Lyndene Nursery and Out of School Care

Lyndene Nursery and Out of School Care Inspection report for early years provision

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EY283756 Unique Reference Number 19 November 2007 Inspection date Rachel Ruth Britten Inspector

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14 Elmsley Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L18 8BB Setting Address

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E-mail

Busy Nought to Fives Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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?

Lyndene Day Nursery and Out of School Care is one of a number of nurseries run by 'Busy nought to fives nursery limited'. It opened in 2004 and operates from a three storey residence in the Mossley Hill district of Liverpool. A maximum of 82 children may attend the nursery at any one time and a further 32 may attend the out of school provision. The nursery is open each week day from 07.30 to 18.00 for 52 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 94 children on the nursery roll and 18 on the out of school roll. Of these, 31 children receive funding for early education. Children mostly come from the local catchment area and most of their parents work in surrounding areas. The nursery currently supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 25 staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children stay generally healthy because practitioners adequately employ appropriate health and hygiene guidelines and procedures. They keep all kitchen and toilet areas clean and outdoor shoes are not worn in the baby room where children are on the floor. Staff remind children to wash hands before meals and after nappy change or outdoor play, but few children are using the soap routinely and staff toilet facilities lack soap and paper towels at the beginning of the inspection day. Some children are acquiring independence in taking care of their personal hygiene, but staff make little use of daily routines to talk about healthy lifestyles and the reasons for good hygiene, exercise, fresh air and healthy food. For example, mealtimes, outdoor play times and hand washing times are poorly used to get children interested and involved in taking care of their own health. As a result, children have less independence and understanding

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Helping children to be healthy

in these areas and are less motivated to keep themselves and their playing and eating environment clean and tidy.

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Helping children to be healthy

Sufficient staff are trained in first aid and food hygiene and the nursery keep parents informed about childhood illnesses and diseases. Accidents are properly treated and recorded, with parent signatures of acknowledgement each time to show that parents have been informed. Special diets, medical conditions and allergies are known and taken account of because detailed lists are displayed in every room for staff use. Parents also give consent to the seeking of any necessary emergency treatment and written consents and records are used for every administration of medication undertaken. However, parental signatures of acknowledgement are not obtained every single time and records of accidents and medication administration are not always filed promptly. This compromises children's health if records cannot easily be checked.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy satisfactory levels of physical activity and fresh air outdoors because time is given to this in most weathers and sessions. For example, children use climbing and sliding equipment in the garden at the rear of their building. Children also occasionally go on local walks. Children's emotional well-being is promoted adequately in the setting because staff are generally warm and responsive to all children, ensuring that they have care, attention and support. Children are sufficiently well nourished and have a satisfactory menu for snacks and meals. Meals are prepared on the premises but on the day of the inspection children have a very plain lunch of pasta and tinned tomatoes, followed by a scone. Few children eat well and the meal is not well balanced. Nevertheless, soup, bread and fruit are enjoyed at tea time. Children are given milk or water to drink and pre-school children can access the drinking water

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a welcoming, bright and generally safe environment. The nursery is on three floors and activity suites are divided for babies, toddlers, two to three-year-olds and pre-school children, with out of school club children having sole use of the second floor. However, security to the entrance doors is compromised on the day of the inspection because access into the building is gained simply by opening doors. Managers usually utilise a keypad and CCTV screen to allow parents and visitors access, but this did not work and is, therefore, being replaced by personnel manually answering the door to all callers until the keypad is repaired.

