Annabelle's

Annabelle's Inspection report for early years provision

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EY364740 Unique Reference Number 04 June 2008 Inspection date Gillian Little Inspector

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Willow Dene, Great Coxwell Road, Great Coxwell, FARINGDON, Oxfordshire, SN7 7LU

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Setting Address

07971 804 165 Telephone number peter@hugheswills.efhmail.com E-mail Annabelle Lucy Wills Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Annabelle's is a privately run nursery which opened in 2007. It operates from the ground floor of a detached building in Great Coxwell, near Faringdon, Oxfordshire. Children have access to secure enclosed outdoor play areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 52 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open all year, except Christmas, and operates each weekday from 07:30 until 18:30.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 150 children on roll. Of these, 18 children receive funding for nursery education. Children's ages range from three months to over eight years and they come from a wide catchment area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs ten staff of whom eight, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. A further member of staff is working towards a qualification.

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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 receive a healthy diet which includes fruit at snack time and nutritious meals, such as shepherds pie and vegetables. Water is always available and children also enjoy milk at snack and meal times. Staff are fully aware of children's special dietary needs and preferences to ensure they meet their individual needs. Children learn about healthy eating and have good opportunities to explore different fruits, such as pineapples, finding out about the taste, smell and texture. They sit sociably, chatting to each other and helping to serve up the food.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's risk of infection is minimal as the premises are clean, and there are good facilities in place for hand washing. Older children learn to wash their hands effectively as staff supervise them well, encouraging them to use the soap and rub their hands together.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy and benefit from physical activity as they have daily opportunities to play outdoors in the extensive grounds of the nursery. A large sandpit, a football pitch and a garden with slides, rockers and a trampoline provide children with good opportunities to develop a range of physical skills. In addition, children enjoy a daily exercise routine practising star jumps and stretches to warm up their muscles. Younger children can rest and sleep according to their own routine in a quiet cot room within the baby unit.

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Helping children to be healthy

Appropriate procedures are in place to ensure that children receive suitable care in the event of an illness or accident. For example, staff are familiar with nursery procedures and most staff hold first aid certificates.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are able to play comfortably in a homely environment as the premises are welcoming with good facilities. Most areas are very spacious, light and bright and have easy access to toilets and the outdoor play areas. The kitchen has a very homely feel and offers children a welcoming space to eat and enjoy art activities while staff cook meals in a safely sectioned area. The preschool room is smaller than the other rooms and although it is cosy and welcoming the space is not used effectively to provide a wider variety of activities. Children throughout the nursery are able to use a range of suitable and safe equipment and resources which conform to safety standards and which staff check and clean regularly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's risk of injury is minimal as staff assess risks well and take effective precautions to prevent accidents. For example, security at the premises is good and hooks on internal doors prevent children trapping their fingers. Children play safely as staff supervise them well at all times both indoors and in the outside play areas which are fully enclosed by fencing and gates. Children stay safe when on outings away from the premises as staff follow effective procedures, such as carrying out risk assessments and providing higher staff ratios where possible.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Appropriate fire prevention and evacuation procedures ensure that children stay safe in the event of an emergency. For example, staff practise fire drills with children at the beginning of each month and evaluate the effectiveness of these.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's risk of harm from others is minimised as staff are familiar with possible signs of child abuse and have a good understanding of their roles if they have any concerns.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children show interest in what they do and develop a range of skills because there is a suitable range of activities for each age group. For example, babies are very eager to explore a box of shredded paper and become very absorbed moving the paper from one container to another. They also enjoy freely exploring toys set out on the floor and a variety of planned activities, such as music and movement and texture baskets. Toddlers and older children are very settled and enjoy playing with a variety of toys including construction blocks, a wooden train track, dolls and a play kitchen, as well as a range of art activities. They respond well to group activities, such as joining in with action songs, listening to stories, finding colours, shapes and numbers, and sorting shells by size.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children throughout the nursery are happy and settled and are able to develop warm relationships with the staff and other children. For example, they are confident with staff and play happily and cooperatively with their friends. All children have a key worker who oversees their progress and general welfare ensuring that their individual needs are met.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff throughout the nursery are very kind and caring, offering lots of praise to children for their efforts and spending time playing with and talking to them. They help children to develop a variety of skills, such as number and letter recognition and holding pencils correctly. Planning in the baby room is very flexible to take account of very young children's needs, while planning within the toddler room provides activities to cover all areas of learning over the course of the week. Staff assess children's progress regularly, based on the Birth to three framework for younger children, and share their findings with parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children have a positive attitude towards learning and are keen to join in with group activities and circle times, often contributing answers and opinions. Staff make good use of group times to help children develop skills, such as recognising shapes and numbers, developing memory skills, singing, and listening to stories. Staff also use incidental opportunities to develop children's learning, such as counting the numbers of children in a line and talking to children about their home experiences. Children are able to initiate interactions with others with confidence and show good levels of behaviour. They have good opportunities to find out about the local area, such as visiting the vets and the fire station, and this helps them to feel part of the local community.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy playing on the floor with a wooden train set and garage, and climbing up onto a bunk bed area to make dens. They enjoy choosing books and are able to access some resources which are in low-level storage. However, opportunities for children to develop independence and follow their own interests are limited as the space in the preschool room is not used effectively to provide a wider range of activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are responsive to learning about new topics such as ‘Under the Sea’. They enjoy contributing ideas about what they think lives under the sea and are able to take part in discussions. However, staff provide few visual aids or resources to generate interest and support children's learning in their new topic. Children enjoy art activities, such as decorating fish drawn by staff, using paints and glitter set out on the table, and making a group picture of a dolphin, sticking pre-cut shapes with glue. However, this does not effectively encourage children to draw their own fish, express their own ideas or select their own resources. Children are able to

