Fleetville Infant and Nursery School

Pelican Children's Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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117138 Unique Reference Number 14 March 2008 Inspection date Sally Hall Inspector

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Pelican Centre, 66 Saltash Road, Keyham, Plymouth, Devon, PL2 1QS Setting Address

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01752 551191 Telephone number Pelicanccentre@aol.com E-mail Pelican Children's Centre Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School care Type of care

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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?

Pelican Children's Centre is a community run voluntary centre, which was first opened in 1991. It moved into the current premises in 1997. The building is an extensive double fronted, end of terrace property in Keyham, Plymouth. It is an inner city area adjacent to the Royal Navel Dockyard. There is a small outdoor play area. The centre is open from 08:00 to 18:00 for 48 weeks each year. A nursery facility operates during this period. There is a separate after school club held daily in term time until 18:00. A holiday club is run during most school holidays from 08:00 to 18:00 and is open to children from the local community.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery cares for a maximum of 30 children aged two to five years whilst the after school club can take 17 children aged four to eight years old. There are 35 children on roll in the nursery and 25 in the after school club. There are currently 25 children receiving early years education funding. The setting can support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 11 staff employed, all of whom have recognised childcare qualifications and students on placements. Pelican Children's Centre is run by a full time manager and a child

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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 care co-ordinator under the supervision of a Board of Trustees. This setting has received accreditation from the Pre-school Learning Alliance and holds a certificate of Quality Assurance from Plymouth City Council Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean environment. Staff are vigilant to ensure that good standards of hygiene are maintained throughout the nursery. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene, they have easy access to separate towels and clean their teeth after lunch. Toothbrushes are labelled and stored appropriately and sterilised after each use. There is a clear sickness policy shared with parents and carefully followed, for example, a child not being accepted due to being unwell. There are good procedures in place for children who have allergies and any children that need medication administered throughout the day. Accidents and medication administered are clearly recorded and countersigned by parents. Staff have valid first aid certificates and ensure the first aid kits are appropriately stocked.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have healthy snacks provided with a variety of fruits and vegetables. They have drinks provided at set times and have access to drinking water throughout the day this ensures they remain well hydrated throughout the day. Children bring a packed lunch and items are stored appropriately in the fridge. Children's awareness to healthy eating is promoted; they have discussions on what is healthy whilst looking at books and during cooking activities.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have a secure outside play area in which to play with a climbing frame, slide, scooters and balancing blocks. However, the outdoor play area is not always used to its full potential and organisation of getting children ready between indoors and outside play is on occasions delayed causing some children to become restless. Children participate in action songs indoors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are warmly welcomed on arrival and have use of rooms with an open layout which ensures that they are supervised well at all times. They have plenty of space in which to play. Security within the nursery is good. Staff are vigilant in recording visitors to the setting and all visitors and parents have to ring the doorbell to gain entry and there is close circuit television in operation. Children's and staff attendance are clearly recorded so that in the event of an emergency it is clear who is in the building. Regular risk assessments are completed and the rooms checked daily to ensure there are no hazards. Appropriate fire equipment is in place, fire drills are displayed and practised with the children and the procedure is made clear to visitors to the setting. Good arrangements are followed for meeting the children who attend the after school club.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have access to a good range of toys and resources which are checked regularly and rotated to provide variety. The nursery is currently adding to the resources to extend children's play opportunities. Children have their own labelled drawers where they put items from home and work that they have completed during the day.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety and welfare is given a high priority. Children are further protected by the staff's secure knowledge of what to do in the event of a child protection concern. The majority

