Old Crofts Bank Nursery and Pre-school

Old Crofts Bank Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Old Crofts Bank Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 310377 Inspection date 18 July 2005 Inspector Maria Keane

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Old Crofts Bank Day Nursery

Setting Address Old Crofts Bank Day Nursery, 14 Old Crofts Bank, Urmston, Manchester, M41 7AA Telephone number 0161 748 7767

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E-mail

Registered person Janet Ruth Hazzlewood Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 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?

Old Crofts Bank Nursery opened in April 1997. The nursery is accommodated in a detached, two storey building in the Davyhulme area of Trafford. It comprises of seven designated playrooms which are individually organised to meet the needs of specific age groups. Other facilities include several changing areas, office, kitchen and staff facilities. There is also a large grassed and paved outdoor play area to the rear of the building. The nursery serves families from a wide geographical area.

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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 is registered for 79 children aged from birth to five years and there are 127 children on roll. This includes 23 children who are in receipt of nursery education funding. The nursery supports children who have identified special needs and who use English as an additional language. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 all year round except for Christmas and public holidays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Twenty three staff work with the children. Fifteen have appropriate qualifications in childcare and education and five are working towards obtaining a recognised early years qualification. The nursery receives support from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean, well maintained environment. They benefit from the staff's ability to consistently follow health and hygiene guidelines such as, keeping nappy changing areas clean and storing dummies in separate tubs with children's names on. The children learn about good hygiene practices through daily routines such as, hand washing and discussions about how germs are spread. Children are further protected as records for the safe administration of medication and the recording of any accidents sustained are kept up to date and monitored by the nursery manager. In addition, the majority of staff are first aid trained. Children enjoy mealtimes which are generally social occasions. They are offered a well balanced diet and they have opportunities to experience different tastes and textures. Meals comply with identified special or cultural dietary requirements to

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Helping children to be healthy

ensure children remain healthy. Older children have some opportunities to talk about the different food they eat and healthy diets, for example, children talk about sushi and what it tastes like when role playing in the Japanese restaurant. They have drinks at set times of the day, although drinks are offered more frequently if it's a hot day or if children have taken part in physical activity. Outdoor play is a regular feature in the children's daily routine. They use wheeled toys and climbing apparatus to develop body control and physical skill. The children enjoy the fresh air and respond well to the freedom outdoor play provides for example, open space and easy access to resources. Older children learn about healthy living and take part in some good planned activities such as, racing using different body movements. They use these opportunities well to discuss how they feel and the effects physical exercise has on their bodies.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a welcoming, very secure and safe environment. Parents

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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 and children are greeted by the person in charge on entrance to the nursery. In addition, familiar staff welcome children into their group rooms. Children are organised into play rooms according to their age and ability, they develop a good sense of belonging with the support of kind and consistent staff. The playrooms accommodated by the under threes, although clean and bright, lack a cosy feel to them for example, no cushioned areas for children to enjoy books, rest and relax or opportunities to freely access resources. Rooms that accommodate older children are more child friendly with a good balance of accessible resources on offer. There are a sufficient range of good quality, developmentally appropriate resources. Older children have free access to these with the help of well-organised child height

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

furniture which give children the independence to lead, develop and engage in purposeful play. However, this is not encouraged in the rooms that offer care for younger children. These children mainly access resources through planned activities or when staff make these available. This therefore limits these young children's opportunities to independently select resources and enjoy spontaneous play. The risk of accidental injury is minimised because the staff are vigilant and prioritise children's safety. In addition risk assessments are undertaken daily both indoors and out by the person in charge. Sleeping children are checked regularly and the supervision of children is maintained at all times. The children learn about safety through discussion and safe practices such as, walking to the outdoor play area. Children's welfare is safeguarded. The child protection co-ordinator ensures that staff are kept up to date on the policies and procedures relating to child protection. In

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

addition, three members of staff have undertaken training to update their knowledge of local child protection procedures .

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are very happy and settled in the care of a kind, sensitive and consistent staff team. They develop good relationships with each other. Children benefit greatly from the staff's free approach to verbal and physical warmth for example, cuddles and words of comfort. The children's well-being is further developed through the staff's ability to respond quickly to children's personal needs for example, hungry and upset children. Babies have some opportunities to enjoy the colour and sounds of manufactured toys, however they have fewer opportunities to freely explore natural and sensory materials. Toddlers have some opportunities to enjoy planned group activities such as, painting, baking, sand and water play. They particularly enjoy story and singing sessions. Recently the staff working with children under three have begun to use the Birth to three matters framework to plan activities. Although this is

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

considered to be good practice, children still have too few opportunities to freely access a range of activities and resources, resulting in the children demonstrating a lack of interest and purpose in their play. The staff do however record children's progress, though they are not confident in using this information to plan the next steps in children's development. As a result they fail to notice some vital opportunities to plan for the common characteristics of the children cared for, their individual

