Dot Tots Nursery

Dot Tots Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY349520 Unique Reference Number 02 July 2008 Inspection date Permjit Tanda Inspector

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1 Ebenezer Street, BILSTON, West Midlands, WV14 9LP Setting Address

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E-mail

Daycare (UK) Limited 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?

Dot Tots Nursery re-registered in 2007. It operates from a converted detached property in Coseley, West Midlands. It is situated on the main road from Wolverhampton to Birmingham and close to all local amenities. There is a fully enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery serves the local community and surrounding areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Currently there are 89 children on roll. This includes 21 three-year-olds and four four-year-olds. Children attend a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is open from 08:00 to 18:00 all year round, except bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Twenty one staff who work directly with the children of whom most hold an appropriate early years qualification. They receive 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 satisfactory. Children gain an understanding of appropriate hygiene and they become increasingly independent in their personal care. As part of the daily routine children learn about the importance of hand washing before their meals, snacks and after using the toilet. They also learn about the importance of dental hygiene through cleaning their teeth after their meals. Staff follow current and appropriate environmental health and hygiene guidelines, policies and procedures to help children stay healthy. Children’s welfare is promoted because most of the staff team hold a current first aid certificate and there is an effective procedure in place to protect children from infection if they become unwell. All the required documentation and formats are in place for administering medication and recording accidents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have regular opportunities for physical activity throughout the day through organised outdoor play sessions. Older children use the climbing equipment and slide with increased confidence. They increase their control and co-ordination through using smaller equipment such as tricycles, inflatable hoppers and some bats and balls. However, there are few resources available for the younger children to increase their physical skills both indoors and outdoors. The outdoor equipment also includes two play houses for children to adopt roles and be imaginative but the lack of resources such as tea sets means children do not make good use of these areas. Children have opportunities to explore and investigate using the large sandpit and compost box for digging.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are appropriately nourished and hydrated throughout the day. They benefit from regular meals including breakfast, lunch, tea and a midmorning snack. Children enjoy a varied menu which is prepared on the premises by the cook. It consists of some freshly prepared food such as pasta and pies and some convenience foods. Snack time consist of healthy options such as fresh fruits which helps children begin to understand the benefits of a healthy diet.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Staff carry out written risk assessments to reduce potential hazards in the environment and therefore children can move safely and freely. Children learn the importance of staying safe through regularly practising the fire routine and understand that certain rules are in place for their own safety, for example, a group of older children understand the importance of safety on the stairs and manage it in an orderly fashion. Staff are vigilant about the children’s safety and supervise them well. Children are grouped according to their age and most of the rooms used are welcoming and inviting. However, throughout the nursery with the exception of the pre-School room there are insufficient toys and play materials made readily available for the children’s enjoyment. Toys and equipment which are available are appropriate and safe because staff regularly check and monitor for safety. All of the required policies and procedures for the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

safe management of the setting are in place and regularly updated.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected by staff of who all have a sound understanding of child protection policies and give priority to children’s welfare. There is a clearly written child protection policy which staff are aware of and able to implement, therefore, children are fully safeguarded.

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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 satisfactory. Children are cared for in a welcoming environment. The rooms are organised according to the ages of the children and group sizes for children under three years are kept small due to the sizes of the rooms. Children under two years enjoy an appropriate range of activities and are making steady progress. All children gain self-assurance through close relationships with staff. Staff are attentive to the needs of the babies and they are fed and sleep according to their individual needs and routine throughout the day. They are helped to settle by caring adults. They benefit from time for play, quiet time and singing sessions. Staff are developing their knowledge of ‘Birth to three matters’ framework and are learning how to use it to help support the children’s development. Babies have access to toys such as sound toys, shape sorters and activity centres. Adults support their play and communication through physical contact, good

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

facial expressions, eye contact and talking to them about what they are doing. They have regular opportunities to develop their natural curiosity through playing with jelly, pasta and water. Children enjoy their time at nursery and make steady progress. However, staff do not always provide a good varied range of play experiences covering all areas of development throughout the day. This limits the children’s choice and play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children aged from two to three years are cared for in four base rooms. Some staff are more secure in their knowledge of the 'Birth to three matters' framework, therefore, the children’s enjoyment and achievement varies. Children are confident and independent due to the small groups and have secure relationships with familiar adults and their peers. Children know the routine well and are keen to help tidy up and sit down quickly for their snack. Children have access to some interesting resources which they enjoy such as a treasure basket containing steel items such as sieves, jugs, an eggcup, a chain and a whisk, children played at length with these items along with some feathers exploring sound, touch and playing imaginatively. Children show good levels of concentration, for example, a group of two years olds play a card game of pairs with an adult which they understand and enjoy. However, throughout the rooms there is

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

a lack of resources promoting some areas of development and learning. Children have few opportunities to explore and investigate using the sand and water and have few opportunities to be creative using paints and arts and crafts.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children show appropriate levels of concentration and interest during planned activities. Children concentrate well during circle time and enjoy listening to stories. They show a sense of belonging and understand the routine well and are familiar with their environment. They easily adapt to changes in the routine such as getting their coats for outdoor play and tidying up. Children respond well to simple instructions and join in during singing sessions and enjoy stories. Children show little interest in writing during child-initiated play because staff do not always successfully incorporate opportunities for children to use writing during play such as in the role play area. Children have opportunities to learn to recognise their name through the use of labels on their coat pegs and some familiar objects around the room are labelled. They enjoy books and learn that print

