Belbroughton Nursery Committee

Belbroughton First Steps Inspection report for early years provision

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205164 Unique Reference Number 20 February 2008 Inspection date Esther Gray Inspector

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Belbroughton Primary School, Bradford Lane, Belbroughton, W.Mids, DY9 9TF

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Setting Address

07891701008 or 01562 730208 Telephone number

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E-mail

Belbroughton First Steps Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional 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?

Belbroughton First Steps opened in 1992 and operates from rooms within Belbroughton Church of England Primary School. It is run by The committee of Belbroughton First Steps.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. Belbroughton First Steps nursery is open each weekday from 11:55 to 14:55, term time only. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 20 children aged from two to five years on roll. Of these, one child is in receipt of funding for nursery education. Children come from the local and surrounding area. The nursery currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Belbroughton First Steps nursery employs two full-time staff and a number of part time staff. All of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting is supported by a local authority mentor teacher and the Early Years Development Childcare Partnership.

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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 take regular exercise indoors and outside in the fresh air. They are beginning to appreciate the benefits of physical exercise to their health as they ride on bicycles or in small cars, balance on logs or enjoy taking part in imaginative physical exercise in the hall. Children are learning about making healthy choices in the food they eat at lunch time. Staff talk about food children choose at snack time and during lunch. They enjoy the social gathering time, both in the classroom and in the school hall, alongside older children of the school. Parents supply lunch and are encouraged to supply healthy food options. Children have independent access to drinks throughout the session and are being encouraged to learn to serve themselves and others. As a result, children are learning about the importance of healthy eating and how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are taken well care of if they have an accident or become ill. Staff have maintained their first aid training certificates and parents give written permission to summon emergency medical treatment, which ensures children's health and well-being is suitably safeguarded. Children learn about the importance of managing their own health needs by washing their hands before snack time and after attending to their own personal hygiene needs. They can access tissues to wipe their own nose and are encouraged to put their hand over their mouth if they cough. The areas used by children are kept clean and all surface areas are cleaned with anti-bacterial spray before children sit down to eat. Consequently, children are well-protected from infection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are well-protected from harm because staff have a good understanding of their role in child protection. Although most staff have undertaken basic child protection awareness training, the manager has identified a need for further training, to ensure staff are kept up-to-date in changes to the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. Nevertheless, they are able to put appropriate procedures into practice and a member of the committee who has also been trained is on hand to give support. Children are secure and well-supervised in premises which are suitable for their purpose and give children independent access to a good range of facilities that successfully promotes children's development. Children use a wide range of equipment that is suitable and safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s safety is very well-promoted because there are suitable check sheets to ensure all identified risks are minimised and reviewed regularly by staff. However, there are no monitoring systems being used by the committee to reassure themselves that all positive steps have been taken successfully to promote safety. Children are learning to keep themselves safe. They can recount the procedure for evacuating the building in an emergency and rehearse this regularly, they learn to handle tools such as scissors safely and are encouraged to move around the classroom and school safely so that they do not hurt themselves or others. Consequently, children understand the importance of staying safe.

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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. All children have their individual needs met and are developing a good range of knowledge and skills because staff provide activities and play opportunities that help children achieve. They enjoy spontaneous, child-initiated free play, outside in the playground and in role play, dressing up, in singing songs, using musical instruments and other resources available within the nursery classroom. Weather permitting, children are able to use the garden areas for sand or water play and develop imaginative role play in the boat in the garden. Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to make observations of younger children's development and plan focussed activities to promote their skills in using tools and in their understanding of, for example, how books work. For instance, children make their own 'lift-the-flap' books. Adults engage with children's learning, encouraging them to extend their knowledge or develop their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

imaginative play very well. They enjoy opportunities to walk in the community whilst exploring the allotments, for example, to consider natural topics looking at plants and seeds. Children move from the care of the nursery class teachers to the pre-school staff without outward concern and appear happy and settled in their care. Consequently, children are confident, independent and are developing their self-esteem.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. All staff have good knowledge of the Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. There have been changes made to staffing and as a result, they are reviewing and redeveloping their planning. They continue to develop their relationship with the school nursery teacher, to ensure they work together in providing continuity of education and care. Role play areas, construction areas, maths and language areas are being used by both settings very co-operatively. However, the development of planning for the pre-school has not made sufficient links across the two settings to make best use of the space and resources in the classroom. Consequently, the pre-school setting does not ensure that it provides sufficient structure for teaching, within which children explore, experiment, plan and make decisions for themselves, thus enabling them to learn, develop and make good progress

