Culverdene Day Nursery

Culverdene Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Culverdene Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 319160 Inspection date 01 November 2005 Inspector Shirley Peart

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Culverdene Day Nursery

Setting Address 32 Grainger Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE4 8SA Telephone number 0191 272 3774

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E-mail

Registered person Sandra Shotton 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 good. 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Culverdene Day Nursery was registered in 1992. It is located on the outskirts of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and serves the local and surrounding population. The group operates from five rooms on two floors, with access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The Nursery cares for a maximum of 54 children aged from 3 months to under 5 years. It is open five days a week, all year round Monday to Friday. There are

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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 currently 63 children on roll, 15 of whom receive funded nursery education. The group supports children with special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. There are 19 full-time staff who work with the children, all have a relevant qualification. The setting receives support from child care consultants based in the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children play in a very clean and well organised environment. Staff follow strict cleaning rotas and routines, such as wiping tables before meals and regularly washing the toys. Staff are competent and experienced and ensure that babies individual routines from home are followed. Therefore, young children's needs are met effectively regarding sleep, feeding and nappy changing routines. Food and bottles brought in from home are clearly labelled and stored. Information from parents regarding allergies, likes/dislikes and special diets are well recorded for all children. Therefore, children's health and care is monitored very well. Older children learn the importance of good personal hygiene as they wash their hands before eating and after using the bathroom. During the inspection younger children were not taken to the bathroom prior to lunch time, therefore, they were not able to wash their hands before their meal. Meal times are a good social occasion for

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Helping children to be healthy

all of the children. They manage to eat and drink independently with their appropriate cups and utensils. They have a varied, healthy diet, such as choices of fruit for snack and freshly prepared meals, which they clearly enjoy. This ensures that their nutritional needs are well met. Children can have fresh drinking water throughout the day, as this is readily available in all rooms. However, the toddler age group were not given it and they were clearly thirsty at lunch time. Appropriate information is displayed regarding who is responsible for first aid. If children need medication or have an accident, good procedures and recording is in place to protect them. A member of staff has also been on recent training regarding the administration of medication, which will be disseminated to all staff in the near future. This ensures that positive steps are taken to promote the health and welfare of the children.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children have very good opportunities to use the outdoor area on a planned basis throughout the day. There is also a soft play room available, which the children use and enjoy on a regular basis. Therefore, their need for physical play and fresh air is enhanced very well.

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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 looked after in base rooms, according to their age and stage of development, which ensures that they are well cared for. The environment throughout the nursery is warm, welcoming and enhanced well by the displays of children's art and craft work. Children use the different areas and rooms within the nursery on a planned basis, such as the pleasant library room or physical soft play room. Children choose from a good range of age appropriate resources, which are well set out and easily accessible for them. For example, older children enjoy dressing up in the ethnic costumes and babies can use the sturdy push and pull toys safely. Children's toys are clean and in good condition and there is a good range of safe, real and natural materials available. Older children learn the importance of staying safe as they walk up and down the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

stairs very carefully holding onto the railings. Younger children are well supervised and observed by vigilant, well deployed staff who remain at their level to ensure their safety. The environment is secure and staff have good monitoring systems to ensure children's safety. For example, the door security system, the room risk assessments and health and safety checks, which identify hazards and good procedures for outings. Relevant information is displayed and appropriate procedures are in place regarding child protection, which ensures children's welfare is protected appropriately. Staff have also attended recent child protection training, which enhances their knowledge well.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Young children are very happy and settled in their environment. For example, young babies explore safely. They crawl on the crinkly paper, pull themselves up and use equipment successfully when finding their feet. Staff adhere to the babies individual routines from home so that children are very well cared for. Toddlers engage in lots of innovative, creative activities that assist their development well. For example, they sing and carry out actions successfully to songs and clearly enjoy making their glitter pictures. They are content and interested in their surroundings. Two year olds are learning to socialise very well. They seek out their friends when playing in the soft play room and are learning to wait their turn on the slide. They manage to use a range of equipment successfully, such as rockers, balls and large building blocks. They clearly enjoy singing and are able to use a range of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

loud and quiet noises eagerly when encouraged by the staff. Overall, children benefit from responsive, caring staff who offer lots of reassurance and warm, natural interaction. Comfort items from home are readily available to the children should they need them, such as dummies or a favourite toy. Well planned activities are linked to the Birth to three matters framework. Therefore, children have very good opportunities to engage in sensory activities, as real and natural materials are readily available for them. Nursery Education

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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 The quality of teaching is very good. Staff are well deployed and oversee the adult led activities very well, such as when children creatively and successfully make their Eid cards. Staff attend regular training on the foundation stage, which enhances their knowledge well. They ensure that activities are well planned, based on learning objectives linked to the stepping stones and differentiated to meet the children's needs. The weekly activities are evaluated and assessed effectively. They are linked to the children's learning, such as what they are able to do and understand. Staff give the children lots of encouragement and positive praise and they have high expectations of their behaviour. Therefore, children respond appropriately and are aware of the boundaries. Staff use lots of open ended questions and initiate

