Minsterley Nursery

Minsterley Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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224138 Unique Reference Number 30 January 2008 Inspection date Kathryn Mary Harding Inspector

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The School House, Minsterley, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY5 0BE Setting Address

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E-mail

Minsterley Nursery 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 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?

Minsterley Nursery opened in 1995 and operates from four rooms in an old school house, in the grounds of Minsterley Primary School, in the village of Minsterley. A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.45 to 15.00, term time only. All children share access to an outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 54 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 33 children receive funding for early education. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs nine members of staff. Of these, eight 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 good. The children are cared for in a warm setting where they learn the importance of good personal hygiene through the daily routines. Pictorial signs are displayed to encourage good hand washing techniques. Children are reminded to wash their hands, after going to the toilet and before eating, so helping to prevent the spread of infection. They know they have to wash their hands as there are germs on them and spontaneously ask to wash their hands after playing with the play dough. Good nappy changing procedures are in place, so helping to reduce the risk of cross-infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children begin to understand the benefits of a healthy diet as they are offered seeds, yoghurts and cereals. The setting have a snack menu showing the healthy food options children are offered. Children learn about healthy living as they discuss what they are putting into their bodies and they grow organic produce in their garden, such as sweet corn and radishes which they eat. School meals are available at the setting which are freshly prepared on site by the school cook. Children can access fresh drinking water throughout the day, so enabling them to deal with their own care needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a wide range of activities which contribute to their good health. There are activities to help them develop control of their bodies such as a small trampoline, balls and trikes. They can access a wide range of equipment such as construction sets, mark-making equipment and small world play to help develop their fine manipulative skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children and parents are warmly greeted by staff on arrival. The rooms of the nursery are made more welcoming by children's artwork, posters and photographs being displayed on the walls. The rooms are checked prior to the children arriving and regular written checks are undertaken. However, children sometimes climb into the window area, so this is a potential hazard.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children independently select activities from a wide range of good quality toys and equipment, which meet safety standards are regularly checked and cleaned. Resources are organised in open shelf storage units, at child-height, so encouraging children's independent access. Staff try to purchase toys and resources that are made from natural products such as wood.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn how to keep themselves safe as they have visitors into the setting such as fire fire-fighters to talk about fire safety, road safety officers to talk about safety when outdoors and coast guards to discuss safety when at the coast. They are encouraged to help tidy the resources away after use and sometimes do this spontaneously. Due to the layout of the building when staff go outdoors they use walkie talkies to ensure contact can be made with staff inside the building to help keep children safe. The children can use two outdoor areas but the fencing in the area by the field is scaleable, so this is a potential hazard to children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a sound knowledge of child protection procedures in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board and all staff have attended a workshop on child protection matters. However, the child protection policy does not state the procedure should there be an allegation about a staff member.

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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. Children take part in a good range of stimulating activities and play opportunities which they find interesting and enjoyable such as exploring in the paint with their feet and the water. Staff know the children well and cater for their individual needs well through the key worker system. Children in the setting develop good relationships with staff and each other, as they freely approach staff and excitedly show them a picture they have made for their mummy. Staff snuggle them in as they read stories to the children in small groups and talk about the pictures, so encouraging their interest in books. They talk about where they are going on their holidays and how they are going to get there. They learn to share and take turns when using the play food and adults remind them 'it is kind to share'. Children concentrate well on activities such as when making a circle picture with the tissue paper and glue sticks. They enjoy their time in

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the setting as they dress up and play imaginatively in the home area making meals for the adults. They are happy and obviously have a good and fulfilling time at the setting.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The 'Birth to three matters' framework is effectively implemented for younger children. Staff observe children as they play and records of these observations are stored in their individual learning stories. Plans link to aspects of the framework and are informed by children's observations and assessments so ensuring children's progression.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Children show an interest in what they are doing and staff support them very well in their play, making children feel valued.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are willing to attend training and have a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage. Plans link to the six areas of learning and the stepping stones. However, activities for children are not always adapted so the focus activity does not always sufficiently challenge all the children in the group. Incidental and planned observations are undertaken on the children and these link to assessments. Planning of the actvities has just been changed and as yet is not sufficiently developed.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children behave well, with staff continually praising and encouraging them, so enhancing their self-esteem. At child-initiated times children choose what they want to do from the wide range of resources, so encouraging their independence. At snack time children offer the plate of snacks to each other. They freely approach staff and ask them to read a story. They play very well together as they play a colour game. They concentrate well as they paint their pictures. They learn to take turns with their favourite bike outdoors.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to recognise their name so encouraging their recognition of print. They can access books which they freely do and share with each other and staff. They listen well to stories as adults point to the pictures and ask questions about the story, so encouraging their interest in books. They confidently talk in small and large groups. They can mark make as they access a wide range of mark-making resources in the writing area and are encouraged to write their own names on their pictures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children gain confidence in using and recognising numbers during the daily routines and respond to challenges to extend their mathematical vocabulary in planned and spontaneous opportunities. They have opportunities to count as they count the number of children at the table and find the corresponding numeral from the number line. They are encouraged to solve simple number

