Keep Guard Day Nursery

Keep Guard Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Keep Guard Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 219083 Inspection date 02 November 2005 Inspector Diane Mary O'Neill

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Keep Guard Day Nursery

Setting Address The West Wing, The Keep, Walcourt Road, Kemston, Bedforshire, MK42 8SJ Telephone number 01234 327955 E-mail keepguardnursery@aol.com Registered person Lynn Carmichael Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School care

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Keep Guard 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 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?

Keep Guard Day Nursery has been in operation since 1996 and operates from The West Wing, The Keep in Kempston Bedfordshire. The nursery has use of one wing of the building and uses the basement and first floor areas. The 2 to 5-year-olds are cared for in the basement and have use of 5 rooms. Children under 2 are cared for in 2 rooms on the first floor. The out of school club has use of 2 rooms on the first floor. A maximum of 74 children may attend the nursery at any one time, with no more than

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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 18 children under 2 years of age and no more then 20 aged 5 to 8 years attending the after school club and holiday club. The nursery is open five days a week all year round, Monday to Friday 8.00 to 18.00. The children have access to a small outside play area. There are currently 124 children aged from 6 months to 8 years on roll. Of these 12 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions and come from a wide catchment area. The nursery currently has no children who have special educational needs, but does support a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 16 staff. Twelve of the staff including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff members are currently working

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

towards a qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher and the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through extremely well-planned daily routines. Older children have an excellent awareness of how and why they wash their hands and that it is important to do so, for example, before meals and snacks and after messy activities. When using the outside play area staff ensure first aid kits and cloths for cleaning children’s hands are available at all times. Younger children develop their understanding through watching others, discussion and through positive role modelling of the adults. The children are protected from infection through excellent hygiene routines which are practised throughout the nursery. For example, coloured cloths are only used for cleaning certain areas and informative charts within the toilet and nursery ensure these procedures are followed. Children’s health and hygiene is extremely well maintained through procedures of

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Helping children to be healthy

exclusion for certain forms of illness. If children are taken ill then staff ensure they are made comfortable until such time they are collected. First aid and emergency procedures are well documented in the appropriate forms which are signed where possible by the parents. A high level of staff hold first aid certificates, so they ensure all incidents are dealt with effectively. There is an excellent awareness of practice and procedures to ensure any accidents are dealt with appropriately ensuring the best interest of the children are maintained at all times. Children benefit from a healthy diet. The nursery is working closely with the local authority primary trust on the healthy eating award as part of their healthy eating campaign and continually works towards developing the superb, healthy meals and snacks. The meals on offer cater for the children’s various dietary needs with a large percentage of children being of different cultures. This is reflected in the varied,

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Helping children to be healthy

extremely nutritious meals and their planning and presentation. This is also explored and promoted with cooking activities for children to gain an understanding of healthy

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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 foods as well as different customs. For example, making Indian sweets as part of the Diwali celebration and eating fresh fruit. Children thoroughly enjoy the meals and snacks and are encouraged to try new tastes to develop their experiences. Children enjoy an extensive and stimulating range of equipment to promote a healthy life and their physical development. Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to offer babies and younger children extremely well-planned physical activities both inside and outside of the nursery. This includes good opportunities for children to explore, experiment and develop their physical skills such as; pulling themselves up on furniture, crawling and using push along toys to aid with their walking skills. Trips out in the local community also expand opportunities for all the children attending the

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Helping children to be healthy

nursery in using their physical skills. The older children also have extensive opportunities to develop self-confidence in their physical skills as they join in with a wide range of activities both inside and outside. Children clearly enjoy using the garden whatever the weather to use their energy and imagination. This activity produces lots of laughter and interaction with one another as they run around, kick footballs, look at nature and play ring games with staff and their peers. Children are given very good support from staff who are on hand to guide and assist when required, such as helping to climb onto the stepping stones. Inside the children have excellent opportunities to use their finer movement skills such as building, playing in the sand and painting. They clearly enjoyed dancing along to the Indian music that was playing, so their learning about other customs and festivals are extremely well

