Buttercups Day Nursery Ltd

Buttercups Day Nursery Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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EY355458 Unique Reference Number 02 June 2008 Inspection date Hazel Stuart-Buddery / Catherine Hill Inspector

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14 Tweseldown Road, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire, GU52 8DE Setting Address

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01252 669982 Telephone number info@buttercupsdaynursery.co.uk E-mail Buttercups Day Nursery Ltd. 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?

Buttercups Day Nursery Ltd was registered in 2007. It is privately owned by two directors and has an on-site manager. It was originally opened in 2002. The nursery operates from a detached building situated in Church Crookham, Fleet and is close to local infant and junior schools. The building has been especially adapted and has an enclosed outside play area. Internally there is a baby room, sleep room, soft play room and kitchen upstairs with older children accommodated downstairs in rooms with low level dividers. Suitable toilet facilities are on both levels with the nursery office on the ground floor. Children attending come mainly from the local area. There are currently 54 children on roll, including 17 funded children. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week for 51 weeks

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

of the year from 07.45 to 18.00. The group employ eight full-time and three part-time staff to work with the children. A cook is employed and the nursery has staff to cover absences. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3 and 4.

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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 learn the importance of personal hygiene through daily routines. Staff have good procedures in place, they use gloves and wear an apron for all nappy changes. The environment is clean and tidy and children receive good support to develop hygiene practices. However, not all children in the nursery are encouraged to wash their hands before every meal or snack. Parents give prior written consent for any medication to be administered, this ensures children receive the correct dosage according to their needs. Children have a good choice of nutritious meals and snacks and have independent access to water throughout the session. This helps them to develop good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle from a young age. All meals are cooked on the premises and all dietary and medical needs are taken into account. Children are cared for appropriately if there is an accident as all staff hold a current first aid certificate.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from daily use of the outside play area. They enjoy riding bikes and pushing themselves along in cars. Children develop their physical skills as they use glue sticks and large paint brushes with increasing skill as they make junk models. Babies receive lots of warmth and affection from the staff. This supports their emotional well-being and gives them the confidence to explore new experiences.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from playing in a well-organised and accessible environment. This allows them to move around freely and safely. Children are kept safe in the nursery owing to the care given by staff who are vetted and who demonstrate a good awareness of safety. For example, staff gently remind younger children they should not throw the toys and give good explanations as to why. Children play safely in a secure environment. Risk assessments are completed daily, weekly and termly. Children are unable to leave the premises unsupervised and visitors ring the bell to gain entry.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are able to explore a range of resources in the nursery. They access toys and equipment that are clean, safe and suitable for their ages. All rooms within the nursery are warm and welcoming with good displays of children's creative work.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good awareness of the signs and symptoms of abuse and know what action to take if they have concerns about a child in their care. This ensures the welfare of the children is promoted with regard to child protection.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and occupied throughout the nursery. Staff are deployed well and interact appropriately with the children. Babies have a wide range of resources readily accessible to encourage them to explore and investigate. Some children smile happily as they shake up and down a bottle with beads inside. They rhythmically move their bodies as music is played in the background while shaking the bottles as hard as they can. Children are mesmerized by the bubbles constantly falling from the bubble machine. Some children use their arms to try to catch the bubbles and purse their lips together trying hard to blow them. The facial expressions

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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 and gurgling noises they make show how excited they are. Toddlers enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. They play well together and use their imagination. Some children sit together on cushions and feed the baby dolls with bottles of milk. They confidently explain that 'The babies need milk as they are crying and won't go to sleep', and use pillows to lay the babies down, patting their backs to help them to sleep. Other children enjoy using mops and brushes to sweep the floor, they use big sweeping movements with their arms to sweep the floor, constantly chatting between themselves about getting the floor clean. Staff work well with the Birth to three matters framework and plan effectively to ensure children's individual needs are met. Children make good progress in their development as staff ensure the development files

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

for the younger children are up-to-date and identify the next steps of learning in their development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are supported with their learning by friendly, caring staff and have daily opportunities to develop in all skill areas. Staff effectively use questions during play to make children think. They act as positive role models with regard to good manners. Short term plans are displayed which show the planned activities for the week. Staff know the children well and which children need extra support with certain tasks, although planning records do not record how activities will be differentiated, for example, to provide challenge for more able children. Regular observations are made of children and these records are maintained in children’s individual development files. However, not all children’s records have been regularly updated to clearly show their progress through the curriculum and there are no short term learning targets recorded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have excellent relationships with staff and each other and are making good progress with their learning. They are happy and settle quickly on arrival at the nursery to an activity of their choice. They play very amicably together, share resources harmoniously and demonstrate good manners as they politely ask another to move aside so they can sit at the computer. They have very good self-esteem which is continually boosted by the praise and encouragement they receive from staff. They show a good motivation to learn and reinforce their skills as they sit, unprompted, at the writing table to mark make and draw. They are confident conversationalists and talk animatedly about their forthcoming holidays and schools they are going to attend. They handle books with care and some use picture clues to interpret the story as they ‘read’ out loud to themselves. They enjoy mark making and use opportunities both

