Young Stars Nursery

Young Stars Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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253585 Unique Reference Number 25 October 2007 Inspection date Susan Hall Inspector

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Nursery Dept, Butlins, Skegness, Lincolnshire, PE25 1NS Setting Address

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E-mail

Butlins Skyline Ltd Registered person Childcare Type of inspection Full day care, Sessional care, Crèche 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Butlins Nursery Centre opened 20 years ago. It operates day care provision from a single story building, alongside holiday accommodation, on their campus situated on the outskirts of the east coast town of Skegness.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Team Crèche offers full day care for children of staff working on site. There is one main room for activities with an adjoining sleep room and toilets. Appropriate kitchen, staff and office facilities are provided. Children have access to fully enclosed gardens for outside play. The Team Crèche is registered to care for 20 children from two to under six years. There are currently 38 children aged from two to under six years on roll in the Team Crèche. There are no children in receipt of funding for early education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Team Crèche sessions are between 08:30 and 18:00 daily in summer and from Monday to Saturday in winter.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

For families on holiday in the resort there is a ‘Tweenies’ room for children under two with an adjoining sleep room. There is also a ‘Playroom’ for children aged two to five with an adjoining quiet room. Both age groups have their own toilet /nappy changing facilities. This facility is registered for 29 children aged from birth to five years and families request places on a day-to-day basis. The ‘Tweenies’ room takes nine of these children and the ‘Playroom’ can

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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 take 20 children. This facility is open seven days a week, all year round. Sessions are from 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 16:00 daily.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 17 staff who work with the children on a full-time or part-time basis. All of the staff have early years qualifications to National Vocational Qualification Level 3 or above. The setting is involved with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

In the centre of the building and using the same entrance and exit is an on-site clubroom used by children aged five to eight with parental attendance and Redcoat staff supervision during certain hours. This facility is not required to be part of the registration.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children have sound opportunities to develop healthy lifestyles. They regularly use the high quality outdoor play equipment which promotes physical exercise well. Children can try a good range of healthy fruit snacks and drinks. Lunches cooked in the team diner are available for those in the crèche. However, while there are some healthy lunchtime options available the overall choices do not promote a healthy lifestyle well enough. Children in the crèche also bring a packed snack from home for the afternoon and staff are aware that these often do not contain sufficient healthy choices. While staff are aware of health related issues they have not tackled these well enough to give clear messages about the importance of a healthy lifestyle to children and parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children remain in good health because staff in the crèche and nursery section have an effective awareness of current issues in the areas that they work in. Accidents which children have are well handled by staff and signed accident records are kept and staff know procedures to follow when these accidents occur. Children’s individual health needs are satisfactorily met as a result of the fact that parents give prior written permission for medicines and records of all those administered are diligently kept. In the crèche, parents fill in a book each day with pertinent information before they leave their child with staff, ensuring there is a record, for instance, if someone is picked up early to go to the dentist. Illness in children is soundly managed partly because a policy on how to handle child sickness is in place and adhered to. Staff are vigilant in cleaning the indoor areas and equipment to a high standard thereby keeping childhood

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Helping children to be healthy

illnesses and the risk of food poisoning at bay.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children’s safety is generally well supported because staff in the crèche and nursery sections are well qualified and have good understanding of their roles in supporting the children. They are trained in all relevant areas including child protection requirements. Fire safety procedures are understood well and related checks of equipment and the premises are thorough. Children in the crèche are kept safe on visits around the resort because procedures for keeping safe are reinforced well. There is a range of detailed risk assessments for equipment and some activities but these have a few gaps in terms of assessing the risk during certain parts of the day in the central area.

