Cornfields Day Nursery

Cornfields Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY358944 Unique Reference Number 22 May 2008 Inspection date Janet Skippins Inspector

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Cornfield Kindergardens, 20 Bridge Street, Slaithwaite, HUDDERSFIELD, HD7 5JN

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Setting Address

01484 848440 Telephone number gcy55@hotmail.co.uk E-mail Cornfields Day Nursery Ltd 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?

Cornfields Day Nursery was registered as a limited company in 2007. It originally opened in 1990 and is situated in Slaithwaite, Huddersfield on an industrial estate, and operates from converted mill cottages. A maximum of 42 children may attend at any one time. The nursery is open from 08.00 until 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor area. There are currently 72 children attending aged from three months to five years. Of these, 23 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery employs 15 staff; of these, 12 staff, including the manager, have appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are healthy, well nourished and learn to recognise the benefits of good health and hygiene. They are cared for in a clean and well maintained environment by adults who have a clear understanding of, and implement, good health and hygiene practices. For example, staff

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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 are trained in food hygiene and the nursery has received an award for hygiene. Children from a young age learn how to promote their own health, for example, hand washing before meals, and resting according to their own needs. Staff training, including paediatric first aid, helps to ensure children's health. Individual health needs, such as medication, allergies and home routines are well met in practice.

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Helping children to be healthy

The nursery has gained recognition for providing children with a healthy diet by receiving a healthy choices award. This contributes to the children’s understanding of the importance of healthy eating. All children and babies enjoy the social atmosphere during mealtimes; they are encouraged to be independent and well mannered. Babies are supported and encouraged to help to feed themselves. Children learn to serve food themselves as they independently access their main course from a large serving bowl. They are well nourished because they eat a wide variety of freshly prepared healthy food.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are encouraged to be physically active outside, where they wear sunhats and cream to protect them from the harmful effects of the sun. There is a large outdoor area which includes a sensory garden. During the inspection children enthusiastically created strings of popcorn to hang in the trees. They thoroughly enjoy planting and watering vegetables as well as climbing, running, using wheeled toys and sports equipment. They learn to use small tools, such as spades, scissors, paint brushes and glue spreaders with increasing confidence. Children enjoy regular walks to the park, village and woods. A flexible routine is in place for the children, allowing them to be able to choose when to relax indoors in a quiet area.

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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, safe and secure environment both indoors and outdoors. Children’s work is displayed well and the children are proud of this. Good systems are in place for security and adults are highly vigilant when supervising children. For example, children are checked in and out when they use the outdoor area and there are notices on the gates, to remind parents to close them. Health and safety policies and procedures detail risk assessments and safety records, which are frequently reviewed for effectiveness. Thorough use of the risk assessments reduces potential hazards. Staff have an understanding of how to achieve a good balance between freedom and setting safe limits. This allows children to have a sense of danger and know how to protect themselves from harm. Good quality toys and resources to match children's abilities successfully provide an environment where children access all play activities

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are starting to learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, when children are using scissors and Sellotape sitting on the floor, staff members remind them that it will be safer to sit at the table to do this activity. They learn about the danger of fire through visits from the fire officers and discussing and practising evacuations regularly. Gentle adult guidance helps them learn to use furniture safely. For example, staff remind them how they should sit, rather than stand on chairs or they may fall and hurt themselves. Children are protected from possible abuse or neglect because staff have attended training and have a good understanding about the types of abuse, the signs to look for and what to do if they have concerns. However, the written children procedure is not fully up to date to include the latest information regarding the Local Safeguarding Children Board or the procedure to follow if an allegation is made

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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 and babies enjoy a wide variety of experiences through the well-equipped and organised environment. Activity plans promote learning and development and include experiences both indoors and outdoors. Children engage in meaningful experiences appropriate to their individual abilities. Babies enjoy choosing toys, exploring contents of treasure baskets, playing with water, paint and jelly, exploring the texture of crayons and paper or simply enjoying the attention of an adult. Toddlers share a book or a favourite rhyme with adults, enjoying the company of a small group. They are starting to learn to care for others, for example, by taking turns to serve drinks. Adults caring for babies and young children have effectively implemented and planned for the 'Birth to three matters' framework. Practitioners are alert to both verbal and non-verbal communications, clearly recognising babies' need for stimulation and play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children are happy and settle quickly within the nursery. They receive good support and encouragement from adults and, as a result, have high self-esteem and confidence. Positive relationships develop between each other and adults. Consistent adults help children to feel safe and secure and most well-planned activities encourage them to share and build friendships.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Practitioners have attended a range of Foundation Stage training courses and use this knowledge to form and implement a play-based curriculum encouraging all areas of children's learning. Children benefit from the well-planned inclusive learning environment that successfully encourages them to become independent and make choices. Adults understand their responsibilities and provide children with high levels of support and stimulation. Activity plans are flexible, clear and cover all areas of learning taking into good account children's interests and abilities. Older children are developing friendships and choose to share their play with peers whilst younger children learn to share and take turns with others. Children's independence develops well as they choose activities of interest, help themselves to food and drinks and take care of their own health needs, such as going to the toilet. They

