Just Learning Nursery

Just Learning Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY239505 Unique Reference Number 14 February 2008 Inspection date Charlotte Jenkin Inspector

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19 Hackett Place, Hilperton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 7GW Setting Address

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01225 768510 Telephone number trowbridge@justlearning.co.uk E-mail Just Learning Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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?

Just Learning Nursery opened in 2001. It operates from purpose built premises in Hilperton, near Trowbridge, Wiltshire. The nursery serves the local rural and urban areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 195 children aged between 3 months and 11 years on roll, this includes 63 funded three- and four-year-olds. The setting supports children that have special educational needs, or whose first language is not English.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens five days a week all year round. Children can attend from 07.30 until 18.30.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Twenty seven full- or part-time staff work with the children. Twenty one of these have relevant early years qualifications. Most others are working towards Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications in early years. The setting receives support from the Early Years Partnership and is a member of the National Day Nursery Association. The nursery has been awarded five stars from the environmental health department, a clean air award from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and an accreditation for health and safety within the setting.

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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 play and rest in warm, clean premises. Staff are consistent in their implementation of hygienic routines throughout the nursery, including nappy changing routines, the maintenance of toys and equipment and in food handling. Children are encouraged to learn about hand washing routines, with older children doing so independently prior to eating their snack. Hence, children are not at risk from cross infection. Children's health is well protected by staff who have an up to date knowledge of first aid and are aware of the correct procedures to follow if children have an accident or require medication whilst in their care. The sickness policy is formally shared with parents and staff know the procedures to follow if children become unwell whilst in their care. Parents are informed of current infections and are reminded to keep their children at home if they are unwell. Hence, the spread of unnecessary illness is minimised.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are protected from the harmful effects of the sun, wearing protective clothing, sun cream and having frequent drinks in hot weather.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are encouraged to eat healthily through the nutritious snacks and meals they enjoy daily. These are freshly cooked and balanced and support the children's growth and development. Children happily approach the snack table and choose a piece of fruit to eat at morning snack. Menus are shared with parents and reviewed every six months to ensure children enjoy the meals offered to them. Staff gain information from parents regarding children's dietary needs and allergies and any requirements are catered for. Effective systems are in place to ensure staff are aware of children's allergies and this protects them from foods they are not able to eat. Most children have access to water in the nursery, although during the inspection younger children in one room did not. Hence, they may not have enough fluids throughout the day. The nursery does not provide milk for the babies, but parents bring this in. The milk is stored

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Helping children to be healthy

in labelled bags in the fridge. Children's dietary needs are mainly well met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have daily access to fresh air and exercise. The outdoor area is used at all times, and children bring in their Wellington boots so they can play outside in all weathers. The older children in the pre-school room have free access to outdoors during the sessions. They display a positive attitude towards physical activity, being keen to go outside at regular times throughout the day. Children move around indoors and out with confidence, and show a good awareness of space, themselves and others as they line up to go out and play. They confidently climb up the steps and climb down the slide and enjoy using their upper body strength to pull themselves up the wooden steps with a rope. Children move in different ways and are able to stop. They persevere when developing new skills, like carrying eggs on a spoon without dropping them. Children have weekly dance sessions in the nursery with a visiting dance teacher.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in bright, welcoming and child-friendly premises. There are attractive displays of the children's work around and labelled drawers and pegs for the children's belongings. Plenty of the children's art work is displayed at low level, enabling them to share this with others. This helps the children feel secure and promotes their self-esteem in the nursery. The premises are well organised to meet the children's needs. Children are cared for in appropriate age groups and have access to facilities that meet their stage of development. Young children are cared for in small groups and this helps them develop a sense of security

