Clarendon Nursery

Clarendon Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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512735 Unique Reference Number 08 November 2007 Inspection date Alison Margaret Walker Inspector

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Belmont Grove, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9NS Setting Address

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E-mail

Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust 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 outstanding. 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?

Clarendon Nursery opened in 1978 and is situated on the ground floor of a converted building in the grounds of Leeds General Infirmary in the centre of the city. The nursery is managed by the Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and provides childcare for parents who work for the trust. It operates from two playrooms and there is an enclosed outside area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open five days a week from 07.15 until 17.30. The nursery is registered to provide care for up to 38 children aged from six months to under eight years. There are currently 45 children aged from 14 months to four years on roll. The nursery receives funding for nursery education for three and four-year-olds. The setting employs 14 staff, of these, 13 hold an appropriate childcare qualification and one is working towards a qualification.

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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 outstanding. The children have excellent opportunities for fresh air and exercise by accessing the enclosed play area on a daily basis. Children choose to play outside independently and enjoy a considerable amount of time outside playing on small and large physical equipment. They enjoy regular local walks, for example, to the library and Millennium Square. Planning covers physical play for all ages which effectively enhances all aspects of children's overall development. Younger children thoroughly enjoy playing in the movement area. Staff sensitively support them and engage children in risk taking in a very safe environment. Children roll, climb stairs, slide, jump and balance on stepping stones confidently and admire their reflection in the mirror. Young children learn to bend to reach a ball and then proceed to roll the ball down the slide. Older children clearly recognise the importance of keeping healthy and what can contribute to this, for example,

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Helping children to be healthy

children say eating fruit and playing outside is good for you.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children access drinks independently and younger children are encouraged to do this also by being able to access bottles of fresh water at their level with their photograph and name on. All staff are fully aware of individual dietary requirements and preferences which are discussed in full with parents, such as allergies. The children receive a very good range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks, which are provided by the hospital in consultation with the nursery to ensure all the children's individual dietary needs are met. Meals are presented attractively and this encourages the children to eat healthily. As a consequence, children have excellent appetites, they enjoy their meals and feed themselves from as early age.

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Helping children to be healthy

Excellent hygiene facilities and routines have a very positive impact on the children health. The bathroom is totally geared to children, all the facilities are at children's height, such as low sinks, mirrors, a paper towel holder and anti-bacterial soap dispenser. Bright, attractive posters provide a prominent reminder to the children about personal hygiene. Children wash their hands independently, using liquid soap, drying hands on paper towels and disposing of them in a covered bin. One child reminds another to put their towel in the bin. All staff have attended training on hand washing provided by the hospital. This was also delivered to the children where they were able to wash their hands and then put them into special equipment that shows whether germs have been removed. This activity has enhanced the children's knowledge and understanding of the importance of practicing thorough hygiene routines in a very positive

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Helping children to be healthy

way. Nappy changing facilities are of a high standard, providing facilities for staff to change children in a very clean and comfortable environment. Staff wear plastic gloves and aprons for each nappy change to prevent the risk of cross-infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Exemplary arrangements are in place for first aid, there are four qualified first aiders and training is ongoing. All the staff attend training provided by hospital staff which enriches their medical, health and hygiene knowledge. There are fully stocked first aid kits available throughout the nursery and these are regularly replenished. Very concise written policies are in place regarding sickness, accidents and administration of medicines; these are fully implemented and shared with all parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

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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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. The environment is extremely warm and welcoming with excellent evidence of children’s play and activity throughout. Displays are vibrant and colourful giving a clear picture of what it is like to be a child in this setting. Parents, children and visitors receive a very friendly welcome on arrival. The entrance area is very informative, for example, cohesive information about staff. This includes photographs, information on their qualifications, their specific roles and responsibilities. Space is used very creatively and it is constantly evaluated to ensure it is still working effectively to meet the children's needs. All areas used by the children are very well organised, attractive and inviting, as a result, the children can confidently access areas and activities independently.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from an excellent range of safety measures, giving the utmost priority to keeping them safe. For example, the outside play area is totally secure with a locked gate and fencing. A thorough risk assessment is done on this area before children play out. The staff are extremely rigorous in checking all areas inside and out, recording any concerns and removing any hazards. This ensures that any risks to the children's safety is minimised. The children develop a sound awareness of safety through practising emergency evacuations regularly. There are consistently very good staffing ratios, as a result, the children are supervised at all times, they are unable to leave the premises unattended and are never left alone with persons who have not been vetted. The system for managing access to the premises is robust, unauthorised persons are unable to gain entry and staff ensure visitors identity is checked and that they sign

