Padiwacks.co.uk Ltd

Padiwacks.co.uk LTD Inspection report for early years provision

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EY362900 Unique Reference Number 12 June 2008 Inspection date Wendy Fitton Inspector

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Padiwacks Ltd, Wyre Street, Padiham, BURNLEY, Lancashire, BB12 8DF Setting Address

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E-mail

Padiwacks.co.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 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?

Padiwacks.co.uk Limited operates from three floors in a converted mill and is situated in a residential area of Padiham, in Burnley, Lancashire. The group is privately owned by an individual and provides full day care for a maximum of 90 children under eight years.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children have access to an enclosed area for outdoor play and a purpose-designed soft play area inside. Children are grouped in areas according to their needs and there is separate space for school-age children on the two upper floors.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 302 children on roll and, of these, seven children are in receipt of funding for nursery education. Children from birth to five years are accommodated on the ground floor and there is access to changing and bathroom facilities, a kitchen and laundry facilities. Children from three years use upstairs areas for the nursery education sessions and out of school club sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 throughout the year and this includes a holiday club for school-age children. The nursery employs 19 staff including a nursery manager, a deputy, support staff and minibus drivers. Most staff are qualified in early years and education.

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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 needs are supported because staff take steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when children are ill. Children are encouraged to wash their hands before and after food and after using the bathroom. Children's medical and emergency needs are met as most staff have up-to-date first aid training. Accident records are available and there is consent for emergency medical treatment. Sickness and exclusion procedures are followed and there are procedures for administering medication. The premises are adequately cleaned and staff follow hygiene procedures for nappy changing, wiping tables and sweeping floors.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn about healthy living and the importance of rest and exercise. They access the outdoor play area at regular intervals and use the wheeled toys, slides, bats, balls and hoops. They dance and move to music and exercise their bodies through physical activities in the soft play gym. Children rest and sleep according to their own needs and routines. There are cots, beanbags, cushions and child-sized domestic style furniture for children to relax and unwind. Children's physical development is promoted as they move around the nursery areas with confidence, with space for free movement. They use one-handed tools to develop their hand-eye coordination including scissors, pencils and paintbrushes, they explore malleable materials, construct with bricks and make jigsaws.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are provided with regular drinks and meals in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink are properly prepared by the nursery cook and children enjoy snacks of toast, fruit, breadsticks and vegetable sticks. A cooked lunch is provided and includes fish, meat, fresh vegetables, pasta and casseroles. Children attending after school are provided with a cooked 'snack style' meal of beans, pizza, chicken nuggets, garlic bread and sausage rolls. Drinks of milk or water are provided with meals and children can ask for drinks throughout the day. Children enjoy the positive social occasion as they sit with friends. All equipment and cutlery is suitable for the needs of the children attending.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children feel some sense of belonging as they access a safe, secure and suitable environment. There is space to move freely and access to all necessary facilities. The nursery is welcoming to families and there are notices and some displays of children's own artwork. Space is adequately organised and children have separate play space for the range of ages and development needs. There is a separate baby area on the ground floor and an adjoining toddler area. There is a soft play gym and ball pool area, and there are bathroom and changing facilities. The first and second floor areas are used for the school-age children and sessions for three- and four-year-olds receiving nursery education sessions. There is access to a decked outdoor play area. Children are provided with suitable equipment, toys and furniture which meet the needs of the children on roll. For example, there is everyday routine furniture, cots, highchairs, cushions, domestic

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

style settees and child-sized tables and chairs. Toys and resources include construction toys, baby toys, books, small world equipment, drawing and craft materials and role play equipment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safe and secure and are not exposed to any risks or hazards. Staff follow procedures to prevent any accidents. Safety equipment is in place and includes safety gates, socket covers,

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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 security systems and fire fighting equipment. Children are secure as all doors and gates are locked, visitors sign in and out and children's arrival and collection times are recorded. Children are protected and safeguarded because staff know and understand their role and duty to protect children from harm and the procedures to follow. Staff know to inform the designated person who is the nursery manager. The child protection policy is available to parents and includes information regarding what to do in the event of an allegation against a member of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children generally enjoy and achieve through some planning of activities and experiences to support children's physical, social, emotional and intellectual capabilities. Children are grouped according to their ages and stages of development and a key person is responsible for their care needs. However the key worker system is in the planning stage and does not always provide consistency of care for children throughout the day. Children access an outdoor play area and an indoor play gym facility where they can climb, jump and exercise to develop their physical skills. There are toys and resources to support children's learning needs and these include paint, play dough, activity and musical toys, books, jigsaws and role-play equipment. There is not always full access to the range of activities and experiences to promote children's development and learning in line with the principles of early years frameworks. Children are generally secure

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and comfortable with the routines and rhythms of the day as they have snack time, story time and sleep time. They choose what they want to play with from toys and resources that are set out by staff; however there are limited opportunities for children to self-select and make choices to support child-initiated activities. Children respond to positive praise and encouragement from adults, and interaction between children and adults is positive and nurturing, helping children to develop their speech and language.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are interested and motivated as they play with purpose and concentrate. They take responsibility for their own needs and develop some independence in the bathroom. Children respond to the routines and rhythms of the sessions and they are confident and have good self-esteem as they are praised and encouraged. They are learning about their own culture and the cultures of others and take part in celebrations and festivals. Children do not always have access to all play areas and continuous provision throughout the day. There are some missed opportunities for children to self-select and make their own decisions about what they want to do to develop their independence skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about sounds and letters as they see some labelling on displays, self-register with their name cards and begin to write their own names on their work. They practise writing as they use resources to develop their hand-eye coordination with crayons, pencils, chalks and paint brushes. The planning and enhancement of activities and resources are not always interesting and inviting to encourage children to use them, in particular the book, role play and mark making areas. Children begin to understand and practise counting during routine activities. They learn about space, shape and measure. They use early calculations when pouring drinks, filling cups, negotiating play space and rolling, cutting and shaping the play dough.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use their exploration and investigation skills as they feel different textures with sand, water and shaving foam. They enjoy using their designing and making skills with construction toys and interlocking shapes. They learn about some information technology as they use the microwave, telephone and music centre in the role-play area. Children enjoy singing and dancing

