Buttercups Day Nursery

Buttercups Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY335013 Inspection date 15/12/2009 Inspector Cathryn Parry

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Setting address Sunderland Customer Services Centre, Bunnyhill Hylton Lane, Sunderland, SR5 4BW Telephone number 0191 520 5288 Email llsaswales@cpmmunityopportunity.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

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

Buttercups Day Nursery is one of two nurseries run by a management committee of Sunderland North Community Business Centre. It was registered in 2006 and operates from a purpose-built unit within the Sunderland Customer Services Centre in the Downhill area of Sunderland. Children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 36 children in the early years age range. There are currently 56 children attending in this age group. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and a number who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are eight members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least National Vocational Qualification at level 3. The setting provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds.

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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 manager and her staff provide a warm, friendly and caring welcome to all children and their parents. The adequate range of resources ensure children have suitable opportunities to make progress. Systems for planning activities, monitoring children's progress, and organising different experiences during the day are being developed. All staff show a positive attitude to providing an inclusive environment. Links with childcare professionals from the local authority have been established to ensure continuous improvement is maintained. The majority of identified adjustments to the environment, which are needed to secure children's safety are effectively managed.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further systems for planning activities and monitoring children's progress  ensure all identified necessary adjustments to the environment are made to secure children's safety  develop further the organisation of meal times to nurture children's social and self-help skills  develop further opportunities for children to use information and communication technology to support their learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Most staff have attended safeguarding training and the remainder are booked on to relevant courses. They all demonstrate a suitable understanding of their role and responsibility, with some members of staff being particularly knowledgeable. Consequently, children are appropriately protected. Risk assessments take place regularly, both within the nursery and for outings. The manager clearly and promptly reports any necessary adjustments to the environment to the appropriate persons within the building. However, these are not always swiftly acted upon, which increases the opportunity for accidental injury to occur. A robust recruitment procedure ensures all staff are appropriately experienced, qualified and vetted in order to safeguard children. The manager shows a commitment to the professional development of her team, encouraging training in all areas. The reasonable range of resources available to children is stored at their height to promote free choice

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the early years provision

and independence. Funding has been accessed to increase these, and new equipment is being delivered over the Christmas period.

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the early years provision

The current manager has only been in post for six months. She appropriately evaluates the learning and development opportunities provided and is encouraging the staff to be more involved in this process. She gains verbal feedback from parents, and shortly after her appointment as manager asked them to complete a questionnaire to give her a broader view of the service provided. Steps have been made to ensure all the recommendations raised at the previous inspection are being positively addressed. The manager recognises that the staff team as a whole is a real strength to the setting. Several of them are newly in post and all are keen to meet the varying needs of the children in their care. The manager’s passion and enthusiasm for improving the setting is clearly evident. However, the overall management structure, which is currently in place, only adequately supports her.

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the early years provision

Parents are welcomed into the nursery and have opportunities to chat with the manager who is sensitive and supportive. Staff speak to parents on a daily basis to ensure they are informed of the experiences their children have enjoyed. Consequently, they are able to continue their children's learning at home through highlighted activities. Strong links have been made with other professionals to ensure children's specific needs are met. There are currently no children attending who access care and education in more than one setting. However, links have been made in the past with other practitioners to ensure continuity and coherence, and the staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of the benefits of sharing relevant information.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a suitable knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and implement it appropriately. A key worker system is in place, which encourages children to settle and feel secure in the setting. They benefit from a flexible routine including a balance of child-centred and adult-led activities. A positive and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 consistent approach to managing behaviour is used, which takes into account children's understanding and maturity. The staff's suitable approach to equal opportunities contributes to children’s growing knowledge of the wider community. This is complemented with access to a reasonable selection of resources. A wide selection of books is available for children to enjoy independently and with others. Staff interact well with the children and use some lovely facial expressions, tone and intonation, particularly with the babies. Children enjoy using their imagination

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and outcomes for children

as they pretend to bath and feed the baby dolls. They have a growing knowledge of the living world as they plant and nurture peas and cress. A variety of creative activities including painting, making glitter pictures and manipulating play dough, promote children's self-expression while having fun. Children count spontaneously during their play, for instance when deciding how many legs the spider has. Although there are some interactive resources for children to explore, there are limited opportunities for children to develop their information and communication technology skills. Staff plan activities around children's interests; they have developed individual files, which include observations and photographs, that are linked to the areas of learning. However, the system does not always identify next steps in children's learning and is not consistently implemented throughout the nursery. Consequently, it is not easy to track children's progress in order to inform

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and outcomes for children

Children are kept secure through good procedures regarding entry to the building. They are kept safe on outings as they learn road safety procedures, and are well supervised. All children are able to rest and sleep according to their individual needs and parents' wishes. They have regular opportunities to take part in physical play activities, both indoors and outdoors. These include enjoying action rhymes, using sit and ride toys, and playing with balls. A varied and imaginative menu encourages children to have a good awareness of healthy meal options and provides them with opportunities to try new foods. The organisation of meal times is not fully effective, resulting in older children not always helping to serve the food and the correct cutlery not always being provided. This impacts negatively upon the nurturing of their self-help and social skills. Children are learning about the importance of good personal hygiene and are becoming increasingly independent

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and outcomes for children

in their personal care. Brushing teeth after lunch and hand washing forms an integral part of their routine. Children do not attend if they are sick which enables the staff to protect others from illness. All relevant documentation with regard to health, including specific dietary needs and consent forms are in place and up-to- date. This positively safeguards children’s well-being. 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 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 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 2 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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