Willow Brooke Day Nursery

Willow Brooke Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY262129 Unique Reference Number 13 December 2007 Inspection date Sheila Dawn Flounders Inspector

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George Eliot Hospital, College Street, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 7BQ

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Setting Address

02476 351478 Telephone number willowbrooke@btconnect.com E-mail Willow Brooke Day Nursery Limited Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Setting Address

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?

Willow Brooke Day Nursery opened in 2004. It operates from eight rooms in a purpose built building situated on the site of the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 64 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.00 to 18.00 for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 100 children aged from six weeks to under five years on roll. Of these, 28 children receive funding for early education. Children come from a wide catchment area, as most of their parents travel in to work at the hospital. The nursery currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 22 members of staff. Of these, 20 hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. The nursery receives support from the local authority. They are members of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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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’s health and well-being are positively promoted, as a result they are protected from cross-infection. The nursery has a clear sickness policy which informs parents that children cannot attend when they are ill, which is reinforced through the hygiene procedures in place, for example, the wearing of indoor shoes and the use of aprons and gloves for nappy changing. Children receive good care in the event of an accident or illness because over half of the staff have current first aid qualifications and a suitable first aid box is maintained. Detailed accident and medication records are kept, signed by parent and stored so that confidentiality is maintained. Children's health needs are met because the group works with parents to obtain all necessary information to enable staff to meet their needs, including consent to emergency medical treatment, before they attend with relevant details then available to appropriate staff.

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Helping children to be healthy

Babies and young children receive good care including sensitive nappy changing, feeding and sleeping arrangements. Staff are vigilant about obtaining additional information about their individual routines, and discussing with parents how these can be merged with those of the nursery. They provide as much continuity as possible, for example, they have their own cups. All of the children are developing an understanding of good hygiene because they all wash their hands before eating, younger children with individual flannels at the table, whilst older children have access to hand washing facilities in their base rooms. They also see the staff clean the tables before they sit down and wear protective aprons to serve the food.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children eat meals which are freshly prepared, from a healthy, varied menu according to their hours of attendance, with mid-session snacks also provided. The menu always includes options to cater for special dietary needs. Many staff have undertaken food hygiene training and implement good practice which ensures children are protected from hazards associated with food preparation and serving. Meals are plated up for the younger children, but the staff serve the 'tweenies' giving them choices about what they want and the pre-school children serve themselves, helping them to move towards becoming independent eaters. The older children develop a broader understanding of healthy eating and nutrition through topic work, including food tasting sessions and learning about how to clean their teeth. All of the children are well hydrated because drinks are readily available, for example, the pre-school children have a snack

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Helping children to be healthy

bar open for an hour during the session where they are free to access milk or water.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy physical activities and access to fresh air on a regular basis. Young children have a spacious environment in which to practise their emergent physical skills, with soft areas for those learning to sit, soft play equipment, items such as a tunnel in the room and access to their own outdoor play space. This is protected by a canopy to provide shade in the summer. They often go out for local walks using the pushchairs for fresh air. The older children access the newly developed rear play area daily where they are able to use wheeled toys, slides, climbing frames and other resources to develop their large muscles and also activities such as digging, mark-making and role play. Inside they also have a weekly musical activity session with 'Jo Jingles' and a dance lesson, which help develop their co-ordination and control.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept safe and protected from harm because the purpose built premises has many integral safety arrangements, for example, the front door is only accessible by using the code

