Silverdawn Day Nursery

Silverdawn Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY104411 Unique Reference Number 29 January 2008 Inspection date Ann, Theresa Flynn Inspector

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23 Lytham Road, Warton, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 1AD Setting Address

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E-mail

Elisa Charlotte Simmonds Ashby Hunt 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?

Silverdawn Day Nursery has been registered since November 2001 as a private facility. The setting is situated in the village of Warton, near Preston, comprising of two single storey detached buildings. One of the detached buildings is dedicated to the babies and the other building is for children aged between two and five years. There is an enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting is registered to care for a maximum of 30 children and currently there are 40 children on roll, 11 children receive funding for nursery education. Presently there are no children attending who have disabilities or learning difficulties or with English as an additional language. Children attend for sessional and full day care.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting is open five days a week Monday to Friday, all year round excluding Christmas and bank holidays. Opening hours are between 08.00 until 18.00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Registered Provider employs eight staff to work with children, including a manager and a deputy manager. All staff employed hold a level three qualification in childcare.

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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 The setting receives support from the local authority teacher team and is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children stay healthy because staff follow good hygiene practices. For example, they clean tables prior to snack and meal times and use gloves and aprons when changing children. Within the toilet area children are reminded with the help of pictures and encouragement from staff, to flush the toilet after use and to wash their hands prior to snack and following activities, such as painting, which helps in developing children's knowledge and understanding of hygienic practice.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a good range of physical activities both indoors and outdoors, providing them with daily access to fresh air. They enjoy a range of resources including a slide and climbing frame and enjoy activities such as planting and group games, for example, 'What time is it Mr Wolf?' outdoors. They are provided with opportunities to be active indoors as they enjoy singing and action rhymes. Opportunities for walking in the local community and for visiting local places such as, the beach or zoo are provided, all of which helps to promote children's health, well-being and enjoyment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished through the provision of healthy snacks and meals, including a variety of fruits and vegetables. Children access drinks throughout the session using containers brought from home, thereby helping to develop their personal independence.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff promote children's understanding about healthy eating, by discussing healthy foods with children and the effect various foods have on health. For example, explaining to children through activities using different foods, which foods are good for teeth and why, thereby developing their understanding of healthy eating.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming, secure, safe indoor and outdoor environment. The environment is bright and colourful, with children's work adorning the walls and a variety of play experiences provided to children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Many varied resources are available at child height, which children freely access, thereby providing a welcoming environment. Space is well organised into planned areas, within the play rooms, which enables children to enjoy varied choices from a balanced range of continuous provision.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Detailed written risk assessments are undertaken on a daily basis to ensure the premises are safe for children. Various safety measures are in place such as, a secure outdoor area, a safety gate within the baby unit kitchen area and a visitors record is maintained. However, the kitchen within the building for children aged two to five years has no fire blanket in place and emergency evacuation is infrequently practised. Within the baby unit bathroom there is a low level pipe which poses a hazard, thus compromising children's safety.

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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 kept safe on outings because good staff to child ratios are maintained. Staff are well prepared for taking children off site by carrying with them items such as, a mobile phone, register, first aid kit, drinks and coats. They use stickers, which children wear including details of the setting and children are spoken to about road safety, thus ensuring children are aware of how to keep themselves safe when away from the setting.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected because staff understand the correct procedures to follow in the event of concerns about any child in their care. Staff access safeguarding children training, thereby ensuring their knowledge is current, thus helping to keep children safe.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Activities and opportunities provided for children are good. A varied, stimulating and interesting range of age appropriate resources and activities are available. These include areas of water play, craft activities, painting, puzzles, role-play and an area in which children freely access books. Within the baby unit a movement corner encourages children to become mobile and thus access resources of their choosing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children also enjoy experiences and activities in the outdoor area, including group games with staff, during which children enjoy marching and running. Experiences away from the setting provide children with varied opportunities to learn about their environment. All of which provides interest, stimulation and challenge to help children progress and enjoy their time at the setting.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are well deployed offering good support and guidance to children. Play is initiated by children, for example, within the role play area, socialising well as they discuss being poorly whilst lying on a sleep mat, which develops their social skills, language and imagination. Staff are available to offer support and guidance when necessary, thus maximising children's learning experiences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The 'Birth to three matters' framework is followed for the younger children who attend, ensuring they are provided with opportunities to develop appropriately, which involves observations and assessments of children, thus ensuring staff offer suitable opportunities to help children progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from the staff's sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage, and effective teaching helps children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Children are questioned and challenged by the staff, who ask appropriate questions to help children to think and to learn at their own pace. For example, they ask children about the puddles outside and what to do with their trousers when the weather is wet. They inform children, during story time about teeth and what happens if teeth become loose. Staff ask questions in mathematical terms, such as 'how many and what number is it'? Staff involve children in discussions about sharing during the train track activity, all of which provides appropriate questioning to make children think and help them to learn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to be independent and are able to make their own choices for learning. The curriculum is sufficiently matched to children's interests and there is an appropriate balance between child led and staff led activities. For example, following morning snack children choose

