Funshine Day NurseryOfsted inspection, 14 Nov 2005

Funshine Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Funshine Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 124950 Inspection date 14 November 2005 Inspector Denys Rasmussen

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Funshine Day Nursery

Setting Address 23 Lake Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 8DS

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E-mail

Registered person Petra Myatt 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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Funshine Day Nursery opened in 1998. The nursery operates from four nursery rooms, in a house, in a residential area of Shirley. It serves the local area. A maximum of 32 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 53 children on roll from 9 months to 4 years. This includes 13 funded three and four-year-olds. Children attend for whole days on a part-time or full-time basis. The nursery has systems in place to support children with special

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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 needs. The nursery is open each week day all year round. Sessions are from 08.00 until 18.00. There are nine full time staff working with the children. Of these, five have early years qualifications, three staff are currently on training programmes and one is unqualified.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health needs and dietary requirements are well recorded and complied with to ensure children remain healthy. Clear and accurate records are kept, for example about any medication that has been administered. This ensures that children's health needs are met and information can be effectively shared with the parents. All staff are trained in first aid ensuring accidents are dealt with appropriately. Children are protected from the spread of infection because of the effective sick child policy and good hygiene practice observed from staff. For example washing hands and wearing disposable gloves when changing nappies. Children are encouraged to develop good hygiene practices by washing their hands and teeth appropriately. The risk of cross-contamination is reduced through good routine practices such as toys being cleaned weekly with an anti-bacterial cleaner, children having their own bedding and a no shoe policy in the baby room.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They are offered healthy, diverse, nutritious meals which they have helped choose. Children learn about healthy living through good topic work. They discuss healthy and less healthy foods, how to brush their teeth and why physical exercise is important to their good health. They are shown how to make juice drinks and why immunisations help to keep them well. This helps them to make healthy choices. Children enjoy a wide range of activities, which contribute to their good health. Each day there are outdoor activities to help them develop control of their bodies, for example as they ride on wheeled toys and negotiate the climbing frame. Children use small equipment such as threading, scissors, rollers, cutters, stencils, the computer mouse and malleable materials, this helps develop their hand to eye coordination and physical skills. The children are well settled and have good relationships with the staff, the staff

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Helping children to be healthy

interact in a gentle, supportive manner and the children go to them for cuddles and reassurance, children are comforted and reassured well by staff if they are upset. Home routines are followed and staff put a lot of effort into building relationships with the children to help them trust them, developing healthy dependence to support their emotional wellbeing.

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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 The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean and well maintained environment that has been adapted with children's safety in mind. The high ratio of staff to children ensures good supervision and individual care helping to keep children safe. The good organisation of suitable toys and equipment in nursery rooms mean children can move around safely to independently access available resources from shelves, tables and boxes which are mostly at child height. There are effective policies and procedures in place that work well in practise to keep children safe. For example accidents and administered medication are recorded appropriately. Children are well protected, the staff recognise their responsibility to the children in their care. They understand the procedures they must follow if they are concerned about the welfare of a child

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

because their training is up-to-date. Risk assessments are completed both indoors and out on a daily basis which means children can play, learn and explore safely. However the nappy changing area in the toddler room has not been sufficiently risk assessed which could impact on children's safety. Measures have been put in place to help prevent accidents. For example, stair gates and all electrical appliances being regularly checked. Fire prevention is good and regular fire drills help children become familiar with the procedures so they learn how to leave the premises quickly and safely.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. All staff working with the under three's make good use of the 'Birth to three matters' framework as part of their assessment process to plan a stimulating environment to help children progress. They provide a range of interesting activities usually linked to a theme to stimulate children's senses. Children enjoy songs, rhymes and story time which contributes to their developing communication skills. Staff anticipate the babies' needs by their facial expression and sounds, which means they know they are understood and gain good levels of confidence and self-esteem. They provide imaginative creative experiences for the children such as exploring jelly and mashed potato so babies can safely taste and feel malleable materials. Staff skilfully interact with the children, guiding them, to help them play together harmoniously. Children receive cuddles and have a strong bond with the staff that care for them. The babies

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are happy and sociable and have warm relationships with the staff. The staff know the babies well and anticipate their needs. This increases their sense of wellbeing. They benefit from routines which are consistent with their experiences at home ensuring their individual needs are well met. Their physical development is well promoted by staff supporting them with equipment and encouragement as they develop and practise mobility skills. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Stimulating activities are very well planned around the six areas of learning. There is a clear purpose for activities ensuring children progress well. The excellent assessment process is used skilfully to inform the planning and give a clear picture of the children's progress. This is used

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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 successfully to identify children's next steps for learning. The nursery environment and garden is exploited to its full potential and organised imaginatively. The garden and surrounding area is used creatively to develop children's physical skills, imagination, mathematic development and to discover nature. The staff have a thorough understanding of the Foundation Stage and child development. They give the children a healthy balance of free play and guided choices and allow the children time to solve problems, practise and consolidate their learning. The staff's calm and polite manner sets a good example to the children. Children are confident and independent because staff create opportunities to help children's self-help skills. For example they practise brushing their teeth in a bowl,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

spread cheese on crackers and give children the responsibility of a nursery job such as watering the plants or delivering messages. Their independence is encouraged through direct accessibility of resources and equipment which they learn to tidy away afterwards. The children are enthusiastic and motivated and are keen to tell staff about their experiences outside of nursery helped by the staff's skilled questioning at circle time. The children are well behaved and kind to each other, sharing equipment happily. Children interact well with each other, they make up games and are avid role players. They use the role play area to it's full advantage because of excellent planning, purposeful questioning of staff and resources offered, stimulating their imagination. Children are beginning to recognise words and letters through the staff's good use of labels. The children mark their own work and are confident to use writing

