Christchurch Nursery

Christchurch Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY344291 Unique Reference Number 05 July 2007 Inspection date Hilary Preece Inspector

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St.John's Church Hall, Gills Hill Lane, Radlett, Herts, WD7 8DD Setting Address

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07765187171 Telephone number di.godding@virgin.net E-mail Diane Lesley Sansom Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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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 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?

Christchurch Nursery registered under new management in 2006. It operates from St John's Church Hall in Radlett, Hertfordshire. The nursery operates from one large hall, one small hall and a large inner lobby. The large kitchen is used to provide sand, water play and painting. There is access to an outdoor area behind the building. A maximum of 30 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 09:00 to 12:00 during term time only. Sessions on a Wednesday are offered to the three and four-year-old children only.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 36 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 27 children receive funding for early education. Children attend from the local area and surrounding villages. The nursery can support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 10 staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. Two qualified staff work full time and the others all work part time on varying days.

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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's health is effectively promoted by some solid procedures. Sick children are excluded to protect others from infection and appropriate first aid treatment is given. Individual medical or dietary needs are attended to well as clear records are kept and practitioners are trained to administer specific treatments, such as adrenaline for allergic reactions. Children become aware of sound hygiene practices. They understand why they must wash their hands after using the toilet or painting. Older children take responsibility for their own personal care by helping themselves to tissues when they need to blow their noses or putting on aprons before painting.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children develop some awareness of healthy living through topic work and activities. They understand that milk is important for developing strong bones and teeth. Children enjoy the social occasion of sitting together at snack time and helping to serve the drinks. The range of nutritious foods offered for snack is small, which does not encourage children to make healthy choices or broaden their tastes. Children can ask for a drink of water whenever they are thirsty but these are poured for them, which limits children's independence.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from being physically active both inside and outside. Regular use is made of the outside space and children relish their time in the garden. Children use small climbing and balancing apparatus, and pedal and steer wheeled toys, which develops muscle strength and control over their bodies. They particularly love climbing the grassy bank and rolling hoops down it. These regular opportunities to run about in the fresh air also assist with the development of important learning skills such as listening and concentration. Children confidently use bean bags, bats and balls to develop their co-ordination. Children develop good fine motor skills by manipulating dough, using paint brushes and scissors. Opportunities for children to rest are provided in the comfy corner so their bodies can relax after this physical exertion.

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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 welcoming environment. Rooms are set up attractively to provide a wide range of interesting resources and activities. Children move between the different areas independently. Children's safety and security is monitored closely. The premises are kept secure and practitioners monitor exits closely when children arrive and leave. Good fire precautions are in place that protect children in an emergency. Regular fire drills are carried out and these are evaluated in order to make any improvements to procedures. Children use a safe environment and resources. Risk assessments and daily checks of the premises and equipment are made that are effective in identifying hazards and prompt action is taken to address these.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children use a broad range of equipment and resources that are developmentally appropriate. Regular checks are made to ensure these remain safe and suitable for use. They use equipment sensibly, for example, carrying their chairs carefully to put away after use. Children develop awareness of how to keep themselves safe because practitioners reinforce the consequences of their actions. They know, for example, that if they run whilst carrying things they are likely to fall, or that they may trip over shoe laces that have come undone.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected on outings in the local area because these are well planned and clear procedures are followed to ensure they are kept safe. There are robust procedures to ensure

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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 children only leave with authorised adults. Practitioners support children's welfare by having regard to child protection guidelines. However, some documentation is missing and the child protection policy does not contain all the necessary detail. This may impact on the welfare of children and also staff in the event of an allegation being made against them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and quickly settle in the nursery. They enjoy confident and positive relationships with adults because practitioners are interested in them as individuals. Younger children are supported to play with others and develop friendships. Older children clearly enjoy each other's company and work well together in pairs or small groups. Children's individual needs are met and all enabled to take part because practitioners successfully adapt routines and activities accordingly. For example, younger children enjoy their story and circle time because it is kept brief and they are not expected to sit for too long. Older children are encouraged to participate in and lead group sessions, which develops their confidence and sense of responsibility. Children talk proudly about their families and experiences outside nursery and practitioners respond with interest. Their achievements are celebrated and shared

