All Kids Ltd

All Kids Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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All Kids Ltd

Unique Reference Number EY224991 Inspection date 25 January 2006 Inspector Felicity Gaff

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All Kids Ltd

Setting Address The Old Court House, East Court, College Lane, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 3LS Telephone number 01342 311757

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E-mail

Registered person All Kids 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?

All Kids Ltd offers full day care and is one of two settings run by All Kids Ltd. It opened in 2002 and operates from a self-contained, first floor suite of rooms in East Grinstead. The setting is also to use further accommodation on the ground floor. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area. The nursery is open on five days a week from 08:00 to 18:00 all year round except for bank holidays. A maximum of 46 children aged from 0 to under 8 years may attend the setting at

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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 any one time. This number is increased to 62 children when using the ground floor room. There are currently 84 children on roll. Of these, 16 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. Children are drawn from the surrounding urban and rural areas. The setting employs 20 staff including the proprietors, some of whom work part time. Of these, 9 hold appropriate early years qualifications and 5 are 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 good. Children enjoy a clean and well-maintained environment where staff establish good hygiene procedures, especially for babies, which help prevent cross infection. Children learn good personal hygiene practices such as how and why they need to wash their hands. Staff are sensitive to children's individual needs and imaginatively assess and adapt routines, for example at nap time, to ensure these are well met. Staff safeguard children's welfare by displaying clear notices to remind parents about sickness and medication procedures. Children enjoy nourishing snacks and meals and staff encourage them to try a range of fruit and vegetables. They begin to learn about healthy eating, for example by making and sharing fruit salads. Children have excellent opportunities to benefit from the extensive surrounding open space. Staff ensure that all children go outside every day to use large and small apparatus in their

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Helping children to be healthy

enclosed garden. They also go on walks through the park and woods and play in the nearby public playground. This regular outdoor provision encourages them to adopt healthy lifestyles.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in suitable premises that offer sufficient, flexible accommodation including very good provision for outdoor play. There is a good selection of suitable toys and play equipment which staff check regularly for cleanliness and condition. Staff establish many good procedures to keep children safe. For example, they teach them how to look after themselves when going up and down stairs and when using outdoor play equipment. They establish clear routines to keep children safe on school runs. There is a prompt and effective system for notifying and carrying out ongoing repairs to both premises and equipment. As a result, risks to children are minimised. The proprietors act decisively to deal with unanticipated events. They assess risks, establish emergency contingency plans and keep parents fully informed while minimising disruption to the children. Staff have a

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

clear understanding of child protection issues and share their policies with parents.

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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 Staff are familiar with procedures and the proprietors encourage them to attend training when available which enhances their ability to protect children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Babies are cared for by a minimum number of staff so they build close relationships with key adults. They have access to a suitable range of bright and attractive toys and play materials which are regularly changed to maintain their interest. They develop their confidence and independence as they explore their secure environment. Staff make good arrangements to exchange information with parents to ensure their individual routines are known and followed. They meet the needs of all the babies well as they talk, sing and play with them. Personal care routines are well-organised to ensure individual needs are met and staff use this time as an opportunity for relaxed and enjoyable one-to-one interaction which the babies greatly enjoy. Babies take part in a variety of creative and messy play experiences although staff do not always use these to encourage them to experiment. Children aged between two and four years are cared for in two groups which are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

timetabled to share a small suite of rooms. Staff provide a wide range of stimulating play opportunities over time that support children's physical, social, emotional and intellectual development. Children make excellent use of the extensive outdoor facilities around the year. For example, they find out about the wider world as they break the ice to splash in puddles in the winter and develop their physical skills as they roll down grassy slopes in the summer. Staff organise some exciting first-hand learning opportunities as they take children outside to explore the surrounding area. For example, children enjoy stimulating visits to the ambulance and fire stations. They are fascinated as they learn to handle an interesting collection of visiting birds and animals safely. However, the use of the indoor area is not planned to maximise children's choices, particularly in the provision of creative and messy play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children attending the out of school club are relaxed and confident. They participate in a suitable range of age-appropriate play activities. They establish harmonious relationships with staff and with each other. Staff provide very good opportunities for them to engage in active, physical play out of doors every day. NURSERY EDUCATION The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff plan a suitable variety of themes and topics covering all areas of learning over time. Children listen intently to well-read stories and enthusiastically join in a wide range of songs and number rhymes; they make steady progress at counting and comparing numbers. They enjoy imaginative role play and play contentedly together with small world materials. However, the indifferently organised space restricts children's opportunities to set and solve their own problems, and to explore, experiment and learn from their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

mistakes. Staff record activities under different areas of learning but they plan for what children are to produce rather than to create a learning environment. Many plans have restricted objectives, for example counting the legs on Incey Wincey Spider, and do not identify how activities will be extended to challenge older or more

