Abacus 2000 Nursery School

Abacus 2000 Nursery School Inspection report for early years provision

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223495 Unique Reference Number 16 November 2007 Inspection date Janette Elizabeth Owen Inspector

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Upper Parsonage, Ashfield Park Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5AS

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E-mail

K Jones, Mrs S Davies & Miss A Colwell Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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 satisfactory. 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?

Abacus 2000 Nursery School and out of school club (Fabacus) opened in 1990. It operates from five rooms in a detached bungalow and is located on the outskirts of the market town of Ross-on-Wye. The nursery serves the local area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 53 children may attend the setting at any one time. The setting is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 all year round. Children have access to a secure outside play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 55 children under five years on roll in the nursery and 77 children aged five to eight years on roll in the out of school club. Of these 23 children receive funding for early education. The setting supports 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 13 members of staff. Of these 10 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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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’s health is promoted satisfactorily as the setting takes adequate steps to promote the children’s good health, and encourages them to begin to take responsibility of meeting their own health needs. Procedures for preventing the risk of cross-infection are not implemented effectively. For example gloves and aprons are not routinely used for tasks such as nappy changing and food preparation and some areas of the nursery and some toys are not well maintained. This increases the risk of cross-infection to children. Appropriate measures are taken when children are ill so that their health needs are met. Procedures for caring for sick children protect the health and well-being of all other children because sick children are excluded in order to prevent the risk of cross-infection. Medication records are maintained correctly and children receive suitable care in the event of an accident. There are sufficient first aid trained

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Helping children to be healthy

staff available to deal with any accidents, and records are kept, signed by parents, of any accidents that occur. However written parental permission is not requested, at the time of placement, to the seeking of any emergency medical advice or treatment in the future. This compromises children’s good health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are appropriately nourished and have good opportunities to learn about healthy eating because the setting ensures children are provided with healthy snacks and drinks. There are good arrangements in place to help children learn about healthy eating. Children have a garden which they use to plant and grow their own vegetables which are used in activities to raise children’s awareness of healthy foods. Staff preparing snacks and meals are kept informed of any specific dietary needs ensuring children’s dietary needs are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Physical development is promoted well, all children have access to a well-equipped outside play environment which is well utilised. Children move with confidence and skill on climbing equipment and use a range of wheeled toys of varying types. Young children have good hand-eye co-ordination, handle pencils well and manipulate small objects such as puzzles and construction sets with increasing dexterity. Children attending the out of school club make extensive use of the outside play area, joining in games and playing co-operatively. Most children are developing their physical skills, gaining in confidence using a range of large and small equipment safely, and developing a positive attitude towards physical exercise and the outdoors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are generally safe and well cared for in premises that are suitable for their purpose because the setting ensures that the environment gives children adequate access to a sound range of facilities that mostly promote children’s development. There is adequate space within the setting; however space is not used effectively to ensure space requirements are met in all areas. Good use is made of the outside environment to provide children with opportunities to explore, investigate and be active.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children mostly use a wide range of equipment that is suitable and safe. This is because the setting provides furniture equipment and toys which are appropriate for their purpose. Although toys are of suitable design and conform to safety standards they are not always maintained or stored in a good condition. Some rooms are not organised to provide a welcoming and stimulating environment for the children. This is because activities in the toddler rooms are

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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 not set out well to make the rooms welcoming or inviting. There is no method for monitoring the temperature in the rooms to ensure they are maintained at an appropriate temperature.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s safety is promoted adequately because the registered person takes satisfactory steps to promote safety within the setting and outside. Children are well supervised, particularly when playing outside. This means that they are able to play safely. There are good collection arrangements in place to ensure that children are only allowed into the care of authorised persons. Risk assessments are carried out to minimise any hazards to children. However, these have not been effective in identifying the weaknesses in hygiene or security procedures. The premises are not fully secure, this compromises children's safety. Children are well protected by staff who are vetted, have a good understanding of their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures into practice. They follow child protection procedures in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board guidelines in order to protect children from harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children throughout the nursery receive a good level of emotional support. Staff demonstrate that they are caring and have concern for the children in their care. Children are generally well settled and enjoy the company of the staff who provide hugs and cuddles for children who are unsettled, tired or just need the close contact of an adult. The children and staff share stories and songs with the older children singing along enthusiastically to favourite songs while younger ones sit on staff members' laps and relax. Staff interact well with the children, promoting their communication skills as they talk to children about what they are doing, their home life or just social chats. Children respond well and are able to talk about a range of things, they are confident talkers and self-assured in the company of the staff. Children are grouped by age and ability but spend considerable time together for activities such as stories, songs television and physical