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

communicate confidently, responding well when staff question them during play activities. They eagerly learn new skills, for example, when they learn to plant herbs, tomatoes and carrots in the sensory garden, under close supervision. They enjoy stories in small and large groups and respond well when given the opportunity to join in. Children have easy access to the book area both indoors and outdoors and, consequently, have opportunities to look at books independently for pleasure or reference. Some children can recognise their first names and are starting to practise writing their names. Children confidently count up to five independently. They use and develop their knowledge and understanding of numbers, position, size and shape by participating in well planned and spontaneous activities. For example, after lunch one child confidently explained that because they had had two lots of shepherd's pie and two yoghurts,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about nature when they closely examine tadpoles and snails. They develop their knowledge of the wider world generally well through planned activities based on foods and festivals from around the world. Their technology skills are developing well, as they independently access the computer which is available at all times. They are starting to learn about the concepts of building and joining materials together as they fit bricks of various sizes together and take part in woodwork activities. However, resources to extend their learning in this area are limited. Children benefit from musical activities and respond enthusiastically to favourite songs. They show that they know the songs as they sing them spontaneously while

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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 playing independently. They enjoy collage and painting for specific topics and have continuous opportunities to explore and express their own individuality in art and design. Children enjoy role play activities in the well equipped home corner which is varied so that children can act out different scenarios. They also make good use of crates in the outdoor area, for example, when they pretend to be monsters in cages. Assessments of children's attainment and development clearly demonstrate progress against the early learning goals. Adults know children's individual abilities and use this information to plan for their next steps in learning and to adapt activities for each child. Parents are able to see the children’s observation and assessment records at any time and at the twice annually parents' evenings, however, they are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

not all totally up to date. Overall, children make good progress towards the early learning goals given their capability and starting points.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are highly valued as individuals. They positively contribute to daily activities and self-care which successfully promotes their independence. For example, children as young as two years are encouraged to serve drinks to younger children. Children benefit from the care provided by consistent key persons who are extremely thorough in their role. Full consideration is taken of starting points, likes and dislikes. For example, practitioners record home routines for rest, requirements for food, favourite pastimes and use this information to settle them in the nursery.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children throughout the setting learn about diversity through planned activities, such as a project to learn about food which included food eaten in different countries. Festivals and culture are explored through books, music and food. Children aged three and four years have explored celebrations from around the world including Chinese New Year. Through gentle adult guidance, such as using simple table manners and discussing the effects of negative behaviour, children learn to respect others. Outings and visitors help children to learn about people and places in their community. They learn to care for others through use of an empathy doll which is taken home. Well detailed reports of the doll’s activity are displayed. Practitioners enthusiastically praise and encourage children throughout their activities. This results in children behaving well. The setting fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. Information on the curriculum is available for parents through very well presented displays and this helps them to be involved in children's learning. Children benefit from effective information sharing with parents through newsletters, daily discussions and a new website.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children’s care is enhanced by good organisation. The setting implements robust recruitment and vetting procedures which ensure children are protected and cared for by adults who hold a high level of knowledge and understanding of child development. Space is used creatively and children have easy access to the well planned outdoor area. Children are grouped effectively so that they are able to play alongside others of similar ability in the right environment to encourage quiet concentration when necessary. Policies and procedures which are individual to the nursery clearly link to outcomes for children. They form part of the extensive operational

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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 plan and effectively underpin a high standard of practice. However, one policy is currently being up-dated. The clear daily organisation of staffing rotas and the grouping of children positively support care, learning and play.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the setting is good. The owner and managers are fully committed to ensuring that all children receive good quality care and education. The nursery demonstrates it is striving for continuous improvement through working towards a quality assurance award. Staff are actively encouraged to review and monitor their practice, through regular meetings, planning, evaluations and discussions about children’s observation records. This ensures that the curriculum and teaching methods take full account of the children’s individual needs and the diverse ways in which children learn. The training programme is well planned to meet the individual and collective needs of staff. This ensures that staff deliver a successful early education programme for all children. Well written child development records successfully demonstrate how well children are progressing towards early learning goals.

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Organisation

However, these are not all totally up to date. 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 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): • develop the child protection policy to include the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures and to include the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse being made against a member of staff

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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 • further extend resources to enable children to join materials together.

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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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