Thurcroft Infant School

Ashgrove Park Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Ashgrove Park Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 106898 Inspection date 28 September 2005 Inspector Flo Griffin-Taylor

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Ashgrove Park Day Nursery

Setting Address 60 Ashgrove Road, Ashley Down, Bristol, Avon, BS7 9LQ

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E-mail

Registered person Ian Mann Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 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?

Ashgrove Park Day Nursery is a well established nursery of some years, situated on the north side of the city of Bristol, in the Ashley Down area. It has a sister nursery, Clyde House, also based in Bristol. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 08:15 until 17:45, and operates all year round except for bank holidays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is situated in a two storey house, with additional staff and storage

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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 facilities at the rear. The ground floor of the nursery accommodates children aged between two and five years in two main playrooms with toilet facilities adjacent to these areas. The first floor has three rooms for children aged under two years, with a separate toilet and changing area located nearby. Outside play takes place in the rear enclosed garden, which consists of a grassed area, a garden for growing vegetables and flowers, a paved section used for mobile toys and a playhouse and a safety surface area containing a small climbing frame. The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 31 children. There are currently 63 children on roll, 8 of whom are funded 3 year olds. The nursery has provision for children with special educational needs and for those for whom English is an

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

additional language. There are 11 members of staff employed overall to work directly with children, 7 of whom have appropriate and relevant child care qualifications. The nursery receives advice from an inclusion support teacher and worker from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. (EYDCCP)

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is activity promoted. Children thrive because staff follow effective procedures and practices which meet their health, physical and nutritional needs. They are protected from illness and infection through the provision of a clean, wholesome environment and the exclusion of children who are sick. Staff support the children and act as good role models, helping them to develop a positive awareness and understanding of health issues and an eagerness to become increasingly independent in their personal care. They learn about adopting good procedures through well planned and established daily routines. For example, children wash their hands after using the toilet, before eating and after messy play, to stop 'germs spreading'. Staff wear gloves for nappy changing, clean surfaces with anti-bacterial spray and wash tables prior to snack and meal times. Parents are informed of

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Helping children to be healthy

outbreaks of childhood illnesses within the nursery. Children are appropriately looked after if they become ill/sick and are well protected through the staff's knowledge of first aid and the procedures to follow if medication is administered and accidents occur. All records are shared with parents. Children enjoy a varied range of physical activities on a daily basis that contributes to their good health and which helps them to develop control and co-ordination of their bodies. Staff have a good understanding of each child's stage of development and plan activities which give children the confidence to try out new experiences. For example, a two year old child shouts with joy and excitement when he jumps on a low trampoline. Older children develop a very positive attitude to physical exercise and enthusiastically take part. They take delight in the challenge of negotiating an obstacle course, balancing on floor level beams and manoeuvring trikes. Staff

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Helping children to be healthy

support children well to develop new skills, for example, holding a pencil correctly,

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 using scissors safely and effectively, managing cutlery at meal times and helping young children develop early mobility. All children are able to rest according to their needs, and home sleep routines for babies are followed to maintain consistency. Older children are aware of their own bodily needs, for example, they put on and remove clothing, such as tops and jumpers, if cold or hot. They also understand the effects of exercise on their bodies, by listening to their heart beat after active movement. Children benefit from a healthy diet. Drinks are regularly on offer throughout the day, with older children also able to help themselves from an easily accessible bottled water stand/cooler. All children enjoy fruit at snack time. Well balanced, varied, nutritious and freshly cooked meals take account of the individual and cultural needs

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Helping children to be healthy

of children. Staff discuss thoroughly with parents their children's dietary needs. Well planned activities and projects also develop children's understanding of the importance of maintaining a healthy life style.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are warmly welcomed and greeted into the safe and inviting environment. They use a wide range of good quality play resources and equipment appropriate to their age and stage of development, all of which conform to safety requirements. Areas are creatively set out. Many samples of children's art work, together with photographs of activities undertaken, are attractively displayed on the walls, giving additional colour to the surroundings. Children's freedom to move around is maximised as rooms are well organised and structured, with space between activities, which are arranged in clearly defined areas. Older children move confidently and independently between rooms and young babies have ample space to crawl safely. Appropriate play items and resources are labelled and made easily and readily available. These are stored at child height, in cupboards, boxes and shelf units, and extend children's choice, enabling them to self select and encouraging

