Apple Tree Day Nursery

Apple Tree Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY319828 Inspection date 27/07/2010 Inspector Lynn Reeves

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Setting address 593 London Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 9SD

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Telephone number 02392 652111 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Apple Tree Day Nursery registered in 2006. It is privately owned and operates from a detached house at Hilsea in Portsmouth, Hampshire. The nursery takes children from the local community and surrounding areas and is registered to provide care for 37 children up to eight years old. There is limited accessibility as there is no lift to the first floor. There are currently 73 children on roll in the early years age group. This provision is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open 7.30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, 51 weeks of the year. Children also have use of an enclosed outside play area. The proprietor has a recognised early years qualification and works in the nursery on a day-to-day basis as the manager. In addition, nine staff work directly with the children, of these, seven hold a recognised early years qualification. The nursery receives support from the local

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

All children are happy and settled during their time at the nursery. Comprehensive policies are implemented consistently, providing the children with a safe and secure play and learning environment. Most of the required documentation is in place and maintained to a good standard. The nursery has strong partnerships with parents of children who attend, which ensures that staff are able to identify children's individual needs. As a result, all children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. The owner and staff use a range of evaluation tools to monitor the effectiveness of the provision to continuously drive improvement for the benefit of the children who attend.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure the procedure for obtaining written parental consent for administering medication is consistent (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register) 10/08/2010

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 further promote children's hygiene with regards to hand washing. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

All staff, including those newly appointed, have a good understanding of the child protection procedures and knows how to implement them effectively to safeguard the children. Recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to ensure all adults working with the children are suitable to do so. The premises are secure, ensuring that no unauthorised people can gain access to the nursery or the children at any time. The records of accidents and incidents kept by the nursery are thorough and enable staff to monitor children's welfare over an extended period. Although, the procedure for obtaining parental permission before administering medication is not consistent and is a breach of the welfare requirement. Detailed risk assessments are carried out to ensure the premises are safe and secure for the children. All visitors to the nursery are required to sign in and out of the visitors' book and daily registers are maintained effectively to ensure ratios are maintained.

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the early years provision

The setting has addressed all of the recommendations raised at the last inspection. The owner is evaluating and monitoring all aspects of the provision to drive improvement. For example, the outdoor area has had an all weather surface and a sheltered area to ensure children can go outside all year round and a nursery website has been set up. Daily routines, staff performance and training are continually being evaluated to ensure they meet the needs of the children. Staff deployment is good, ensuring all children are fully supervised and receive support and encouragement throughout the day. The nursery is very welcoming to both children and their parents; it is light, bright and colourful. Examples of children's artwork and creations adorn the walls and are hung from the ceilings, developing their sense of belonging and achievement. All children have access to a wide range of resources and materials that are suitable for their age and stage of

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the early years provision

development. The equipment is stored at a low-level in each of the base rooms to ensure children of all ages can access the resources independently, promoting their freedom of choice and decision making skills effectively. Children use a range of multicultural resources to learn about other cultures and beliefs and take part in planned topics and themes. All children's individual needs are being met through the organisation of daily routines, which reflect the children's individual care plans. Children of all ages have access to a wide variety of activities, resources and play materials that are suitable for their age and stage of development, both inside and outdoors to enhance their play and learning experiences.

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the early years provision

Young babies and toddlers are very well supported and enjoy the opportunity to practise their crawling and walking skills using toys and apparatus to support this. They enjoy comfortable surroundings, such as soft play rugs, padded seating and sofas. Babies babble with delight and attempt to express themselves while playing with dolls and musical toys. They enjoy opportunities to have their hands and feet dipped in the paint and are developing their senses as they play with the sand and various media.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the good relationships between the nursery staff and their parents. Information is shared openly and parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning. Notices displayed in the foyer clearly show what This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 activities are on offer and regular newsletters and notice boards are used to keep the parents fully informed about changes and developments within the nursery. Parents have access to their children's records at any time and are able to make written contributions about their children's learning. Key workers make themselves available to talk to parents and additional information is shared at handover time and via the babies' daily diaries. Good transitional procedures are in place to ensure the children feel comfortable to move base rooms. The management have systems in place to share information with other providers of the Early Years

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the early years provision

Foundation Stage when children begin to attend other settings which ensures the children's care, play and learning in one setting complements another.

