Channings Childcare Ltd Newhey

Channings Early Years Inspection report for early years provision

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316446 Unique Reference Number 07 January 2008 Inspection date Jill Lee Inspector

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Railway Street, Newhey,, Rochdale, Lancs., OL16 3RN Setting Address

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E-mail

Channings Childcare LTD Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Channings Early Years, which is run by Channings Child Care Ltd, was registered in 1989. It is located in a converted and extended property situated in the Newhey district of Rochdale. It serves the local community.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children are cared for in three rooms, where they are grouped according to age. Older children are cared for on the first floor of the premises. Children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery opens each weekday throughout the year from 07.30 until 18.00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 60 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 54 children from eight months to four years on roll, of these, 22 receive funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 12 staff employed to directly work with the children, 11 of whom have an appropriate early years qualification and one is working towards this. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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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 enjoy a variety of both indoor and outdoor physical play experiences each day. Staff plan opportunities for children to develop and extend their physical skills in circle games and music and movement sessions. They use their bodies to express different moods and feelings, as they sway like trees in the breeze, curl up like bunnies and march like soldiers. They enjoy riding back and forth in the cars, practise their ball skills and balance on the balancing beam. Older children use the indoor climbing frame with agility and confidence. Toddlers have sturdy toys to push along to support their developing mobility. Planning for the physical play needs of the older toddlers is less consistent. Children enjoy regular walks in the local community. They keep Wellington boots at nursery for wet walks, 'squidgy' play on the field and for splashing in puddles. Parents are encouraged to ensure children are dressed appropriately to play outdoors

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Helping children to be healthy

The nursery environment is bright and well maintained. Staff consistently implement good hygiene routines so that priority is given to ensuring children's good health. Parents are clearly informed that sick children cannot be cared for, so that children are protected from infection. Arrangements for first aid and administering medication meet requirements and effectively protect children. Staff consistently promote awareness of good hygiene within everyday routines, so that children clearly understand why they need to wash their hands after using the toilet and before they have their meals. They are developing good levels of independence in attending to their own personal care, as they manage the toilet independently and learn to fasten their own coats and shoes.

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Helping children to be healthy

Parents are fully consulted about their child's health and dietary needs. Children enjoy a well planned and varied menu of freshly cooked, healthy food. Menus are clearly displayed for parents. Children try a wide variety of different foods, including lots of vegetables and fruits. They are involved in some food preparation, for example, they make fruit crumbles and enjoy baking activities. Meal times are pleasurable and relaxed occasions, where staff and children sociably share conversation. Children's awareness of healthy eating is promoted well and is reflected in stimulating displays. Staff use daily routines to encourage children's understanding about making healthy choices. They have been learning about the risks to their health and teeth of eating too many sweet foods and the nursery has obtained the Golden Grin Award. This has also involved parents and has promoted, for example, much discussion and innovative

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Helping children to be healthy

ideas for healthy treats and party food.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The nursery provides an environment where children are thoroughly safe and secure. Staff show a high level of awareness of safety issues. Space is effectively organised to allow children to move around freely and independently. Risks, both indoors and out, are identified and minimised, without limiting challenge. Children's safety and welfare are enhanced by careful supervision and high priority is given to security of the premises. Procedures to ensure safe evacuation in the event of an emergency are practised regularly with children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn to use the well-planned space purposefully and with confidence. A balanced range of good quality resources is stored at child height in each room, so that children can