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children’s safety is paramount to the organisation of the nursery. Staff are vigilant when recognising hazards and take positive steps to minimise these. Effective risk assessments are carried out and all the staff share in the responsibility for keeping children safe. Within staff meetings health and safety is often discussed so that staff are continually reminded of their responsibility to keep children safe. Staff practise evacuation procedures with all the children on a regular basis. Fire notices are on display for everyone to see. Children’s safety and well-being is positively promoted through the staff being vigilant at all times both inside and outside. This includes a system of visitors signing in when they come to the nursery. Parents also have to buzz an intercom system to gain access to the building and sign their child out when they attend the after school club. Children use a broad range of safe, good quality and developmentally appropriate

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

toys, furniture and equipment. These are extensively organised throughout the setting in child-height storage units to encourage children to become independent and gain safe access to their resources. Within the babies and toddler room a separate area for children who are not yet walking allows them to be safe and secure from possible knocks inflicted by more mobile children. In all the rooms children are encouraged to help tidy toys away and notify an adult if something is broken. Sensitive reminders by staff encourage children to share in their responsibility for their own safety and that of others. When the children had candles on display for

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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 Diwali staff talked through what can and cannot happen. The older children were able to say "you do not touch candles as they can burn you". The inside play space is spacious, bright, airy and well-organised within all the rooms making it a happy and relaxed environment for the children. Outside the children have suitable access to a fully enclosed area that is monitored at all times by staff. Within this area the children have a good variety of equipment that enables all areas of their physical development to be challenged. Children are well protected by staff who have a clear understanding of child protection polices and procedures and give priority to children's welfare. Staff are confident in their knowledge of child protection, reporting concerns appropriately to senior staff and documentation is in place to support them in the event of any

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

concerns. The nursery has a regular training programme in place to ensure staff members’ knowledge and understanding is continually up to date so children’s welfare is fully safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are happy, contented and secure throughout the nursery. They confidently access the stimulating and challenging range of activities and are forming secure relationships with staff and other children. Staff have an extensive awareness of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and this has a positive effect on the younger children’s enjoyment and achievements. Staff plan activities in line with this framework and have gained a secure knowledge about what children can learn. Babies and young children receive lots of cuddles and have developed strong bonds with their key worker which increases their sense of well-being and contentment. They clearly benefit from the routines which are consistent with those at home. They enjoy various activities such as messy play, immensely enjoying the feel of sand and coloured paper which they pick up and let trickle through their fingers. Younger

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children exhibit great delight in using paint and glue to colour pre-cut shapes of candles for the theme of Diwali that the nursery was covering. Great fun was had playing in the home corner with real fruit and vegetables, where children learn the textures of things, but also see things that are familiar to them. They clearly enjoyed doing actions to songs such as 'Miss Polly had a dolly'. Children develop their communication skills as they respond to others around them. With the use of verbal and non-verbal communication they make their needs known to staff who are adept at interpreting these needs. Younger children are animated and eager to take part. Their mobility is extended through first-hand support offered by staff as they move freely and easily around the room. Children who are just learning to walk are aided by a push along toys which help build their confidence. Staff help with this process by offering lots of praise and encouragement. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

look very pleased with their efforts. They learn through these experiences and are directly involved and interested in their play. Children learn about responsibilities and are allowed to make errors, decisions and choices as they select activities and share their play with others.