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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 learning needs and interests. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The children are making sound progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals because they enjoy a suitable range of activities linked to the six areas of learning. Children are happy and content in their environment. They develop a positive approach to learning as they independently select resources from well-organised workshop style areas. Children play confidently and express themselves well, they initiate and lead their own play. Children work well together and make special friends. They develop good self-esteem and proudly show off their beautiful artwork. Children are well behaved and demonstrate a caring approach to each other for example, during a puppet show they discuss emotions and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

friendships. Children learn about the community through planned and project related activities. The children have many opportunities to practice writing using a range of mediums, they learn about different forms of writing for example, brail. Children's names are written in brail and are accessible for children to feel and discuss. Children who can form letters write their names on the top of their pictures, however staff write the names of children who cannot yet form letters, therefore missing some good opportunities for children to practice emergent writing. Children understand that print carries meaning and enjoy sharing books and listening to stories. They use language well to negotiate during play and share experiences. The children enjoy using numbers, they use bricks and other accessible resources to practice counting, sequence and make shapes. Some children also learn to count up to three in French. The staff work closely with children and plan activities to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

encourage children to use mathematical language and identify with capacity and measure during water play activities, however, there are some missed opportunities for children to practice simple number operations such as, adding and taking away. Children show a keen interest in patterns of change. They mix red and yellow paint to make orange and discuss daily weather and significant changes. They develop a good understanding of how and why things happen through planned activities such as, sinking and floating. The children use well equipped role play areas to discuss their knowledge and recreate their experiences. Children dress up in outfits and prepare food in the Japanese restaurant. They use their bodies to express themselves to music. Children use a sufficient amount of resources to be imaginative and creative. Focused activities do not however, allow children to freely create using a wide range of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

accessible materials. For example, children followed instructions on how to draw a cricket bat the same as the supporting member of staffs. This therefore restricted children's imagination and their natural creative flair, as emphasis is placed on the end product rather than the enjoyment of the process. The staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage. They use well organised assessment records, which allow them to keep track of children's individual

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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 assessments relating to each of the stepping stones. However, they use too few observations of individual children, which would allow them to clearly ascertain what children already know and identify future learning requirements and any obvious gaps in their learning. The staff generally question children well to further encourage thinking and learning, although there are some missed opportunities in maths development. In addition, staff sometimes have low expectations of children especially in areas such as creativity and writing. Overall the staff work very hard to develop an educational provision which allows children to learn whilst having fun.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children from a variety of backgrounds and children with special needs are warmly welcomed in the nursery. The staff meet children's personal requirements well and work closely with other agencies to ensure a consistent approach to the individual care of children. They work hard to ensure children and their families are valued and treated with respect. Older children learn about other cultures and individuals in the wider community through imaginary play, books and the celebration of significant festivals. There is a sufficient selection of resources that positively reflect, race, culture, gender and disability, though younger children have limited access to these resources. Children are generally well behaved, they care about each other, take turns and respond well to practitioners instructions. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory.Children benefit from the partnership staff have developed with parents. The staff get on well with parents, they verbally exchange information each day as parents bring and collect their children. Written information about their children's needs is obtained from parents when children are offered a place. Parents are provided with some information on a notice board in the entrance area and children's playrooms. In addition, they can request to see policies and procedures which are located in the upstairs office. The parents of children who receive nursery education are given a letter informing them of the Foundation Stage and the learning environment. In addition, they benefit from annual parents evenings to discuss their child's progress and receive a report to take to their child's next educational setting.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Induction training and appropriate policies and procedures work in practice to keep children healthy and safeguard their welfare. The staff team work well together and use planning meetings, appraisals and staff meetings to communicate ideas and concerns. The manager takes overall responsibility for supporting the staff and monitoring the provision. There is however some gaps in how the provision for under threes is monitored. This reflects in the staff's ability to respond to children's individual learning needs, and the lack of freely accessible resources for children to engage in purposeful activity. The whole staff team relish the support they get from

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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 Early Years and Childcare Partnership team, and are very committed to further training. In addition the proprietor and manager use the inspection process as a tool for further development. The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The manager supports staff in the planning and delivery of the curriculum. She has a sound knowledge of the six areas of learning and how children learn and is involved in the weekly planning meetings and regularly monitors the educational provision. However, there are weaknesses related to some aspects of teaching methods and the individual observations of children to inform future planning. The manager does however ensure that staff attend training to promote their professional development and receives outside support to ensure the continuous development of the provision.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last Children Act inspection there were two issues for improvement identified. They were required to produce a detailed induction plan which sets out policies and procedures. This is now in place and is used to support new and existing staff. This therefore safeguards children's health and well being and provides staff with the ability to provide consistent and co-ordinated care for children. It was recommended that more sensory opportunities are provided for babies and that the provision of resources that reflect positive images is developed. The staff working with babies have made steady progress in the planning and implementing of a suitable range of sensory activities for young children. They have attended training to develop their knowledge of the Birth to three matters framework and are currently using this knowledge to plan for children's activities, though there are still some significant gaps in the provision for younger children, resulting in limited experiences

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Improvements since the last inspection

for babies to learn through their senses. There is however some development in the provision of resources that reflect positive images of race, culture, gender and disability, however these are not easily accessible to all children under three years. At the last Nursery Education inspection there were three areas for improvement identified. The nursery has made steady progress on all three issues and devised a clear action plan. The manager and staff have reviewed the strategies used for the management of older children's behaviour at whole group sessions. They encourage children to take part in group activities such as story time, by encouraging the children to take turns to talk and share experiences. Children are well behaved and have opportunities to take part in activities that spark their interest. The staff use clear assessment processes that are well organised and cover the six areas of learning. They use photo's, children's work and previous plans to

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Improvements since the last inspection

substantiate the assessments, though there is still a lack of direct observations of children, resulting in staff not having sufficient knowledge of what individual children already know and their future learning requirements.

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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 The staff have encouraged parents to become involved in the children's assessment process by setting up annual parents meetings and completing reports for children to take to their next educational setting. In addition, they are encouraged to get involved in projects relating to themes. This contributes well to children's welfare and progress. Overall the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints since the last inspection

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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): • organise rooms that accommodate children under three years, to increase children's opportunities to freely access purposeful activities and resources • develop systems for observing individual children and use these observations to ascertain what children already know and to plan the next steps in their development and future learning requirements (also applies to nursery education)

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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): • improve current teaching methods to ensure that staff cover all aspects of maths development and maintain a high expectations of children's natural ability to create and use emergent writing.

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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 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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