Kaleidoscope Morley

Kaleidoscope Day Nursery Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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320603 Unique Reference Number 18 October 2007 Inspection date Ann Webb Inspector

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Albert Road, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS27 8RT Setting Address

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0113 2897118 Telephone number Kaleidoscopeo@aol.com E-mail Kaleidoscope Day Nurseries Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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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?

Kaleidoscope Nursery has been registered as a full day care provider for four years. It is situated close to the centre of Morley, Leeds ring road and motorway networks. Staff take children on outings to the library, parks and shops and organise outings for school age children during the holidays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is housed in a converted building and has two ground floor extensions to the front and rear. The provision is on two floors.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery operates a minibus and a walking service to take and collect children to and from various schools and school nurseries in the area. The nursery offers flexible and wrap around care for children attending Local Authority nursery settings; it is also registered to receive funding for three and four year olds.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 27 full or part time staff of whom 17 have a level 2 or higher childcare qualification. There are currently 182 children on roll.

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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. The children's understanding of healthy eating is good. They eat a variety of healthy meals and snacks, for example, fresh vegetable curry with egg noodles, followed by yoghurt. Snacks comprise of fruit and vegetable sticks and drinks of water are readily available throughout the day. Additionally, they see examples of good foods and unhealthy foods though posters and games. Meals are well planned by the cook on a four-weekly basis and are changed between summer and winter. Parents are asked for meal suggestions and their comments about the menus.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are appropriate opportunities for the children to have fresh air and exercise. Each day they play outdoors in the adjoining play area and practise their large physical skills through climbing, sliding and riding tricycles. Indoors there is sufficient space for the children to move around in comfort and stretch out on the floor with games and construction.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children learn effectively about the importance of personal hygiene. They wash their hands after visiting the toilet and before they eat food. The staff are positive role models for the children and follow good hygiene routines. For example, they wear protective clothing for food preparation and when changing nappies.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children's health and well-being is further promoted through the effective management of children's illnesses and sickness policy. For example, children with an infectious illness are required to remain at home. The children are able to rest and to sleep in cots and floor mattresses. They follow their own sleep routines and parents' wishes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The children are cared for in a very safe and secure environment where potential risks are minimized effectively by the staff. For example, written risk assessments are completed for indoors and outdoors, hazardous materials are inaccessible and activities and resources are suitable for the ages of the children. Additionally, the premises are secure and children are unable to leave unattended. The system used to monitor visitors to the setting is well managed by the staff and all visitors are asked to sign in. There are accurate details of when staff and children are present.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All areas used by the children are well organised with safe storage for furniture and equipment. The children play with a good range of toys which are safe and in good condition. Careful consideration is given by the staff to ensure that the activities they provide are appropriate for the ages of the children and that they can be safely and independently accessed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children are helped to keep themselves safe indoors and outdoors. The staff give gentle reminders about safety, they explain to them about not running and pushing and during emergency evacuation practises the children learn about fire safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children's safety is further promoted through the staff's clear knowledge of how to protect children. They understand the child protection policy and the procedures they must follow. For example, they know how to record and report their concerns.

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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 good. All the children enjoy a good range of planned activities and are eager and interested to join in with their peers. The youngest children explore an environment which stimulates their senses and engages them in the development of their emerging language skills. For example, they mimic the sounds that adults make and attempt to join in with action songs and rhymes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Resources and toys in most areas are in good supply and cover all areas of children's learning. However, some role play areas have a limited range of items and materials to dress up and assume roles. During themed activities, such as Halloween, the children excitedly talk about the forthcoming celebrations and point out spiders, skeletons and pumpkins which decorate the rooms.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They express their creativity well using a wide variety of materials and techniques, such as printing, painting and collage sticking. They explore textures, for example, shaving foam, cornflour and sand and take delight in watching as the cornflour trickles through their fingers. Older children enjoy the opportunity to join in games with their peers and participate well in planned activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The interaction between the staff and the children is positive with friendly conversations taking place at every opportunity. The children are encouraged to talk about what interests them and their comments are listened to and valued. They are confident to talk to adults and are able to make their needs known. They are comfortable in their surroundings and settle quickly into play with their friends.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and Learning is good. The staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and plan a varied and interesting range of learning activities. They record the children's progress in individual development profiles which clearly show the progress children make toward the early learning goals. The profiles contain examples of children's achievements with photographs and written captions to illustrate their progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff manage the children's behaviour well, giving clear explanations and guidance. They interact well with the children and provide an environment rich in language for communication and literacy. However, they miss the opportunity to engage the children in mathematical language for calculation and there are limited visual representations of numerals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children spontaneously select their favourite well used and well loved books. They browse through the illustrations in a relaxed reading area and retell the tale of the 'Gruffalo'. Through encouragement and regular story telling sessions the children develop a love of books; they know how to handle books, turning pages with care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are highly motivated to learn and eager to embrace new ideas and challenges. They direct their own play and make their own choices, for example, making necklaces from threading beads and paper aeroplanes from paper they use for drawing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are beginning to develop an interest in early number, they make good attempts to count following staff example, they join in with number songs and rhymes and use their fingers to represent numbers. An older child counts out the currents on each cake as they are placed in a bag. However, the children do not yet use ideas and language for calculation.

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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 All children take an interest in shape, some children can match shapes in puzzles and can describe simple terms for size, for example, little, big and small. They are interested and curious about the living world, commenting on the weather and stating that it is raining. They show an interest in information technology and with staff support are able to operate programmable toys and audio equipment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. There are good opportunities for the children to become familiar with their local community. For example, they visit local parks and shops and make their own choices of books from the visiting mobile library. Additionally, the children celebrate festivals and traditions other than their own, for example, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Halloween. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There are suitable arrangements in place to care for children with learning difficulties and disabilities. For example, a designated member of staff provides support for children, staff, parents and carers. Behaviour management strategies are well established and consistently implemented by all the staff. Good behaviour is rewarded with lots of praise and encouragement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Professional relationships are well established between the staff and parents and their views and opinions are sought and valued. Information is displayed on a parents notice board and written policies and procedures are easily accessible. Additionally, the staff are available throughout the day to exchange information and answerer any queries. Parents are encouraged to be involved with their children's learning and are able to contribute toward themes and topics with items from home.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. There are good systems in place to ensure that the staff are suitable to care for the children, for example, background checks, references, induction process and further training. There is a clear management structure which provides support for staff at all levels through supervision, appraisals and staff meetings.

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Organisation

All the required records and documents are in place, for example, attendance records show an accurate account of when staff and children are present, accident and medication records are well documented, stored confidentially and are easily accessible.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is good. The staff team are committed to improving care and education and have regular opportunities for staff development, such as attending training. The staff regularly work with relevant professionals and members of the local community. All the staff are fully involved in planning the curriculum and assessments records are frequently updated by the child's key worker. 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 the nursery were asked to address issues relating to activities for out of school children and children aged one-to-two years. Additionally, they were asked to improve medication records. All activities involving out of school aged children are well planned and

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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 prepared. All activities away from site are discussed with parents who give their written permission for their child to participate. Risk assessments for field trips are undertaken. Children aged between one year and two years are cared for by well informed staff who work well together to provide continuity and consistency for this age group. Medication is only administered with written parental permission. These improvements significantly improve the care and safety of the children.

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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. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaint 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): • provide sufficient resources for role play activities.

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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): • improve teaching methods with regard to children's ideas for simple calculation and increase visual representation of numerals.

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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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