Paper Moon Day Nursery

Papermoon Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Papermoon Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 253695 Inspection date 25 November 2005 Inspector Susan Hoult

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Papermoon Day Nursery

Setting Address Papermoon Day Nursery, Jasmin Road, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN6 0QQ Telephone number 01522 681681

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E-mail

Registered person Nicholas Keith Mayfield 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?

Papermoon Day Nursery opened in 1992. It is one of 6 privately owned Papermoon Nurseries and operates from a unit in the Doddington Park area of Lincoln. There are three group rooms, a central play area, a kitchen, toilets and an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery serves the local area. It opens five days a week, excluding bank holidays, all year round. Sessions are from 08.00 until 18.00 hours. A maximum of 50 children aged from birth to under 8 years may attend the nursery at

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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 any one time. There are currently 71 children on roll, 13 of whom receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children who have special needs. There are no children currently attending who speak English as an additional language. There are 10 full-time members of staff and 3 part-time staff who work regularly with the children. The manager and 7 staff are appropriately trained and 3 staff are working towards early years qualifications. The provision receives support from the local authority. It is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's good health is promoted by staff who effectively follow the provision's health and hygiene procedures. Children learn the importance of good hygiene through daily routines and discussions with staff. Older children take personal responsibility for hygiene as they wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating, 'because of germs', and using tissues to blow their noses. All sheets, head-sheets and flannels are washed after use and all food preparation and serving surfaces are thoroughly cleaned which helps maintain good hygiene and prevent cross-infection. Children have their health and dietary needs met because practitioners work well with parents. Children are very well nourished. They enjoy a healthy, varied diet which is prepared using fresh ingredients by the cook within the nursery. She and the staff work effectively with parents to cater for special diets and introduce children to new

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Helping children to be healthy

tastes. Although children are offered drinks at meal and snack times, drinks are not freely available throughout the day to ensure children can help themselves as they wish. Babies and children enjoy outdoor play everyday as long as the weather is suitable. They enjoy a good range of energetic physical experiences and have fun whilst developing their hand-eye co-ordination and large muscle skills. However, older children do not have regular access to large climbing equipment to further extend these skills. Children are aware of when they are tired and happily rest and sleep according to their needs. Babies and young children's emotional well-being, growth and development are promoted through the close warm and supportive relationships they form with the staff that care for them. They feel safe to express their feelings in the supportive environment. Young babies are held attentively when being bottle fed. The settee

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Helping children to be healthy

that staff use for this is also used by older babies as they begin to pull themselves up and walk around holding onto the furniture.

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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 cared for in a bright, airy, welcoming, secure and generally safe indoor and outdoor environment. Procedures are in place to ensure that children are never left unsupervised with unvetted persons. Children move around the provision safely as staff minimise risks, for example, by having hinge-protectors fitted on doors and ensuring electrical sockets are covered. Emergency evacuations of the premises are practised regularly. A review of these is currently taking place to ensure that the building can be evacuated in the least possible time and to identify local premises to take the children to in case of an actual emergency to ensure their on-going safety. Children use a variety of good quality, developmentally appropriate resources many of which are organised at child height to encourage independent access. Children

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

are protected when using physical play equipment outside as staff ensure they are closely supervised. Children learn to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe through daily routines and staff skilfully explaining safe practices. For example, staff gently remind children how to carry scissors safely and to pick up items dropped on the floor to prevent other children from falling and hurting themselves. Children are kept safe on outings as risk assessments are completed, high ratios of staff to children are used and relevant information is held by staff on the outing. A mobile telephone is always available however, a first aid box is not always carried. Children are protected from possible abuse or neglect as the staff are aware of their responsibilities, have a sound understanding of possible signs and know the procedure to follow if they have concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. All children are confident, enthusiastic and enter the nursery happily. Their needs are met effectively through staff's sensitive interactions that promote their self-esteem. Children enjoy participating in a good range of activities that stimulate their learning. Babies form strong bonds with the staff who care for them. Children's transition from the baby room to the Tweenies at approximately two years and then to the pre-school room at approximately three years is carefully planned. This ensures children remain secure and happy. Routines in the baby room take into account flexible meal and sleeping times to ensure individual needs are met well. The good variety of activities in the baby and Tweenies rooms are diverse, catering for baby’s and toddler’s continually changing needs. For example, babies laugh as a toy set in an ice block falls free as the ice melts. Toddlers freely investigate a mixture of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

porridge and beans with their fingers, fill spoons with the mixture and then feel the texture as they smear it on their arms. Staff support this play talking about texture, temperature and encouraging participation. Staff use the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework to plan activities that are developmentally appropriate. They apply them well in practice to support children's emerging skills and learning. Staff respond positively to babies and toddlers, give them time to develop new skills and consolidate their learning. Book areas throughout the nursery are comfortable and inviting. This encourages a beneficial love of books for babies through to those children moving on to school.