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in a variety of ways for instance in the role play area, writing down the medicine that the sick dog needed. Children are shown the correct way to form letters using sand paper, finger paints and shaving foam. Discussion is encouraged at 'circle time' and 'show and tell' and children confidently talk about their special things. Children learn about size, shape and measure through good practical activities. They experiment in the sand and water trays. They use size language to describe and compare and sing songs that introduce them to early addition and subtraction. The children like to count, for instance, they count how many children at the table and how many raisins in the biscuit. Children learn to sequence through practical activities and puzzles, they learn about heavy and light things that float and sink when playing in the water. They look at patterns in the environment such as pavements, tree bark and fences. They grow in confidence as they experiment and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

problem solve for example, watching ice melt, finding out what dissolves in water, and what magnets can pick up. The excellent use of topics and themes help children to understand the world around them. For example, they sow seeds and plant them in the nursery garden. They go on nature walks and can identify trees. The staff help them notice differences in colour and shape and to compare the rainforest to their local environment. The innovate use of outings introduces children to their local community for example; visiting the local timber yard to look at wood; visiting the local pet shop to see the animals; visiting the local pizza restaurant to make and eat their own pizzas. Children are introduced to a variety of different cultures and traditions through the creative topic work in consultation with parents. This extends children's knowledge. Children use tools well such as scissors, rollers and pencils and have very good hand

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

eye coordination. They gain control of their bodies when participating in music and movement and physical garden activities. Children have independent access to a

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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 variety of materials and create 3D models, they paint them and are very proud of them. Staff understand the learning process and focus on the effort made rather than the finished product. The inspired use of natural malleable materials offered such as cooked spaghetti, mashed potato, cornflour, jelly, play dough, clay and porridge oats ensure the children are confident to explore with all their senses. Children enthusiastically participate in singing and dancing and experiment with musical instruments. Children's play is extended and developed because of staff's skilful interaction and involvement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children show a sense of belonging when they share their experiences about their family, friends and nursery. Resources positively represent the children attending as well as individuals from the wider community. They are encouraged to develop an awareness of people in their local community, for example visits from the police and outings such as to the local timber yard, local pet shop or food outlet. They learn about the wider world through worthwhile topic based activities. This all helps children to develop a positive attitude and respect for each other. Children's self-esteem is fostered when staff praise them and recognise their achievements, such as when they tidy up or are willing to share. Children are very well behaved and work harmoniously with each other in response to the realistic boundaries and expectations of staff. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and cultural development. Children benefit from the positive partnership staff have developed with parents. This ensures children settle well and their individual needs are met. They experience consistent care due to effective communication systems between parents and staff, such as daily activity records. Children build good relationships with staff ensuring they are happy and secure in their environment. Children with special needs are well supported because staff work closely with parents and outside professionals and one to one support is available. The partnership with parents of the children who receive nursery education is outstanding. Parents are encouraged to be involved in topic work and to share their own experiences and skills with the children. Samples of work and photographic evidence enables parents to have clear guidance on how their child is developing. These are used to inform the planning and are shared with

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Helping children make a positive contribution

parents on a regular basis. They are given exceptional information about the Foundation Stage through written information and workshop evenings to participate in activities and understand in meaningful ways how their children learn. Parents are actively encouraged to be part of their child's learning by being involved in nursery life for example, baking day, when parents came in and baked with their children, being involved in story time and borrowing nursery resources. Parents suggestions are highly valued and acted upon. This helps to promote children's development.

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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 Children are cared for by suitably qualified staff who have been appropriately vetted, due to effective recruitment procedures. Induction training, policies and procedures work well in practice, ensuring the efficient and safe management of the nursery. Space, staff and resources are well organised to create a stimulating and accessible environment where children are busy and occupied throughout the day. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of child development. Because the nursery has a high staff to child ratio they can meet children's individual needs and support children with additional needs well. Leadership and management of the nursery education is outstanding. There is a significant commitment to develop the provision and effective systems are in place to

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Organisation

monitor and evaluate the teaching. This ensures that any potential weaknesses are identified at an early stage and improvements are made. The provider has a clear vision for the nursery with a strong focus on inclusion and the development of all the children. She is a dynamic role model and motivates her staff well. There is a fully committed staff team and staff development is positively encouraged. This ensures practice is up-to date. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and how to creatively apply this in practice. Parents are kept up-to-date about their child's progress through regular meetings with staff. The extensive range and quality of activities provided for children ensure they make very good progress. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last Children Act inspection it was recommended that the nursery improve the meals to continue to accommodate special dietary needs. The nursery provides a diverse range of nutritional, healthy meals and meets individual dietary needs well. At the last Education inspection it was recommended that the nursery improve parents access to regular progress reports. The nursery regularly meet with parents to discuss their child. They show them the observations and evaluations with photographic evidence. A written report is made when the children transfer nursery or start school. The nursery has made significant improvements which promote children's good health and progress.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since April 2004 there has been one complaint. Concerns were raised on 23 August 2004. The complaint related to National Standard 11-behaviour; National Standard 12- partnership with parents and Annex A-children under 2 years. The registered person was asked to provide details. She was requested to send copies of the behaviour management policy including the management of children under 2 years; the accident records; their accident procedure and their partnership with parents policy. No evidence was found that the National Standards had been breached. The provider remains qualified for registration. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 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 outstanding.

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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 toddler nappy changing area is free from hazards.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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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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