St Andrew's Community Nursery

St Andrew's Community Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY346223 Unique Reference Number 11 July 2008 Inspection date Margaret Bryant Inspector

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Bespoke Centre, Zeals Garth, Bransholme, HULL, HU7 4WD Setting Address

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01482 823 144 Telephone number st.andrewscommunity@yahoo.co.uk E-mail Angela Catherine Proctor Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School care Type of care

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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?

St Andrew's Community Nursery is based at the Bespoke Community Centre, to the north side of the city of Hull and some six miles from the city centre. The nursery has been registered several years with the present manager being in place since 2005. In early 2008 she also took over the ownership of the nursery. The nursery serves the local community and has a limited company status.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

It opens from 07.30 to 18.00 all year round, except for bank holidays and during Christmas and New Year periods. The nursery is registered to provide care for a maximum of 32 children under five years in the nursery. In addition there is an out of school club which provides care after school and during holiday periods. This is registered for a maximum of 16 children. Currently on roll there is a total of 67 children. This includes the out of school club children and 28 children

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

who are in receipt of nursery education funding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The manager has a level 4 childcare qualification and she employs 15 staff, one of whom also

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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 drives the nursery bus. This transports some children from school to the club. Over 90% of the staff have an appropriate childcare qualification. The manager has formed links with many professionals who support the nursery staff in their work with children. These include: social workers; inclusion officers; family support workers; occupational therapists and speech therapists.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health and well-being is promoted throughout every day practices. Staff help children to take care of their own hygiene and know the importance of this. Children's privacy is respected by staff who change their nappies in private and wear protective clothing. The changing mat used for babies is torn in part, with some foam exposed underneath of this. This was not noticed by staff as part of their daily checks. Medication records are shared with parents, reassuring them it is given in line with their instructions. Children's health is protected as staff are confident in dealing with any accidents, several of them holding up-to-date certificates. Children learn that after stroking the nursery rabbit, they must wash their hands to prevent any cross-contamination of germs. Children also learn about the care of their teeth and brush these after eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's skills of independence are encouraged from a very early age. Children under two years, who can, sit unaided at the table and feed themselves very well. Babies feel very secure as staff hold them in their arms as they give them their bottles. Staff encourage all children to develop their social skills and sit at the table when they eat. Pre-school children really enjoy making and then eating their own afternoon tea. They use knives quite well, spreading butter onto slices of bread and then put in their choice of filling. Throughout the day they help themselves to drinks, fresh fruit and yoghurts from the snack bar. Children in the club also enjoy healthy snacks and sometimes make their own sandwiches. All children are encouraged to tidy away their pots and scrape leftovers into the bins provided.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children in the nursery learn about the importance of keeping fit. In the club, children dance to music using actions. They also play ball games together outdoors. Babies and pre-school children enjoy the outdoor area daily. Pre-school children freely access this from their room unless there are extreme weather conditions. They know when they need to wear their coats and freely access Wellingtons and overcoats to wear when it is raining. Children enjoy riding bikes and using the slides. They also really enjoy obstacle courses. They jump in and out of tyres, climb onto crates, balance carefully as they walk across these and jump off at the end. All children have comfortable furniture with cots available as well, to enjoy rest and sleep in comfort. This helps their sense of well-being.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety is well protected with closed circuit television and exit doors which are very secure. Staff are very vigilant in their checking of visitors. Their collection policy is also securely operated by staff and protects children. They do not release children to anyone unknown to them. All windows and doors have electric safety shutters. These are used in an emergency to protect children and keep them safe indoors if required. School collection procedures are very good also and keep children safe. The manager has good links with the local schools and points of collection are agreed. The bus used for school collection is fitted with appropriate aged

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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 seats, belts and booster cushions. Children collected from school on foot, wear high visibility vests and know to walk safely together with staff.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children under five years in the nursery take part in regular fire drills. They show some knowledge of how to behave and where to go when they evacuate the premises. Pre-school children learn about what fire fighters do to protect them. They imitate them as they use resources imaginatively. For example, they construct long stretches of bricks which they link together to represent a fire fighters hoses. They have great fun and cooperate well together as they pretend to be fire fighter and put out imaginary fires. Not all children in the out of school club have practised a drill, although one is planned. Children learn to take care when playing near one another and to respect one another's personal space.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children of all ages have a good variety of age-appropriate and easily accessible play resources. There are some which are out of reach, however, children can see what is there and staff obtain them if children wish. Detailed risk assessments are in place and written permission is in place from parents to take children on outings. Staff appropriately protect children from possible harm as they understand the nursery's safeguarding procedures. All staff attend this training as mandatory. Also all staff, bar one, who work with children are suitably vetted and are safe to be in the proximity of children. New staff awaiting clearance understand they must not be left in sole charge of children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very settled and happy. This is because they are cared for by friendly, caring and welcoming staff. They give children confidence as they play and interact together with one another. Planning is done according to age and is flexible. Staff caring for babies and children under three

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

years, demonstrate a really good knowledge of the 'Birth to three matters' framework. On entry into this room, staff collect information from parents about children's abilities and development stages. They then begin their own assessment process, based around the different aspects of the 'Birth to three matters' framework. They record observations about children's development and use these to plan for individual children's next steps of learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children in the out of school club have a really good time and are very happy being there. They have a wide range of activities. Sometimes they enjoy playing alone or together with their friends. They also play board games with staff and share and take their turns well. Children have 'kindness thoughts' which they thought of together and these are displayed on the wall. These help children new to the club to feel included. Children report that these thoughts consider everyone's feelings. For example, the thoughts include: 'look around to see if anyone is on their own', 'play team games with your new friends' and 'smile at your friends'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children in the nursery have many opportunities to develop their creativity. They particularly enjoy painting on large pieces of paper. Children under two years enjoy finger and hand painting. Children create displays for the walls and banners when celebrating special occasions. They sometimes just enjoy mixing paints together and seeing the different colours they create.

