Kaleidoscope Nursery

Kaleidoscope Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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507762 Unique Reference Number 30 November 2007 Inspection date Sally Elizabeth Lee Inspector

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Windmill Road, Longford, Warwickshire, CV6 7BP Setting Address

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E-mail

Victoria Emily Goode 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Kaleidoscope Nursery opened in 1995. It operates from a purpose-built nursery in the Longford district of Coventry. The nursery consists of five play rooms on two levels with supporting toilet and kitchen facilities. There is an enclosed rear area for outdoor play. The nursery serves parents from Coventry and Warwickshire. The nursery offers full day care for children from babies to school age and wrap-around care to children who attend the nursery class at Longford Park Primary School. After school care is also offered to children aged up to 11 years who attend the school. Holiday care is also provided for all children aged up to 11 years.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered to provide care for 52 children and there are currently 82 children under eight years on roll, of these 18 are in receipt of funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 07:45 to 17:45. There are 12 staff who work with the children. All staff hold an appropriate early years qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher/mentor 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 stay healthy and are protected from infection because staff follow clear hygiene procedures throughout the nursery. For example, children's bedding is washed after every use and there are tissue dispensers on the wall of each room for staff and children to access freely. Children learn about the importance of personal hygiene from the daily routines of hand washing before meals and after toileting. Staff constantly remind children to wash their hands carefully and explain why this is important. There are clear and confidential procedures in place to record any medication administered and accidents children may have which ensures parents are kept fully informed of these aspects of their child's care.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from the excellent range of healthy, nutritious meals and snacks, all prepared and cooked on the premises. The nursery cook is very conscientious and ensures she is following all the current guidance with regard to children's nutrition. The menus are updated regularly and displayed for parents in each room. Drinking water is made readily available to children and they are encouraged to drink throughout the day which ensures they are well hydrated. Any special dietary needs children may have are recorded before care begins and this information is transferred to the kitchen and to children's care rooms so that staff are well informed and children's health is protected.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy the daily opportunities for outdoor play. Pre-school children have free access to a covered outdoor area and all children are encouraged to play outdoors every day. They develop their physical skills as they push and pull wheeled toys, climb and balance on the equipment and use the wide range of tools and equipment available to them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in premises which are made welcoming to children and adults by the bright displays of children's work and the clear information on notice boards in each of the play rooms. The premises are well maintained and have appropriate ventilation, heating and lighting. They provide all the necessary facilities to support children's care, learning and play. The layout of the nursery enables children to develop personal independence as they are able to access the toilet areas as well as the toys and resources. The outdoor area is completely enclosed and there is a covered area to which the pre-school children have free access.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from a sound range of toys and resources which supports their play. Play materials to support craft activities are particularly attractive and inviting. Toys are organised so that they are accessible to the children and they are encouraged to develop confidence to access these independently. All furniture, toys and equipment conform to the appropriate safety standards and are checked regularly for safety and hygiene. There are sufficient low-level tables and chairs to enable children to sit together at meal times and the baby unit includes some domestic style furniture to encourage children's early mobility and to continue normal life experiences for them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Clear risk assessments, which are reviewed regularly, help to ensure children stay safe. Staff are vigilant and work well together to supervise all children at all times and all the appropriate safety precautions, for example, safety gates and socket covers, are in place. Children learn to

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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 keep themselves safe by talking about road safety when they go out on trips and also by practising the fire evacuation procedure regularly. They are very clear about the procedure for this, saying 'If there is a fire in nursery you have to line up inside and then line up outside and no playing.'

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are further protected by the clear procedures in place regarding child protection. Staff are clear that the welfare of the child is their first consideration and management work closely with the appropriate agencies to ensure children are safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children come into all areas of the nursery confident and happy and they settle well. Good interaction with the staff helps children to build good relationships and develop a sense of belonging. Children in the baby unit benefit from song and rhyme sessions when they learn to move to music, even very young children who cannot stand, bounce and jiggle in response to staff encouragement. Staff sit with children on their laps showing them how they look in the mirror and laughing with them. They encourage them to become independent, walking with them holding their hands, and encouraging them to feed themselves, regardless of the mess! Staff show pride in children's achievements, telling one another when, for example, a young child puts the dolls to bed and covers them up carefully with blankets. This pride is communicated to the children and they then begin to develop self confidence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff in both the baby and toddler rooms have developed good systems to plan a wide range of interesting activities for the children and to assess their development. Children in the toddler room benefit from a very wide range of activities and regular opportunities to experiment with paint, Play-Doh, water and sand. Staff extend children's learning and enjoyment by changing and developing activities. For example, in the morning children play in the sand which is dry and they learn to pour it from one container to another, then later in the day staff encourage children to fill up bottles of water and pour them into the sand and they discover how the texture and feel of the sand changes. Children thoroughly enjoy experimenting with shaving foam and glitter, trying to catch it as a member of staff drops it, rubbing over the table and piling it up into heaps. Children's personal independence is encouraged and staff watch them