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

within the group. This helps children develop high self-esteem.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Practitioners have regard for the 'Birth to three matters' framework when planning a range of activities for the younger children and assessing their development. Children engage enthusiastically in music and movement sessions. They listen and respond to rhythm as they play a tambourine in time to a marching beat. Activities are provided for children to use their senses to explore sand, water, paint and dough. They show imagination in their play, using the climbing apparatus to represent a pirate ship or re-enacting experiences at the doctors. Their learning is extended by practitioners who help the children develop their ideas.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals in the six areas of learning. Practitioners use their knowledge of the Foundation Stage, and seek support from a qualified teacher, to plan a broad curriculum for the children. They use effective teaching methods, such as open-ended questioning and problem solving, to engage the children in learning and stimulate their interests. Additional challenge is provided for the four-year-old children with practitioners providing a designated session for those that are preparing to move on to school. Children respond very well to learning and appear motivated and enthusiastic. Positive behaviour is successfully promoted so children are polite, responsible and eager to take part. Children are beginning to negotiate with each other in order to resolve any conflicts.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing good early reading and writing skills. They confidently read their name cards, recognise their friends' names and identify letter sounds. Children show a good understanding of writing for different purposes as they mark-make and write lists, appointment cards and prescriptions in the doctors' role play area. Those children preparing for school also complete more formal work books to develop their understanding of phonics and pencil control. Children speak very confidently in play and to the group. They listen with interest to stories and regular activities help children recognise book titles and identify library books. Children show good understanding of number, mathematical concepts and problem solving. They match dominoes, recognises patterns on their clothing and know that adding or taking away gives

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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 more or less. Children show curiosity as they measure the length of the table or their feet, noting which is bigger or smaller.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a sound knowledge and understanding of the world. They grow cress seeds and water the flowers in the church garden. They explore their senses through touch, taste and smelling activities. Children develop a sense of time and place through learning about the differences between the lives of Native American Indians and their own lives. Children use tools for different purposes, such as scissors, magnifying glasses and tape measures. There are fewer opportunities for them to operate technology resources such as computers, cassette players or programmable toys. This limits their curiosity in finding out how things work. Children express themselves in creative activities such as painting and printing. They design and build their own creations using a range of media and construction resources. They enthusiastically join in with songs, rhymes and music sessions.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued as individuals and practitioners attend to children's individual needs well. This ensures children are happy and settled. Children are encouraged to feel special and gain a strong sense of belonging because they are rewarded with praise and enjoy being 'a helper'. Children enjoy healthy social relationships. They play harmoniously together most of the time and are helped to become aware of the needs of others. Children learn about diversity through some interesting topics. They celebrate a range of festivals and explore cultures. They become aware of the needs of others through first-hand experiences, such as visits from those that are blind or disabled. Each session begins with a quiet moment of prayer. Therefore, children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children understand how to behave responsibly. They co-operate very well when it is time to start or finish an activity. For example, they line up at appropriate times, put away their books and move their chairs carefully to the side of the room. Children are confident decision makers. They quickly select their chosen resources or activity. Some children recognise when their friends need support, such as helping others to put on their aprons or comforting a child who falls over.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Practitioners work closely with parents and carers to ensure that children's needs are met. Systems are in place to ensure that children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are identified and liaison takes place with parents and other agencies to provide appropriate support. This promotes inclusion and gives children equal chances.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of nursery funded children is good. Parents receive written information about the Foundation Stage areas of learning and regular newsletters, a notice board, and discussion at the end of a session keep them well informed about plans and topics. Photo boards have been introduced to help parents see what their children do at nursery. Parents can see their children's records at any time and receive a helpful written report and consultation session before they leave the setting. This ensures that parents are actively involved in their children's learning and development.

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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 satisfactory. The nursery has a sound set of policies and procedures that were reviewed by the new management. Most of these work well in practice to promote the outcomes for children, although some require attention to detail to ensure they are kept up-to-date with current requirements. Documentation is stored securely, confidentially and is generally well organised and accessible.

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Organisation

There are sound recruitment procedures to ensure new staff are vetted and suitable to do their jobs, and a basic induction process to ensure they understand policies and procedures. Staff are deployed well throughout the session. At present, core staff are qualified and attend every day with others work varying sessions. The setting has plans outlining how it will maintain appropriate qualification requirements in the future. Staff work as an efficient team to ensure routines run smoothly and they are very proud of the children. Children do not have a key worker as such but are grouped according to age at some times throughout the day. Overall children's needs are met.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is good. The new manager is an effective leader who is building on the well-established team. Staff have regular staff meetings, planning meetings and daily discussion which ensures communication is effective. They are encouraged to develop their particular skills and bring their own ideas to the planning. This is a good motivating factor as it values staff contributions. The manager is proactive in seeking and responding to advice from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership in order to improve the educational provision. As a result, she is successfully pursuing areas for development, such as enhancing the facilities for outside play. She has developed and oversees an effective system for assessing children's progress, which allows her to monitor the educational provision in order to make further improvements. This effective leadership contributes to

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Organisation

children's progress in all areas of learning.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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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): • review organisation of snack time to encourage children to make healthy choices and extend opportunities to promote children's independence and learning • improve knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board, and ensure the child protection policy includes procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff.

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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): • provide a range of opportunities for children to explore how things work including information and communication technology resources.

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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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