Daybreak Nursery

Daybreak Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 314085 Inspection date 25/11/2009 Inspector Julie Morrison

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Setting address Church Hall, Church Street, High Etherley, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 0HW Telephone number 01388 835242 Email 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

Daybreak Nursery was registered in 1999, and is owned and managed by private individuals. It operates from three rooms within a converted church in Etherley. There is an enclosed area for outdoor play. The premises are accessed by one step. The nursery is open each week day from 8am to 5.30pm, for 51 weeks a year. The setting is registered to care for a maximum of 27 children from birth to under eight years old at any one time, all of whom may be in the early years age range. They currently have 50 children in this age group on roll. They are also registered to provide care for children aged over five to 11 years old. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery employs eight members of staff. All staff, except for the cook, hold an appropriate early years qualification. The setting holds a National Day Nurseries Quality Counts Award.

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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

Children are well settled, happy and enjoy their time at the friendly nursery. The well qualified management and staff team work co-operatively to ensure children's individual care and learning needs are met well. They work closely with parents and other providers, this helps to support children's development and learning. This is combined with a good range of activities to effectively promote children's progression towards the early learning goals. The manager and staff are committed to developing their practice, and work closely to monitor and evaluate the setting. This helps to promote 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 ensure that identified next steps are consistently used to inform future planning and meet children's individual needs  continue to develop the environment for babies to ensure that it is interesting, attractive and stimulating.

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded because effective policies and systems are in place to ensure children’s welfare. Staff have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms that indicate abuse, and are fully aware of the procedures to be followed should concerns arise. This protects children from potential future harm. The building and outdoor play area are secure to prevent uninvited visitors from entering and children are effectively supervised to ensure they play safely. Risk assessments, which are regularly reviewed, along with daily checks of all areas, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 enable staff to identify and address potential dangers quickly. Careful recruitment and appraisal procedures ensure that all adults working with the children are both suitable and clear about their roles and responsibilities. All records required for the safe and efficient management of the setting are in place, this further supports

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the early years provision

Staff develop very positive partnerships with parents; they work very closely with them from the start, to help children settle and promote their ongoing welfare. Parents are encouraged to share valuable information about children's likes, dislikes, family backgrounds, routines and starting points in their learning. This ensures each child's key person can help them to settle quickly, and establishes a firm foundation for their future learning. Staff make time to chat to parents on a daily basis, keeping them informed about their child's day, their general welfare and learning. Communication systems, including notice boards and newsletters, daily diary sheets for younger children and parents evenings for older children further strengthen partnerships. Links with other providers, although in their infancy, are effective and promote the integration of care.

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the early years provision

The manager and staff work closely to monitor and evaluate the settings strengths and areas for improvement. Staff meetings are used to good effect to enable all staff to be involved in developing the nursery. They also work closely with the local early years advisors, other providers and use questionnaires to obtain the views of parents. The nursery has fully addressed all the recommendations made at the last inspection, enhancing children's care, learning and development.

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the early years provision

Children use a range of good quality toys and resources; these are well maintained and appropriate to their age and stage of development. Staff are deployed effectively and generally organise space, time and resources effectively to meet children's needs. However, having been recently decorated, the baby rooms do not fully promote a stimulating environment to further support children's learning. Staff have a positive attitude towards equality and diversity; they regularly plan activities which help to develop an understanding of a range of cultural backgrounds. Staff know the children well; they are positively valued and their backgrounds and abilities respected. The setting benefits from a named Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, who is clear about her role and all staff work well together to ensure that all children are fully included at the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Everyone is warmly welcomed as they arrive at the nursery. They provide a relaxing environment and most children quickly settle into their chosen activities. Children are helped to feel safe and secure, as the key worker system works well and children have clearly formed close attachments to their assigned person. The children are familiar and happy with daily routines which are effectively put into practice by staff; who ensure that any children who do not settle well are given lots of support and reassurance. Most staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Daily activities are planned to ensure that all areas of learning are covered and there is a This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities, this helps children to become active learners. Children's files are used to identify learning and

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and outcomes for children

development and show the good progress children are making towards the early learning goals. However, the recording of next steps and how these are used to inform future planning are not always consistently recorded. Staff have recently introduced further systems to gather information from parents about children's learning at home, this ensures that parents remain involved in their child's ongoing learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well-behaved and good at sharing and taking turns. They have good relationships with one another, and play happily together as they make garages for their cars and role play together. They learn some skills to promote their independence, as they peel their own fruit at snack time and help to tidy away at the end of the session. Older children have free access to art and craft materials, and they enthusiastically paint pictures while toddlers have fun exploring corn flour and different textured materials. Cardboard boxes provide great fun to toddlers who begin to develop their gross motor skills as they try climbing in and out. All children are beginning to develop an interest in books; babies sit with staff who point out pictures to them, while older children sit independently for extended periods of time engrossed in books and catalogues. Older children have direct access to outdoor play for most of the session. Outside, children's physical

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and outcomes for children

development is promoted well as they climb, run around and play on ride-on toys. Staff use the outdoor environment to further support children's learning as the encourage them to count as they jump and read stories to them. Planting and growing vegetables, helps to promote children's interest in the natural world as well as developing their awareness of healthy foods. Toddlers also participate in regular outdoor play, this provides good opportunities for them to socialise with older children. Children skilfully use and recognise numbers in everyday activities and games, for example, they independently count how many cars they have. Staff use planned activities to good effect. for example, dinosaurs games are used to promote matching and basic mathematical skills and language, as staff ask questions such as, 'how many more will we have' and 'can you find two the same?' Children confidently use the computer; using the mouse to play simple matching

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and outcomes for children

games and developing their key board skills. This helps to promote skills for the future.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and well-being are promoted well. Staff encourage children to adopt good hygiene procedures and children clearly know the routines, as older children shout, 'come on, it's time to wash your hands for snack'. Lunch and snack times are social occasions; staff sit with the children and encourage conversation promoting their social development. Children develop an understanding of keeping themselves safe as they are involved in practising regular fire drills and discussions about road safety. This is further supported by gentle reminders from staff to be careful and planned activities, such as visits from the local police and their dogs. 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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