Farm Friends

Farm Friends Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Farm Friends Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY303577 Inspection date 30 November 2005 Inspector Juliette Jennings

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Farm Friends Day Nursery

Setting Address Home Farm, Condover, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY5 7BT

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E-mail

Registered person Farm Friends Ltd 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Farm Friends Day Nursery is situated in a two storey converted barn which is located in the grounds of a family owned farm on the outskirts of the village of Condover, close to Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The nursery serves Shrewsbury and the surrounding rural areas. There are currently 52 children aged from birth to under 8 years on roll. This includes 4 funded 3 and 4-year-olds. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 08:00 until

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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 18:00 and offers sessional or full day sessions and includes a breakfast club and an after school facility. Children can access a variety of sessions within the opening hours. There are appropriate procedures in place to support children who have special needs or who speak English as an additional language. There are 8 members of staff working with the children, of whom 5 hold suitable childcare qualifications. The registered person and the person in charge are supernumerary. Staff access regular training on early years issues and receive support from the Local Education Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for within an environment which is clean and hygienic. Their health is obviously paramount and this is reflected in the way that all staff are aware of and adhere closely to the thorough policies and procedures in place. Older children develop an appropriate understanding of the importance of hygiene through consistent daily routines, such as regular hand washing. There are thorough procedures in place for recording children's accidents and administration of their medication in line with requirements. Children enjoy a wide range of healthy snacks and meals and this aspect is a particular strength within the setting. They choose from a varied range of fruit and other healthy snacks, for example banana, breadsticks, bread rolls with a choice of ham, cheese, cucumber and tomatoes, or toast. Children have a choice of milk or water throughout the day as a drink at snack and meal times. Special dietary

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Helping children to be healthy

requirements are accommodated and all staff are aware of children's individual likes and dislikes. Staff preparing snacks and meals have completed food hygiene training, thus helping to ensure that the food that children eat is prepared properly. Children's health benefits from a focus on a healthy, balanced diet utilising fresh, locally produced fruit and vegetables, some even originating from the farm itself. Processed food and reformed meats are minimal and staff are careful about not adding ingredients such as salt. An excellent range of healthy, well balanced meals and snacks are available to the children, which are prepared freshly on a daily basis and are relished by the children who eat well, with most visibly enjoying their food. This was particularly evident in the baby room, where children are keen to eat the food on offer, which is freshly prepared to their own individual liking bearing in mind

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Helping children to be healthy

their stage of development. Children's physical development is promoted appropriately. They have access to fresh air and outdoor activity in the garden and farmyard space, which has the benefit of an open countryside aspect. The wider farm environment is used safely so that children can visit the farm animals and become aware of caring for animals in the space around them.

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Helping children to be healthy

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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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy and benefit from a good-sized, homely, relaxed space which is child-orientated and secure. The areas that children use are bright, colourful, stimulating and interesting and they are confident, happy and secure in this space. They have easy access to a good range of toys, resources and equipment which they can reach from mostly low-level storage and within a routine which accommodates a good mixture of free play and structured activities. Children's safety is paramount and there are effective safety procedures in place, in particular detailed written risk assessments, which for the main part work in practice to ensure the space is safe for them to use. There was only one safety issue highlighted at inspection in relation the accessibility of the kitchen. Although children did not access the kitchen at all at the time of the inspection, the kitchen is not

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

inaccessible to children at all times. However, children's safety is monitored at all times and staff are very aware of this, particularly when accessing the farm environment. There are effective systems in place for ensuring that children are secure on the premises, for example, a secure entry system and a password system for collection of children by those other than the person who normally collects a child. Policies and procedures are in place which help to ensure that children's welfare is promoted appropriately. Training is accessed regularly and this helps to ensure that staff are aware of what to do if there is an accident, emergency or a concern about any of the children. There is a thorough child protection procedure available to all staff and training is accessed on a regular basis.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. All children benefit from and enjoy a colourful, stimulating, exciting and interesting environment in which they are happy, content, comfortable and secure. Younger children and babies enjoy age-appropriate activities. The younger babies are cared for in a comfortable and cosy space where they are confident to explore, discover and investigate the world around them. They are supported very well by staff who are caring, display warmth and so obviously enjoy being with them. All children are happy, confident, comfortable and secure in the nursery environment. They obviously enjoy their time at the setting and form good relationships with the staff, who evidently have a commitment to maintaining a learning environment which is fun and exciting. Children aged 2 to 3 years are making good progress. They are confident and secure in the space and this allows them to make independent choices

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

about what they want to do, develop relationships with their peers and adults and enjoy their time in the setting. They enjoy activities such as role play, free paints, chalks, movement games and discovery toys. A planning and assessment system is being developed, with staff here beginning to use the 'Birth to three matters' framework effectively.

