Jack-in-the-Box Pre-School Nursery

Jack-in-the-Box Pre-School Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Jack-in-the-Box Pre-School Nursery

EY277232 Unique Reference Number 03 November 2005 Inspection date Dinah Round Inspector

p.1

Jack-in-the-Box Pre-School Nursery

St Bernadettes Church Hall, 46 Draycott Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH10 5AR

p.1

E-mail

Susan Johnson Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Jack in the Box Pre-School Nursery opened in April 2004. It is privately owned and operates from a church hall in Ensbury Park, Bournemouth. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play space at the side of the premises for outdoor activities. The pre-school serves the local community.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 29 children on roll. Of these 17 receive funding for nursery education. The pre-school is open each weekday from 09:00 to 12:30 term time only. The setting supports children with special educational needs.

p.2

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 There is a team of six staff working with the children, including the proprietor. Three staff hold early years qualifications, with another member of staff currently completing training. The pre-school receive support from the Local Authority.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm, clean environment. They are protected from the risk of cross infection due to the effective routines and practices followed by the staff. Clear policies inform parents of the exclusion if children are infectious, which ensures that the spread of infection is minimised. Staff deal with emergencies calmly and effectively, and make sure that children are cared for sensitively while waiting to be collected by parents. Children learn the importance of good hygiene and personal care through the daily routines within the pre-school. For example, they wash their hands after using the toilet and before snack time.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is promoted very well. They benefit from being provided with an extensive variety of healthy and nutritional snacks, which helps children develop an understanding of the importance of a healthy diet. This includes a good selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, such as, cucumber, carrots, bananas, raisins and pear. Children enthusiastically select fruit from the containers on the table. Drinks are provided at snack time, and children are able to ask for water if they get thirsty. Children's individual dietary and medical requirements are clearly recorded. Staff consider their individual requirements when organising the snack time, adapting to make sure that the children's needs are met.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children have regular opportunities to engage in physical play through well-planned indoor and outdoor activities. Such as, activities that involve children learning to kick, throw, catch, and roll a ball, which helps to develop their co-ordination skills. Children have access to a range of large and small equipment, for example, they enjoy jumping on the trampoline and do this with confidence and good control. They use a wide variety of tools in their play, such as, scissors, paint brushes, spatulas, chalks and pencils.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children move around the room freely and safely, in the well organised and child-friendly environment. They learn to keep themselves safe through clear explanations by the staff. For example, staff remind children not to jump too high on the trampoline, and explain about the importance of not touching or picking up fireworks during circle time discussion. Effective security procedures maintained by staff make sure children remain safe within the setting, for example, use of passwords to ensure children are only collected by authorised persons.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from good safety measures in both the indoor and outdoor play space, such as, safety surface is fitted under the climbing frame and slide outside. Clear emergency procedures and regular fire drills are practised with the children.

p.3

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 The well maintained, child height furniture is effectively positioned around the room to create separate areas for particular activities and play opportunities. Children are interested in the broad range of clean, good quality toys and play equipment set out by staff on a daily basis. Staff monitor and check equipment to make sure it is age appropriate and safe.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good knowledge of child protection issues and procedures which supports them in their role of keeping children safe. The manager has a very good understanding of her responsibilities, and is confident to follow procedures to protect children. The comprehensive child protection policy ensures staff are clear of their responsibilities, and clear records are kept of any visitors to the group.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy, settled and come into the group enthusiastically and eager to get involved in the play opportunities. They are confident to leave parents and carers, and have positive relationships with adults and their peers. Children behave very well, they are co-operative during tidy up time and are learning to share.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are friendly and caring, and show an interest in what children say and do which helps build children's confidence and self-esteem. Children are kept well occupied and engaged by the wide range of interesting and stimulating activities provided. However, the pre-school does not make effective use of the Birth to Three Matters framework to further learning outcomes for the younger children. The well planned activities provide a good balance of play experiences for the children. However, staff do not always provide the full opportunities for children to reach their full potential.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a secure knowledge of the different areas of learning, and how young children learn and progress. Through detailed planning they provide a broad range of interesting and stimulating experiences for children. Children's progress is regularly monitored, and detailed assessments link to all areas of learning and identify targets to help children move on. Relationships between adults and children are very good, and staff use effective open-ended questioning to challenge and support children in their learning. Children respond well to the staff's regular praise and encouragement.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident, interested in activities, and keen to learn. They enjoy taking responsibility during tidy up time, but the full opportunities to promote their independence are not always explored. Children's behaviour is good, they co-operate well during group activities and show consideration for others. They happily share their feelings, for example, expressing their excitement when talking about going to a bonfire party during circle time. Children have good opportunities to write spontaneously for different reasons, such as, in the café as part of role play or on their art work. They do this with good control, and many children are able to write their own name. Staff support children well in linking sounds to letters, for example, through the letter of the week and use of name cards. Children show great enjoyment as they listen to the story of the ' Gruffalo', entranced as a member of staff successfully brings the story to life.

