Fairytales Day Nursery

Fairytales Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY267429 Unique Reference Number 13 February 2008 Inspection date Permjit Tanda Inspector

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Bourne Street, Dudley, West Midlands, DY2 7AL Setting Address

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01384 230400 Telephone number fairytalesdaynursery@unicombox.co.uk E-mail Fairytales Day Nursery Limited Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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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?

Fairytales Day Nursery has been registered since 2003. It is sited in a refurbished church hall building close to the centre of Dudley town. A maximum of 74 children may attend the nursery at any one time. This includes children aged up to ten years who attend the out of school element of the setting. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, all year round from 07.00 to 19.00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Currently there are 96 children on roll. This includes 4 funded four-years-olds and 21 funded three-year-olds. Children attend a variety of sessions. There are effective systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or those who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 19 members of staff employed to work directly with the children. All staff hold relevant 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. Children are welcomed into a clean environment where they can play, rest, sleep and be active according to their needs. Children stay healthy because staff follow current and appropriate environmental health and hygiene guidelines, policies and procedures. The effective systems around nappy changing and the cleaning of areas and equipment children use helps prevent the spread of infection. The good adult support and guidance helps older and younger children gain an understanding of appropriate hygiene, for example, they learn to wash their hands in preparation for meals, snacks and after visiting the toilet. Children easily talk about the need to wash their hands in order to prevent illness. All the required medication and accident recording formats are in place along with well-stocked first aid boxes which are easily accessible. Staff respond well to the needs of the child if accidents occur but on occasions accidents are not

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Helping children to be healthy

recorded promptly in the accident book. This potentially compromises the children’s welfare on these occasions.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children make effective use of the outdoor play area because it is inviting and available through organised outdoor play sessions. The play area for older children is organised well with designated areas for children to sit and socialise and resources are made readily available to help children be self-sufficient. Children have opportunities to increase their imagination and creativity through activities such as the pretend ambulance, easel, musical instruments and water play. Younger children and babies benefit from a separate area which is easily accessed from their playroom. Staff use the outdoor area well as an extension of activities children experience indoors; however, often insufficient space is allowed in both play areas for children to engage in energetic play such as riding tricycles freely and using a challenging range of physical play resources to support their specific skills. Indoors babies acquire new physical skills

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Helping children to be healthy

because they have a safe space indoors to lie, roll and crawl. Pre-school children have opportunities to use smaller physical equipment such as hoops and balancing equipment indoors in an additional room.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished and hydrated throughout the day. They have access to drinking water and enjoy fresh fruit, vegetables and milk at snack time. Lunch meals are freshly prepared, well balanced and take account of the individual and cultural needs of all children. This approach encourages children to make healthy choices and consequently the setting has received a local authority award for promoting good healthy choices for young children. Children’s special dietary requirements and preferences are catered for well. Staff are attentive to the needs of babies who are weaning and they are fed according to their individual needs and options such as pureed fruit and mashed banana offered at snack time. Children enjoy meal times and parent’s wishes are respected.

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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 stimulating environment which is well organised. Accidental injury is minimised because staff are vigilant and use thorough risk assessments to reduce potential hazards in the environment. Staff have a good understanding of how to achieve a balance between freedom and setting safe limits. They supervise the children well and organise the environment, allowing them to trust and explore their environment fully. Children learn to keep themselves safe through their daily experiences, for example, older children manage the stairs

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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 and the walk from the nursery to the outdoor play area well because staff gently remind them of the boundaries in place and the reasons for them. Children freely use good quality equipment appropriate to their age and stage of development. All resources and equipment are checked and monitored regularly for safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected by staff of who all have a good knowledge and understanding of child protection policies and procedures and how to implement them effectively. All the required policies and procedures for the safe management of the setting are in place and regularly updated.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are welcomed in to a child-orientated environment. They arrive happy and eager to participate. Children make good progress because staff recognise the uniqueness of each child. Close and caring relationships increase children’s sense of trust and help them develop a strong sense of self. Babies under two years are cared for in an area which is organised with their needs in mind, for example, immobile babies benefit from a space where they can sit, lie and explore safely. All babies have many opportunities to explore and discover through a varied range of creative activities. Staff plan regular opportunities for them to increase their sensory skills through experiencing activities such as cooked pasta, ice cubes, jelly and rice. Children regularly use the sand, paint and dough. They have the freedom to engage and play with what interests them, for example, children are self-assured as they crawl around the room and pull

