Treetops Silvertrees

Silver Trees PDN

Inspection report for early years provision

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Silver Trees PDN

Unique Reference Number EY282326 Inspection date 05 January 2006 Inspector Michelle Smith

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Silver Trees PDN

Setting Address 40 Ashbourne Road, Derby, Derbyshire, DE22 3AD

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E-mail

Registered person Treetops Nurseries Limited 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?

Silver Trees Private Day nursery opened in 2004. It is part of the Treetops chain of nurseries. It operates from four rooms in a converted house close to Derby City centre. There is a fully enclosed area for outdoor play. Silver Trees serves the local community and parents commuting into Derby. It is registered to provide care for 80 children under 8 years. There are currently 99 children on roll. This includes 13 children who receive nursery education funding.

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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 Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group opens 5 days a week all year round. Sessions are from 07.30 until 18.00. There are 10 staff members who work with the children. The person in charge is supernumerary. Over half the staff have early years qualifications. The setting receives support from Derbyshire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are beginning to understand and follow simple hygiene routines, such as hand washing after toileting. Although staff reinforce these routines for the majority of the time, children are not always monitored to ensure they wash their hands well before meal times. As a result some children eat their dinners with dirty hands which increase the risk of cross-contamination. Hands of children aged one to two years are cleaned using baby wipes. However, they are not encouraged to have a go at cleaning their own hands. This reduces their independence in personal hygiene. Staff are responsible for the cleaning of the bathrooms. This is effective most of the time through the use of a cleaning schedule. A large majority of staff are first aid trained. Two staff members are appointed to take the lead in first aid situations. Consent is in place for the seeking of any medical

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Helping children to be healthy

treatment or advice for each child and a clear sick child policy is in place. As a result, staff are able to react in the best interests of children in an emergency situation. Children are well nourished. A qualified cook prepares fresh food which they enjoy. Meals are pre-planned and include fruit and vegetables. Babies are fed according to their developing routines, they are offered the opportunity to eat nursery food or parents can supply their own food. The staff work well to ensure their dietary needs are met including catering for any specific diets. Children are given regular drinks. Younger children have their own allocated drinks cups and older children are able to self-pour additional drink as required. This helps to ensure children are well-hydrated. A well-planned outdoor environment provides children with regular access to fresh air and exercise. Children run, jump, climb and crawl using many outdoor toys. They

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Helping children to be healthy

enjoy splashing in puddles wearing their Wellington boots. Staff extend children's learning outdoors well, for example they take boats outside to float in the puddles and have fixed chalk boards for creative play. Each child is able to rest according to their needs. Babies individual sleep routines are respected whilst older children sleep if required.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in an environment where risks are identified by the staff

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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 through risk assessments and daily check lists. However, a clear timescale of improvement to existing hazards is not in place. A partition door between two rooms downstairs is in a bad state of repair and a leak to the roof of the dining room has no set timescale for repair. A low-level area of exposed plasterwork in the relaxation room is easily accessible to children. As a result, their overall safety is compromised. Children are aware of how to escape in an emergency situation. Staff have a good and consistent understanding of fire escape with drills being regularly practised and recorded. The location of the fire is changed for different drills to increase staff understanding of practical fire escape. Effective procedures are in place to keep children safe on outings, for example they

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

wear nursery labels with a contact telephone number on. They are learning how to keep themselves safe, for example through a 'beep beep' theme day about road safety. Role play and walking wearing high visibility jackets are amongst the activities that reinforce children's learning. The setting work actively to ensure children are protected from risk of abuse. They have comprehensive vetting procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children, for example all staff are police cleared and sign self-declaration health forms. Staff are consistent in their approach to child protection. They are aware of the signs of abuse and appropriate procedures to follow. A password system ensures children are collected only by authorised persons.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Staff implement 'Birth to three matters' well for younger children. There is a varied range of resources offered each day with a strong focus on the progression of individual children's learning. Through careful planning the key person system ensures children have easy access to age and stage appropriate activities. The baby room provides children with a full range of sensory experiences which encourage them to explore and investigate a wide range of materials. Activities are at a suitable height for them to self-initiate their play, for example they experiment with shredded paper at floor level enabling them build on their natural curiosity. Staff sit with the babies as they play. They talk and listen making good use of facial gestures. This helps babies to develop their early communication skills and build a sense of trust. Children aged one to three years are developing personal independence. They are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

able to choose what they would like to play with from a range of pre-set activities, for example water play and books. Children enjoy large physical play. They play both indoors and out, for example one year olds use an indoor plastic climbing toy to develop their balance and coordination. Staff interact well with children as they play, for example they role model the use of scissors as they sit, talk and cut with them. This builds strong relationships and provides good support for the progression of new skills.

