Kids Planet Old Vicarage

The Old Vicarage Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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317407 Unique Reference Number 31 January 2008 Inspection date Lindsey Pollock / Pauline Pinnegar Inspector

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112 Hartington Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 5SS Setting Address

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E-mail

Hollingarth Limited 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?

The Old Vicarage Day Nursery opened in September 1995. It operates from a converted detached house and a separate purpose-built pre-school in the centre of the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. The childcare facility is on the ground and first floors of the house and consists of: three classrooms; three childcare rooms; children's canteens; changing areas and cot rooms; a kitchen and staff facilities. The pre-school consists of: four classrooms; four toilet blocks; kitchen areas; an office and disabled facilities on the ground and first floors. There is access to fully-enclosed outside play areas. The facility is close to local amenities, such as the town centre shops, parks, playgrounds and schools. The nursery serves the local community of Barrow-in-Furness and surrounding area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childcare facility is registered for 131 children under eight years. There are currently 155 children from three months to under eight on roll. Of these, 41 children receive funding for early education. Procedures are in place to support children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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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 The nursery opens five days a week all year round apart from bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 07.30 to 18.00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 19 members of staff who work directly with the children, two managers who both work part-time, two administration staff, two cooks and two cleaners. The majority of staff who work directly with the children have a recognised early years qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Good standards of cleanliness are maintained throughout the nursery to protect children from germs and infection. Cleaners are employed and staff are vigilant throughout the day, for example, ensuring that toilet areas are clean and tables are washed before children eat. There are satisfactory procedures in place for the recording of accidents and administered medication to safeguard children's welfare. Sufficient first aid trained staff are on duty in case of an accident and first aid kits are readily available. Older children play outdoors in the fresh air most days. They skilfully manoeuvre cars, bikes and scooters and have good fun running around in the fresh air. The opportunities for younger children to benefit from being outdoors are less frequent, as these tend to be dependent on weather conditions.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's individual dietary needs are taken into account with alternatives provided to suit individuals. They are given regular drinks to ensure they are not thirsty. A satisfactory range of main meals are offered to the children, however, there is minimal fresh produce used, which means not all meals are fully nutritious and balanced to promote children's health. Menus are not always displayed for parents' attention. Parents provide food for children's snacks throughout the day, these are stored appropriately to prevent risks to children's health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The premises are warm and comfortable and space is used appropriately to cater for children's needs. The pre-school building is purpose-built and is a particularly bright and welcoming environment for children. There is a good range of equipment and resources throughout the setting, most of which are new in the pre-school building. However, there is insufficient domestic style furniture to assist very young children in developing mobility and to continue normal life experiences.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Risk assessments are undertaken and steps are taken to keep children from harm. For example, toys and equipment are checked to make sure they are safe and the building is kept secure to prevent children from leaving unattended or unauthorised persons entering. However, the procedures are not sufficiently rigorous to monitor the temperature of the radiators and identify the risk to children in one nursery room. Staff are clear about the route they must take to evacuate the building in an emergency. Practises are sufficiently frequent to ensure the building can be evacuated promptly and to raise children's awareness of what to do should an incident occur.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are adequately protected. Staff have a sound knowledge of child protection and know how to recognise the signs of abuse. They are aware of their responsibilities and are confident to act promptly to safeguard children's welfare.

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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 satisfactory. Children enjoy their time at the nursery, they are happy and settle well. There are friendly relationships between the children and the staff caring for them and attachments are evident. Babies are given lots of eye contact and cuddles and their own routines are followed which develops their self assurance and their sense of belonging. Communication skills with children are satisfactorily supported through appropriate adult-to-child interactions. There is a basic routine in place for younger children which includes times for activities, such as stories, singing and physical development, however, staff do not use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to help them plan these and other activities to influence the outcomes for children. Although young children do benefit from some sensory experiences when playing with resources made of different fabrics and listening to music, there are limited opportunities for them to experience