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

play. Older children participate in activities linked to the Foundation Stage curriculum, and staff have already begun to transfer to the new Early Years Foundation Stage which includes children from birth to five. However, staff are not yet fully familiar with this approach which has an impact on the planning and assessment of activities, particularly for the younger children. Although children have their care needs met by staff who have a good understanding of each of the children in their care, the organisation of the days' activities sometimes results in children not being fully engaged in stimulating or meaningful activities which help to promote their learning and development. For example children spend a lot of time sitting waiting their turn for activities or sitting for stories and songs. Children are well behaved and sit quietly while they wait for their turn, they listen to the stories and play well with other children, learning to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

share and play together. Children attending the Fabacus out of school club are able to rest and relax after school or join in with physical games outside or craft activities indoors.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. However there are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning within different areas of the nursery. Where there are well-qualified and experienced staff to deliver the educational programme the quality of teaching and learning is generally good; but in areas where staff are less knowledgeable, weaknesses have been identified. Planning of the curriculum shows that the older children receive a well-balanced curriculum which covers all six areas of learning. Activities are used well to engage children’s interest and enable them to learn new skills and develop their understanding. Whereas the younger children in receipt of funding for nursery education are provided with a more limited curriculum. For example children’s understanding and use of mathematics is not well

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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 supported. Although children regularly use counting songs and rhymes, planned activities are not used effectively to enable children to use concepts of space, shape and measurement in their play and routine activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Teaching methods are used effectively with older children. They are well motivated to learn because activities are interesting and fun. Good use is made of spontaneous events such as going outside on a frosty day to look at the cobwebs on the playground fence. All children are able to develop a satisfactory understanding of the world around them. They make good used of the outside areas as a learning environment. Children are able to learn about plants and animals as they help to grow plants and vegetables which are used in a wide range of activities. They are able to learn about wildlife as they look for hedgehogs and insects. Children have ample time to be active and develop their physical skills. They engage in daily physical play sessions, which help them to develop their muscle control, co-ordination and large-scale movements using climbing apparatus and wheeled toys. However tools and equipment are not

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

used consistently indoors to enable children to develop their small-scale movements. For example insufficient equipment is provided during a cooking activity, children have to share one rolling pin and one cutter. Art and craft activities often rely on pre-cut shapes for children to use, limiting their ability to use tools such as scissors independently. Activities are at times dominated by the adult, this means that children are not able to fully express themselves, to be creative and produce individual pieces of work. The focus is more on the end result than on children incorporating their own ideas into their creations. This also means that some children are not provided with sufficient challenge in order to progress at a pace which is individual to the child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s personal, social and emotional skills are developing well. Children receive a good level of support and their good behaviour and achievements are rewarded with praise. This helps raise children’s self-esteem. Staff are caring and help children to develop positive relationships with adults and other children. Children are well behaved, helpful and polite. Most children are confident and able to express their own views and ideas. They are becoming increasingly independent, able to select activities for themselves and to manage their own self-care routines. The interaction between staff and children is generally good. Children’s communication language and literacy development is well supported. They respond well to staff who engage the children in conversations and provide opportunities for children to share their views and ideas in small and large groups. Children thoroughly enjoy song and story

