Cherry Tree Nursery

Cherry Tree Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Cherry Tree Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY284309 Inspection date 08 November 2005 Inspector Lisa Toole

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Cherry Tree Nursery

Setting Address Hollingdean Sure Start Centre, Brentwood Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 7EQ Telephone number 01273 296052

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E-mail

Registered person Brighton and Hove City Council, EYDCP 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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Cherry Tree Nursery opened in 2004 and is part of Hollingdean Children's Centre. It operates from two rooms in a purpose-built building in Brighton, East Sussex. A maximum of 50 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday all year round from 8:00 until 18:00. There is an outdoor play area. There are currently 56 children under 5 years on roll. Of these 20 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports a number of children

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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 with special educational needs and also supports a number of children with English as an additional language. The nursery employs 8 staff. All staff have early years qualifications to level 3 or above. The nursery receives support from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's independence regarding personal care is very well promoted in the nursery. Children confidently take themselves to the toilet and automatically wash their hands, understanding that they do so because of germs; while in the baby area the children wipe their own hands before eating or are appropriately supported by an adult. All children brush their teeth after lunch and visits from the dentist help reinforce positive messages about being healthy. Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the nursery's health and hygiene procedures to promote the children's wellbeing and reduce risks of cross infection. There are routines in place for cleaning toys and equipment while nappy changing procedures are thorough and ensure young children are protected. Children are well cared for should they have an accident at nursery or be taken ill; all the staff have a current first aid certificate in place and the accident and medication

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Helping children to be healthy

records are accurately maintained to ensure children's welfare is safeguarded. Children's dietary and nutritional needs are very well catered for. Children receive snacks of fresh fruit, have a well balanced hot lunch and drinking water is freely accessible to them throughout the day. The older children are encouraged to serve themselves at lunch time, select their own cutlery and help clear their plate away afterwards. They also have choice about when they have their mid-morning and afternoon snack. The children thoroughly enjoy these opportunities to be independent and clearly enjoy the social experience of meal times. In the baby area, individual routines are followed regarding eating, having bottles of milk and sleep times. This ensures that parents' wishes are followed and the children's needs suitably met. Although staff sit and feed babies their bottle on their lap, comfortable seating is not provided for the staff and this restricts their ability to be able to snuggle

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Helping children to be healthy

in with the child to reinforce a feeling of security. Children enjoy their physical play time and they have free access to the outdoor space, coming in and out as they wish. Staff plan and provide a range of stimulating and interesting activities to support the children's physical development. Children ride tricycles with confidence, throw and catch balls, build ramps for balls and cars to go down and relish opportunities to run up and down the hill or dig in the mud to fill a wheelbarrow. However, there is little equipment available for toddlers to use to support their developing gross motor skills and this impacts on their ability to practise and master their walking. Children's fine motor skills are developing well and they enjoy opportunities for mark

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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 making. They can independently access a range of tools and equipment to support their learning, such as scissors, chalks, pens and construction materials. During the inspection the children use toothbrushes to flick paint on to paper to create firework pictures and have fun getting messy with the paint while learning different painting techniques.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from playing in a spacious, safe and well organised environment, where they and their families are warmly welcomed. Photographs of activities the children have enjoyed and the children's participation in self-registration increases their sense of belonging. The environment in the over two's area is also made more child friendly through the use of displays of the children's art and craft work. The baby area; however, is less child friendly, with few displays of children's work or stimulating images at a low-level to captivate and interest the younger children. There is an extensive variety of age appropriate, good quality, stimulating toys and equipment to support children's play and learning in all areas of development. The equipment is clean, well maintained and checked routinely which ensures children are able to play safely. Resources are very accessible to all of the children and a high

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

priority is given by staff to the involvement children have in selecting their own toys and resources to play with. Staff are vigilant about ensuring children's safety and wellbeing and regular risk assessments are carried out of both the indoor and outdoor space. Children are able to learn about their own personal safety while playing in the garden and on outings by learning about road safety. The premises are kept very secure, staff are well deployed at all times and there are thorough procedures in place for outings and the safe collection of children. Effective child protection procedures promote and safeguard children's welfare within the nursery and staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of their role and the procedures to follow where concerns are raised.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very happy, settled and secure within both areas of the nursery. Children arrive eagerly, settle quickly into activities and clearly enjoy themselves. They have very good relationships with the staff who enjoy playing with the children, supporting their learning while also giving cuddles and one to one support when it is needed. Staff work very well as a team together to ensure that the day runs smoothly. The curriculum for both the under and over two's is done by all staff, based around the actual needs and wants of the children and they provide a rich and stimulating programme of activities to support children's learning and development.

