Twist Lane Nursery

Twist Lane Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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323008 Unique Reference Number 17 October 2007 Inspection date Victoria Gail Halliwell Inspector

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21 Twist Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 4BZ Setting Address

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E-mail

Denise Reynolds 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 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?

Twist Lane Nursery is one of two nurseries owned by Cheshire Care Limited. It opened in 1994 and operates from a converted detached house. There are four playrooms for the children and all children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. It is situated near Leigh town centre.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 33 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 43 children aged from six months and five years on roll. Of these, 18 children receive funding for early education. The nursery also supports a small number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs eight members of staff including the nursery manager. All hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery also employs a cook. The setting receives support from a Community Advisory teacher from Sure Start.

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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 good health is satisfactorily maintained because staff implement basic hygiene procedures to help prevent the spread of infection. For example, cleaning tables and changing areas with anti-bacterial spray. Children's individual hygiene needs are generally met; younger children are taught to wash their hands when toilet-training, and hands and faces are routinely cleaned before and after meals. However, not all staff respond promptly to the needs of children who have colds or runny noses. Individual sleeping patterns are observed for younger babies who follow individual routines, for example, sleeping after a midmorning bottle feed.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are provided with regular food and drinks, appropriate to their individual needs and hours of attendance. However, children have few opportunities to develop healthy eating habits as meals are often processed rather than freshly prepared, such as fish-fingers, chips and beans, staff offer the children tomato sauce individually. Children are occasionally given fruit, although biscuits are more frequently offered and biscuits or cake are usually given following a savoury snack at tea time. A fruit alternative is given to individual children at parents' request.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children have daily timetabled opportunities to play outside in the fresh air and sunlight, mobile children move freely using small tricycles and cars. Non mobile babies are taken outdoors in prams so they can benefit from the fresh air and the outdoor environment. Older children enjoy some planned outdoor activities, for example, circle games, which encourage them to be physically active. During bad weather, physical activities such as dance or music and movement sessions, are planned indoors. Staff also plan movement sessions which link to current themes; consequently, children are encouraged to wriggle along the floor like worms or make 'fluttering' movements with their hands like butterflies.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are warmly welcomed by staff as they arrive at the setting, many older children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and confidently make their way to their individual rooms. A selection of children's artwork and displays throughout the nursery help create a visually stimulating environment which detracts from the worn and tired appearance of the premises. Children are grouped in individual rooms or areas according to their age and developmental stages. Mobile children benefit from some movement around the nursery and enjoy visiting the 'play rooms' in small groups, where they can access additional play materials. All rooms are adequately equipped to meet the developmental needs of children, although children have limited opportunities to select their own resources.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are mindful of the children's safety and ensure children are safe as a result of staff supervision. Some formal systems are in place to identify potential hazards, however, these are not fully effective and consequently a number of potential hazards have not been satisfactorily addressed. For example, storage cupboards and the laundry area are not secure. The safety gate at the top of the stairs is also problematic, as the bolt is difficult to access whilst standing on the stairs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is appropriately safeguarded. Details of the setting's child protection procedure are shared with all staff as part of their induction; consequently staff are aware of

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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 their duty to report any concerns they have to the nursery manager. The manager is well informed and has attended relevant training to ensure she is able to take appropriate action to protect children from possible harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Most children are settled and enjoy their time at nursery. Many children are developing close relationships with a consistent staff team, children smile in response to staff interactions and enjoy affectionate exchanges with the staff who care for them. Children under two years are able to explore their surrounding and make regular visits into the larger play area whilst still having the security of a separate area for sleep times and quieter activities. Children have some good opportunities for sensory play and development, which is particularly beneficial for younger babies, who enjoy exploring a range of natural materials and different textures from the heuristic play basket.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

