Brightstart Day Nursery

Bright Start Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY346144 Unique Reference Number 07 November 2007 Inspection date Lindsay Helen Dobson Inspector

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Selby College, Abbots Road, SELBY, North Yorkshire, YO8 8AT Setting Address

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E-mail

For Under Fives Ltd 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?

Bright Start Day Nursery at Selby College was registered in 2006. It is managed and run by the For Under Fives Limited company as part of their national chain of nurseries. The nursery is located on the Selby College site in Selby, North Yorkshire and serves the local and wider community. The nursery is a purpose-built, self-contained unit. There is a fully enclosed area for outdoor play. A maximum of 53 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 74 children aged from birth to five years old on roll and, of these 23, are in receipt of nursery education funding. The nursery operates all year round except for bank holidays, and is open from Monday to Friday between 07.30 and 18.00. Children attend for full day care or sessional care. There are 12 permanent members of staff, all of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications. There are currently three supply staff, one of these is unqualified. The nursery

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

also employs a full-time cook and use contract cleaners.

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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. Staff take some steps to help keep the setting clean and hygienic, such as cleaning the tables with antibacterial cleaner before snack and meal times and sweeping and mopping floors regularly. However, some resources in the baby unit and children's furniture in the toddlers and pre-school rooms are not sufficiently clean to prevent the spread of germs.

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Helping children to be healthy

If children are taken ill or have an accident, staff follow procedures to ensure they are cared for properly. Staff have current first aid certificates and accident records are completed clearly and confidentially. Staff remind children to wash their hands after going to the toilet and this practice begins when they are toddlers. There are picture notices on the walls to remind them of good hygiene routines. Nappy changing procedures are clear and ensure suitable hygiene practices are maintained.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished with appetising food which includes a balance of freshly prepared meals with some processed foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are available each day. A menu is displayed for parents so they know what their children will be offered and staff record what children have eaten that day and the quantities consumed. Children do not have access to fresh drinking water other than at meal and snack times and are therefore not able to develop their independence or act when they become dehydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from outside play every day in the enclosed garden where they can get plenty of fresh air and exercise. Children have opportunities for climbing and balancing on equipment and can run in and out of the play equipment on the grass and flagged area to increase their stamina. Indoors, staff give children opportunities to take part in action songs and rhymes so they learn to follow a range of movements. Babies can also go outside and sit on mats and staff take them out for walks in the fresh air. The equipment in their room allows them to learn to crawl or walk safely and confidently.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The setting is a purpose-built nursery and currently uses three separate playrooms for children, which are organised to meet their ages and needs. To gain entry to the setting, parents and visitors ring a door bell to alert staff to let them in and all visitors have to sign the visitors book. There is a suitable range of equipment available to children to help them to progress and to be comfortable whilst they play and learn. Most of the equipment is clean and in good condition and much of it is stored at child height, enabling them to choose their activities. Staff talk to children about helping to keep themselves safe in the setting, for example, explaining the reasons for tidying up toys from the floor so it is safe to walk across or learning to use scissors properly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Risk assessments are carried out to ensure all areas are safe for children. Furthermore, the manager examines the accident records regularly to look for patterns to help avoid accidents, and at staff meetings health and safety issues are discussed. This helps staff to focus on making their rooms safer and to look at how they can avoid accidents with children taking place. The manager is currently setting up new procedures and spending additional time in each room to

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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 encourage staff to be more vigilant, take pride in their rooms and in turn make them cleaner and safer for children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The manager is the appointed person responsible for safeguarding children, and has had recent safeguarding training so she understands what to do if there are concerns about children. All staff are on a training programme to attend child protection training so they are clear and know what to do if they are worried about children and who they should approach with their concerns. In addition, there is information in the office with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures, and the booklet ‘What to do if you're worried a child is being abused’. The setting’s own policy includes what to do if allegations are made against staff and there are relevant phone numbers available. As a result of these measures, children are safeguarded in the setting.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. The setting operates a key worker system which helps staff to focus on their own small group of children and get to know them particularly well. The babies benefit from being cared for in a comfortable room where staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to provide a suitable range of activities, which helps the children under two years to develop at their own pace. There are focused activities which are planned so staff know the aim of the activity, the resources and vocabulary to use and how to bring in differentiation so the needs of all the children are met. Baby diaries are completed for parents to see.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are caring, confident and mindful of following individual routines for the babies so they settle in well and are contented. They carry out observations which build up to show a picture of what children can do. Staff in the baby room give them opportunities to explore new things using their senses, for example, playing with shaving foam and musical instruments. In addition, they are encouraged to feed themselves with support, and most babies sit at low tables with staff so the mealtimes are calm and sociable, helping them to move towards being skilful communicators.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children aged between two and three years are cared for in a separate room and concentrate on free play with some focused activities. Children in this room are finding their voices and making meaning by understanding each other and beginning to listen and pay attention to what others say. They learn about different textures when exploring new and familiar things such as sand, water and collage sticking. Staff allow children to be ‘messy’, accepting that this is their way of learning. Staff offer children in this room opportunities to be creative, for example, experimenting with sounds and playing imaginatively in pretend play ‘caring’ for the dolls.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children make steady progress towards the early learning goals because staff plan and provide a satisfactory range of activities. Staff carry out planning which has basic links to the stepping stones and enables children to receive a generally balanced coverage across the six areas of learning. However, the pre-school staff team do not have a thorough understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and this impacts on the detail in the planning, such as intended learning outcomes, the observations of children and how this informs the next steps of learning. Therefore, activities do not always link with individual children's learning and challenge them to move forward to the next steps

