'Little Thinkers' at New Horizons Portsmouth

Izzies Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Izzies Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY295936 Inspection date 07 October 2005 Inspector Michele, Karen Beasley

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Izzies Nursery

Setting Address Isambard Brunel Junior School, Wymering Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 7HX Telephone number 02392 663 444

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E-mail

Registered person Isambard Brunel Centre Ltd 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 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?

Izzies Nursery was registered in 2004. The setting is a neighbourhood nursery run by a company limited by guarantee. It is located in Isambard Brunel Junior School, close to the city centre of Portsmouth in Hampshire. A maximum of 42 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:30 until 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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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 There are currently 44 children aged under 5 years on roll. Of these, 12 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide surrounding area. The nursery supports children with special needs and two children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 11 members of staff. Of these, five are qualified and experienced in early years childcare, undertaking regular training and eight are working towards qualifications. The setting works closely with the Early Years Childcare Partnership. They also have close links with neighbouring schools.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn about the importance of personal hygiene through consistent routines and daily discussions, they are encouraged to wash their hands at appropriate times. Staff implement good procedures to ensure hygiene levels are good, for example, practitioners wear disposable gloves to change nappies and tables are wiped with anti-bacterial spray after each use helping to prevent the possible spread of infection. Children benefit from a nutritious diet and are beginning to understand the importance of healthy eating. Staff help children to learn about healthy eating through daily discussions. They use meals as a social time, talking about which types of food are good for the children and encouraging the use of good manners. The nursery prepares a wide range of healthy snacks and cooked meals on site. Children's individual needs and parental preferences are clearly displayed for staff to ensure

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Helping children to be healthy

their individual needs are met and respected at all times. Children have ample opportunities to develop their large muscle skills, climbing and balancing on the climbing frame in the outdoor play area riding tricycles and scooters. Children move around the setting freely with confidence from one play area to another. Children are developing good spatial awareness, for example, they ride tricycles round the outdoor area with precision. Younger children are given plenty of space to crawl and practice walking in the baby area. They are able to use tools independently and are becoming competent learners. Children enjoy taking part in craft activities, using paints with little or no assistance. All the children enjoy the use of the garden, a separate range of equipment is available for each age group, which is suitable for their stages of development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit from a relative safe environment, however children's safety is not fully promoted in the garden as a side gate is broken and a bike is left unsecured causing potential hazards to the children. Daily informal safety checks are carried out on the nursery, however no written records of daily risk assessments are in place.

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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 Children are made aware of dangers through general conversation and consistent rules, for example, they know they must not run in the nursery. Children learn how to keep themselves safe by practising regular fire drills, although these need to be more frequent. The front door has an intercom and is kept locked and visitors have to sign in and out of the building, keeping the premises and children secure and ensuring that no unvetted visitors have access to the children. Children feel at home in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Their work is valued as it is displayed around the walls promoting children’s confidence and sense of belonging. Children use a varied range of suitable and safe equipment, which they self-select from open shelving units, enabling them to be independent and make their

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

own choices about what they play with. Children are well protected because all staff have a clear understanding of child protection and the procedures to follow if concerns are identified, keeping the children safe. Detailed policies and procedures are in place and shared with parents to ensure they are aware of the settings responsibilities. All existing injuries and incidents are recorded and parents sign to acknowledge the entries, helping to keep children safe and protected.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are extremely happy and they laugh and giggle throughout the activities, for whilst making their own gloop. Staff interact with the children exceptionally well, talking to them all the time, making eye contact, playing at their level and showing affection. Younger children enjoy experimenting and exploring paint with their hands, feet and tummies during craft activities. Staff praise and encourage the children helping them to learn different skills. Staff use the Birth to Three Matters framework effectively to observe the children's progress and plan specific activities, ensuring the needs of the younger children are being met fully. Babies playfully babble excitedly, join in with songs and action rhymes developing very good language skills. Staff give the children time to learn about themselves, for example, children instigated their own peek a boo game with one another, laughing and giggling.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. All staff have a very clear understanding of the Foundation Stage. This enables them to plan a stimulating well-balanced programme overall, which broadly covers the six areas of learning. Observations of children's progress are ongoing, however the systems to record children's achievements are not fully developed. This information is not used effectively to plan the next stage in children's individual learning. As a result, older and more able children are not sufficiently challenged across all areas. Most resources are used effectively throughout the day, however children have limited opportunities to self-select resources for emergent writing. This limits their