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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 The quality of teaching and learning is good. All staff who work with funded three and four-year- olds understand about the areas of learning. Regular staff understand how the systems work and help train those staff newly recruited. The room leader plans the curriculum consulting staff about the topics, to which they contribute. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals. This is because regular staff understand the different stages children are at. Staff who work as inclusion officers, share information with other staff about those children who need additional help in their learning. They help other staff to know the stages individual children are at and what they need to learn next.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Systems are in place for monitoring children's progress in the six areas of learning. Parents receive reports once a term. These include detailed comments about the stepping stones their children have reached. It is not evident in all cases, how staff have reached these conclusions as sometimes recording in children's profiles is not current. However, regular staff know children very well and their reports detail the 'way forward', which is their next steps of learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff provide children with opportunities to enjoy books and listen to stories. They listen quite well and show interest in the illustrations. They know when to be quiet and join in when staff ask them questions about the illustrations. Children also enjoy reading books themselves and handle them very carefully. Children enjoy singing and many songs include counting. Staff help children to begin to understand about calculation and size language, such as 'highest', 'smallest' and to understand about shapes and measure. Children also learn to match and to sort. Several children recognise some numbers and can count confidently to 10 and beyond. Children are given the confidence to talk about and remember significant things that have happened to them. They share events with their friends as they talk about what they did at the weekends.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Planning is subject to change as it allows for spontaneity. For example, when children make a passing comment to staff about being in love with another, a whole project develops. A marriage ceremony is planned. Children learn about how different communities celebrate marriage and the different places it can take place, including synagogues, mosques and churches. The activity incorporates all six areas of learning. Children practise their creative skills as they make wedding cakes from sand and play dough, and make and write invitations. They make flowers for buttonholes from sugar paper and count the number of guests attending, putting out the right number of chairs. They write lists of food required for the reception and go with staff to buy this using real money, scanning the items themselves. Photographs show the great fun they had.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The nursery have very good relationship with parents which benefits children's overall well-being. Staff find out as much as they can initially about children's individual needs, and on an ongoing basis as they grow and develop. The routines of babies and children under two years are very familiar to regular staff caring for them. This helps children feel happy and contented. Staff are very caring which helps give children confidence. All staff are well led by the manager to recognise and appreciate the very different needs children have. Staff work extremely closely with parents and outside agencies who offer support and guidance for children who have additional needs. Professional help ensures children's specific needs are properly identified and catered for, with parents' full knowledge and approval.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are helped to notice the world around them. They take part in celebrations staff organise and have positive images of race through resources. Staff work really hard in ensuring

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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 the management of behaviour always focuses on the positive. Any boisterous behaviour is managed well. All children are encouraged to share and be kind to one another. Children in the out of school club get along very well and have their own devised friendship rules. Children's spiritual, moral,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

social and cultural development is fostered. Parents are informed daily about what their children do and receive a very detailed handbook. This includes information about the 'Birth to three matters' framework and all of the nursery policies and procedures. Parents speak highly of the care their children receive and know their children are happy in the nursery.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff find out about children's starting points and use this as a basis to begin their own assessments about children's learning. Parents are kept informed about their children's progress, receiving written reports on a regular basis. These clearly show the progress children are making in all six areas of learning. Staff record the stepping stones children have achieved and the 'way forward' is discussed with parents. Detailed information about the areas of learning is included for parents in the nursery handbook. Parents are encouraged to help with their children's learning at home.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for in three areas. There is the baby room, pre-school room and the dining room for the out of school club. The club have sole use of the dining room during its hours of operation. Children independently access a good range of age-appropriate resources. They are cared for by

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Organisation

mainly qualified staff. Plans are in place for the training of those without qualification. The proprietor and manager are one and the same person. She has a commitment to staff development and continually seeks to improve all outcomes for children. A continuing process of self-evaluation helps with this. The manager is a very good role model for staff. She shows commitment and enthusiasm in working with parents. She develops the links with outside agencies in order to provide children with good and appropriate care.

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Organisation

Recruitment systems in place are secure. The manager works alongside her staff and knows them well. She holds annual appraisals with them which incorporate a self-appraisal system. She is also very approachable and will talk to staff privately if they wish. All records as required by regulation are in place and are of an acceptable standard. Relationships with parents are very good.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are good. The manager holds regular meetings with staff. As she is always on the premises and sometimes working alongside staff, she is able to monitor their work with children. She oversees the planning and records staff keep on individual children. She is keen to develop staff training about assessment systems, particularly in respect of the new staff employed recently to the nursery. All staff are being trained in new regulations. She aims to develop her own assessment systems in consultation with all staff who work with funded three and four-year-olds. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements 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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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 complains 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): • ensure all equipment is in good repair.

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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): • further develop systems in place which show clearly children's progress and next steps of learning • increase all staff's understanding of assessment systems.

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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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