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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 in their development. Children behave well within the setting and learn to show care and concern for one another.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are eager to enter the setting as they collect their name tag and self-register on the board in their playroom. They smile and shout hello to their friends and talk about past and future events. Children settle quickly with a suitable range of activities set out for them; they are confident in their surrounding and are aware of the daily routines. They enjoy exploring different media such as in sand and water play. Staff interact appropriately, encouraging children to think and ask questions. Children are developing their independence skills as they help themselves to activity aprons, make decisions about where they want to play and take care of their personal needs. For example, children can freely access the toilets and know to wash their hands. However, children's independence is inhibited during snack and meal times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's language is developing suitably and many children are confident communicators, initiating conversations with adults and their peers. They talk about their interests and experiences, such as visits to the bonfire and the fireworks going 'whoosh' and 'bang'. Children enjoy listening to stories and learn to use books correctly turning one page at a time. Many children have their favourite books and stories and enjoy sharing these with others. Children have opportunities to recognise their own names, for example, when accessing their name card. Children are beginning to recognise and sound out some letters of their name, for example, some more able children are beginning to form letters correctly when writing their names, such as on their artwork. Children can freely access a suitable range of writing materials and make large bold marks or concentrate on more intricate patterns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Children have opportunities to learn about their local environment through outdoor play and staff have close links with the college. In the past, children have planted flowers and have cared for them as they watched them grow. They have, however, limited opportunities to develop their interest in information technology, as they have little access to resources promoting information technology, or to develop an understanding about how things work. Children work together and with staff as they begin to develop their design and construction skills. They are supplied with a suitable range of materials such as boxes, recycled materials, glue, tape and scissors.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are fostering a sound understanding of numbers. Staff have implemented strategies to help children recognise numbers such as having number displays around the setting and using numbers in their play. For example, in the maths area children use number jigsaws and puzzles; they confidently count the wooden figures that they fit into the boats. Children are able to count with increasing confidence to ten and beyond and are beginning to demonstrate an understanding of the concept of more or less as they talk about which boat has more people in.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are opportunities for children to explore colour, texture and shape through the variety of messy and artistic materials available with which they can explore their own ideas. They use the role play area, which is currently a hairdressers, frequently for short periods. They act out their imagination and use their language for thinking, for example, booking appointments for their friends and styling each other's hair.

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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 satisfactory. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Staff encourage older children to show care and concern for the younger ones to help them settle in and make friends. Children are treated as individuals and learn to accept and value other children, talking about their homes and families in group times. The setting has a limited range of toys and resources freely available which reflect people’s similarities and differences in a positive manner, for example, books and small world toys. However, children's knowledge and understanding are not fully supported in this area as staff do not provide regular opportunities to learn about diversity.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are encouraged to behave well by staff positively and calmly managing any unwanted behaviour and by reinforcing the types of behaviour they expect. As a result, children are well behaved and polite. Children are beginning to be aware of their actions on others and staff encourage them to apologise after discussing the issue with them quietly. Staff show an understanding of children’s development in relation to what they understand about behaviour and address any difficulties with this in mind.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Staff provide open evenings for all parents twice a year and the parents of children receiving early education benefit from looking at children's profiles to see how their children are progressing towards the early learning goals. Some information is available to parents in the prospectus about the Foundation Stage and the stepping stones. However, there is no information displayed in the setting which reinforces or explains the Foundation Stage or the stepping stones. Parents talked to during the inspection showed little knowledge of this framework or how their children are progressing through the stepping stones. Regular newsletters and discussion with staff informs parents what topics the children might cover in the next term. Parents are encouraged to verbally share what they know about their children with staff so they can work together to help children move on in their

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Helping children make a positive contribution

learning. Planning is displayed in each room, although this is not intentionally for parents to see.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are given a detailed prospectus about the setting and are invited to visit the setting at any time. Information is shared between staff and parents on a daily basis through discussion and staff share daily diaries with the parents of younger children. These record information such as meals, sleeps and nappy changes. Parents are encouraged to write in these books if they want to. If parents have a complaint, the nursery will follow their procedure which is consistent with the National Standards and invites them to contact Ofsted if they feel that their issues have not been dealt with in a satisfactory manner.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are kept safe as effective recruitment and selection procedures are in place which include appropriate vetting systems so that all staff working with children are suitable to do so. Clear and supportive induction processes are implemented to ensure staff are aware of the appropriate policies and procedures to promote the safety and welfare of the children. Staff have early years qualifications, which means children are cared for by adults with a sound knowledge of child development. Staff meetings are regularly held and a newly implemented appraisal system helps to assess the staff's training and development needs. Required policies

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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 procedures are in place and are available to parents. Essential records and parental consents are kept up to date to promote the well-being of the children.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. There is a new manager in post and there is a strong degree of commitment to improvement and a clear vision for the future of the nursery. However, the system for monitoring the content of the curriculum and ensuring the current effectiveness of the teaching is not sufficiently robust. A clear staffing structure is in place within the nursery and all staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities, thus ensuring that they consistently carry out their roles to a suitable standard.

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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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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 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): • ensure children have free access to drinking water • improve opportunities for children to develop their knowledge and understanding of diversity (also applies to education) • improve cleaning procedures with regard to children's toys and furniture.

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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 opportunities for children to become independent with particular regard to meal and snack times

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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 • provide children with access to information technology and improve opportunities for children to discover how things work • improve the information available to parents with regard to the education provision including the early learning goals and the stepping stones • develop the knowledge and understanding of staff with regard to the curriculum guidance and how to implement it to challenge children's 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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