Radcliffe-on-Trent Day Nursery

Radcliffe-on-Trent Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY264845 Unique Reference Number 18 September 2007 Inspection date Ann Keen Inspector

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15 Main Road, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG12 2FD

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E-mail

Anne Lesley Prescott 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 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?

Radcliffe-on-Trent day nursery opened in 2003. It operates from a large three-storey house in the Nottingham village of Radcliffe-on-Trent. Children are accommodated on two floors of the building in five groups according to age and ability. There is an outdoor play area, consisting of grass, all weather surface and hard surface.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery may care for a maximum of 88 children under eight years of age at any one time. There are currently 130 children on roll. Of these, there are 19 funded education places. It is open between 07:30 and 18:00 Monday to Friday, throughout the year, excluding Bank Holidays, offering full and part time places.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 23 staff working with the children, and of these, 12 hold National Vocational Qualification Level 3 in childcare qualifications, and eight hold Level 2, relevant to their posts. Five staff are working towards Level 4 and two are taking further training. The setting currently has no children with learning difficulties and /or disabilities. There are no children for whom English is not their first language. It 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 good. Children’s health and welfare is effectively promoted. A high standard of hygiene is evident throughout the nursery as staff follow suitable hygiene practices. Children are given clear guidance and quickly develop good personal hygiene for themselves. They bring their own toothbrushes and toothpaste to clean their teeth so they learn about the importance of looking after their teeth. Children are protected against infection well as staff wipe tables with anti-bacterial spray. Children demonstrate that they are learning to wash their hands at appropriate times such as before eating and after going to the toilet. Children are cared for in a generally well-maintained environment, therefore promoting appropriate health care. However, although staff take off their shoes in the baby room to avoid the spread of infection, visitors and parents are not required to do the same, therefore encouraging the possibility of spreading

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Helping children to be healthy

infection. Good systems and records support children’s care so children are well protected, for example, parents give permission to staff to administer necessary medicines.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished whilst at the nursery. They are provided with nutritious meals such as shepherd’s pie and pasta bake. Children are encouraged to make healthy choices so staff have created a display of fruit pictures and they add children’s names to the fruit they have eaten. The nursery provides water which children can access at any time so they do not go thirsty. Babies are given food and drinks according to their parents' wishes, therefore meeting their requirements well. Children have a suitable range of resources to support their physical development. They enjoy using the tyres and hoops to develop their muscles and extend their imaginations. In order to improve their control and co-ordination staff support children using wheeled toys.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Good consideration is given to the best use of space available. The older children have the whole of the first floor and the rooms are used effectively to provide for children’s needs. The outdoor play areas are particularly spacious and well planned so children are able to extend their play from inside to the outside. However, the new fence is extremely rough and it is possible for children to get splinters from it. The younger children have a new safety covering on the floor in their section, helping to protect them from harm should they fall. Babies are able to sleep outside in the fresh air and, although they are by open windows so staff are able to monitor the children to a certain extent, this is not sufficient. Staff ratios are accurate but staff are not then deployed to adjust to the numbers of babies in specific areas and nets are not always used to protect babies from cats. Throughout the nursery children are able to rest

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

and sleep according to their needs and suitable mats and clean sleets and blankets are provided. Toys and equipment are checked regularly and as toys are put out they are visually monitored for damage so children are not injured.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s well-being is appropriately safeguarded. Senior staff are aware of their responsibilities regarding child protection and confident in their abilities to act appropriately if they have concerns about a child. Procedures and contact numbers are readily accessible and all staff are made aware of policies and procedures at their induction.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the nursery. They are introduced to a wide range of interesting and stimulating activities, engaging readily with both adults and other children. Children are content and settled in the nursery as they eagerly participate in activities. Babies receive good levels of encouragement which ensures they are secure and become confident to explore and investigate. Children form secure bonds with staff and demonstrate a sense of belonging through regular routines. They are encouraged to play with the good selection of colourful toys available. Younger children benefit from the interesting range of activities that support their development in line with the 'Birth to three matters' framework ensuring children receive a well-planned programme of activities. Children’s care, learning and play is well supported through good outdoor activities such as using cars, creating constructions with building bricks