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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 The children are cared for in separate rooms to meet the needs of the different ages and length of time they are on site. All three areas are large and very well maintained and equipped. They are bright and stimulating and each has their own separate and well fenced outdoor play area and attached sleep facilities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s safety is a priority for staff who are vigilant in the way they protect all children and do their best within the confines of the current arrangements. In the centre of the large building is a clubroom and adjoining indoor soft play area. This is open for children under the age of eight accompanied by a parent. There are also several themed parties held in this area. As there is currently no separate entrance and exit for these activities prior to the start and end of this period there is a very large number of parents and carers, unknown to the setting, moving around the general nursery and crèche areas. This presents real challenges to staff in all parts of the building to ensure that children are safe and secure. The situation raises clear concerns and has the potential to compromise children’s safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children like using a very good range of soft play equipment and suitable toys. They really enjoy learning how to climb, balance and move along the equipment and finding out how they can make things happen. For some children this may be their first time away from parents and carers in such a setting. Staff are responsive to their needs and support them well. Children in the playroom also enjoy the large range of equipment including role play and dressing up clothes. They like using art and craft materials and are proud of their work. Even the youngest children are encouraged to have a go at something new. All of these activities are well supported by staff, they have a caring approach which helps build children’s confidence well.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children achieve well. This is mainly because the needs of children of different age ranges are catered for effectively through a very good range of equipment which is readily available to all. This is a real strength and leads to much enjoyment by children, a growing awareness of the need to play safely and a very positive approach to active play in even the youngest children. Children have opportunities to develop their information and communication technology skills as a computer is available at certain times in an adjoining area for them to use.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children make a good contribution to the nursery and crèche because staff have effective expectations of how all can work together. Children’s self-esteem is promoted well through good use of praise for their efforts. Good behaviour, self confidence and social skills are also encouraged well because staff give clear messages about behaviour as seen during interventions in minor squabbles over who uses outdoor equipment. Information to parents about procedures and sanctions is clearly displayed. Children’s behaviour is well managed and staff are sensitive but clear about what is acceptable or not. Children’s multicultural awareness is developed well, for example, by the use of resources. Clear printed signs in another language were recently put up around the crèche to support children's developing skills.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s individual needs are met well. There is an effective recording system assessing what the children can do and passing on such information to other staff. Staff have a good awareness

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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 of the importance of meeting each child's needs. Procedures are in place to identify whether children in the crèche may need additional support.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff have developed good relationships with parents and effective partnership working has been established. Children’s interests are developed because staff ask parents to share their knowledge and keep them informed about important issues that affect their child. This promotes a feeling of confidence amongst parents that staff care for their children well. Staff have effective procedures to pass on good quality information about what the children have done even if only visiting the facilities for a short time. Children’s learning is also promoted well through the suggested activities information that is provided to parents to support learning at home.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Children enjoy a good range and balance of activities in the crèche because routines are well planned and established. The day is planned by staff to ensure coverage of national guidance for the appropriate ages. Children in the crèche and nursery sections have many opportunities to make choices in the type of equipment they wish to use. Children have continuity in the care offered because turnover of staff is relatively low and the key worker system provides a familiar face to children and parents.

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Organisation

Much of the required documentation is of at least a satisfactory standard. However, there are a few gaps in documentation including risk assessments for the use of the central area during peak times. The organisation of staffing for children attending the ‘Tweenies’ sessions and the 'Playroom' is difficult because of the unknown number of children attending. Therefore there is a system to average out the staff to child ratios which does not entirely meet the national requirements for the younger children in the playroom.

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Organisation

Discussion with the staff available and a scrutiny of documentation indicates that monitoring of the quality of provision is satisfactory. Staff in all parts of the setting assess the strengths and weaknesses in provision. They are aware of many of the issues identified in the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the staff were asked to improve the provision for information and communication technology. While there has been some change in resources and organisation in this area more remains to be done to ensure this is effective. The setting was also asked to revise the child protection policy to include the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff. This has been met. These measures ensure that children’s welfare, safety and learning have been improved successfully.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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Complaints 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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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure the safety and security of children in the Team Crèche and Nursery facilities are not compromised by the open access to the central clubroom • ensure that the lunches, snacks and drinks promote healthy lifestyles more effectively • ensure the adult to child supervision ratios are met during all nursery sessions.

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The quality and standards of the care

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 care

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

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