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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 where they wish to play, who they wish to play with and with which resources. Children access their own aprons prior to playing in the water, they identify and put on their own coats prior to playing outdoors and they access their own drawers in which they place items they are to take home, all of which helps them to develop their independence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing confidence through appropriate praise and encouragement and through the use of stickers, star charts and certificates. They are praised for their efforts during their painting and craft, and when attempting to write letters during the mark making activity, thus helping to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Children are socialising well as they learn to wait for snack until all their peers are ready to eat and learn to share resources when playing in the water and role play areas, which helps to develop their understanding of how to share. Children's personal independence is developing as they access the hand wash basins themselves, to wash their hands following craft activities and prior to eating their lunch.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing their literacy skills as they listen to stories and identify their names on their own name cards. Mark making is available both indoors and outdoors as children mark make in the sand on a visit to the beach and mark make on envelopes and forms within the focused activity.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They are developing their understanding of mathematics, as they count the number of slices of toast during morning snack and as they count during the singing time. Songs such as, five currant buns provide opportunities for children to calculate and further opportunities for children to calculate are provided when children are asked about the number of girls and boys present, and are there more girls or boys.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are learning about the world in which they live by discussing and celebrating various festivals from around the world. They follow recipes from various countries when involved in baking activities. They are encouraged to say good morning in a variety of languages, they go walking into the local community and visit places of interest. Thereby providing children with opportunities to develop their understanding of the world in which they live.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's creativity is developing well through good experiences, such as painting, gluing, construction, pasta and imaginary play within the role-play area, which provide good and varied opportunities to develop children's creativity and imagination.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Planning is clear and identifies how all six areas of learning are to be delivered, children's assessments, observations and interests are used to inform future planning. However, planning does not include details of differentiation and how the more and less able children are to be supported.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Assessments and observations of the children are undertaken regularly to ensure children are appropriately supported and challenged. However, the recording of children's next steps in their learning does not always include sufficient detail. Evaluation of the planning is regularly undertaken to ensure the provision for nursery education is effective.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are developing their awareness and understanding about diversity through discussion and activities about various cultures and celebrations from around the world. Children are involved in food tasting activities, including various foods from around the world. They are

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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 encouraged to use simple words from other languages and are learning about disability through various resources available to them. Such as, books, puzzles, small world dolls, utensils within the role play area and posters, which reflect various languages.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are valued, included and have their individual needs met appropriately. Children's all round needs are catered for and all children are included within the setting. Staff work consistently with parents, carers and with other professionals to provide continuity of care and to aid children's development, thus working in the best interests of the children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The behaviour of children is good. They accept and work with age appropriate strategies, stickers, star charts, certificates, praise and encouragement, to promote positive behaviour. For example, praise is provided to children upon completion of their paintings and when they correctly identify pictures following descriptions from staff. Children are encouraged to share, as staff explain during the train track game about sharing. Children are delighted when receiving stickers for singing well during singing time, thus developing their confidence and self esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately as they learn to take turns and share, for example, when waiting for their turn in the water play tray.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Children's individual needs are well met because of the good relationships which have been established with parents. Information is shared through written policies and procedures, through displays and notice boards, daily discussions, link diaries and parents evenings, ensuring parents remain fully informed. The daily link diaries provide opportunities for parents to record their views about their children's progress at home. Parents are provided with written information about the foundation stage curriculum and the 'Birth to three matters' framework to help them to understand about their child's progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Annual questionnaires are provided to parents to seek their views about the service provided and any comments are acted upon to help to develop the service.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are involved in their children's learning by being informed about the various topics and themes within newsletters. They are encouraged to bring in items form home which link to the various topics, thus helping to develop positive home to nursery links.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Good procedures are in place for the recruitment of staff, who are all trained to level three in childcare. Good staff to child ratios are maintained, thereby ensuring that children receive appropriate levels of support to help their individual developmental requirements.

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Organisation

Time and space is organised effectively so that children are able to independently play and relax within the setting. Children access varied resources both indoors and outdoors, which helps in promoting their all round development. Time is effectively organised to cater for structured, free play and snack times and children under two years follow their own individual routines, therefore meeting children's individual needs.

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Organisation

Documentation is well maintained in line with the National Standards and therefore helps in promoting the safe and efficient management of the setting. Thus, the welfare and care of children is maintained.

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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 The quality of leadership and management of the nursery education is good. There is a clear understanding by staff of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum and staff are clear on their roles, responsibilities and deployment areas. Good curriculum planning is in place and is implemented and delivered by staff effectively, which helps to ensure the provision of nursery education is effective in helping children progress.

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Organisation

New staff are inducted and there is a formal staff appraisal system in place, through which staff identify their own training needs and access appropriate training as required. Thereby helping to maintain the good service provided to children who attend Silverdawn Day Nursery.

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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

Following the last inspection there were three recommendations raised relating to documentation, partnership with parents and premises.

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Improvements since the last inspection

All three recommendations have received attention. A record of fire drills is maintained, any child protection concerns are shared with parents and the baby unit is free from odour.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Due to the action taken, the care and safety of children has been enhanced.

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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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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): • promote the safety of children by practising emergency evacuation procedures on a regular basis, making safe the pipe area within the baby unit toilet and by providing a fire blanket within the building for children aged two to five years.

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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):

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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 • develop planning to include differentiation outlining how the more and less able children are to be supported and ensure the next steps in children's learning provides sufficient detail.

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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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