Blossoms Day Nursery

Blossoms Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Blossoms Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY294365 Inspection date 19 August 2005 Inspector Gillian Cubitt

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Blossoms Day Nursery

Setting Address 109 - 110 Waddon New Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 4JE

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E-mail

Registered person Blossoms Day Nursery Limited Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 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?

Blossoms Day nursery registered in October 2004. It operates from a two storey detached building on a main road in Waddon, Croydon. Children are accommodated in two ground floor and two first floor rooms. There is a kitchen, laundry and an office which is also used as a staff room. A maximum of 30 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:30 to 18:15 all year except for public holidays. Children may attend full or part-time.

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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 There are currently 40 children aged from 3 months to 5 years on roll. Of these 7 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the Croydon area and neighbouring boroughs. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. Preschool children are offered a weekly French class. Children are grouped according to age and have key workers. The nursery employs 9 staff, 8 of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate childcare qualifications, and one member is working towards a childcare qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Daily routines support children’s health awareness such as washing hands after going to the toilet and before meal times. Local caterers carefully prepare children’s main meals that provide a varied balance of healthy and nutritional foods such as hot pot with fresh vegetables. Staff prepare afternoon tea and there is plenty for the children to eat. Most children enjoy jam sandwiches, biscuits and some fruit. Children eat their snacks with relish but they are unaware of what foods are good for them. In addition, the incorrect method of the distribution of food by some staff gives children the wrong messages on food handling. Children never go thirsty; they help themselves throughout the day from the nearby water cooler and when outside they sit and drink blackcurrant drinks in the sunshine. All children are able to rest and be active according to their needs. Older children

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Helping children to be healthy

make the maximum use of the small outside play area to ride bikes and crawl through tunnels; however, they do not have access to regular opportunities to have vigorous physical play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The nursery has sound safety procedures so children feel secure. Parents sign children in and they are placed in the responsible hands of staff. Daily risk assessments carried out safeguard children from harm. Older children who play upstairs are never left alone and when they walk downstairs they know that they have to go individually so that they are aware of their own safety. Children use a sufficient range of safe equipment and resources that are developmentally appropriate. Toddlers and babies enjoy plenty of floor play on soft cushions and mats. Their early walking activities however are constantly interrupted by older children walking through the play room on their way to the outside play area which impacts on the safe play of toddlers. Children are protected. The child protection co-ordinator has recently completed

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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 training. She has a thorough understanding of the roles and responsibilities although she has not fully passed this information on to each member of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children and babies settle in an environment with friendly and approachable staff. Children play with a variety of toys and resources that help them in their development and learning. Staff work with the Birth to three matters guidance to help them with their planning and assessment of children’s progress up to the age of three years. Babies enjoy constant attention as staff interact with them as they play in their ball pond or explore with their hands with paints or 'gloop'. In the toddlers room staff sit with them on the soft mats; some children like to build and construct however, the staff do not always adequately extend children’s learning. This results in toddlers who are more able joining the older children so they benefit from the greater diversity of activities. Older children have brightly coloured rooms where they play and look at their photographs. Most artwork however on walls and windows is the creative work of staff. The key

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

worker system allows staff to monitor their own children and form sound relationships. Children enjoy some story times although staff delivery is not always constant or appropriate. Children find it hard to listen whilst sitting at tables and looking forward to their afternoon snack. Children like to sing and listen to music, which contribute to children’s developing communication skills. Exploration with malleable materials such as dough, wet sand helps children represent their experiences and feelings in a variety of ways. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children make progress as staff work together to prepare weekly plans so that most areas of the curriculum are covered and children have a broad based curriculum. Staff make observations on children’s progress so they have an idea on children’s learning. However, staff do not clearly identify children’s next steps from their current achievements, and evaluations

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of specific activities do not link with the planned activities or children's individual needs. As a result, staff are working closely with the Croydon Early Years Childcare and Development team to make improvements. Staff are aware of providing for children with special educational needs although they have limited experience within the nursery. Children show a strong sense of belonging as they greet each other and staff on arrival, they find their name and hang up their coats. They relate to their photographs that are on the wall but staff prepare most work displayed on the windows and walls, which has an impact on children's self-esteem. Children are generally engaged in their play as they select and carry out activities and assume responsibility for their personal care and needs such as helping themselves to water when they are thirsty. Children do not help prepare tables or offer food at snack time, which hinders their