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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 able children. As a result, staff do not always understand the purpose of the activities they are presenting. For example, they feed vocabulary to children and then record that they say it. Children lack opportunities to develop autonomy and a sense of high self-esteem by actively engaging in a rich variety of first-hand play experiences supporting all areas of learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children learn to respect and value diversity as they celebrate festivals from a variety of cultural traditions. Staff make sure they understand children's individual needs and work closely with parents to ensure they are met. They recognise that some children have special needs and there are appropriate policies and procedures in place to support them in meeting these. They use language sensitively when talking to groups of children so they all feel included. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children learn how to behave because staff work together very well to ensure their expectations and behaviour management techniques are consistent. They provide appropriate role models; for example a staff member asked the pre-school children if the babies could borrow one of their toys and thanked them politely. However, children do not always reflect these social conventions themselves. For example,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

children do not routinely say 'please' and 'thank you' when asking for and accepting assistance with their coats and shoes. Partnership with parents is good. Parents receive clear information about the setting before children attend. Children receive consistent care because parents and key workers exchange information informally on arrival and departure and this is augmented by daily diaries and record sheets. The proprietors use notices and newsletters effectively to remind parents of policies and procedures which protect their children and to keep them fully informed and updated. Staff consult with parents of funded children to ensure the arrangements for Open Day are as accessible as possible; as a result many parents are able to visit the nursery to discuss their children's progress. The parents of younger children are also invited to arrange individual appointments. Staff display up-to-date plans and information on topics so

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Helping children make a positive contribution

that parents are able to share what their children do.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The proprietors have a clear understanding of their responsibilities as providers of day care and as employers. They invest in support services to help them follow good practice as employers in order to ensure staff caring for children are suitable to do so. They monitor the organisation of the provision and implement well-thought through changes to improve the experiences of the children. For instance, they have improved the organisation and content of lunch times to make them more child centred and an enjoyable social occasion. They make good use of staff meetings 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 identify and discuss issues such as behaviour management in order to identify a common and consistent approach. All the required documentation to support children's care and learning is in place and children's personal records are stored appropriately to maintain confidentiality. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The providers lack confidence in their understanding of the Foundation Stage of education and are reluctant to question the suitability of activities. Responsibility for the care and education of the children is delegated to the nursery manager who also undertakes the planning and the organisation of the play areas. Children engage in age-appropriate and sometimes exciting activities. However, they have too few opportunities to select from a wide

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Organisation

range of practical and messy play resources. Plans cover all areas of learning over time but some are not regularly revisited to consolidate children's learning. Assessments of what children do and achieve are not used to inform future plans. As a result plans do not ensure children's learning needs are addressed and they make erratic progress.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last combined inspection the providers agreed to improve arrangements to promote health and hygiene, the availability of information for staff and parents and to develop role play areas. Subsequently, they agreed to review behaviour management practices. These have been generally well addressed. The nursery has improved the promotion of health and hygiene by reviewing and improving the procedures for administering medication; these are clearly displayed throughout the nursery which ensures all parents are fully aware of them. The hygienic disposal of paper towels reduces the risk of cross infection. Child protection procedures are readily available to staff; this supports their ability to keep children safe. Behaviour management issues are addressed effectively by the whole staff team to promote the use of consistent and positive techniques to help children learn how to behave. However, role play areas are not always effectively planned and staff do not plan

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Improvements since the last inspection

how to use them to promote high quality creative play.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since April 2004 Ofsted has received one complaint concerning National Standard 13: Behaviour Management about handling unwanted behaviour. Ofsted investigated and recommended that the nursery review their behaviour management policies and practices. Ofsted is satisfied that the registered person has taken appropriate steps to address the concern and 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 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 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): • improve the organisation of play areas to create a rich learning environment

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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): • plan opportunities for children to choose from a range of open-ended creative and messy play activities that challenge them to explore, experiment and learn from their mistakes

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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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