Dysart Nursery

Dysart Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Dysart Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY217738 Inspection date 05 December 2005 Inspector Clare Moore

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Dysart Nursery

Setting Address 1 Dysart Avenue, Cosham, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 2LY

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E-mail

Registered person Samia Nasr Mcminn 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?

Dysart Day Nursery opened in 2002. It is privately owned and managed. It operates from detached premises which are situated in the Cosham area of Portsmouth. The Nursery has sole use of a main playroom, conservatory, bathroom facilities and a fully enclosed out door play area. Dysart Nursery is open Monday to Friday all year round with the exception of Bank Holidays. Opening hours are 07:30 to 18:00. Pre-school sessions are from 09:00 to

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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 11:30 and 12:30 to 15:00. There are currently 22 children under 5 years of age on roll, of these 9 receive funding for nursery education. The Nursery welcomes children who have special needs and also children who speak English as an additional language. There are 6 staff who work with the children and all hold appropriate early years qualifications. The Nursery is supported by the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children’s health is very effectively promoted. They are served with toast or fruit and vegetables at snack times and offered water and milk to drink. They bring a packed lunch which is stored and reheated according to guidelines. Older babies are encouraged to develop skills and become independent at meal times through feeding themselves and being supported and encouraged by staff. Specific needs of children such as allergies and sensitivities are carefully recorded and very good systems are in place to ensure their needs are met. Children rest and sleep according to their needs. Those that need reassurance are sympathetically supported and soon respond to skilled efforts to calm them. Children enjoy fresh air, exercise and physical play in the garden with a variety of activities which gives them opportunities to climb, slide, balance, throw, kick and catch balls, use ride on toys and play games. This helps children to develop physical

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Helping children to be healthy

skills and to keep fit and active. Children understand that they need to wear coats and hats to keep them warm when the weather is cold. Children develop small muscle skills through for example pouring drinks, using a computer mouse, threading beads, using a stapler and a variety of tools to manipulate malleable materials. Children are cared for in a comfortable clean environment and older children learn about the need for good personal hygiene. Children’s toys and equipment are clean and well maintained. Children become independent by managing their toilet needs and washing their hands as soon as they are able to with sensitive support from staff. Environmental and hygiene guidelines, policies and procedures are promoted. An effective sickness policy helps to prevent the spread of illness and cross infection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Risks to children are minimised effectively because the setting has a high level of security. Risk assessments are carried out regularly both indoors and outside and all medicines and cleaning materials are stored safely. Children know about fire safety

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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 procedures and they are practised regularly. Well stocked first aid kits are readily available and staff are qualified in first aid so that action can be taken to treat children in the event of an emergency. Children are carefully supervised during the time they spend in the care of the nursery. Babies are checked regularly when they have sleeps and older children learn to become aware of safety issues such as walking rather than running indoors which helps to prevent injury to themselves and others. Children also learn road traffic awareness as they cross the road on outings with staff. Staff have a secure understanding of child protection procedures which helps to ensure that children's needs are met.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are relaxed and happy at the nursery due to carefully considered settling in procedures and attention to individual needs. Children are confident and demonstrate a sense of belonging as they arrive, exchange greetings with staff, hang up their coats and choose something to play with. Children spend their time purposefully in a variety of ways which helps them to enjoy their time at the nursery and maintain interest. They are sometimes active, sometimes restful, enjoy books, games, music and benefit from very good resources and a wide range of accessible toys and equipment. They have frequent opportunities to enjoy sensory experiences. Older babies and two to three year olds explore sound and texture with toys such as shakers, activity centres and natural materials. All children are supported in developing language skills because staff talk, listen and read to them. They enjoy songs, rhymes, books and stories.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children of different ages and siblings have frequent opportunities to interact when they have time outside together, or meet in the main room. This creates an environment where older children can help younger ones, for example opening a drawer for them so they can put away their work safely. This encourages children to consider the needs of others. The setting makes good use of the Birth to three matters framework as a reference, to make plans and to record development. Observations and records about progress are written by staff and shared with parents ensuring continuity of care for the children. Nursery Education: The quality of the teaching and learning is good. Children between three and four years are making sound progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a working knowledge of the Foundation Stage of learning. They provide a broad range of activities and experiences and offer frequent praise and encouragement. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

enjoy their activities and can access many of the resources available to them. They use their imagination when they explore paint, glue, glitter and different sorts of paper, play with small worlds and move to music. They sometimes use the role play