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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 practise writing skills but staff overlook opportunities to encourage them to do this in a purposeful way. For example, staff write children's names on their paintings rather than encourage them to do this for themselves.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff record children's progress on a regular basis using simple written observations to support their assessments. They identify the next steps in learning for each child in each curriculum area and use these to inform future planning. Written plans are similar to those in the Toddler room and show activities for each area of learning over the week, learning intentions and some differentiation for different abilities. Staff confirm that plans are based on children's assessments although they do not show clear links to the stepping stones within the Foundation Stage.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children become aware of wider society and develop positive attitudes towards diversity as they enjoy exploring books, music and foods from different cultures as well as finding out about different countries and festivals. All children receive equal attention and concern from staff and have equal opportunities to take part in activities. Staff know children well, such as their family backgrounds, their routines and likes or dislikes, which ensures they meet children’s individual needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children play a productive part in the setting as they learn to share, take turns and care for each other, supported well by staff who help them to develop positive social skills. Children understand responsible behaviour as staff use effective methods, such as gently reminding children of the rules, giving them explanations and spending time talking to them about positive behaviour. Staff have a positive and consistent approach and work appropriately in partnership with parents where necessary. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is therefore fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The nursery does not currently have children on roll with learning difficulties and/or disabilities but has appropriate procedures in place to care for such children as necessary. For example, a policy and appropriate staff training are in place.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from continuity between the home and the nursery as staff develop positive relationships with parents to meet children's individual needs. For example, parents comment that they are happy with the nursery and that staff are always approachable and friendly. Parents receive regular information about the nursery and their children's progress through newsletters, a notice board, daily diaries for babies, and parents meetings where parents are able to discuss their children's development records and their progress. For children receiving funding for nursery education, the partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents are happy with the feedback they receive about their children's progress towards the early learning goals and are confident that staff assessments are an accurate reflection of their children's abilities. Some parents receive encouragement to support their children's learning

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Helping children make a positive contribution

at home but this is not extended to all families which limits the potential of learning partnerships with parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children overall are able to make sound progress as staff have a strong sense of purpose, keeping children safe, promoting good health and hygiene, providing a range of suitable

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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 activities and promoting positive social skills. The majority of staff hold childcare qualifications and benefit from a variety of ongoing training and regular appraisals. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that all staff working with children are suitable to do so. New staff receive an appropriate induction to ensure that they are familiar with the nursery's policies and procedures. The staff to child ratio ensures that children are well cared for and safe. Staff work well together and are aware of their roles to ensure that sessions run smoothly. All documentation, policies and procedures are in place and work well in practice. However, the nursery has not notified Ofsted of a significant accident to a child on the premises which is a breach of regulation and has an impact on the care judgement for the inspection.

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Organisation

The quality of the leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. Monitoring procedures ensure that staff are confident in their work and have support in planning and preparing activities, however, there are weaknesses in the nursery provision regarding opportunities for independence and the range of resources and activities available for children to explore.

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Organisation

Overall, the nursery 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. 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 satisfactory.

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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 that Ofsted are informed of any serious accidents to children at the setting.

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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):

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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 • develop the use of space, resources and activities to provide a wider range of stimulating experiences through which children can follow their own interests and develop independence.

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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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