Flying Start Day Nursery

Flying Start Day Nursery (Finningley) Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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EY342554 Unique Reference Number 15 July 2008 Inspection date Maralyn Chiverton Inspector

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9 Second Avenue, Doncaster Finningley Airport, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN9 3GB

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E-mail

Flying Start Day Nursery (Finningley) Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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?

Flying Start Day Nursery is a limited company and has been registered since April 2007 to care for no more than 62 children under eight years. At present there are 43 children on roll, of whom 17 receive funding for nursery education. The nursery offers full day care five days a week for 52 weeks of the year excluding all bank holidays. The times of opening are from 07.45 to 18.00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is situated within Doncaster Finningley airport. It serves the local community and surrounding areas. Care is provided in a self-contained unit, which has three playrooms. The first playroom can accommodate 10 children up to the age of two years. The second playroom is open plan and accommodates two groups of children aged from two to under five years. There is an outside play area. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are at present 12 members of staff who work with the children. Of these 10 have 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 good. Children are cared for in a very clean and well maintained setting. They thrive through the implementation of effective hygiene practices and procedures which meet their individual nutritional, physical and health needs well. The implementation of an effective sickness policy which includes information as well as incubation periods for infectious diseases ensures children are kept free from infection. Children are very independent in their personal care and understand that the need to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet is to prevent them from catching germs which could make them sick.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are provided with a very good range of well balanced, nutritious meals and snacks. For instance, children are offered a choice of a variety of fresh fruit and water or milk at snack time. Meal times are a very enjoyable and social occasion. Staff members sit with the children and use this time as an opportunity to discuss the benefits of healthy eating. For example, they explain to children that drinking lots of milk helps them to have strong teeth and bones.

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Helping children to be healthy

Babies and younger children are encouraged to be independent in their personal care and in feeding themselves. They are well supported and encouraged to acquire physical skills. Staff members respond well to babies' emotions and physical needs which has a positive effect on their emotional stability and resilience.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children in receipt of nursery education funding enjoy and develop a positive attitude towards physical exercise which has a positive impact on their overall good health. All children use the outdoor space well and move spontaneously within the space available to them. They show good awareness of space for themselves and others and are able to use a range of small equipment with good control and competence.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept safe in a warm well organised setting. Their safety and welfare is well promoted through the high priority given by staff to maintaining a safe and secure environment. The implementation of effective, well written policies and procedures, such as arrival and collection, recording of visitors and use of collection slips for people other than parents who may collect the child ensures no access to unauthorised persons. Effective deployment of staff, space and resources allow children to move freely, with safety and independence.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are able to independently choose from a broad range of toys and resources which are safe, suitable and developmentally appropriate. Their understanding of personal safety is well promoted through simple discussion and being an integral part of the daily routine. For example, children regularly tidy away and know not to run as they could fall and hurt themselves. They know what to do in the event of a fire as fire evacuation procedures are practised on a regular basis.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Babies and younger children are given regular opportunities to make choices and their awareness of the need for a balance between freedom and safe limits is well promoted through clear and consistent boundaries as well as vigilant supervision. Children are kept free from harm through the very good understanding of staff with regard to child protection issues. Staff know they have a statutory responsibility to protect the children in their care.

