School House Nursery

School House Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

EY356627 Unique Reference Number 13 June 2008 Inspection date Margaret Bryant Inspector

p.1

The Old School House, School Lane, Holmpton, Withernsea, North Humberside, HU19 2QS

p.1

E-mail

Carole Lesley Martin Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

School House nursery is based in Holmpton, a small village in the Holderness district, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It was registered in June 2007 and may care for a maximum of 18 children under five years. Currently there are 43 children on roll, seven of whom are in receipt of nursery education funding.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The premises are self-contained with children cared for in two rooms. Outdoors to the rear is a fully enclosed garden. The nursery is privately owned, the owner working in the nursery alongside her manager as the designated deputy. The manager has a level 3 qualification and there are six other staff members. The majority have an appropriate childcare qualification to a minimum of a level 2. The owner also employs a driver for the minibus and staff who work as volunteers.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery have established good links with the local community including the school.

p.2

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

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children have daily opportunities to develop their physical skills which benefits their physical growth and sense of well-being. The nursery garden provides children with lots of space for children to move around freely. There is a good range of equipment for them including bikes, climbing frames and bats and balls. Pre-school children really enjoy the challenge of climbing to the top of the castle, using ropes by which they pull themselves up. Toddlers push their prams around, ride their small bikes which they make move with their feet and throw balls to one another. Babies benefit from daily access to fresh air, by being in the garden with age-appropriate toys. Also they go on daily outings in their pushchairs and are appropriately dressed for the weather. Blankets are used to keep them warm and hoods and aprons protect them from the cold and rain.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children play on clean carpets with toys and play materials which are also clean and in a good condition. Staff take really good care of children's health. They ensure all children are protected from the possible harmful rays of the hot sun. They apply children's own creams using gloves which they change after each separate application. Staff also wear gloves and aprons when changing children's nappies or attending to the personal care needs of any children. This ensures the risk of any cross-contamination of germs is minimised. Children's individual medical and dietary needs are respected. All staff have first aid training and are competent to deal with any minor injuries or emergencies which may occur.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from having freshly prepared meals and snacks which include fresh fruit and vegetables. The kitchen and preparation areas are very clean. Children over two years sit together with staff to eat their snacks and meals. Babies sit in highchairs when they can support themselves and most staff sit down to help feed children. Toddlers attempt really well to feed themselves. Most adults caring for them are unconcerned by the mess they make and know this is how children learn.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. All children arrive happily at the nursery including the very youngest. They recognise familiar adults and are reassured by their friendly and very welcoming manner. This warm greeting helps all children settle easily and feel secure. There is adequate space indoors and the premises are bright, warm and well ventilated. Babies and children under two years can easily access their toys and play materials. This is the same for older children in the adjoining room. Children enjoy the freedom of being able to choose for themselves what they play with. Sometimes staff intervene to help develop and enhance their leaning.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All children are kept safe through being supervised very well at all times. This includes both when indoors, in the garden and on outings. Babies and young children are secured well into their pushchairs and toddlers just beginning to walk wear reins. Older children learn about road safety and know they must walk carefully and not run off. All children take part in regular fire drills and are beginning to understand the importance of taking part in these. The door into the nursery is secured at all times. Parents and carers known to staff are invited in. Visitors have to show identification before being allowed into the nursery. These measures help ensure children's safety. All staff and volunteers are suitably vetted. This means they are suitable to

p.3

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 be in the proximity of children without any risk to children's well-being, thereby keeping them safe.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff are expected to attend safeguarding training and be fully aware of the procedures in place. Staff show a satisfactory knowledge of these which helps keep children safeguarded from possible harm.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. All children in the nursery are happy, contented and very well cared for. They have lots of fun as they play either on their own, together with their friends or are supported by staff in their choice of activities. Children under two years really enjoy themselves. Staff ensure they have the space to play freely. This is because those children who have just learned to walk and run, need the space to do this. Staff help children at this young age to have respect for books. Children sit together at tables, looking at their own chosen books as if reading them. They also enjoy being outdoors and run around and have great fun. Babies are helped to feel very secure and their development is helped by staff who are aware of the 'Birth to three matters' framework. Staff use this quite well to plan, record children's development and plan for their next steps of learning.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children in the nursery enjoy being creative and have the opportunities to make marks on paper. They produce paintings using brushes and sponges, and objects with which they print. The youngest children enjoy using their feet and hands to paint. All children like to make their own fun, deciding for themselves what to do. Toddlers use their imagination well. They pick up skittles and shake these to make sounds and twist and move their bodies as if dancing. Older children engage in pretence and play well together. They play with dolls and enjoy making things with craft materials. Photographs show children of pre-school age being creative as they use boxes to make a bus. They also enjoy making lanterns out of pumpkins.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The planning of the curriculum and the written information to accompany this is done by the manager. She is the key person who assumes sole responsibility for children in receipt of nursery education funding. There are other staff who work alongside these children, in the same room and help to care for them. They are consulted by the manager about what she has planned to do. However, they are not sufficiently included, nor understand about the areas of learning and assessment processes. There are activity planning sheets in place based around different areas of learning. However, there is no system which evaluates what children gain from planned activities.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The manager knows the children very well and records some observations about what they are learning. However, she does not consider this in terms of the areas of learning, and it is not clear what the information relates to. She is also not able to show how children are making progress through the stepping stones, towards the early learning goals.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Throughout the day children use number language spontaneously. As they line up to go outdoors, to the cloakroom or to go on outings, staff count with them the numbers of children present. Staff help children to recognise numbers through displays and the games they play. For example, staff hold numbers up for children to identify and then give them a number each which they hold in the air. Their skills of recall are tested, their knowledge of counting and the

