Woodhouse West Primary School

Once Upon A Time Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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107023 Unique Reference Number 12 February 2008 Inspection date Lorraine Sparey / Samantha Powis Inspector

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2-4 Downs Cote Drive, Bristol, Avon, BS9 3TP Setting Address

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E-mail

ONCE UPON A TIME DAY NURSERY LIMITED 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 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Once Upon A Time Day Nursery has been registered since 1999 and is privately owned. It is located in a private house in Westbury, on the boundary of Bristol. The children use both floors of the property and there is a secure garden for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 30 children may attend at any one time and there is currently 58 children on roll, of these 15 children are in receipt of funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children who have English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 11 members of staff who work with the children, of these seven are qualified in early years, and three are on training programmes. The owner of the nursery is a qualified early years teacher. They receive support 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 satisfactory. Children follow appropriate hygiene practices. Older children know when and why they need to wash their hands. They talk about getting rid of the germs on their hands before they eat, and tell an adult that their tummies might get poorly if they don’t. Generally, nursery routines support children’s overall health and wellbeing. However, at times staff do not follow effective hygiene procedures and children’s health is not fully supported. For example, a member of staff helps several children to blow their noses, without washing her hands or disposing of each tissue in between. Records are maintained to record any administered medication, however, accident reports are not always signed by parents. This means that they do not fully support children’s ongoing health. Children are protected in the event of having a minor accident as most staff hold an appropriate first aid qualification, and suitable first aid kits are accessible.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from being offered healthy and nutritious snacks and meals. The nursery cook prepares fresh ingredients to meet children’s individual needs. Staff talk to the older children about healthy eating and making healthy choices. Children engage in simple activities of sorting food into healthy and non-healthy groups. Food for babies is pureed according to parent's wishes. Older children are provided plates and utensils to eat their food from. However, baby’s snacks are placed directly onto the high chair trays, which are not thoroughly cleaned prior to use. Children are encouraged to access the freely available drinking water during the day to prevent them becoming thirsty.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have many opportunities to play and exercise outside in the fresh air. All the children have opportunities to use the well resourced garden. Older children learn to balance, jump and negotiate space with increasing skill as they take part in an obstacle course game.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children’s safety is supported well. Effective procedures are followed to minimise risks to the children. All required safety equipment is in place to promote children’s welfare. For example, stair gates are fitted at the top and bottom of stairs and door jams are used throughout. There is an effective system to ensure children cannot leave the premises unsupervised, and a record of invited visitors is maintained to further protect children. Staff raise older children’s awareness of safety. They talk to them about being safe on the roads before they go on outings and remind them of certain boundaries within the nursery to keep them safe. Emergency evacuation procedures are practised with the children regularly. This ensures all are familiar enabling them to react confidently should an emergency arise. Children safely access a wide range of good quality toys and resources throughout the day. Appropriate storage such as low level drawers

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

allows children to select some equipment by themselves in safety. There are appropriate procedures in place to ensure that the resources are clean and well maintained to ensure their continued suitability.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected from harm and neglect as staff demonstrate a clear knowledge and understanding of signs and symptoms of possible abuse. The child protection officer is very clear on her role and responsibility in safeguarding children from harm. A detailed child protection policy means that staff follow a consistent approach and that parents are fully aware of the setting's responsibility.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are generally happy and content in the nursery. They participate in a range of age appropriate activities throughout the day. Staff use Birth to three matters to plan suitable play opportunities and learning experiences. For example, several children enjoy experimenting with different sized fish and boats in the large water tray. Staff extend the children's interest as they add glitter to the water. Staff support children in their play and generally the interaction is appropriate given the children's ages and stages of development. However, on occasions staff with the younger children are completing an activity with one child and there is little interaction with other children within the room. This does not fully support children's development or their enjoyment in their play. Staff complete regular observations on all children throughout the nursery. However, some of the children's records are not on site to ensure that

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

staff can effectively plan the next steps in children's learning and development. Each room has opportunities for children to initiate play and group times where key workers work directly with their key children. Babies and toddlers enjoy playing 'peek-a-boo', and looking at themselves in the low-level mirror. A child giggles as they sway from side to side whilst looking in the mirror, beginning to recognise differences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to use the creative room and the garden. This is generally on a rota basis throughout the day. In the garden there is a separate area for the babies and toddlers to ensure their safety whilst the older children enjoy the opportunity to be able to run around and use the well resourced area, which includes safety surface to prevent accidents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff demonstrate a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum. They plan and provide an interesting range of activities which stimulate children’s enquiring minds. For example, children are fascinated as they are involved in experiments about how a volcano erupts. Planning and assessment systems work well together to ensure activities challenge children appropriately. Staff make good use of questioning and discussion during adult led activities to encourage children’s learning and development. They use effective teaching methods, such as enthusiastic story telling to harness children’s interests. The planning ensures children are offered a range of activities in all six areas of learning. Children are involved in many adult led activities, however, at times there is little opportunity for children to organise their own play or make choices.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident and quickly become involved in play. They are secure in the daily routines and know what is expected of them. Children are polite and behave well, due to the staff’s consistent and positive approach to behaviour management. Children concentrate well during adult led activities. For example, they use their sense of taste and smell when trying a range of Chinese foods. They talk about the texture of the lychees, and how crunchy the prawn crackers are. Children’s language is developing very well. They talk enthusiastically about dinosaurs demonstrating their extended range of vocabulary. They listen to stories with excitement and join in with the familiar rhyming text. They act out their favourite stories and make books about stories they have made up themselves. Children point to their names which a member of staff writes in the frost. They correctly identify the letters within their names,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

demonstrating their awareness of letter sounds and shapes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a secure understanding of numbers. They regularly engage in counting as they play, demonstrating their awareness of number order. Children compare using