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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 area. They enjoy rhymes, for example “Heads, shoulders, knees and toes,” and join in enthusiastically. They join in games, count in practical activities, engage in conversation and listen to stories which helps them to practise number and language skills. Staff meet together to pool their ideas to draw up activity plans. Children are motivated and interested in what they do, for example they build vehicles and add trailers to carry animals. They are absorbed in imaginative play when they use glitter, brightly coloured glue, sequins and variety of paper to make Christmas decorations. They enjoy painting, cooking and exploring malleable materials. Children are confident speakers and listeners. They practise and develop skills as they take part in conversations with staff and other children sometimes in pairs,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

sometimes in groups. Their vocabulary is extended through talking about recent events and when they come across new words in stories. Children learn about number through rhymes, games and practical activities such as counting how many children are present. They also use counting and sorting resources and dominoes to compare numbers and do simple calculations. They explore space and shape as they wriggle through tunnels, build with large blocks and explore small worlds with a house, furniture and figures and a garage. They practise reading and writing skills when they work with the letter of the week, identify their labelled drawers and post name up on the board with appropriate help for younger children. They make marks, draw, share books and stories and sometimes label their work. Written assessments and records show children’s achievements and these are clearly linked to the areas of learning. Children build on what they already know and records clearly show the progress that

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

they make. Children are able to make use of the outdoor environment by spending time in the garden where they play on wheeled toys and engage in a variety of purposeful activities such as growing plants and exploring mini-beasts.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children behave very well, they enjoy playing together and older children develop a sense of responsibility by helping to tidy away before meal times. Younger children are supported with sharing and taking turns which helps them to work harmoniously with others. Children and staff use discussion at line time to consider rules and the reasons for them which gives children understanding and helps them consider the needs of others. Children develop a positive attitude to difference when they explore their different families, homes and celebrate festivals in topics. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are valued as individuals and are often independent in selecting their own

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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 resources from those set out and in accessible storage. They make choices about what they would like to do within the space available to them. Children are happy and settled in the homely environment. They play together well, enjoy each others company and are at ease with the staff. Children with special needs are welcomed and can be effectively supported as staff are qualified in this area. Staff have also established links with other agencies for support and further expertise. The partnership with parents is good. Parents are warmly welcomed into the setting to help settle children and provide information about home routines, allergies, likes and dislikes. This is used to help children to feel comfortable, at ease and minimise disruption to routines. Parents are given opportunities to contribute to children’s records and offered

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Helping children make a positive contribution

suggestions which help them to take an active role in their children’s learning. They are given comprehensive information about how the setting runs, newsletters, separate information about each stage as their child moves through the nursery to different groups, daily record sheets about activities, diet and their child’s day. This helps to ensure continuity for children between the setting and the home. Parents have access to the settings policies on request but do not often exercise this.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The provision meets the range of needs of the children who attend. Space and resources are well organised with a different base room for younger and older children. Areas are used for different activities for example sand and water play, role play, comfortable book areas and storage which is mostly child accessible to maximise opportunities available to children. Policies and procedures are clearly set out, shared with all staff and made available to parents which contributes to children’s well being in the nursery. All the required documentation is in place and there are effective recruitment, induction procedures and training for new staff. Staff are clear about their responsibilities through written job descriptions and effective support. They are encouraged to share their ideas and take an active role in their development. There are measures to cover contingencies if staff are away so that ratios are maintained. Children can be treated in the event of

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Organisation

an emergency because permissions have been obtained from parents to cover medical treatment or advice. The leadership and management are good. The management and staff teams work together and are committed to continuing to develop, reflect upon and improve education and care through training, working with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and local schools. Children’s progress through the stepping stones is clearly recorded and the information is used to inform future planning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last Inspection the nursery was asked to improve the grouping of the children

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Improvements 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 at story time and develop the activities and resources for younger and pre-school children. Story time is now more flexible, the groups are smaller and usually according to the ages of the children. This helps children to concentrate, become more involved and enjoy the story. A wide variety of resources and activities is now available for all children which gives them more opportunities to explore and make progress in their development. They were also asked to improve security and have since altered the entrance and fitted a keypad.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection Ofsted has received a complaint relating to National Standard 6- Safety. An inspector visited and an action was set to make the garden safe and ensure all equipment used by babies is suitable and safe. A further action was set to carry out a daily risk assessment on the premises, both indoors and out, identifying actions to be taken to minimise identified risks. An inspector visited again and it was demonstrated that appropriate action had been taken. A further complaint was received in April 2005 regarding allegations relating to Standard 11- Behaviour management and Standard 1 Suitable Person. The nursery voluntarily suspended operating during the investigation which was carried out by Ofsted. The provision remains qualified for 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

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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): • develop information sharing with parents to make the policies and procedures

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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 more accessible to them

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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 further opportunities for children to use their imagination in role play situations.

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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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