Partou Wonder Years Day Nursery & Pre-school

Wonder Years Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Wonder Years Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY279540 Inspection date 08 December 2005 Inspector Jan Burnet

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Wonder Years Day Nursery

Setting Address 807 Foleshill Road, Coventry, West Midlands, CV6 5HS

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Wonder Years Day Nursery

Telephone number 024 7668 8111 or 07989 411196 E-mail info@wonder-years.org.uk Registered person Wonder Years Day Nursery & Adult Learning Centre Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Wonder Years Day Nursery

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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Wonder Years Day Nursery was registered in 2004 and operates from four playrooms in a large converted building. The nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year, except for bank holidays, and operational times are Monday to Friday from 07:45 until 18:00. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. A maximum of 69 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 91 on roll and the average daily attendance is 56. Of these 10 are funded

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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 3-year-olds and 5 are funded 4-year-olds. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. A team of 18 staff, including the manager, care for the children and 15 hold early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's good health is assured because hygiene routines are thorough and because a high priority is given to the nutritional value of their food. Children are learning how to keep themselves healthy and thoroughly wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. The risk of cross infection is minimal because cleaning routines are good and because parents are aware that their child should not attend if he or she has a contagious illness or sickness and diarrhoea and that they will be contacted if the child becomes ill. Children's best interests are served by a staff team well informed on accident procedures and their emotional well-being is addressed with good support and encouragement. The risk to children from unsafe food is very low because food hygiene is addressed well. Children's individual dietary needs are fully met and meals and snacks are nutritious. A four-week menu has been drawn up and shows a good variety of

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Helping children to be healthy

substantial lunchtime meals and lighter cooked teas. Breakfast and fresh fruit snacks are also provided. Children enjoy meal times as social occasions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy activities in a very welcoming environment. The nursery is light, bright and nicely decorated with children's art work and displayed information for parents. Children's independence is developing satisfactorily because the storage of resources is organised so that they are able to self-select and help to tidy away. Equipment inside is safe and in a good condition and risks of accidental injury to children are low because staff are vigilant and most potential risks have been identified in risk assessments and satisfactorily addressed in practice. However, in the outdoor play area the mat used under the free-standing slide is not thick enough to cushion a fall and not large enough to cover the surrounding area. Part of the concrete surface is uneven and no steps have been taken to make the area inaccessible to children when they are running or riding tricycles. Children are aware

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

of the evacuation procedure as it is practised regularly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is appropriately safeguarded by staff who have a working knowledge of abuse and neglect and are aware of local referral procedures.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy and enthusiastic in the stimulating environment created by staff. They confidently select, enjoy and get involved in activities. Children are placed in rooms according to their age and all experience a variety of activities on a daily basis and benefit from a well-balanced routine and good resources. The routine includes group times for songs and stories, messy and creative play, imaginative play, construction, books and puzzles. Children learn shapes and colours, they count and have access to writing materials and books at all times. Toddlers and pre-school children have regular access to the outdoor play area but the space is not used effectively to maximise play opportunities for the children as all but pre-school children experience a planned outdoor activity only once per week. Staff responsible for children aged under three years are beginning to use 'Birth to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

three matters' to plan activities but most staff in all rooms cannot be sure that they are challenging children effectively because they do not observe regularly enough to be sure of what children can do. Staff do not use assessment to inform planning for individual children. Relationships are good and staff are able to give children lots of time and attention because ratios exceed the minimum required standard. Children are very well supported by staff. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Three and four-year-old children access a range of good resources, which appropriately support their learning across all of the six areas of learning. They are keen to be involved in the variety of activities provided them. Children are self assured and inquisitive. They listen intently to stories at group times and select books, handle them well and request stories in a one-to-one situation with staff. Children show some independence in selecting and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

carrying out activities, for example they are able to easily select resources for drawing and writing. However, there is not always table space for them to use the resources on. Manipulative skills are developing with a range of toys and materials. Children collect and put on their own coats and if unable to manage fasteners, confidently request help from an adult. They are not developing the link between sounds and letters even though their environment is well labelled. Children's name cards have been made but are not regularly used to encourage letter recognition. Children count and are learning numerals to five. Some are progressing towards ten. They are developing an awareness of "more" and "take away". Children enjoy singing, dancing and ring games, for example, "The farmer's in his den". Their physical skills are developing with movement to music and catching and throwing games. Although periodic trips to the park are organised, children are not able to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

develop skills and confidence with the use of large climbing equipment in the nursery and opportunities for them to develop balancing skills and control whilst moving in a variety of different ways are limited. They are developing skills with small equipment and tools and are learning to use the computer mouse. Children explore and

