Happy Days Nursery

Happy Days Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY364373 Unique Reference Number 22 April 2008 Inspection date Carol Johnson Inspector

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Happy Days Childrens Nursery School, 407 Hagley Road West, BIRMINGHAM, B32 2AD

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Setting Address

0121 4224240 Telephone number happydaysnurseryschool@hotmail.com E-mail Nicola Cotton Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Setting Address

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 Days Nursery originally opened in 1991 and was re-registered in 2007. It is one of three nurseries owned by the provider. It operates from a large three-storey building on the corner of Hagley and White Roads, in the Quinton area of Birmingham. The nursery serves the local area. A maximum of 54 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00. Children have access to a secure outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 54 children from three months to five years on roll. Of these, 20 receive funding for early education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting has systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 15 members of staff who work directly with the children, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority and has achieved a Silver Quality Assurance award.

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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 satisfactory. Children are cared for in a generally clean and well-maintained environment where most staff have attended food hygiene training. Staff are assigned various daily cleaning duties and clearly colour-coded cleaning equipment helps to prevent cross infection. Toys are observed to be clean and thorough nappy changing procedures are in place. However, cleaning routines, in place throughout the nursery, are not always followed by staff and some cushions, used for sleep times, do not have removable covers and are insufficiently laundered. This potentially compromises children’s good health and does not emphasise healthy practice.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are learning about how to protect their own health through consistent routines and regular discussions with staff. Older children are aware of why they need to follow good hand washing routines and are learning about the importance of brushing their teeth properly. Children benefit, in the event of illness or a medical emergency, from the well-stocked and easily accessible first aid supplies and the high number of staff who have attended first aid training. However, children's health and well-being is not fully protected as procedures for the administration of medication are unclear and some paperwork relating to children's health details is not consistently maintained.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's dietary needs are well met because they are offered a wide range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. Meals are attractively presented and meal times are sociable occasions. Older children’s independence is encouraged as they help themselves to the food available with appropriate levels of support from staff. Children are not at risk of dehydration as drinks are freely available. Menus take into account dietary needs and parents have recently been encouraged, in a fun manner, to share information about what their children eat at home. A paper plate was sent home with each child and parents were asked to illustrate, on the plate, what their child likes to eat at home. This demonstrates that parental views are valued and management intend to use this information to review menus so that they reflect parental and children's preferences.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children have daily access to outside play where they benefit from fresh air and plenty of exercise. Within the setting's outdoor play area children can access a wide range of resources, for example, wheeled toys, sand, balance beams, climbing equipment and a slide. Also, they go for walks in the local neighbourhood. Inside, children dance, move to music and can access some of the smaller equipment, for example, tunnels and balls. They also use lots of equipment that helps to develop their fine muscle skills and hand-to-eye co-ordination, for example, scissors, writing equipment and jigsaws.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are able to rest, eat and sleep according to their needs because staff talk to parents about home routines and try and meet children's individual requirements. Staff monitor sleeping children closely and discuss and agree sleeping arrangements with parents. The setting has two travel cots but older babies often sleep in the 'snuggle area', on cushions, on the carpeted floor and this does not fully support their comfort and health needs. Information, regarding children's general health, routines and food intake, is shared on a daily basis and this helps to ensure consistency of care.

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Helping children to be healthy

