Jigsaw Curzon House Nursery

Jigsaw Curzon House Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 305125 Inspection date 26/10/2009 Inspector Suzette Butcher

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Setting address Curzon House, Wrexham Road, Eccleston, Chester, Cheshire, CH4 9DQ Telephone number 01244 675712 Email JIGSAW@CURZONHOUSE.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 .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as 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

Jigsaw Curzon House Nursery is privately owned and opened in 1999. It operates from a two-storey building within the grounds of the Holiday Inn Hotel, in Eccleston, Chester. Children are accommodated within seven rooms, according to age. The nursery opens five days a week for 51 weeks of the year, between the hours of 7.15am and 6.15pm. It is registered to care for a maximum of 99 children at any one time in the early years age group. Funded early education is provided for three and four-year-olds. The setting is also registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Children share access to secure enclosed outdoor play areas.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 170 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. There are 36 members of staff, of whom, 34 hold appropriate early years qualifications, one is unqualified and one is working towards a qualification. The owner/manager has achieved Early Years Professional Status.

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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

The safeguarding of children is given a high priority in the inclusive, enabling setting. The staff's strong commitment towards continual improvement and the robust training programmes are key strengths that improve outcomes for children and their families. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals although the quality of underpinning recording systems is inconsistent. Strong partnerships are maintained with parents, carers, other providers within Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and support agencies to promote continuity.

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further?

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

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further?

 clearly identify starting points in partnership with parents and carers to establish a baseline for children's learning and development  improve monitoring and training systems to develop staff's knowledge and skills in recording meaningful observations and identifying achievable goals for individual children's next steps in learning, to use this information to inform future planning and to record children's progress  increase opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning. 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 rigorously safeguarded through comprehensive policies and procedures, recruitment and employment procedures and ongoing appraisal systems. Staff all attend a child protection awareness course and key staff attend safeguarding training on a regular basis. Effective links are maintained with appropriate agencies and professionals to protect children and support families. Safety and security is given a high priority throughout the setting. For example, entry is restricted through biometric fingerprint identity systems to further protect children. A wealth of risk assessments are completed on all areas and on any outings to promptly identify potential hazards.

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the early years provision

The management team demonstrates a very strong commitment and good capacity towards continual improvement as they achieve high quality care and education for children. They are currently working towards a National Day Nursery Association quality assurance accreditation scheme to further raise standards. Significant improvements made since the last inspection improve outcomes for children and their families. For example, the introduction of soft surfaces, low fencing and a growing area in the outdoor play areas create a safe, enabling environment which increases opportunities for children across the age ranges. A whole setting self-evaluation approach is employed to identify further key areas for improvement. Parents, carers, staff and children are regularly consulted in questionnaires where their opinions are valued and highlight further issues. Action plans are regularly reviewed, updated and outcomes shared with everyone

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the early years provision

Staff are all highly motivated and supported by management to further raise their skills and qualifications in the comprehensive training programme. Senior staff hold or are working towards early years degrees or teaching qualifications. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities and work well together within the large team. Most staff have worked in the setting for many years which provides consistency and continuity for families. High staff ratios are consistently maintained with an effective key worker system in place to strengthen links with families and support for children's well-being. Areas within the nursery are well organised to provide appropriate play and learning opportunities for children.

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the early years provision

Effective partnerships are maintained with parents and support agencies, such as speech therapists, to ensure that children's special educational needs are recognised and supported at an early stage by everyone involved. Key staff complete training and attend meetings with parents and support professionals to plan for children's additional care and learning requirements. Staff support children's early speech and language skills with Makaton sign language or Picture Exchange Communication Systems. Positive attitudes towards diversity and difference within all children are strongly promoted to help children to learn to value different aspects of their own and other people's lives. Parents are invited to share cultural differences with children during Diwali celebrations and other festivals are introduced during topics and themes. Linguistic diversity is valued by staff although opportunities for children to develop their home language in play

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and learning are not fully developed to acknowledge their cultural backgrounds.