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

sessions, they readily provide suggestions and ideas for songs, particularly when the “song sack” is used. Older children are becoming increasingly competent at using writing materials both in focus activities and in freely chosen play. Books play a large part in children’s learning. They are encouraged to use books for pleasure, to share books at home and children have even made their own book as part of a topic. Stories such as the “Old Bear” and “Goldilocks” are used to enable children to talk about safety, their feelings and to express their thoughts in a safe situation.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff monitor the progress children are making by conducting observations and assessments of children’s progress. Staff working with the older children have a clear understanding of the development needs of each child and are able to tailor the activities to meet individual needs. However, due to changes to the observation processes and the less experienced staff in the younger age room these assessments are not effective in identifying clearly how these children are progressing. Parents are able to access their children’s progress records and to discuss any concerns with staff.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are developing good relationships with staff and other children because the staff are caring and supportive and respond well to children’s emotional needs. Children are able to develop their sense of belonging to the nursery and the out of school club, for example the school age children are involved in setting the rules for the club. Children are well behaved; they are helpful and polite and play well together sharing toys and activities. Staff promote children’s self-esteem and sense of self-worth by the good use of praise and encouragement. These all contribute to the children developing good self-esteem and respect for others.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive a good level of support because there are effective systems in place which enable staff to implement individual education plans for the children and to work in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure each child is able to make good developmental progress. Children are developing a good awareness of the wider society because they have access to toys and resources which reflect positive images and opportunities to learn about the wider world through the celebration of festivals such as Diwali, Hanukah and Chinese New Year. There are good arrangements in place to support children who speak English as an additional language enabling them to settle well and develop their sense of belonging. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Staff promote positive relationships with parents and carers and work in partnership with them to meet children‘s individual needs by involving them in their child’s learning, such as sharing books to take home and by being available to share information on their children’s progress. Children’s care needs are met because staff obtain information from parents on children’s individual needs. The manager ensures parents are fully aware of the setting's procedures and how children will be cared for by discussion and providing written information on relevant policies in operation and through regular newsletters.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The organisation of the nursery is satisfactory in ensuring that children are adequately cared for. The nursery is well staffed with qualified and suitable staff. This ensures children are cared for by appropriate persons and helps protect children. Training is encouraged to enable staff to continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of childcare. However no staff have play work qualifications and not all staff working with the under three year olds have accessed 'Birth to three matters' training. This restricts children’s experiences and staff knowledge of childcare issues which impacts on the quality of care provided. Written policies and procedures are available to support staff but are not always used effectively to ensure the safety and well-being of the children. For example registers are not used effectively to monitor children’s attendance and where children are in the nursery at a given time. This potentially compromises

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Organisation

The leadership and management is satisfactory. The manager is responsible for ensuring that suitable recruitment and vetting procedures are in place. All staff are checked for their suitability through the Criminal Records Bureau. Arrangements for monitoring the quality of care and the provision for nursery education are not effective in identifying any weaknesses in the provision. The quality of teaching and learning in all areas of the nursery is not monitored to ensure that

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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 all children make good progress towards the early learning goals and that children are developing positive attitudes and dispositions towards their learning. Staff meetings are not carried out on a regular basis to enable staff to discuss any issues and concerns and to deal with them efficiently. Consequently the standard of nursery education is not consistent in all areas of the nursery. Overall, the provision 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 the provider was asked to: consider ways of increasing accessibility to the wider community; ensure that registration arrangements more accurately reflect who is present or absent, and to ensure that the child protection policy includes the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse being made against a member of staff. Satisfactory progress has been made in addressing the issues raised. Children are able to develop a better understanding of the community in which they live. They are involved in visits to the local town for example to sing and use the library to get books to share back at the nursery. The registration system has been improved to show the attendance of staff and where they are deployed within the nursery. However, there are still some weaknesses in the arrangements for effectively recording the attendance of all children and where they are in the nursery at

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Improvements since the last inspection

any given time. This means that children are not fully protected. The child protection policy has been reviewed and updated to include procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse being made against a member of staff, therefore complying with regulations. This means that children's welfare and safety are protected.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there has been one complaint made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Concern was raised with Ofsted in relation to National Standard 6: Safety, in that posters, pictures and notices had been fixed with drawing pins at a height that was accessible to children. Ofsted asked the provider to carry out an internal investigation and to present Ofsted with a report. The internal investigation found that drawing pins had been used in some notice boards that were accessible to children. The provider took appropriate and prompt action to comply with National Standards and Ofsted has taken no further action. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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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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 satisfactory. 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 AND 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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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): • obtain written parental permission, at the time of placement, to the seeking of any emergency medical advice or treatment in the future • improve hygiene procedures in relation to nappy changing, food handling and cleanliness of equipment • ensure the premises and equipment are clean and maintained in a suitable condition • ensure rooms are maintained at an adequate temperature • ensure space requirements are met • further develop the staffs understanding of an approach in line with the 'Birth to three matters' framework to enable them to effectively support children's development • ensure registers are used effectively to show children's attendance • continue to develop staffs knowledge and understanding of play work.

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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): • use teaching methods more effectively to help children learn by providing more opportunities for child-initiated activities, providing more challenges for older or more able children • further develop children’s understanding and use of mathematical language and concepts during routine activities • provide more opportunities for children to use tools and equipment, including information technology equipment.

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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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