A basic toy rota is in operation for children under three years. As a result, children have access to a varied range of activities, which include sand, construction materials, imaginative play and creative opportunities, such as collage or chalking on a daily basis. Some loose connections are made to the 'Birth to three matters' framework, although in practice staff are unclear about how the activities actually link to the framework. Staff regularly complete detailed observations on their key children, but these do not link meaningfully to any planned activities and are not used to plan for the next steps in their play and learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Key staff have a satisfactory knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and provide an adequate range of activities and experiences. Consequently, children are making satisfactory progress in all areas of learning. Written plans are broad and balanced and provide some very interesting activities which the children enjoy and benefit from. Staff also use some good teaching methods, for example, children enjoy examining large spiders before drawing their individual pictures. Staff routinely encourage the children to explore the texture of the spider, its shape, colour and the number of legs. However, staff who work directly with the children and deliver the planned curriculum are not involved at the planning stage. As a result, staff are sometimes unclear about the planned learning objective, particularly for younger or less able children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are, as advised, routinely completing focused observations on all children, but are sometimes unsure if children have completed the learning objective. Staff rarely record next steps for children's future learning and systems to share these with key staff, who have responsibility for planning are limited. Consequently, written plans are not based on observations of what children can do.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff provide a basic range of continuous activities which generally interest and occupy the children, although children's access to some basic resources, such as books or puzzles is limited. Many items are stored at low-level and are accessible, but children's choice is restricted to those activities that have been pre-selected. As a result, children's ability to make meaningful choices about how they spend their time and what they want to play with is limited. Children do enjoy structured small group visits to the 'play room', where they can use the computer and engage in role play activities in the home corner. Children value one to one opportunities to

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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 learn new computer skills, but have limited opportunities to practise and refine these skills independently.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Pre-school children are learning the importance of socially acceptable behaviour, such as sharing and taking turns, because staff are positive role models who provide clear explanations and consistent boundaries. Established children within the group know what is acceptable and some more able children attempt to explain the boundaries to new children within the group. Staff deal sensitively with incidents of disruptive behaviour and are mindful of children's levels of maturity and previous experiences. For example, some children have never had to share before. Staff implement positive strategies, using praise and stickers to reward good behaviour and encourage children to think about the consequences of their actions. For example, rather that just saying sorry, children who are sorry for their actions are encouraged to make a picture to apologise for their

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are encouraged to participate in all activities regardless of gender and older children have some opportunities to learn about the cultures and beliefs of others. For example, listening to stories about the Chinese Kite festival and making red money envelopes at Chinese new year. The setting welcomes all children equally, however communication with children and families who do not speak English as their first language is very limited. Consequently, staff are unsure about children's individual needs and routines, although basic admission forms are completed. As a result, some children find it difficult to settle and staff are unable to share details of their concerns with non-English speaking parents, when they drop off and collect their children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Relationships with parents are largely relaxed and informal. Parents are encouraged to share information about individual children's needs and routines verbally. Parents of younger children receive written feedback at the end of each day, which includes basic details about meals, sleeps and nappies. Parents are adequately informed of the nursery's organisation and operation through a written prospectus. Partnership with parents in receipt of funded nursery education is satisfactory. Parents are encouraged to observe their children and see what they have been doing. They have some opportunities to support their child's learning at home, for example, through firm foundations, a range of developmentally appropriate activities, including games and stories which are provided by the nursery, for parents to complete at home with their child. Parents are not well informed about the Foundation Stage or plans for their child's future

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Helping children make a positive contribution

learning, but are able to see their child's file on request.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. A clear management system is in place. A suitably qualified and experienced manager is employed who has day to day responsibility for the setting, its organisation and the deployment of staff. Responsibility for staff recruitment and vetting are retained by the nursery owner, who ensures all staff are suitable to work with young children. A comprehensive induction procedure is then completed by the manager, to ensure staff are familiar with the setting's policies and working practices. For example, as part of the induction, staff are asked to identify the health and safety procedures to follow when opening the door or changing a baby's nappy.

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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 The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The manager liaises weekly with the qualified teacher who has responsibility for planning the nursery curriculum. Consequently, she is adequately informed of changes to the system for planning. She routinely views the weekly planning documents and observes the implementation of planned activities. She speaks continually to staff and is aware of the weaknesses in the current system.

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Organisation

All required written documentation is satisfactorily maintained, for example, staff record children's hours of attendance, accidents and obtain relevant parental consents. Good systems are in place to ensure new staff are familiar with the setting's policies and procedures, and some written information is provided for parents.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, the setting has improved: the system for recording the administration of medication; the confidentiality of children's medical and dietary needs; and the system for informing parents of the nurseries child protection procedure. As a result, children's care and welfare have been further enhanced.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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 any 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • review the current menus to further promote healthy eating habits • ensure the premises are maintained in a suitable state of repair and decoration and conduct a risk assessment of the premises and take appropriate action to minimise any risks identified • develop planned activities for children under three years, using observations of what children can do, to plan the next steps for children's play, learning and development

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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 • ensure there are systems in place to facilitate the regular exchange of information with parents who speak English as an additional language.

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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): • develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the planning and assessment system • ensure written plans are based on observations of what children can do and the next steps for their future learning • provide opportunities for children to explore a wider range of activities through continuous provision and provide greater opportunities for children to select their own resources, so they can practise and refine new skills independently.

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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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