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

themselves up confidently on to fixtures and happily explore their reflection whilst looking in the mirrors. Staff plan a good range of experiences which are meaningful and appropriate to the children’s development and therefore children show good levels of interest in what is available. Babies make contact with adults and gain their attention and staff build and support their early communication through good eye contact, the use of facial expressions and varied voice tones. They enjoy singing and action songs and actively take part in their favourite songs, for example, children understand it is time for dinner through singing their special dinner song. Staff are warm, caring and attentive to their needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

In the toddler room there is a strong focus for children to develop a healthy independence and increase their self-help skills. They benefit from a playroom which is well organised where they have the autonomy to decide what to do. They have the confidence and abilities to initiate their own play and do so with ease as they move around their play room selecting what they want to play with. Children are inquisitive and curious because staff plan a variety of experiences for their enjoyment and learning. A group of children are enthralled whilst touching and tasting the custard powder mixed with water on a tray. Staff make good use of everyday objects and natural materials to capture the children’s interest through presenting activities imaginatively and creatively. Children often become inspired and are eager to participate through a stimulating environment; for example, children thoroughly enjoy opening the tops and smelling the various

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

empty shampoo bottles, whilst others are pre-occupied with the blow of air which is released when they squeeze them. Children engage in role play and staff build on their play well through pretending with them and talking about what they are doing. Children enjoy books and stories and this fondness is further enhanced through children visiting the local library weekly to take part in story and music sessions.

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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 The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are interested and motivated to learn because staff are confident in their role. Children are often inspired by the extended range of activities and resources provided for their enjoyment. Many children are absorbed in their chosen play, for example, they use the sand, water and paint to be creative, explore and investigate. Children are inquisitive and curious and manipulate and observe objects that interest them. They begin to make sense of the world and express their ideas as they join in a wide range of exploratory and sensory experiences such as exploring the properties of corn-flour, paint, sand, water and dough. All children are eager to learn because of the stimulating environment provided for them. They sit patiently, listening intently during story sessions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff maintain the children’s interest through interesting questions and appropriate explanations and introduce new vocabulary and various concepts well. Children confidently participate in group discussions and are keen to answer questions. During circle time children share how they are feeling and what has made them happy or sad. They talk clearly and show an awareness of others.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy mark-making to represent their ideas and pencil control is developing well through children using chalk boards, painting and colouring. Staff incorporate early mathematical concepts well such as recognising numerals, counting, weighing using language to compare and describe, through meaningful practical experiences which makes learning fun. Children enjoy outdoor play and learn to move confidently, imaginatively and safely. They handle tools, objects, and construction materials safely and with increased control. Children make good use of the computer because staff are confident in their approach and use it well to aid children’s learning in their mathematical development and literacy skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff leading the educational programme have a good understanding of the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage; they work well as a team and support each other in order to benefit the children. Children use an inviting and well-maintained environment and staff prepare and plan an extensive range of good resources, which support their learning across all of the six areas of learning. However, staff do not always effectively monitor how well children use some of the areas within the room. This is especially evident in the writing area, science and role play area. Children make little use of these areas because they lack challenge and do not fully engage the children’s interest. Staff organise adult-led, adult-supported and child-initiated play opportunities and plan their time well so most is spent working directly with the children. On occasions, however, staff do not always pitch the activities at correct level for the varying

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

learning needs within the group and therefore the children’s interests are not always sustained. Staff observe what the children do and use systematic assessments and record children’s achievements. They are in the early stages of using this information to help plan for the children’s next steps in their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. All children are welcomed and are given the opportunity to take full part in the nursery day. Children gain self-assurance through warm relationships with staff that are aware of their individual needs. Babies are fed and sleep according to their individual needs and routine throughout the day. Babies are well nourished and staff are attentive to their needs at meal times and support them well. A familiar staff team means the children’s individual needs are met well. Children are valued, respected as individuals, and treated with equal concern as the staff have a secure understanding of equality issues. Staff are able to adapt the environment and activities to meet the needs of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Children learn to use sign language as

