Kinderbear Nursery LtdOfsted inspection, 10 Sept 2007

Kinderbear Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

EY220777 Unique Reference Number 10 September 2007 Inspection date Cynthia Walker Inspector

p.1

Thompson Street, Padiham, Burnley, BB12 7AP Setting Address

p.1

E-mail

Alison Leslie Pulleyn Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Kinderbear Nursery was registered in 2002 and is privately owned. The nursery operates from a detached property within easy reach of Padiham town centre. The premises have been renovated to meet the needs of young children. The baby unit is situated on the first floor and has a separate entrance and includes a playroom and sleep room. The ground floor includes a playroom for children aged 18 months, three activity rooms and a messy area for the older children. There are secure areas for outdoor play. The nursery is open five days a week from 07.30 until 18.00 all year round, excluding bank holidays and one week at Christmas.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered to care for 61 children aged birth to eight years. Children attend for a variety of sessions and there are facilities for before and after school care. There are currently 109 children on roll of which 24 are in receipt of nursery education funding. The nursery has systems in place to support children with disabilities. There are 24 members of staff working with the children. Over half the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and three members of staff are working towards an appropriate qualification. The nursery receives the support of the Local Authority.

p.2

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

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are well nourished and enjoy a wide variety of meals and snacks which incorporates a good selection of fruit and vegetables. Discussions at lunchtime on why carrots are good for you helps children develop an understanding of the importance of certain foods. Children are able to access fresh drinking water independently from most areas of the nursery throughout the day. The children's dietary needs are discussed with parents and efficiently recorded to ensure the individual needs of the children are met.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing an effective understanding of personal hygiene as they explain that they need to wash away the germs before they eat their lunch and after going to the toilet. Staff use effective hygiene procedures within the nursery. Individual care plans completed by parents and daily discussions enable the staff to sensitively ensure children receive appropriate rest or sleep. Staff demonstrate that children are cared for efficiently if they have an accident or need medication because they follow appropriate procedures.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing their physical skills through daily access to the outdoor area and planned activities within the nursery. They confidently use the climbing frame and run around with enjoyment. Children negotiate space as they skilfully manoeuvre the wheeled toys around the area. Older children cleverly control large inflatable shapes as they knock them around the outdoor area. The introduction of movement to music indoors stimulates the older children to enthusiastically jump and move their bodies to the rhythms.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a warm, safe and secure environment where most risks are identified and minimised. Detailed risk assessments ensure children's safety is maintained within the nursery, however, risk assessments have not been completed for the outdoor area or for outings. There are specific procedures in place to ensure the safe collection of children. Children are learning about keeping safe as they respond to the clear explanations from staff about how to use scissors and how to use equipment in the outdoor area.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The nursery is welcoming to children with colourful displays on all the walls throughout the building. The rooms are creatively arranged to allow the children to move spontaneously and independently around different areas of play. Children are accessing a good range of resources which are appropriate to their ages and stage of development and actively support learning. Resources are well arranged to support the areas of learning and enable children to make spontaneous decisions about the toys and resources they are going to use.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are effectively safeguarded by the staff's sound understanding of child protection procedures which are in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the nursery and arrive happy and eager to participate. Younger children are making good progress because staff have developed an effective understanding

p.3

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 the needs of children under three. All staff take responsibility for planning activities as they link information from the children's observations to directly inform future planning. The designated creative activity is supported by planned activities in other areas, such as, physical, imaginative and exploratory throughout the week. The children's record of achievements include photographs and examples of children's creativity.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children under three acquire new skills as they join in the interesting activities. They enjoy exploring and examining balloons and chatter excitedly when the balloons squeak as children rub their fingers over them. Children participate in circle time as a wide range of simple songs are introduced and clap enthusiastically as the song ends. They gently rock their bodies to the rhythm of the songs and some children gently hum the tune of 'Ba, Ba, Black Sheep' to themselves. Young children enjoy a relaxing session of baby massage whilst listening to soothing music. Children are developing their language skills as staff reinforce words, such as, round and yellow within the activities. They explore the texture of sand using a watering can to add water and fill a variety of containers. Children begin to use scissors as they are encouraged to cut out pictures and manipulate play dough into different sized worms. They enjoy colouring

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and are very proud of their pictures which they show to everyone and carry around carefully during the session. Photographs and examples of work in children's records demonstrate children's involvement in painting, sticking and messy play.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a secure understanding of the early learning goals and plan a balanced range of activities and experiences which motivate children to learn and enable them to make good progress in all areas. The focussed activities include adaptations for the lesser and more able children and there are detailed weekly plans reflecting how all the supporting activities encompass the planned learning objective. Although the children's next steps for learning are informally identified these are not regularly recorded in children's records or used to directly inform future planning. Teaching stimulates children's interest and encourages them to stay focussed and persist at activities for some time. The staff's spontaneous enthusiasm and use of effective questioning challenge and support children to achieve as much as they can. Staff provide an interesting and welcoming environment and

