Bush Babies Private Day Nursery

Bush Babies Private Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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311502 Unique Reference Number 26 September 2007 Inspection date Helene Anne Terry Inspector

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5 Cross Church Street, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, BD19 3RP Setting Address

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E-mail

Bernadette Jackson 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 satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Bush Babies Private Day Nursery was registered in 1999 and is privately owned. It is located in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. The nursery operates from a single story prefabricated building set in its own grounds. The children are accommodated in three rooms depending on their age. To the rear of the nursery is a fully enclosed outdoor play area shared by all the children. A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The setting is open each weekday throughout the year between the hours of 07.45 and 18.00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 31 children on roll aged from five months to four years. Of these, five children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend from the local community and surrounding areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are seven members of staff employed to care for the children, of whom five staff hold early years qualifications to level 3. The setting 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 satisfactory. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through effective routines and staff practice. For example, on most occasions, staff encourage children to wash their hands before meals and snacks and after using the toilet or undertaking messy activities. Staff protect children from cross-infection by providing them with individual bed linen, paper towels to dry hands and wipes to clean faces. Nappy changing arrangements reflect good hygiene policies and procedures by using protective gloves and aprons.

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Helping children to be healthy

The setting works in partnership with parents to meet individual dietary needs. Staff are aware of any special diets and children are offered alternative meals when required. They meet the needs of babies well by implementing their individual routines that are discussed in detail with parents and recorded. This helps with the transition from the home to nursery care. Baby feeds are prepared by staff or parents depending on parents' preference. These are labelled and stored safely. The meals, drinks and snacks offered throughout the day to children provide healthy options. For example, children enjoy roast chicken, potatoes, cauliflower and carrots for lunch. Processed foods are avoided and fresh produce is offered. Staff preparing and serving meals to children have attended training in food hygiene and use the knowledge gained within their practice. Drinks are freely available for all children. The system to encourage older children

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Helping children to be healthy

to access their own drinks throughout the day is effectively managed, children access a water cooler in the creative area. This keeps children hydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

All staff hold current first aid certificates. This helps to ensure children's needs are met in the event of an accident or emergency. Written parental permission is requested for the nursery to seek any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment. A written sick children policy is provided that includes details of procedures to follow, exclusion periods and information about specific illnesses. All policies, procedures and records relating to accidents and medication are maintained well and shared with parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy regular opportunities to be active both inside and outside the nursery to promote their physical skills as well as their health, growth and confidence. For example, they enjoy outdoor games, in particular using the parachute to run in and out of and throw a ball in the air. This fosters their cooperative skills as they play together in a large group. They develop their physical skills as they play on scooters, push alongs, slide and balancing equipment. However, the equipment is not challenging enough for the older more able children to stretch their skills in swinging, climbing and pedalling.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The setting is welcoming and stimulating; child-centred posters, information for parents and examples of the children's creative work are attractively displayed, making a welcoming environment for all. Rooms are effectively organised to allow the children to participate in a suitable range of activities. The children are able to freely select toys and equipment, which are provided to foster most areas of their development, they are accessible and well-positioned and kept in a clean and safe condition.

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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 Safety throughout the setting is fully considered. Risk assessments are completed alongside regular safety checks completed by staff to ensure risks are minimised for children. Security is maintained with the outdoor play area fenced and secure, and a bell on the door is in place to monitor access to the provision. Safety procedures implemented ensure children's welfare is safeguarded and promoted. For example, appropriate fire safety equipment is provided and regular toy and equipment safety checks are completed. The children participate in regular fire evacuations and the staff frequently discuss safety issues with them. For example, they are reminded to hold scissors carefully and they learn about road safety on outings. Consequently, children are actively learning how to keep themselves safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The manager and her staff have a suitable understanding of child protection procedures. They are aware of signs to be vigilant of and the procedures to follow if any concerns are identified. However, the procedures are not up to date because they do not reflect the changes to the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy, settled and show enjoyment of their time within the nursery. They have positive relationships with staff and each other, with all children having an identified key worker who has detailed knowledge of that child. Staff make effective use of the 'Birth to three matters' framework to support young children's development. In addition, there is a suitable and varied range of activities offered to all children which include opportunities for indoor play, outdoor play, active play and quiet times. Activities are planned for the under three-year-olds taking into consideration individual children's developmental needs and interests. Children's assessment records are maintained well and include observations linked to the 'Birth to three matters' framework and include their next steps in development. Children enjoy art activities, such as painting, gluing, cutting and collage work. They also experiment using a variety of textures,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