p.4

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 Children confidently count during number and counting rhymes, such as, ' Peter plays with one hammer'. They have fun finding a number of objects hidden in the sand during a planned activity, and with adult support some children are able to work out how many more items they need to find. However, opportunities to incorporate maths into everyday routines and situations are not fully explored. Children learn about size, shape and pattern through different activities and resources, such as, recognising the 'smallest' biggest' and 'middle-size' rabbits.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about the wider world through planned topics, for example, they made Chinese lanterns and dragons during Chinese New Year. They have regular opportunities to use the computer to support their learning, and do so with good control. Children have investigated how things change, such as, when growing cress and mustard seeds.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use their imagination well in the various role play environments provided, such as, a cafe, garden centre, medical centre, or post office. They enjoy expressing their ideas through the regular free painting activity. However, there is a lack of opportunity for children to develop their individual creativity within some planned creative activities. Children have very good opportunities to explore texture and colour through a wide range of materials such as, paint, water, sand, and dough.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are settled and secure in the welcoming and caring environment. They are valued and respected, and staff make sure all children are fully included in the activities which promotes a strong sense of belonging. The older and more confident children support the newer children in the daily routines, for example, they pair up when going to wash their hands. Staff have a very good awareness of children's individual needs and successfully identify when additional support is required. Children benefit from the close partnerships developed between staff, parents and external agencies, who work together to meet the children's needs. The resources and topics covered help to raise children's awareness of diversity and their understanding of others. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good. They respond well to the staff's clear and consistent messages, are eager to help, and co-operate well during tidy up time. Children quickly settle down on the carpet at circle time, they sit quietly as they listen to others and happily take their turn to answer questions. Staff are good role models, and have a good understanding of appropriate strategies to deal with children's behaviour. For example, a member of staff effectively distracts and involves a child with the train track, when she observes him running round the room. Children benefit from regular praise and encouragement, staff acknowledge their achievements which helps to promote their self-esteem.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnerships with parents and carers is good. They are kept well informed about the provision via regular newsletters, information folders, and displays on the notice board. Children's individual needs are continually discussed with parents at the beginning and end of the session, to ensure details about a child's welfare is shared. There are clear systems in place to keep parents effectively informed about their child's learning. For example, the children's learning records and their termly progress reports, share their individual achievements and developmental

p.5

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 progress with parents. Staff actively encourage parents to become involved in their child's learning, such as, sending home extension sheets linking to the letter sounds for parents to follow up with children.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are settled and confident within the child orientated environment. They benefit from high staffing levels, and the key worker system ensures all children receive good support. The wide range of activities are effectively laid out, to allow children to explore and play freely and safely. Children benefit from being provided with a good balance of well planned activities and learning experiences. Overall, the group meets the needs of the range of children for whom they provide.

p.6

Organisation

Leadership and management are good. The comprehensive policies and procedures effectively support the smooth running of the group. Regular staff meetings, and detailed induction procedures for new staff, makes sure all staff are kept up to date with the group's policies and procedures. The manager shows strong leadership and supports staff well. The annual appraisals are used to identify staff training needs, although, some staff have not updated their knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities and work together very well as a team. The regular sharing of information between staff, contributes towards the children's well being and ensuring their individual needs are met. The group are pro-active in looking at ways to improve their practice, and are currently working towards the Pre-school Learning Alliance accreditation. Parents views are welcomed and taken into consideration, such

p.6

Organisation

as, when making choices for the children's annual outing.

p.6

Organisation

Documentation is very well organised and kept secure in a locked cabinet. Accidents and medication are clearly and accurately recorded, whilst maintaining confidentiality. Children's records and parental consents are all in place. The clear information shared with parents keeps them effectively informed about the practices and procedures of the group.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the pre-school agreed to ensure that children have freedom to be creative at craft activities. They have looked at their planned activities, and now encourage children to do more cutting out by themselves during the craft activities. However, some of the creative activities are still quite adult-led, and do not fully encourage children to be independent and develop their own creativity.

p.6

Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

p.6

Complaints since the last inspection

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.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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 On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

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.

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.7

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): • develop further the staff's knowledge of the Birth to Three Matters framework and the Foundation Stage Curriculum, to improve outcomes and help children reach their full potential.

p.7

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): • increase opportunities for children to develop their independence through the routines and activities, in particular during creative activities • provide opportunities for children to use maths in everyday routines and situations.

p.7

The quality and standards of the nursery education

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

p.7

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

p.7