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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 part of the nursery day and understand the reasons why. This approach helps them learn about the needs of others in a positive manner. Children learn about the wider world through planned activities and resources reflecting positive images of race, culture and gender.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are confident and understand what is expected, they work well together and have good relationships with adults. Staff support children in sharing and turn taking and they respond well to gentle reminders to care for the environment, the resources and for each other. Staff set consistent boundaries for the children, which helps them learn to negotiate with others and take responsibility for their own behaviour. Children learn to understand right and wrong in a positive environment where their achievements are celebrated through praise and reward.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Children’s needs are met well because staff actively seek parent’s views about their children’s needs and interests before the child starts at the setting. There is an efficient system in place to inform parents about children’s daily activities and progress through the use of daily written records, discussion and six monthly parents’ evenings and written reports. Parents are provided with good quality information about the setting and its provision through a detailed parent pack which includes the nursery polices and an additional booklet which includes information about the curriculum. Regular newsletters, written correspondence and effective use of notice boards and an information table encourages parents to be involved in nursery life. Children benefit from the involvement of their parents, which contributes to their well-being at the setting.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. There is a detailed operational plan understood and implemented well by the staff team to benefit the children. Polices and procedures are implemented effectively by enthusiastic and dedicated staff who enjoy the role they play in the lives of the children in their care. Rigorous and robust procedures are in place for recruiting and vetting staff to ensure they are suitably qualified and experienced. All practitioners receive an induction into the policies and procedures that govern the smooth operation of the setting. The environment is organised to maximise opportunities for children and they are cared for in groups according to their age and developmental stage.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. Regular discussions with staff keep management informed of particular skills and training needs and the management demonstrates a strong commitment to staff training and development. Therefore staff are suitably qualified staff, experienced and confident and use the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage and the 'Birth to three matters' framework well to help children make good progress in their play and learning.

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Organisation

Staff give good regard to the well-being of the children they care for and the key worker system adopted ensures staff communicate well to meet the children’s needs. The commitment from staff ensures all adults work well together to promote children’s health, achievement and enjoyment. All legally required documentation, which contributes to children’s health, safety and well-being is in place and regularly reviewed.

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Organisation

The well motivated and committed management and staff team all contribute to the day to day running of the nursery and its continued improvement and development. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection two actions and four recommendations were made to improve the safety , welfare and care of the children. All have been successfully addressed and therefore some good progress made since the last inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The two actions raised were in regards to the provider meeting the registration requirements. One was to ensure that no more children under the age of two years be accepted on roll until the existing numbers met the original conditions of registration and secondly, to ensure that all conditions of registration complied with at all times. Through consultation with Ofsted a variation was agreed to increase the number of children being cared for under two years from 12 to 15 to allow a greater flexibility to move older babies to the toddler room when they are developmentally ready.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The four recommendations raised were made to improve the care of children. The provider was asked to ensure that children's individual needs are appropriately met with particular regard to children under two years. Through staff training and a flexible routine, children under two years are no longer woken to eat their meal but instead it saved for when they are ready eat. Fresh drinking water is readily available to children at all times throughout the day through the provision of water towers and cups. The introductions of thorough risk assessments and staff checking rooms daily means staff are effective in reducing hazards to children particularly when children are sleeping and outside. The nappy changing procedure has improved and the risk of cross-infection reduced. Better practice has been adopted through consultation with relevant agencies regarding employing effective procedures for nappy changing routines.

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Complaints since the last inspection

On 31 August 2007 Ofsted received concerns about the awareness of members of staff and their need to maintain privacy and confidentiality. This relates to National Standard:12 Working in partnership with parents and carers. Ofsted wrote to the provider asking for a full internal investigation to be conducted and to report back to Ofsted of their findings. The provider submitted a full investigation, which was reviewed by Ofsted. No breaches of standard were identified, and Ofsted took take no further action in relation to this matter. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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 accidents are recorded fully and promptly

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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 • provide sufficient space for children outdoors to engage in energetic play.

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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): • effectively monitor and evaluate the children's interests, paying particular attention to the role play area, science and writing area and adapt as necessary • plan more effectively for the individual learning needs within the group to ensure activities are pitched at the level of the child.

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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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