Briercliffe Nursery

Briercliffe Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY253270 Unique Reference Number 12 March 2008 Inspection date Cynthia Walker Inspector

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Briercliffe Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 2HA Setting Address

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E-mail

Briercliffe Education Centre Ltd 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Briercliffe Education Centre Ltd has been operational since 1987 and was registered under the present owners in 2003 and is privately owned. The nursery operates from a converted church hall in Briercliffe, Burnley. There are four playrooms where children are grouped dependent on their ages and stages of development and an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery serves the local community. It operates from Monday to Friday from 07.30 until 17.30 for 51 weeks of the year.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered to care for 54 children under eight years. Currently there are 77 children attending the nursery throughout the week, of these, 30 children are in receipt of nursery education funding. The nursery offers occasional holiday care for children under eight years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 14 childcare staff, a nursery manager, an administrator and one ancillary worker. Over half the childcare staff have appropriate early years qualifications and one member

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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 of staff is working towards appropriate qualifications. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are well nourished and enjoy a variety of meals and snacks which incorporate a good selection of fruit and vegetables. The nursery has achieved the 'Smiling for Life' accreditation and the meals are reflected in a three weekly rotating menu. Dietary needs are discussed with parents and efficiently recorded within the nursery to ensure the children's needs are met. Children are able to access fresh drinking water throughout the day. Good discussions at lunchtime enable children to understand the importance of certain foods as they explain that the dinner helps them grow big and strong.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing an understanding of personal hygiene as they wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet. They confidently explain that they are washing their hands because they are dirty and they need to wash away the germs, which leads into an interesting discussion about the different types of soap used at home. Staff demonstrate that children are cared for appropriately if they have an accident or need medication because they follow suitable procedures. The children's entry record and discussions with parents establish the children's routines which enable staff to ensure children have appropriate rest or sleep. Younger children are developing emotional well-being through close and caring relationships.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy physical activity by daily access to the outdoor area. They explain that they enjoy playing out and that day they had particularly enjoyed racing against each other and excitedly share that they had not wanted to be 'Mr Wolf' in the chasing game. Younger children enjoy the freedom of running around the soft play area and actively chase balls. Children's physical development is supported by resources which include wheeled toys, a climbing frame, a parachute, small equipment and outdoor boxes to support areas of learning, such as imaginative.

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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 warm, safe and secure environment where risks are identified and minimised. Named officers for risk assessment and fire ensure that safety is regularly reviewed and maintained whilst children are at the nursery. Regular fire practises every month and detailed procedures reinforce the children's understanding of fire safety. The use of the yellow warning notices by the water tray encourages children to learn about keeping safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All the playrooms are creatively arranged to allow children to move independently and spontaneously around all areas of play and learning. Displays of children's artwork and their involvement in a variety of activities ensure the environment is welcoming to children. Children are accessing a good range of resources which are appropriate to their ages and stages of development and actively support their play and learning. Resources are well arranged to enable children to make spontaneous decisions about the toys and resources they are going to use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are effectively safeguarded by staff who have a sound understanding of child protection procedures and have recently attended safeguarding training to update and maintain their

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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 knowledge and understanding. However, the nursery child protection policy does not reflect new guidance linked to the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time in nursery and arrive happy and eager to participate. Younger children are making good progress because the staff have developed an effective understanding of the needs of children under three and plan a wide range of interesting activities. Regular observations are being completed on the children which include the children's future learning, and the key workers have a good understanding of the individual children's progress. Detailed first day observations give an interesting assessment of their stage of learning and development. However, the children's future learning identified in observations is not consistently used to formally direct future planning. Children's observation files include examples of their creativity and a parent link page.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children acquire new skills as they join in a wide range of interesting activities. They enjoy experimenting with balls as they throw them across the room or give them to the adults present to throw to them. Children are fascinated when they get a small ball stuck in a jug and keep repeating the process to observe it being knocked out. They explore the texture of glue as they spread it across the paper before sticking lentils to complete a picture. Children are finding a voice as they repeat simple words and say 'Hiya' to visiting adults. They laugh and chuckle as they point to family members and identify grandma, displayed in a book about their families. The children over two years old enjoy looking at books as they carefully turn the pages and look at the illustrations using good concentration skills. Children are absorbed in exploring their senses as they carefully dribble sand across both of their hands and carefully move it up

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their arms. They work harmoniously together as they play on an adapted computer whilst others show they care as they cuddle another child who is upset. Children enjoy exploring the properties of paint as they roll a ball covered in paint around an oval shape. Photographs highlight children having a dolls tea party, wearing Easter bonnets and exploring jelly, pasta, artificial snow and ice.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Although there have been recent changes to the staff team, they are planning a suitable range of activities which reflect the needs of the less and more able children. However, some activity planning has insufficient detail on what the activities involve or what staff hope to achieve. Observations are being completed on the children and although the children's next steps for learning are not formally identified, staff have a competent knowledge of their key children's progress which they discuss informally as a team on a weekly basis. However, information about the children's next steps for learning is not used to inform the future planned activities. Children are positively praised by staff for their achievements and there are positive relationships between staff and children. The staff's enthusiasm and sensitive involvement encourages children to maintain and extend their learning