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Child protection procedures are robust. The setting has a clearly written child protection policy in place, which includes procedures to follow if there are allegations made against a member of staff. This is shared and explained to all parents. They are encouraged to revisit the policy through a 'policy of the month' system, where the policy is clearly displayed on the parent's notice board with a request for them to sign to say they have read it. All staff have completed child protection training and this is also covered during staff inductions. The training is very thorough and it is regularly updated in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance. As a result, all the staff know the possible signs of abuse and the reporting procedure. They fully understand the need for confidentiality, maintaining the necessary records and giving high priority to children's welfare. The nursery is fully supported by the child protection team

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is an outstanding range of good quality age appropriate toys, furniture and equipment available which fully meets the needs of all the children attending. For example, sand, water, paint, dough, mark making, information technology, construction, books and jigsaws. The book corner is very inviting and as a result, it is a very busy and well used area. Staff use toys, equipment and materials extremely effectively to ensure children are provided with a first class range of activities that significantly promote children’s learning in all areas. For example, children can freely access the computer and a variety of educational programmes. High quality toys and equipment are available on child-sized tables and low shelves which are clearly labelled with text and pictures. The children independently choose their own activities with ease and confidence.

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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 outstanding. The organisation of activities is highly effective. Children are involved in a rich, varied and imaginative range of activities both inside and outside, which significantly enhances their overall development. For example, weather boxes have been created to enhance the children's knowledge and understanding of the seasons and the elements. On windy days the children play outside with kites, ribbons and streamers and watch the effect the wind has on them. On cold days they access the weather box for hats, gloves and scarves. The staff balance their time carefully to allow children to play and learn independently as well as giving time to support and encourage, for example, when making Diwali candle holders with clay.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff show a very keen interest in the children, in what they say and do. They consistently talk and listen to them and ask questions to make them think. A young child pretends to bathe a doll and a member of staff encourages the child to identify parts of the doll's body. The child confidently does this pointing to the doll's eyes, nose and hair. The children are extremely happy, settled and have warm relationships with each other and the staff, for example, the children confidently approach staff to read to them. A group of children gather round the member of staff who reads the story 'down by the station' in a very animated way. The children are engrossed in the story and join in relating the story to their own experiences. They talk about going in a taxi to the station and going on a train. They look at a picture of a train and they count it's six carriages. The 'Birth to three matters' framework is used to plan activities

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

for the younger children. This is done very effectively giving the children an outstanding range of experiences from a very early age. For example, a very young child makes connections when playing with a toy phone, discovering that when they press a button it lights up and when they press another it rings.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The staff have attended training on the Foundation Stage and competently put this into practice. A wide range of activities and experiences are provided to cover all areas of children's learning. Planning is flexible to allow for spontaneous activities, for example, a child decides to paint a picture of a vase of flowers, examining them carefully then selecting the correct paints. Children use tools very competently to create the desired effect. They sharpen pencils when they are blunt and put the shavings in the bin. They explore different media, such as dough and clay and talk about the texture, commenting that the dough is softer than the clay. Children engage in activities that develop their hand-eye coordination. They accurately thread beads on to string and operate the mouse to complete a simple programme on the computer. Assessment records for each child show their approach to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

learning, their achievements and progress, however, the children's starting points are not clearly identified.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children separate from their main carer with confidence. They show care and concern for themselves, for example, they help themselves to drinks and sticks of celery. They express their needs and feelings in appropriate ways. They seek out others to share experiences and form relationships with adults and peers. One child gets a bike for a friend and says 'I have got you a bike so we can ride together'. Children enjoy books, they hold them the correct way up and turn pages. They particularly like story sacks where they are able to select props to join in with the story. For example, when listening to the Gruffalo they chose the animals that they would like to be and talked about them commenting the Gruffalo has sharp teeth and the owl has wings so it can fly. More able children begin to recognise some familiar words, such as their

