Kids Planet Kettering

Angels Nursery School Inspection report for early years provision

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260734 Unique Reference Number 15 November 2007 Inspection date Anne Archer / Sarah Measures Inspector

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113 London Road, London Road, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN15 7PH

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Angels Nursery 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 outstanding. 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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Angels Nursery School opened in September 2001. It occupies the ground floor of a purposely converted house on the outskirts of Kettering town centre. Children share access to two outdoor play areas. A maximum of 55 children may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year with the exception of Bank Holidays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 94 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. Of these, 28 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery serves Kettering and the surrounding areas. It is able to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those children for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is managed by the owner and employs 17 members of staff to work with the children. Of these, 15 hold appropriate qualifications. A chef and cleaning staff support the childcare staff. The nursery has Pre-school Learning Alliance accreditation and receives support from the local authority.

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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 outstanding. Children's health is promoted extremely effectively in all areas of the nursery as the conscientious staff adhere to meticulous hygiene routines including when changing nappies, cleaning the changing area between nappy changes and when preparing areas for meal times. Children are encouraged to learn about and adopt simple personal hygiene routines such as washing and drying their hands after going to the toilet and before eating, fetching a tissue, wiping their noses and disposing of the tissues appropriately. This sustained level of hygiene helps to prevent the spread of infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's welfare is successfully safeguarded because staff periodically attend paediatric first aid training to enable them to maintain a current first aid certificate and this ensure they feel sufficiently confident to administer treatment in the event of an accident. Accidents are recorded clearly on individual forms and a parental signature is sought for each entry. There are efficient and highly effective procedures practised when a child becomes unwell at nursery, and parents provide their written consent for staff to seek medical advice or treatment in the event of an emergency. Written consent is also sought before medication is administered and precise records are maintained including witness signatures. When children find taking medication unsettling a member of staff reassures and cuddles the child while another administers the medication. Staff take particular care of children in warm weather, ensuring they apply sun cream when

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Helping children to be healthy

playing outside and that they are not out in the sun during the hottest part of the day.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children of all ages develop physical skills as they take part in regular indoor and outdoor activities including, dance, music and movement, and gym to develop their balance, spatial awareness and confidence. Children can rest whenever they are tired either in a cot, if appropriate, or on individual bedding. Babies' and young children's individual routines are regularly discussed with parents to ensure they are maintained and that any changes to home routines are adopted by staff at the nursery. Conversely, when staff notice a child's sleeping or feeding pattern change at nursery, they report this to parents and discussions take place about what is the best way forward for the child.

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Helping children to be healthy

Pre-school children are learning about bodily awareness, they talk about warming up their joints before dance activities and putting on their coats and scarves before playing outside in the cold weather. They take part in obstacle courses and parachute games which physically challenge them and use a range of equipment to develop physical control of fine and large muscles groups. The excellent range of resources to develop hand to eye co-ordination are easily accessible and well used by the children.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are provided with regular drinks of water and nutritious snacks including vegetable sticks and fruit slices. A qualified cook provides freshly prepared and cooked meals which comply with children's dietary needs and parental wishes. Dried foods are ordered and delivered weekly and fresh foods twice weekly to ensure quality and freshness. The full-time cook experiments with recipes to find dishes that all children can eat and enjoy. Meal times are a relaxed, social occasion where children eat well-loved dishes and also try different foods in a supportive and friendly atmosphere.

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Helping children to be healthy