p.4

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 order in which the numbers go. This is because staff ask children to not only remember their number, but to make a line with their friends and stand in the correct sequence from one to five. Some children do this quite well. Most children can count up to 10. They sing songs about numbers and learn about 'more', 'less' and 'how many' as they sing.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are building blocks of different shapes which staff sometimes build together with children. However, there are missed opportunities for children to learn about positional language, such as 'big' and 'little' and 'highest' and 'lowest', for example. On display are the letters of the alphabet with pictures which correspond with these. Some children know the first letter of their name and most children recognise their own name when it is used for purposes of registration. There are some opportunities for children to draw and paint. Children give meanings to marks as they talk about the pictures they draw. They are also helped to develop a sense of time when staff speak to them about 'today', 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow'.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have real fun as they play a game with staff. This involves recognising colours, learning about body parts and helps develop their physical skills. For example, staff ask children to hop onto, or jump onto, certain coloured squares. They also are asked to, for example, put their elbows onto a certain shape and colour whilst turning around and leaning backwards. Stories are told to children which help develop their skills of imagination. Staff expand on these as they take children outdoors and together they act out the familiar story.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff help and support children's learning quite well. However, often there are opportunities missed to reinforce children's learning and this extends across most areas of learning. This is because not all staff are clear about what they are expected to do in order to help children achieve in their learning.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All children are really helped to develop an interest in the world around them. For example, on their daily walks, staff help them to see and look out for birds and butterflies. They also sometimes see mice in the fields. Staff also help children to take notice of the trees and their changing colour with the seasons. Children love visiting the local farms, seeing the animals and learning about the care they need. Sometimes children visit the owner's horses and on occasions help her to mix the feed for them. Children also learn about how things grow and the flowers in tubs at the front of the nursery are planted by children. They help to nurture these with care and attention, along with staff.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children of all ages feel good about themselves because they receive praise and encouragement from staff. Children are kind and caring to one another and are confident to try out new things. For example, as babies explore their surroundings staff support them as they learn to take their first steps. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Staff communicate well with parents. They find out about children's individual routines and care needs, particularly in the case of babies and young children. They inform them daily about what their children have been doing, including any development. Parents speak very highly about the care the nursery provides for their children.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

All staff are very caring although on occasions they forget to respect children's rights to dignity and

p.5

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 consider their feelings. For example, sometimes staff talk to children about matters of personal hygiene in front of others. They also forget to get down to children's level when speaking with them and on occasions, they wipe the faces of young children without telling them this is what they intend to do. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Parents are told about their children's development and all parents report their children are making progress in their learning. They are invited to attend evenings where staff speak to them on a 1:1 basis. However, most parents do not understand what responsibilities staff have in terms of their children's learning, nor are they aware of the early learning goals and how children are making progress towards these through the stepping stones.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. All children are able to help themselves to a variety of age-appropriate resources. This helps them develop their independence as they make choices for themselves. Staff organise their time very well in ensuring that children are always supervised to keep them safe. They also ensure that children really benefit from having daily access to fresh air regardless of the weather, unless extreme conditions prevent this. Most of the staff have a childcare qualification and show a commitment to furthering their training in related childcare subjects. For example, safeguarding and first aid training is a mandatory requirement for all staff as part of their employment. Planned training for all staff includes learning about new regulations. Also, management training is planned for the owner and manager.

p.6

Organisation

Documentation as required by regulation is all in place. However, in some cases it does not respect confidentiality. For example, the accident book for children has two entries on one page. There are two systems in place for the registration of children. Parents sign their children in and out of the nursery as well as staff. Sometimes this happens at different times and, therefore, attendance is not always accurate. Recruitment systems are satisfactory and all staff are vetted for their suitability to be in the proximity of children. Parents are welcomed into the nursery and are kept informed daily about what their children do.

p.6

Organisation

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The owner works alongside staff including the manager, and supports them in their daily work with children. She arranges regular staff meetings and meets daily with the manager. She also oversees the planning and assessment systems which are in place. These do not show, however, what individual children learn, nor do they show how individual children's next steps of learning are identified. Staff are very committed in their work with children though and help them all to develop a sense of belonging. However, not all staff engage purposefully with children to help increase their learning across most areas.

p.6

Organisation

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

p.6

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.

p.6

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

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.7

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.

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

p.7

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 all staff's knowledge of Local Safeguarding procedures • improve record keeping to ensure confidentiality is respected at all times • improve information readily available for parents including the contact details of Ofsted • ensure all staff understand the importance of maintaining eye to eye contact with children; ensure children are spoken to discreetly about personal matters

p.7

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): • include all staff in planning and assessment systems; develop their knowledge about the areas of learning • expand on systems in place to clearly show how individual children's next steps of learning are identified; clearly demonstrate how they are making progress through the stepping stones • ensure all staff members engage purposefully with children to help develop and progress their learning in all six areas.

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.7