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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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from the provision's bright and welcoming premises. Displays are bright and attractive and include examples of children's work, photographs of staff and children and general information about the setting. This positively contributes to children's self-esteem and helps to keep parents informed. Space is thoughtfully arranged to provide different areas for rest and play. Resources throughout the nursery are plentiful and staff ensure that they are safe, suitable and developmentally appropriate for the children in their care. Children's independence is actively promoted as a wide selection of toys is safely stored where it is easily accessible.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are cared for in a safe environment because a wide range of steps are in place to reduce potential risks to their safety. An intercom at the main door and the presence of closed-circuit television increases the security and safety for children both inside and out. Comprehensive risk assessments contribute to children's safety and children are only released into the care of known individuals. Staff are vigilant and encourage children to follow safe practices, for example, they remind children not to run inside and to use scissors safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected in the event of a fire or the need to evacuate the premises because emergency exits are kept clear, and appropriate and well-maintained fire safety equipment is in place. Children and all adults in the setting are given regular opportunities to practise procedures for the emergency evacuation of the building and staff are clear with regards to their individual and collective roles and responsibilities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is effectively protected by a staff team who demonstrate a good awareness of child protection issues. They are able to identify possible signs and symptoms of abuse and confidently describe appropriate recording and reporting procedures. They know that their first priority is children's safety and children are not left unsupervised with persons who have not been appropriately vetted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and eager to participate and learn. They enjoy a good balance of spontaneous and carefully planned activities that help to improve their all-round development. Staff demonstrate a caring nature and children have fun. Through discussion staff demonstrate a good knowledge of individual children; they informally observe them to assess their individual needs and children's 'Wow!' moments are recorded and shared with parents. However, these observations are sporadic and are not effectively used to inform planning. Consequently, staff have limited information that they can use to accurately plan for children's play, learning and development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are able to choose from a large selection of good quality toys and equipment that help to support their play and learning. Resources are attractively presented and are available to suit all the different ages and abilities. Children are able to make choices because staff encourage their independence, and some low-level storage offers children regular opportunities to freely select resources, for example, books, role play items and construction toys. Children are given plenty of opportunities to investigate and explore using all of their senses. They explore items in 'treasure baskets' and show delight and curiosity as they experiment with the texture of materials that include shredded paper, baked beans, pasta and cornflour.

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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 Strong relationships are evident between children and staff. Children are settled and are at ease to go to staff for comfort, support and reassurance. Most children are confident and happily interact with adults and each other. Staff spend time talking to children and show interest in what they have to say. They communicate clearly with the children; they ask questions to extend their learning and patiently wait for responses. With younger children they acknowledge their attempts at communication and respond to their non-verbal communication and gestures appropriately. Efforts are greeted with praise and smiles.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Through discussion staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage. They carefully plan a range of exciting and developmentally appropriate experiences that help children progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Staff members confidently describe why they have chosen particular activities and what they hope children will learn from them. They receive general information from parents about their children and use this information, along with their own observations and assessments, to plan and adapt activities to reflect children's interests and abilities. Children are actively encouraged to contribute to planning and designing displays and this lets them know that their ideas and contributions are sought and valued.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are settled and know routines well. They participate in activities with enthusiasm and respond positively to staff requests, for example, to help tidy up. Children initiate interactions with their peers and adults and are keen to talk about what they are doing and about things that interest them. Staff spend most of their time working directly with the children and effectively guide and support their learning. They demonstrate an understanding of when to intervene in children's play and conversations, and when it is more beneficial to stand back and allow them to explore and learn independently.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are learning to gain control of their bodies as they enjoy regular physical play and exercise. They have opportunities to walk, run, balance and climb. They are learning to express their feelings through movement and dance and their small muscles are being developed through handling small objects such as construction toys and mark-making materials. However, opportunities for children to enjoy the freedom of large-scale movements such as climbing and balancing on large apparatus are not fully exploited. Consequently, they are not sufficiently challenged or encouraged to take risks in this area of learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to write because mark-making materials are easily accessible and planned activities are used to give children plenty of practise at holding and using a range of writing implements. Children demonstrate good pencil control and most children can write recognisable letters, including their own name. Staff encourage them to write their own name on their work and children regularly and independently update their 'memory' books. Children show an avid interest in numbers and counting. They talk about numbers frequently during their play and understand how many children are allowed at a certain activity. Staff make time to talk with children and help them to develop a rich mathematical vocabulary. For example, they model words that describe position, shape and number and help children to understand how mathematics is used in real life situations. Children count the number of cups and plates

