Christopher Pickering Primary School

Christmas Cottage Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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140902 Unique Reference Number 04 February 2008 Inspection date Judith, Mary Butler Inspector

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Christmas Cottage, Haw Lane, Bledlow Ridge, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP14 4JJ

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E-mail

Jenny Dexter 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?

Christmas Cottage Day Nursery has been open for over ten years. It operates from rooms on the ground and second floor of the nursery owner's home in Bledlow Ridge, near High Wycombe. Children have access to a main playroom, a second playroom that is also used as the dining area and cloakroom facilities. There are identified bedrooms on the second floor that are used for sleep purposes. A maximum of 12 children may attend at any one time. The nursery is open each week day from 08:00 until 18:00. There is an enclosed outside area for children's play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 31 children on the roll. Of these nine are in receipt of funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports children with learning disabilities and difficulties.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens 5 days a week, 51 weeks a year. The nursery is open from 08:00 until 18:00. Children attend from the village and local surrounding areas. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are seven staff who work with the children. All staff hold relevant 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 good. Children participate in a good range of activities that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. They access fresh air and exercise daily through use of the outside area and walks in the local community, for example, walking to feed the ducks. Staff operate a free flow play environment and this offers children choice about playing inside or outside. A good range of interesting and fun activities are available for children choosing to play in the garden. These include, drawing, role play, sand and the use of large equipment such as sit and ride toys. Children move confidently around all areas of the nursery identified for their use and are able to manoeuvre around fixed and moving objects.

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Helping children to be healthy

Effective hygiene procedures are in place to enhance the health of children, for example staff wear gloves when changing nappies and ensure all children use a wipe to wash their hands before meals. Children are independent and older children confidently go to the toilet and wash their hands unaided. Younger children are developing these skills and know that they need to wash their hands following an art activity. All staff hold appropriate first aid qualifications and attend training to ensure these are kept up to date. All of the required documentation to record accidents and administration of medication are in place. Parents countersign all entries and receive a copy of the completed paperwork. This enhances the health of children and keeps parents informed of any incidents. Children who require sleeps do so in identified rooms on the second floor of the building. Effective procedures are in place to monitor sleeping children,

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Helping children to be healthy

including physical checks and use of a baby alarm.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a range of healthy, nutritious and fun food while at the nursery. Snack and meal times are a sociable occasion with all children and staff sitting together. Older children assist in laying the tables and select their own cutlery. Children chat freely to the staff members and other children in the setting. Staff discuss the individual dietary needs of the children with parents to ensure they meet the needs of all children who attend. A daily menu is displayed and this enables parents to be fully aware of what their child has eaten during their time at the nursery. Drinks are provided at meal and snack times and drinking water is available throughout the session. Staff follow the individual routines of younger children, for example, preparing children’s bottles of milk as they require them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The nursery premises are warm, welcoming, clean and well maintained. Staff display children's art work and this assists the children in developing their self-esteem. Parents and children receive a warm welcome from staff as they enter the premises. Children enter the nursery confidently and most are able to leave their main carer with ease. Staff offer support to children who get upset at this changeover time and children soon settle into the nursery routine. Children access a range of interesting and stimulating activities while at the nursery. Staff rotate the toys throughout the day and record what has been used to ensure children receive a good variety during the time they spend at the nursery. Staff follow procedures to check and clean resources. This ensures they are appropriate and safe for all children to use. Children develop their independence by selecting the toys and activities they wish to pursue. The daily routine

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

allows children to enjoy a range of quiet, active indoor and outdoor activities.

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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 Staff undertake daily safety checks to minimize risks to children. Children are developing an awareness of keeping safe when on outings. They wear reins when out walking and talk about crossing roads. Staff offer gentle reminders to children about safety issues, for example, explaining that you may hurt yourself or somebody else if you run inside. Emergency evacuation procedures are displayed; however staff do not offer children regular opportunities to practise these. Written records of the drills do not record how long they took or which exit was used.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding children procedures. Senior staff have attended training and are clear about the routes for referral or advice should they have concerns regarding a child in their care. All staff are aware of their individual responsibilities to protect the welfare of children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy, settled and comfortable in the homely environment. Staff and parents exchange information daily; this ensures staff are able to meet the needs of all children. Staff follow the individual routines of younger children and adapt activities to meet their needs. They sit with babies to ensure they are able to participate fully in the activities provided. Observations are undertaken on younger children and staff use these to update the developmental records. An effective key worker system is in place and staff know the children and their families well. Children receive a high level of individual time, attention and support throughout the time they spend in this setting. They enjoy this support in one to one and small group situations, for example, sitting in the boat when playing outside and making a den with cloths and blankets in the castle.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff use the Foundation Stage to effectively plan an interesting and varied curriculum for children. Children make good progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. They are sociable and enjoy the interaction they receive from adults and other children in the nursery. Children take turns in listening and speaking at group times and are confident to express their thoughts and feelings. They are learning to share and show co-operation in their play, for example, taking turns to sort and count at a small group time. Children are developing their independence and are confident to select the toys and resources they wish to use from the range available. Older children are able to recognise their own names and have opportunities to mark make and practise their emergent writing in everyday situations including outside in the garden. They enjoy books and stories

