Happy Days NurseryOfsted inspection, 24 Nov 2005

Happy Days Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Happy Days Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY305788 Inspection date 24 November 2005 Inspector Chris Mackinnon

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Happy Days Nursery

Setting Address Telscombe Parish Hall, Tyedean Road, Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven, East Sussex, BN10 7AU Telephone number 07866201996

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E-mail

Registered person Evelyn Jean Blyth 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Happy Days Nursery opened in 2005. It operates within a community hall in Telscombe Cliffs, near Brighton in East Sussex. A maximum of 40 children may attend at any one time. The Nursery is open each weekday from 08:45 to 14:50 hours during school term time. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 48 children on roll, aged from 2 to under 5 years, of whom 23

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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 receive funding for nursery education. The Nursery supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs ten staff members, of whom five hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are currently training.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The children are healthy and active, for the staff members follow clear procedures and practices which meet the children’s physical, nutritional and health needs. Close adult support and guidance helps the children gain an understanding of cleanliness and a desire for independence in their personal care. The children explore resources and develop physical confidence during a sufficient range of organised activities. Staff have a sound understanding of the children’s developmental needs, providing secure support and encouragement. The children have positive learning experiences within a stable and safe environment. The younger children are encouraged to learn new skills using a range of tools and materials. All the children demonstrate a positive attitude towards physical exercise and they enjoy the challenges of an appropriate range of games and activities, such as balancing and climbing, music and movement.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children have access to drinking water throughout the session. The food provided is adequate. Fresh fruit is provided regularly for the children. Staff take account of the individual dietary and cultural needs of all the children. The children engage in food preparation activities and learn about healthy eating. The regular provision of the physical activities and outdoor play contributes to the children’s physical development and general good health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The children enjoy their play and learning in a welcoming environment. The setting provides plenty of space and a range of opportunities to develop new skills. Care is taken to organise the children's playing areas so that they are safe and suitably prepared for various activities. The children are protected from accidents through close staff supervision and a range of appropriate safety procedures. Clear risk assessments are in place to reduce hazards to children. Staff have sound awareness of the need for indoor and outdoor safety, and the children learn about playing safety together. The children use equipment which is appropriate to their ages and level of development. Staff regularly check the condition of all playing items and outdoor equipment. A sound selection of resources is available for all the children to be expressive and imaginative, and to enjoy their activities. Messy-play, art-crafts

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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 materials and assembly items are all featured. The presentation of books and reading resources lacks organisation, however, reducing the children's access to printed material. The children with special needs are safely included, with adaptations made to resources and activities where required. Sufficient security measures are in place to keep the children safe during playing sessions. Clear staff guidance and parental consents contribute to the children’s safety during outings. The children are suitably protected by trained staff, who have clear awareness of child protection procedures and who give consideration to individual children’s welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. The children enjoy playing and learning and benefit from their experiences at the setting. They explore resources, develop confidence and have fun. They are involved in the playing and learning environment and they engage in a sufficient range of appropriate activities. The children experience enough adult-child learning interactions to support their language development and progress to literacy. Their natural expressive desires are encouraged during various playing activities including physical play, music and singing sessions and role-play. The children engage in a variety of sound early learning activities that are organised to relate to their developing needs. They explore numbers, learn how to count and become familiar with shapes and sizes. Staff key-workers work closely with the children to develop their social skills and help them feel part of the group. Staff also

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

plan activities to develop the children's awareness of the wider world and to introduce them to nature. Although the children explore a range of media, materials and creative projects, there is a lack of challenging art and craft activities provided for the older children. The children are encouraged to use a range of assembly materials to represent their ideas. The children are imaginative and create their own games and adapt resources, during free-playing sessions and role-play. The younger children are helped to have new learning experiences through close staff guidance and through the support of other children during small-group activities. They also gain confidence using larger physical playing resources for climbing, jumping and learning how to balance. All the children respond enthusiastically to the opportunities provided to extend their physical development. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. An organised learning

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

programme ensures that the children have a range of experiences that supports their learning in all areas. Sound planning ensures that the children experience enough challenges and have close staff support. Regular observation identifies the children's

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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 learning-stages and key-workers are able to plan the next steps for each child. Staff provide one-to-one and small-group activities, which they present appropriately, to engage the children in specific learning-tasks. Staff are positive in their approach to supporting the children's learning. They use questions appropriately to challenge the children’s thinking and exploration of resources. Some staff members, however, have an inconsistent knowledge of the foundation stage, and opportunities to extend and develop the children's learning across all areas are missed. Staff do give consideration to how children inter-relate within the group, and the funded children's development is sufficiently monitored to help them achieve and make satisfactory progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All the children are welcomed at the setting and encouraged to play co-operatively together. Staff encourage them to help and to share, which fosters their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Staff set clear boundaries for the children and help them learn the effects of their actions on others. Staff give consideration to developing the children’s sense of belonging and involvement in the group. The children respond appropriately to prompts to care for their surroundings, resources and each other. The children have opportunities to learn about themselves and about each other. The setting's learning programme includes a sufficient range of activities to reflect diversity and develop the children's awareness of the wider world. The children learn about their local community through planned activities and regular visitors. They also visit local shops and places of interest.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff have sound relationships with the parents, which contributes to the children’s positive approach to the setting. The information recorded on individual children's achievements is sufficiently organised, and the parents have contact with their children's key-workers. The parents are kept up-to-date with a regular newsletter and are encouraged to be supportive and attend outings. Nursery Education The partnership with parents is satisfactory. Clear information is provided for parents on the children's learning intentions and play-themes. The parents have access to their children's key-workers to discuss progress. Clear written records of individual children's development are in place, and the parents may see them. The parents are supportive of the setting and are encouraged to become involved in the learning programme.

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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 organisation is satisfactory. The children are happy and benefit from the sound organisation of the setting's space and playing environment. Staff are deployed adequately to encourage the children's development and to support individual children's progress. The playing areas are appropriately prepared to encourage expressive and physical activities and to provide a range of learning opportunities for the children. An organised supply of play resources positively supports children in having fun and learning new skills. The children are guided by qualified and experienced staff, who are securely deployed and managed by the person in charge. A training and development plan is in place to develop staff competence, and staff are committed to continuous improvement. All record keeping that contributes to the children’s health, safety and well-being is in

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Organisation

place and clearly maintained. Care is taken to keep records and documentation accessible to staff and parents. Clear policy and guidance material is in place to ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children attending the setting. Nursery Education The leadership and management within the setting is satisfactory. The funded children are positively supported in their learning by a committed staff team that has a steady and developing knowledge of the children's learning stages. The supervisor leads key-workers in planning a suitable programme of activities and learning themes to adequately promote the children's achievement. However, the observation and monitoring of individual children's progress lacks clarity, reducing staff's accuracy in recording individual children's progress. The staff team consults regularly to discuss the effectiveness of the teaching. The team also regularly

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Organisation

evaluates the activities provided and is able to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

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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 record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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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): • develop presentation of books and reading resources to promote children's interest in the printed word • provide more challenging art-craft activities for older children

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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): • improve methods of observing and recording individual children's progress and development • develop staff awareness and ability to extend children's learning across all six learning areas

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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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