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

needed at meal times and they identify the date during circle time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show a vivid imagination as they enjoy imaginary play activities. They eagerly invite others to join in their play as they pretend to be at a wedding and they rearrange cushions and furniture either side of the 'aisle'. They show developing self-help skills as they put on 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 take off dressing-up clothes with minimal help and children show creativity as they make pretend flowers using construction toys. Children’s creative experiences are enhanced because staff provide an environment that is rich and stimulating. Children are given time and space to express themselves and a range of craft materials is easily accessible and frequently used.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are actively learning why things happen and how things work. This is an area that is strongly promoted by staff and children have plenty of opportunities to gain an awareness of technology around them in the setting, local environment and home. Resources within the setting are plentiful and staff have attended specific training to help them understand how to increase and support children’s learning in this area. A computer is freely available and children show good computer skills. Many understand how to operate basic functions and can confidently load and use a range of software. Staff have produced and shared information with parents about the meaning of 'ICT' and how they can promote it at home and this fosters a shared approach to children's learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Self-esteem is flourishing in an environment where children are warmly welcomed and individuality is recognised and celebrated. Staff encourage children to think about others and birthdays and special events in children's lives are recognised and celebrated. Staff have a clear understanding of equal opportunities and implement the setting's policies effectively. They take time and make the effort to get to know children and their families and an effective keyworker system offers children and parents a consistent adult with whom they can develop a trusting and supportive relationship. Suitable systems are in place to support children with English as an additional language.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have access to many toys and resources that reflect their home experiences and offer them positive images of diversity, for example, a variety of books, dolls, dressing-up clothes, puzzles and small world figures. Staff provide a good range of activities that promote a positive view of the world and increase children’s awareness of diversity and an understanding of others. For example, children have participated in activities planned around a variety of religious and cultural festivals.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The nursery has suitable systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The commitment to inclusion and the promotion of children’s positive attitudes towards equality is evident in all policies and practice. The setting's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) has attended relevant training and ensures that staff work collaboratively with parents and where necessary, other agencies to support individual children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children behave well because staff provide children with good role models and they are calm and consistent in applying behaviour management strategies. Staff expectations are appropriate and children receive clear guidance with regards to rules and boundaries. Staff use a range of positive and developmentally appropriate methods for managing children's behaviour, for example, they mainly use distraction with younger children. Older children know that they should share and show consideration for others; they respond positively to staff requests and demonstrate good manners. Good behaviour and effort is praised and strategies are shared with parents to ensure that a consistent approach is adopted.

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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 The partnership with parents and carers is good. Positive and friendly relationships have formed between staff and parents, which contributes to children's well-being. The setting seeks the views of parents and carers and following a recent 'Open Evening' many positive comments were received. For example, parents commented on the helpful, pleasant and bubbly staff and also the range of imaginative and stimulating activities offered to their children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Notice boards around the premises display a wealth of information and help to create a welcoming environment for all. Clearly written and shared policies ensure that parents are fully aware of the setting's practice and daily diaries are maintained for younger children. Termly newsletters are sent home and the nursery has its own website. Some strategies are in place to actively involve parents in the nursery and their children's learning, for example, they can borrow resources and attend special events. However, these strategies are not fully explored to ensure that children are actively encouraged to reach their full potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are invited to share their children's progress records and are able to discuss and share information to promote their child's learning and welfare. During parent evenings keyworkers explain to parents how their children are progressing and share developmental records. However, opportunities for parents to contribute to these records or share information about what their children already know and can do are not fully explored. Consequently, the accuracy of these records is reduced and staff have limited information to enable them to effectively plan around children's individual needs and interests.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Leadership and management is good. The manager monitors all aspects of the provision and she, along with the registered person, helps to inspire and support a committed and enthusiastic staff team. Recruitment, induction and vetting procedures are robust and adult-to-child ratios are suitably maintained to ensure that children receive an appropriate level of attention and supervision. Staff work cohesively as a team and children's care is effectively supported by the way that space, staff, time and resources are used. Staff turnover is low and staff members within rooms are generally constant to help provide consistency and security for children and their parents. Clear contingency arrangements are in place to provide cover for planned and unexpected staff absences.

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Organisation

Children and their parents positively benefit from the dedication and commitment from staff members, evidenced through their everyday good practice, qualifications and training. Staff members' ongoing training needs are continually assessed by management and staff are actively encouraged to pursue their own professional and personal development. The nursery has gained a recognised quality assurance award and the staff team is constantly reviewing policies, procedures and their everyday practice. Documentation to ensure the safe and effective management of the setting is generally well maintained and most required paperwork is available for inspection. Overall children's needs are met.

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Improvements 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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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.

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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): • review procedures for the administration of medication and for gathering children's health information • ensure that staff take positive steps to promote the good health of children; this specifically refers to sleeping arrangements and ensuring that hygiene procedures are consistently followed • use observations to plan the next steps for children's play, learning and development.

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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): • increase strategies to encourage parents to take an active part in the setting and their children's learning and to share their observations of children's learning and development • increase opportunities for children to use large equipment.

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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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