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

conversations with the children, which encourages them to think and respond successfully. For example, when they talk about the recent 'Halloween' party in the nursery. Children are very independent and helpful. For example, they see to their own self care needs, such as hanging their aprons back up, putting on their own shoes and happily helping to tidy away their toys. Their confidence and behaviour is good and their self-esteem is high as they gain 'special helper' badges. They concentrate well on their chosen activities and are proud of their achievements, such as when they successfully complete the jigsaw. They talk eagerly about events that have happened to them, such as a birthday party. Children listen attentively to stories. They can easily answer questions on a familiar story and finish the endings enthusiastically. Children use counting and numbers very well in everyday play situations. For

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

example, they demonstrate how many candles they had on their birthday cake, can calculate how many cups are needed on the table for snack time and sequence the coloured beads onto strings in an order copied from a sheet. Three year olds enjoy counting the correct number of frogs up to five. They can sit them on the log successfully and sing a known rhyme spontaneously. They use their imaginations very well when they play with the animals in the water trough. For example, they imitate animal noises and make up their own imaginary games eagerly. Children gain a good understanding of their world, the environment and the living things in it. For example, they care for the pet fish and hamster or look at and describe the caterpillars during planned activities. They are involved in activities that enhance their knowledge very well. They take part in the planned visits outside of the nursery and meet interesting visitors who come in, such as fire fighters and the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

police. Children become very excited when playing outside. They run out happily, choose hoops and balls and use a range of physical skills well, such as throwing and kicking. They make good attempts at catching. They clearly enjoy whole group games, such as 'What time is it Mr Wolf'. They follow instructions successfully, find their own space and run safely. They can control small tools well to achieve their aim, for example, when they draw with chalk on the board or the ground. Overall children are making good progress in all areas of learning.

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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 The provision is good. Children have very good relationships with each other and with the staff. They approach staff easily and greet them happily on their arrival. Children's individual needs are met well and relevant information is gathered on the registration forms, so that staff are well aware of children's specific needs and routines. Children with English as an additional language are well supported, as bi-lingual staff are employed in the nursery. Children carry out activities in relation to different festivals and religions, such as Halloween, Eid and Divali, so that they gain a good understanding of different cultures and beliefs. Appropriate measures are in place for when the nursery cares for children with special needs. For example, they obtain the advice of an inclusion worker, differentiate activities and staff attend relevant training.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good. They are encouraged to have good manners and are able to say 'please' and 'thank you' during snack times. They sit quietly and are engrossed during story time. Younger children are encouraged to be kind to each other and the clear boundaries enable them to learn to cope with social situations well. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents speak very highly of the nursery provision and staff. Staff have friendly relationships with them, which helps to develop secure and trusting relationships for the children. There is some useful information displayed for parents and there is a suitable prospectus and regular newsletters. However, there was insufficient information available regarding children's activities in relation to what the nursery provides, such as the Birth to three matters framework and the foundation stage. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The nursery is very well organised. Suitable recruitment, selection and vetting procedures are in place, which ensures that children are well protected and cared for by appropriate staff. Good staff: child ratios are in place. Staff are based in particular rooms with certain age groups of children, so that they get to know them well. All staff are confident and competent in their approach towards young children, which helps them to feel secure. They work very well together as a team. All staff have an early years qualification. First aid and food hygiene training is mandatory for all staff. They also attend further suitable training, such as courses on the foundation stage and the Birth to three matters framework. This ensures that they are up to date, knowledgeable and have a good understanding of child development. The leadership and management of the nursery is good. Although the overall

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Organisation

provision for nursery education is not evaluated, the person in charge has completed a self evaluation, which highlights strengths and weaknesses. Other staff are also involved and contribute to this. The person in charge and the deputies, support the staff well with regard to planning the curriculum. There are regular meetings and

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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 room discussions, so that the activities and learning experiences for the children are monitored well. Children's individual progress files are in place. However, as the staff have changed the assessment system for the 3 and 4-year-old children, their progress through the stepping stones was not up to date. Overall the setting meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the nursery was required to; extend the policy for lost children; develop the outdoor play curriculum; provide specific resources so that children could learn from their own experiences; monitor the assessment process and to ensure that the effectiveness of the teaching was monitored. There is a suitable lost and uncollected child procedure in place so that children's welfare is protected; the outdoor curriculum has been extended and further resources have been purchased, so that children gain good experiences when playing outdoors. Curriculum planning is now based on children's interests and good resources are provided. Progress has been made regarding the assessment process as this is now recorded on the weekly planning sheets. However, the children's individual files were not updated with their progress. Regular staff meetings and a clear presence by the person in charge ensures that the quality of teaching is

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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 good. 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 good.

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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 that the younger children are offered regular drinks throughout the day

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 and that they are reminded to wash their hands before meals • ensure that there is sufficient information available to parents regarding children's activities in relation to what the nursery provides; such as the Birth to three matters framework and the foundation stage.

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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): • ensure that the children's development files are up to date, so that they show the progress they are making throughout the stepping stones.

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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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