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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 mathematical language. For example, during cooking activities and sorting games they talk about heavy and light and more and less. Children have lots of opportunities to sing and use musical instruments. A music teacher visits the setting regularly and encourages the children to explore the sounds made by different instruments.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are some opportunities for children to engage in creative activities such as painting, and role play. However, due to the organisation of the rooms and grouping of the children this is not freely accessible at all times to fully engage children’s imaginations. Children have excellent opportunities to explore and investigate a range of materials and experiences. They talk in depth to visitors about volcanoes and dinosaurs, both of which have been recent themes. They enthusiastically share with others about their favourite dinosaurs and why they are now extinct. Children enjoy experimenting with various materials and textures, such as jelly and lentils, observing the changes as water is added. They use their knowledge and experience to explain why the frost melts when they put it on their fingers and tongues. Staff support children’s natural curiosity well, as they positively respond to their questions, extending their knowledge.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children’s individual needs are well known to staff, which helps them to feel secure and settled. Children feel a strong sense of belonging and are proud to be a member of the nursery. For example, lots of photos of the children involved in activities are displayed on the walls, and their creative work is given pride of place on displays. This boosts children’s confidence and self-esteem. Children have good opportunities to learn about their own communities through visitors to the group, outings and links with local schools and nurseries. Children’s awareness of the wider world is actively promoted as they celebrate festivals such as Chinese New Year. Older children enjoy projects about food, where they taste different national dishes. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. There are appropriate procedures in place to support children for whom English is an additional language. The setting has a

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Helping children make a positive contribution

designated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, who is confident in her role. The setting works sensitively with parents and other professionals to ensure each child is supported in their learning and care needs. Overall, children’s behaviour is good. They are polite and demonstrate a secure understanding of expectations and boundaries. Staff use consistent approaches when managing behaviour, and are positive role models. They understand how to support children of different ages to encourage them to learn right from wrong.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnerships with parents and carers are good. They are provided with quality information about the setting and the Foundation Stage curriculum. They are actively encouraged to participate in their child’s learning as planning is on display for them to see. The skills of parents are valued by the setting, to further enhance children’s experiences. For example, children enjoy learning about oral hygiene when a parent shares their professional role with the children. Effective communication systems throughout the nursery ensure that parents and key workers have opportunities to share what they know about each child. Frequent parents evenings and social occasions, foster positive relationships between nursery staff and parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom they provide. There are appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures in place to ensure that staff are suitable to

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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 work with children. Staff are invited to attend training on a regular basis both in-house and through external trainers. Staff are generally enthusiastic and work well together as a team. The nursery is welcoming, with children's creative achievements and photographs displayed on the wall to create an environment that everyone is proud of. The ground floor is used by the toddlers and older children. They regularly move rooms depending on what they are playing with. However, the routines mean that some children do not get the opportunity to use all areas to fully promote their learning and offer them choices. At other times the routines mean children can wait for long periods. For example, babies wait in their highchairs for 20 minutes for their lunch to arrive. The setting has a range of policies and procedures to support children's

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Organisation

health and safety. However, some of the procedures are followed effectively to maintain children's ongoing health.

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Organisation

The quality of leadership and management is good. Staff are committed to providing good quality care and education for children. The nursery education provision is regularly monitored and assessed to ensure that all children are making good progress in their learning. The setting values the input from the local authority and implements any suggestions or improvements as a result of their visit. For example, staff have reviewed the environment to ensure that there are lots of opportunities for the children to see print in the playrooms which was a previous suggestion from the early years.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection four recommendations were raised. These relate to ensuring that all the policies and procedures meet the required National Standards, were updated regularly and accessible to parents; ensure that drinking water is made available to children at all times; ensure that children's drinks brought from home are suitably labelled and that all fire extinguishers are easily accessible; ensuring that the number of children grouped in the quiet room is appropriate to the space provided and that the temperature of the nursery is maintained at an appropriate level. The provider has made progress in addressing these issues. Policy and procedures are reviewed on a regular basis and a folder is available in the hallway for parents to view. Children have their own water bottles to ensure that they can have a drink when they would like one. The setting has changed its policy on allowing children to bring in their own

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Improvements since the last inspection

drinks because the nursery provides each child with their own cup or water bottle. Fire extinguishers are cited appropriately to support children's safety in the event of an emergency. Temperature gauges are available in each room to ensure that the temperature of the nursery is maintained at an appropriate level to support children's health and well-being. Staff ensure that the numbers of children using the quiet room are appropriate given the space. All of these measures improve the quality of care children receive.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection two key issues were raised. These related to continuing to develop and monitor planning and assessments to ensure that activities are adapted appropriately to meet the needs of all the children and that all aspects of the six areas of learning receive sufficient and regular attention. In particular, communication, language and literacy, mathematical and physical development; ensure that parents are fully informed of the nursery's curriculum and the early learning goals and that they have more opportunities to be involved in their children's learning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider has addressed the issues. Planning and assessments are used to ensure that activities meet the needs of all children and cover the six areas of learning. Children are making good progress in all areas of their learning. Parents have good opportunities to be involved in their children's learning and receive good quality information on the Foundation Stage

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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 curriculum. The setting is planning a maths evening to promote parents awareness of how the activities provided support children's mathematical development. All of these measures further improve the quality of education provided to children within the setting.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are 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 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): • review hygiene practices and procedures followed within the baby room • ensure that any entries to accident records are signed by parents • improve play opportunities and the organisation of the routines for the younger children

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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): • further enhance children's learning and development by offering them more opportunities to make their own choices

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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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