Kneehigh Pre-School Nursery

Kneehigh Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY221987 Inspection date 12/11/2009 Inspector Linda Janet Chauveau

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Setting address Tretherras Road, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 2RE

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Telephone number 01637 876293 or 01637 877112 Email sarahsknee@hotmail.co.uk Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Kneehigh Nursery is privately owned, it opened in 1991 and operates from a purpose-built building, which is situated in a residential area on the outskirts of Newquay, in Cornwall. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.00am to 6.00pm for 51 weeks of the year.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 26 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 46 children aged from two years to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery also offers care to children aged over five years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are six members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least NVQ level 2. One member of staff is working towards Early Years Professional Status. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Staff successfully promote children's welfare and learning, they share responsibility for key groups of children and demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of each child's needs. This means that children are well cared for and make good progress given their age, ability and starting points. Children are safe and secure in this happy nursery and particularly enjoy the introduction of regular free access to the outside play areas. Partnerships with parents and other agencies are strong and include structuring help and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Regular in-house self-evaluation by the nursery owner and her staff team and monitoring visits from local authority support staff ensures that priorities for development are identified and acted on, resulting in improved experiences and outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop systems to liaise with other providers delivering the EYFS for children to ensure progression and continuity of learning and care  ensure that evidence is available to show that all fire safety equipment on site is maintained regularly and kept in good working order This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are kept safe from harm as staff have a sound understanding of signs and symptoms of child abuse and are able to follow the reporting procedures in the child protection policy. There is a designated member of the staff team who is responsible for child protection and staff have undergone relevant training courses. All staff working at the nursery have undergone appropriate vetting procedures to ensure their suitability and the nursery owner has a range of induction and appraisal systems in place to monitor their ongoing professional development and suitability. Required adult to child ratios are met, and regularly exceeded, and good care is taken to ensure that all children, especially those new to the nursery or who may require extra help, receive sensitive individual care and attention.

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the early years provision

The nursery is a safe and stimulating environment. A range of checks and risk assessments are carried out on all areas of the nursery and for regular outings to ensure children's safety. Most of the required safety equipment is in place and in good working order; however there is no evidence to show that the fire extinguishers are regularly maintained. There is a good range of age-appropriate toys and activities available and children choose for themselves from a wide range of accessible resources; they have free access to a well presented outside play area which is safe and secure.

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the early years provision

The nursery has good relationships with parents, information is shared informally each day and regular access is provided to developmental records. Parents are invited to share their thoughts on their child's progress and on the targets that key staff have set for the next steps in their learning. The nursery owner has set up systems to encourage parents to play an active part in their child's learning by suggesting activities to do at home which will complement those planned each week at the nursery. A selection of useful information for parents is displayed in the reception area, including staff photos and weekly planning sheets, helping parents familiarise themselves with the nursery's staff and routines. Parents state they are pleased with the information they receive, their children settle well and really enjoy the time spent at the nursery.

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the early years provision

Staff work effectively with other professionals to support all children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support to ensure they are fully included in all the nursery's activities. All staff understand how to follow the individual education plans formulated for them and are also sensitive to the needs of all their key children. Some children attending the nursery also receive the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with other providers. At present the nursery owner has not fully established systems to liaise with other providers to complement the care and learning provided by them. She has identified this as an area for improvement.

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the early years provision

The nursery owner has set up systems to evaluate strengths and weaknesses. She acknowledges that her record keeping systems are not well organised and is in the process of reviewing her operational policies and procedures to ensure they are up to date. Regular staff meetings reflect on the effectiveness of current practice and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 plan for future improvements. All recommendations from the previous report have been successfully addressed, particularly the organisation of snack time and physical play. Children now have more opportunities to initiate their own play, especially outdoors, and to decide for themselves when they would like to have something to eat, which is helping to develop independence.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time at the nursery. They settle well and quickly become involved in playing with their friends. The nursery is set out to enable children to make their own play decisions, helping to develop confidence and independence. At the beginning of each session, staff explain to children which activities they might like to take part in and then children are encouraged to develop play for themselves. A good range of toys are accessible to children, enabling them to make choices and follow their own interests. For example, children can use the computer to complete simple programs on their own or develop their imaginations in group play, using the range of props and dressing-up clothes on offer. Staff lead some activities, supervising children during craft activities, when children use scissors to cut paper and sticking tape to wrap and secure parcels made from boxes they have brought from home. Staff support and help where necessary, they

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and outcomes for children

discuss the shape of the parcels and ensure children use their chosen tools safely and correctly.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very confident and articulate; they are well mannered and follow good examples set by staff who encourage children to complete tasks for themselves. For example, they know to put on aprons before any messy play activity and politely ask the inspector to do up their aprons for them. Children are set a challenge of the week, such as making a model of a person from a construction set; if children achieve this they receive lots of praise and put a picture of themselves on the 'I had a good try' chart, which helps develop self-esteem. During group activities, children enjoy listening to stories and singing and using hand gestures to accompany favourite songs. Throughout the nursery staff use makaton signing to help children with limited verbal communication skills and all children are beginning to pick up some of the signs to use as well. Children learn about the wider world through planned activities and their local community

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and outcomes for children

through visitors to the nursery. The police, lifeboat crew and road safety units have all visited and helped children learn about keeping themselves safe when out and about in the town and nearby beaches.

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and outcomes for children

At snack time, children serve themselves at a café-style venue. They find their name and photo on their place mat and sit at the café table; there, they chop soft fruit such as bananas and make their own healthy snack by selecting ingredients to make an appetising fruit salad. Afterwards, they happily wash up and dry their own cup and plate. Healthy eating is also encouraged at lunch times when children tuck into a two course meal prepared on site. Staff are teaching children to respect the environment as they compost uneaten food and put all paper and cardboard in the recycling boxes. Children benefit from regular opportunities to spend time outdoors enjoying fresh air in all weathers. Waterproof coats and Wellington boots are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 available so that children can make good use of the free-flow outdoor play. The nursery has a well set up outside area which offers a wealth of activities, providing

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and outcomes for children

children who prefer to be outdoors or more physically active with many learning opportunities. The development of this area is an ongoing project for the nursery and is particularly enjoyed by all children.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a secure understanding of the EYFS and are successfully using a key person system to support children to achieve good outcomes. All children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. The nursery owner and her staff use detailed systems to monitor children; observing them at play, assessing their level of development and then targeting the next steps in their learning. Observations are used to plan the nursery curriculum, focusing on children's individual interests and learning styles. Key staff summarise progress to ensure it covers all areas of learning. 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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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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