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

independence. Safety is given a high priority, so that children are protected from harm. Risks of accidental injury are minimised because staff are very vigilant and use thorough risk assessments to reduce potential hazards. However, children's safety may be compromised by some loose bricks on the side wall in the vegetable and flower garden. Staff have a good understanding of how to achieve a balance between freedom and setting safe limits, and how to involve children effectively in organising their own environment. As a result, children are developing a regard for their own safety and that of others. Fire drills are undertaken on a regular basis and details recorded. Safe procedures are in place for outings and visits, with children aware of the need to stay close together. Regular and ongoing communication with parents also contributes to children's safety. Children are well protected by staff and prime concern is given to their welfare. They

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

are closely supervised at all times and are never left in the care of any adult who is not vetted. The child protection co-ordinator has a clear understanding of her role

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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 and has received training in this area. She ensures that the policy and procedures are up to date and that all staff understand their responsibilities. She is clear as to the actions to take if concerns be noted, and shares this information with parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the nursery. They progress well because staff use their knowledge, expertise and understanding of child development to plan a wide range of activities which excite and stimulate children's natural curiosity and desire to explore. Children arrive happily at the setting. Babies and toddlers are secure, settled and have strong positive bonds with their key workers that increase their sense of well being and belonging. Young babies benefit from routines consistent with their experiences at home, for example sleeping and feeding routines. They develop early communication skills as they attract the attention of staff who respond to their sounds and smiles during play. Babies enjoy experiences that involve using their senses of touch, sight and hearing. They explore baskets of natural objects and materials, such as fabric and wood, observe hanging mobiles and the colours, shapes and sounds of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

manufactured and improvised toys, such as plastic bottles filled with various seeds, grains, rice and pasta. Toddlers are confident in their relationships with staff and receive frequent praise and positive encouragement, which promotes their sense of self. They eagerly participate in adult led play activities such as exploring the different textures of corn flour, spaghetti, play dough, paint and glue. Children enjoyed painting, making hand prints and sticking collage pictures. Musical activities, stories and nursery rhymes/songs contribute to children developing good communication skills. They enthusiastically joined in singing 'the wheels of the bus'. Children relate well with adults and play happily alongside others, for example, during water play and when using resources such as construction materials, small world play, puzzles, books and outdoor equipment. These positive experiences foster children's

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

confidence to try out new activities. All children benefit from the individual care and attention given within the setting. They are listened to and valued, thus increasing their confidence to learn new skills. Children are relaxed, comfortable, interested and eager to learn. Nursery Education The quality of teaching is good. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage Curriculum and plan a wide range of topic related activities which appeal to the children and cover all six areas of learning. A flexible approach is applied, with a good balance between adult and child led activities, which allows children to develop at their own pace. A good key worker system is in operation. Daily and weekly planning sheets though lack detail, as does the activity recording sheets, which do not include prompts for questioning or key vocabulary to use. Evaluation comments also do not state how an activity, when it has not met the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

expected outcome, can be further adapted for future presentation. A clear picture of children's learning and progress is identified through the effective use of on-going

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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 written observations and assessment records that are linked to the stepping stones, and which are used to plan experiences that support children take the next step in their learning. Children's interest is well sustained during group activities and a calm environment is created, with children given time and opportunity to complete tasks in an unhurried way. Staff are perceptive to children's interest during self-initiated play and use pertinent questions to challenge children's thinking and language skills. Children show a strong sense of belonging and develop high self esteem. They enjoy looking at photo's of themselves and proudly show/point to their completed work on display. Children are interested, keen to learn and actively and purposefully engaged in activities. They play co-operatively together, show concern for others, and are able

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to wait their turn and share tasks, such as tidying up at the end of the session and placing resources back on the low shelves and storage containers. Children chat confidently to each other in a group and are able to talk about their home and family, for example playing with their brother, seeing their grandmother. They are able to readily recall past events, for example, looking at some photographs on display children were able to talk about the activities undertaken and identify friends. They listen carefully and with interest to stories and are able to recall significant details. All children recognise that print has meaning and use marks readily to represent their ideas. Many are beginning to recognise their names in print and practise writing it. They link sounds to letters and can recognise different shapes and sizes. They enjoy looking at books and telling stories to each other. Children work well together. For

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

example, when constructing a train track and learning how to operate computer equipment, they help, support and guide each other. During free play children independently select from a wide range of appropriate and well chosen resources which offers challenge, stimulation and supports their learning across all areas of development. They match bears, cars, animal figures, compare the colours, sizes, and count and estimate the total. They use different sized measuring jugs and utensils in the water and sand play and use appropriate mathematical language, such as small, heavy, full, light to compare quantities of weight. They organise their own thoughts and ideas while positioning small world figures in the farm and zoo games and dolls house. Through participation in singing some of their favourite rhymes such as 'five little monkeys' and '1,2,3,4,5', they learn to subtract. Children develop a good sense of time and space through the well established