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the early years provision

The two-way flow of information with parents and carers promotes a shared understanding of children's individual needs and involves parents in practical ways to support their child's learning and development. Good practice is firmly established in the pre-school group and is currently extending to other age groups. Information is shared in regular newsletters, notices, during informal discussion or in daily diaries. Parents and carers attend meetings to discuss their child's progress and individual records are regularly sent home with opportunities for parents to contribute towards their child's learning journal. This promotes consistency and continuity for children. Parents comment that they are very happy with the overall quality of the provision and write that this is the 'best place'. Links are developing to share information and create a smooth transition for children to their different primary schools. Letters are sent to children's other providers of EYFS and

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the early years provision

partnership links are evolving to promote the integration of care and education for children and families.

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and outcomes for children

Children have fun as they confidently choose their own activities and learn to make their own decisions. The good organisation of continuous provision provides a balanced range of suitable resources for children across the age ranges. These are organised to promote children's active, independent learning. Resources include a varied selection of natural materials and everyday objects to enhance play opportunities. Babies eagerly investigate treasure baskets full of different objects and materials or make sound patterns with a collection of pans and wooden spoons. Toddlers experiment with beans or cereals with discreet staff support. A purpose-built sensory room further enhances children's experiences and provides opportunities to activate switches or press buttons. Computers and technological resources are available for children to develop skills for the future. Areas are organised to create communication friendly spaces, such as dens or cosy, quiet

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and outcomes for children

areas. Children are offered appropriate challenges to extend their experiences with time to explore, practise and apply their learning. Staff generally know when to stand back and allow children to initiate their own imaginative games. They intervene sensitively and provide explanations to make children think, as they work alongside them and extend learning. This helps children to acquire new skills and try new experiences. Language and communication skills are developed as children join in action songs or share stories. Letter sounds, word patterns and mathematical concepts are regularly reinforced in daily activities, such as highlighting children's names or counting three little ducks.

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and outcomes for children

Children's individual starting points are informally discussed by parents and the keyworker during the settling in period. Care details are recorded but information on development is not clearly established to form a shared baseline for children's learning. Staff regularly observe children as they play and identify next steps in learning for each child. However, the quality of recorded information is variable across the nursery and does not always provide specific, meaningful and achievable targets to successfully support children. This has a negative impact on This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children's learning and development. Children's preferences and interests are identified to inform future planning and staff use information from observations to plan daily activities. Planning is also based on current topics and themes to extend children's experiences. Children's progress is reviewed in regular progress reports

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and outcomes for children

that are shared with parents. Their individual progress towards the early learning goals is recorded and monitored in a developmental record to ensure all areas of the curriculum are accessed.

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and outcomes for children

A healthy lifestyle is actively promoted throughout the setting. Well organised outdoor areas and the flow of activities between the indoor and outdoor environments ensure that children benefit from regular exercise and fresh air throughout the year. Good hygiene practices are actively promoted and incorporated into the daily routines to encourage children to care for themselves. For example, children use the accessible antiseptic gel dispenser after they stroke the nursery's rabbit or dig in the vegetable plot. Meals and snacks consist of well balanced, nutritious options that are cooked from fresh ingredients on the premises. Menus are clearly displayed and include details on the different fruits and vegetables. Individual dietary needs are acknowledged and met. Independence skills are actively promoted when children help themselves to a drink of water or know where to find a tissue to blow their nose.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to consider and recognise potential risks and dangers as they gradually accept responsibility for their own safety. They begin to consider the consequences of their actions and learn to recognise different feelings and emotions. Children develop a strong sense of belonging and ownership as they investigate low level displays, activities or work collaboratively to clear away resources. An album of family photographs stays with them through the nursery and provides a focus for cosy discussions, promotes links with home and a sense of identity. Children are encouraged to develop skills for their future well-being as they learn to solve problems together when, for example, they construct different objects and learn to collaborate with block play. Children are well-behaved as they happily share, take turns and play together cooperatively. They learn to be considerate towards adults and each other in the friendly, consistent atmosphere

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and outcomes for children

where staff act as positive role models. Children develop a strong awareness of the wider world and learn about their local environment on outings to the zoo or the fire station and during visits from significant people, such as doctors, fire and police officers. 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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