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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 opportunities to explore their freedom of choice and develop their decision making skills and to progress with early writing skills. Children are beginning to understand that text has meaning as they handle books independently and make good use of the book area. Children hold the books correctly and pretend to read stories to each other. Children enjoy and show great interest as they examine a range of fir cones, pumpkins and shells and investigate these using magnifying tubs. Daily routines are balanced and allow opportunities for children to focus on one-to-one tasks and in small group activities. However, staff miss opportunities to promote children's understanding of sounds and letters during the session. Staff have a clear understanding of the development needs of all children, they know when to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

stand back and let play develop naturally and when to step in, during planned activities offering guidance and support as necessary to help children reach their full potential. However, children's free play is not used effectively by staff to consolidate their knowledge and promote their learning. This sometimes impacts on their behaviour and safety. Children's social skills are developing well, they are keen and eager to join in the activities, asking questions to learn more, showing curiosity. Children show high levels of concentration and become engrossed in the activities provided such as making gloop and playing with water, confidently suggesting new ideas, co-operating well and sharing their feelings. Children's vocabulary is developing well and staff introduce new words at every opportunity during practical activities such as playdough. Children's mathematical development is extremely well developed, Staff make very

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

good use of routines and planned activities, such as water play, to encourage children to compare weights and measure. Children count confidently up to and above 10 throughout the day using one-to-one correspondence with everyday items such as duplo. Children talk about shape, size, position and quantity during their play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children have a positive attitude towards themselves and others and develop a sense of belonging as they form very good relationships with practitioners and their peers. They negotiate, share resources and take turns as they involve themselves in their play, showing a caring attitude towards each other. Children are valued as practitioners praise them continually and show good confidence and self-esteem, for example as they share their achievements. Younger children and children with needs develop self assurance and are well supported by practitioners who are sensitive to their needs and value them as individuals. Children develop an understanding of different cultures and explore the world around them as they learn about themselves and others through activities, discussions and visitors to the group. This helps them to value their own culture and those of other people, and increase their understanding of the differences and similarities between

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Helping children make a positive contribution

themselves and others. This positive approach fosters children’s spiritual, moral,

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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 social and cultural development. Children’s behaviour is good, which impacts on the relationships they build within the group. Practitioners help children to understand why some behaviour is not appropriate, this approach is consistent, enabling children to develop an understanding of why some of their actions are wrong. Children benefit from positive informal relationships between practitioners and parents. Children's progress is discussed informally. However, opportunities to encourage parents to be fully informed and discuss children's ongoing progress and achievements are limited. The partnerships with parents is satisfactory. However, links with parents and outside agencies are not fully secure to support children with special needs and English as an additional language to ensure achievable goals are

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Helping children make a positive contribution

provided to all children. Parents are informed about topics and the curriculum through the prospectus and regular newsletters. Details of daily activities their child is involved in and how to extend their learning in the home are provided, which gives opportunities for them to contribute to their child’s learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. High levels of staffing help to ensure the babies are supported and safe during their play and develop a sense of security and belonging. However, staff deployment in the rest of the nursery is at times ineffective having an impact on the children's well being. Practitioners have a clear knowledge of their roles and responsibilities each day and the implementation of effective policies and procedures ensure children’s care and well-being is promoted. As a result, overall the needs of all children who attend are met. The manager supports staff well informally, although systems to monitor career development and daily practice and teaching across the setting are not effective, for example formal meetings with staff members are on an ad hock basis. The leadership and management is satisfactory. Management recognise strengths within the provision and are aware to make improvements. Topics and activities are

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Organisation

evaluated by staff, however systems to monitor the impact these have on individual children’s progress towards the Early Learning Goals have yet to be fully developed. The use of time, some resources and the deployment of staff are not always effective in promoting children’s learning, in particular learning opportunities are missed during free play, to build on children's existing knowledge and promote further challenge.

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration. 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 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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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): • implement effective systems to ensure the safety of the outdoor play area and children's awareness of emergency evacuation procedures • further develop links with parents and outside agencies to fully support children with special needs and english as an additional language • ensure evidence of the suitability of staff is made available and improve the systems to monitor.

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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): • improve the systems to record observations of the children's achievements and use this information to plan the next steps in their individual learning, ensuring sufficient challenges are provided to all children • improve the use of time, accessibility of some resources and deployment of staff to ensure all children are fully involved and effective learning takes place in all aspects of the session, particularly with regards to the development of children's early reading and writing skills • introduce systems to monitor and evaluate the curriculum and the impact this has on children's individual achievements and improve opportunities for parents to be informed about their child's ongoing progress towards the Early Learning Goals.

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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 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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