The Orchard Day Nursery

The Orchard Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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253139 Unique Reference Number 17 October 2007 Inspection date Esther Darling Inspector

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25 Nether Street, Beeston, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG9 2AT Setting Address

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E-mail

Paula Ann Marriott and Peter James Marriott 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?

The Orchard Day Nursery opened in 1996. It is privately owned and operates from a converted and extended detached house close to the centre of Beeston, Nottinghamshire. Children are accommodated in five areas according to age and stage of development. The pre-school children have use of a large room on the first floor with their own bathroom facilities. The extended ground floor offers a large playroom for children under three years of age, a smaller room for toddlers, and two areas for babies. There are two securely enclosed outdoor play areas, one of which is a hard surface suitable for all year round use and the other includes a large grassed area. Additionally there is a small, enclosed outdoor area where the younger children can play and a covered area where babies can sleep in prams within sight of the staff. The nursery serves the local community and wider areas as parents travel to work either locally or in Nottingham.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 126 children on roll between six months and eight years. This includes 42 funded three-year-olds and four-year-olds. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language.

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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 The nursery opens Monday to Friday 07:45 to 17:45 throughout the year, except for Bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Most of the children who attend are under five years of age but the nursery does offer a limited number of places to older children before or after school and during school holidays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 22 staff who work with the children. Of these, all hold relevant childcare qualifications and one is a qualified early years teacher. The nursery receives support from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy a varied and healthy diet which is nearly all freshly prepared and nutritious. Fresh fruit and/or vegetables are provided for children on a daily basis, thus enhancing their understanding of promoting their own good health. Drinking water is available to the pre-school children and is accessible in a way that enables them to select a drink independently. Sometimes younger children in the two-to-three age group have to wait until snack or meal times to have a drink, if the drinks tray has not been set up. This does not encourage children to think about their own bodily needs. Children's dietary needs are catered for, and they enjoy the meals that they are offered. Children learn about hygiene throughout the day and wash their hands regularly. Adults prompt this if need be, and when two-year-olds are baking, they learn how to minimise the spread of germs. Older children set their own knives and forks, watch adults

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Helping children to be healthy

clean the tables and sometimes help out with this. Efficient systems for changing nappies, preparing and storing babies' bottles prevent the spread of infection. Older children brush their teeth after lunch, but do not always have their face washed.

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Helping children to be healthy

The majority of children sleep at a time when they are ready. However most babies between the ages of one and two years are generally laid down at the same time, and those that are not tired occasionally disrupt the others. Young babies enjoy sleeping in individual prams in the fresh air, where they are checked very regularly and dressed according to the weather. Children participate in highly beneficial physical activity on a daily basis. This is well planned and staff recognise its vitality in promoting children's sense of well-being and know how it impacts on their all-round development. All children enjoy the most attractive and spacious outdoor area whenever the weather permits. An innovative program for younger children is in place to ensure that they thoroughly enjoy exploring movement in various ways. The staff skilfully use mediums such as music or brightly coloured chiffon scarves, enabling children to have fun whilst expressing

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Helping children to be healthy

themselves physically. Children have fun whilst learning to test their abilities using a range of movements.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are extremely safe at this setting due to the vigilant supervision of them and monitoring of security of the building. All unknown adults are greeted at the gates before being let in, and identification is requested. There are procedures to make sure that children are only released to authorised adults and this works well in practice. In the two plus room, explanations are given as to why a child should not climb on the table and this enables them to take more responsibility for both theirs and the safety of others. Regular fire drills are held and this enables adults and children to know what to do in the event of emergency. Prompt action is taken up on any advice from the fire officer. Regular risk assessments are conducted and this has enabled