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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 developing independence. Children speak confidently; expressing their likes and dislikes and really enjoying group activities. They clap and shout with delight as staff initiates the ‘guessing’ game. A child hides under a blanket whilst another child waits outside. Anticipation of excitement increases when children, in unison call the name of the child outside who comes in holding a member of staff’s hand. The right guess is made and children clap and praise their friend. All are eager but patiently wait to take their turn. Children are polite and encouraged to use manners especially when at the table. Children sit and listen to stories frequently and some seek out books in the book corner. Many books are very worn but children like relaxing, chatting to their friends and they especially like the hand made books of pictures of the nursery where they

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

identify themselves and their friends from the photographs. Children develop an understanding of time through nursery routines and reciting days of the week and months of the year. Children notice the passage of time as they watch the daily progress of the tadpoles in their garden. Children make use of counting as they see how many frogs develop. Planning shows children count with cubes and become aware of squares and triangles displayed in their room. They make effective use of the computer to work out how different shapes create a picture. Children look forward to going outside where they make the best use of a small area to ride bikes, crawl through tunnels and use their imagination in their freedom in play. Children's creativity however is not fully promoted inside as the staff keep to a daily pattern which inhibits children's free-flow of ideas in their set times of play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. A member of staff welcomes children each day as they arrive at the nursery. Children know staff well and smile as they meet them, older children go to their pegs and hang up their coats and bags and settle in their respective rooms with their friends. Children have access to a range of resources that are suitable for their ages and stage of development although restricts children’s ability to relate to other cultures within the group. Babies have a variety of resources that promote their curiosity and awareness of textures although toddlers do not make the most of resources, consequently parents ask if their children can be transferred to the pre-school room where there is more scope and variety in play. Older children make the best use of resources available although the set timetable each day restricts children's free-flow of play and ideas. There is provision for working with children with special needs

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Helping children make a positive contribution

although the designated member of staff is not fully up to speed with the current methods. Children behave well; they listen attentively and show politeness and care to their friends and staff. Children’s spiritual, moral and social development is appropriate fostered; however, there are some gaps in the cultural development. The partnership with parents is good. Parents speak warmly of the staff's commitment and friendliness. Parents receive daily verbal reports and written information on babies and toddlers. They have a large clear notice board where they can see staff members and weekly menus. Parents take planned opportunities to

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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 discuss children's progress at different times throughout the year.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Staff use policies and procedures for record keeping, which ensures children’s wellbeing and safety. They provide an organised environment where children feel settled and secure. Regulatory records are all in place and appropriately maintained. Most staff are qualified and training is available to staff who wish to develop specialised knowledge or skills such as child protection and Birth to three matters. This ensures that staff are keeping abreast of new initiatives for promoting positive practice in childcare provision. Overall, the provision meets the range of children for whom it provides. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The new registered person has appointed an overall manager to work closely with the nursery manager to update policies and procedures, especially in areas such as child protection and induction programmes for new staff. Current systems in place of supervising and appraising

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Organisation

staff are also being updated to meet the needs of all staff. Regular team meetings foster a team-working environment, which encourages staff's commitment to the nursery and children. Staff are working with the framework of Birth to three matters and the Curriculum Guidance for the foundation stage although the two areas of development and learning are not sufficiently linked to provide children with continuity in their learning. Staff have knowledge of the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage although at present is limited which impacts on staff's teaching skills. They observe on what children do but they do not use these written observations constructively to plan activities that move children on in their learning. There are also gaps in staff's appreciation of the varied cultures and customs of children who attend the provision.

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Complaints since the last inspection

In July 2005 allegations were made against staff. These related to National Standard 1 Suitable person. An investigation took place and it was found that the provider met the National Standards. No action was necessary. The provider continues to be registered.

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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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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 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): • organise the procedure of older children who pass through the toddlers room on their way to outside play so that it is safe for younger children • develop the range of books and resources that reflect positive images of society and other cultures • ensure that the designated person for child protection takes full responsibility for procedures and informing staff of their responsibilities for protecting children. • develop staff's understanding of the framework of Birth to three matters so that they are able to meet the needs of children rising three years • develop the programme of healthy eating to tea-time snacks, making children aware of what they are eating

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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): • organise story time so children sit comfortably with staff and are able to see and interact with the story • develop children's independence by permitting them to prepare room displays and to help staff lay tables for meals and snacks • develop planning so older children have more free flow of activities, ensuring staff fully understand the learning outcomes of each activity • develop staff's understanding of the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage so that they can effectively link child observations with the next stage in the stepping stones to meet individual children's needs • organise play so that the activities of the younger children do not impact on the play and progress of the older children • update the knowledge and skills of member of staff designated as the special

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and

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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 concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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