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to go to the toilet and access resources independently but with a level of supervision which is appropriate to their age and stage of development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

After school and holiday children benefit from well-planned activities which also allow them a high degree of flexibility. Children's ideas and opinions are valued and there are places within the area where they can write down any suggestions they may have for activities or trips out during the holidays. They are also encouraged to be positive with one another and write down 'the nice things we do for each other' on the notice board. Children enjoy group physical games, both inside and out, as well as quieter times watching television and playing pool. They like to go out regularly during the holidays to local places of interest, for example, the park, canal, library and special events like bowling and trips to the Rico Arena.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children come into the nursery keen to learn. They show curiosity and ask questions about new activities. They are confident to try new experiences and to access resources independently. They have made good friendships, greeting each other when they come in. They are confident to contribute in group sessions.

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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 They enjoy books and stories and will take a favourite book and share it with friends without adult intervention, laughing together as they turn the pages. They thoroughly enjoy listening to stories in a group, their favourite at the moment being 'The Gruffalo' and they join in enthusiastically with the rhyming text. They can recognise their own names and are encouraged to write their names on to their work. They make marks with a range of media and are beginning to recognise individual letters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children solve problems as they construct and build with a range of different materials. They build road and rail tracks and learn about volume as they play in the sand and water. They are learning to count and most can count and recognise numbers to six and some beyond. They enjoy number songs and rhymes, for example, 'Five currant buns' and they join in as they count the number of children present every day.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's creative development is fostered as they paint and make collages with a range of materials, enjoying the feathers, bits of different paper and sequins. They experiment with wax crayons and paint and make music with the instruments in the first floor playroom. However, although children enjoy dressing up and playing with the dolls, the role play area is not well organised and does not invite and stimulate children's imagination which limits their learning in this area.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have regular opportunities to develop skills with information and communication technology as they play on the computer and learn to use the mouse. They love to dig in the outside area and look at the changes and differences in the natural world, for example, looking at the different colour of the leaves in the autumn. They like to make cakes and bread, carefully measuring out the ingredients and mixing. They experiment with shaving foam, jelly and flour, learning about the properties of each material.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have developed clear systems to plan a range of activities for the children but the system to assess children's learning is not comprehensive and does not link to the planning and, therefore, staff are not planning to ensure children take the next steps in their learning. Children thoroughly enjoy the opportunities for free access to the outdoor area. This positively encourages and helps children to learn and make progress. However, there are no clearly defined areas for specific types of play within the play room and this lack of a learning environment which is stimulating and encourages children to develop and re-visit their play experiences inhibits children's progress in all areas. However, staff have skills in many areas and clearly organise time, giving children plenty of warning when it will be time to tidy away soon and allowing them to choose whether they go out to play in the outdoor area before or after story time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children have their individual needs met because staff are careful to discuss and record these before care begins. Children within the nursery come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and there are posters, books and resources throughout which reflect this in a very positive way. Staff help children to feel good about themselves by talking to them about differences and similarities and reading stories which promote this approach. Many of the posters are in a range of different languages and some of the staff are multi-lingual and are able to liaise with parents and children who attend. Children learn very well about the wider world because there is a good range of books and resources available to them and festivals are celebrated throughout the nursery. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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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 The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure they are meeting children's individual needs and including them in the activities provided.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff in the baby and toddler units manage children's behaviour in a way which is appropriate to their age and understanding. Distraction is used to good effect and generally children behave well. However, in the pre-school unit staff are not always clear or consistent in their management of behaviour. Some incidents are dealt with well and staff explain to the children why behaviour is unacceptable and encourage them to take turns and to share. However, some behaviour, for example throwing toys, is ignored at certain times but challenged at others. Children are consequently unclear of the boundaries. Noise levels are quite high and thus staff have to raise their voices to be heard. Group times are not always well managed and children become bored and disruptive. This hinders children's learning and affects their overall well-being.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. They receive clear initial information about the setting and there are noticeboards in all the care rooms to ensure parents are well informed of menus, policies, procedures as well as information of general interest. Babies have a daily diary in which a member of staff records information about care and achievements. Parents of older children receive daily verbal feedback. Twice yearly consultation sessions allow parents time to talk to key workers and discuss their child's progress while looking through their development records and folders of work. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their child's learning through the reading scheme where pre-school children take home a book to share every week. In addition, children thoroughly enjoy taking home the nursery cuddly toy at weekends and recording in the book what they have done and where they have been with the toy. Parents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

