Tops Pokesdown

Tops Day Nurseries Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY344955 Inspection date 20/05/2010 Inspector Marilyn Joy

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Setting address 4c Wolverton Road, Boscombe, BOURNEMOUTH, Dorset, BH7 6HT Telephone number 01202 720111 Email info.boscombe@tops-daynurseries.co.uk 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 rates 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 .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as 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

Tops Nursery and out of school club opened in 2006. It is part of a large chain within the south region and operates from six rooms in a building originally built as church meeting rooms in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Upstairs is used for children under two and the after-school and holiday club, while children over two are situated downstairs. There is an outside play area and the setting has sole use of the premises. There are ramps at the front and back enabling easy access at the entrance and into the garden.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is registered for a maximum of 108 children under eight years and there are currently 144 children on roll. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, from 7am until 6.30pm. The after school club opens at 3pm during school term times and the holiday club operates for children aged five to eight years for full days during school holidays. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and welcomes children who speak English as an additional language. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

There are 13 staff who work directly with the children and of these, nine have early years qualifications and four are currently training. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is inadequate.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's welfare is not sufficiently safeguarded because the nursery does not effectively protect children from staff who have not been checked. The management has not considered the implications of this failure to satisfactorily monitor staff actions in order to ensure children's safety at all times which means processes of self-evaluation are inadequate. The nursery is involved in quality assurance schemes, has an ongoing training programme for staff and has addressed recommendations raised at the last inspection. However, it has not evaluated the significance of an unchecked member of staff being inadequately supervised or hygiene arrangements in some areas of the nursery. Partnerships with parents and others are extremely strong and children benefit from robust systems for ensuring there is continuity in all aspects of their care and learning. Children make good progress in the stimulating and well-resourced environment

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the early years provision requires significant improvement. The registered person is given a Notice to Improve that sets out actions to be carried out.

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further?

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To comply with the requirements of the EYFS the registered person must take the following action by the specified date:

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further?

 ensure that adults whose suitability has not been checked are not left alone or have unsupervised access to children (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare)(also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register). 21/05/2010

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further?

 develop effective systems to ensure that the individual needs of all children are met (Organisation). 21/05/2010

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further?

To improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 improve hygiene arrangements regarding the use and emptying of potties.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is compromised because they are left alone with a member of staff who does not hold a current Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure in an area where she cannot be seen and supervised at all times. This is a breach of the welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Management do not have sufficient procedures for maintaining visual supervision of unchecked staff, although they are vigilant in ensuring they do not undertake duties such as nappy changing and toileting. Apart from this, recruitment and employment procedures are suitable, ensuring staff have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities. Clear management structures at all levels ensure staff are well- supported through induction, appraisal and staff meetings.

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the early years provision

Staff attend child protection training and are fully aware of the nursery's safeguarding procedures. Consequently, they know what to do if they have concerns about a child in their care. Comprehensive risk assessments are conducted throughout most areas of the nursery, ensuring equipment and the premises are safe and secure. However, potential hazards and risks to children have not been considered when carrying uncovered potties through the nursery rooms so that the contents can be hygienically disposed of. Poor practice was acknowledged at inspection and steps have been initiated to address. Clear safety procedures are in place so that staff know what to do in the event of a fire, accident and keeping children safe on outings. Documentation is well-organised and provides the nursery with all the required information to ensure it is able to meet children's individual health, welfare and development needs.

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the early years provision

The nursery thoroughly monitors many aspects of its provision, such as, the effectiveness of continuous provision and how children's learning is supported. However, there are key areas where they have not adequately assessed their practice which is reflected in significant weaknesses in safeguarding children's safety and welfare. As a result, the individual needs of all children are not met. There are detailed action plans for securing improvements in many areas, including outdoor play areas, and building work is underway to make improvements to the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 upstairs area used by under twos. Recommendations raised at the last inspection and through quality assurance have been addressed. Management and staff have high expectations for the nursery.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are outstanding. Excellent channels of communication ensure parents are well-informed about the nursery, the care their children receive and the progress they are making. Effective settling-in routines and ongoing communications enable a clear rapport to be developed with parents and contribute towards children feeling confident and secure. Parents' views and suggestions are sought and incorporated into the nursery's evaluation processes. Parents are extremely satisfied with the care their children receive and comment on how much they value the support they receive. Very good systems are in place for working with other settings children attend and liaising with other agencies in order to create continuity and ensure each child receives the individual support they need. The nursery is highly committed to working in partnership and takes a lead role in initiating effective working relationships. The nursery responds

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the early years provision

positively to parents' wishes and takes children to a pre-school in their own locality so that they can make friends and feel secure in a new environment in order to support their smooth transition into school.