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have organised play opportunities to explore colour, texture and shape and be creative, through, painting, drawing, moulding dough and making collage and using arts and crafts materials. Children join in their favourite songs and show a keen interest in musical instruments, for example, a group of children thoroughly enjoy percussion instruments tapping rhythm and

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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 exploring sound through shaking and beating items. They move rhythmically to music and easily recognise repeated sounds. Staff have reinforced this well through linking it to the theme on senses and hearing. Children increase their imagination through small world toys such as the garage and cars and engaging in role-play in the domestic area. However, staff do not always successfully provide experiences which are motivating and challenging often due to the lack of resources, organisation and maintenance of the role-play area. Children have some good opportunities to learn about each other and their families and share their experiences through daily discussion. They have been learning about the wider community through celebrating various festivals around the world.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn to count through planned activities such as appropriate card and board games, for example; children enjoy rolling the dice and counting the spots and linking it to the currants on the buns on the card. Some children independently count whilst playing such as counting how many dolls they have in the home corner. Children enjoy singing many number rhymes and learn the concept of subtraction with fun and enjoyment. Children have fewer opportunities to experience practical opportunities to increase their mathematical thinking through using the sand, water, baking activities and through everyday routine. Children begin to use mathematical vocabulary such as big and small and have some opportunities to sort by colour, size and shape.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have daily opportunities to increase their physical skills during outdoor play. Children handle tools, objects and build and construct assembling and joining materials. Children have been involved in learning about their natural environment through observing change through following the life cycle of the caterpillar. Opportunities to explore and investigate and further question why things happen and build on their own play and learning are not always well planned, for example, the sand and water toys include mainly cup, beakers, scoops and bottles and although children enjoy pouring and filling, it limits opportunities for more able children to engage in early scientific experiments such as floating and sinking at their own leisure.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

More experienced staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage. They work well as a team and support the less experienced staff. Therefore, the quality of teaching and learning varies according to who delivers the activity. Children make steady progress because they have access to a varied range of experiences promoting all areas of development. During child-initiated play staff spend much of their time interacting with the children and children show appropriate levels of interest. Staff plan two adult-led focused activities daily around the six areas of learning. Teaching does not always take account of children’s different attainments, therefore, more able children are not always sufficiently challenged in some areas of learning. The system to observe, monitor and record children’s achievements is satisfactory

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. All children are welcomed and are given the opportunity to take part in the session. Children learn to understand that they can expect others to treat their cultures and beliefs with respect; for example, children have been involved in celebrating various festivals including Chinese New Year and Diwali. Children have access to a moderate range of positive image resources and play materials which helps them learn about diversity. Staff are able to adapt the environment and activities to meet the needs of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There are appropriate systems in place to support children who speak English as an additional language.

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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 Children are well behaved and staff support children in sharing and turn taking. Staff adopt a positive approach to help children understand values and codes of behaviour. Children respond well to gentle reminders to care for the environment, the resources and for each other. Staff set consistent boundaries for the children, which helps them learn to negotiate with others and take responsibility for their own behaviour. Children develop their self-esteem because staff build on their good behaviour through praise and reward.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents receive basic information about the setting and its provision through a handbook. Regular newsletters and the notice board keeps parents up-to-date about events at the nursery. The setting policies and procedures are available in the entrance hall. Written six monthly developmental reports keeps parents informed about their child’s achievements and progress. Parents are involved in their children’s learning though sharing information about the current theme and topics and through attending events such as sports days and activity mornings are opportunity to spend time in their child’s room. Parents receive daily written feedback about their child’s routines throughout the day are kept well informed of their child’s day through daily discussion. Children benefit from the involvement of their parents in projects this contributes to their well-being at the nursery.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Leadership and management is satisfactory. An acceptable recruitment and selection procedure means that children are cared for by a staff team which are suitably qualified. Some staff are more experienced and secure in their knowledge of the Foundation Stage and the 'Birth to three matters' framework and how to support children in their play and learning, therefore, the quality of education and enjoying and achieving varies throughout the setting. Robust monitoring and evaluating systems are not in place to regularly monitor the effectiveness of the education, consequently, learning and teaching is not always effective.

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Organisation

The management team are committed to improving the service provided through staff training and development. The developing supervision and induction system means staff are acceptably supervised and managers are able to address some areas of improvement through staff monitoring and training opportunities. However, the newly formed management team do not have clearly defined roles, consequently, this adversely impacts on the vision and direction of the setting and support systems in place.

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Organisation

All of the required documentation which contributes to children’s health, safety and well-being is in place but the operational plan has not been reviewed and is not up-to-date detailing changes to the management structure, staffing and routines within the nursery. There is a commitment from the whole staff team to continuous improvement and development. The satisfactory quality of the provision means that overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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 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 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): • provide sufficient suitable toys and play materials to provide stimulating activities and play opportunities for children in all areas of play indoors and outdoors • provide increased opportunities for children to engage in activities that promote their exploration and investigative skills and creativity • develop and review the operational plan and make available to parents • ensure roles and responsibilities within the management team are clearly defined to help promote effective support systems and provide clear direction for the nursery.

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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): • offer increased challenge to further develop the children's creativity, mathematical development and exploration and investigative skills through further developing the role play area, sand and water area and using the daily routine to offer mathematical problem solving • replenish and maintain activities throughout the day to add to the children's enjoyment paying particular attention to the computer, role play area, sand and water • plan more effectively for the learning needs of the more able children • ensure there are effective systems in place to monitor the care and education throughout the nursery.

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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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