Castle Day Nursery

Castle Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY358181 Unique Reference Number 18 June 2008 Inspection date Rebecca Elizabeth Khabbazi Inspector

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The Sanderstead Hall, Purley Oaks Road, SOUTH CROYDON, Surrey, CR2 0NR

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Setting Address

07984 283240 Telephone number castledaynursery@yahoo.co.uk E-mail Mrs K King/Mrs A Owen 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 satisfactory. 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?

Castle Day Nursery is privately owned and opened in 2007. It operates from a Memorial Hall within the Purley area. The nursery is open from 09:15 to 14:45 from Monday to Friday during term-time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 27 children from two to five years on roll. Of these eleven children receive funding for nursery education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are eight staff who work at the nursery including the two owner/providers and regular volunteers. Of these, five have relevant childcare qualifications and two are currently working towards a qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority through an early years advisor.

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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 learn simple good hygiene practices when they wash their hands before their snack and after they use the toilet, using the liquid soap and paper towels the nursery provides. Staff follow clear procedures when changing nappies and they ensure that the environment is kept clean. These steps help reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Children enjoy regular snacks and begin to develop healthy eating habits when they choose from a selection of fruit and pour some water or milk to drink. Staff encourage parents to include healthy options in lunch boxes for children staying all day. Children benefit from daily physical activity both indoors and outdoors, which contributes to a healthy lifestyle and supports their physical development. They practise new skills as they carefully negotiate the balance beam, using their arms to steady themselves, or when they take a turn on the slide.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are taken good care of if they have an accident or become unwell, as there is always a member of staff on duty who has a valid first aid certificate. Staff ensure that prior written consent from parents is in place before any medicine is given, but full records of some medical treatments administered are not currently in place as required. Parents have not yet been asked to give their written consent for the setting to seek medical advice or treatment for their child in an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in well maintained premises with facilities to meet their needs. Staff ensure that they set up resources and displays each day before children arrive, to create a welcoming environment. Children have access to a good variety of play materials and resources that are clean and in good condition, which helps ensure they can play safely. Their risk of accidental injury is minimised because staff take effective steps to identify and reduce potential hazards. Staff conduct thorough risk assessments and review them on a regular basis, which ensures prompt action is taken to address any issues. Staff are vigilant about supervising children at all times, for instance they ensure that enough staff are always in the outdoor area, and that they monitor younger children closely in the cloakroom. Children learn to keep themselves safe when staff remind them not to run inside, or show them how to use tools and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s welfare is safeguarded because staff understand their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures into practice when necessary. Key staff have attended relevant training and take a lead in responding to concerns. All staff are familiar with the setting's Safeguarding Children policy and procedure. Parents have access to it on request, but it is not currently routinely shared with parents before children start at the setting.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are confident and settled in the nursery. They make strong relationships with staff and each other, and enthusiastically greet their friends at the start of the day. Staff join in with children's play and respond to them with warmth and interest. Children take part in a good variety of activities and experiences over the course of the day, which support their learning

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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 development. Staff plan activities for younger children around their needs and interests, and link their observations of children's progress and achievements to the Birth to three matters framework.

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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 understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and how children learn and progress. They use a good range of teaching methods that ensure children are motivated and eager to take part. Staff plan activities which build on children's interests and take into account the individual next steps for their learning. This ensures activities offer appropriate levels of challenge and help children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Children show good levels of independence, curiosity, imagination and concentration. They enjoy both indoor and outdoor activities and have daily access to the outdoor play space. However, although the setting have plans to further develop the outdoor area, it is not currently fully used to promote children's learning and development across all areas of the curriculum.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are keen to communicate and use language well to talk to their friends and express their ideas. They enjoy looking at books and listening to stories. Children use materials to write and make marks both during adult led activities and in meaningful situations during play, such as writing a list in the role play builder's yard. Some children write their name, forming recognisable letters. Children count confidently, working out that if there are five staff in the room and one in the kitchen, there are six altogether. They find out about space, shape and measure as they fill containers with water or sand, or carefully measure the ingredients they need to make play dough.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children find out about the world around them through topic based activities and spontaneous experiences. They show awe and wonder when they find a snail in the garden, examine it with a magnifying glass and take it to show their friends. They enjoy planting seeds in a tub and watching them grow, making vegetable stew or bread and talking about how the ingredients change as they are heated. Children have fun playing together in the role play area, acting out stories from their imagination and experience. They take part in adult-led art and craft activities eagerly, spending time carefully decorating their butterfly with shapes and glitter. There is a creative trolley available but this is not currently well used by children as an opportunity to select their own materials and express their own ideas in art and design.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit from a setting that welcomes all children and respects them as individuals, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Children learn to value diversity when they use resources that reflect the wider community, make lamps to celebrate Diwali, find out about the Chinese New Year or talk about food from around the world. Children are familiar with the routines and expectations of the setting. They grow in independence as they begin to pour their own drinks, find their name and photograph for snack time or put on their coat to go outside. Children make good relationships with each other and learn to work harmoniously together under the consistent guidance of staff. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff welcome parents into the setting and ensure they exchange information on a daily basis, which helps children experience consistent care. Parents are kept up to date with activities,

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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 topics and events through newsletters each term and can have access to the setting's policies and procedures on request. However, they are not currently provided with general written information about the setting, to ensure that all parents are well informed about relevant aspects of the service.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is good. Parents receive regular information about their child's progress and are fully involved in discussing and agreeing their individual next steps. This enables parents to continue to support children's learning at home.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Effective recruitment procedures ensure that children are cared for by appropriately qualified and vetted staff. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities and work well together as a team. An established induction programme ensures that staff are familiar with the setting's routines, policies and practices, which means they work effectively in practice. Children receive a good level of support due to high adult: child ratios. Most required documentation is in place and contributes to the smooth running of the setting, however some records are not yet in place or are incomplete.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education provision is good. The management team are strongly committed to continual development and improvement and systems are in place to monitor, review and evaluate the provision. This means that areas for improvement are identified and can be addressed at an early stage. Good use is made of external support and guidance.

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Organisation

The setting meets the needs of the range of 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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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 satisfactory. 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): • make sure that full records of all medicine or medical treatment administered to children are maintained • request written consent from parents to seek emergency medical advice or treatment for their child • provide further written information about the setting for parents, including details of the setting's safeguarding children policy and 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): • extend the use of the outdoor area to promote children's learning across all areas of development • consider ways of providing more encouragement for children to select their own creative resources and express their own ideas in art and design

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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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