Honey Bees Staff Day Nursery

Honey Bees Staff Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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131831 Unique Reference Number 08 November 2007 Inspection date Christine Stimson Inspector

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Kingston Hospital, Galsworthy Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT2 7QB

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E-mail

Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 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 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?

Honey Bees Day Nursery was registered to provide care in 1992. The nursery operates from two rooms in a Portakabin, within the grounds of Kingston hospital and only serves the staff working within the hospital. The group opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 07:00 until 17:30.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 30 children at any one time, of these only nine may be under two years of age. There are currently 36 children from one to five years on roll who attend on various days. This includes 14 funded children. The nursery cares for one child with learning difficulties and staff are able to support children who have English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are five full-time and one part time staff who work with the children and the manager is supernumerary to the setting. All staff hold recognised childcare 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 good. Staff are able to act quickly if a child has an accident as two staff hold current first aid qualifications and the first aid boxes on site are appropriately equipped. A sick child policy, shared with parents, makes them aware that children should not attend who are sick, ill or infectious; this protects the other children attending the nursery.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is supported because they learn the importance of good personal hygiene practice through daily routines such as washing hands after using the toilet and prior to eating food. Older children know why they need to wash their hands and freely access tissues to wipe their own noses, disposing of these in bins and washing their hands afterwards. Children can access the soap dispensers, paper towels and toilet seats as staff have provided small steps to help the children become independent.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are provided with healthy and nutritious snacks and meals throughout the day. They sit with their friends making meal times a social occasion. Staff encourage children's independence by providing them with age appropriate cutlery and sit with the children to make sure they can manage. Menus inform parents what their child will be having to eat that week. For the younger children a daily information sheet is given to parents informing them of children's food intake and other personal details; this ensures continuity of care is achieved.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children take part in regular physical activities both indoors and outdoors. The garden is secure and an asset to the nursery as children are regular visitors to this area. Children also go on visits to parks, use soft play materials indoors and dance to music regularly. If the weather is too wet to go out, the room is cleared so children can enjoy riding around on tricycles, practising their pedalling skills. The large grassed area in the garden enables children to run off energy and they can also access climbing frames, slides, a tunnel, balancing beams and large tyres whilst playing out there.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Staff give high priority to ensuring children learn how to keep safe. For example, they encourage them to walk in the rooms rather than run and make sure they learn about crossing roads safely when on outings to local parks and other venues. Younger children are securely strapped in buggies for outings and other children hold staff's hands. However, when coach outings are arranged no check is made on the vehicle used, the companies insurance or the named driver.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. Different risk assessments are carried out for the various areas used and staff undertake daily visual checks on the premises and the resources. There are written risk assessments where problems are noted and the hospital works department are called to fix them. Child sized table and chairs are provided in each of the rooms for children and the resources are kept on low shelving and on the floor so that children can self-select. The colourful resources, wall displays and furnishings help to create an accessible and stimulating environment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is guarded because there are full time staff on site who have had training in child protection issues. The local child protection guidance is easily to hand, with staff in the rooms able to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse. A child protection statement is

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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 shared with parents, but this does not have a procedure to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a staff member.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Staff link their planning for younger children to the Birth to three framework. The planning of activities takes into consideration children's individual needs in relation to their stage of development. There are strong bonds between the staff and the children, with lots of spontaneous cuddles between them. Staff are skilled at listening to children, allowing them time to answer their open questions. Children have plenty of support and opportunities to communicate. For example, children enjoy music sessions where they sing their favourite songs together and join in with enthusiasm, copying the movements and following the rhyme with musical instruments. Children are allowed to choose the songs they sing and many of the children are becoming familiar with the words and tunes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are becoming confident to make some decisions, explore, investigate and use their initiative through sensitive and good adult support and attention. Children freely access their individual drawers where their personal items are kept and where they store their work ready to take home. Art work on the walls demonstrates to children that adults value their contributions; children take part in an art and craft activity at least once a day. This allows children to experiment with texture and messy items such as glue and paint.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are becoming competent learners. They are taken out to explore the local environment. For example, they sometimes go on the bus to the local market to buy some fruit for their tea or to buy some vegetables for the guinea pig. This helps children to make connections. Children have free access to the dressing-up clothes and select outfits for themselves, asking staff to help them to put them on. Resources around the room help children's imaginations and encourage them to explore and be resourceful.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are progressing well towards the early learning goals with the support of staff who have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage. Children are planned for individually by their key worker and the planning indicates each child's interests. Planning is based on observations undertaken the week before by various staff; plans then indicate the activity the child will be encouraged to focus on to extend their learning in this area. This ensures the needs and interests of all children are covered and the requirements such as resources can be organised.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident to speak up in their peer group, telling each other about their experiences of coming to nursery and discussing things that happen at home. Staff control their enthusiasm to speak by telling them if they all talk at once nobody will be able to hear. The children settle down to take turns in talking and most listen to other children's stories. Children are learning to care for other creatures and are given the opportunity to take the resident guinea pig home at weekends. Photos displayed in the room show him being pushed around in a toy pushchair, riding on a sit and ride car, being groomed and cuddled, and being carried in a toy dumper truck.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children play well together, concentrate and are motivated to learn. For example, children sit down to hear a story read by a staff member. Children tell her, when asked, that the person

