their reach.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are kept well nourished through the provision of healthy, well balanced meals which are freshly prepared on the premises. Children's individual dietary requirements are well met as parent's are consulted and the cook provides appetising vegetarian and quorn alternatives. Older children eat their meals in the creative room, they sit at the table and at the fixed counters along the sides of the room. Some children have difficulty reaching their plates as the counter top is high. However, the manager explains that new chairs are being purchased so that even the youngest children will be able to reach in comfort. Fresh drinking water is readily available throughout the day. Older children independently help themselves to a water fountain and younger children have access to cups and jugs of water. This helps children to recognise when they are thirsty and need a drink.

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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 well maintained child-centred environment. They are warmly greeted by staff as they arrive and displays of their art work throughout the setting help them develop a sense of belonging. The baby room has appropriate equipment to care for their needs, such as cots, highchairs and relax chairs. Low level mirrors and rugs enhance and contribute to a comfortable environment. Children have access to a suitable range of toys, a small quantity of which is kept in low level storage units within reach.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good understanding of safety and take steps to ensure that the nursery environment is safe and secure. They are vigilant when using the staircase, making sure the safety gates at the top and bottom are closed and locked. They take positive steps to ensure children understand how to keep themselves safe on the stairs and remind them how to go up and down safely. Children are generally well supervised but sleeping children are left alone as a result of a confused hand-over between members of staff; impacting on their safety. Staff follow clear

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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 procedures for the safe evacuation of the building and periodic practice drills help children develop an awareness of what to do in the event of an emergency, such as a fire.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected well as staff have a clear understanding of their role and responsibility towards safeguarding children. Most have attended training and they know to report any concerns to the designated person in the setting to ensure that appropriate procedures are followed. All relevant information, guidance and contact details are available.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children receive a warm welcome from staff as they enter the setting and consequently they are happy and confident. Children separate well from their parent, as they have made a number of visits to the nursery before their placement begins. Babies and young children benefit from the key worker system, which makes sure they know individual children well. Parents are consulted about home routines which ensures they reflect their wishes and those established at home. Staff have regard to the 'Birth to three matters' framework and monitor children's development through tick-lists, some written observations and a portfolio of their art work. Parents receive progress reports every three months. Weekly activity sheets show links to the aspects of the framework but planning does not clearly show the next steps in children's learning. In general, staff interact with the children well; they play and talk to them on their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

level. They gently ask questions to make them think, such as what noise does the animal make and what colour are the bricks. This helps children become confident communicators.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have access to an appropriate variety of play experiences which promote their all-round development. They are interested and motivated and older children, in particular, concentrate for long periods of time at an activity, such as listening to stories, and making snowmen. Young children benefit from sensory experiences, such as exploring different textures and sounds. Children enjoy listening to stories and joining in action songs, such as 'there's a spider on my arm'. They experience outdoor play daily and have fun playing in the boat, the sand tray and pedalling bikes and cars, all of which help them to become strong and confident children. The nursery has a suitable range of toy resources, but children are not always actively encouraged to access these independently to initiate their own play ideas and follow their own interests. Children have regular opportunities to explore a range of creative materials, such as paint, glue

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and collage, which contributes to their creativity. However, the majority of art work is very adult led and is sometimes too challenging for the age and stage of individual development. Children are frequently provided with pre-drawn pictures to colour and this stifles their natural creativity.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Key staff have recently changed and levels of understanding about the Foundation Stage differ. However, less experienced staff are developing knowledge because mentoring is in place. Staff know and support the children well, although they do not consistently challenge children. The learning environment is reasonably organised with some areas of continuous provision. Generally, creative activities take place in an adjacent room because of space restrictions within the playroom. Resources are accessible in low level storage but children do not independently make choices and staff are not pro-active in encouraging them to extend and follow their own ideas. Staff monitor children's development, using written observations and examples of their work which lead to three monthly progress

