Brookdale Day Nursery Ltd

Brookdale Day Nursery Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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EY356272 Unique Reference Number 14 May 2008 Inspection date Lisa Patterson Inspector

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Hala Road, Lancaster, LA1 4QJ Setting Address

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0152 464740 Telephone number brookda@gotadsl.co.uk E-mail Brookdale 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?

Brookdale Day Nursery Limited opened in 1999 and operates from nine rooms in a Victorian house. The nursery is situated close to the centre of Lancaster. A maximum of 39 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 81 children aged from birth to under eight years on roll and, of these, 35 children receive funding for early education. Children come from the City of Lancaster and the wider catchment area. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 19 members of staff, of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications with one member of staff working towards a qualification. Qualified casual staff are also employed. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are well taken care of should they have an accident or become unwell because staff follow appropriate guidelines. Staff are trained in first aid, and accident and medication documentation is completed appropriately and used to inform practice. Children begin to learn good health and hygiene practices through everyday events, for example, washing their hands at appropriate times. However, procedures are not followed consistently with regard to hand washing prior to snack, the organisation of hand washing prior to lunch does not efficiently reduce the risk of infection and staff do not always act as good role models. Children rest and sleep according to their needs, both inside and outside, in full consultation with parents, and are checked at regular intervals. This provides continuity between home and the setting.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy lots of fresh air and physical activity because good use is made of the outside area, come rain or shine. Babies thoroughly enjoy sitting in the garden playing with daisies, sliding down the slide, using the seesaw, painting and splashing in water, while the older children ride on bikes and trikes, run, jump, climb and catch balls. This promotes a healthy lifestyle.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are nourished because the setting provides a balanced range of healthy snacks. Older children thoroughly enjoy preparing and eating a range of fruits and vegetables, and pour their own water or milk, while younger children have a picnic together, discovering the different textures and tastes of a range of fruits. Children bring their own meals, which are stored appropriately, and eat and socialise together. No guidance is given to parents regarding the contents of the packed lunches, however, through topics on healthy eating, children request fruit rather than chocolate. This develops a knowledge of staying healthy.

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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 welcoming and safe indoor and outdoor environment. Displays of children's creations adorn the walls, and mobiles hang in the baby rooms to provide stimulation. Toys and resources are stored at an easily accessible level and encourage children to self-select, which promotes their independence. Regular risk assessments are carried out to ensure the safety of the premises and equipment and staff are vigilant both inside and outside, and when off the premises on trips. They carry out regular head counts, have a good selection of safety equipment which is consistently used, and remind children of the safety rules. This maintains the children's safety and helps them to learn about and take some responsibility for the safety of themselves and others.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded because staff have a secure understanding of child protection issues and where to go for help. Most staff have completed training and there are regular updates to ensure their knowledge base is current.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are settled and happy in the setting. Staff invite parents to come into the rooms to talk about their day and offer reassurance to their child. They are involved in a wide range of planned activities and spontaneous events and good use is made of natural resources such as

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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 flowers for developing knowledge about colour, texture, shape and number. Children confidently explore their environment and investigate the resources on offer. They make decisions and try new things, for example, a child makes a bridge and when his tractor will not fit through, he redesigns his model. Adults in all areas of the nursery are genuinely interested in what the children do and say and ask for their opinions about what they would like to play with. This increases their self-esteem and ensures their individual needs are met.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a secure knowledge of the curriculum and use this to plan a broad and balanced curriculum, covering all areas of learning. Staff interactions challenge the children and a variety of teaching methods maintain motivation. Children with specific needs are well supported through observations and assessments and through close partnership with parents. Children enjoy playing and learning in a well organised play space, which allows areas for reading and being quiet, role play and writing, and a messy play area. Regular observations, which are linked directly to the planning, give activities a focus and help children to progress. However, staff do not sufficiently use information from parents and ongoing assessment in nursery to form a judgement of abilities and to help identify the next steps for learning at the start of preschool or beyond.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy their time at nursery. They have great fun with the staff who are friendly and there is lots of laughter from both staff and children. They are interested in the activities on offer and ask questions about how things happen and why things work. They behave well and there is an atmosphere of mutual respect. Children are able to dress with confidence and are encouraged to pour their own drinks and cut up snacks. They join in rhymes with gusto and confidently sing songs in front of the whole group. Some are able to count to 10 and some beyond and are developing an understanding of colour and shape through free play activities. They talk about the computer games they play, although the computer is not always available, and learn about living things through planting and caring for seeds in the garden and looking after their pet fish. Children's physical development is well promoted. They are able to throw