such as dough, sand and water. Babies enjoy sensory activities as they play with natural materials in the treasure baskets, pasta and paint. Staff encourage young children to be confident, independent and develop their self-esteem by letting them try new activities and experiences and offering praise for achievements.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are sensitive to children's needs and use good methods to build their confidence. The toddlers who have moved up to the two to five-year-olds room are gradually settled and are then encouraged to revisit the baby room as they desire. Other children have other methods to help them settle, such as feeding the guinea pig when they arrive.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Activities that promote children's language and social skills are promoted well by staff who have constant discussions with children, extending children's interests. For example, staff reinforce and repeat vocalisations and language spoken within the baby and toddler room. Children make choices and are involved in decision making by having suitably organised resources and free choice activities available for them to self-select. This supplements adult-focused activities in all areas of the nursery.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have reasonable knowledge of the Foundation Stage and of how children learn and progress. The planning for the continuous provision is basic with no clear learning outcomes for the children. However, the focus activities for the adult-led activities clearly define the learning outcomes linked to the stepping stones

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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 along which children are progressing. These activities are differentiated for more able children in order to provide greater challenge. Children's assessment records are used to generally inform planning; however, these are not consistently completed and children's starting points are not clearly identified to enable staff to build on what children already know. This hinders staff's ability to fully assess children's progress and plan for the areas that need improving. Staff do not always have high expectations of the older and more able children in the group and the limited access to some provision potentially affects children's all-round progress. The methods used to support children in their play and learning are generally good. Staff listen to the children and warm caring relationships are evident, which gives children the confidence to try new

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

experiences. Children enjoy large and small group activities with the occasional one-to-one support as needed. Staff use props, such as puppets at circle time, to engage children in stories and singing to develop concentration skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children make satisfactory progress in all areas of their learning. They enter the playroom confidently and show interest in the activities. They display some independence as they select activities and resources from the shelves, they put on their own aprons and help staff tidy away the activities. However, they are not always given the opportunity to further enhance these skills by setting tables at meal times, serving their own food, buttering their own toast or being chosen as monitors to do little tasks. Children relate well to members of their group and are beginning to stand up for their own rights as they use words to tell other children to not take their paper or their chair and report their concerns to staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have emerging self confidence to speak to others about their interests and family life. They also use talk and actions to recall past experiences, for example, a child uses the past tense to talk about her hamster that has now died. Children enjoy rhyming and rhythmic activities during circle time and they listen to and join in with stories as they develop early literacy skills. They use pencils well and ascribe meaning to marks as they draw pictures of items that sink and float and things that they saw on holiday.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are beginning to count well as they develop mathematical skills. They count up to four objects by saying one number name for each item. For example, a child counts on her fingers her age. More able children can say one number greater than and less than another. For example, a child states that she is three now and will be four next. Children show an interest in number problems as they begin to use subtraction when they sing 'five currant buns in baker's shop' and 'five little ducks'. However, they are not regularly using calculation skills during everyday activities, for example, as they do the register, count how many boys and girls are present or set the tables at lunch time. Children use shapes appropriately as they do jigsaws and they are beginning to recognise some shapes, such as a circle, square and triangle.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore objects and living things as they begin to build knowledge of their world. They explore the life cycles of frogs and butterflies and plant and grow seeds in a patch in their outdoor play area. However, they have limited opportunities to access equipment to discover how and why things work and happen. For example, they have limited opportunity to use magnets, magnifying glasses, binoculars, cameras and kaleidoscopes. Although there is a computer within the playroom to allow children to develop their understanding of information and communication technology, this is not accessible to them everyday. Children are beginning to show an interest in their local environment, they enjoy outings to the local shops, school and post office where they post letters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy being creative as they paint, draw and use collage materials. They differentiate between colours stating which colours they wish to use from the palate and enjoy mixing paints

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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 to see which colour they create. Children enjoy musical activities when they join in with their favourite songs and listen to taped music. They enjoy playing with the small world activities, such as the dolls' house, as they use their imaginations to recreate their own first-hand experiences.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The staff have a commitment to equality of opportunity, they recognise children as individuals and as a result, the children benefit from having their differing needs effectively met. The staff have a proactive and sensitive approach to caring for children with learning difficulties and disabilities. They work very closely with parents and other professionals, such as physiotherapists, portage and the local authority's special needs coordinator. Children with disabilities are fully integrated into the setting and play alongside all the children. Staff support their development with individual learning plans. Children are able to access a suitable range of interesting resources and activities to actively raise their awareness of diversity and to promote their understanding of others. For example, dressing-up clothes, books, dolls and play people provide interesting opportunities for children to explore other cultures and traditions. Although there are some