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

materials, such as paint, water, sand and play dough as described in the 'Birth to three matters' framework - 'Being Creative'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory which results in children making sound progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a reasonable knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage. They have a secure understanding of how children learn and progress and provide a sufficient range of activities and experiences to promote this. Although planning is detailed, it does not sufficiently identify intended learning for individual children, this results in staff not always building on what children already know and occasionally leads to them becoming disengaged.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident. They are beginning to understand the need to share and recognise the rules of the setting, such as helping to tidy up and sharing resources. They chatter happily with each other and the adults caring for them. They listen to favourite stories such as 'The Bear Hunt' with increasing attention and recall. Some children are beginning to be able to link sounds and letters, recognising the letter sounds of their name and of other words. They mark make and some attempt to write their names on paper. Most children are becoming increasingly confident with numbers. They recognise some numerals, for example the '5' on the spinner when playing the frog game. They discuss shape in conversations, for example, at snack time when they point out their yoghurt pots are round. They are beginning to construct with a purpose as they design and make a range of objects such as 'bear caves' and the 'Great Wall

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of China'. Although there is computer equipment in both rooms, this is not always made available to the children to help develop their skills in information and communication technology. Children use a variety of media, such as paint, sand and water. They are beginning to use their imagination well. They engage in role play based on first hand experiences and use the available props, such as plastic cups and saucepans when making the 'dinner'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are welcomed into the setting by staff and valued as individuals. Their awareness of diversity is raised through accessing a sufficient range of resources, such as jigsaws and small world equipment which have positive images that reflect the diversity of society, and listening to stories such as 'Handa's surprise'. Older children learn about the local community as they take part in outings, for example, they have been to the local library and to a church. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Sound procedures are in place to

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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 support children with learning difficulties and disabilities and staff are proud of their achievements and progress. This helps to ensure children are acknowledged and affirmed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are generally well behaved and are supported appropriately by staff. They are beginning to learn to share and take turns and to help with tidying up. There is a clear behaviour management policy in place and staff use positive methods for managing children's behaviour. Children receive appropriate praise and encouragement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Sound partnerships have been built with parents. Information is shared verbally, by basic, daily, written records about very young children's care, and by newsletters. Written progress reports for all children are shared at yearly open events. A complaints log is in place and it is the nursery policy that any concerns are dealt with immediately. Partnership with parents of children receiving nursery education is satisfactory. The nursery prospectus includes some information about the Foundation Stage and activity planning is clearly displayed outside both rooms for parents' attention.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Staff time and resources are used sufficiently well to support children. Adult-to-child ratios are satisfactorily maintained. Staff recruitment procedures are in place and steps are taken, such as interviews, seeking references and completing criminal records bureau checks, to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Most adults currently caring for children are suitably qualified, they have a sound understanding of how the setting works and of what is expected of them.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The management team are positive and are keen to develop their practice. Although there are some systems in place for monitoring staff performance, these are not currently rigorous enough to identify gaps in the teaching and learning of children receiving nursery education.

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Organisation

Detailed written policies and procedures are in place for the safe efficient management of provision, however, some do not fully reflect the setting's practice. Although the managers are aware of the procedures to follow should an allegation be made against a member of staff, or a child not be collected from the setting, these are not included in the written statements to fully safeguard children. Suitable arrangements are in place to maintain the security and confidentiality of documentation.

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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

Since the last inspection the nursery has installed a new heating system with thermostatically controlled radiators. However, during the inspection the radiator in one nursery room was hot and a risk to children's safety and a further recommendation has been made. A procedure regarding the steps to be taken should an allegation be made against a member of staff is in place but has not been included in the written statement for safeguarding children and a recommendation has been made to fully safeguard children's welfare. An appropriate record is kept of any incidents to promote children's welfare. At the last nursery education inspection recommendations were made regarding the physical play in the outdoor area and developing staff's questioning skills with regard to mathematics. Children are now engaged in meaningful

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Improvements 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 activities during outdoor play sessions. Staff have improved their questioning skills and provide some opportunities for children to solve problems.

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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 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): • revise the menu to include more fresh produce and ensure menus are clearly displayed for parents attention at all times • monitor the temperatures of the radiators to ensure they are not a risk to children's safety • increase the range of domestic style furniture to assist children in developing mobility and to continue normal life experiences • use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to influence the outcomes for children • put into written form the procedures for uncollected children and the steps to be taken should an allegation be made against a member of staff.

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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): • ensure children's assessments are linked to the stepping stones and inform future planning for their next steps in learning • ensure all activities show clear differentiation to keep children appropriately challenged • improve the systems for monitoring teaching and learning within the Foundation Stage.

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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 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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