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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 or getting a member of staff to open it and all the low windows are made with safety glass. The staff have a very good awareness of safety issues, for example, a reminder is given to a student to make sure the cords are tied up when lowering the blinds. The premises are welcoming, very clean and well maintained with lots of displays of the children's work throughout. Thorough risk assessments are in place to ensure possible hazards are taken into account with the premises and activities, with a monthly review of the recent accidents linked to them. As a result children use a good range of quality equipment that is suitable to their ages and stage of development, which they are able to access independently because resources are stored at child height in each room.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn to keep themselves safe by taking part in termly evacuation drills, although this is not as often as stated in the policy. Staff also deal appropriately with issues as they arise, for example, babies are moved away from the gate or door before it is opened. Before outings discussions take place with the older children including why they have a wrist band on and what they need to do if they get separated. Parents are encouraged to accompany their own children so that very high ratios are in place for the others, and the procedures followed include a separate risk assessment and the taking of contact details. Children are also protected because the staff and provider are aware of their role in safeguarding children and know what action to take if they have any concerns about a child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young children’s progress and development is supported well because staff plan appropriate activities linked to the 'Birth to three matters' framework. They become competent learners as they explore the child-centred and visually stimulating environment around them, for example, the 'tweenies' take various tools around the room pretending to make holes in the wall or they use their imagination to pretend that a 'Popoid' piece is a pair of binoculars and 'look' out of the window. They are provided with opportunities to make marks, for example, many of the older babies delight in exploring the texture and properties of custard, while others are more cautious but following encouragement from staff do join in. They become skilful communicators through interaction with the staff and each other, talking about what they are doing and also listening and responding enthusiastically to stories and songs. Much of the planning is based

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

around creative or physical activities, but at times these require so much adult support that those children not involved receive less stimulus to extend their play. The younger babies particularly benefit from the consistent care of a key worker who is instrumental in balancing their care needs with keeping updated about their progress, maintaining their developmental records and also liaising with parents whenever possible.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and how children learn, which is reflected in how they plan the learning environment to provide a range of broad and balanced activities and experiences which cover all areas. However, differentiation within these activities is not consistently included to ensure they cover the range of ability of the children attending and provide the most able with sufficient challenge. Staff do build on what children already know via evaluation of the previous planning and activities. However this is often descriptive with some staff less familiar with considering what children have learnt which impacts on what they plan next. Staff who normally work with the funded children use good open-ended questioning to extend learning and take a real interest in what the children have to say, although staff who come in to cover at times are not

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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 as familiar with the children's current level of understanding in some areas. Children's progress is regularly assessed and recorded, many having built up over children's time in the nursery, with each having two or three targets to work towards on their individual education plans.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have many opportunities each session to extend their understanding, develop their skills and use their creativity. They are making good progress. Currently many of the activities involve preparations for Christmas. For example, children copy the words a member of staff writes from what they want to say inside previously made cards based on the child's handprint, and they have already completed letters to Santa. The role play theme is based around the nativity and children dress up to take on various roles in the stable area, after discussing who they want to be. The water tray is given a festive slant with the addition of red glitter, which children watch as they use various containers and tubes to pour water.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The room is organised to promote children's independence, for example, in various areas they self-regulate the numbers taking part by wearing different coloured bands, they self-register on arrival, go in two's to the snack bar and also serve lunch. There is constant chatter as the children talk to each other about what they are doing, or respond to specific questioning from the staff, for example, about what they liked on the recent farm trip. Children also frequently access books in the attractive book corner. They are confident in the use of numbers to 10, and planned activities such as cooking or measuring their height are used to develop their problem solving skills. Children use mathematical language in their conversation and in activities such as matching 'Compare Bears' to the cards, when they consider colour and size.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The outside area, outings and activities in connection with cultural festivals are used to enhance children's understanding of the world around them. They use technology with confidence, accessing programmes independently to support their learning. Children's creativity is well developed through their access to musical activities, role-play opportunities and the use of a wide range of media and materials, with many of their representational paintings showing careful observation and skill.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have their individual needs met well as staff ensure detailed information in obtained from parents before they start, then updated and passed on by other staff as they move through the rooms. Staff are aware of the routines for each of the babies and encourage parents to take as long as needed to settle new starters. All children quickly develop a sense of belonging as they see their work displayed, become familiar with the routines and are given increasing opportunities to work towards independence as they grow older. They all have opportunities to make choices and decisions about what activities they find interesting and want to spend time at, how they want to develop their play and when to move to something else. They are aware of their own needs and able to communicate these to staff because of the close interaction they have, particularly with their key worker, which promotes their self-esteem. Children become

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Helping children make a positive contribution

aware of wider society because they use a variety of equipment and see positive visual images. They learn about different cultures and religions through topic work and activities about festivals throughout the year, particularly those relevant to the beliefs and culture of children currently attending. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are cared for well because staff liaise closely with parents to ensure any additional support is in place. There are also effective procedures in place to identify any emerging difficulties for other children.