value the friendly and approachable staff and detailed initial information they receive.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are protected by the very clear and detailed recruitment and vetting procedures in place which ensure they are cared for by staff with an appropriate knowledge and understanding of how to meet children's needs. Recommended staff to child ratios are maintained at all times and staff work well together as a team. They clearly enjoy the company of the children and show an interest in their welfare and development. Formal staff meetings are held every month and appraisals twice a year when staff training needs are discussed. Staff are encouraged to undertake regular training.

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Organisation

There is a key worker system in place throughout the nursery and key workers are responsible for the assessment of their key children's progress and some liaison with parents. However, key workers are not responsible for care tasks for their children which means that children are cared for by a range of different staff throughout the day and this has the potential to affect their health and general well-being.

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Organisation

The registered person and manager of the nursery works within the setting on a daily basis and, although much of her time is spent in the office on administration, she spends some time in the care rooms each day. This enables her to monitor the effectiveness of the funded nursery education provision. Planning is discussed and shared and the pre-school staff and management work with the advisory teacher from the local authority to improve standards within the nursery education. Leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory.

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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 All of the necessary documentation to maintain the nursery business is maintained in a very efficient and confidential manner. The policies and procedures of the setting are clearly available for parents and staff to see at any time. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was asked to ensure minimum staff to child ratios were maintained at all times and children are now protected because this is being done. In addition, they were asked to meet environmental health recommendations with regard to storage of packed lunches and the transportation of food. Children stay healthy because recommendations are met throughout the nursery.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Further, the setting was asked to ensure registration systems were fully completed when children arrive at the nursery and to obtain written consent from parents before administering medication. Both of these procedures are now in place which protects children and keeps them healthy.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Concerns were raised in relation to ratios of staff and children deployed in the baby room. This relates to National Standard 2 – Organisation. Concerns were also raised about no explanation or record being given about a child’s scuffed face. This relates to National Standard 12 – Working in partnership with parents and carers and National Standard 14 – Documentation. We investigated these concerns by carrying out an unannounced inspection on 26 November 2004. We discussed the incident in question with the provider who stated that the record was completed late as it had only happened a few minutes prior to the child’s collection. The staff member was reprimanded. We also found that the provider had not resolved the staffing issues, which had being ongoing, and had not employed a suitably qualified member of staff in the baby room. As a result the provider was served with a compliance notice requiring her to ensure

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Complaints since the last inspection

that a suitably qualified person takes responsibility for the day to day care of children under two years and ensure the minimum staff ratios are maintained at all times. The provider has re-organised the staffing structure to ensure qualified staff are in the baby room and will ensure staff will not leave rooms for administrative duties. In addition the provider will cover in the room when required. A further visit on 22 February confirmed that the provider has employed a baby room supervisor and the adult to child ratios were satisfactory. We are satisfied that the provider has taken the appropriate steps to address the concerns and we will continue to monitor through the inspection process. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Ofsted received a complaint which raised concerns in relation to National Standards 7 - Health and 12 - Working in partnership with parents and carers. Ofsted undertook an unannounced visit on 17 August 2006 to investigate these concerns. Ofsted found evidence of a breach of both National Standard 7 and 12 and has issued the provider with the following actions for completion:

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Complaints since the last inspection

Standard 7 - ensure that staff are aware of the importance of good hygiene practice and take positive steps to prevent the spread of infection

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Complaints since the last inspection

Standard 7 - ensure that children are encouraged to learn about personal hygiene throughout the daily routine, this specifically relates to following good hygiene routines in order to prevent the spread of infection

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Complaints 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 Standard 12 - ensure that staff are aware of the need to maintain confidentiality, this specifically relates to medication records

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Complaints since the last inspection

A satisfactory response to these actions was received on 12 September 2006. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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 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 adults caring for children are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour consistently and in a way which promotes their welfare and development • make sure that every child is allocated to a key person who is mainly responsible for his/her well-being on a daily basis.

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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): • develop the use of role play to support children's learning in all areas • create a learning environment which is stimulating and encourages children to develop and re-visit their play experiences • develop assessment systems which evaluate children's progress and inform future planning to ensure children are taking the next steps in their 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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