Elmdon Day Nursery (UK) Limited

Elmdon Day Nursery (UK) Limited Inspection report for early years provision

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EY349837 Unique Reference Number 14 May 2008 Inspection date Myra Lewis Inspector

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2353 Coventry Road, Sheldon, BIRMINGHAM, B26 3PN Setting Address

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E-mail

Elmdon Day Nursery (UK) Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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E-mail

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

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Elmdon Day Nursery (UK) Limited is a privately run day care facility situated in Sheldon, Birmingham. It opened in 2004 and operates from a converted bungalow, divided into three play areas. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 17 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 30 children on roll. Of these, five receive funding for nursery education. Children attend a variety of sessions. The setting can 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 is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 all year round, excluding bank holidays and one week between Christmas and the New Year.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are seven members of staff who work with the children. Of these, over half have relevant early years qualifications. Two staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. 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 satisfactory. Children's health is appropriately supported within the nursery. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through established daily routines. Staff promote appropriate health and hygiene practices, and maintain satisfactory levels of hygiene throughout. Children are accompanied to and from the bathroom, and their independence and self-help skills are positively encouraged. For example, staff reinforce appropriate hygiene practice, using gentle reminders and picture prompts, which provide useful reminders to children of the importance of hand washing after toileting, before eating and after playing in the garden. However, children share a towel to dry their hands which increases the risk of cross-infection. Satisfactory nappy changing routines are in place and have regard to children's individual personal care needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is promoted as staff hold relevant first aid qualifications and follow a clear sickness policy to ensure prompt action is taken if children are ill. Records of all minor accidents and medicines given to children are recorded and acknowledged by parents. A suitable first aid box is available, the contents of which is checked at regular intervals.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children clearly enjoy playing in the garden. They eagerly participate in a range of physical activities which positively contribute to their general health and well-being. Children are able to rest and sleep according to their individual needs. Their individual sleep patterns are acknowledged by staff who reassure them as they are put down to sleep, therefore children settle easily, secure in their surroundings. Although a quiet area is provided for children to rest or sleep, this is sometimes overcrowded, which potentially compromises children's comfort and poses a further risk to the spread of infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's meals are provided by external caterers. Menus reflect healthy and nutritious meals that take account of children's individual dietary requirements. Staff take account of parents' wishes about the care of their children, their known likes, dislikes and preferences. All children sit together and enjoy sociable mealtimes as a family group. Children are kept fully hydrated as they have access to drinks at any time throughout the day.

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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 safe and secure environment. They are warmly welcomed by staff and move confidently around this small and friendly setting. Children have easy access to a broad variety of safe, suitable toys and resources that meet safety standards appropriately. Children play safely because staff complete daily risk assessments of all areas of the setting. Staff carry out daily checks on all equipment to ensure they are safe and suitable for their purpose. Any broken toys are withdrawn from use. Therefore, any potential risk is made safe or inaccessible to the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are effective procedures in place to monitor the safe arrival and departure of children. They are only released into the care of persons nominated by their parents. Children learn about safe practices through various play activities and discussion with staff who reinforce safety messages. For example, children are actively encouraged to help tidy away toys to avoid accidents, and know the apples that fall from the apple tree in the garden are not for eating. Attention to fire safety is good. There are regular fire drill practises so that children know what

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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 to do in an emergency situation and they understand the necessary boundaries in place to ensure their safety when being taken outside the nursery.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected from possible abuse or neglect because staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities whilst protecting children in their care. They know who to contact if they should be concerned. However, the child protection policy does not reflect current guidance, as a consequence, children's welfare is not fully safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and secure in their surroundings. They get to know all members of staff very well through effective staff deployment. In this small and friendly setting they form close and trusting relationships with staff and interaction is good. There is a good range of well-maintained resources which are used positively to support children's learning effectively. Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to plan stimulating activities to meet the learning needs of young children. Staff listen with genuine interest to what children have to say, they talk with them about what they are doing and fully support their play. Babies receive individual attention, staff spend their time holding, talking and playing with them. Their early physical skills are well supported as they begin to roll, crawl and stand up. Babies particularly like exploring the objects in the treasure baskets; there are many different musical toys, activity