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the early years provision

The nursery is bright, welcoming and all areas are well-resourced. The nursery aims to be accessible for all families. Ramps are currently being introduced to improve accessibility and support is available for those with English as an additional language. Toys and equipment are easily accessible in each area of the nursery, enabling children to make choices and child-sized furniture means all ages can sit comfortably for activities and meals. The dedicated team of staff work well together to provide an inclusive environment for all children.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate a clear sense of belonging in the confident manner in which they play and interact with staff. Children may feel safe and secure but this is a false sense of security because insecure vetting procedures mean that staff are not sufficiently vigilant to protect children's safety. Children do not know or understand the safety concerns when they are supervised by unchecked staff. Staff encourage children to become aware of keeping themselves safe and routinely involve them in safety procedures, such as the fire drill and road safety when going for walks and outings.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in their learning. Effective planning takes account of children's interests and stage of development to ensure they are offered a breadth of activities and experiences that engage and challenge them. A young child's interest in buses prompts a trip to the bus station and excited exclamations of 'bus, bus' when one is seen. An older child begins to play with water during a jelly making activity which results in water play being set up outside, fostering engrossed and concentrated learning outdoors. Other children become interested and so it is expanded with bubble play and cleaning windows. Children are encouraged to put aprons and coveralls on to help keep themselves dry as they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 enthusiastically fill different containers. They practise pre-writing skills as they use brushes to paint the windows and have fun. Children benefit from recent

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and outcomes for children

renovations to the outdoor play area which have been particularly successful in inspiring interesting activities and ideas. Physical and social skills develop as children climb, slide and explore the new playhouse. Natural materials foster children's creativity, problem solving and design skills. Children learn how to carry planks safely as they construct their own structures for balancing and building. All ages have opportunities for outdoor play. Free-flow between indoors and outdoors is available for over twos, while under twos either play in the garden or go on outings. Staff are mindful of the weather and ensure appropriate clothing is worn and that sun hats and drinks are available.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, staff have a good knowledge of child development and the early learning goals which is reflected in the effective support children receive and the progress they make. Staff regularly observe children to monitor progress, identify their interests and assess their achievements. Generally observations are conducted across all areas of children's learning, although for some children there are few recorded in some areas. This has been recognised and a tracking system introduced to help prevent this in the future. Key persons speak confidently about their key children and know them well.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a secure knowledge of each child's background and needs. They work closely with parents to gather information and value diversity. For several children English is an additional language and staff work hard to value their home language and help them to express themselves. They learn key words in their language, have visual clues to help them understand what is expected and speak clearly so that vocabulary is understood. Children receive frequent praise and encouragement which boosts their confidence and self-esteem. Babies' attempts at speech are echoed and by verbalising their actions staff are giving them the vocabulary they need as they learn to talk. Children become confident speakers and are eager to contribute at circle time, join in with songs or express their wishes. Resources are freely available throughout the nursery promoting children's skills in all areas of their learning whether it is independence, mark-making, role-

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and outcomes for children

play, problem solving or creativity. Children learn about the diversity of the world around them, living things, how things work and respect for others.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health is promoted well in most areas. They are encouraged to develop good hygiene habits and have plenty of opportunities for fresh air and exercise. Generally staff follow effective routines, although there is a clear weakness regarding the hygienic disposal of potties which results in a risk to children's health. Staff ensure equipment is thoroughly cleaned and safe, appropriate nappy changing procedures are followed and that they present positive role models themselves, for example, regarding clean hands. Excellent opportunities are offered at snack and meal times for children to learn to cut up their own fruit, serve their own dinner and learn to use a knife and fork. Freshly cooked meals are varied and nutritious; for example, children enjoy a roast dinner followed by dessert. Individual dietary requirements are respected and care taken to ensure these are followed at all times.

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and outcomes for children

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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and managed?

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 4 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 4

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 4 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 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 (Suitability of persons to care for, or be in regular contact with, children). 21/05/2010

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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 (Suitability of persons to care for, or be in regular contact with, children). 21/05/2010

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