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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 names. Children draw and paint giving meaning to marks. They make booking forms, tickets and passports in the role play travel agents. They make lists whilst pretending to be on the phone. Their hand-eye coordination is developing well. They competently thread beads on to string and operate the mouse to complete a simple programme on the computer. They show a clear preference for using their left or right hand when using glue spreaders, crayons, paint brushes and knives and forks.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are beginning to show an interest in numbers, for instance, using their fingers to count up to nine when singing a number rhyme and counting the legs on mini beasts. They are beginning to do simple calculations, such as when playing with three bricks a child says 'if I take one away I have got two'. They recognise and name some numbers of personal significance, for example, their age. They use some size language, words, such as big and small when looking for spades to dig in the sand.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show a keen interest in exploring and investigating. They cluster round a member of staff to examine mini beasts that she has found under wooden stepping stones. They put worms and slugs in a dish and examine them with a magnifying glass. The children have planted seeds, watered them and watched them grow. They uses resources to construct, for example, using crates and tyres to build a car park, then using this construction to climb and balance on. Children remember and talk about significant events, such as going on holiday last week to Spain. They begin to differentiate between past and present. A child recalls that there were a lot of slugs last week after it had rained.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Overall, children make good progress towards the early learning goals given their capability and starting points.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. The staff manage the children’s behaviour extremely positively and consistently, according to the child’s level of understanding and maturity, for example, they are calm and clear regarding routines and boundaries. The setting's behaviour policy is in place, fully implemented and shared with parents. As a result, the children are very well behaved. They are able to take turns, share and use manners. The children are kind and caring, for example, when playing outside on bikes, one child tells another to be careful not to run over a worm that they have been looking at. The children have a very positive approach to learning and they show independence in selecting and carrying out activities, for example, helping themselves to paint, paint brushes and aprons. The setting has a complaints procedure in place, which is shared with parents and includes the name and contact number of the regulator. The children have access to a rich

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Helping children make a positive contribution

selection of resources and activities which support their knowledge and understanding of the world and diversity. Posters throughout the premises are superb reflecting a very positive image of the world in which we live. There are excellent strategies in place for children with learning difficulties and disabilities to ensure that they would be fully supported within the setting. Individual care would be provided if needed and play areas organised to meet the child's specific needs. For example, pictures alongside written labels clearly identifying each area so all children can see what is available.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. The parents receive very clear and detailed information about the educational provision through a welcome pack, notice boards, planning, policies, profiles, newsletters and daily verbal feedback from the staff. Parents have excellent opportunities to share what they know about their child by contributing to their profiles,

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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 through regular discussions with staff and an effective settling in procedure. They meet with their child's key worker twice a year to discuss their child's progress. At a recent parent's evening they were able to sample the types of meals the children receive. The parents are encouraged to be involved with their child's learning. Children take work home to do with their parents to extend their knowledge and understanding of the current theme. For example, copies of new songs are given to parents so they can practise them with their child at home. Parents are full of praise for the staff, describing them as fantastic, very friendly, approachable and happy. They are highly delighted with their children's progress, they feel the nursery provides an extremely stimulating environment where children are happy, confident and constantly gaining

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The organisation of the environment is exceptional, staff know their roles and responsibilities and very effectively implement routines to give children a wealth of rich experiences. Children benefit from very well deployed staff who consistently interact with them and give children highly effective support and encouragement, which helps them feel secure and confident. All of the staff are qualified in childcare and they are all very experienced practitioners. They clearly enjoy their work, they are enthusiastic, highly motivated and show outstanding commitment to all the children in their care. All of the required documentation is in place, is easily accessible and stored securely, such as emergency contact details. A very effective system is in place to record the staff's, visitors and children’s daily attendance, this is accurate and up to date. Recruitment and selection systems are rigorous to ensure high quality staff are employed. All

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Organisation

staff must have a childcare qualification and individual checks are thorough to ensure they are suitable to work with children.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is outstanding. The staff team are highly committed to improving care and education, and have regular opportunities for staff development, such as attending training and staff meetings. All the staff are fully involved in planning the curriculum and assessments records are regularly updated, monitored and evaluated. This helps the staff to identify strengths, areas for improvement and to influence future planning. The staff are dynamic, mature and work extremely well together as a team. They are fully supported by the management who influences good practice by being highly motivated and having a very hands on approach. The setting has exceptionally high standards which the staff feel both children and parents deserve. 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

At the last inspection a recommendation was raised for the nursery to implement a system for recording all visitors to the premises. A robust system is now in place, ensuring that all visitors to the nursery sign in and out. Dates, times and the reason for the visit are recorded giving a clear record of all visitors on the premises. This has a positive impact on the safety and well-being of the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 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. 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 outstanding. 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

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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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): • continue to develop systems to monitor children's progress in all areas of learning.

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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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