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff have good relationships with children and encourage them to become involved and to persevere with tasks. They encourage children to think and demonstrate what they know and understand, building on what they know about children's starting points. Methods include open-ended questions, encouraging children to try, sensitive intervention in their play, extending activities, and involving all children in activities. Planning, observation and assessment is used to ensure children make progress. A suitable system has been developed to allow staff to make notes of progress made and plans are flexible enough to change activities to help children make good progress based on those observations. Effective behaviour management ensures that children are developing an understanding of right and wrong, rules and boundaries and how to be considerate to others. The effective use of time helps children's learning as they remain

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

meaningfully engaged in their play throughout the session. They are able to access the activities independently, however, more effective use of space and resources would support staff in developing a livelier programme and provide more learning opportunities within the classroom.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Each session includes the social aspect of having lunch together in the hall with children of the school. This leaves less time for prepared activities and programmes to take place in the remaining time. As a result, staff cleverly prepare some exciting activities to promote children's imagination, language development, mathematical understanding and knowledge and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 understanding of the world, whilst also appreciating the benefits of physical exercise in the hall. Following the theme of 'Jungle Animals', children are challenged to think about how they might get to the jungle and what type of transport they might use. They are encouraged to move with control around the hall as they think about how they line up next to one another, behind or in front ,in the bus, on the plane or in the queue. Children are encouraged to think about speed, moving fast, slowly or quickly, stretching high or keeping low. Children listen intently and carefully and use their own imagination to develop the theme started by staff, as children become the driver or pilot and others co-operate as passengers. They think about how they can move safely as one independently rides an imaginary motorbike to reach the imaginary

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

destination. Children learn to follow instructions, recognising signals and pay attention to one another. As a result, children are developing their competencies well across aspects of communication, speaking, listening, numeracy and positional language for later learning in mathematics, reading and writing. Children warm up before taking part in this exciting event and are beginning to appreciate the effects on their body as they relax again at the end of the session.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are able to be creative, expressing their own ideas and thoughts through art, music, dance, role play and imaginative play. They use their senses and imaginations to create their own work and to communicate their feelings. Children have good access to a wide variety of books both in the classroom and the school library. They begin to solve everyday problems as they count cups, chairs and places for children to sit for snack time. They count the number of children present and children recognise numbers up to 10, and some begin to recognise numbers up to 20. Children are regularly prompted in circle time to remember what day it is and realise that in the afternoon they are part of the pre-school and not of the nursery provision, as different staff take over their care. They think about the seasons as they look at animals. They are beginning to identify months of the year, days of the week and recognise what year it is

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

on a regular daily basis. Children use a wide range of materials and tools to help them to express their creativity and regularly access a wide range of natural and man-made resources. They play happily in the sand, exploring the effects of adding water as it makes the sand 'dissolve'. They have opportunities to observe, explore, question and be curious in a broad range of activities that form the foundation of later learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. There are limited resources and activities to help children learn about the wider community and diversity in society through their play. However, staff are developing their planning to ensure children learn about the wider multicultural environment in topics they cover, such as Chinese New Year. Children are encouraged to research topics from books in the classroom or in the school library. Good arrangements are made to ensure all children are included. There is good communication and support for children and families between the three providers in this building to ensure needs of children are met when they are handed on from the school nursery, to the pre-school and then some children, to the out of school provision.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Children settle well. At the beginning of the term when children first attend, children and families have time to settle as some attend for afternoons before they are due to start. A folder of information is provided for parents and carers, which is readily accessible for them to refer to. This contains all the information about how the setting is run and what is provided, including information about education programmes and how staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework for younger children. Parents are also informed, on attractive notice boards, of the variety of activities which also go to make up the education

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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 programme followed by staff for older children, using the Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. Parents express their contentment with the information provided by staff at the end of the session and feel the staff communicate well. As a result, children see parents and staff working co-operatively together and giving consistent messages.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children have respect for others and are treated with respect. There are facilities for those with disabilities and good support is provided by staff in the continuity of care and education between the school and the pre-school for those who have identified learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff have identified a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator who also talks to the school and parents about strategies for consistent behaviour management. As a result, children are learning to be aware of other children around them. For example, they learn not to run into them and to manoeuvre safely around them. Children are learning good social skills and good manners. They are able to feel a part of the community within the school building and have their voice heard.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are protected from harm as the staff are aware of the importance of ensuring that all unvetted visitors are suitable and are not left unattended with children in the setting or whilst on outings. With the recent change of committee members, the newly re-formed organisation are ensuring that all new committee members are being checked and their new roles and responsibilities are being notified to Ofsted. As a result, children's safety and well-being are suitably safeguarded.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is good. Children are well-cared for in a setting where the staff are committed to continue to update their skills and knowledge by attending training, have a clear sense of purpose and a commitment to continual improvement. Staff are very inventive and creative in developing activities that make best use of the time available to them. They ensure that the space is made safe for younger age groups who attend in afternoon sessions. Although the pre-school provides a lot of resources to share with the school, they have not planned effectively with the school to make best use of resources to meet the needs of children, including children aged under three years of age.