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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 select them safely and without help. Appropriate risk assessments are conducted routinely and arrangements for outings are thorough. Practice is consistently monitored and evaluated to increase children's safe and independent participation in everyday activities. For example, routines, like the carrying of hot food to rooms, are being reassessed following a recent refurbishment of the building.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's understanding of safety issues is very good, because staff routinely discuss and reinforce limits and boundaries with them. They develop an awareness of risks, for example, they learn why it is not safe to run indoors and that people may slip on spilt sand. They know they must hold on to the banister as they go down the stairs. They talk about safe practice in the kitchen, as they prepare meals in their role play. Visitors to the nursery, such as the road safety officer and community policeman, regular outings and planned activities help to raise children's awareness of road safety issues. Consistent reminders and explanations from staff help children to think about how to keep themselves safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Protection of children is given a high priority in the nursery. Staff help children to share their feelings and make their needs known. They sensitively establish supportive relationships with parents. Staff are clear about their responsibilities relating to most required record keeping, although the system for recording of existing injuries is less clearly established. All staff have accessed safeguarding training to help them become fully familiar with the procedures of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. The child protection policy reflects current requirements and is shared with parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children settle happily and enjoy spending time in the welcoming nursery environment. Staff know them well and sensitively support their play. The play environment is very child friendly and planned activities promote experiences in all areas of their development. They make very good friendships and learn to cooperate well, as they develop extended imaginary games in the home corner, enjoy small world play with the dinosaurs and read stories together. They experiment with a variety of media, as they pour and sift sand, funnel water, mix play dough and stir pasta. Exploratory, creative and messy activities are planned routinely for the younger children but they are not routinely available for them to select and explore freely.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies and toddlers play contentedly, learning to enjoy being with others. The baby room is calm and relaxing, with sensory and heuristic play resources, which stimulate their senses and curiosity. Babies are held closely and snuggle up with staff for their bottle. Staff tune into babies' needs, as they respond intuitively and sensitively to their non-verbal communications.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff talk frequently with parents. They use the 'Birth to three matters' framework and are currently developing their skills in using their observations to plan experiences reflecting children's current interests. A reasonable range of resources is freely accessible for the younger children to select independently in the continuous provision, although staff do not consistently ensure that this provides balanced opportunities in all areas of their development. For example, opportunity for large physical play was not available in the two to three-year-olds room. Staff have not maximised the opportunity to present a wide range of stimulus at child height in the baby and toddler rooms.

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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 The quality of teaching and children's learning is good. Staff have a very secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and comprehensive planning helps children to make good progress towards all the early learning goals. Children are motivated and their interest is sustained, as they enjoy a range of well planned activities and experiences. Children learn to listen, to concentrate and to persevere with activities they enjoy. Staff have identified the need to enhance planning for use of the outdoor environment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are highly confident communicators and use language well to share their ideas and experiences. They love reading and enjoy a wide range of factual books, which promotes their awareness of the world around them. They listen with pleasure to stories. Children write their name on their work and enjoy activities which promote their interest in letter sounds. They become very familiar with numbers as labels and for counting. They match, sort and make patterns with shapes. They act out number rhymes at group time. Staff promote opportunities for them to solve problems in practical activities in their free play, like craft and construction.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's interest in the natural world, growth and change is stimulated well. They talk about the seasons and the weather and think about the different clothes needed when it is wet or cold. They discuss hibernation and migration, observe mini-beasts and grow sunflowers. They enjoy visiting the local farm to observe new born lambs and calves. They develop an interest in technology, as they use the computer and listen to stories and music on the cassette player. Their imagination and creativity is nurtured as they develop imaginative role play activities, attend drama workshops, design their own models and make potato prints.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff interact very effectively with children to stimulate their curiosity and introduce new learning. They model skills and consistently reinforce expected behaviour, so that children learn to work cooperatively and use activity areas productively. Staff confidently observe children and monitor their individual progress. These observations help staff to become very familiar with children's interests and learning styles. They inform staff interactions with children on a day to day basis. However, planning does not always clearly show the intended focus of teaching and planned opportunities for new learning within the continuous provision. Staff are working on improved ways to link observations with more consistency to planning next steps in children's learning. They recognise the need to introduce greater challenge into children's free play, based on their observed interests.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff get to know children very well and support their individual needs effectively. Children enjoy warm and affectionate relationships with staff, which help children develop a real sense of belonging to the nursery. Staff aim to promote inclusive practice, so that children can take part in all activities according to their different needs and abilities. For example, most of the staff are able to use Makaton to enhance communication. Children are very confident and comfortable within the daily routines, as staff successfully create an environment in which they participate actively. They tidy away toys when they finish playing, sweep up spilt sand and help to set the tables for lunch.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children develop high levels of independence and very capably manage many of their own daily experiences. Their behaviour is very good and reflects the high expectations of staff. Children begin to take responsibility for their own behaviour. For example, staff help them develop strategies to manage difficult situations, like negotiating how to share toys or take turns. Staff consistently reinforce rules and boundaries, involving children actively, so that they fully

