Kids Planet Wigston

The Hunny Pot

Inspection report for early years provision

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The Hunny Pot

Unique Reference Number EY300863 Inspection date 12 December 2005 Inspector Judith Chinnery

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The Hunny Pot

Setting Address Launceston Road, Wigston Magna, Leicestershire, LE18 2GZ

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E-mail

Registered person The Hunnypot Day Nursery Ltd. Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Hunnypot has been registered since May 2005. It is situated next to Little Hill Primary School and also runs the after care club in the school. In the nursery children are cared for in two rooms for children under two years and children over two years. There are currently 63 children on roll, of these, 25 children are in the after care club.

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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 There are six funded children also on role. There are seven members of staff working with the children, of these, six members of staff are qualified in early years.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's general health and well being is promoted appropriately in the nursery. Suitable hand washing facilities and the cleaning of tables between activities help to ensure that the spread of infection between children is minimised effectively. Meals are planned to include fresh fruit and vegetables so that children have access to a diet which meets their needs and is healthy. Children are also able to access fresh drinking water regularly so they are unlikely to become thirsty. Children make much use of the outdoor area to run and play in the fresh air each day. There is plenty of provision for younger children to use equipment such as tricycles so they can develop some large body skills. Babies also have appropriate opportunities to roll, crawl and pull themselves up. However, staff do not plan for these activities very well and equipment for older children is limited so older children

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Helping children to be healthy

are unable to make much progress in their physical development. Staff do not always point out the benefits of healthy practices and exercise so again the older children are less aware of why these practices are important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Children are able to rest and sleep peacefully and comfortably according to their needs and the wishes of parents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in an environment which is suitably maintained and safe. Staff ensure that safety precautions such as gates and socket covers are in place to prevent accidents to the children. A detailed risk assessment is available for the nursery and helps staff to minimise potential hazards which may harm children effectively. Appropriate equipment such as low tables and chairs enable children to sit, eat and play safely. Children also use a good range of developmentally appropriate resources which are regularly checked for safety. While routines for children's safety are well established such as holding hands when going out, staff do not always use explanations about safety consistently so that older children are less able to take responsibility for their own safety. The building is kept properly secure with external locks and closed circuit television cameras ensuring that unwanted visitors cannot

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

gain access to the nursery or present a risk to the children. Most children are protected in the nursery. Staff are aware of child protection

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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 guidelines and sound and clear procedures support managers in protecting children from abuse.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is inadequate. The play and care experiences for some young children in the nursery are sound. There are, however, some significant differences in learning opportunities for children aged over two years. Children of all ages are content and settled and enjoy close relationships with their cares. Regular discussions with parents ensure that babies benefit from and experience familiar home routines for eating and sleeping helping them to feel safe and secure. Babies enjoy exploring different materials such as tinsel and take great delight in making toys pop up or make a noise. Older toddlers explore and experiment with paint enjoying the feel of it on their hands as well as helping themselves to a wide variety of suitable resources to investigate and build with. Staff have started to use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to help them to plan a stimulating range of activities. However, systems for assessing children's progress

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are in their early stages and staff do not use this information to plan activities based on what children are interested in and what they need to do next. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning for three and four year olds is inadequate. While staff's knowledge of the Foundation Stage is growing they lack a sound understanding of the stepping stones which affects their ability to plan activities and challenge children to make progress appropriately. This also makes it difficult for staff to support children in their learning since they are sometimes not sure of the activities' aims. The assessment of children's progress towards the early learning goals is beginning to be based on observations of what they can do but, as yet, they do not identify children's starting points or what they need to do next. Plans fail to show how all aspects of the stepping stones are covered and are not based on

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children's interests or on what they need to do next. Occasionally some children's needs go unnoticed because staff are not always clear about their role. Children are confident and keen to get involved in activities. They form sound relationships with staff and other children. However, staff miss many opportunities particularly at snack and meal times to help children learn independence skills or encourage the older ones to help the younger ones. Most children are aware of the expectations of staff and generally behave well. Children are keen speakers and often use quite lengthy sentences to explain and recall past events. Children enjoy making marks with paint and pencils to form some recognisable images. Some of the older children can also recognise their own names. However, staff do not always promote children's ability to play with sounds well nor do they make sufficient use of space and resources to provide children with