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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 any potential hazards to be identified and addressed. Children are cared for in a very safe environment with equipment such as safety gates and door guards. Procedures to safeguard children are robust and staff understand their moral and legal responsibilities to ensure that the child's welfare is paramount. Information on what to do if an adult is worried a child is being abused is shared with all staff and parents and clearly shows what steps must be followed to protect the child. The written policy is in line with the local safeguarding children board's procedures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are welcomed into a wonderful environment that is conducive towards their care and learning. They explore their surroundings safely and staff members are sufficiently skilled to enable children to take calculated risks. This enhances children's independence and confidence. Very attractive displays of all children's artwork around the nursery encourage children to celebrate their own creativity. Photographs with captions encourage a lovely sense of belonging and demonstrate to parents what their children do during the day. The range of toys and equipment is praiseworthy, being large and varied, safe and in good condition. The maintenance programme is excellent and this promotes children's safety, because cleanliness of these resources is of a very high standard. All equipment is very relevant to the developmental stages and interests of the children it caters for. It is stored accessibly, enabling children to plan and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

make choices about their play. This system encourages children to help to care for their immediate environment, which they willingly do at tidy-up time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are engaged in a wide range of stimulating activities that are based on enhancing what they already know, understand and can do. These are practical, many are first hand and often child-led which is how children learn best. The 'Birth to three matters' framework is used effectively to guide the staff in supporting children in their earliest years. Young children are very sociable and confident and staff members are relaxed and full of praise for their achievements. These are celebrated and valued, such as displays of children's own artwork. Babies have space to explore and play in an experimental way, using their senses. Planning is linked to children's stages of development, and all children under the age of three years make excellent progress. Staff interact with the children in meaningful ways and the children respond by seeking out their company as well as beginning to form friendships when they join the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

pre-school unit. The effective methods that staff use to promote discussion, such as relevant questions or comments, helps children to think about what they are doing and gain good language skills during play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff members know the Foundation Stage very well and most are relaxed in their management of children, which promotes good self-esteem. A qualified teacher leads the childcare staff who produce some excellent activities and new experiences on a regular basis. These are influenced by the Principles of early years education which means that children are enabled to follow their own lines of interest and thus make very good progress in their learning and development. All areas of learning are covered and children are therefore able to consolidate their knowledge and understanding. Methods used by staff to observe children and use this knowledge to plan their play are current and forward thinking. This ensures that all children are included and small groups of informal activities are managed very well to challenge children and bring out the best in all regardless of their ability. This is because staff are highly skilled in evaluating each

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

child's ability and asking superb questions to help them progress in a way that they enjoy.

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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 Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are assessed in partnership with their parents to ensure that plans are made for them to receive good support. This enables them to reach their individual potential. Larger groups are managed less effectively as sometimes a proportion of children are not fully engaged. At these times some children become restless because they are not developmentally able to participate at the level expected. Staff make mostly good use of the resources such as the writing area and children benefit from being able to independently select from a good variety of pens, scissors and joining materials.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children make rapid progress in their personal, social and emotional development and are very confident. They take great responsibility for their actions and remind others how to behave. Their independence flourishes as they pour their own drinks and sometimes prepare simple snacks. Children know that when they suggest their own ideas, such as to create a pizza delivery scenario, the staff will support this with exciting props such as real pizza boxes. They play cooperatively, talking to each other within small friendship groups. The children are not afraid to ask questions and have a wonderful enthusiasm in their approach to new experiences, for example, when meeting baby tortoises for the first time. Staff and children alike enjoy celebrating various important cultural events, including those that they are less familiar with, when they learn about them through practical activities such as tasting tropical fruit, listening to Caribbean