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in most areas. The room is creatively arranged into an interesting learning environment with accessible resources which enables children to progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a positive attitude to learning and maintain an active interest in most of the activities provided. They use their initiative and take responsibility for their own play, although they are not always encouraged to broaden the areas of play and learning they are using. Children are confident communicators and use language to explain who 'Cliff' or 'Clifford' 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 bear is and what happens when he goes home with you. Language is used to negotiate at play as they work in the construction area and they confidently share experiences from home at circle time. Children become enthusiastically involved in the story and demonstrate good anticipation and enjoy the simple rhyming included in the story, such as cool and pool. Name cards are constructively used as most children recognise their individual name at circle time or use them to identify where they sit for lunch or to self register on arrival at the nursery. However, there is limited use of simple phonics or the development of listening skills within the daily routine. Children confidently count to 13 and recognise numerals. Planned activities reflect areas of mathematical learning, although this is not regularly reflected within the daily routines.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use good concentration to skilfully construct interesting models using small wooden bricks. They experience some other aspects of knowledge and understanding of the world, for example, planting seeds which will grow into petunias or sweet peas. Children have excellent imagination particularly in the role play area and the 'auto area'. They work harmoniously together as they discuss the charges for repairs on cars and charge £40 for a new tyre. Children sit in rows in the role play area with the child at the front holding a plate which they explain is the steering wheel. They explain that they are all going on a trip to Blackpool and agree that they might go and see the broken ship. Displays reflect a variety of interesting and very imaginative individual paintings of items the children like to play with at nursery which include playing with dinosaurs, putting the dolls to bed and making sandcastles. Children carefully

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

paint an egg for Easter using good hand-eye coordination.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are developing a positive attitude to others through a good range of resources which include books, dolls, dressing up clothes, toy utensils, jigsaws and small world figures. The participation in activities reinforces the children's understanding of their own cultures and those of others, for example, celebrating different festivals, such as Chinese New Year, and visits at harvest to the local nursing home. Discussions with parents as the children begin their care establish the children's individual needs. There are systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and disabilities. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well in response to the calm and consistent responses from staff. They are confident within the routines of the nursery and respond to the staff's expectations particularly at tidy up time and meal times. Children have developed positive relationships with each other and play harmoniously together at activities, such as role play. They share resources whilst playing with small world figures and construction and take turns. Children are proud of the nursery bear called 'Cliff' who they take turns to take home for the weekend and care for him, which is reflected in a diary with some photographs. Younger children are developing self-assurance from close and effective relationships with staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are actively welcomed into the nursery and receive effective information about the nursery through a detailed information pack, noticeboards and monthly newsletters. Parents of children moving to the Foundation Stage receive a detailed pack giving appropriate information linked to their children's learning. The nursery takes efficient steps to ensure that parents are kept well informed of all the policies and procedures. Parents of younger children are kept informed of their children's achievements through daily diaries whilst the older children's achievements are shared at parents evenings held twice a year. The children's assessment records include a parents link sheet which gives parents the opportunity to comment on their children's progress and share information from

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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 home. The newsletter highlights the topics children are going to be involved in and parents are asked to contribute items from home. However, ideas to extend or support areas of learning within the home are not included.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. All the required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place. Appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to determine the suitability of staff members to safeguard the children attending the nursery. Staff appraisals which are completed every three months ensure suitability is regularly monitored. Documentation is supported by detailed policies and procedures which are reviewed every three months and are reflected in daily practice, for example, behaviour. The staff development records highlight the nursery's positive attitude to regular training. Space within the nursery is creatively organised to enhance the play and learning opportunities for children.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is satisfactory. Clear staffing procedures and management structure are in place to support an enthusiastic staff team which has undergone recent changes. There are procedures in place to monitor the overall provision, although there is no clear system in place to evaluate the provision for nursery education to ensure all aspects of learning are included. The nursery liaises with advisors from the local authority to improve the quality of education for 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 nursery was given one recommendation in relation to the role of the manager. At a subsequent visit the nursery was given two actions in relation to informing Ofsted of any changes and the suitability of staff members.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery has increased the staffing structure to ensure that both the administrator and the manager are supernumerary to promote the effective management of the setting for children. Ofsted has been informed of all significant changes to the management structure and there are appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures in place to determine the suitability of staff members to safeguard the children attending the nursery.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since last inspection Ofsted received concerns regarding National Standard 2: Suitability. An Ofsted inspector visited the nursery and actions were raised and the Standard was satisfactorily met. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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 satisfactory.

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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): • review the nursery's child protection policy to reflect the Local Safeguarding Children Board • maintain consistency in ensuring all younger children's future learning, identified within their assessment programme, is used to directly inform future planning.

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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): • review the planned programme of activities to include more detail on what the activities hope to achieve and what is involved, and improve the opportunities within the daily routine to extend children's mathematical development, simple phonics and mark making • improve the methods of assessment to include the children's next steps for learning and directly link this information to future planning • increase the opportunities for parents to become involved in their children's learning • improve the methods of evaluating the overall programme of activities to ensure all aspects of learning are included particularly knowledge and understanding of the world.

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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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