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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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are cared for in a very well-presented, welcoming environment where management and staff are fully aware of children's developing abilities and ensure that appropriate measures are in place to avoid dangerous situations occurring. This enables children to move around safely and independently. There are clear procedures and good practices in place, such as risk assessments, fire safety measures and road safety precautions when taking children out into the local community, which reduce the opportunity for potential accidents and incidents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn about the importance of safety as they respond to clear guidelines from staff during both indoor and outside play activities. The security of the nursery is exceptional because staff follow thorough procedures when checking visitors identity, and parents adhere to requests not to leave the doors open for other users. Children are able to choose from a comprehensive range of good quality toys and resources and these, furniture and equipment, are regularly maintained to ensure children's health and safety when using them. Children's wellbeing is successfully safeguarded by staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues and their dedication to their responsibilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Babies and children of all ages settle well at the nursery because they and their parents are warmly welcomed by the staff. The environment is decorated attractively and there are colourful displays and posters which include examples of children's art work and so attract their interest. Babies and children quickly gain confidence through routines and the close relationships they develop with the consistent staff team and with other children. Children of all ages develop independence and self-esteem as they express their ideas during play using a range of resources which attract their interest. Staff working with the younger children take account of the 'Birth to three matters' framework, using their regular observations to assess children's level of development so enabling them to plan meaningful activities that respond to children's interests as well as their stage of development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children show high levels of confidence derived from their obvious feelings of security and sense of belonging. Their personal, social and emotional development is very effectively promoted as they work through activities in their key worker groups with the extremely caring and supportive staff group. Children actively participate in activities and are keen to try new experiences. For example, trying on a blindfold during an activity about our senses. Children show excellent attitudes to learning, they encourage each other and are learning from each other. They are very independent, they put on aprons and wash their own hands and dry them on paper towels without being reminded. Children label their work without being asked, help their friends to tidy up and help to care for the nursery's pet rabbits.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Staff's expert use and comprehensive working knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum guidance means that children make excellent progress as they work towards the early learning goals. Staff use medium term plans that ensure a highly effective and carefully balanced programme is offered across the stepping stones and development areas. Staff expertly use observations and assessments that include stepping stones as targets for individual children, to compile the weekly plans. Plans include

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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 inspiration and ideas from all staff and they are all fully aware of the activities learning intentions and how activities will be carried out. Planning includes core learning under mathematical development and communication, language and literacy and is threaded through many activities to fully consolidate children's understanding in key areas. Planning also includes different objectives for three and four year olds. When visiting teachers are working with the children, staff make notes so that they can repeat the activities for other children and to reinforce learning later. Children's learning is fully extended because of staff's obvious knowledge of the stepping stones. Their knowledge enables them to offer children an extremely interesting and purposeful range of experiences and so make the most of all learning opportunities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Excellent opportunities are offered for children to learn about sounds and link them to letters. Staff help children to identify the sounds in their name and use pure sounds in a wealth of activities and games intrinsically linked across the curriculum. For example, children lie on the floor linked together to make sound shapes. When writing their name on their work children say the sounds of the letters as they form them. Children fully engage in purposeful discussion and as staff skilfully use questions to help children think and plan for themselves the atmosphere buzzes. There are a wide range of reading materials available to children. They handle books carefully, share stories in small groups and participate in a reading scheme enabling them to take books home to share with their parents. A wealth of mark-making materials are easily accessible to children, such as chalks and crayons, and they confidently label their own work

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

with the more able children forming letters correctly. Other children are supported by the patient staff who help them to trace their name or provide dots for them to follow. Writing materials are freely available in the imaginary play areas and children enjoy writing for a purpose as part of their play. Staff introduce new vocabulary to children and then very effectively consolidate children's learning with exciting props such as the feely box.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's mathematical development is very well supported as they play. For example, children count as they take part in dance and drama activities, sing songs and rhymes, and during role play. They learn the meaning of number as they count how many bean bags they can accurately throw into the hoop. Children go on walks to look for shapes and staff effectively reinforce children's understanding when they ask them what they remember and how they have remembered it. For example, by counting the sides.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is successfully developed through a wide range of activities. They help to care for the nursery's pet rabbits and fish, watch for and talk about wildlife in the nursery garden, such as squirrels, and put food out for the birds. Children learn about change during cooking activities as they prepare the mixture and then see it again after it has been cooked. Computer programmes are used to reinforce children's learning in all areas of the curriculum and a computer is available for children to access throughout the sessions. Children learn about the customs of their local community as they share harvest gifts, and about the wider world from the post cards that children and staff send to the nursery when they go on holiday.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have lots of fun as they develop creatively. They enjoy drama and dance as they pretend to be a fairy or a shoemaker. They learn to move creatively and freely to music, using their bodies in different ways. Children use a range of musical instruments as they learn new songs. They make their own instruments, such as shakers, and experiment with different sounds and rhythms. Children experiment freely with paint, chalks and cutting and sticking activities, choosing their own colours and materials. The imaginary play area is very well resourced with a wide range of realistic equipment and materials. Children really enjoy making up their own

