Kingsclere Day Nursery and Pre-School

Kingsclere Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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148612 Unique Reference Number 22 January 2008 Inspection date Claudia Padfield Inspector

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Kingsclere, Forest Road, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 5SA Setting Address

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E-mail

Kingsclere Nurseries Ltd Registered person Childcare 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Kingsclere Day Nursery opened in 1986. It is part of a small group of seven nurseries and provides full day care for up to 18 children aged between six weeks and two and a half years old. The nursery is situated in a rural area on the edge of Wokingham. The majority of children live locally.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open five days a week, 51 weeks a year from 08:00 to 18:00. There are currently 25 children on roll attending at various times during the week. It is accommodated in a large house with its own garden. There are five rooms available to children on the ground floor and two on the first floor.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A total of eight members of staff work with the children, a high percentage hold a relevant qualification in childcare, or are working towards one.

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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 have nutritious snacks and meals that promote healthy eating. The setting considers the age and stage of development and provides a suitable selection of weaning foods and snacks. The older toddlers are gaining independence and feed themselves with a spoon. All the children have free access to drinking water and staff ensure that they use the appropriate beaker. Mealtimes are relaxed, social occasions when children and adults sit together around the table to enjoy their food and each other's company. Staff are aware of the many learning opportunities to promote an understanding of healthy eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

Positive steps are taken to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures taken when children are ill so that health needs are met. Sick or injured children are well cared for because they are sensitively attended to and trained staff administer appropriate medical attention. This is further supported by clear documentation that is countersigned by a second member of staff and shared with the parent when they return. Staff give children constant reminders and demonstrate good practice in personal hygiene themselves. As a result, children are learning about their personal hygiene and how to keep healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

During the daily routine all children have the opportunity to access the garden and enjoy fresh air and space to move freely. They have a range of toys and equipment to develop their gross motor skills. Their physical development is supported through daily routines which provide plenty of opportunities for physical play through well planned indoor and outdoor activities. For example ride on toys on the patio or playing with shredded paper inside.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are protected from harm due to the care and attention of the staff team. During daily routines they complete a range of risk assessments inside and out. Good systems are in place to ensure the safe arrival and departure of children from the setting. The staff team greet parents and carers as they arrive and ensure the children are settled. This is further supported by the completion of daily registers documenting the arrival and departure of the children. Regular emergency evacuations are practised by the whole setting and senior staff evaluate any improvements that are considered might safeguard the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children have access to a varied range of resources which staff attractively arrange to sustain the interest of children attending. They are visually checked to ensure all are suitable for purpose and safe for the children to use. Staff are well deployed to ensure all children are supervised throughout the provision. The staff team set good examples to the children during the daily routines and give growing children the opportunity to learn new skills such as climbing the stairs and descending safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff team are aware of the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child and there are clear systems in place to record any existing injuries demonstrating that the welfare of the child remains a priority. The staff attend regular training in new polices and procedures. However not all staff are confident with the detail of the policy.

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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 good. The staff team promote a calm and welcoming environment, which enables the children to grow in confidence and enjoy their time at the setting. Warm relationships are evident and staff plan a range of activities that children are eager to participate in. Children have a range of sensory and physical experiences such as playing with shredded paper. Younger children have lots of one to one interaction and staff adapt the activities to suit each child's individual needs. Children enjoy sharing books with staff and sit for prolonged periods of time selecting a range of board which the staff share engaging the children in actions to do with the story and questioning the children about the pictures to extend their understanding. Through imitation of the adult they are developing as skilful communicators.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff respond affectionately towards the children giving comfort and cuddles throughout the day. Staff spend time interacting with the children. However the evaluation of activities needs to more clearly identify how each child's learning will be moved forward. Staff provide a range of varied activities and ensure daily fresh air and outdoor play enables children to develop and let off steam.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children arrive confidently and leave their main carers with ease. The staff know each child well and develop warm relationships with all children in the nursery. Children are valued by staff who acknowledge the importance of a child's family through projects displaying family trees and making books with photos of members of the children's family. Children enjoy sharing their book with friends and adults. This builds a child's self esteem and confidence as an individual. Children have access to toys, resources and topics which reflect the diverse society and assist them in learning about the world around them. The older toddlers have celebrated the Chinese new year, dressing up and painting pictures that staff attractively display so children can share their work.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are settled and anticipate routines; staff encourage all children to help tidy up and use praise effectively to encourage and support these actions. Children are quick to respond to staff and behaviour is good. Staff welcome parents and spend time talking through children's achievements when they collect. Good level of documentation is shared with parents and attractively displayed notice boards inform parents of children's learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The nursery is well presented, staff spend time attractively setting out the toys to interest the children and ensure the premises are warm and welcoming. Staff consider transitions and welcome children warmly on arrival. They talk through the actions they take such as wiping a child's nose and nappy changing. This enables the children to confidently anticipate what happens next. A stable staff team work well together and communicate information as part of the daily routine. Policies and procedures are in place and all documentation is clearly presented for parents to reference and refer to if required. An effective recruitment and induction system is in place and this enhances the welfare, health and safety of the children at the nursery. The setting 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 staff were asked to provide free access to books for the children, who now spend prolonged periods of time sharing a range of board books with the staff. The children enjoy snuggling into the staff's lap and understand how a book works turning the pages and pointing to favourite parts of the story.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The staff team were asked to increase the range of toys and books that celebrate diversity and now each of the rooms has a display of resources from around the world. They have introduced the celebration of various festivals and have started with the children's families, looking at relatives old and young. This gives children a strong sense of identity.

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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

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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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure evaluation of children's observation effectively identifies the way forward for the next steps in learning • ensure all staff are aware of the details within policies and procedures

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The quality and standards of the care

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 care

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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