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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 who writes the book is called the author, the pictures are drawn by an illustrator and the back page writing describes the story inside. Older children know what the bar code indicates and children discuss with staff how the bar code is read in the shops. The children then settle down to listen attentively to the story expressively read. Work displayed around the room shows children are beginning to write their names and many children are competent at linking sounds to letters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children make use of technology and are competent with the computer, which they have daily access to. Photos around the room show children have used cameras to take pictures; programmable toys such as calculators and interactive books are used as part of children's integral play. Children are encouraged to learn about living things as they grow plants in the garden and use some of their produce to feed the guinea pig.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children talk confidently and proudly about their achievements, eager to show off their special books where photos are displayed depicting them doing a variety of activities, both in the nursery and on outings. Children are beginning to have a good understanding of number and shape, for example, they identify the shape of the Christmas tree and the log as being a triangle and rectangle respectively. Children count confidently and many can recognise numbers up to and beyond 10.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children take part in exercise sessions, stretching their muscles and doing simple jumps, squats and balancing exercises. Children are asked to identify various parts of their body as they exercise and are becoming aware of the effect exercise has on them, such as the change in their breathing rates and the feeling of being warm.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff offer children praise and encouragement which promotes their self-esteem and helps them to behave well. General daily routines enable children to become aware of the expectations of the setting, with staff on hand to offer children explanations if necessary. A reward system of stickers for positive behaviour is popular with the older children, who strive to achieve the 10 stickers needed to gain a certificate and a small prize.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children feel a sense of belonging as staff spend time with them, listen and value their ideas and views. They have their own drawers where their work and special toys/items bought from home are stored and which they access at will. Staff are aware of their family context and talk about this with the children throughout the day. Children use resources depicting people with disabilities and regularly read story books showing people from around the world. The festivals of others are celebrated if it is relevant to a child in the nursery. For example, a child's grandmother came in and did some Chinese cooking with the children to celebrate Chinese New Year.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The manager and staff work in partnership with parents to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared as staff complete daily information sheets for parents of children in the Piglets room. This shows what their child has had to eat, drink, the activities participated in, outings undertaken and also has details of how children's personal needs were met. This is done verbally in the pre-school room.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are valued and included and staff provide suitable activities and resources to support and enable all children to participate. Children with learning difficulties are provided with a

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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 picture line of flash cards to help them understand the nurseries routine of eating, going outside and putting on outside clothing. Staff work closely with other professionals to support children and show a very caring and loving attitude to all the children in their care. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered whilst they attend the nursery. Children are well behaved and respectful, are learning about the cultures of others, are making friends and learning social skills and have high self-esteem and confidence within the setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education funding is good. Parents’ evenings are organised twice a year so children's progress can be discussed. A report is devised showing children's achievements and the interview is conducted by the key worker and the manager. A profile is kept for each child, which is eventually transferred to their school to show children's starting points. However, if a child transfers into their nursery from another setting, no system is in place to find out what the child can already do to help staff assess that child's starting point. Parents feel welcome in the nursery and value the staff who care for their children. A notice board and regular newsletters keeps parents up-to-date with what is happening in the nursery and staff encourage parents to contribute to their child's learning by providing holiday and family photos, and coming into the nursery to share skills. Currently

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Helping children make a positive contribution

parents do not receive any written information about the six early learning goals their child will be covering as part of the Foundation Stage of Learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Leadership and management are good. Staff feel supported by the manager and as a small staff team they all work well together with one purpose in mind; that is to give the children the best start they can. There is a strong commitment to continually improve the service offered with staff understanding their roles and responsibilities. The manager encourages staff to embrace training opportunities so they can keep up-to- date with the latest childcare practice and cascade their knowledge to other staff. The manager encourages staff to be involved in all aspects of the provision, including the planning of activities. She delegates responsibilities to staff as part of their personal development programme. The planning for pre-school children is done every Friday as a team, with staff using observation notes and general discussion to guide them; the manager oversees the planning to ensure all children's needs are met. Children

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Organisation

are cared for by consistent and experienced staff who have a good knowledge of child development. Children are not left unsupervised and new staff who are undergoing a vetting procedure are never left alone with the children. The robust recruitment procedures ensure only suitable people are employed to work with the children. Space and time are well organised and this enables children to be kept occupied and stimulated with time for both quiet and active play.

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Organisation

The setting has a range of comprehensive policies and procedures to guide staff in their work and these are shared with parents. One of the polices is in need of updating with a procedure to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff and a system to ensure details of hired vehicles used before outings would further support the safety of children.

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Organisation

All the required regulatory documentation which contributes to children's safety is in place, but the manager has no system to record staff's time of arrival and departure. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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 two recommendations were made to improve care for children. Since then good progress has been made and the nursery now has a wide range of resources that help to promote children's learning about equality and diversity. The building has been refurbished since that inspection and there are now no hazards in the bathroom relating to hot water or the storage of medication and plastic bags.

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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 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 records are kept about vehicles in which children are transported, including insurance details and a list of named drivers • devise a procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff • ensure there is a system for registering staff's hours of attendance.

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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): • devise a system to find out what children can already do when they come from another setting • make sure parents are informed about the six early learning goals within the Foundation Stage of Learning, prior to children receiving funding.

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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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