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Organisation

Children benefit from the good organisation of the setting. Most policies and procedures protect children sufficiently and all are effectively implemented to promote good outcomes for children. Records are available and retained for inspection. They are well-organised and kept confidential. Some policies and procedures have not been updated to reflect changes in legislation or updated practices. For example, some documents continue to identify the Area Child Protection Committee rather than the Local Safeguarding Children Board as the referral body for procedures to be followed in child protection. Legal requirements to record the daily hours of children's attendance and those adults looking after them are diligently recorded. However, the accuracy of the record for times of hand over from the school nursery to pre-school and to out of school, are not clear. These inaccuracies do not sufficiently safeguard children. The committee are

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Organisation

reviewing the policies and procedures and are developing systems to allow them to monitor the procedures effectiveness in practice. Overall children’s needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to: provide evidence that staff induction procedures are effective and relate to up-to-date policies, provide evidence that the required staff to child

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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 ratios are maintained at lunch periods and produce an action plan that demonstrates how staff will acquire and implement their knowledge of fire safety requirements and what steps have been taken to promote safety with the setting. They further agreed to make sure that all risk assessments conducted on the premises identify the appropriate action to be taken by staff to minimise the risks to children's safety. They also agreed to: ensure there is a written statement on behaviour management which states the methods used to manage children's behaviour, develop staff knowledge and understanding of the local child protection procedures, ensure all the policies that are required by the National Standards are made relevant to the setting, are shared with parents and periodically updated, and that accurate arrival and departure times

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Improvements since the last inspection

are recorded and ensure the procedures for lost or uncollected children clearly demonstrates the action to be taken should a child fail to be collected.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection the setting have moved from separate classrooms in the older part of the school buildings and now form part of the foundation stage unit of the school, which includes the school nursery, which uses the facilities used by the pre-school in the morning. All areas of the newly developed nursery unit have been assessed for risks and a full document has been produced with check lists to ensure any identified risks are suitably minimised. However, the committee have not developed any monitoring systems to ensure all equipment is used for the purpose intended or constructed in line with manufacturer's instructions, as this was carried out by school staff, some of whom also work in the pre-school. Children are able to explain what they must do to evacuate the building safely in an emergency and all fire department recommendations are adhered to. The changes to location and staffing have brought about

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Improvements since the last inspection

changes to procedures for collecting children from the nursery who are all well-supervised during lunch time by staff from the pre-school. Consequently children's well-being is suitably safeguarded.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The newly-formed committee are reviewing all policies and procedures. The induction procedure was developed by the previous committee and a suitable statement on behaviour management, and what happens in the event a child is lost or not collected, was also produced to share with parents and carers. Staff have undertaken some training on child protection although the manager has identified this for her further future development, as she has only undertaken a basic awareness course. All staff are well-supported by a member of the committee who is fully trained in child protection. A record of children's daily hours of sessional attendance has been diligently recorded, as has the attendance for staff who care for them. However, there remains inaccuracies in the way the times are recorded, as responsibility is taken from the nursery class and they are handed over to the out of school provision or parents and carers. As a result, some

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Improvements since the last inspection

improvement has been made and continues to be made to organisational procedures at the setting to safeguard children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last Nursery Education inspection the provider agreed to: develop opportunities for children to use simple addition and subtraction in everyday situations, further develop opportunities for children to make marks and write and to begin to link sounds with letters, and further develop planning systems to show how observations and assessments are used to help plan children's next steps in learning and to show clear learning intentions for activities.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Staff have redeveloped planning systems, which ensure that children's starting points are clearly recorded and progress monitored, as children make the next steps in learning. All staff are clear about the learning intention of each activity and programme focussed activities, which ensures each aspect of the curriculum is covered, including opportunities in daily routines for addition, subtraction and mark-making. Staff are skilful at developing children's listening skills which will allow them to develop the knowledge to link letters and sounds as they begin to recognise

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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 letters in their own name. As a result, although further development of the planning is continuing, some improvements have been made to education and learning for children.

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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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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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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): • review the operational plan and ensure records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision and which promote the welfare, care and learning of children are regularly updated • ensure good use is made of staff, space and other resources so that children are well cared for and supported in their learning and development.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to develop planning and organisation, ensuring that it provides the structure for teaching within which children explore, experiment, plan and make decisions for themselves, thus enabling them to learn, develop and make good progress • plan and organise the learning environment to provide rich and stimulating experiences that build on what children already know.

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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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