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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 of staff have completed training and have a clear policy and additional information in which to refer.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very happy and enter the setting confidently and quickly engage in play activities. They are familiar with the routine for the day. Circle time is organised very well. Children talk about the weather, the day of the week and learn to be confident to express themselves. The staff use this time to explain to them the activities that are set up for them. Children have a good range of planned activities and free play and are grouped appropriately at various times according to their age and to meet their individual needs. For example, snack, and lunch times, and for stories. The staff are confident in using the Birth to three matters framework to support younger children's care and development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are making good progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals in all areas. The staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage. They plan a good range of activities that covers all areas of learning. The key workers make regular observations and assessments of their children and set appropriate targets for their next steps in learning, this is linked to the planning to ensure that each child's needs are met and they are challenged. Children receive praise and encouragement and their work and achievements are valued. They are confident to introduce themselves and keen to show what they are doing. They learn to be independent with putting their coats on in readiness for outside play and know to put their work in their trays when they have completed it. Staff interact well with the children giving them individual time as well as working in small groups.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a varied range of craft activities and are encouraged to use their own ideas and imagination. They enjoy role play and eagerly select dressing up clothes. They count with confidence, for example, how many children are present at circle time and when lining up to go outside to play. However, they are not encouraged to do simple calculations and learn problem solving tasks. Children are confident with their colours, shapes and letter recognition. They take a pride in their work, for example, making cards for parents. However, they do not have the opportunity to make marks for a variety of purposes during free play. Children enjoy singing and request favourite songs. They take interest in each other's work and share ideas. They listen well to stories and are encouraged to look at books on their own and handle them carefully. They follow instructions well, for example, at snack and meal times. They use simple

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

technology toys and the computer confidently, they know only two children are to sit at the computer at a time and they have good mouse control.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are confident and settle quickly on arrival. They engage well with each other and relate well to all members of staff. They are familiar with the routine of the day, they learn good social skills, to share, and take turns. Children know that when the tambourine is sounded it is time to tidy up. They learn about diversity in a positive way by celebrating festivals throughout the year, however, resources reflecting diversity are limited. They have regular visitors from the local community such as the dentist, librarian and policeman. Children's spiritual, social, moral, 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 Children behave well, they listen well to instructions. They have visual guides as a reminder, receive praise and encouragement. They have stickers as rewards as well as instant recognition when they do something well. The staff are very consistent in following the agreed behaviour management policy. Children with learning difficulties receive very good support through the sensitive care and understanding of the staff who seek support from outside agencies and liaise closely with parents to ensure consistency of care. The staff meet weekly to share information to support all children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is good. Parents are warmly welcomed on arrival and there is a good exchange of information. The nursery operates an open door policy, parents have an informative prospectus and information is well documented on the notice boards which includes information on the Birth to three matters framework and the outcomes for children with photographs of their children at play. Parents are kept informed of their child's progress to support their learning at home and have the opportunity to attend regular parent's evenings.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for by enthusiastic staff who are supported by a manager and a childcare co-ordinator. The staff are confident in using the Birth to three matters framework and the Foundation Sage curriculum. They are clear of their roles and responsibilities and work closely as a team. They have regular opportunities to have in-house and external training. They meet weekly to complete their planning and to share ideas.

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Organisation

Children's documentation is all in place to support their care. Comprehensive registration forms are completed by parents which ensures staff are fully informed of each child's individual likes, dislikes, dietary requirements and allergies. Policies are in place for staff and parents to refer which meet the standards and are regularly reviewed. Staff ensure confidentiality with children's records. The nursery liaises with local schools in preparation for children moving on to school.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of the nursery is good. The manager and child care co-ordinator maintain a good overview of the daily running of the nursery. They have identified areas for improvement with regard to decoration and resources. They monitor their own practice by reviewing documentation. Staff have regular appraisals and access to training. There is a clear induction procedure for new members of staff. Children's progress is shared well between the staff to support children's learning. They review their planning and children's records regularly. The staff seek support from outside agencies including the Foundation Stage Advisory Teacher.

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Organisation

The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection, one recommendation was made to obtain parental consent to administer medication. This is now in place and clear records are shared with parents.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Recommendations were made under the nursery education inspection to develop the planning of activities to ensure children have a broad range of experiences of all six areas of learning on a regular basis. To ensure that learning objectives are clearly identified and plans show how activities can be extended to provide sufficient challenge for older and more able children. Planning now ensures that all six areas are covered and targets are set to meet each child's next stage of development.

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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

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the 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): • extend the use of the outside play area and the organisation between indoor and outdoor activities • increase resources to support children's play opportunities to raise their awareness of diversity.

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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): • extend activities to promote children's learning in problem solving and calculation skills • extend opportunities for children to make marks for a variety of purposes during their free play.

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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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