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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 Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage and understand the different ways children learn. Children happily join in activities encouraged by staff who lead by example. Planning links to the stepping stones provide children with a broad and balanced range of activities and experiences across the six areas of learning. However, assessments and evaluations of children's learning are not used to plan next steps in learning to ensure individual progress towards the early learning goals is identified. Children’s learning is generally supported well, although the deployment of staff does not always enable all children to be suitably challenged, through differentiation, to extend their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use talk well to communicate with others, organise play and question why things happen. Children handle books well; they enjoy listening to, and telling stories. Children learn to link letter sounds and practice mark making and writing in a variety of medium. However, some opportunities are missed to encourage them to write for a variety of purposes. Children enjoy number rhymes and count well by rote, whilst children that are more able recognise and write some numbers and count beyond 10. They know the names of many colours and common shapes and use mathematical language in play. Children are expressive, enjoy creative play, especially music, and are involved in a variety of role play situations relating to themes which helps consolidate their learning. They are gaining a good awareness of their bodies, how exercise affects them and the importance of a healthy diet. They develop good levels

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of hand eye co-ordination and small muscle skills through a variety of activities such as threading, using scissors and making and using play dough. Children are gaining a good understanding of the world around them both past and present. They particularly enjoy activities relating to nature such as growing plants and watching caterpillars develop into butterflies. They are enthusiastic about building and constructing however, there is little opportunity for them to self-select resources to design, assemble and join materials.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All children are warmly welcomed and feel a sense of belonging as they take an active part in the life of the nursery. They move freely between activities, know where things belong and are comfortable with routines. Babies bond well with the consistent staff and therefore feel secure. Children's self-esteem and respect for others is promoted by staff who know them well and value them as individuals. Children with special needs are fully involved in the nursery as staff work closely with parents to fully meet these children's individual needs. Children become aware of their own and other cultures through resources, topic work and the sensitive use of books and stories that promotes positive images of culture, ethnicity, gender and disability. They celebrate a variety of festivals such as Christmas, Chinese New Year and Shrove Tuesday. Visits to local parks, library and shops helps children develop an

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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 Children are polite and their behaviour is satisfactory. The staff use positive, sensitive strategies for managing behaviour although deployment of staff in the pre-school room does not always support early intervention to move children on to another activity. Children learn to understand behaviour boundaries, have a growing understanding of how their behaviour may affect others and generally play together harmoniously. Good use of a sticker reward system supports this. Children are kind to others, for example, an older child comforts a child who falls over. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Children are cared for by staff who work with parents extremely well to meet individual children’s care needs and ensure they

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Helping children make a positive contribution

are included fully in the life of the setting. Parents speak highly of the nursery and say that their children are well settled and are keen to attend. Parents receive written and verbal information about Birth to three matters and the Foundation Stage. Plans are available in each area of the nursery to enable parents to be involved in their children's learning. Assessments of children's progress are available for parents to look at as they wish. Parents of babies and toddlers particularly appreciate the daily diaries that compliment the verbal feed back about their child's day.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. There have been recent changes in the day to day management of the nursery and the providers have also employed an area manager to oversee the two Papermoon nurseries situated in Lincoln. The regulations relating to recruitment and vetting of staff and notification to Ofsted of changes have not been met but are now being rectified by the provider. All the required policies and procedures are currently being reviewed and an action plan has been drawn up to improve the standards of care and education within the nursery and is currently being implemented. The manager and staff are generally enthusiastic, have a high regard for and value all children and therefore promote their well-being. The staff understand their individual roles, present as good role models for children and are working together to further develop their teamwork. The effective deployment of staff within the baby and Tweenies rooms ensure that children are

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Organisation

actively supervised and well supported. This helps children remain safe, maintain an interest in their play and behave well. Children's and staff attendance is accurately recorded for use in case of an emergency. However, not all visitors sign the visitor's book so it is not always clear who is on the premises. There are always staff present who have current first aid certificates and are able to respond appropriately to any accidents. The quality of leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The provider, manager and staff are committed to continue improving the care and education for children and are working hard to do this. Monitoring systems are in place which are being developed to more effectively identify the provision's strengths and weaknesses. Regular appraisals are being introduced to identify courses to support staff's professional development. A new assessment framework to identify

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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 children's progress to the early learning goals is being introduced and staff are being offered training relating to the foundation stage. Overall, the nursery meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the provider agreed to ensure that all medicine and accident records include the full name of the child they relate to and staff use full signatures, and to ensure that all accident records are countersigned by parents. This is now done promoting the health and safety of children and ensuring that parents are aware of any accidents. Since the last nursery education inspection the use of assessment records have been developed but are not yet used to inform future planning. Children benefit from having more opportunities to use their imagination and free expression during art and craft activities and this development is on-going. Challenges have been developed to extend more able children's learning however, these are limited through staff deployment.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Ofsted has received one complaint since 1 April 2004 relating to Standard 2: Organisation, Standard 6: Safety and Standard 12: Working in partnership with parents and carers. The complaint related to whether appropriate action was taken to safeguard children, whether correct ratios of staff to children were maintained and whether parents' concerns were taken seriously. We asked the provider to investigate the concerns raised in October 2004. The provider ensured that staff more actively supervise children, updated the complaints policy and confirmed that staff ratios are always met. The response was considered against National Standards. There was no evidence to suggest a breach in these standards and Ofsted have taken no further action. The provider has made a record of the complaint. 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

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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 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

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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 fresh drinking water is available to children at all times • ensure robust recruitment procedures are used when employing new staff and that Ofsted is notified of any changes of manager • ensure that all visitors to the nursery are recorded.

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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): • develop the recording of assessments of children's learning through observation in order to more effectively show children's progress towards the early learning goals and use to inform future planning • develop the availability of resources and children's access to them, to further enhance and extend learning experiences, particularly in areas of physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world • review the deployment of staff to ensure that, both adult and child led activities, are sufficiently differentiated to ensure that children of all abilities are able to gain the most from the activity and the learning materials.

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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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