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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 Children exhibit high levels of confidence and security and this has been achieved by the consistent support and direction of staff. Older children are able to resolve their differences when any conflicts arise. They are encouraged to talk about them and find their own solutions. This provides children with tools to become aware of the needs of others and negotiate differences. Younger children often seek out staff to share experiences with or to gain support for an activity. Attractive displays all around the nursery give children pride in their work. Staff throughout the nursery make experiences enjoyable and meaningful for the children which in turn aids their confidence to participate. Children are receptive to the constant praise and encouragement that is provided by staff. This has a clear impact

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

on their self-esteem and encourages them to try new tasks and participate in activities. Children of all ages and abilities develop concepts of counting, sorting, shape, colour and problem solving through the very well-planned and managed activities on offer. Nursery Education Children are absorbed and happy in the activities provided. Staff are extremely well skilled at extending the range of activities which support the children’s learning and enables them to make progress. Children have a strong sense of belonging as they have an awareness of routine, for example, where to hang their coats when they arrive, the lay-out of the room and choice of play materials. They are developing friendships and seek out friends to share activities with. Behaviour is good. Children respond well to direction, more able children resolve their own conflicts and some will seek support. For example, when children have disputes, staff get down and talk

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

quietly to them. Children respond well to this. Older children recognise that they can make mistakes, but through high levels of encouragement staff help the children to develop coping skills which helps them to move forward. Staff ensure children have extensive opportunities to learn through play and often start at a child‘s base line to encourage them to develop the skills required. Staff are adept at providing opportunities to help encourage children succeed in simple ways. For example, giving clues when discussing the days of the week. This in turn helps children build their confidence and self-esteem. Children enjoy using language in their imaginative play and during group discussion. For example, the children talked about their trick or treating adventures. One child described fireworks he had seen. When asked what they sounded like he went and got the cymbals and banged them together, as he said it made a crashing sound. Staff have a variety of multi-lingual

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

skills and will talk to children in other languages as well as English thus giving children a purposeful awareness of language. For example, children were observed during a counting session when they and the staff used different languages to count up to five. Children spend time discovering their mark-making skills and are starting to enjoy books and stories. Simple labels around the room and tracing activities develop children’s early word recognition. Children are confident counters and have excellent opportunities to practice these skills such as, counting songs, counting objects within an activity such as cooking. Children have a growing concept of matching, sorting, size, shape and simple problem solving skills. These are gradually introduced through a range of well

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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 planned activities, as the children are ready. Staff provide children with opportunities to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. They explore their local environment enjoying trips to the park for extending their physical play, visiting a Gurdwara temple as part of their Diwali celebrations which helps to extend the children’s learning. The children were practising wearing head scarves, as they need to do this when they are in the temple. They are able to explore nature first-hand as they collect leaves, watch a slug crawling in the garden and talk with staff about how it lives. Children enjoy dancing in brightly coloured clothes to Indian music as they celebrate Diwali and learn more about this festival. Other creative activities give children a sense of achievement, as they are able to create

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

spontaneously using their imagination and skills. Children thoroughly enjoy taking part in music and movement as well as singing and actions songs. Children’s achievements are clearly linked to the stepping stones. Staff members’ excellent knowledge of the Foundation Stage enables the use of on-going observations and extremely highly effective planning to devise the next steps in children’s learning. The assessments give clear evidence of children’s progress and achievements and any gaps can be quickly identified to inform future planning. The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Staff are extremely skilled at enriching the experiences for all children with exceptionally well-organised and planned activities and resources. They have a very good awareness of children’s starting points and use this to plan the next steps in their development. Consistent staff impact on children’s high levels of confidence and security. Sensitive settling-in

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

procedures build on this giving children confidence to participate. Children enjoy circle time and some are confident to join in discussions. For example talking about trick or treating they had done, fireworks they had seen. Staff are getting to know the children well and know when to step back and let children take over an activity, creating a realistic balance between adult –led and child-initiated play. For example, a child was making a Diwali lamp from plasticine, talking about shapes, textures. The child then went on to turn the plasticine into a face, added eyes, hair and talked to the staff about what they were doing. Staff are excellent role models and inspire , praise and encourage children to try things for themselves. They encourage children to gain the confidence to succeed and support them well as they aspire to do so. Staff are extremely skilled when motivating the children and know how to capture