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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 Generally the children's behaviour is very good and they get on well together. Positive behaviour is promoted as a result of staff’s implementation of effective strategies such as distraction with younger children, or ensuring that there are sufficient resources available so that the children do not get frustrated. Some visual behaviour prompts are used throughout the nursery, for example, 'good listening', 'good sitting' and 'good looking' images. These also support the development of children’s self-esteem alongside effective modelling of behaviour by the staff. Children’s challenging behaviour is effectively managed because staff are confident about what to do, deal with it quickly using strategies appropriate to the age and understanding of the children, although few incidents occur. Any significant behaviour is recorded and discussed

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's ongoing individual needs are met well because all parents have access to a wealth of information through the documentation which is given to them and displayed around the nursery. They are informed about the activities that take place in each room, the staffing, practical matters and how to access the full policy details. A daily exchange of information with staff ensures that everything is updated, which is in a written format for children under three. Detailed newsletters provide regular reminders, for example, about what the key worker system is or to find time to look at the children's displays. Parent representatives meet with the senior staff to organise fundraising events, discuss new ideas and are involved in staff recruitment and selection.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of children in receipt of early education is outstanding. They have access to detailed information about the Foundation Stage curriculum, including a meeting before their child starts or changes rooms to meet their key worker and find out what the change will mean. They get information about the main activities in advance providing them with opportunities to discuss these with their child and a prominent display gives them easy access to current planning. They are given time to talk to staff when they bring and collect their child, which provides further opportunities to discuss their achievements and progress, with parents very impressed with how well the staff know their child. They find it reassuring that staff report on the same issues that they have noticed themselves at home and are confident about talking about areas they feel may need additional support because they feel so welcome

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and at ease. They have many opportunities to be involved in their child's learning, for example, many parents accompanied them on their recent outing, they take 'Troy' the travelling bear home with them and they enjoy spending time in the nursery if they arrive early. The nursery also provides documentation about how certain activities can be supported at home, for example, 'How to share' music, detailing what songs to sing and how to make simple instruments together. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's welfare is safeguarded because the providers are aware of their role, ensure that all staff undergo suitability checks and receive a full induction. As a group the staff are well qualified and continue to attend relevant courses to keep their knowledge and skills updated. They generally make good use of their time, the space and resources available with the premises. An effective key worker system is in place to provide the younger children with stability, ratios are maintained throughout the day because of flexible staff deployment and there are arrangements in place to cover staff absences.

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Organisation

Senior staff hold regular meetings to discuss organisational issues and have individual areas of responsibility. They consider when children are ready to move rooms, alterations to the premises

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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 and health and safety concerns. Each month a specific issue is highlighted as a focus for any spare moments staff have, and also a policy selected for review, which is shared with parents. All necessary documentation, permissions, policies and procedures are in place, most of which are regularly updated and effectively maintained. However the children's register only contains their expected arrival and departure times, which staff only alter if it varies considerably and as a result does not record their actual times of attendance which could impact on their safety. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of early education is good. The nursery manager monitors what is happening in the pre-school room, she looks at the planning, has regular meetings with the staff and is fully aware of what the Foundation Stage involves. Internal changes are just beginning to have an impact with new staff confident about what is needed to bring about further improvement. The manager is able to identify the strengths and weakness of the provision through time spent in the room, meetings and appraisals, which lead to training when appropriate or further discussions with external agencies. She keeps a realistic overview of what is going on, is able to evaluate the provision successfully and has her own clear vision about what she wants to improve. Strong commitment is demonstrated through the encouragement for staff to continue their training and personal development, the constant drive to improve

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Organisation

the environment and resources and therefore the children's experience's, with the welcoming of input from other professionals.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to provide opportunities for older children to gain confidence in climbing. There is now a well fitted out rear area which allows children to access a variety of physical play equipment including such items as climbing frames and tyres to improve children's confidence.

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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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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):

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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 that registers show children'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): • ensure that planning consistently includes differentiation, so staff are aware of how to adapt activities for children of varying ability and provide challenge for the most able • develop staff's understanding of evaluation to ensure that they reflect on what the children have learnt from activities.

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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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