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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 reports. Systems relating to play, planning and the assessment of children's progress have recently been adjusted and staff are involved in the on-going development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enter the setting confidently and quickly settle into the familiar routine. They have developed close relationships with other children and frequently seek their friends out to sit with over meal times or involve them in their activities. They are extremely courteous to others and are very well mannered. Children develop a sound enjoyment of books as they listen to stories read by their carers or independently access the book area. They enjoy listening to favourites stories and anticipate what happens next, for example, during 'The Magic Snowman'. Children have a mark making unit, which encourages them to write and draw, however, opportunities for spontaneous mark making, such as in the home corner are limited.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have some opportunities to learn to count and use mathematical language, such as they talk about today's date and how many children are present. They enjoy threading spaghetti hoops on a straw and are encouraged to count how many they have. However, staff do not consistently encourage children to count, recognise and name numbers. Children learn about the world around them, when they go for walks in the immediate locality and talk about the different kinds of houses, plants and trees they see. They investigate changes in the weather and put the correct weather symbol on the board. Children frequently play outdoors where they can develop new physical skills and they use a good range of tools to develop dexterity, such as pastry cutters, rolling pins, scissors and pencils. Children develop their creativity as they explore a suitable variety of media, such as sand, paint, collage materials and glue. However,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their natural creativeness is stifled as they often complete pre-drawn pictures.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children make several visits to the setting before the placement begins. This ensures that staff get to know children's individual needs well. They gather information from parents through discussion and basic 'all about me' records, making sure consistency is applied to individual needs. Children begin to develop knowledge about diversity through the small range of anti-discriminatory toy resources. For example, books, dolls, jigsaws and posters showing positive images of race, culture and disability. There are appropriate systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and the staff team know where to seek support, to ensure each child's individual needs are met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children receive consistent, clear messages from staff and as a result they behave very well. They develop a sense of responsibility as they help tidy up toys and put them away. They listen and respond positively to direction from members of staff. For example, they wait in line to walk up and down the stairs and hold doors open until the last child has exited. Children form warm and caring relationships with their peers, they hug and kiss their special friend and show kindness and concern to one another, such as when fingers are accidentally stood on, they immediately apologise. They are well mannered and courteous and frequently say please, thank-you and you're welcome. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Parents are made to feel welcome in the setting and there are appropriate communication systems in place between staff and parents. For example, daily informal conversations, information sheets for babies and three monthly written progress reports. Parents have access to policies, procedures and newsletters, as well as the weekly menu and play plans. Staff have not yet developed a clear understanding about keeping a written

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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 complaints record nor have they devised a system for recording a previous complaint. This is a breach of regulations.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are cared for by a staff team who all have early years qualifications. There are clear vetting and induction procedures for new members of staff which ensures children's safety and welfare are protected. Monthly staff meetings and individual supervision sessions provide staff with the appropriate support needed in order to meet the needs of young children. There is a clear key worker system and as a result, babies and young children enjoy positive interactions throughout the day with consistent adults. The environment for young children is suitably organised to promote their play and learning. Older children, particularly the over three's, experience a very disrupted day. For example, once the room has reached capacity a small group of children have to continuously re-locate to other rooms, depending on occupancy. This impacts on children having time to explore, experiment, plan and make decisions for themselves.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education within the setting is satisfactory. Staff show commitment to accessing training for their personal and professional development, in particular staff working with Foundation Stage children. They demonstrate a commitment to the development of the nursery education and are working towards improvements in the planning systems and making clearer links in identifying the next steps in children's learning.

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Organisation

The documentation relating to the care of the children is recorded appropriately. Documentation is well organised and stored to maintain confidentiality. The written policies and procedures are periodically reviewed, making sure ongoing practice is reflected.

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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

At the time of the last inspection, recommendations were agreed in relation to recording the times of children's attendance, developing the range of anti-discriminatory resources, reviewing the behaviour management policy to include a statement regarding bullying and to review the child protection statement to include information related to allegations against members of staff. Appropriate action has been taken with regard to all the recommendations and as a consequence the quality of children's care, learning and safety has improved. With regard to nursery education, the group were asked to organise the toy resources to enable children to have

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Improvements since the last inspection

independent access and to use observations of the children to inform the planning. Some progress has been made to give children opportunities to select their own resources. However, a recommendation to continue to develop the planning and assessment has been made following this inspection.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there has been one complaint made to Ofsted which required the provider to take action to meet the National Standards. The complaint related to National Standard 2: organisation. Concerns were raised over the ratios and the recording of children's attendance times. An Ofsted inspector investigated. As a result action was taken to ensure minimum staffing requirements were met and the arrival and departures times of children were

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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 recorded. Ofsted was satisfied that by taking appropriate steps the provider remained qualified for registration at the time the investigation was closed.

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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 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): • improve hand washing procedures, so that children use the wash hand basins individually to prevent cross infection • make sure sleeping children are supervised at all times • develop staff's understanding of child development, specifically so that very young children are provided with creative activities that meet their age and stage of development • improve knowledge about keeping a complaints record and develop a system for the recording of any complaints in line with regulations

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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 less experienced staff's knowledge of the Foundation Stage and continue to develop the planning and assessment systems to provide clearer information about children's progress along the stepping stones and planning the next steps in their progress • further develop the maths area of learning so that children have routine opportunities for working with numbers, shape, space and measurement • review the organisation of the pre-school room in order to provide a less disruptive environment.

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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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