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Helping children make a positive contribution

resources that positively represent disability in society, such as books, these are not always accessible to the children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is generally good, this is as a result of staff's close contact with the children and a positive approach to behaviour management. Staff use lots of appropriate praise and encouragement to raise children's self-esteem and confidence. The children respond well to gentle reminders to share and take turns. They learn to empathise and say sorry if they have hurt one another. Children adapt well to changes in the daily routine and enjoy sitting quietly at circle time. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the good partnership developed between staff and parents. Children are cared for according to parents' wishes which promotes continuity of care and their well-being. There are effective systems in place to ensure information is shared on a regular basis about their child's progress and daily activities, for example, through daily chats with the child's key person, good access to development records and written information on babies' daily routines. Policies and procedures are available to parents and a newsletter is used to update them on any changes and forthcoming events. Parents are invited on the nursery trips and their comments about the day are added to the display board. They also enjoy coming into the setting to share their skills and interests, such as playing musical instruments. Parents' views about the provision are sought by management and any concerns and ideas are acted upon to enhance the care

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Helping children make a positive contribution

provided for the children. Parents feel supported by the nursery staff in the care of their children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of funded children is satisfactory. Parents receive suitable information about the Foundation Stage and their children's progress. Parents are encouraged to bring in items associated with themes and topics ongoing in the nursery to involve them in their child's learning. To further enhance their children's development parents are given information on how they can extend the topics and their child's learning at home.

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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. Space and the deployment of staff is organised effectively to support play and learning opportunities for the children. All staff working in the setting are suitably vetted, and there are clear staff recruitment procedures in place to protect children. All staff receive a good induction into the nursery and they are aware of the policies and procedures. Adult-to-child ratios are effectively maintained owing to staff rotas and pool staff who cover for emergencies. The effective key worker system in place ensures that children receive continuity of care. Most policies, procedures and records required for the efficient and safe management of the provision and to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are well maintained. Although the setting does have a complaints procedure it has not been updated in line with the changes to the National Standards in October 2005. This is a breach in regulations.

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Organisation

Leadership and management within the setting are satisfactory. Management support staff well through an effective appraisal system and training programme. They are encouraged to enhance their personal development, which impacts effectively on the care, education and well-being of the children. The majority of the staff hold a level 3 qualification in early years and continuity of care is offered for the children owing to the very low turn over of staff. They are aware of their roles and responsibilities within the setting and they are supportive as a team. The monitoring and evaluation systems in place are suitable, and include the staff's evaluation of the activities. However, the monitoring of the nursery education is not rigorous enough, resulting in missed opportunities for children's learning. The setting is currently working towards a quality assurance award and they seek support from the local authority. Everyone is

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Organisation

committed to the continued improvement of the care and education of the children. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous care inspection it was required that a risk assessment of the premises was maintained. This is now in place and updated regularly. It was also recommended that improvements were made to other documentation, furniture, equipment and staff's understanding of child protection issues. Suitable progress has been made to protect children and enhance their well-being. Staff have attended child protection training and the local authority procedures are available for information, although these do need updating. An operational plan is in place containing all the information about the smooth running of the setting. Records, such as accident and medication records, are now maintained effectively, although some other information including complaints does need updating.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous nursery education inspection it was recommended that improvements were made to the planning and children's assessment records. It was also recommended that staff develop opportunities for children to write, develop independence skills, develop climbing and balancing activities and to enable children to paint more freely. Satisfactory improvements have been made to enhance children's development, although there are still some issues that need further attention. The focus activities do contain more information about the outcomes of learning and plans are differentiated for children's differing abilities. The stepping stones are used to assess children's progress although these are not consistently maintained and do not always reflect what children can do. Activities are provided for children to develop writing skills in the mark making area and children enjoy using their balancing skills on the equipment

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Improvements since the last inspection

outdoors. They have access to painting activities in the creative room, where they freely express

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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 themselves. However, there are still limited opportunities for children to develop independence skills at mealtimes and for more able children to climb on more challenging apparatus.

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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 satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that the child protection procedures are updated to reflect the Local Safeguarding Children Board • update the complaints procedure in line with the changes to the National Standards in October 2005.

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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 more challenging opportunities for more able children to climb, swing and pedal • improve the monitoring systems for nursery education • improve opportunities for children to further develop their independence skills, calculation skills and find out why and how things work and happen • ensure that children's assessment records clearly reflect what children can do and use these to inform future planning.

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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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