Georgie Porgies

Georgie Porgies Inspection report for early years provision

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EY246324 Unique Reference Number 15 November 2007 Inspection date Sara Haigh Inspector

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17 Market Street, Denton, Manchester, Lancashire, M34 2FH Setting Address

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E-mail

Georgie Porgies Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School care Type of care

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E-mail

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

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are 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?

Georgie Porgies Nursery and Out of School Club opened in December 2003 and is privately owned. It is situated in the Denton area of Tameside. The nursery operates from four separate base rooms and there are three rooms in an adjoining building for the Out of School Club. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 90 children can attend at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 120 children on roll, 18 of whom are in receipt of funding for nursery education. A maximum of 24 children can attend the Out of School Club. There are currently 25 children on roll in the Out of School club and 26 on roll for the school holidays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 32 members of staff, including support staff. There are 20 qualified staff members and five staff are working towards a qualification. The nursery has achieved Investors in People, Bronze Food Safety and Silver Pathway to Quality in Tameside awards.

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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 are protected from the spread of infection and cross contamination as the nursery maintains good levels of hygiene. All staff follow clear policies and procedures, such as nappy changing, food hygiene, health and safety, sickness and administration of medication procedures. Bedding is regularly laundered and is clean and fresh. Staff give children good support to allow them to develop their personal hygiene skills, such as washing their hands, posters in the bathrooms act as a reminder.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit greatly from a healthy, balanced diet as they enjoy highly nutritious meals and snacks. These are home made and freshly prepared. Children have access to fresh drinking water to ensure they keep refreshed and hydrated. Children in the out of school club are able to make their own sandwiches and satisfy their appetites fully. Clear and secure procedures are in place to ensure that all necessary staff are aware of children's individual dietary needs and that these are met at all times. Staff are sensitive to children's needs and follow their individual routines as discussed with parents. Therefore, children's emotional wellbeing is fostered. Children develop an understanding of the importance of healthy eating and exercise through related topics, weekly exercise sessions run by an external organisation and general discussions at meal times and during play.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children develop good large muscle skills and coordination as they enjoy various opportunities to engage in physical play indoors and outdoors. The setting benefits from having a large cellar room which is used for vigorous indoor play when the weather is unsuitable. Young babies have ample room inside to develop their skills in crawling and walking. They become confident as they crawl to furniture that they pull themselves up on and hold on to as they side step along it. The majority of children experience outdoor play on a daily basis, using various equipment and developing a variety of skills. However, the babies do not have daily opportunities to benefit from fresh air and exercise.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The nursery is bright, inviting and extremely well maintained. Each room provides children with an excellent space to safely explore the resources on offer. Children and parents develop a sense of belonging as information regarding the provision and curriculum, and photographs of the children taking part in activities are attractively displayed throughout the building. The outside area is covered in a soft safety surface to allow children to engage safely in vigorous outdoor play. Children are kept safe due to effective security measures, the buildings are secure, visitors are signed in and out, and close circuit television cameras are in operation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children safely and confidently access toys and resources from the selection made available to them. These are well maintained, provide adequate stimulation for the ages of children being cared for and cover all areas of play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a sound awareness of safety. Safety gates and heater guards are in place and staff supervise children closely at all times. However, children under the age of two years sitting in low chairs are not securely restrained. The temperature of the hot water in the bathrooms poses a risk to children's health and safety. The temperature is inconsistent, ranging from too hot to