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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 to music, they respond to what they see, hear, touch and feel through play dough, collage materials, stories and games.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's starting points and needs are not clearly identified as staff do not find out about their skills and interests through discussion with parents and information being passed from other groups in the nursery. The planning of the environment and activities encompasses some areas of learning including mark making, role-play, creative and messy play and physical play. Staff's questioning challenges children to think and some teaching interests the children and helps them to focus, concentrate and play with purpose. Children have folders of work, and profiles of their progress and development are under review to meet with new early years frameworks.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are welcomed and valued as they have access to all activities and facilities. Children's specific needs are met through some liaison with parents to ensure cultures and family lifestyles are acknowledged and respected. Children are allocated a key person who aims to provide necessary care and experiences for children to feel settled and comfortable. Children learn about diversity and the wider world as they participate in some themes and activities about festivals and celebrations. They read books and stories and find out about how people live in the wider world. Children are included in the life of the setting as staff are proactive in ensuring action can be taken when a child is identified with a learning difficulty or disability, in partnership with parents and other professionals.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit where adults adopt a consistent and positive approach to the management of their behaviour. Children are aware of the rules and boundaries and take on some responsibility for their own behaviour as they follow simple instructions and are reminded of safety aspects. There is a named person for behaviour management who supports staff in their role to ensure children are dealt with in a consistent manner. Children respond to some 'time out' and are distracted to another activity according to their level of maturity and understanding. Children are encouraged to welcome and greet each other and have manners.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children feel secure and benefit when there are positive and trusting relationships between their parents and staff. Parents have access to some notices and organisational procedures. There is daily discussion between staff and parents and a communication message book and daily diary sheets are completed. The key worker system is just being developed and so there is limited information from parents in order to provide care according to children's needs and interests. Parents are made aware of how to make a comment or complaint and the poster with Ofsted contact details is displayed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers in relation to nursery education is satisfactory. There are some information boards that display planning information. Parents can support their own children at home as they discuss with staff the themes and activities children are working on. There are folders of artwork and some observations have been started. There is no information or discussion with parents about children's starting points, needs and interests in order to plan for their learning needs, and therefore records of progress are limited.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children are confident and secure with routines and rhythms of the day. They respond to the positive relationships they have with each other and staff as they learn about rules and boundaries and the importance

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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 of listening, sharing and taking turns. Children experience activities from around the world and celebrate festivals and cultural events.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are protected and safeguarded through recruitment and selection procedures and the vetting of all adults working directly with the children. Staff are experienced and qualified to work flexibly with the wide age range of children on roll. Some training is accessible to staff to keep up-to-date with current practices; however staff's knowledge and understanding of the needs of children under five years, in line with new frameworks, is limited. The day-to-day manager is aware of her designated roles and responsibilities and works hands-on with the children. Children's needs are satisfactorily met through some organisation of space, routines and resources. For example, children are grouped according to their ages and stages of development, they can move freely without any restriction and furniture, equipment and toys are suitable to enable them to play, rest and eat in comfort and safety. Children are secure with

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Organisation

the routines and rhythms of the day, which provide some opportunities for free play, planned activities, outdoor play, meals and rests.

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Organisation

Children's welfare, care and learning are supported through records, policies and procedures being in place for the safe management of the provision. All regulatory records are in place and include attendance details for staff and children, medicine and accident records and all children's and staff's personal details. There is an operational plan that highlights the day-to-day organisation and procedures in line with National Standards. All information and records are available for inspection, up-to-date, retained and stored securely.

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Organisation

The leadership and management are satisfactory. The manager and owner are keen to develop the provision and review the organisation of space and outdoor areas, and increase the number of nursery places. They see the strength of the setting in the teamwork and staff working together with the space and resources that are available. The manager wishes to improve the continuous provision and ensure that staff have more time to plan and monitor children's progress and development. Practice is influenced through praise, leading by example and valuing staff for their contributions. Staff are monitored daily through observations and general discussions. The nursery manager is working towards the implementation of the new early years framework and is looking to improve her own expertise through additional courses. Both the manager and owner are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities and are working closely

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Organisation

to enhance the environment and practices within the setting.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision 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 has been one complaint made to Ofsted that required the provider to take action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Ofsted received concerns relating to National Standard 2: Organisation. An inspector visited the provision in November 2007. Actions were raised and satisfactorily met by the provider. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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 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): • continue to develop the key worker system to provide consistency of care and learning throughout the day to help children feel settled and secure • ensure all children participate in a full range of activities and experiences to promote their development and learning in the principles of early years frameworks (also applies to nursery education) • gather important information from parents in order to find out about children's interests and needs to develop planning, assessment and evaluation of activities to involve parents in their child's progress and development (also applies to nursery education).

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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): • review the organisation of space, resources and routines so that children access continuous provision throughout the sessions • provide more opportunities for children to select resources and make choices about what they want to do and support child initiated activities (also applies to care) • plan and enhance the environment to ensure resources are interesting and inviting to encourage children to use them, with regard to developing the book area, role play area and mark making area • improve staff's knowledge and understanding of the development and learning needs of children under five, in line with new frameworks (also to applies to care).

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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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