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

an environment which is rich in opportunities for them to practice early writing skills or develop a love for books. Children count well by rote. They know the names of

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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 common shapes and use some size language such as big and little in their play. However, staff miss many opportunities to introduce children to simple calculating and problem solving. Children are able to join some construction pieces together such as duplo. They have a growing awareness of other cultures through the celebration of different festivals. While children know how to operate some simple electronic toys such as the calculators, staff do not make good use of their resources, limiting children's ability to explore and learn how things work especially with technology, early science and the natural world. Children are adept at manoeuvring the tricycles around others and enjoy moving in different ways such as running and jumping, but their ability to make progress and continue to develop their large body skills is impeded by a lack of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

planning and challenging resources. Children know most common colours and really enjoy opportunities to freely create their own art work with paint and other materials. They know and sing a wide repertoire of songs and rhymes. Most children use their imaginations to copy and imitate adult activities such as caring for the baby. However, staff fail to provide an environment which is rich in opportunities for children to explore a wide range of music and use their senses.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is inadequate. The individual needs of most children are met by staff who use information from parents such as diet and sleep routines. Staff's general understanding of equal opportunities means that children are introduced to other cultures and beliefs through multicultural resources and the celebration of different festivals. However, older children's understanding and respect for different cultures and beliefs is not promoted well by staff. Most children behave appropriately in the nursery because staff use suitable methods to explain and deal with unacceptable behaviour. However, older children are less able to take some responsibility for managing their own behaviour since staff do not actively use strategies for promoting acceptable behaviour. Sound relationships between staff and parents means that information regarding children's care is shared and used effectively. Parents are well informed about the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

nursery and are actively encouraged to participate in its activities. However, partnership with parents and carers for nursery education is inadequate. Parents receive little information about the early learning goals and their child's educational provision or progress. Systems for sharing information about children's progress are not yet well developed and staff do not enable parents to become involved in their child's learning in order to support their progress. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is not fostered.

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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 The manager has appointed a staff team which is appropriately qualified and works well together to provide an environment in which children are suitably cared for and protected. There are sufficient staff deployed around the nursery to support children and keep them safe, although, this is not always effectively planned for. While the manager enjoys working alongside the staff to model good child care practice, she lacks knowledge of the new 'Birth to three matters' framework to support staff effectively. Most policies and procedures are known by the staff and are effective in promoting children's health and well being. However, the needs of the range of children for whom the nursery provides are not met. Leadership and management for nursery education is inadequate. The manager is

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Organisation

committed to improving the provision for children and has a clear vision to ensure child are happy and prepared for school. However, she lacks sufficient knowledge of the Foundation Stage to guide and support staff appropriately. There are currently no systems in place to identify strengths and weaknesses or to evaluate and monitor the educational provision, so the nursery is reliant on inspections and the mentor teacher to inform them of their progress. Consequently the staff do not have a clear focus for future improvements for children's learning.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration. 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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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 To improve the quality and standards of care, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure that the manager is has sufficient knowledge of the frameworks used for children's learning so that the provision can be effectively evaluated and monitored (this also applies to nursery education). These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education, the registered person must take the following actions: • Develop staff's knowledge, understanding and confidence in the Foundation Stage and their stepping stones, to ensure that staff are clear about their roles in supporting children • develop the systems for assessment in children's progress towards the early learning goals which identify the next steps for their learning so that activities are planned around the children's interests and what they need to do next, so that children are appropriately challenged to reach their full potential (also applies to care) • develop partnership with parents to ensure that they are fully informed about the educational provision and the progress their children is making towards the early learning goals. Ensure that parents are able to share what they know about their child and are able to become meaningfully involved in their child's

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

learning These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice. The Department for Education and Skills and the local authority have been informed.

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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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