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their interest by involving them in activities they can extend for themselves. For example teaching Indian dance and the children then doing it on their own. Children are progressing well, supported by a highly motivated and able staff team who are confident in their abilities to develop and challenge children’s learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children attend from a variety of backgrounds and all children are warmly welcomed into the nursery. They have access to a meaningful range of resources and activities to promote a positive view of the wider world and increase their awareness of diversity. Children take part in a range of activities of both familiar and unfamiliar festivals. For example, Halloween, Chinese New Year, Easter and Christmas and

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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 Diwali. Staff actively reflect the wider cultural diversity of the nursery and community and are able to bring a wealth of wonderful experiences for the children to enjoy. Parents are encouraged to share their knowledge of their customs and celebrations with the children, such as dressing in their traditional dress and talking with the children about their customs and festivals. Children’s behaviour can vary within the nursery, however good role models and outstanding staff support for the children ensures any incident is dealt with calmly and with consideration for all involved. There is an excellent team sprit throughout the nursery with children getting on with one another, playing happily together, being respectful of each other and sharing resources. This positive approach fosters

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Helping children make a positive contribution

children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and supports the education programme older children receive. All children are valued and respected as individuals and all their needs are well documented and implemented. Staff recognise that at some time all children will exhibit a ‘special need’. This could be developmental need or personal need. Detailed registration forms gain full information from parents about each child in order to fully meet their needs. An outstanding partnership with parents and carers has been developed which contributes significantly to children’s sense of belonging, security and well-being. Parents are warmly welcomed into the nursery where staff are on hand to discuss any issues and share information. For example they are invited to regular open days and have appointment times for more formal exchange of information about their child’s progress and achievements. Parents receive information about the Foundation

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Stage curriculum and ‘Birth to three matters’ framework. This gives them an understanding how their child will make progress and how they can support this at home. Staff members’ friendly and open attitude promotes the positive relationships which impact on the children’s sense of well-being and security within the setting. The availability of informative documentation and notice boards extends the nursery's effectiveness in keeping parents well informed. Parents speak knowingly and enthusiastically about the nursery and like the open door policy that the nursery has. The nursery had not made their complaints procedure totally clear to parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. Children’s care is greatly enhanced by the superb quality of organisation and outstanding leadership and management of the nursery. This benefits the children as they move through the nursery from baby room to pre-school. The nursery manager, her deputy and dedicated staff team continually enhance their knowledge through extensive training. The management team are responsible for all aspects of the nursery including staff supervision and employment, ratios and deployment, operational plan, staff training and qualifications. All staff have considerable knowledge of the National Standards which they are committed to apply throughout the nursery. This is enhanced by their knowledge of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum. High regard for the well-being of the children, their group sizes, adult support, enjoyment and achievements contributes to

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Organisation

the overall effectiveness of the organisation of the nursery.

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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 The premises are extremely well organised. Indoor and outdoor space is set out to ensure children obtain the maximum enjoyment and play opportunities that will enhance all areas of their development and learning. Children arrive and are keen to participate in the nursery lifestyle and freely move around talking to staff and their peers about home experiences. Staff work effectively as a team, moving with the flow of the children where they can actively involve themselves in the their play. Highly effective organisation of records and documents ensures children’s welfare and enables parents to play an active role in their child’s care. The required documentation is very well organised and in place to support the management and efficient running of the setting. There are very informative notice boards and leaflets

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Organisation

for parents as well as excellent day to day communication to share information about their children. Staff are extremely knowledgeable and have a very good understanding of child development. Most of the staff hold relevant childcare qualifications and extend their own professional development through access to training and childcare literature. For example outside agencies come in and do training with the staff such as child protection. They further develop their practice and knowledge of 'Birth to three matters' framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum to enable them to extend, challenge and further enhance children’s learning and development. Overall the provision meets the needs of all the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to develop the short term plans to identify the activities which support the planned learning outcomes, and show the staff's role in supporting this learning. This has taken place and the short term plans now link activities to the learning outcomes, benefiting the children by having a cohesive system to support their learning and development. The planning also incorporates staff roles, helping to show individuals with responsibility for specific elements of that learning and development.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. 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 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 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): • ensure complaints procedures are made clear and accessible to all parents.

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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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