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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 cold. A telephone system used throughout the nursery enables quick and effective communication. There is a clear fire evacuation procedure and fire drills are carried out every month. In the event of an accident children are well taken care of as the majority of staff have a valid first aid certificate. Children learn to keep themselves safe as they help to sweep sand off the floor, blow on hot food, and learn how to go up and down stairs safely. Children in the out of school club understand how holding onto a rope with rings on ensures their safety to and from school.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected from harm as they are cared for by adults who are vetted and have relevant experience and skills. Staff working with the children are aware of their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding children and an appropriate procedure is in place.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy attending the nursery and they enthusiastically take part in what is planned for them. They are happy and secure. They engage in creative and messy activities with adult support and have great fun as they explore play dough, jelly, sand and ice using all their senses. Staff working with the babies are responsive to their verbal and non verbal communications. For example, during a singing session children gesture and utter one word from their favourite songs, staff respond by singing those songs. Staff encourage their language as they chat to them throughout the day, ask them questions and repeat their emerging words.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Toys throughout the nursery are set out for children on a rota system with a selection being consistently available. Creative materials, such as paints and glue, are generally accessed during planned, adult initiated activities. Children confidently make choices about their play, selecting activities and resources from the range available. However, many resources are not stored at children's height which restricts their freedom of choice and initiative. The limited amount of continuously accessible resources for children of all ages restricts their opportunities to practise and consolidate their skills, follow their interests and set themselves challenges.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from the key worker system, which enables them to receive consistent care from adults who know them well. Key workers complete a 'daily plan' detailing individual children's daily routines, care and welfare needs. This ensures all staff provide consistent care and meet the needs of the children. Staff support children throughout the day, working alongside them and engaging with the children in a variety of activities and experiences. Babies become fascinated as staff blow bubbles in the air. A member of staff engages children to build a tower of soft shapes. They all clap excitedly when the tower is knocked down and then repeated. Older children choose to read stories in the book corner, encouraged by successful modelling by staff. Children begin to distinguish between right and wrong and the staff set good examples to the children, such as reminding them about turn taking, sharing and manners.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff plan a range of activities around half-termly topics. They use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to ensure the activities meet the needs of the children attending. Staff record observations of children which are used to create children's individual folders.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

At the out of school club, the children have a range of opportunities available to them, such as computers, games, art and craft activities and quiet activities. There are opportunities for children to enjoy an activity of their choice.

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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 learning is satisfactory. Staff have a sound knowledge of the individual children and are developing a secure understanding of the Foundation Stage and early learning goals. There are planning systems in place and staff review and evaluate weekly. Observations of the children are used to form their individual folders and the record of achievement produced by Tameside local authority. The systems are not yet fully developed to show clear links between children's assessments and plans. As a result, children's next steps are not clearly identified to inform the short term plans and to ensure all staff know what children are expected to learn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are interested and motivated to learn. The pre-school room is well arranged to include all areas of play, plenty of labelling, displays and attractively presented children's art work promotes a stimulating learning environment. The accessible, labelled equipment helps children to be able to see what is available, which promotes some free choice. However, the organisation of the session impacts negatively on children's behaviour at times, in particular whilst they are waiting for the next activity or for their meals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children manage developmentally appropriate tasks easily, such as using the bathroom independently, pouring their own drinks, scraping their plates and clearing away after meal times. Children are developing relationships with each other and enjoy each others company as they play together. Children's language skills are developing as staff engage them in their play. Some children access weekly Spanish lessons from an external provider. Children are encouraged to join in with familiar stories and are learning to recognise their names as they find their name cards throughout the day. They have free access to a mark making area but children fail to use it as it does not encourage writing for a purpose. Children learn about numbers and develop counting skills as they count each other at snack time to find out how many plates they will need. Children complete various number jigsaws and develop measuring

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

skills as they match different sizes of plastic worms to pictures on corresponding cards.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore the outside area with magnifying glasses and examine plastic insects with mini-microscopes. Children are keen to develop their ideas as they use small construction equipment to make a farm. A member of staff skilfully asks questions and suggests ideas to extend their thinking and to give meaning to their model. Children have good opportunities to perform simple technological functions. A display shows how they used a digital camera to take and print photographs. Children have free access to two computers and independently use the mouse to change colours on a drawing programme. Children's fine motor skills are being developed through the use of scissors, cutlery, brushes and rollers. Children have timetabled sessions for outdoor play. Activities and equipment are organised on a rota basis with children having opportunities to crawl through tunnels, balance on beams and travel down slides.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

However, some children wander aimlessly at times as there is insufficient equipment or appropriate challenges for them. Children express their imagination and creativity as they find out what they can do with paint and other media and act out real experiences in the role play area.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are confident and develop a high self esteem and positive self image. They develop a strong sense of belonging as their art work and photographs are displayed throughout the setting. They are aware of the daily routine and have some opportunities to take responsibilities within this, such as helping to tidy up. The planning, equipment and resources promote children's awareness of other cultures and the world around them. For example, children learn about what

