Happy Hours Private Day Nursery

Happy Hours Private Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY277855 Unique Reference Number 17 March 2008 Inspection date Sandra Davies Inspector

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Moresby Woods, Low Moresby, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 6RS Setting Address

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E-mail

K.L.S. (Cumbria) Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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?

Happy Hours Private Day Nursery, Moresby Woods has been registered since February 2004. It is situated in a rural location near to the village of Moresby and serves families in the surrounding area. Children are cared for in two connecting nursery buildings. The main building normally accommodates babies and children aged up to three years, and the pre-school building is used for children aged three years and over. Regular outdoor play is provided in an enclosed area situated in the grounds and children are also taken into the extensive wider grounds for structured outdoor activities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery provides full day care for up to 64 children aged from birth to eight years including out of school care during school holiday periods. There are currently 104 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. Funded nursery education places are at present provided for 32 children. The nursery currently supports children who have learning difficulties and children who speak English as a second language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open from 07.45 to 17.30 on Mondays to Fridays for 49 weeks of the year.

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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 owner is the manager of the nursery. There are 12 childcare staff employed who also cover cooking and cleaning duties. All except two hold an appropriate level 3 childcare qualification. Additional relief staff are also available. The nursery is a member of a number of national organisations including the Pre-School Learning Alliance, and also receives support from Cumbria Children's Services.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The nursery environment is bright and cheerful. Staff follow good health and hygiene routines. For example, children's hand washing takes place before meals and teeth are cleaned afterwards. Staff wear disposable gloves as required and clean flannels are used for each nappy change. The changing mats are cleaned with anti-bacterial spray after use. However, the changing mats have tears which expose the inner foam. This does not fully protect children from cross-contamination.

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Helping children to be healthy

Arrangements for first aid and administering medication are well met and most staff hold an appropriate paediatric first aid qualification. There is an accident record in place. However, this is not always signed by parents to acknowledge the entry. A policy on the exclusion of children who are ill or infectious and permission from parents to seek emergency medical advice or treatment promote children's overall health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff consider parents' wishes so that children's individual health and dietary needs are met. Children enjoy well-balanced meals, promoting healthy eating. Meals include a variety of nutritious foods, such as fruit and vegetables. Children learn about healthy eating as they grow their own vegetables and help prepare healthy snacks. Fresh drinking water is available at all times to ensure children are not thirsty.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a range of physical activity, which contributes to their overall good health. They are developing coordination and control of their bodies as they negotiate the available space and manoeuvre wheeled toys around. There are opportunities for fresh air on a daily basis and children are taken in the wooded area belonging to the nursery. Babies and children are able to rest and sleep according to their needs and when tired they are made comfortable. There is a separate cot room available.

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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 secure and safe indoor and outdoor environment. Artwork, posters and displays enhance the environment, promoting children's learning and their sense of belonging. Mobiles suspended from the ceilings help to create an interesting and exciting environment. All children are able to play freely as immediate risks are identified and minimised. Vigilant staff protect children. They ensure the main doors are kept locked at all times and children's arrival and collection times are well managed. There is an intercom on the external door and closed circuit television cameras are in operation. The outdoor play area is checked for hazards prior to the children going out. A section of the baby room is partitioned off for the less mobile babies.

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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 All the required documentation, records and procedures are in place to ensure the children's safety. Toys and resources are stored so that children can reach them easily, make choices and develop their independence. Equipment and toys are of a suitable design and the condition checked regularly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected as comprehensive risk assessments are carried out as required. A visitors record is maintained and there is a lost and uncollected children policy in place. There are opportunities for children to learn to keep themselves safe, for example, when learning to cross the road safely during a road safety activity, during a fire officer's visit to talk about the danger of matches, when talking about stranger danger and when taking part in fire drills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded because staff have a good understanding of their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures into practice when necessary. The nursery manager has accessed safeguarding children training and comprehensive procedures are in place.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy to participate and settle well in the nursery environment. Caring relationships foster children's self-esteem and enable them to explore and enjoy learning. Overall, children are busy and occupied. They confidently make choices about their play, independently selecting activities from the suitable range available. Children are encouraged to socialise during meal times and when playing together.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Activities and play opportunities are purposeful and developmentally appropriate, resulting in children being motivated and interested, for example, singing, painting, sand and water play, story time and playing in the home corner. Staff are using the 'Birth to three matters' framework to help them enhance daily experiences for children. All areas of development and learning are available and this is evident in the planning and assessment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are learning to share and enjoy being with others, reassured by the presence of familiar adults. Babies enjoy a range of discovery and sensory resources such as soft toys, musical toys and sand play. Staff encourage babies to interact by playing with them on their level and responding to them appropriately.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff's experience and knowledge of the Foundation Stage is developing and teaching supports children's learning. An interesting and varied range of activities is planned by the staff. Assessments are used to inform planning and make sure there are no gaps in learning. Targets for some children are not always sufficiently challenging to help them move onto the next stage in their development. Teaching methods promote learning and staff use appropriate questioning to extend children's thoughts and ideas. The room is well arranged to include all areas of play and learning with labelling, number and letter posters, friezes and children's artwork displayed, promoting a stimulating learning environment. There is a good balance of child-led and adult-led activities, resulting in children having opportunities to make their own decisions about their play. Children are well motivated and