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and experimenting with sounds by using kitchen utensils.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff’s understanding of the Foundation Stage is sufficient to ensure children receive guidance and help. Staff are suitably qualified and use their knowledge effectively to provide a wide range of interesting activities for the children. The written plans relate to the six areas of learning ensuring children receive a broad and balanced programme of activities. The learning intentions for the outside activities are not so clearly planned and all staff are not aware of the learning intentions for all activities including providing more challenging climbing activities for the older or more able children. Staff know the children well and they record the children’s progress regularly. They use a good range of teaching methods to help children and generally organise children so they learn effectively. Staff base the learning on practical experiences, for example, they make bread with children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Assessments are useful in evaluating children's progress and staff use them to help plan the next steps in children’s learning. Staff manage children's behaviour well through praise and encouragement. In addition staff employ useful strategies such as star charts to reward good behaviour. The rooms are well organised so children have a broad range of interesting and stimulating activities such as using computers and bags of objects starting with specific letters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They become very involved in activities and enjoy their time in the nursery. Children enthusiastically explore the outside looking for objects to decorate their den. Children are able to select their own choice of activity to develop their interest. Relationships are good and children are well behaved, complying to acceptable standards of behaviour. Children develop their self confidence well because staff praise them and engage in conversation with them. Children are aware of numbers and are learning to recognise the shapes they make. They are learning mathematical skills through well- planned activities such as learning to understand how events are sequenced. Children chatter together confidently and use conversation to initiate and organise their play. Pre-writing skills are developing well as children draw and paint confidently. They willingly attempt to write, forming recognisable letters. Signs and labels are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

used effectively to help children understand about varied forms of communication. Children’s control of handling small items like glue sticks and writing implements is developing their manipulative skills well. A range of topics and activities are introduced to help children learn about the world around them; they become absorbed in finding insects and examining them in bug boxes. Children talk happily about spiders and woodlice they have found. Children enjoy imaginative play and create their own storylines in role-play areas and dens created outside. Staff are developing outside boxes with objects so they can create scenarios such as the ‘builders’ yard’, helping to develop children's imagination well.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children’s care benefits from the supportive partnership with parents and carers. Parents are able to see the nursery’s policies which set out clear guidance to support children’s welfare. Parents also receive information about their children’s day both verbally and in written form. Younger children have daily diaries which contain information about the food they have eaten and their day, sharing their time at nursery with the parents.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are well informed about their children’s educational progress through written reports and parents’ meetings. Staff develop good relationships with parents so children feel secure and happy during their time in the nursery. Parents are encouraged to comment on children’s individual education plans creating a positive effect on children’s learning. Children’s development benefits from the good communication and supportive partnership between the home and the nursery.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are treated as individuals and the nursery has a clear commitment and understanding of equal opportunities. Children are learning to respect individuals and they feel a sense of belonging as the nursery develops their self-esteem and assurance well. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Babies' routines and preferences are taken into account. Children are actively engaged in the activities, ensuring their interest is held and they receive good support and attention. Children are suitably safeguarded through the staff’s awareness of procedures for child protection. Children are well behaved and the staff use positive strategies to create acceptable behaviour. Staff are aware that some children have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and take appropriate action.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for in a clean and welcoming environment. Space and resources are organised to enable children to experience a good range of play activities. Appropriate systems are in place to ensure that all staff are appropriately vetted and suitably qualified. Recruitment and induction procedures ensure that staff have relevant knowledge and skills to create a caring atmosphere for children. The required adult-to-child ratios meet requirements. Generally policies and procedures are kept well and support the practice effectively so children’s well-being and learning benefit. These include fire evacuation procedures and policies referring to health and safety, safeguarding children and equal opportunities. Record keeping is generally accurate, for example, records of accidents and incidents are kept. The indoor space is appropriately organised to allow for children’s individual requirements. This enables children to have specific

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Organisation

areas for refreshment, play and rest. Overall children’s needs are met.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of nursery education is good. It supports the children’s achievement well so they make good progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Children’s learning is well supported through the nursery’s ability to begin to assess its own strengths and weaknesses. The staff working with funded children have regular staff meetings and identify future developments. They have suitable systems in place to monitor and evaluate the provision, including support from the local authority.

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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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the nursery was required to review the organisation of the routines more effectively. This particular recommendation also applied to the nursery education inspection. They were also asked to make sure that specific policies and procedures were reviewed and ensure that staff are more active in promoting health and hygiene. They were also required to keep the signed record of accidents in more detail. The space and routines are suitably organised to allow for children’s individual requirements so they are not kept waiting for long periods of time. The policies and procedures are in place and the accident and incident records are kept accurately, contributing towards children's protection. All staff ensure that children wash their hands at appropriate times to avoid spreading germs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection the nursery was asked to improve staff knowledge of the Foundation Stage, providing continuity for all children. Since then, the nursery always has a room leader for the Foundation Stage children in place and planning is displayed so children have continuity of education. Staff discuss the planning together so all staff are learning what is required from them and are developing their knowledge of the curriculum guidance.

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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.

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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 by 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • take positive steps to promote safety within the setting and ensure proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents • take positive steps to prevent the spread of infection

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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):

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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 • continue to develop staff knowledge so that all staff are aware of the learning intentions for all activities including providing more challenging climbing activities for the older and more able children.

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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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