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

indoors and outside to reinforce their skills. Some children are able to write their names unaided with clear recognisable letters. Children’s communication, language and literacy development is generally good, although staff do not make use of everyday opportunities to help children develop their knowledge of letter/sound links.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are comfortable and confident with numbers. They quickly count the 10 children present at circle time and correctly follow the sequence of numbers to nine on a computer programme as they join the dots to make a picture. They count down the number of ‘sleeps’ they have before they are due to go on holiday and develop an understanding of simple calculation through singing number songs. Whilst playing with wooden construction blocks they correctly name the shapes they are building with, for example, a square and semi-circle. Children develop their knowledge and understanding of the world through a variety of planned activities. They learn about the natural world as they hunt for bugs within the nursery grounds, and about the past and present as they look at their family life cycle. Daily calendar activities help reinforce their awareness of the passage of time. Children have good access to information

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and communication technology resources. They have fun as they operate the remote control

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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 to make Peppa the pig’s car move around their base room. They expertly operate the roller ball and button controls as they complete both number and letter activities on the computer whilst using a Mouse Island programme.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Daily outside play provides children with access to a range of equipment to promote their physical skills. They delight in the freedom to run around and show good spatial awareness as they quickly, but safely, manoeuvre wheeled toys around others at play. Staff support children in developing their skills and help them practise throwing and catching balls. Children take ownership of their own learning as they repeatedly practise kicking a ball and balancing as they walk on low level stilts. Indoors, children competently use a variety of tools which help develop their fine motor control, such as scissors, glue sticks and pencils. They use their imagination well during play. For example, one child pretends the weighing scales are a seesaw and sings along as she moves the scales up and down. She selects three shells and pretends they are a family, with the large shell representing the daddy, the medium size shell the mummy and the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

smallest shell being the baby. All children join in enthusiastically with songs, such as ‘The wheels on the bus’, and smile as they match the actions to the words. They enjoy being able to express themselves creatively through free painting and drawing. Staff value children’s work and display, for example, their collage and paint blossom trees within the room.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children feel good about themselves and learn to show respect and consideration for others as they share resources and cooperate in play. Staff appropriately foster children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children make choices about what they want to play with and have access to a range of resources that reflects diversity, such as books, dolls and puzzles.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff are aware of children's individual needs and work in partnership with parents. Children are well behaved and know what is expected of them. Staff have a positive approach to behaviour management and remind children about right from wrong in a calm manner. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement and respond well to reward stickers and clapping from other children when they have done well.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents have free access to their child’s development records and daily opportunities to speak to staff about their children. Twice a year they have more formal opportunities to discuss their child’s progress at parents’ evenings. Staff display information about monthly learning themes on the notice board within the room and short term plans displayed show weekly activities for children. Regular news letters are sent out to parents. A full and comprehensive set of policies and procedures are easily accessible for parents to view.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children settle well and are happy within the nursery where they are familiar with the routines and have trusting relationships with the staff. Staff work well in teams throughout the nursery and are aware of their own roles and responsibilities. Staff plan activities so children have opportunities to progress in most areas of development. The manager ensures all staff have annual appraisals and any training needs are identified at this time. The nursery have a robust recruitment and ongoing suitability procedure in place.

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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 leadership and management of nursery education is good. The provision for nursery education is monitored and evaluated through, for example, discussion at monthly staff meetings. Children’s development records, however, have not been rigorously monitored to ensure they clearly reflect children’s current progress in development and their next steps for learning. Management recognize areas for improvement and have an action plan for development. Staff development is discussed at annual appraisals and continuing professional development supported.

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Organisation

Policies and procedures work in practice to promote children's health, safety, enjoyment and ability to make a positive contribution. Documentation and written records contain all the necessary detail. Management are committed to the ongoing development of the nursery and reflect regularly on their practice to ensure they maintain good standards. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Not applicable: this is the first inspection since registration.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration, there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other then 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): • improve daily hygiene procedures and ensure all children wash hands before eating.

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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 children have regular opportunities to develop their knowledge of letter/sound links; include differentiation within planning records and improve children’s development records by clearly recording their next steps in learning • implement a rigorous system to monitor children’s development records to ensure they are regularly updated to show children’s progress through the curriculum.

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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 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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