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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 in the nursery. Children have access to a wide range of toys that support their development in all areas. Most of these are stored at low level and children are able to choose those they wish to play with. Hence, their independence and confidence are promoted. Staff check the toys regularly for damage and this means children play with toys that are safe, suitable and age appropriate.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children play in safe premises, as staff implement safety checks daily to minimise risks to children. Staff promote safety and prevent accidents within the nursery, for example, sockets are covered, cleaning materials are in locked cupboards and the premises are secure. Hence, children move around the rooms confidently and play in safety. The garden areas and equipment are checked daily for both hygiene and safety issues, and this promotes the children's safety when outside playing. On outings, detailed risk assessments are undertaken and clear procedures are followed by staff to ensure the children's safety. All fire precautions are in place and the evacuation plan is regularly practised with the children and monitored for its effectiveness. Children learn how to keep themselves safe in the setting, with staff offering them gentle reminders during the day. For example, if children run indoors, staff remind them they may

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is promoted by staff who have a sound knowledge of child protection issues and the procedures to follow in the event of concerns. The nursery's child protection policy is formally shared with parents and is displayed on the notice board for all to see. Hence, children's well-being is actively promoted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young children are well cared for in the nursery, and have a good range of stimulating and interesting activities offered to them. Staff are warm towards the children and use calm voices and facial expressions to help them feel safe and secure in their care. Children enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror, and readily approach staff, who respond to them with comfort and cuddles. Children eagerly explore the toys and begin to make sense of the world around them, for example, pushing buttons on toys to make noises, responding to lights, textures and sounds and enjoying exploring various resources in the sensory room. Staff interact very well with the children, talking to them about what they are doing and encouraging them to participate in new experiences. This helps promote the children's language development, as well as their self-confidence. Children confidently engage in activities and are becoming confident in initiating

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their own play. Staff respond to their interests and facilitate their play, interact well with them and encourage their development well. Regular observations are made of children engaged in play and these are effectively used to identify children's achievements and areas they need support with. In agreement with parents, staff then utilise play opportunities well to encourage and support these areas with each individual child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff plan a good balance of adult led and child initiated activities for the children. They facilitate the children's play well, through interaction, questioning the children to encourage their thinking and through following the children's interests. For example, children in the pre-school had recently shown great interest in knights and princesses so they made a castle for the home corner and children made masks and accessed the dressing up clothes to extend their learning in this area. However, at times, staff deployment is not always effective in supporting certain groups of children during free play and this means

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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 are, on occasions, not well engaged in their play. Focus activities are well organised and have clear learning intentions for the children. They are well evaluated and include examples of what children gained from activities and how their learning can be extended. Hence, children make good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have a good knowledge of children's abilities and areas for future development. They have clear individual plans in place for each child's learning and development, share these with parents and regularly assess children's progress and set up new targets for them. Observations show clearly what children know, understand and can do, and link to entries in the Building Blocks Assessments system.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are settled in the care of the staff and are well engaged in activities. They develop suitable levels of concentration, spending long periods engaged in self-chosen tasks. Children confidently choose activities they wish to participate in. Staff allow the children to follow their own interests in the nursery and ensure they are able to access the resources they require. However, this is not encouraged within creative art and craft activities. Children do not independently select resources from the well equipped craft area, to enable them to represent their own ideas through collage, painting and modelling, or use materials of their own choosing. Children eagerly make marks and are keen to talk to staff about the pictures they are drawing, for example, a blue monster that is like a 'Gruffalo'. They demonstrate pride in their achievements, being keen to share these with others, for example, when writing their own

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

names to label their work. Children develop a sense of belonging in the group. They know how to find their name as they enter the room and prior to having their snack, to wear a necklace before going outside, and to get an apron for water play. Children form good relationships with peers and they play well together co-operatively. For example, two children make cookies together with the dough, and three boys enjoy digging roads, engaging in imaginative play together in the sand. Children also engage in tasks alone, for example, when playing with the computer and making marks on paper. Children show interest in the world around them, and come in to share the news about the ice they have found outside with other children. They confidently say 'It will turn into water if we leave it'. Children use their imagination well in role play, they build drills with the bricks and use the chairs as motorbikes and begin to fix these

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

together. They enjoy dressing up and making masks to support and extend their imaginative play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are cared for by staff who know the children in their care well, value and respect their individuality and, hence, promote their self-esteem. They gain detailed information from parents prior to children entering the nursery and this enables them to fully meet the children's individual needs. Children for whom English is an additional language have their development supported in the group. Children with disabilities are fully included in the nursery and are well supported in line with both parental support, as well as advice from other agencies working with them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children learn to develop respect for the cultures and beliefs of themselves and others through celebrating festivals, including Bonfire Night, Diwali and Halloween. They participate in fun practical activities, including arts and crafts, food tasting and cooking. Children know the rules of the group and adhere to these to keep themselves and their peers safe. They form good relationships with peers and play well together co-operatively.