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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 are very confident, independent self-assured learners who relish their time in the setting. They arrive happy, eager to participate and join in with a rich, varied and imaginative range of exciting, interesting activities and experiences. For example, they grow vegetables and sunflowers and help cook to harvest carrots for lunch. Children are very pro-active in initiating their own play and learning and work well both in groups and individually. They are encouraged to make decisions and think for themselves. Children particularly enjoy taking part in role play and set up a take away venue using the outdoor play house where children 'drive up' to place their order.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies enjoy a range of sensory experiences. For example, they explore treasure baskets to develop their natural curiosity and take part in creative activities, such as painting. However, there are not enough opportunities for younger children to become more competent learners in matching, sorting, classifying and categorising. Children are encouraged to develop their communication skills through effective interaction. For example, staff echo sounds of young babies, interpret meaning to children’s words, and encourage children to be confident and competent language users.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage, which allows children to make good progress in all six areas of learning. Planning is linked to the early years learning goals and includes a very good variety of activities and planned experiences. Staff are enthusiastic and have a good understanding of their role in promoting children's learning. They record and monitor children's progress through focused observations, photographs and individual pieces of work. However, although children's learning is further developed as a group there is no clear procedure for developing individual learning needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident, independent learners; they are able to sit attentively, listen to others, take turns and share. Children have a positive approach to new experiences and show increasing independence in selecting and carrying out activities. They seek out others to share experiences and are beginning to accept the needs of others. Children respond well to simple instruction and use familiar words to identify what they do and do not want. They recognise their names and are beginning to use recognisable letters. Children show a very good interest in numbers; they are able to count to 24, use numbers in everyday situations and show good recognition of shapes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children demonstrate a very good awareness of the natural world through visits to a local farm as well as the planting of vegetables and have access to a range of resources for joining materials together. Children make good progress in their creative development. They use their imaginations well to express themselves and to share their ideas and thoughts. For example, children dress up and engage in role play activities, such as running a café. The children explore a good range of media, texture, musical instruments and art activities to further develop their creativity.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are highly valued and respected as individuals. Their individual needs are met through an effective key worker system as well as staff's comprehensive understanding of how to raise awareness and promote equality of opportunity. Children are well mannered and behaved. They benefit from the implementation of consistent boundaries that are appropriate for their age and level of understanding. Staff constantly support and promote good behaviour through explanation, reiteration and simple discussion. They explain the need to be aware of the needs of others, to take turns and to share with their friends which helps to ensure children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Diversity is addressed in a positive manner through all staff being good role models as well as providing children with non-stereotypical toys and encouraging them to participate in all activities. Children are provided with an environment which effectively promotes the wider world through a broad range of multicultural resources, as well as participating in celebrating festivals from other cultures as well as their own. These have included the Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving and St George’s day.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff place a high priority on ensuring children feel settled and happy when they first arrive through an effective settling in policy which allows children to attend for a short time for a period of weeks before they start. There are very effective procedures in place to care for children with learning difficulties or disabilities as well as children who do not have English as their first language.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is excellent. The nursery has a very positive partnership with parents. Staff respect parents as being their child's first educator as well as their views and wishes. Parents are given quality information about the provision provided including a colourful booklet on the Foundation Stage. They are encouraged to discuss their child's education and progress and be involved in their child's learning in a positive way, for example, through sharing of information and discussion about children's individual progress files. Parents receive monthly newsletters which include the forthcoming planned topic with accompanying information with regard to the planned learning outcomes. Colourful displays of children at play with additional headings linking into areas of learning further promote parents understanding of how children learn through play.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from a well managed and organised provision. They access all toys and activities freely and independently through well utilised space and effective deployment of staff, resources and equipment. All staff are enthusiastic and fully aware of their role and responsibilities. They actively contribute and involve themselves in children's learning which provides a very good contribution to children's enjoyment, progress and ability to take an active part in the setting. Staff work well in partnership with parents and as a team. This ensures all children's individual needs are met and they are offered very good continuity of care and education. Detailed, well written policies and procedures which are reviewed yearly ensure the provision runs smoothly and efficiently.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. This has a positive impact on children's progress. The setting has a clear vision which is shared with staff and steers the work of the setting. There

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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 is a strong commitment to improvement, training and the professional development of staff. The setting recognises that self-evaluation is the key to continuous improvement and use the information to monitor and assess the provision of nursery education. They identify their strengths and weaknesses as well as areas for improvement and act upon their evaluations to make improvements. The setting is committed to providing an inclusive environment where every child matters.

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Organisation

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

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following the last inspection an action and recommendation were put in place to improve children’s safety and learning. They were to inform Ofsted of significant changes to the premises with particular reference to major building works and to review the existing procedure for recording and monitoring children's progress to introduce a procedure for developing individual learning needs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last care inspection the setting has taken very positive steps to improve children’s safety and learning. Ofsted has received notification and plans of major building works to be undertaken and the procedure for recording and monitoring children's progress to introduce a procedure for developing individual learning needs is ongoing.

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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 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): • introduce more opportunities for younger children to become more competent learners in matching, sorting, classifying and categorising.

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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 • continue to develop the existing procedure for recording and monitoring children's progress to show how children's individual learning is further extended

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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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