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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 it is like to live in Australia through the nursery being twinned with a setting there. Children learn about other religious festivals and celebrations throughout the year, such as Chinese new year, St Patrick's Day and Christmas. Staff promote equality of opportunity as they ensure all children are able access and engage in the range of activities on offer, provide toys and resources that reflect our diverse society and use language that does not re-enforce stereotypes. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff have a good understanding of children's individual health, dietary, social and emotional needs and cultural and religious beliefs as they work closely with parents and observe children closely. The setting has good systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and disabilities and to ensure they are able to take part in all areas of the curriculum. Some staff are able to use sign language to support circle time sessions.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well. Staff have a calm and consistent approach to behaviour management. Staff provide clear and consistent boundaries to help children know what is expected of them. They use distraction, praise and encouragement to encourage good behaviour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of children in receipt of nursery education is good. Information regarding the provision is shared with parents in a variety of ways. These include a prospectus, regular newsletters, notices and displays showing information regarding the curriculum's. Parents share information regarding their child while settling and on a day to day basis. Parents are kept informed about their children's progress and achievements through daily verbal feedback, transition meetings when children move to the next room, and a meeting before children transfer to school. Each child has a folder of observations, work and photographs which parents can access at any time. Daily record sheets show how long children have slept for, what they have eaten, their nappy changing and what they have played with. Babies have a two way communication diary to share information about their welfare and routines.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Continuous provision plans, short term plans and menus are displayed along with information on how children learn to write. Parents are involved in their child's learning as they have access to 'activities at home' sheets, song sheets and have opportunities to attend evening workshops, such as the 'Helping Hands' behaviour management session. Children also bring in topic related items from home and have opportunities to take home a teddy for the weekend and record their adventures. Parents can offer suggestions and comments through books on the notice boards. Parents speak highly of the nursery. They are pleased that their children are happy to attend and they value the friendly and respectful staff.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. All staff undergo a rigorous vetting procedure, a comprehensive induction and work in line with the clear policies and procedures, thereby safeguarding children. The ongoing suitability of staff is ensured through annual appraisals. The high staff-child ratios, effective key worker system and grouping of children, ensures that the children receive positive support and interaction with familiar staff who promote their health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution. However, the organisation of some aspects of the nursery session does impact negatively on children's behaviour. All necessary documents and records are in place, are well organised, contain all required information and are shared appropriately with parents.

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Organisation

Staff are organised and work well together. They are valued and respected by the provider and management team and are given responsibilities and opportunities to develop their skills and

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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 the rooms they are currently working in. Staff show commitment and pride in their work, they attend monthly staff meetings and room leaders attend weekly meetings.

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Organisation

The quality and leadership and management of the nursery education is good. Staff have clear roles and are supported well by the manager who spends time within the room and holds regular meetings to discuss planning, developments and children's progress. The manager has the responsibility for the nursery education and has positive systems in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the provision. The manager and staff demonstrate a commitment to the continued development of the nursery education. They work with their Early Years advisors and ensure that staff attend relevant training sessions, which they feedback to colleagues and use to implement new ideas.

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Organisation

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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the setting agreed to ensure the displayed menu reflects what is served and to continue to increase resources that reflect positive images of race, ethnicity, gender and disability. The nursery has a new cook and the menus have been reviewed and updated. Resources that reflect diversity are evident in all of the rooms, posters and activities support positive images of our society.

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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. 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): • ensure that babies have more frequent opportunities to be outdoors • make sure that children under the age of two years sitting in low chairs are securely restrained • ensure the temperature of hot water is safe and consistent

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • ensure resources are kept at children's height; provide a wider range of consistently accessible resources in order for children to make choices, practise and consolidate their skills and extend their play (also applies to nursery education) • improve the organisation of nursery routines in order to minimise negative behaviour.

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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): • continue to develop the observations, planning and assessments to ensure clear links are made and that children's next steps are identified and inform the planning (also applies to care) • develop the outdoor provision to provide appropriate challenges and sufficient equipment for all children (also applies to care).

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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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