Perry Hall Junior School

Halstead Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

127219 Unique Reference Number 27 March 2008 Inspection date Rebecca Hurst Inspector

p.1

Halstead CP School, Otford Lane, Halstead, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 7EA Setting Address

p.1

E-mail

Halstead Nursery Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are outstanding. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are outstanding.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Halstead Nursery has been operating since 1983. It operates from a school classroom in Halstead Community Primary School in Halstead, which has been in operation for more than 40years.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 27 children aged from two years to four years on roll. This includes 23 children; three and four year olds who receive nursery education funding. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities. There are no children who speak English as an additional language.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens for five days a week during school term time only. Sessions are from 09:00 until 15:15 hours.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are six part/full time staff members who work with the children. The setting receives support from the local authority.

p.2

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

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children are able to thrive as they receive a healthy and nutritious diet whilst they attend the setting. Children help staff to prepare the morning snack, by cutting fruit and setting out the equipment. All children have an excellent understanding of why they need to wash their hands. Children do not need to be reminded to wash their hands before snack or meals and after they have gone to the toilet. Staff ensure all children are protected from cross infection and contamination as they clean all tables before any foods are consumed on them. After the children have finished their meals staff clean the tables protecting the children further.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

All accident, incident and medication files are up to date. Staff ensure all necessary details have been completed. Staff also attend regular training sessions on administering medications such as epi pens and asthma inhalers. This ensures children's welfare is paramount to the staff. Children access physical activities both inside the nursery and outside daily. Staff ensure they plan to all learning intentions, which ensures children are able to progress with their development. Staff ensure children have a wide range of activities which promotes hand eye co-ordination, balancing, large muscle movements and small muscle movements.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children's safety is paramount as they are protected through comprehensive policies and procedures. Staff carry out detailed daily checks, which highlights any issues which the staff resolve. Staff use detailed risk assessments to safe guard the children in day to day activities in the setting. All staff have a through understanding of safe guarding children and child protection. All child protection policies and procedures reflect current changes in legislation.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff ensure they have up to date permissions in place to take children on outings. Staff explain to children the importance of staying safe and ensure they have appropriate insurance to take children out in their cars. All the equipment and resources the children have access to all conform to a high standard. Staff ensure they check daily that the equipment is safe for children to use. Resources are stored so children are able to develop their independence skills and self select resources. Children are welcomed into a child centred environment where they have a great sense of belonging. The children's work is displayed around the room which builds their self esteem.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are extremely happy and settled whilst they attend the setting. Children arrive content and quickly settle to into well thought out activities. All children are thoroughly engrossed in well planned activities that ensure they make excellent progress with their development. Plans and activities are adapted to allow for less able children to participate and learn. Children enjoy a broad range of activities that cover all areas of learning. Children sit enthralled learning about the life cycle of frogs, watching tadpoles swimming around a tank and seeing the changes in their bodies.

p.3

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 The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children are making excellent progress in all areas of learning and towards the early learning goals. Children are taught by knowledgeable staff who have extensive knowledge of the Foundation Stage. Children are inquisitive, with one little boy enthralled with a metal detector and testing all furniture and equipment with it. Staff ensure they ask children the wide ranging questions which make them think. This ensures children's learning is stretched to the best of their ability and in most cases beyond.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff set out stimulating activities that ensure children are able to immerse themselves completely in the activities around them. Staff ensure all activities that are set out for the six areas of learning integrate with each other. For example, children are bouncing on a trampoline and staff are ensuring they understand the importance of turn taking by having a timer, and each bounce is being counted. This combines three areas of learning in one activity.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children benefit greatly from activities the staff prepare to teach children about festivals and celebrations from around the world. Children have access to a wide range of resources that reflect diversity and equal opportunities. Children enjoy dressing up as people from the community that help, for example police and fire fighters. Knowledgeable staff plan a large array of activities for the children to participate in as a result children learn meaningful information about other religions. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff work extremely well with outside agencies, to promote the development of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff have detailed individual education plans for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and these are incorporated into planning for every day activities. This ensures the setting provides an inclusive service. All staff are highly skilled in working with children that have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. This ensures they are fully involved in the daily activities of the setting.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff are excellent role models to the children, consequently, all children are well behaved. Staff explain the differences between right and wrong at a level that all children are able to understand. This ensures children understand morals. Children learn the importance of good manners during the day and also at meal times. Staff regularly teach children please and thank you as well as teaching them the right way to leave their knife and fork after they have finished their meal.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. Parents receive an abundance of information regarding the setting and the activities the children carry out during the day spent there. Staff take regular photos of the children at play and print these of on a regular basis so parents are able to see the day the children have. Children benefit greatly from the concrete relationships that are built between staff, parents and carers. Parents receive information regarding the Foundation Stage at a level they are able to understand, which ensures they are aware of the stages of development their child has achieved.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are kept informed on a regular basis regarding the daily running of the setting, through informative newsletters. Parents are also involved in organising fund raising events to raise funds for the setting. In discussion with parents they can not fault the support and care the staff give to the children. They are extremely happy with the information they receive and they find the staff are friendly and supportive offering advice and support for them.

p.4

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

p.4

Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. Children are protected from non vetted staff and visitors because the manager and staff are vigilant in their care and ensure there are robust systems in place for vetting staff. Staff also ensure children are not left alone with non vetted people, consequently the safety of the children is paramount. The manager ensures all ratios are maintained. This further protects the safety of the children. All policies and procedures are meticulously maintained. Staff regularly meet with support groups in the local area where they discuss policies and procedures to ensure they are all up to date and contain all relevant information. This ensures staff are kept up to date with all changes in legislation. Overall the setting meets the needs of the range of children in its care.

p.5

Organisation

The quality of leadership and management is outstanding. The manager and staff have a clear vision for the setting and the children. All staff receive regular training which builds their knowledge and understanding, which benefits the children who attend the setting. Staff work extremely well as a team which contributes to the happy atmosphere throughout the setting. The manager ensures meetings are held on a regular occurrence which allows staff to feedback and problems to be raised. This ensures the setting runs smoothly. The setting receives support from Kent early years.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to carry out five recommendations. The first one was to allow the opportunity for children to have access to drinking water at all times. Staff ensure children have access to fresh drinking water throughout the session. The second and third recommendations were to maintain an accurate record and to ensure that the policies are updated to reflect the requirements of the National Standards. (With particular reference to Standards 11, 12 and 13. The manager ensures all policies and procedures are kept up to date and all registers are maintained to show all arrival and departure times. The fourth recommendation was to update the child protection procedure for the pre school and complies with local Area Child Protection Committee procedures. The child protection policies and procedures reflects current changes to legislation for safe guarding children. The fifth

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

recommendation was to update the complaints policy to show the correct information about the regulator. The manager has up dated the complaints procedure to show details of the regulator.

p.5

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 any action in order to meet the National Standards.

p.5

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.

p.5

Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.5

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are outstanding. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are outstanding.

p.6

The quality and standards of the care

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

p.6

The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

p.6

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

p.6

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

p.6