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

music and looking at related photographs. Children enjoy books on an informal basis and many love to write for a purpose during their play. For example, following what they see adults do by devising their own register of attendance.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's mathematical development is good and children are confident when learning to count up to and over the number ten. They enjoy playing games that teach them concepts such as shape and number because adults make them fun and praise the children for their achievements. Children use mathematical language to describe capacity when pouring red bubbly water into various sized receptacles. Some are ready for a wider variety of resources to help them extend their own play in this area. Numerous activities where children explore natural and man made materials and gain a wonderful link to their immediate environment and local community are provided. For example, an abundance of conkers are presented in various ways for children to enjoy. Children work in teams using large materials to construct with, such as making an aeroplane with toy boxes. They use the mouse to operate simple programs on the computer, and know that an egg timer will be used when this equipment is popular. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are very creative and express themselves in a variety of ways, such as music and movement and role play. They have many opportunities to make sense of their world by acting out imagined or real life scenarios, such as being a fire fighter. Children use what they have learnt at nursery to initiate their own ideas, such as seeing what happens when they mix different colours of paint. They really enjoy a variety of musical instruments, such as maracas from Cuba, and learn about percussion with the guidance of a visiting music teacher. Children's imaginations are quite sophisticated, as are their heightened social skills and many opportunities are offered to enable them to express themselves in different ways.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are exceptionally well behaved and the vast majority of staff use methods that promote children's development and welfare. Methods used are consistent and children know from clear explanations what is expected of them. The code of conduct is displayed in word and pictorial form and is a lovely way of providing a constant reminder for children of how to behave responsibly. Any concerns that parents may have about children's behaviour is dealt with in a sensitive and supportive manner to enable all adults to manage children's behaviour

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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 in a way which promotes their welfare and development. Children and staff celebrate a variety of important cultural events that are both familiar and different to their home experiences. This is done by having fun in practical activities, such as dressing up, having parties and making props such as a Chinese Dragon or Easter Bonnets. Positive images of the wider society are reflected in resources such as dolls, figures and books, which enable children to learn about and value differences in people. Staff are respectful of children, and possess a most upbeat and natural disposition. This is reflected positively in children's settled and confident demeanour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Careful attention is paid to assessing and meeting the needs of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in good partnership with parents and carers. Plans are made to help each child to feel valued and be included. Such a positive impact on children's self-esteem promotes their development naturally. Information is provided for parents in various formats, such as on displays, in newsletters and during daily discussions with staff. Parents are put at ease when their child receives a warm welcome every day and are invited to settle their child at their own pace. An impressive parents' handbook complements the settling-in period and helps parents to make an informed choice about the nursery. The setting shares information on a daily basis with parents of babies to let them know how their child's day has been, and this makes parents feel included. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of funded children is outstanding. This is because they receive high quality information about the provision, particularly the educational programme. This is done in very practical and easy to understand format. Parents are well informed about their children's progress and achievements through meeting staff and having free access to their children's folders. There are considered ways of seeking views of parents through evaluation forms, and comments are acted upon where possible. The nursery is brilliant at actively encouraging parents or grandparents to be involved by coming on trips, reading stories and making musical instruments with their children. Newsletters keep parents up to date with current themes and give ideas on how they can support their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care and welfare is promoted because all of the records and procedures that are required for the safe and efficient management of the provision are thorough and maintained accurately. The system for organising all written material works very well and the impressive set of policies are updated on a regular basis. Sound vetting procedures and an effective appraisal system enable the successful formation of a consistent and established staff team. Children benefit from very good adult support and this gives them a sense of security. The management of the routine does not meet all children's individual needs during sleep, meal and group times. The impact of this is that although children have some outstanding experiences, this is not reflected all day long and some are occasionally not occupied productively.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good as the proprietor and manager have a shared vision of what good childcare and education should look like. Directions given to staff are clear, and the managers rely on experienced room leaders to set the pace of how the daily routine works. There is excellent professional development of staff members. The setting seeks advice on how to improve and evaluate, however they are not able to recognise some areas that require improvement. Overall the children's needs are met.

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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 registered person agreed to review the system for recording medication administered to children. Records of medication are now sufficient and accurate, they are shared with and signed by parents to acknowledge the entry and promote children's welfare.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection the registered person agreed to give consideration to providing opportunities for children to express themselves musically. Activities where children play with or follow adults whilst using musical instruments are now numerous and meaningful. Children enjoy expressing themselves creatively in this way.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since April 2004 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that drinking water is available to all children at all times by assisting and encouraging them to help themselves where appropriate.

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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): • ensure that a more relaxed and child-led approach is taken to leading larger groups of children in order to make more productive use of their time, and meet their individual needs for learning.

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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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