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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 Staff take responsibility for ensuring that children are signed in and out of all sessions and they also use good safety procedures to take and collect children from the local school for the purpose of the out of school club, using florescent jackets and safe walking procedures as appropriate. Areas are freshly decorated and there is sufficient activity space, but some rooms magnify noise and make insufficient use of low wall space to interest and stimulate children. In addition, many resources in the pre-school and two to three-year-olds room are inaccessible to children or are poorly labelled and uninviting, including some book, small world, craft and construction areas. This restricts children's choices and leads to a lack of interest and respect for their play environment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are adequately vigilant to ensure that children can move about safely within the setting. They mostly keep areas clean, dry and safe, making use of wellingtons while the garden is muddy and wet. However, the garden is extremely muddy and slippery and the equipment is wet and dirty, making it unpleasant to play creatively in. Staff and children are not getting involved together in cleaning, maintaining or improving the outdoor and indoor play areas either. For example, pre-school children are not encouraged enough to take part in sweeping up and cleaning up after messy, wet or sand activities, so that they are not learning how to keep themselves safe in the setting. Children know that they do not run indoors, but sometimes a lack of vigilance means that accidents result from conflicts amongst children and unsafe play with toys or equipment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Fire drills are regularly held and documentation about what to do in the event of any emergency is posted in all rooms. Risk assessments are also well documented and maintenance jobs dealt with to promote children's safety in the setting. Activity plans include various visits from people who help us to stay safe in the community. This ensures that children are well aware of crossing roads safely, fire safety, stranger danger, being safe and seen and staying with parents and responsible adults. Children are adequately protected from abuse because staff have enough understanding of their role in child protection. Staff are aware of what to do in the event of an allegation being made against them and know who to contact if they are concerned about a child. They display information about child protection and have a suitable child protection policy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Most children's enjoyment and achievements are sound because staff know children well and are committed to their care. Children trust them and are confident to seek help from them. They conform well to the routines of the day, such as putting on bibs and sitting ready for meals when they are toddlers, or singing action songs together in a group when they are two years old. Staff praise and assist children, working hard to encourage developing speech and giving individual attention. For example, showing a two-year-old how the role play bath and shower works or how to thread, or making a huge creative floor poster with one-year-olds. Babies too are thriving upon the individual love and care that they receive from attentive staff. School age children at the out of school club enjoy more independence and make good use of their own rooms and the garden. Staff do not have high expectations of what children in out

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of school care should achieve, but involve themselves positively, especially in outdoor games, to make sure that children are interested, involved and enjoying themselves in a comfortable and well-equipped environment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Play is planned and the 'Birth to three matters' framework is clearly underpinning the work being done with children aged under three years. Some good quality photograph and written

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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 evidence is retained on children's progress records and useful posters and photograph evidence are displayed for parents to see how the framework is used to help children's overall development. However, developmental records are less well organised for two to three-year-olds and children's progress is less easy to see here, especially when assessments are not made to ascertain individual children's starting points. Daily record sheets are also sent home for all children under two, but these do not mention the activities that children have particularly enjoyed or make any comments about progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff working with pre-school children are committed to providing a welcoming atmosphere and activities which cover all the areas of learning. Children enjoy an adequate range of toys and games, but they do not have attractive reading, mark making, role play and problem solving areas and have few chances to explore and investigate through first hand experiences. In addition, their computer mouse has no mat and is difficult to use, hampering children's success in using this media. As a result, children are rarely captivated by activities and sometimes lose interest.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff's knowledge of the Foundation Stage is adequate and key workers' planning and assessment of individual children is clear during assessed activities. However, staff do not question, challenge and purposefully extend children enough through their own involvement in all the activities of the day. For example, they do not routinely talk about letters, numbers, healthy living or how things work or routinely play, build, sing or experiment alongside children. In addition, children do not sufficiently discuss the session and how activities link to their learning or any themes or topics. This means that children's learning is not consolidated and built upon fully. Staff have a sufficient grasp of what individual children can do and chart their progress in each of the six areas of learning, but waste everyday learning opportunities, such as preparing for mealtimes, tidying up the play space together and preparing to go outside.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making satisfactory progress in most areas of learning. This is because staff are providing adequately for their personal, social and emotional development. Staff know each child well and encourage them to consider one another, although conflicts do arise between children when they are not well occupied and involved. Staff do not always join in with children, for example, as they measure and play with the tools and building blocks. As a result, children sometimes dispute over these resources and find it hard to share. Children are confident to speak to the whole group, but their opportunities to enjoy meaningful group discussions are too few because staff are managing them, rather than making the most of every opportunity to extend their enjoyment and knowledge. Children are delighted when they are chosen to give out the bread and cutlery at mealtimes and their independence grows when staff allow them

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to fully participate as individuals rather than joining in by rote, for example, when counting up the numbers to today's date.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children's emotional well-being is adequately promoted in the setting because staff are warm and responsive to children, particularly in the baby and toddler rooms, ensuring that they have care, attention and support. Photograph displays help children of all ages to feel a part of the setting and some of the trips and special activities which go on there. In addition, all children and parents can relate to a special staff member who acts as their key worker, although some children in the after school facility do not know that they have a key worker. Children are helped