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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 understand why certain behaviour is not allowed. Politeness, sharing and good behaviour are sensitively encouraged and warmly rewarded by lots of praise.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The nursery has well planned links to the local community. Regular visitors stimulate children's knowledge of local issues and the people who help us. Children access a wide range of resources that promote positive images of diversity, including photographs, displays, posters and books in other languages. They are introduced to different festivals and cultures in well planned activities, helping them begin to value and respect diversity. For example, a 'round the world' display reflects different languages, forms of dress and national flags. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Relationships with parents are relaxed and friendly, enhancing children's sense of security. Parents feel staff are approachable and always willing to make time to discuss their child's progress. A daily care sheet gives them practical information about their child's care. They are confident to raise any concerns and are clearly informed about the procedure if they have a complaint. A clear complaints record is kept, as required. Parents are well informed about nursery policies and issues. They are actively encouraged to become involved in many of the nursery's activities, like the poetry competition, the healthy eating campaign and the nativity play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents receive detailed information about the Foundation Stage curriculum. Activity planning is displayed and notices around nursery show what children learn in the different play areas. Photographic displays and albums give parents insight into the varied experiences enjoyed by their child whilst at the nursery. Information about progress is shared on a regular basis and at more formal parents' meetings. Parents are actively encouraged to take an interest in nursery topics and to read books at home with their child. Staff are considering how to extend the ways in which parents can be more actively involved in their child's learning. For example, they laminated play dough recipe cards and included details about learning opportunities using play dough. Parents comments about home experiences help staff to develop a fuller picture of the child's interests, although parents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

are not asked to contribute actively to the development record.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff plan effectively and organisation within the nursery helps to promote children's welfare and safety. Careful consideration is given to ensuring that there is consistent staffing in play rooms to support children's individual needs. Child-led daily routines help to ensure that children's varying needs and interests are supported well. Staff are knowledgeable about child development. They make appropriate use of early years guidance, such as the 'Birth to three matters' framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum to provide good quality care and education. Staffing ratios are monitored regularly. Concerns have been identified in relation to the management of required staffing ratios, specifically at lunchtime, to allow staff to have a lunch break.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is good. Planned use of space and resources very effectively promotes children's independent participation. Staff work together as a cohesive team in each room. The person-in-charge is developing thorough systems for ongoing self-evaluation of nursery practice, although as yet these do not sufficiently involve all staff. Regular informal appraisals of staff help the manager effectively to monitor the quality of teaching and to identify staff training needs. Systematic observations of children are helping staff to identify

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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 children's interests and make appropriate plans for their good progress towards the early learning goals.

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Organisation

Required policies and procedures are in place and implemented effectively, so that children's welfare is safeguarded. Procedures are in place for the regular review and updating of policies. Recruitment systems are robust, ensuring that staff are suitably skilled and experienced to work with children. Documentation is accessible and stored confidentially. Appropriate induction procedures and ongoing monitoring of staff help to ensure they effectively meet children's individual needs. Parents' wishes regarding their child's care clearly influence day-to-day practice and clear written agreements are recorded.

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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 last inspection the nursery was asked to ensure that children have an appropriate range of activities and resources to promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice and to address some minor safety issues. With regard to nursery education they were asked to develop systems for assessing and recording children's progress to plan clearly for the next steps in their learning and to increase opportunities for children to enjoy books independently, to link sounds and letters and recognise numbers.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery has extended the range of resources and displays available to support children's awareness of diversity and other cultures. A good range of activities is planned to promote their understanding of the different ways in which people live and enjoy celebrations. Staff have reviewed planning of the daily environment to ensure resources and activities are accessible for all children to make independent choices. These measures have enhanced the ways in which staff promote children's opportunity to express their individuality and extend their awareness of diversity and difference. Consistent and ongoing risk assessments and clear staff induction help to ensure that all staff are continuously alert to safety issues within the daily play environment. They aim to increase children's awareness of risks within their play, so that their safety is enhanced.

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Improvements since the last inspection

With regard to nursery education, staff in all rooms have developed systems to make observations of children as they play. Staff are still developing ways to consolidate clearer connections between these observations and the implications for planning next steps in children's learning, so that they are challenged and their learning systematically extended. Planning incorporates both informal and well considered planned opportunities for children to begin to hear the links between sounds and letters and to recognise numbers in play activities. This is increasing opportunities for them to consolidate learning through their play.

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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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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

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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): • review and enhance the range of freely accessible activities and resources within the planned continuous provision • consistently monitor staff deployment to ensure required ratios are maintained at all times • promote more opportunity to enable active staff involvement in the ongoing review and evaluation of nursery practices.

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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 and extend planning for teaching and new learning opportunities within the daily continuous provision, to enhance the challenge for children in their everyday play • continue to develop the links between observations of children's interests and progress to planning for next steps in their learning (also applies to care) • promote opportunity for parents to contribute more actively to their child's development record and extend the range of ideas for shared activities at home.

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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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