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

nursery routines. They are very inquisitive about the world around them and fascinated by living things observed at first hand. They eagerly hunt for bugs in the garden, examining them carefully, gently, and using words such as wriggly, centipede, slimy. They learn about the wider world and about their surrounding environment through the many meaningful experiences and activities on offer. For example, planting potato tubers, runner bean and pumpkin seeds in the vegetable garden, going on local walks, with trips to the park, and visiting the city farm. Children develop their fine motor skills and use small tools effectively through threading, cutting, moulding and spreading activities. Their physical skills develop and improve through a wide variety of different experience, including music and movement and dance. They express their imagination and creativity and explore their senses in a variety of ways through role play, construction, painting, drawing,

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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 modelling and sensory topics and activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are welcomed and valued as individuals. They are encouraged to feel special and all achievements are acknowledged. Staff work well with parents ensuring that children's individual needs are met. Children of all ages benefit from the positive partnership between parents and staff. Parent's views about their children's needs, interests and abilities are actively sought before the child commences at the nursery, and on a regular basis throughout their time there. Parents of young children are effectively included in their child's daily experiences through the sharing of daily planning and activity sheets, together with regular written observations and developmental assessments undertaken. Parents are kept well informed and receive good information about all aspects of the nursery through a welcome pack, daily discussion, clear notices on parents boards, regular newsletters and parents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

evenings. Children gain a sense of belonging to their local community through visits to the local library and shops. They gain an awareness of the wider world through well planned activities. Visitors to the nursery, play resources representing positive images, topic work undertaken on food, and celebration of festivals, such as the Chinese New Year, Hanukka, Divali, increase children's understanding of diversity and of other cultures and ways of life. Children behave well throughout the setting. Staff support younger children in sharing and turn taking and have a proactive approach to behaviour management. They set clear, calm and consistent boundaries, age appropriate, with lots of positive praise. This helps children learn to negotiate with others and take responsibility for their own actions and behaviour. Children's understanding is increased as they respond to gentle reminders to care for the resources and each other. Older children know what

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Helping children make a positive contribution

is expected of them, they relate well to each other, show care and concern for others around them, and are polite, co-operative and assist with tidying up. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The partnership with parents is good and contributes to the children's well being at the nursery. Parents receive good information about the Foundation Stage Curriculum and of their children's progress and achievements. This is achieved through specific information and parents evenings, planning and activity sheets clearly displayed, easy access to children's written records and daily discussion with staff. Children benefit from their parents active involvement in activities that contribute to their learning, for example, providing photographs and resources from home.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care and learning is enhanced by the good quality of organisation within the nursery. The premises are well set out and structured. Resources and activities

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 are easily accessible. Indoor and outdoor space is arranged attractively and creatively to maximise play opportunities for children. Staff work well together, are enthusiastic, and clear as to their roles and responsibilities. They are effectively deployed, ensuring that all children are well supported in their play and that their well being is promoted. The legally required documentation, together with the operational plan and a comprehensive file of policies and procedures, are in place and readily accessible. These all contribute to children's health, safety and well being and are regularly reviewed. Leadership and management is good, as is the quality of teaching and learning. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage Curriculum and know how to apply this in practise to support children in their learning and

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Organisation

development. There is a clear vision for the future and the manager is well able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the setting. Children benefit from the stable, well motivated and experienced staff team, who are effectively inducted and receive on-going supervision and annual appraisals. Priority is given to training and staff regularly update their skills and knowledge. All are committed to continuous improvement and development. Staff meet regularly to plan, reflect and monitor the quality of the care and education they provide, to ensure that children make good progress in all areas of learning. They have recently successfully completed the Bristol Standard For Early Years, a self evaluative assurance scheme. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection in September 2003 the nursery has addressed the one recommendation and the two points of consideration made. More opportunities have been provided for children to plan and create their own three dimensional models. A good and varied range of construction sets and pliable waste materials is made readily available, which children easily access to build their own models and express themselves creatively. Planning activity sheets for the pre-school age group now includes a small section for recording ways in which an activity can be extended, so as older/more able children can be further challenged. Opportunities to compare numbers is accommodated well through planned and everyday activities. Counting is a frequent part of the daily programme. Number songs, action rhymes and small group work looking at matching, comparing and estimating/subtracting totals, is constantly used to reinforce comparison of numbers.

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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

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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 children are not put at risk from the loose bricks on the wall in the vegetable and flower garden.

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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): • ensure that the planning and activity recording sheets clearly details ways in which the identified learning activity and outcome, can be adapted, as appropriate, to further promote children's learning.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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