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

make good use of their time and resources to support children's learning.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a positive attitude to learning and are interested in the wide range of activities provided. They use their initiative and take responsibility for their own play. Children have good concentration which enables them to stay focussed at group time and activities, such as, the fish game and individual drawing. They confidently use language to describe their painting of a dog and recount the story of 'Red Riding Hood' which they are drawing characters from. Children are encouraged to label their own creativity with some children being able to write their names whilst others write individual letters or make their own marks. They confidently identify letters and the sounds of letters at group time linking them to names of children or images drawn by staff, such as, a train. Children confidently count to ten as they establish how many spots are on the fish or how many play dough balls they have created. During activities

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children participate in simple calculation as they estimate how many fish remain as at first one fish is taken away then two. Children have excellent imagination as they actively participate in the story of 'Red Riding Hood', identifying the wrong characters as they are introduced into the story, and contribute ideas for 'grandma's basket' which include a chocolate cake and a chicken. They enthusiastically sing a wide range of songs and use available resources, such as, animal puppets to support a story in conjunction with an audio tape. Children carefully examine their facial features in a mirror and recreate their own images on a paper plate, exclaiming that

p.4

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 they have blue eyes like their top. Their active involvement in a vigorous session of music and movement enables children to examine how fast their heart is beating and recognise the changes after they lie down for a few minutes.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children behave well in response to the clear and consistent explanations from staff. Good use of strategies, such as, the golden book and little stars notice board which record positive comments about the children whilst at nursery, for example, for being brave, being helpful and being fantastic at circle time and reinforces the children's self-esteem. Children have established positive relationships and work co-operatively together particularly at group activities. They share resources whilst working in the mark making area and take turns at games, such as, the fishing game. Children show affection for each other as they hug older children as they leave nursery to go to afternoon school. Younger children are developing self assurance from close and effective relationships with staff.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's individual needs are established through regular discussions with parents and the completion of a detailed care plan which is completed as the children begin their care. The nursery works closely with parents to support children with disabilities. Children are developing a positive attitude to others through the provision of a good range of resources which include books, dolls, dressing up clothes, display material and small world figures. Activities which enable children to develop an understanding of other cultures and their own community are included in the planned programme.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are actively welcomed into the nursery and share information with the key workers on a daily basis. Children are receiving sensitive support to ensure they settle effectively into the nursery which incorporates the information about their daily routines and individual preferences highlighted in the care plans completed by the parents. The ongoing needs of the children under three are met on a daily basis through the diary sheet which highlights activities the children have been involved in. The nursery takes positive steps to ensure that parents are kept well informed about all the policies and procedures.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents receive effective information about the setting through an information booklet, notice boards and regular newsletters. They are well informed about their children's achievements at the annual parent's evening and through the key worker system. There are opportunities for parents to write comments on their children's record of achievements. Parents are given opportunities to be involved in their children's learning through a home link activity sheet which gives parents ideas linked to the planned activities.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is good. Most of the required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well being is in place. Documentation is supported by clear policies and procedures which are reflected in daily practice, for example, behaviour. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to determine the suitability of staff members to safeguard the children attending the nursery. There is a positive attitude to training and annual appraisals highlight individual

p.5

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 training needs to help maintain the children's care and learning. Space within the nursery is effectively organised and creatively arranged to enhance the play and learning for children.

p.5

Organisation

Leadership and management is good. Clear staffing procedures and a supportive management structure ensure the staff work as an extremely enthusiastic and effective staff team. Regular staff meetings ensure the consistency in improving outcomes for children is maintained. There are clear systems in place to monitor the overall provision through parent questionnaires which are efficiently evaluated with the results being given to the parents. The effectiveness of the education provision is sufficiently monitored. The nursery liaise closely with advisors from the Local Authority to improve the quality of education for the children they are providing.

p.6

Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection the nursery was given three recommendations in relation to resources for the two year olds, accessibility of the electric sockets and the staff's understanding of the behaviour policy.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

At the nursery education inspection three key issues were highlighted in relation to the children's awareness of addition and subtraction, the opportunities for children to self select resources and the opportunities for children to practice writing.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

Children under two are accessing a good range of resources which stimulates their play and learning. Electric socket covers are in place within the nursery to maintain the safety for children. Staff give clear and consistent explanations on behaviour which ensures children behave well within the nursery.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

During activities children participate in simple calculation as they estimate how many fish remain as at first one fish is taken away then two. Resources are arranged around the individual areas of play to enable children to make independent choices, for example, sand and water. Children are encouraged to label their own creativity with some children being able to write their names, whilst others write individual letters or make their own marks.

p.6

Complaints since the last inspection

Since 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.

p.6

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.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

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.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

p.6

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): • conduct a risk assessment of the outdoor area and for any outings undertaken.

p.7

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 assessment procedures to clearly identify the children's next steps for learning and use this information to directly inform future planning.

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.7