Kindercare (Hgte) Ltd

Kindercare Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Kindercare Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 319377 Inspection date 06 December 2005 Inspector Helene Anne Terry

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Kindercare Day Nursery

Setting Address The Old School Hall, 85a Lowtown, Pudsey, West Yorkshire, LS28 9AZ Telephone number 2558925

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E-mail

Registered person Kindercare 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 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Kindercare Day Nursery was registered in 1998. It is one of number of nurseries in the area operated by Kindercare Limited. The setting operates from a converted school building in Pudsey near Leeds, West Yorkshire. The nursery serves families in the community and surrounding areas. A maximum of 40 children may attend the nursery at any one time and it is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00. There are fully enclosed outdoor play areas for all the children.

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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 currently 58 children aged 5 months to 4 years on roll. Of these 11 children receive funding for nursery education. There are currently no children attending who speak English as an additional language or who have special educational needs. The nursery currently employs 11 staff. All of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications to level 2 or 3. There are currently 3 students working towards a recognised qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a clean and satisfactorily maintained environment, where most procedures and practices ensure that children's physical, nutritional and health needs are addressed. The staff provide adequate support and guidance to ensure that children develop a good understanding of hygiene, such as encouraging them to wash their hands after toileting and before eating. Children are adequately protected from cross infection through the use of a comprehensive sickness policy, regular washing of toys and equipment and individual wipes on most occasions, except during activities in the playroom when a communal cloth towel is used. This slightly increases the risk of cross infection. On the whole records are effectively maintained to protect children's health. However, staff are not consistently asking parents to sign the accident records when they collect their children and parents do not sign the

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Helping children to be healthy

medication records to confirm that they are aware of when medication was given to their child. A good balanced healthy diet is offered to the children, promoting their health and development. They are offered meals, drinks and snacks regularly throughout the day. Children have free access to drinks, either in cups or water bottles in their playrooms. Meals are prepared in the nursery by the manager and contain fruit and vegetables. Snacks are also healthy, consisting of fruit. Children also enjoy the regular experience of baking and eating their own produce. Menus are displayed for parent's information. Individual dietary needs are fully considered to promote their well-being. Children enjoy a good range of physical activities which contribute to their good health. They have regular access to physical activities both indoors and outdoors, such as the use of balancing equipment, small bikes and bats and balls. Older

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Helping children to be healthy

children practice their climbing skills on the small slide and frame outdoors. This enhances their physical development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in three playrooms within the setting, in differing age groups. This enables staff to provide resources and activities, specific to a particular age

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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 range, enhancing development. Presently, children in the three to four age group move out of their play room to join the younger children over the lunch time period, whilst staff use their playroom for their breaks. This practice limits children's access to the necessary facilities to foster their development and enjoyment. Children move around safely in the adequately organised setting, where most risks are identified and minimised by staff through good practices. However, there are a couple of safety issues that compromise the safety of staff and children. The water in the children's bathroom is very hot and the sky light in the kitchen is cracked, presenting as hazards. Regular risk assessments are done by staff both inside the playroom and on outings to ensure safety. Access to the provision is monitored very

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

well through a bell and an intercom system on the door, protecting children from unknown visitors; also the good procedures in place prevent children from leaving the setting with unknown adults. Staff fully comply with health and safety requirements to keep children safe. Children are also learning well about their own personal safety, as they are reminded throughout the day to be careful when using knives and climbing into boxes. Children use a broad range of good quality, developmentally appropriate resources which foster all areas of their development. Resources are age related within the playrooms; these are very well organised into specific areas of learning and many are stored at child height, encouraging children to make choices and promote their independence skills. Staff have a good understanding of child protection issues through some having attended training, ensuring that children are protected and their well being is

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Staff provide a very good range of activities and play opportunities to foster all areas of children's development. They are currently in the process of developing the Birth to three matters framework to improve children's achievements in the under three's playrooms. Planning and children's assessments are used effectively to extend learning. Children enthusiastically take part in a very good range of sensory and creative experiences, such as baking, painting, collage work, water, sand and malleable materials. This develops their senses as they use their creative skills to make sense of the world around them. Activities and resources in all the playrooms are age specific for children attending and these are all easily accessible ensuring children have free choice, which promotes independence. The daily routine is varied and flexible with times for children to have snacks, meals, activities indoors, outdoors

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and time for rests. Younger children benefit from routines which are consistent with their experiences at home promoting their feelings of security and ensuring continuity of care. The interaction between staff and children is very good, ensuring that warm trusting relationships are developed and that children are happy and settled. Staff spend most of their time playing with the children, giving lots of cuddles, using playful talk

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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 and encouraging them to explore their environment. Staff and babies were observed to imitate one another and staff respond well to babies sounds during play which promotes their communication skills. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning are good. Key staff have good knowledge of the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and of how children learn effectively. They challenge children effectively by using good questioning to encourage the children to think and respond in their own words. Planning for the activities covers the six areas of learning and the stepping stones, on which children are progressing. However, it is not clear how all areas are consistently covered. Children's assessment records contain observations of children's progress along the stepping

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

stones, however, these are not used to inform future planning and they are inconsistently completed. This impacts on staff's ability to plan for individual developmental needs of the children attending. Methods used to engage children in the activities are very good. Staff are patient, they listen to the children, respect their views and create warm caring relationships, which gives children a sense of belonging and boosts self-esteem. Overall the children are making good progress in all areas of learning. A strength of the setting is the children's progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Children are very happy to attend the setting and enter the playroom confidently. They operate very independently within the nursery, seeing to their own personal hygiene and care. Children choose activities from the shelves, help staff tidy activities away and take pleasure in buttering their own toast at breakfast and pouring

