Scallywags Nursery & Pre-School Limited

Scallywags Children's Centre

Inspection report for early years provision

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Scallywags Children's Centre

Unique Reference Number EY256303 Inspection date 22 July 2005 Inspector Geneen Yvonne Hulse

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Scallywags Children's Centre

Setting Address 11 Moncrieffe Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S7 1HQ

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Scallywags Children's Centre

Telephone number 0114 2582283 E-mail julia.c@breathemail.net Registered person Julia Mary Campbell Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School care

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Scallywags Children's Centre

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 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?

Scallywags Children’s Centre opened in 2003. It is located in a large detached building in the Nether Edge area of Sheffield. It is close to local amenities, serving the local community and surrounding areas. The nursery has six playrooms including out of school area, kitchen, meeting rooms, office and storage space. There are two secure outdoor play areas available to the children. The nursery cares for a maximum of 74 children aged from 6 weeks to 8 years. There

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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 are currently 66 children on roll, of whom 23 receive funded nursery education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and 9 children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery offers full day care all year round and children attend for a variety of sessions per week between 07.30 and 18.30. Twelve staff work with the children, eleven hold early years qualifications and one member of staff is working towards and an appropriate level three qualification. The nursery employs a specialist music teacher plus ancillary staff. The setting receives support from the local authority community teacher.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy and take part in a wide range of activities that contribute to keeping them healthy. They effectively use indoor and outdoor activities on a daily basis to develop their physical skills. Children enjoy riding bikes, climbing and balancing on the tyre swing, running and exploring in the garden. Good use of the premises allows the children free play space indoors and out in all weathers. Children extend their fine motor development successfully as they manipulate tools, such as scissors, pencils, glue spreaders and paint brushes. Staff offer the children many opportunities to talk about being healthy through the use of projects, displays and planned topics. Children are cared for in a warm, clean environment. Effective methods ensure they develop good personal hygiene practices, such as hand washing before snacks and after messy play. Children understand the importance of this and demonstrate it in their play and activities.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children develop an understanding of a healthy diet, as staff talk to them about healthy eating within the daily routine. They use displays and themes to help children explore what foods are good for them. Children make choices at snack time and eat together around small tables in a social setting. Staff take into account children’s individual dietary needs and plan accordingly. The children understand their own needs and older children help themselves when they want a drink.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment where risks are minimised. Good procedures are consistently followed by staff who conduct daily risk assessments and are vigilant about monitoring access to the premises. Children move around the nursery independently and safely. They learn to keep themselves safe and avoid accidents. Staff talk to them about safe practice, such as being careful outside when climbing. Children self select equipment and activities from a wide range of easily accessible quality resources and request additional items to extend their play. Resources are

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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 well organised and displayed on low shelves and tables. Well planned playrooms encourage children to make independent choices. Children access well resourced mark making and creative areas to extend and enhance their play ideas. Effective procedures are in place to support good practice and help children keep themselves safe. Staff hold current first aid certificates. They demonstrate a secure knowledge of child protection procedures and how to keep children safe. The child protection co-ordinator ensures that the staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at nursery. They make good progress in all areas of development. Staff are knowledgeable and offer activities and experiences that keep children interested and motivated. Staff effectively use the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage to provide good quality care and education. Children are well settled, happy and secure. They enthusiastically undertake a wide range of meaningful activities, are confident and interested in their surroundings. Children establish good relationships with staff and children alike. They make choices about their play, selecting activities and resources from the varied and stimulating range available both indoors and out. Children enjoy playing outdoors in all weathers, for example playing in the rain wearing raincoats and carrying umbrellas. Staff respond to the children's individual needs and adapt activities to follow their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

ideas and suggestions. Children receive good levels of support to extend and try out new skills, such as using the computer. Staff in turn use observations and their knowledge of the children to build on what they can do to extend activities at the child's own pace. A consistent staff team cares for children under three, which helps them to feel secure and build their confidence. Staff are starting to familiarise themselves with the Birth to three matters framework, however this is not routinely used to provide suitable activities for children under three years. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff's good knowledge of the Foundation Stage ensures that children progress well in all areas of development. Children are interested and motivated to learn, using well planned activities and experiences which challenge and extend them. They use their imaginations very well during role play activities, making up simple

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

stories as they use octagons to make rainbows. They develop good concentration skills and have free access to tools and materials to make models. Children build, design and extend their imagination when making hats using quality resources. They are confident speakers and listen well to each other. Children share experiences, talking about home and family and staff show interest by offering support and

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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 suggestions to enhance their experiences. Children are very confident and engage well with each other and visitors, sharing their achievements and negotiating roles in games. For example, acting out the song ‘There was a Princess long ago’ and dancing with materials. Well organised and planned music sessions introduce children to free expression. They enjoy exploring and replicating sounds using instruments. Children play well together and alone and enthusiastically progress their ideas. They develop independent skills and successfully plan their own time. Behaviour is very good and reflects the staff's high expectations. Children take turns, share and learn how to manage their own behaviour and respect others. They enjoy learning about the lives of others through topics and planned activities, for example talking about

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

where they live, holidays and moving house. Children are introduced to numbers and problem solving through daily activities, counting and sorting as part of daily routines and when singing. Staff use observations to monitor children's progress and use information from parents to complete the picture. These observations are an effective aid to inform activity planning and progress children's learning. The variety of methods used offer a good balance of focused and freely chosen activities. Staff have a secure knowledge of the early learning goals and use this to plan a broad based curriculum to include all areas of learning. Planning is flexible enough to respond to children's individual ideas and interests. However, snack times do not always allow the children to further develop their independence. Staff use open ended questions well to extend children's language and develop their thinking. They value what the children say

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

using positive responses, displaying their work attractively and promoting their self esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children build good and respectful relationships with staff and each other. They show good self esteem, confidently ask questions and make choices. Children are warmly welcomed by staff who are sensitive and value their individuality. They receive praise and encouragement for achievement and attempts, for example building models and attempting to write their name. Meaningful activities and resources help children become aware of similarities and differences and increase their understanding of the wider world. Books, toys and pictures show positive images and children share their home experiences. Children with special educational needs are welcomed into the provision and staff work well with other agencies to ensure the children are cared for according to their individual needs. Children's behaviour is good and reflects the staff's high expectations. Children understand clear and consistent boundaries and demonstrate care and respect for

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Helping children make a positive contribution

each other. They follow good role models in staff who show consideration for others. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff ensure parents are well informed

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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 about what the children are doing and use topics to help parents build on nursery activities at home. Parents and staff work well together to meet the children's needs. They receive good quality information about the setting and are encouraged to share information about their child. However parents are not always clear about how children progress using the stepping stones to reach the early learning goals. Parents confidently approach staff and demonstrate a high level of satisfaction with the setting. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care and learning is promoted by the effective organisation of the nursery. Knowledgeable staff understand their roles and responsibilities to ensure that children are challenged and their individual needs met. Staff work well together, following effective nursery procedures that monitor and evaluate the provision. A committed staff team are involved in reviewing practice and adopting new procedures to support the setting. The nursery staff share a commitment to training and development to consolidate their practices and enhance the provision. A very comprehensive range of policies and procedures support good practice to deliver an effective service. The established staff team have many opportunities to meet together, share information and further develop working practices. They make good use of observation and assessments to monitor children's progress and identify gaps in the provision. The leadership and

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Organisation

management of the nursery is good. Overall the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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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 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

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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): • develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the needs of children under three for example through the use of the Birth to three framework.

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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 information for parents showing how children learn using the stepping stones • review the effectiveness of snack times in promoting children's independence.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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