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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 to consider and value diversity because there is topic work and celebrations of diverse cultures, countries and festivals, especially those shared with children attending the nursery. Pre-school children are currently enjoying using dressing up clothes from Egypt. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Although, resources portraying positive images of disability are more limited and few are seen in use on the day of the inspection.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with learning difficulties and disabilities have their needs met in the setting. Staff are advised by specialist staff from other agencies, which supports children's progress in the setting and overall. However, insufficient information about children's starting points is obtained from parents and others involved in children's care and early assessments of what children can do are not taking place. This prevents staff from promptly providing activities which take children on to the next steps they need to take. Similarly, the management of pre-school children's behaviour is less successful. Incidents of unwanted behaviour are dealt with and recorded where appropriate, but some children wander about, fight, throw food, and show little interest in their meals or activities. A noisy atmosphere and lack of involvement by some staff allows some pre-school children to pick upon one another and disrupt the group.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The quality of partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Children receive consistency of care between home and the nursery because staff communicate adequately with parents and manage parent's concerns about their children to reassure and advise where appropriate. Parents express satisfaction with the care in the setting, the supportive family atmosphere and the daily feedback sheets. Parents receive newsletters, but no clear information about the Foundation Stage curriculum for three and four-year-olds and their child's progress profile is not regularly seen. Likewise, parents do not receive details of what children have been learning and ideas or activities to continue their child's learning at home.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Recruitment and vetting procedures work satisfactorily to ensure that children are well protected and cared for by suitable staff; many of whom have qualifications in childcare. Staff files show contact information, qualifications and suitable contracts. Evidence of vetting is kept together for all staff, and managers check staff's ongoing suitability through appraisals and staff responsibility to inform them of significant changes. Staff development plans and one to one supervision sessions are being implemented and there is improved regard given to ongoing training and the dissemination of this to the whole staff group. In addition, the named people for child protection, behaviour, equal opportunities and disabilities and learning difficulties are undertaking necessary update training.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The nursery manager is usually supernumery and spends some time supporting the senior staff member who has recently taken over the running of the pre-school room. The manager is approachable and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the setting as a whole and intends to raise the standard of nursery education offered in the setting. Written parent feedback has not recently been elicited, but the manager has implemented room meetings and planning and recording time to help staff to organise and deliver the nursery education. She also gives staff the responsibility for evaluating the outcomes for children in the pre-school room. In this way, all staff delivering the Foundation Stage curriculum are taking more responsibility for teaching and recording methods.

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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 Staff deployment is satisfactory, but does not always contribute well to children’s good health, safety, enjoyment and achievement and ability to take an active part in the setting. This is because some staff are poorly prepared for the day ahead and spend too much time on setting up activities. Time is also wasted on movements around the setting and tidying up because these times are not well utilised to involve children. Some staff are not always sufficiently vigilant and they do not all have a clear enough sense of purpose. As a result, children's enjoyment and achievement is reduced, particularly in the pre-school room.

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Organisation

Policies and procedures are satisfactory and are mostly working in practice to support the outcomes for children. For example, child details provide sufficient information to enable good care to be given and the daily registers are accurate at all times and are reliable in the event of an emergency. However, parents are not given copies of policies. Records of observations, assessments and medication records are also not filed promptly in children's files for easy reference and clarity. Nevertheless, the complaints record is up to date and available for inspection or for parents to view. 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

There were three recommendations for care made at the inspection in March 2005. Two of these have been addressed satisfactorily to improve children's health and safety in the setting. There is now access to fresh drinking water throughout the day for all children, so that they are encouraged to stay well hydrated. The attendance register now clearly shows children's arrival and departure times so that it is known exactly who is on the premises at any time, should there be an emergency.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The third recommendation was to increase the resources available showing positive images of people with disabilities. The nursery has some dolls, books, puppets, jigsaws and posters which provide positive images of people with disabilities, but these were not seen by the inspector on the day of inspection. Displays, plans and photos did not convey that children have good opportunities to learn about respecting and considering all people with disabilities either.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Ofsted received concerns in November 2005 relating to National Standard 2: Organisation, and National Standard 12: Working in partnership with parents and carers. A childcare inspector visited the provision on 24 November 2005. Actions were raised and satisfactorily met by the registered provider. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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 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 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 AND 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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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): • extend children's independence and understanding about healthy lifestyles through discussion and practical experience • improve the outdoor and indoor learning environments to make a variety of stimulating activities and resources easily accessible for children to explore, discover and take care of • ensure that the access to the nursery building is secure so that unauthorised persons cannot enter and children cannot leave the premises unsupervised • improve children's behaviour and reduce noise in the pre-school learning environment through clear leadership and interaction by all staff, so that children are interested and stimulated.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop staff's understanding of the Foundation Stage and how children learn, so that they interact meaningfully with children and use all aspects of the day to provide stimulating and fun learning experiences • ensure that parents are given information about the educational programme, can see their child's progress record at any time, and are given ways to be involved in their child's learning outside the setting • ensure that sufficient information is gained about individual children's starting points, including those with identified learning difficulties or disabilities, so that key workers can plan and provide for each one to make progress.

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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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