Hoyland Common Infant School

St Augustines Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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127577 Unique Reference Number 04 December 2007 Inspection date Melissa Turner Inspector

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14 Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9SA Setting Address

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01892 542783 Telephone number st_augustines_nursery@hotmail.com E-mail St Augustines Nursery 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

St Augustine's Nursery has been operating for over twenty years. It operates from two rooms within a community building in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. A maximum of 30 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, the nursery is open from 09.30 to 15.00 and on Mondays and Wednesdays from 09:30 - 12:00, with an optional lunch club until 12:30pm, during term time only.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 35 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 22 children receive funding for early education. Children come from the local area. The nursery supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs five members of staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 are developing a satisfactory understanding of keeping themselves healthy. The majority of time they wash their hands before eating, however this is not consistently carried out and children do not use fresh running water to wash their hands before eating their lunch; a shared bowl of water is used which does not avoid the spread of infection. Staff adopt positive practices such as cleansing table tops with antibacterial spray before use. Children enjoy selecting from a healthy range of foods at snack time such as raisins, apple and cucumber pieces. However, snack time is not always well organised to ensure it is a sociable, well supported time for children. They choose from milk or water to drink and at all other times a water dispenser is available for children to help themselves, this ensures they remain hydrated. Suitable systems are in place to ensure that staff are aware of dietary requirements, are able to deal with emergencies

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Helping children to be healthy

and illness and all staff are first aid qualified.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy daily opportunities for physical play. Although no outdoor area is available to children; staff make good use of the available hall to ensure children have regular physical play opportunities; for example, children enjoy crawling through tunnels, jumping in to hoops and using them to spin and attempt to swirl them round their bodies. Children develop their fine motor skills with activities such as threading and sewing cards.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept safe because a safe and welcoming environment is maintained. Staff organise the hall to ensure it is attractive, well organised and inviting to children and their parents. Children have access to a wide range of good quality toys and equipment which are set up for them daily and rotated frequently to offer children with excellent variety, several times throughout the day. Staff ensure a good variety is available and promotes all areas of learning.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Hazards are minimised through detailed risk assessments and staff promote children's safety in practice, such as discouraging them from running indoors. Security is well maintained and extremely thorough procedures are in place for fire drills to ensure all children are familiar with the routines to help keep them safe. These are effectively evaluated. The manager, who is the nominated person for child protection, has a clear awareness and understanding of child protection issues and has attended recent training in the area. In addition, all staff have also attended training in child protection in recent years. This helps keep children well safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and contented at nursery. They arrive with confidence and quickly settle in to circle time, contributing and listening well. Children enjoy a wide range of play opportunities and these are changed throughout the session, offering them good variety. Younger children are well cared for and supported and their needs are planned for in line with the Birth to three matters framework.

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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 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff generally have an understanding of the Foundation Stage of education and have a sound planning system in place, ensuring coverage of all areas of learning. Regular observations are made of children's progress which staff use to support the plans. However, staff do not always challenge or extend children at their activities; contributing to opportunities being missed to enable children to make good progress. At other times however, staff demonstrate a good understanding of the aims and objectives of activities, and help children to make progress accordingly.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children arrive with confidence and contribute at circle time when showing or talking about their items for the interest table. They do not always have great independence at activities when choices are sometimes limited, such as at the arts and crafts activities. Children count at different times throughout the day, such as working out the total number of children at circle time. Staff encourage children to understand concepts such as most, longest and same, and develop an understanding of bigger and smaller as they compare the size of two balloons children have brought in. Children enjoy a shape activity where they learn about a square, rectangle and triangle and benefit from good explanations about what makes them that shape, such as having four sides the same.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy using a range of mark making resources such as painting and felt tip pens and use a range of resources in their role play area. They enjoy listening to stories and making use of the inviting book corner. However, they do not always benefit from looking at books at the table which they do as a whole group activity, as on occasions it becomes disruptive. Children communicate well, for example as they discuss what dressing up outfits they are choosing. Children enjoy exploring for example handling the leaves, plants and bark and other sensory materials at the 'Timmy texture' table where they handle feathers, plants, a pepper, tinsel and shiny paper. Children enjoy learning about the world and the community in which they live as they benefit from visitors such as fire brigade, dustman, milkman and postman. They develop an understanding of cultures and beliefs through activities such as celebrating 'Jamaica National