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and catch, climb, slide, tunnel and use bikes and trikes with competence. Children are very creative. They dance, sing and make models with confidence and excitement. Language displayed in the environment is limited and does not encourage an understanding that print carries meaning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children feel a sense of belonging because staff give them time for greetings and goodbyes, during which parents are invited into the setting and can discuss what they will be involved in. As a consequence, children and parents are valued. Assessment and monitoring of children throughout the nursery ensures they are included in all activities and that the staff are able to monitor and support their progression. Children learn about the diverse nature of society though a wide range of activities and resources. This promotes a healthy attitude towards diversity.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children respond well to high expectations of behaviour. They learn about the moral codes of society through learning to share and take turns, and by being gentle with people and property. They receive lots of positive reinforcement for a job well done and have plenty of opportunities for making choices and decisions. This promotes their independence.

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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 quality of partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents receive a wealth of information about the setting prior to leaving their child and receive regular verbal and written updates on progress in the form of a daily diary. Parents can request to see their children's record of achievement file at any time and there is a formal meeting with the child's key worker twice a year to discuss progress. Parents' comments and knowledge about their child are not sufficiently used to inform the record files or subsequent planning. Regular newsletters keep them informed of any changes of significant news, including the topic currently being followed, and any changes to the curriculum and how this will affect their child. Freddy bear and the holiday bear are well used to link home with nursery, and children thoroughly enjoy including

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Helping children make a positive contribution

them on their adventures. As a result, parents and children are included in the life of the setting.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for by staff who have a high regard for their well-being. They are committed to their role in childcare and attend various training events to ensure their understanding and practice are current. Robust vetting procedures are in place to ensure all members of staff are suitable, and persons who have not completed the clearance procedure for the nursery do not have unsupervised access to the children. Staff deployment works well in practice and ensures all children are motivated and given positive attention.

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Organisation

All required documentation is in place, well maintained and highly organised to allow ease of access should the need arise. Policies and procedures are in place, are shared with parents and staff have a secure knowledge of their contents. The complaints and safeguarding procedures are not in line with current guidelines and policies are not always followed systematically, for example, the use of stairs with the children. This leads to inconsistencies in practice.

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Organisation

The quality of leadership and management of the nursery education is good. There is a strong management team who work together with the staff to develop the setting as a whole. They have a clear vision for the nursery education and work with the local authority in developing the curriculum and the environment. There is a motivated and committed staff team who work together throughout the nursery, attend training and development meetings, and make changes to their practice where necessary. Monitoring and evaluation are well used and the team work together as they strive for excellence. Staff are given responsibilities, which increases their motivation levels, and the manager is always available to staff should they have any ideas and suggestions. This promotes an inclusive environment in which every child matters.

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Organisation

Overall the setting meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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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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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 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 hygiene standards are consistently maintained and revise the organisation of hand washing to reduce the risk of infection • revise the complaints and safeguarding procedures to include all relevant information and ensure procedures regarding safety on the stairs are consistently followed.

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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): • continue to develop parental involvement in learning, including using their knowledge of their child to inform assessment and future planning • provide more opportunities to recognise that print carries meaning in the environment and use this to develop writing and mark making skills • continue to develop planning to ensure all areas of learning are equally covered and that learning intentions clearly identify the next steps for learning.

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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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