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and often bring books from home to share with other children at story times. Children's imaginative skills are developing through a range of activities such as music, singing and role play. They involve adults in this play, such as ‘making a cup of tea’ for the staff members. Children especially enjoy using the musical instruments during singing sessions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children count confidently in everyday situations, for example, singing a range of songs including five little ducks. Older children count up to 10 and beyond with ease. They use mathematical language in their play including longer, bigger and smaller when playing with the cars and the track. Children have many opportunities to learn about other people and the environment through a variety of different topics and outings, for example, walking to the shop to buy food and feeding the ducks. They learn to care for other living things by assisting staff in feeding the rabbit and hamster. They are gentle and kind when stroking and handling the rabbit. Older children are confident in their use of the computer and use the mouse to navigate around

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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 simple computer programmes. Children are developing their physical skills and use a range of large equipment to assist this development, including the slide inside the nursery and sit and ride toys when playing in the garden. They use a range of tools and access activities to develop their hand to eye co-ordination including, brushes, pens, puzzles and construction toys.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff discuss the children with their parents and this enables them to have a clear knowledge about the individual children and their play preferences. This assists staff to plan activities to suit the individual children. All staff undertake observations and use these to update the children's individual developmental records. However, they do not always record or identify individual children's next steps in learning. Effective procedures are in place to reinforce and consolidate children's learning including questioning, discussion and re-visiting topics and themes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff know the individual children well and all enjoy good relationships with children throughout the nursery. Children's art work and achievements are displayed and shared with parents and this helps children to develop their self esteem. Staff plan a variety of topics to enable children to learn about the world around them including Chinese New Year, Hanukah and Christmas. Children access a range of toys, resources and outings to assist them in learning about different people and the world around them; including books, puzzles and outings to local places of interest. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural needs are fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are valued as individuals. They behave well and are developing sharing and co-operation skills. Staff support children in their play and assist them in taking turns. Children have a positive attitude to the feelings of others and this is rewarded through constant praise and recognition by staff, for example, thanking a child for giving another child a toy. Children with learning disabilities and difficulties receive a high level of individual time and attention from dedicated staff members.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership between parents and staff is good. Effective procedures are in place to share information regarding the children. These include daily verbal exchanges and use of individual daily diaries. These record the activities, moods and routines of all the children and are taken home each day. Parents contribute to these and record activities that the children have been involved in outside of the nursery. These effective procedures enable the children to feel comfortable and at home in the nursery environment. Parents receive information about the policies, procedures and routines of the nursery through the parent notice board, regular news letters and prospectus. However, this information does not hold the correct contact details of the regulator. The nursery staff operate an open door policy and parents are able to view their child's developmental records at any time. They are invited to attend regular open evenings

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Helping children make a positive contribution

within the nursery and have opportunities to view the activities their child participates in. Parents speak highly of the nursery and many return to use the setting for second and third children.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff organise the available space well to provide children with an interesting and stimulating indoor and outdoor environment. They ensure the nursery is attractive and welcoming for children and parents. Children benefit from the individual time they receive from the staff team

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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 who are clear about their individual roles and responsibilities within the nursery. The management have effective procedures in place for the recruitment and induction of new staff. Policies and procedures are in place and are reviewed regularly; however some information regarding the regulator is incorrect. All visitors are supervised in the setting and parents have to ring to gain entry. This enhances the safety and welfare of the children. Accurate times and days of children's and staff's attendance are recorded; however the systems in place do not always show clearly the total number of children present at any one time. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are good. Staff show a good awareness of early years guidance including the National Standards, Foundation Stage and Birth to three matters framework. They use this to plan a range of interesting and stimulating activities and resources for children. All staff are involved in the planning process. An effective key worker system is in place and staff undertake regular observations on the children. These record children's achievements and progress but do not always identify children's next steps in learning. Some documentation used to record observations is not individual to each child. Evaluation takes place through daily discussions and regular staff meetings. Staff meetings are used to discuss individual children, plan the curriculum and training for all staff. All staff participate in an annual appraisal system where they have the opportunity to identify their strengths, weaknesses and training needs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was asked to address five issues. These related to enhancing children's learning and social skills at mealtimes, developing effective ways of managing children's behaviour and developing the operational plan further to include an induction procedure. The setting was also asked to ensure that good hygiene procedures are in place with regard to hand washing and nappy changing and notifying Ofsted of any relevant changes.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection staff have adapted the procedures undertaken at meal times and this ensures it is a learning and sociable occasion for all children. Staff have effective procedures in place to reinforce positive behaviour using rewards and praise. This enables the children to develop their self esteem. A recruitment procedure is now in place and this includes an induction process for all new staff employed at the setting. Staff have effective procedures in place with regard to hygiene procedures. Children are encouraged to develop an awareness of hygiene through reminders and daily routines, including wiping their hands before meals and washing them after an art activity. This enhances the health of children. The registered person is now aware of the requirement to inform Ofsted of any significant changes to the manager or premises.

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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.

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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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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

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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): • undertake and record regular evacuation procedures • update the policies, procedures and prospectus to ensure they hold the correct contact details of the regulator • further develop the registration system to record the total number of children present at all times

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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 develop the procedures in place for recording individual children's achievements and next steps in learning • ensure information recorded on developmental records is individual to each child.

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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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