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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 Nursery education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are making good progress towards most of the early learning goals, with satisfactory progress in physical development. Children are excited, motivated, interested and keen to explore and investigate. They benefit from continued reinforcement and lots of positive language from staff which helps to keep them interested and motivated in child-initiated activities. Most children behave well, sitting and listening appropriately at group time, listening to stories with attention and interest and responding to questions or requests made by staff. They have plentiful time to develop and sustain their play and the developing ethos of a child-initiated learning environment impacts on this in a very positive way. Knowledge and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

understanding of the world is a strong aspect within the setting. The farmyard environment is used creatively so that children have excellent opportunities to develop, extend and reinforce their understanding of the world around them. In addition, themed activities encourage the children further in this aspect of development and they are given time to explore and investigate. There is very good support from staff in all activities, they spend time with the children and actively engage in their play, help them to progress by asking questions, allow them to be independent and make choices in activities, and give lots of positive praise and encouragement. Children aged 3 and 4 years can carry out tasks, take turns and share with each other. They choose to look at books, are improving their early writing skills in a range of activities and are developing their mathematical concepts such as number recognition, counting and problem solving. In addition, they enjoy creative play,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

utilising resources to develop role play and exploring textures and materials using their senses. Most children have some opportunities to run, walk, manoeuvre around and develop overall coordination through activities such as using balls and hoops, engaging in indoor activities such as stop and start games, using wheeled toys and utilising equipment such as soft play shapes, paint brushes, pencils and puzzles. However, older and more able children have limited opportunities to further develop and extend their balancing, moving, running, pedalling and climbing skills. Planning is efficient, works in practice and shows the general learning focus for 3 and 4-year-olds, relating directly to the early learning goal development areas, although they do not always clearly show differentiation for adult-led activities. A formal assessment system has not yet been developed so it is not clear where children are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in their development, in turn this information is not available to inform future planning. However, staff are very aware on an individual level about what the children are able to do and areas where children need to progress. There is an action plan to address the issue about an assessment system which is ongoing, with staff currently accessing training and seeking support and advice from external agencies. Parents and carers of 3 and 4-year-olds are provided with informal opportunities to discuss their child's development on a daily basis, for example informal access to development records and daily contact with staff. However, there are no formal arrangements in place so that all parents can be clearly informed about their child's progress through the stepping stones. In addition, parents have limited access to

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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 detailed information about the Foundation Stage curriculum. Information about what their child is doing whilst attending the setting is displayed in the main nursery close to where children play in the form of written notes and photographs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's understanding of diversity and the world around them is promoted well through themed activities, trips out in the local environment and resources such as books, dolls, small world people and posters. Their individual needs are suitably accommodated and supported well within the daily routine of the setting by staff who obviously care for and enjoy being with children. Independence is supported and children confidently make decisions about what they want to do, for example deciding to play with role play resources or choosing to explore with paint. There are appropriate procedures in place for supporting children with special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. Children are busy, occupied, keen and interested to learn. They motivate themselves and enjoy the good range of activities which are accessed in free play or are provided by staff. Behaviour is generally good, with children developing sound

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Helping children make a positive contribution

relationships with other children. Staff use good techniques to foster positive behaviour, such as consistent rules and boundaries and good role-modelling techniques. Unwanted behaviour is dealt with in a sympathetic, consistent manner and in a way which children can understand. Children are constantly praised and their efforts are acknowledged, for example through discussion, photographs and displays of their work. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. The partnership with parents and carers, overall, is good. There are appropriate procedures in place to ensure that children are cared for consistently and in accordance with their parent's wishes. This is enhanced by daily verbal feedback to ensure that parents are informed about what their children have been doing whilst attending. For younger children there is a written daily diary, which parents have commented is a valuable resource. There have been some very positive comments

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Helping children make a positive contribution

about the provision from parents who noted the happy, relaxed atmosphere, friendliness and helpfulness of staff and the overall contentment and happiness of their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management, overall, is good. The staff team have a clear overview of the setting as a whole, with regular access to training and ongoing review of policies. In addition, staff know what they need to do to improve the care and education for the children in their care and are currently developing a planning and assessment system for children aged under 3 years and focusing on implementing a sound assessment system within the foundation stage room. This helps to ensure

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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 that the care and education provided for the children is constantly under review and in turn helps to ensure consistency of care for children. Staff work well together as a team, with everyone aware of their roles and responsibilities within the different rooms. This has been highlighted particularly at the time of the inspection where a change to staffing in the foundation stage room did not impact on the provision for the children. There are appropriate procedures in place for ensuring that children are cared for by staff who are appropriately qualified and experienced and have gone through a suitable process for checking that they are suitable to work with children. All documentation is in good order and in line with requirements. Paperwork is stored securely within an office, in a cabinet which is locked, thus ensuring children's

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Organisation

information remains confidential. Children are cared for in line with parent's wishes, with appropriate consents and detailed information obtained from them prior to the children starting at the setting. Policies and procedures are in place and are currently under review to ensure that they continue to work in practice, with some being updated to reflect the good practice within the setting. However, the written lost child procedure is newly implemented and has not yet been disseminated to all staff. Overall the needs of all of the children who attend are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Not applicable as this is the first inspection.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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. There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the since registration.

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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 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):

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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 • make sure that all staff are aware of the procedure in place for what to do in the event of a child being lost from the premises • review the risk assessment to ensure that the kitchen is inaccessible to children at all times

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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): • develop and implement an assessment system which is effective, efficient and enables staff to track children's development through the stepping stones and use this information to inform future planning • increase the opportunities for 3 and 4-year-olds to further develop their physical skills, particularly climbing, balancing, running and moving through, over and under • provide parents with more detailed information about the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage and develop more formal procedures to allow them to know about their child's achievements and progress.

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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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