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and outcomes for children

All children in the nursery have fun and enjoy a wide variety of activities and experiences to promote their learning and development in all six areas. Staff have good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and implement a well- balanced curriculum. They observe the children at play to identify their next steps in development, then plan and resource activities with children's interests in mind. Children benefit greatly from the good quality interaction between themselves and the staff team. Staff are attentive and respond quickly to the children's interests and individual needs. For example, children request additional resources to extend their own ideas and staff facilitate this well. Staff sit with the children and participate fully in the activities and support the children as they problem solve and try to figure things out for themselves. Staff ask open-ended questions to extend the children's learning and encourage the children to think about what they are

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and outcomes for children

trying to achieve. For example, as one child makes a ramp with the Mobolob construction toys they realise that it is very wobbly and fixes additional wheels to the bottom to make it more secure. The children are praised and encouraged for their efforts and develop a real sense of pride when they achieve something. They are rewarded with stickers when they do things well and are beginning to show consideration for others as they share and take turns.

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and outcomes for children

Pre-school aged children are developing good self-care skills as they visit the toilets independently, help themselves to snacks and pour their own drinks. Children freely select which books they wish to look at and handle these with care. They happily sit together pretending to read to each other. Children mark make in role play and when using media, such as shaving foam and sand. They practise emergent writing, labelling their work and using thick markers to follow dotted lines to make recognisable words. Children count at every opportunity and are developing their understanding of size, patterns and sequencing. They enjoy exploring the insides of fruit, they talk about the nuts inside, really meaning the pips, and make colourful designs on paper with the painted fruits, describing the shapes and patterns they have made. Children have access to a range of programmable toys and a computer and enjoy playing with the toy cameras and

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and outcomes for children

Children free flow in and out of the garden where they have access to climbing equipment, wheeled toys and use balls to develop their hand to eye coordination. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children practise climbing through tunnels and practise good large muscle control walking along the balancing beams. The nursery makes very good use of the outdoor play areas and all six areas of learning are covered both inside and outdoors daily. This enhances the children's play and learning as they enjoy a wide range of experiences, including growing flowers, tomato plants and cress. Children play with resources that reflect diversity; they celebrate festivals, try food tasting and see a range of visitors. They recently had a visit from the dentist, who has supplied each child in the nursery with a toothbrush. While using their tooth brushes, the children enthusiastically talk about how important it is to clean their teeth. Children are

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and outcomes for children

beginning to learn about the importance of eating food that is good for them as they have discussions during snack time. The nursery promotes healthy eating and just signed up for the 'Healthy eating pre-school challenge'. Food supplied by the parents is checked and stored appropriately in the fridge and any food that is warmed through is monitored with food probes to ensure they are served up at the correct temperature. The toys and provisions are cleaned regularly and staff use disposable gloves and aprons when changing babies nappies. However, the children are sharing one towel to wipe their hands on in the bathroom, causing cross contamination of germs.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn how to keep themselves safe through discussion and gentle reminders, for example, not to run around indoors as someone might slip and get hurt. They learn how to handle scissors, tools and knives with care during activities. Children and staff practise regular fire drills to ensure everyone knows what to do if they have to evacuate the building in the event of an emergency. The consistent rules and boundaries implemented by staff are effective and children learn the sound basics of good behaviour by being reminded of the nursery's rules. As a result, the children know what is expected of them and begin to understand the difference between right and wrong from an early age. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept) 10/08/2010

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept) 10/08/2010

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