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Hero's day' and Chinese New Year. Children use toy cameras, tills and telephones but do not have the use of a computer on a regular basis to help them operate simple programmes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy creative play opportunities such as painting. They take part in decorating pre-cut crowns for their Christmas party, however this activity is limited in extending children or allowing them free choice. Children do not have full access to a wide range of arts and crafts materials to enable them to create child led art work. Some worksheets are also used on the arts table, which are limited in their potential for children. Children thoroughly enjoy imaginative play, they pretend to peg washing out on to a line, iron clothes and dress up with a wide range of clothes accessible to them. Children explore musical instruments and enjoy singing Christmas songs as they practise for their Christmas concert.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are met well by staff who are caring and supportive. They help children to feel settled and well cared for. Children develop an awareness of our wider society through planned activities, celebrating festivals and playing with a wide range of resources promoting positive images. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. A nominated Special Educational Needs Coordinator is in place, who has attended relevant training. This helps ensure that children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported and have their needs met.

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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 are well behaved and settled at nursery. Staff remind children of the rules at nursery and act as positive role models. They remind children how well they are doing, using positive words such as excellent, well done and good on frequent occasions with children. Children understand the rules of the setting as staff ask them what they need to do when the triangle rings, children jointly say 'stop and listen'. Staff encourage good manners and encourage children’s good behaviour. This results in children who are happy and settled and contributes to helping them feel secure and understanding the behaviour rules of the setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents are closely involved with the nursery and form a committed and supportive parents' committee. Staff work closely with parents regarding their children's care and education and spend time talking with them at the end of sessions. Staff liaise with parents about their children's progress through meetings every twelve weeks. Parents have the opportunity to look at their children's records and comment on these. Parents receive a wide range of information, including information posted on the notice board, planning displayed, newsletters, and other details such as the children's themes. Systems to work with parents are effective and help to keep them informed about their children's care and education.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Organisation of the nursery is sound and is enabling staff to promote good outcomes for children's care. Good ratios are maintained and a high number of staff have level three qualifications. All staff have undergone police checks and the committee are currently completing required paperwork for themselves. Documentation relating to the running of the nursery is good, staff have worked hard to bring it in line with requirements, a couple of minor amendments are now required. Thorough and detailed paperwork is in place around the recruitment, vetting and the induction of new staff and the committee work closely with the Manager relating to this. Staff deploy themselves well, supporting children as they play. This enables them to offer a well run session, ensuring children are kept safe and well cared for.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Staff have worked hard at making changes to improve the nursery and meet regularly as a team, and are committed to attending regular training courses. They have annual appraisals completed by the committee and have introduced action plans and a comprehensive self evaluation file to help assess any areas for improvements. However, some organisation is still required to ensure that all sessions run smoothly to support children's learning opportunities; and all staff are able to ensure children are offered appropriate challenge in their every day activities consistently. 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 inspection in September 2004, staff were set recommendations relating to care and education. Staff have implemented systems to monitor and evaluate the nursery education, evaluations of each day take place and staff have implemented systems to assess and improve the setting. However some improvement remains in the area of challenges and extension for children as they play. Staff now take regular observations of children, using these to contribute to and inform plans. All staff have improved their knowledge of the Foundation Stage by attending training, however some improvement in this area is required to ensuring learning is encouraged in all areas of play. Staff training requirements have now been met, as four out of five staff now have level three qualifications in child care. All staff have attended training in child protection training to improve their knowledge and understanding of child protection

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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 issues. An accurate record of attendance is being maintained and staff ensure they record arrival and departure times as appropriate. Policies and procedures have been updated and revised; some minor areas now require addressing.

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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 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 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): • ensure sound, consistent methods are in place for hand hygiene at all times • ensure all required paperwork is in place, up to date and contains all required elements

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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): • consider developing choices for children to support their creativity • develop learning opportunities and challenges for children throughout all their activities • ensure organisation of the nursery always facilitates children's learning opportunities

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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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