Kids Planet Kenton Park

Kenton Park Nursery School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 319218 Inspection date 05/07/2010 Inspector Janet Fairhurst

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Setting address 5 Kenton Park Centre, Kenton Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE3 4RU Telephone number 0191 285 5020 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 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

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

Kenton Park Nursery School was established in 1992. It is one of two day nurseries owned by Choice Childcare Limited. The nursery is situated in a suburb of Newcastle and operates from a two-storey building within a small shopping precinct. It is open from 8am until 5.45pm, Monday to Friday, all year round.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 58 children in the early years age range may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 99 children on roll aged from birth to under five years. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. There are 20 staff employed to work directly with the children, 14 of whom have an appropriate qualification in early years and childcare. The nursery receives qualified teacher support through the local authority.

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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

Kenton Park Nursery provides a very warm, nurturing and inclusive environment where children are settled and happy. The uniqueness of each child is recognised by staff who provide good support for individuals, ensuring that all children make progress in their learning and development. Staff work closely with parents and others to make sure they have a detailed knowledge of each child's needs. Staff and management are working well to make continuous improvements in the setting and outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 consider ways to use parents' home observations to contribute to their children's assessment record  continue to develop systems of assessment for example, by recording children’s next steps in their learning.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is promoted well due to the staff's good knowledge and understanding of their responsibilities in protecting children from harm. There is an identified person to take the lead in this area and training for all staff is updated regularly. Robust recruitment procedures are in place which ensure that the staff have suitable experience to work with children. Appropriate induction procedures ensure that new staff are familiar with the nursery's policies and procedures and are able to implement them in practise. The staff team are committed to their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 ongoing professional development, and through the appraisal system are able to identify areas of interest to them. The staff have a good understanding of the nursery's safety procedures and policies which they implement effectively to reduce the risks to children. For example, they monitor access to the premises and

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the early years provision

keep a record of all visitors. The nursery's risk assessment procedures are effective and combined with the daily checks they ensure that potential risks are identified and addressed. Staff have a sound knowledge of first aid and all of the required documentation which helps to support the children's health and well-being is used effectively, for example, parental permission to seek emergency medical advice and permission to administer medication.

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the early years provision

Children are grouped effectively according to their individual ages or stages of development. All play rooms are set out well so they are inviting, stimulating, and conducive to children’s early learning. Children explore their play areas enthusiastically and self-select from the good range of accessible toys and resources. A calm, relaxed atmosphere helps children to develop the confidence to form good relationships with staff and peers. Staff know children’s individual routines well and they are attentive to their daily needs. This contributes well towards children’s comfort and care. Children benefit from a fully inclusive environment. For example, boys and girls, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children with English as an additional language are all provided with good opportunities to make equal progress in their learning and development. Staff work closely with relevant agencies to produce and implement

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the early years provision

individual educational plans, to ensure that children are very well supported in reaching their full potential.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the very good relationships and informal contact between their parents and staff. Their individual needs are met as the staff collect relevant information from parents that enables them to provide appropriate care and attention. Routines for younger children are based around their home routines so that they sleep or feed according to their individual needs. All parents know their child’s key worker and share information with them about their children's needs. However, parental observations which are shared with the staff are not yet used to contribute to their children's ongoing assessment records. Parents receive a range of information about the day-to-day organisation of the nursery and about the Early Years Foundation Stage. Parents are highly complimentary about their children's experiences at the nursery. They report that staff are always friendly, caring and approachable, and how their children love to come to the nursery. All

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the early years provision

staff are involved in the self-evaluation process, which ensures a common sense of purpose between adults working together. This has helped them to successfully identify their strengths and areas for development, which has a positive impact on outcomes for children. The views of parents are also obtained as part of this process to ensure all parties have a voice in how they would like the nursery to develop. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in this happy and caring nursery. The staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which is reflected in their practice. As a result, all children make very good progress in their learning and development. The planning is flexible, responding to children’s individual interests, their starting points and their capabilities. Staff carry out frequent observations of the children, using good photographic evidence to support and assess their progress in all areas of learning. However, although it is clear that staff use the information to identify children's next steps this is not recorded to help them to continually monitor individual progress towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a positive attitude towards learning and confidently participate in the full range of activities and first hand experiences provided. Staff’s purposeful discussions help to develop children’s language for communication and encourage them to question and think critically. This enables children to establish key skills to support their future learning. Children are encouraged to be inquisitive and to be active learners. They competently apply their problem solving skills during worthwhile number activities. For example, by counting compare bears, matching the right sized bear to the sequence picture. Some children count proficiently or use numerical language correctly, during planned or self-initiated play activities and staff are beginning to introduce mathematical comparisons, or simple number problems, to more able children. Children are beginning to learn about diversity and the wider world with a range of planned activities and resources such as

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and outcomes for children

books, posters and role play equipment. Children are actively encouraged to work together and support each other. This helps them to develop their understanding of differences and similarities and to become aware of the needs of others. All children are very well-behaved; they have warm and affectionate relationships with staff and each other and play together harmoniously. They really benefit from staff involvement and interest, and the ways staff adapt their approaches according to the needs of the children, including stepping back so children take the lead.

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and outcomes for children

Children in the baby and toddler's room make early attempts at communication and are encouraged by staff who respond sensitively to them with lots of eye contact, repetition and praise. All children are developing the confidence to explore their environment. Younger children crawl across the floor to look at themselves in the mirrored wall, while toddlers prefer to collect various objects in their shopping baskets. The staff maximise all learning opportunities, encouraging the babies to identify their own facial features thus helping to develop their sense of self. Singing is an important feature throughout the nursery. A variety of songs help to reinforce the differing aspects of the day and all children respond with great enthusiasm, with even the youngest bobbing up and down with delight. Children very competently explore the garden and all its different features. They balance on logs, water the plants, play ring games, look for the frog and observe the growth

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and outcomes for children

of the tadpoles in the pond. Their interest is supported by resources and activities; they use watering cans and buckets for their gardening and are encouraged to harvest the fruit and vegetables and cook the produce. Children handle tools and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 equipment competently as they build and construct. They fix small parts together to create models and expertly weave different coloured foam beads onto lengths of string. Children are provided with very good opportunities to make marks; babies enjoy finger paints, while older children write for various purposes, making lists or writing their names on their artwork.

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and outcomes for children

Children stay healthy because they learn the value of good hygiene practices from consistent routines. With support and sensitive guidance from the staff the children become independent in these self-care practices and learn that hand washing after visiting the toilet or before eating is important to keep germs away. Staff provide a good example by washing their hands and ensuring tables are cleaned after activities in preparation for meal time. Well established routines help children to learn good strategies for keeping themselves safe, for example, as they walk carefully when moving around the nursery, using the stairs or when they are playing in the outdoor areas. Planned activities also teach them about personal safety. For example, they learn how to cross the road safely when they go for local walks and they enjoyed a visit from the fire service, who talked to them about fire safety. In addition, a clear fire evacuation procedure is in place and is practised

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and outcomes for children

regularly by staff and children. This helps everyone to know what to do in the event of an emergency. 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 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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