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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 games, playing co-operatively and developing confidence as they make sense of the world around them. Overall, children make outstanding progress towards the early learning goals.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children are confident in their relationships with staff and flourish in the warm, caring environment because they are valued and respected as individuals. This promotes a sense of wellbeing and supports their emotional development. Dedicated staff work closely with parents and carers to meet children's individual needs to ensure each child is fully included in the life of the nursery. Children learn about the diversity of the world in which we live through planned activities for Christmas and Diwali, for instance, from fund raising events that they take part in that support vulnerable members of society and from visits in their local area, such as to a residential care home, and to independent retailers in the local community, such as the butchers and greengrocers. A range of displays and resources for the children to play with which reflect positive images of culture, ethnicity, gender and disability, as well as visitors to the nursery,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

ensure that children learn about people who are different from themselves. Effective procedures are in place to ensure that children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities integrate very well and successfully experience the nursery education on offer.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well and are polite as they respond to the praise and clear, consistent guidelines set by all staff. Older children are familiar with and show some understanding of rules while all children enjoy the security of well-established routines. Staff deal with unwanted behaviour sensitively and consistently, taking into account individual children's level of understanding and maturity. Children learn from a very early age the importance of sharing and taking turns because staff support them through their decision making. This excellent support of children's emotional wellbeing fosters their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's care, welfare and development are comprehensively promoted through the successful, positive working relationships established with parents. Parents' views about their child's needs and interests are sought before the child joins the nursery and observed and discussed during the taster sessions children enjoy before starting at the nursery. All this information is used by staff to settle the child. Key workers liaise closely with parents throughout the child's stay at the nursery but particularly with the parents of young babies to ensure that their home routine is maintained. Extremely effective methods of daily communication strengthen links between home and nursery and this, along with a consistent staff group, provide children with exceptionally high levels of continuity of care. Parents comments and concerns are taken very seriously by the management team and there is a comprehensive procedure for dealing with

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. Parents of children in receipt of funded nursery education receive useful information about the Foundation Stage curriculum and practitioners display planning details and offer ideas about how children's learning can be reinforced at home. The annual parent meetings provide an opportunity for those parents who can not regularly speak with their child's key worker to meet with them, look at their child's development folder together and discuss their child's next steps in their progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Parents speak of the nursery and its staff as being wonderful and brilliant. They feel valued and involved in their children's learning.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The meticulous way in which the nursery is organised ensures that children of all ages are exceedingly well cared for by dedicated, professional staff. Comprehensive staff recruitment, induction and appraisal systems function extremely effectively and staff training and personal development are actively encouraged by the forward thinking owner/manager. Fully established practices protect children and effectively promote all outcomes for children. Space and resources are well organised and children are able to make choices and develop their own ideas as they play. All staff support children exceedingly well during activities and routines while children under two in particular, receive caring support and encouragement from the committed staff group as they begin to develop basic skills. Children's care and welfare is further safeguarded by the well-established, comprehensive documentation and record keeping systems.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is outstanding. The management team is proactive in ensuring that the good practice of all staff contributes to children's health, safety, enjoyment and achievement and ability to take an active part in the life of the nursery. The clear aims and objectives for the provision of nursery education are maintained by management closely monitoring and evaluating the educational programme and taking appropriate action to improve and develop as necessary. For instance, their preparation for the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage next year. Overall, children's needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the nursery was asked to develop the child protection statement to include a procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer. The nursery was also asked to include children's hours of attendance on the daily register. Both recommendations have been acted upon to enhance the quality of care provided to children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection of funded nursery education the nursery was asked to further develop opportunities for children to choose and select activities and resources for themselves and to develop the use of observation and assessment in the planning process. The nursery has responded to both issues fully and they are referred to elsewhere in this report. The actions taken have greatly improved the quality of funded nursery education for children.

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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 outstanding. 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 outstanding.

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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

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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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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