Queens Gardens Childcare Centre

Queens Gardens Childcare Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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EY266947 Unique Reference Number 18 February 2008 Inspection date Ann Coggin Inspector

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Queens Gardens Site, Wilberforce Drive, Hull, North Humberside, HU1 3DG

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E-mail

The Governing Body of Hull College of Further Education Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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 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?

Queens Gardens Childcare Centre is managed by Hull College and is attached to the main college building in the centre of Hull. The provision has been registered in its current purpose built building since 2004. Children are cared for in four main rooms and share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. It accommodates children of students and staff from the college.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 62 children may be cared for at any one time. There are currently 79 children on roll from six months to under five years, of whom 25 are in receipt of funding for nursery education. There are children attending who have disabilities, learning difficulties and English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open each weekday from 08.30 to 17.15 term time only. There are 12 staff, including the manager, employed to work directly with the children. All hold relevant childcare qualifications. A cleaner is also employed. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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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. Children stay healthy because staff follow good health and hygiene guidelines, policies and procedures. For example, the premises are kept clean, plastic aprons and gloves are worn when changing nappies and toys and furniture are regularly cleaned. Toys in the baby room are wiped with antibacterial spray before being put away. Older children understand simple hygiene practices, such as washing hands and know the correct way to wash their hands and the importance of doing so. Appropriate accident and illness procedures are in place to protect children from cross infection. Accident and medication records are well kept and up to date and first aid boxes are available in each room.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children bring packed lunches from home, which are appropriately stored in the fridge. Staff have provided parents with a leaflet of suggestions for healthy foods to be included in packed lunches. Children benefit from healthy snacks and are offered a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as raisins, grapes, tomatoes, peppers and cucumber. Children have their health and dietary needs well met because staff work well with parents to obtain written information about individual requirements. Snack are observed to be relaxed and social occasions with older children helping themselves to food and drinks. Activities are planned to promote children's understanding of the importance of healthy living. For example, topics such as healthy foods and my body.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have good opportunities for physical activities and all enjoy playing outside which has a safety surface in place. A selection of outdoor equipment promotes children's all round physical development. Babies have push along toys and domestic style furniture to aid their development. Indoors all children, including babies have access to soft play with the pre school children practising their balancing, jumping and hopping skills using 'top start' equipment. Staff are very aware of children's individual sleeping patterns and routines and they ensure children have good opportunities to rest and sleep throughout the day.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Very good steps have been taken to ensure children are cared for in a safe environment. For example, close circuit television is installed at the main entrance, the premises are kept secure, high handles are on all activity rooms doors to prevent children leaving the rooms unsupervised. A visitors book is maintained and written risk assessments are completed daily. Health and safety policies and procedures are well implemented to ensure children's safety at all times. Children are learning about keeping themselves safe through gentle reminders from staff, such as not running indoors, being careful when sand and water is spilt on the floor and using outdoor equipment appropriately. Fire evacuation procedures are clearly displayed in all activity rooms and fire evacuation procedures are practised with children, however not on a regular basis.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The nursery environment is extremely warm and welcoming for children and their parents. All children, including babies, have easy access to a very good range of toys, equipment and furniture which is of good quality, well maintained and age appropriate.

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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 Children are appropriately protected because all staff have attended safeguarding children training and understand their role in relation to child protection. All staff are aware of the nursery's policy and procedure and would not hesitate to implement them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are involved in a very good range of activities that promotes their all round development. For example, they enjoy construction play and role play, have easy access to sand and water, creative activities, such as painting and junk modelling. Children are also involved in physical play activities both indoors and outdoors. Children are happy, settle quickly and relate well to other children and staff. They are developing the skills to exercise independent choice and make decisions about their own learning. Staff provide positive role models for children and give support and guidance to them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies and young children are well nurtured and cared for in a bright cheerful room where they receive lots of physical closeness and positive interaction. Staff understanding of the 'Birth to three matters' framework ensures young children are provided with play experiences which are stimulating and exciting, such as playing with cornflour, musical instruments, soft play and paint. Activities are evaluated and each child's involvement is recorded by staff and information gained is used in individual development records and used for future planning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff encourage and build upon children's vocabulary and all children are acquiring new skills and knowledge through everyday play. For example, learning colours, shapes and numbers as they play with building bricks, shape sorters and read books. Hand and eye coordination is promoted from an early age as they play with musical instruments, paint, use scissors and pour their own drinks. Children concentrate well, for example, when playing with the dough and pretending to bake cakes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good with teaching meeting the needs and interests of all the children. Staff are well aware of children's individual starting points and continually assess the children to ensure they are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and of how young children learn. The learning environment together with the well planned programme of activities ensures children receive a broad range of activities and experiences across the six areas of learning. Children are interested to learn and the inclusion of all children is actively planned and monitored. Assessments of children's individual abilities and progress is rigorous and effectively used to inform future planning to enable children to move on to their next stage in their learning. Developmental records give a clear picture of children's progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children display high levels of self confidence and are actively involved in activities. Children persist for extended periods of time at chosen activities, such as playing with the boats in the water and burying the dinosaurs in the sand. They maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly when appropriate. Children show a sense of pride in their achievements when showing staff and other adults their work. They respond well to simple instructions, such as please help to tidy up. Constant praise and support ensures children behave well and they are learning to share and respect each other. Children handle books very well, they read to themselves and enjoy listening to their favourite stories. They are confident talkers both one to one and in larger groups, they talk about how they got to nursery and where they had been during the

