Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY275052 Inspection date 07/07/2009 Inspector Susan Mann / Lisa Ellis

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Setting address 43 High Street, Totton, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 9HL Telephone number 02380 862 169 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10). This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Play Away Day Nursery in Totton, Hampshire is one of three nurseries owned by Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd. It was registered in December 2003 and is privately owned and managed. It operates from a purpose built two storey property in the centre of Totton and serves the local and wider communities. There are enclosed outdoor play areas and disabled access throughout the ground floor.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum off 122 children in the early years age range at any one time. There are currently 179 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 until 18:30 for 51 weeks a year. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

There are 24 members of staff working with the children, of whom 20 of these have an appropriate childcare qualification. The setting employs an administrator, a full-time cook, a kitchen assistant and two lunchtime supervisors. It is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory. Children's welfare is promoted and each child receives sufficient support so that their individual needs are met. Children make reasonable progress towards the early learning goals through a planned and varied curriculum. The management and staff of the nursery have identified issues for development and have recently implemented improvements to address these. The nursery promotes partnership with parents well and shares useful information with them on a regular basis so that children enjoy a collaborative approach to their care and education.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 continue to develop the system of observation to clearly identify the next steps in children's learning and development consistently throughout the nursery and to include these in the curriculum planning  review the organisation and delivery of daily routines and activities to ensure that children are fully engaged and occupied throughout each day  evaluate the deployment of staff to ensure that children's needs are met completely and consistently in all areas of the nursery.

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provision

The management of the nursery provides stable leadership so that children's well- being is fostered. A suitable range of policies and procedures provide an This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 appropriate framework for the day-to-day running of the setting so that it is in line with current requirements. Records such as medication details and parental consents are accurately recorded. Staff are trained and management take appropriate steps to support them in their roles through induction and professional development. There are plenty of staff to meet required adult:child ratios. However, on occasion the deployment of staff is not sufficiently well-organised or evaluated by adults working in the rooms and children do not always benefit from a suitable level of interaction and support.

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provision

Children enjoy a spacious environment both indoors and outdoors. This is planned well to promote their independence. Children have sufficient resources to use. These are of good quality and are displayed at child height to be easily accessible. This supports children's ability to make choices and promotes their self-esteem. There are consistent and robust risk assessments and cleaning rotas ensure that there are no known hazards and all of the premises are hygienic. For example, floors are suitable for children to play on and furniture and toileting areas are frequently cleaned to promote children's good health.

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provision

There is a suitable system of self-evaluation to promote continuous improvement throughout the nursery. All staff are involved in this process so that it is representative of all areas of the setting. The management work with staff to identify areas for development and implement new initiatives to improve outcomes for children attending. Some of the issues raised at the previous inspection have been addressed completely and others are in the process of being implemented. Children's welfare is safeguarded effectively because there are robust procedures in place. Staff throughout the nursery know what action to take should they have any concerns with regard to child protection issues.

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provision

Children benefit from the good partnership between their parents and the nursery. Staff take time to talk to parents each day to share information about children's well-being and routines so that children settle well. When children start at the nursery, parents complete a detailed booklet about their child to help staff meet their individual needs well. Parents can access good quality written information about the nursery practices and developments through brochures, notice boards, displays and the setting website and this helps them to be well-informed about the provision. Parents are given planned opportunities to discuss their child's learning and development in meetings with their child's key person if they wish to do so. They are also given ideas of activities they can do with their child to help promote their development. This helps children to receive consistent experiences between home and nursery. In addition, nursery staff have developed liaison with other

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provision

providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage so that children who attend more than one setting benefit from a collaborative approach which supports their progress and learning.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children enjoy a range of suitable activities which maintains their interest and broadly supports their development in all areas of learning. Children enjoy constant access to the outdoor areas, which are extensive and secure. This promotes their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 good health and well-being as they enjoy daily fresh air and exercise as they play. There is a sound balance of adult-led and child-initiated play. For example, some children enjoy drawing pictures of the 'volcano experiment' they have just done, sitting in a circle outside drawing pictures of what they saw happen. Elsewhere in the nursery, a child enjoys role play. He selects real vegetables from wicker baskets and piles them onto a plate to make his 'dinner'. Children learn about their local community and the wider world through various activities and resources. The nursery recently enjoyed an 'Army Day', where parents and staff provided suitable

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

resources, and children dressed up and had fun crawling under a large scramble net.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Staff are generally attentive to children and work with them at their own physical level. Children are mostly busy with their play and they enjoy themselves. However, some elements of the day are not sufficiently well organised to keep them completely engaged and interested. This means that they are not always motivated to learn. Children's learning is observed and staff generally know their key children well enough to ensure that they make sound progress at their own pace. However, the system of recording children's progress is not sufficiently consistent to plan their next steps of learning in all areas of learning. The nursery has already identified this as an issue for development and is in the process of implementing a robust system whereby children's progress is recorded and evaluated regularly. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive steady support to make progress and staff work with parents and with external

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

agencies to obtain the required assistance.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children are adequately encouraged to promote their own good health. They are reminded to wash their hands before eating snack, and nappy changing procedures are hygienic. They enjoy nutritious snacks and meals which are prepared from fresh ingredients on the premises by the nursery cook. Children demonstrate a reasonable understanding of how to stay safe. They have regular opportunities to practise the emergency evacuation procedure so they know what to do in a real emergency. Children demonstrate a sensible attitude to taking care during play so they do not get hurt. For example, a child reminds another to take care because the floor is wet around the sink area and he 'might slip'. Children manage their behaviour well, and play cooperatively together which helps develop their social skills and self-confidence. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 3 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

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Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 3

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 3 How well are children helped to be healthy? 3 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 3 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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