Bright Horizons Manchester Day Nursery & Preschool

Kidsunlimited Nurseries - Macintosh Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY301199 Inspection date 09/11/2009 Inspector Judith Anne Kerr / Sheila Iwaskow

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Setting address 4 River Street, MANCHESTER, M1 5BG

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Telephone number 0845 3652916 Email macintosh@kidsunlimited.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

Kidsunlimited Macintosh Village Nursery opened in 2005. It is one of a group of 52 nurseries operated by a limited company. There are 10 rooms on two floors in a purpose-built building in the city centre of Manchester. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm all the year round with the exception of bank holidays. Children have access to secure enclosed outdoor play areas.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 144 children at any one time. There are currently 149 children aged from five months to under five years old on roll. Children come from a wide catchment area as most of their parents travel to work in or around the city centre. The nursery receives funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 32 staff who work directly with the children. Of these, 18 staff hold a relevant early years qualification and eight staff are working towards a qualification. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The staff provide a welcoming and friendly environment where all children are valued. The nursery has developed systems to observe children and ensure they make progress towards the early learning goals. Policies which are required to support the daily operation of the provision are in place. Staff are working towards providing an inclusive environment for children but some routines and practices fail to meet the needs of all children. Parents are kept informed about their child’s daily activities and developmental progress. Effective self-evaluation recognises the setting's strengths and areas for future development.

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further?

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

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further?

 further develop resources for children under three years and review the organisation of the day and key worker system for babies  promote a more inclusive environment by paying more attention to valuing children's home languages; ensure that activities provided by outside contractors are freely available to all children  place more emphasis on identifying children's starting points with particular regard to what children know and can do linked to each of the areas of learning  improve the procedures to promote the good health of staff and babies by ensuring consistency in hand washing as part of the daily routine  futher develop procedures to maintain confidentiality with regard to children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 individual needs.

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the early years provision

The staff have a purposeful understanding of their role in safeguarding children and know the procedures to follow should a concern arise. They attend training on a regular basis to update their knowledge on child protection issues and clear employment and recruitment procedures are followed to ensure personnel are suitable. A thorough induction process and regular observations and appraisals monitor staff's ongoing suitability and identify future training needs. Policies and procedures are reviewed on an annual basis and meet requirements. Risk assessments are completed for all areas of the premises and also for the outings undertaken with the children. Staff are appropriately deployed throughout the setting to ensure ratios are consistently met.

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the early years provision

A comprehensive self-evaluation system is in place which takes account of feedback from staff and parents, is accurate and clearly identifies areas for development. It reflects the high levels of commitment of the new management team to providing quality provision for children and their families. All staff attend ongoing training to increase their knowledge and update their practice. For example, the whole staff team has recently completed an induction refresher to ensure they are familiar with all operational practices and they have also undertaken safeguarding training.

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the early years provision

Information is shared with parents and carers in a variety of ways including daily discussions, diaries, notice boards, newsletters and children's learning journeys. These help to promote continuity of care for children. Gradual settling in procedures form the basis of supportive partnerships with children's key workers. Although children's individual needs are agreed in the admission procedure these do not identify their abilities across all six areas of learning to inform planning. The planning is displayed in each room and photographs of children absorbed in various activities are evident throughout the nursery. Tentative partnerships with other providers within the Early Years Foundation Stage are being developed to provide progression and continuity of learning and care for individual children. Additional activities provided by outside contractors are not freely accessible to all children.

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and outcomes for children

All staff have undertaken training to develop their knowledge and understanding of the underlying principles of effective early years practice. Consequently, appropriate systems are in place in relation to planning and assessment. Children's progress is monitored through photographic evidence and written observations. Assessments are used to identify the next stages of children's learning and are linked to the elements of the framework to help track children's progress towards the early learning goals. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The children are cared for in playrooms according to their age and stage of development but the key person system fails to ensure babies are fed and changed by consistent and familiar adults. In addition, daily routines do not always meet the needs of babies particularly at lunchtime when they wait for protracted periods

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and outcomes for children

of time for their food. Children are nonetheless settled in the friendly environment where they move about freely with mostly appropriate staff supervision. Babies and toddlers are offered hugs and cuddles for reassurance when they are anxious or distressed. Minor disagreements are skilfully dealt with in a way that is appropriate to each child's age and stage of development. Older children explore a wide range of accessible resources which are well organised. This enables them to practise and consolidate their learning. Although the provision for under threes is accessible, and additional items have been provided following the last inspection, there are still insufficient items available to meet the needs of all children. Labelling of resources and displays do not reflect the different home languages of the children attending the nursery to help them feel valued and to create an enabling environment.

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and outcomes for children

Babies enjoy exploring different textures in treasure baskets, such as wooden spoons, pots, pans and materials. They play peek-a-boo with staff and hide their faces. Staff nurture babies’ attempts to communicate. They listen when the children babble and respond in gentle tones to reinforce early speech patterns. Toddlers enjoy playing with a range of age-appropriate activities. They explore sand and water and are able to name some animals, such as dolphin and whale. The children enjoy making collage pictures of the sea using tissue. They are able to express their own thoughts and ideas using a range of creative materials, such as glitter, paint, funky foam and play dough. Children learn about the benefits of following a healthy lifestyle as they enjoy playing outside in the fresh air throughout the year. They set up obstacle courses, throw and catch balls and manoeuvre the wheeled toys. Staff take children on outings in the local area to the

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and outcomes for children

library, park and nearby station. Such trips help children to make sense of the wider world and provide opportunities for picnics and to observe different types of transport. On their return to nursery they print with leaves and paint pictures of buses, trains and cars.

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and outcomes for children

Menus are checked for their nutritional content and meals are cooked on the premises each day. Mealtimes are social occasions where children enjoy being together and older ones learn to serve themselves. The nursery provides meals to suit individual needs. However, this information is on display in each room and does not therefore respect confidentiality. Suitable hygiene routines are followed with the exception of the baby room where children and staff do not always wash their hands before meals. Older children are encouraged to accept responsibility for their own personal care. Children are encouraged to learn how to respond in dangerous situations and recognise potential risks, such as crossing busy roads or evacuating the nursery premises in an emergency. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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