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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 half term holiday. They are beginning to recognise their own names as they self register and some are able to write their own names. Children attempt writing for different purposes, for example, role play area and putting marks on their own work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy joining in with number rhymes and songs and are beginning to problem solve and attempt to count in the correct order. For example, counting the children at registration and seeing how many girls there are and how many boys. Most children can recognise numerals one to five and some children are able to count to 10. They show an interest in shapes and can name circles, squares, rectangles correctly as they play with the 'top start' equipment. Children have opportunities to explore and investigate. They learn about the weather, living things, insects and plants and enjoy going to the park to feed the ducks. They access technology, are able to operate a simple computer programme and most children have good mouse control. They are beginning to learn about the wider world and appreciate their own culture and cultural traditions of others. They are involved in activities relating to Diwali, Chinese New Year, bonfire

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children make three dimensional structures, construct collages and have good opportunities to explore different types of media. They engage very well in imaginative role play and use their imagination in music and dance. They enjoy joining in with familiar songs and explore the different sounds of instruments. They show an interest in what they see, feel, smell, hear and touch as they try new foods and experiment with different textures. Children move around with pleasure and use a range of large and small equipment, although opportunities for challenging older and more able children are limited. They engage well in hand eye coordination and use one handed tools appropriately. They are beginning to learn about the effects exercise has on their bodies.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Equal opportunities is very well promoted. All children are included and involved. Staff are experienced in identifying children's individual needs, such as learning difficulties or English as an additional language, and ensuring they are well met. Staff have an excellent understanding of the abilities, likes and dislikes of children in their care and are skilled in enabling children to participate in all activities and opportunities offered. Appropriate procedures are in place for the early identification and assessment of children with learning difficulties and disabilities. Children develop their understanding and appreciation of others and the local community through simple relevant activities that promote a greater awareness of the wider world. For example, celebrating cultural festivals and visiting local places of interest such as the park, churches and statues. This enables children to develop attitudes to others.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are well behaved in response to the consistent expectations of the staff. Staff provide excellent role models for the children by remaining calm and polite and demonstrate a good understanding of to manage children's behaviour. Staff praise children freely, ensuring they develop confidence and self esteem and understand what they have done well. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents are warmly welcomed into the provision and are extremely well supported by staff during the settling in period. For example, parents receive a thorough induction visit, stay as long as is needed to settle their child and they are encouraged to call in or phone to check their child is not distressed. This effectively reassures parents who are leaving their children for the first time. There is a wealth of information which is easily

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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 accessible which includes general care and educational literature. Parents are kept well informed of their child's progress through daily discussions with the staff and through access to their developmental profile record. The nursery actively seeks and values parents views and wishes and involves them in their child's learning. For example, questionnaires are sent out twice a year asking for their comments and parent's are asked to allow children to bring items from home for different displays.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Recruitment and vetting procedures are rigorous and robust ensuring children are well protected and cared for by staff with relevant experience, knowledge and skills. All staff hold appropriate childcare qualifications and have good access to ongoing training and development. Staff have a very high regard for the children's well being and registers indicate that adult to child ratios are often above the minimum standards resulting in children receiving excellent support and attention. The deployment of staff positively contributes, to children's care learning and play.

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Organisation

Policies and procedures work in practice to promote children's health, safety and welfare. All documentation and records required for the safe and efficient management of the provision are available and most are up to date. However, the complaints procedure does not include the correct address of the regulator.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the provision is good and contributes to children's progress towards the early learning goals. Management and staff work well together as a team and are committed to providing good quality care and education. The manager oversees planning for all age groups to ensure children benefit from and enjoy their time at nursery. Staff demonstrate a genuine affinity with the children, respecting children's feelings, valuing their comments and clearly enjoy being with the children.

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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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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to look at ways to improve how the settings shares information with parents, regarding snacks which are given to the children. A notice is displayed at the nursery entrance to inform parents of the snacks given to the children to promote healthy eating.

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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 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): • develop the emergency evacuation procedures so they are practised with the children at regular intervals • develop the complaints procedure to include the correct address of the regulator.

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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 the range of outdoor equipment to offer challenges to older and more able children.

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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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