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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 Children show high levels of involvement and concentration, for example, as they paint, are engrossed in a computer activity or join others to do a jigsaw. They sit quietly and are attentive for extended periods of time as they listen to a story. Confidence and self-esteem are developing well as children happily separate from their main carer and go off to play. Children are making good relationships with their peers. They are confident to approach staff who praise and encourage them. Children are developing their independence as they select activities and resources and are beginning to manage their own personal care, for example, putting on coats, taking jumpers off when they are too hot and hand washing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children respond to instruction well, for example, when they are asked to line up to go outdoors to the play area. They sustain attentive listening, responding to what they have heard with relevant comments and questions during story time. Talk is used in imaginary situations in the home corner and when acting out a café role play. Children enjoy rhyming and rhythmic activities, initiated by staff members. Children hold books correctly and handle them carefully. Older children are beginning to recognise some letters and familiar words, for example, their own name card. Children have opportunities to draw and paint, and engage in activities requiring hand-eye coordination. They use one handed tools and equipment, such as paintbrushes, scissors and pencils, and manipulate objects with increasing control.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show an interest in numbers and counting. For example, children help to count the number of plates, the number of pips in the apples and the number of wheels on the car they are painting. Children have some opportunities to calculate, measure and consider shape and space, for example, when using construction resources, water play, and naming and drawing shapes. There is a well resourced number area which children freely access.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have good opportunities to explore and investigate. They examine objects and living things to find out more about them, for example, when growing potatoes, watching the lambs in the adjoining field and searching for hedgehogs. When questioned, a child was aware that a caterpillar becomes a chrysalis and then a butterfly. They smell and touch herbs in the garden and pick the daffodils in the wooded area. Children develop their designing and making skills, joining construction pieces together to build and balance. This gives children the opportunity to begin to try out a range of simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately. There are computers and a camera available, giving children the opportunity to operate programmable equipment. Children develop a sense of time and place as they talk about spring and Easter. They have opportunities to find out about their own culture and those of others, such as through

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

visits, being involved in fundraising events and carrying out activities relating to Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year and Eid. A child confidently answered questions about an African doll and pointed to Africa on the map.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children move freely with pleasure and confidence. There is a good outdoor play area and extended wooded area available to the children. Children show increasing control using equipment as they climb, scramble and ride. Children are able to use movement to express feelings when taking part in musical movement.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are able to explore colour, texture, shape and form using the range of craft materials available. Children explore and learn how sounds can be changed as they play the musical instruments. There are lots of opportunities for imaginative play both child-initiated and adult-led. Children take part in imaginative games and role play as they play in the home corner, the cafe and with the dressing up clothes. They play cooperatively as part of a group and are happy to engage in solitary activities.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Equal opportunities are promoted within the nursery and all children are welcomed. Children have opportunities to learn about the wider world and the local community through activities and resources, for example, 'people who help us', dressing up costumes from around the world, small world people and jigsaws depicting diversity. The setting has systems in place to support children with learning difficulties or disabilities and children are included in the group well. Staff are proactive in accommodating children with specific needs and work closely with parents to promote the welfare and development of children. This positive approach means that children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are well behaved. Staff encourage children to play harmoniously with others and good behaviour is praised and encouraged. Staff are aware of their responsibilities in relation to behaviour management and parents are made aware of methods used.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Positive relationships have been established with parents, promoting children's sense of security. Children benefit from the two-way sharing of information about their needs and daily routines. Parents are kept well informed of their child's progress as they access their individual files and progress records. They receive written information about the setting on entry and the policies and procedures are available. Further information is provided to parents who have children receiving nursery education. There is information and photographs of staff displayed in the entrance area. The inspection report is made available and parents are made aware of the complaints procedure. Parents are happy and comfortable in the setting and are made to feel welcome. They are able to talk to staff about their child when dropping off and collecting them. A good relationship is evident and this has a positive impact on the children's well-being.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The recruitment and vetting procedures are robust. This ensures children are well protected and are cared for by staff who are qualified in childcare. There are training opportunities for staff to further their knowledge and understanding of childcare. These include equal opportunities, risk assessment and child protection.

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Organisation

Attendance records and observation indicate that adult to child ratios are effectively maintained throughout the day and generally group size and deployment of staff contribute positively to children's care, learning and play. However, at certain times in the day, this does not fully support the older children and make full use of their time. For example, the large number of children in one room watching the TV and the pre-school children waiting for an extended period of time to go outdoors.

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Organisation

The organisation and the layout of easily accessible resources support children's learning well. Policies, procedures and documentation required for the safe and efficient management of the provision are available, promoting children's health, safety and enjoyment. However, at times, the register is completed in advance for the day. This compromises children's safety. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education are good. The proprietor leads by example, continuing to pursue further training and qualifications. The staff have a sound understanding of their roles and responsibilities in developing children's learning and are

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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 committed to this. Procedures to appraise staff development needs are in place and access to training is encouraged.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection a recommendation was made to ensure that children are allocated to a key group with a consistent key worker and ensure that each child under two years has the opportunity to interact with a consistent adult at frequent intervals throughout the day. Children are allocated a key worker who is responsible for the child's development. In the baby room there are three full time permanent members of staff working with the children and they are able to show a preference for a particular member of staff. A recommendation was also made to ensure that meal times are effectively organised to offer children an enjoyable group experience that develops their social skills and independence. Meal times are well organised and children are developing their social skills. The recommendation to ensure that hygienic hand wiping provision is routinely available has been addressed.

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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 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): • ensure that the accident record is always signed by parents to acknowledge the entry • reduce the risk of cross-infection by ensuring that changing mats are in good condition • ensure that the register is completed accurately as children arrive and leave.

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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): • ensure that individual targets set for children are sufficiently challenging to move them onto the next stage in their development

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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 • improve the organisation of group sizes, staff deployment and use of time, at certain parts of the day, to further promote children's development (also applies to care).

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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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