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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 investigate, for example, they have gathered caterpillars and observed the change into butterflies, they plant and grow from seeds and bulbs and regularly bake and cook. Three and four-year-old children experience a good variety of activities that promote learning and aids their development. However, not all staff demonstrate a sound knowledge of the stepping stones that lead children towards the early learning goals and they do not challenge individual children to lead them towards the next step. Topics are planned for the year and includes religious and cultural celebrations. Learning objectives for the group are then identified in medium term plans and weekly activities are drawn up with the objective in mind, but plans do not recognise more and less able children. Use of time and resources is good.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are welcomed and their individual needs are known and met by staff. They are encouraged to talk about home and their experiences in order to appreciate and value each others' similarities and differences and they also celebrate different religious and cultural festivals through the year. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They choose from a range of resources that reflect diversity. All children are supported well by staff who have experience of working with parents and other professionals to ensure that children with special needs are able to reach their full potential. Children behave well and play cooperatively. They respond very positively to staff who ensure that behaviour is managed with the use of praise and explanation. Children's self-esteem is given a high priority. They are learning to share and take

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Helping children make a positive contribution

turns and staff ensure that expectations are appropriate for different levels of development. Staff are consistent in their management and are good role models. Partnership with parents is good. Consistency of care between home and nursery contributes significantly to children's well-being. A daily diary is completed by staff and parents are invited to take it home and add their own comments. Child assessment records are kept in individual files which are available to parents at all times and are shared with each parent during meetings held with key workers each term. Parents responded very positively to a recent questionnaire that asked their opinions on the environment, equipment and resources, activities, menus, friendliness and helpfulness of staff and communication with parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The provider ensures that children's care and education is promoted by an enthusiastic staff team. Leadership and management are satisfactory. A very good percentage of staff are qualified, all are clear of their roles and responsibilities and support each other well. Children benefit from a good staff to child ratio. Staff

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 demonstrate a commitment to improving their knowledge and skills although currently in the pre-school room only the room leader has attended Curriculum for the foundation stage training and in other rooms some staff are unsure how to use the 'Birth to three' framework effectively. Playrooms and routines are well organised but planned changes to the outdoor area have not yet been completed and play opportunities for children in the current space are very limited. All legally required documentation is in place and is kept up to date and in very good order. Information is well presented on notice boards and in the parent prospectus and data protection is addressed well as all children's records are kept in individual files. Policy statements are included in the prospectus and full copies are readily available.

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Organisation

Procedures for recruitment, selection and induction are clear and appraisal links to staff development and training needs. Staff monitor the quality of care and education and the nursery is linked to a quality assurance scheme. Overall, the quality of the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the time of the last inspection the provider was asked to continue to develop the range of activities and resources that promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. This has been satisfactorily addressed as children have daily access to resources that reflect positive images.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Ofsted received a complaint relating to National Standard 3 (Care, Learning and Play); Standard 7 (Health); and Annex A of the National Standards (Babies and children under 2) concerning allegations that the provider was not meeting the individual needs of a child in respect of cleanliness, nappy changing and emotional well-being. Ofsted wrote to the provider and required them to provide a written report with supporting documentation including details of the provider's investigation into the concerns, their conclusions and any proposed action to improve practice. The provider's response outlined their investigation into the concerns and included documentation, an account of the child's attendance and care provided, interaction between staff and parent, nursery policies and procedures and details of a review of practice, policy and procedures. The information available to Ofsted demonstrates that the provider is meeting the requirements of the National Standards and

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Complaints since the last inspection

supporting criteria and therefore Ofsted intend no action. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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 satisfactory. 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

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 quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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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): • ensure that effective systems for observation and use of assessment to inform planning for all children are developed • identify in risk assessments the possible hazard to children of the uneven surface in the outdoor play area and minimise the risk to children by ensuring that climbing equipment is used on a safe surface only

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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): • ensure that children practise moving in a range of ways and have regular access to large climbing equipment that will challenge them effectively • provide opportunities for children to learn the link between sounds and letters

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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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