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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 Early communication skills are well supported by staff in the baby area, with staff echoing the sounds the babies make as well as supporting their early conversations and communication. The children are offered and participate in a variety of interesting, fun activities. During the inspection the babies and toddlers participate in a wonderful cooking activity, where they are able to feel, taste and smell the ingredients, squashing butter between their fingers, tasting cheese and pressing the dough with their fingers. The younger children also participate in art and craft activities such as foot painting, painting on cloths and using dough. However, little of their work is put on display to reinforce a sense of belonging and pride in their work. The children participate in a range of activities to learn about the world in which they

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

live. They are able to look at insects with magnifying glasses, plant seeds, celebrate religious and cultural festivals and use signing in their group times, as well as singing in different languages. Children also benefit from using the play telephones and keyboards as they learn about technology in their imaginative role-play games. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the Curriculum for the Foundation Stage and the Birth to Three Matters framework. This results in children being offered and benefiting from an extensive and comprehensive range of worthwhile, interesting and stimulating activities and being able to use an excellent range of good quality toys and resources. The children are extremely motivated, confident, eager to learn and independent, while also being actively involved in their learning. Each child has an individual

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

learning plan, with activities specifically offered to support and extend each child and the effective use of observations by each key worker helps to identify future steps for learning or specific needs for each child. The children are confident speakers; at group and story times, children listen to stories enthusiastically, they are able to anticipate what will happen next, join in with repeated refrains and talk about their own personal news or experiences. Children are becoming confident writers, using marks to represent meaning, or forming letters of their name. Staff use very good questioning techniques, encouraging children to think for themselves and communicate their thoughts and ideas. Persona dolls and Billy the bear are used in marvellous ways to support children's personal and emotional development. Children are able to take the bear home each day and record what he does in a diary to share at group times; while the persona dolls are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

used to explore feelings which children may be struggling with, such as using a doll to role-play moving house and talking about how that makes us feel. Children are adept at counting up to at least fifteen and they have a secure understanding of concepts such as fast, slow, big and small. Worthwhile activities such as planting beans and measuring them, as well as themselves; using cars and balls down ramps provide children with purposeful opportunities to learn about measurement and speed. Children's creative development is thriving due to the varied and interesting range of

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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 activities available. Role-play experiences allow children time to socialise, work together, discuss ideas and learn about their world. While looking at the work of artists such as Van Gogh encourages the children to then mix and explore with paint.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The partnership with parents is outstanding. The excellent partnership that the nursery has with parents contributes significantly to children's wellbeing. All children and their families are warmly welcomed into the nursery and valued for the contribution they make. Home visits form the child's initial introduction into the nursery and these give staff invaluable opportunities to discuss each child's specific care and learning needs and for the child and parents to meet staff members. Parents receive a handbook and very good information about the Curriculum for the Foundation Stage to inform them about how the nursery is run and the curriculum organised for the older children. The required policy and procedures regarding complaints are in place and parents comment that they would not hesitate to discuss any concerns should they have them. Parents receive regular newsletters; there is a

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Helping children make a positive contribution

very informative parents' notice board and photographs on display to show them the kinds of activities their children participate in. There is also an early years action group which is made up of parents and they have regular meetings to have a greater understanding of the running of the nursery and are also involved in the recruitment of any new nursery staff. In discussion with parents they comment that they are extremely happy with the care their children receive. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Equal opportunities is given a high priority. Each child is valued for the contribution they make and staff work hard to ensure each child's developmental needs are met through the use of their individual learning plans. Children participate in a variety of activities to learn about the world in which they live, such as making rahita and diva lamps for Diwali and dancing as dragons for Chinese

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Helping children make a positive contribution

New Year. Children also learn about and use basic signing in their everyday play and enjoy experiences at group time such as singing a song in Swahili. The special educational needs co-ordinator has a very good understanding of her role and staff have a secure understanding of any child's special need. Good use is made of individual education plans, in partnership with parents, along side external agency support, to ensure that each child is included and their specific need identified and met. The children's behaviour is good. They share, co-operate and play very well together. Praise and encouragement is valued by staff and children respond enthusiastically to this. Positive behaviour is also encouraged through the use of golden crowns in the over two's area. Children are given a crown to wear as a reward for making a positive contribution, such as helping tidy up, and they proudly walk around showing it off,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

followed by a photograph being taken and put on display to show parents at the end of the session.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Leadership and management of the nursery is outstanding. Children and their families benefit greatly from the excellent organisation of the nursery. All areas of the nursery are laid out to maximise the play opportunities for both age groups, with the over two's area also having designated creative, maths and writing areas to support the children's learning. The baby area is less child friendly but nursery staff are aware of this and are seeking to improve and enhance the environment for the younger children. Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the Curriculum for the Foundation Stage and the Birth to Three matters framework. All staff are actively involved in planning and this ensures that the programme of activities effectively supports the children's learning and is interesting, purposeful and fun for the children. Children benefit from the highly qualified and skilled staff; recruitment and induction

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Organisation

procedures are very thorough and staff have regular appraisals to review their practice and identify any training needs. Staff also have regular supervision and team meetings; they review, critically analyse their practice and seek to improve the care they provide. All of the required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and wellbeing is in place and is stored securely to maintain confidentiality. Policies and procedures are very well written and are clearly understood and implemented by all staff which ensures that children's welfare is safeguarded. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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.

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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

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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 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 outstanding.

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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): • increase the range of equipment available to the under two year olds to support their gross motor physical development • review and improve the under two's area so that children are provided with a more stimulating and child friendly physical environment.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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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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