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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's behaviour is very good. Staff have clear expectations of the children and encourage good behaviour through praise and reward. They are good role models and are very warm, caring and polite to them. Children are aware of the rules they need to adhere to, for example, how many children are allowed to play in the home corner at a time. Younger children are well behaved, although some group situations are not appropriate for their stage of development and they are expected to sit for too long. This does not take account of their individual stages of development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Children benefit from the very good partnership with parents regarding their care needs as they have their routines fully respected in the nursery and are cared for in line with parents' wishes. Parents are fully informed about their child's development. They contribute to assessments detailing how their child is progressing and agree individual areas for staff to promote and encourage with their child. They receive information daily about their child's routines and also the activities they have participated in. Parents receive detailed information regarding the nursery's policies and procedures and the curriculum implemented, and are invited to attend information sessions that detail the curriculum offered. They are kept up to date with the current theme for learning, as well as the activities their child has participated in daily. Parents are involved in their child's learning through bringing in items linked to current

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Helping children make a positive contribution

topics and attending fun events at the nursery, including writing to Father Christmas for their presents.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Children are cared for by suitable and well qualified staff. Recruitment procedures are followed to ensure that all adults working with children are suitable. Induction procedures enable staff to carry out their duties and know the clear procedures to follow regarding health, safety and child protection in the setting. The registration system shows an accurate record of children, staff and visitors' attendance and adult to child ratios are maintained in the nursery. Hence, children receive good adult support as staff interact and play with them and support their development well. Children appear relaxed and at ease in the nursery, where they receive good quality care and have their individual needs well met.

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Organisation

Staff in the nursery consistently implement most policies and procedures and this promotes the children's welfare, care and learning. However, the children in the 18 to 24 month room did not have free access to water during the inspection. All required documentation is kept on the premises, is well organised and readily available for inspection. Staff gain all necessary consents from parents regarding their children participating in all the activities and routines of the setting. This promotes the children's well-being and ensures they are cared for in line with parents' wishes.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are good. The manager of the nursery is pro-active and supports staff well. She monitors ongoing practice and enables staff to access good training and development opportunities, both in-house and externally. Staff in the pre-school rooms work well together and share all responsibilities, including planning. They are keen to improve curriculum delivery by attending training, gaining new ideas and implementing these in the group. The nursery evaluates the educational provision and identifies areas for future development. Close links with the local feeder school enable children to form relationships with the teachers and aids their transition to school.

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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 inspection the nursery agreed to ensure that staff who witness an accident, as well as the member of staff who deals with an accident, are clearly identified in the accident book, and ensure the range of resources reflects positive images of various cultures for the under two years age group. With regard to Nursery Education, the nursery agreed to use the good observation, assessment and record keeping systems that are in place to ensure that each child's individual learning needs are considered and met, and to increase the children's opportunities to freely use and explore the outside areas and large play equipment, so that their physical development is promoted and outside play is encouraged.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Accident records are accurate, signed by staff, and witnesses are clearly identified on records. This protects the children's welfare. Children under two years have access to pictures, posters and resources that reflect positive images of diversity in children's play.

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Improvements since the last inspection

All children have individual areas identified by staff and agreed by parents to support for future development and to move them on to the next stage in their learning. Children now have free access to the outdoor area where they can engage in a range of activities that cover all curriculum areas. They also have frequent opportunities to play on the large equipment, engage in dancing and movement activities and, as a result, their physical development is promoted well.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection no complaints have been made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are 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): • make sure the children in the 18 to 24 month age range have access to water at all times • make sure whole group times are suitable for the ages and stages of the children attending

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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):

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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 • ensure children are able to freely select from a wide range of materials and use these to represent their own ideas through painting, modelling and collage • ensure staff deployment supports groups of children 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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