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their own drinks. Children have very good manners, they say please and thank-you and are considerate to one another as they share and take turns, for example, on the computer and passing each other the butter to spread on their toast. Children are beginning to make good attachments to others in the group and have friends they like to be with. Children are confident speakers, they question why things happen and what people are doing and confidently state their needs, likes and dislikes. More able children are beginning to develop emergent reading and writing skills as they are linking sounds to letters of the alphabet and use good pencil control to form recognisable letters, including writing their own names. However, children are not using writing as a means of recording and communicating during activities. Children are beginning to develop a good interest in numbers; they count well and more able children are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

beginning to solve simple mathematical calculations. For example, children count how many pieces of toast there are on a plate and if one piece is taken away, some are aware there will be two left. However, the children are not given many opportunities to use simple calculation skills in everyday activities, such as comparing how many children are present therefore, how many places at the table need to set for lunch. Children greatly enjoy looking at the world around them. They examine mini-beasts, using magnifying glasses and observe how snails move. They create, experimenting with technology as they build using construction sets, collage and recycled materials. They also learn how to use simple equipment on the computer as they move the

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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 cursor using the mouse. Children confidently explore a very good range of creative materials, such as paint, malleable materials, collage, sand, and water. They freely access these materials to represent their feelings, thoughts and ideas. Staff effectively support them to extend learning. Children enjoy music as they learn about how to change sounds by playing musical instruments as they hit them with their hands or a stick, and shake them. They confidently take part in imaginative play and re-enact first hand experiences, such as putting the dolls to bed. Children move freely with pleasure and confidence both indoors and outdoors and they are developing their physical skills as they run around, jump, hop and peddle cycles and push scooters.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children's individual needs are effectively met through a variety of means including information received from parents at the gradual induction of the child. Although there are no children with special needs who attend the setting, there are suitable systems in place to support children. Children learn about peoples' differences and similarities through a range of activities and stories, however, there are no resources that positively represent disability in society. This limits children's knowledge and understanding in this area. The staff have a good awareness of positive behaviour management techniques to enhance children's well-being. Children learn to share, take turns and learn about the consequences of their behaviour on others. Lots of praise and encouragement was observed to be offered to children, boosting confidence and self esteem. This fosters their spiritual, moral and social development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the good partnership developed between staff and parents. Children are cared for according to parent's wishes which promotes continuity of care and their well being. There are effective systems in place to ensure information is shared on a regular basis about the child's progress and daily activities. For example, through daily chats with the child's key person, good access to development records and written information on babies' daily routines. Parents are also invited to the nursery to discuss their child's development twice a year. Policies and procedures are available to parents about the setting and a newsletter is used to up date on any changes and forth coming events. For nursery education funded children the staff compile a report which is shared with parents, to promote the two way process in enhancing children's progress. Parents are also actively encouraged to be involved in

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Helping children make a positive contribution

their child's learning by bringing in items related to themes being followed.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. On the whole space and deployment of staff are used appropriately to meet the needs of the children. However, over the lunch time period, in the eighteen months to

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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 three years rooms, staffing levels fall below the required number of adults working directly with the children. This is due to staff breaks and domestic duties. This impacts on the individual attention being available for children. There are good policies and procedures in place to ensure that staff are suitable to care for children. The nursery manager holds a relevant level 3 qualification in early years and the majority of all other staff hold suitable qualifications and have relevant experience. Most of those not qualified are training to become so. Leadership and management within the setting are satisfactory. Staff are supported well through a good appraisal system and training programme. Monitoring and evaluating systems for nursery education are limiting, which impacts on managements ability to identify areas that

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Organisation

need improving. Management are committed to making improvements and seek support from the local authority. Therefore, overall the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The previous care inspection recommended that the setting improve their systems for organising and up dating records and documentation, extend resources representing positive images of diversity, improve organisation of time and space, and have drinks readily accessible for children. The nursery education inspection recommended more opportunities for children to practice their large physical development and encouraging children to understand what happens to their bodies during physical exercise. They were also asked to consider the organisation of resources to enable children to freely access materials. Satisfactory improvements have been made. All necessary documentation is kept confidentially on site and updated as required. However, medication records require additional information. Staff recruitment procedures ensure that all staff are thoroughly vetted to protect children. Some resources have been obtained that

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Improvements since the last inspection

positively represent images of different cultures, however, there are no resources reflecting positive images of disability to enable children to fully understand people's differences and similarities. Children now have regular access to drinks throughout the day and pre-lunch activities are more stimulating to enhance children's interests. Space and resources are satisfactorily organised to enable children to have free access to a variety of resources to encourage learning. They also now have greater opportunities to practice their physical skills owing to the newly developed outdoor play areas. Staff help the children to understand what is happening to their bodies as they play physically.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted 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.

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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

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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 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): • ensure that children have a hygiene method of drying themselves within the playrooms to prevent cross infection • ensure that parents always sign the accident book and medication records after each entry • ensure that the hot water in the children's bathroom does not get too hot to pose a hazard to children • ensure that the glass in the sky light in the kitchen does not present as a hazard • ensure that staff use the designated areas for breaks, as agreed on the transitional inspection. Away from the children's playrooms • obtain resources that represent positive images of disability in society • ensure that adult child ratios are maintained at all times throughout the day including providing enough staff to work directly with the children. Consideration should be given to providing staff to undertake domestic tasks.

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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): • ensure that planning consistently covers all six areas of learning and that children's assessment records are used to inform future planning • ensure that all areas of children's development records are consistently completed • provide more opportunities for children to use simple calculation skills during everyday activities and use mark making and writing skills as a means of recording and communicating • develop systems for monitoring and evaluating the nursery education

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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 provided.

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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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