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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 problems, as staff ask them how many children are there altogether and sing number rhymes. They look at shapes and talk about how many sides each one has. They learn about positional language and language of size as they fold the world map up.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children talk about their families and important events in their lives as they say a family member uses a magnifying glass at their work. They display newspaper clippings of people they know. They talk about the calendar and record their findings. They explore and investigate as they play in the shaving foam and jelly. They plant sweetcorn and radishes in their vegetable patch. They can access a computer with educational programs to consolidate their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's physical skills develop and improve through a variety of experiences. They move confidently around the rooms and the outdoor areas. They enjoy playing outdoors with the balls, bikes and cars and negotiate their way around the bike track. They access a wide range of small equipment to develop their fine control skills such as using the cutters and rolling pins with the play dough and constructions sets.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to play imaginatively in the home area and pretend it is a shoe shop. They talk about the different colours in the game so re-enforcing children's recognition of different colours. They talk about their senses as they talk about what we use our ears for. They access musical instruments and listen to the sounds they make and enjoy singing familiar rhymes. However, there is limited access to resources to enable them to express themselves and make their own creations.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Good systems are in place to care for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including liaising with parents, outside agencies and ensuring individual plans are in place. Overall, children make good progress in all areas of learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued, listened to and respected very much as individuals. Their awareness of the wider world is promoted as the setting have a range of activities, toys and resources to positively reflect diversity. They do related actvities linked in with different festivals, such as Chinese New Year. They look at people's lifestyles to help children understand about differences and learn to say 'Hello' in five different languages. They take part in sponsored events and attend the annual church picnic, so the children become aware of their local environment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Systems are in place, such as individual education plans and staff liaise very closely with parents and external agencies to effectively promote children's learning and welfare. They ensure through the care provided, that they are inclusive to all children. An adapted tricycle is obtained to encourage children's independence and promote inclusion.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff have a calm consistent, positive approach to managing children's behaviour. As a result children behave well and understand what is expected of them, as they are given explanations why the behaviour is not acceptable Adults act as good role models in their behaviour towards each other, so setting a good example. Good behaviour is encouraged as the staff give lots of praise and encouragement to the children for their efforts. Children use good manners in their interactions with each other as they say 'excuse me' as they try to get past. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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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 Partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Staff, parents and external agencies all work together to meet each child's needs. Parents have access to information about the educational programme. They are encouraged to share information about their child at welcome time at the start of each session. They can also talk with their child's key worker. A notice board containing useful information is available. The nursery hold open days so all the family can be involved and send home a photograph sheet about the stepping stone that the activity is covering. However, there are limited opportunities for parents to share what they know about their child before they start in the setting. Parents spoken with commented very positively on the setting, stating that their children are very happy in the setting and they are kept

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Helping children make a positive contribution

well-informed about what they are doing. A complaints procedure is in place and parents are made aware of the procedure to follow if they wish to raise any concerns.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Policies and procedures are used effectively to promote the welfare, care and learning of children. They are shared with parents to keep them well informed about the service and their child's activities and regularly evaluated and reviewed. This contributes to continuity in the children’s care. Staff assess their overall strengths and have a plan for further improvement in place to demonstrate how they intend to move forward. They have appraisals to ensure they are all working effectively to meet the children's needs. The setting have a good range of resources to promote children's progress in all areas of learning.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of the setting is good. The registered person uses effective recruitment procedures which ensure that staff are appropriately vetted and qualified. A rolling programme of re-doing CRB checks is in place so helping to safe guard children. Staff are helped by a very supportive committee. Most of the required paperwork is in place. However, the times of the children's and staff's attendances are not recorded. Staff are friendly and caring and work very well together as a team to promote children’s health, enjoyment and achievement. They attend regular training so demonstrating a commitment to developing their practice.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection staff agreed to: ensure the staff emergency contact and general practitioners numbers are kept on site; ensure nappy changing procedures include the use of protective clothing. Staff use protective clothing; ensure the risk assessment format used includes all elements as outlined in the national guidance; ensure fluorescent lighting is safe; ensure drinking water is made available at all times; update policies to include all elements as outlined in the national guidance; update children's information sheets to include religious requirements; improve opportunities for children's reading and writing development in the home corner and role play areas; improve children's access to equipment to develop their climbing and balancing skills and improve opportunities for parents to be involved in their child's attainment and progression through pre-school.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Emergency contact details are now stored in the register and staff wear protective clothing when changing nappies. Regular risk assessments take place and are reviewed and diffusers have been put on the overhead lighting. Children can now freely access drinking water, enrolment forms and policies have been amended and updated.

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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 Writing materials have been extended along with writing areas in the pre-school rooms and children can now access the school hall for indoor physical actvities and outdoors fixed climbing equipment and balancing equipment is available. Staff hold parent's meetings to discuss children's achievements and send home activity sheets with photographs.

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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 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 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): • ensure the outdoor area is made safe and the upstairs window areas are inaccessible to children • ensure the child protection policy outlines what the setting would do if there was an allegation about a member of staff • ensure that information is gathered from parents about their child prior to entry into the setting • ensure the hours of attendance of children and staff are recorded.

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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): • continue to further develop the planning to ensure all children are progressing and ensure all children are sufficiently challenged • ensure that children are able to access creative resources.

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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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