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

centres, books, puzzles and soft toys for them to choose from. There are many well-presented displays of children's art and craft work which helps build their self-esteem and sense of belonging.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff promote children's learning effectively. They plan a good range of interesting and stimulating activities linked appropriately to the early learning goals. The learning environment is purposely set out to enable children to have easy access to toys and resources to enable them to make independent choices about their play. Children's progress is monitored through ongoing observations and assessments. However, the information gained is not used effectively to inform future planning and guide teaching, therefore limits some aspects of children's learning. Staff use questions and discussion very well to help stimulate children's thinking. Children receive praise and encouragement and their behaviour is good.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a keen interest in learning. They happily engage in conversations with children and other adults and their language skills are developing well. Children are encouraged to listen attentively to stories and encouraged to share their thoughts. For example, children listen to a story about 'David's scary journey' and talked about their recent walk in the park. Staff use effective teaching methods to gather children's thoughts and experiences. Young children recall sitting on the park bench, whilst others remembered seeing bugs and a white swan. They clearly show their enjoyment through laughter and gestures as they recall the experience. Following this the children decided to find some more 'bugs' in the garden. Some children had been taken to the shops to buy plants for the garden. On their return children were eager to plant the flowers into the garden containers. With minimal support from staff the children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

successfully planted and watered their flowers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use a good variety of resources and equipment to support their physical development. They learn to manoeuvre wheeled toys safely, climb up and slide down the small slides 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 move confidently as they run around and kick the ball to one another. Children move around freely as they play both in and outdoors. They learn to use a variety of small tools with increasing control, for example, using scissors to cut with, and holding paint brushes and pencils appropriately.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The playrooms provide a print rich environment for children. Staff help and support children's understanding of sounds and letters at every opportunity and introduce new vocabulary linked to each theme or topic. However, children's opportunities to practise their early mark-making skills during free play activities is more limited. Children have regular access to a computer where they are encouraged to develop their interest in technology. Whilst the computer was recently out of action staff further extended children's interest by enabling them to make telephone calls to their parents with appropriate guidance from staff and co-operation from their parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to count independently with good adult support. They talk about the different colours, shapes and sizes in their environment. Staff encourage children's understanding of number through everyday situations and help children to count using their fingers. However, staff do not maximise the use of the daily routines to promote ongoing learning. Therefore, simple learning opportunities are missed. Children participate in a variety of different craft activities, such as painting and collage activities, and experiment using sand, water and play dough.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's imagination is developing well through good role play opportunities. Children enthusiastically join in the storytelling of 'The three little pigs', using props that they had previously made. They actively participate in singing familiar songs and action rhymes, for example, 'Ten in a bed'. They enjoy regular visits from the 'music man' to further promote their interest in music. Children learn about their own culture and those of other people through themes, topics and discussions with staff. Therefore, children are well supported in their learning and development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children participate in a good range of activities to promote a positive view of the wider world and increase their awareness of other lifestyles. They have equal access to all toys and resources regardless of their ability, gender or background. They enjoy good relationships with staff and are learning to play co-operatively together. Positive behaviour is actively encouraged because staff use simple strategies to manage children's behaviour and act as positive role models. Children learn the importance of sharing and turn taking, and learn to play co-operatively together. Children respond well to praise and encouragement from staff, who offer children explanations and reasons why if their behaviour is inappropriate. Therefore, children's understanding of right and wrong is fully supported.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All children's personal details and individual requirements are discussed openly between parents and staff to ensure children's individual needs are clearly identified. Therefore, the specific needs of children are recognised and met sensitively. Children enjoy first hand experiences of using disability resources, such as walking aids and wheelchairs as part of a disability awareness topic. Staff use simple, effective language to help develop children's understanding.

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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 regarding nursery education is good. Children benefit from the open and friendly partnerships between their parents and staff. Relevant information is displayed about the care and nursery education provided. Parents' views are actively sought through good verbal and written communication. Parental feedback is good; they comment on a caring staff team who provide good care for their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for in a warm and friendly environment. They move freely and independently around the available space and make individual choices about their play activities. They are well supported through effective staff deployment and consistent daily routines to meet the needs of children in attendance. All policies and procedures required for the efficient and safe management of the provision and to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are in place and accurately maintained. Information is openly shared with parents which is reviewed and updated on a regular basis. All children's personal records are stored securely.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of nursery education is good. The manager works directly with the pre-school children and takes full responsibility for the planning of the nursery education programme in consultation with staff. Regular meetings are held to discuss practice issues and share good practice. Staff have regular opportunities to access further training to enhance their knowledge and skills in supporting children's learning. The provider is committed to ongoing improvement and welcomes support from the local authority to further develop the nursery education programme.

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Organisation

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

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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 any further action 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 AND 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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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • review the procedures for hand washing and drying to fully promote children's health and prevent the spread of infection • review the organisation of sleep time routines to ensure there is sufficient space available to accommodate the required number of sleep mats • review and improve the child protection policy in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures.

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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): • provide more opportunities for children to develop their mark-making skills and make greater use of the daily routines to maximise children's learning opportunities • ensure information gained from children's assessments is used to inform planning and guide teaching.

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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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