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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 sound progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have adequate knowledge of the Foundation Stage. Although the monitoring of the nursery education programme is not rigorous enough, staff are committed to improving the quality of the service provided. The weekly plans identify learning intentions for specific activities, for example making jelly to develop children's awareness of change. However, not all areas of learning are covered. There are gaps within personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. As a result, children's all-round development is not fully promoted. Staff use a satisfactory range of methods to simulate children's interest. The majority

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of activities enable children to take decisions and make choices within their play, for example they can choose if they would like to play on the computer. A reasonable balance of small and large group activities are provided. Children enjoy playing in their self-selected small groups for role play and 'play doh'. Children frequently come together in large groups, for example for story time and outside play. The large group indoor activities are not always well-organised and as a result children loose their concentration easily, older children are not sufficiently challenged and the learning intention is not achieved. Children's behaviour is managed satisfactorily for most of the time. However, staff do not always develop children's sense of right and wrong through explaining to children why their behaviour is not appropriate. Children show interest in the free choice activities. They play together with

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

enthusiasm as they pour water and share musical instruments, building strong relationships with their peers. Children show good concentration within some activities, such as completing pieces of work at the 'doing table'. They are confident to follow through their own ideas, such as cooking and serving food in the home corner. Their personal independence is developing well for most of the time through routine activities, for example putting on their own coats to go outdoors. Children speak clearly and are keen to ask questions. They organise their speech well, for example explaining the order in which they get dressed. More able children can make up stories for their play, for example establishing an imaginative pirate story. All children show an adequate interest in books, mainly sitting to read at set times of the day. They enjoy writing for many purposes for example, writing their name to label their picture.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children count readily as they play, for example they count the candles on a birthday cake. More able children are beginning to understand numbers. They can confidently count four glue sticks by saying one number for each item. However, their problem solving and calculation skills are not progressing well. Although some children are able to recognise some numerals, there are very few of them in the environment to develop this learning further or challenge more able children. They show an interest in shape and measure, for example they pour their own drinks developing their understanding of capacity. Children investigate a wide range of objects which encourages them to develop the use of their senses. They drive cars through foam, noting tracks and patterns and they make tracks. Children are developing an awareness of their community and 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 environment through project days, such as the 'beep beep' day. However, their awareness of other cultures and beliefs is limited as planning and activities do not effectively encourage children to broaden their horizons. They are confident in the use of information and communication technology. They operate a mouse and key board with skill and play with programmable toys. Good use of the outdoor area helps children to develop all of their physical skills well. They run and jump with confidence. They use one handed tools competently, for example scissors and show good pencil control as they colour. Children enjoy expressing their creative side. They explore sounds as they play musical instruments freely and sing with enthusiasm, for example television programme theme tunes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use their imagination well as they play in the home corner and as they create story lines. An easily accessible 'doing table' helps children to develop free expression with some art materials, for example pencils and glue.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit from well-formed relationships with their peers and the staff. They play well together, such as effectively sharing instruments as they role play live band music. Staff know the children well, babies care patterns are respected to mirror their individual home routine and provide consistency of care. As children flow though the nursery they begin to follow the nursery routine including meals and sleeping. Staff recognise children's individual needs through a key person system, written information, such as dietary needs and through talking with parents. As a result most children's needs are met. Children behave well for the majority of the time. They are learning to share, take turns and use their manners throughout activities. Staff do praise children for their achievements, although not consistently. Behaviour is sometimes managed in a way that tells children what not to do, for example 'don't put you spoon there' rather than

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Helping children make a positive contribution

taking the time to explain to children why their behaviour is unacceptable. As a result children are doing what they are told rather than learning to become self-disciplined. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered as they learn about the needs of others through, for example stories and role play. All children benefit from the positive partnership staff have developed with parents. Staff work hard to make good use of a wide range of methods to help parents to understand how the nursery operates. Parents evening is held twice a year and provides them with a more formal opportunity to review their child's progression. Newsletters are produced throughout the year and include staff news, special events and evaluations of recent themes such as 'spooky day'. This results in smooth communication between parents and staff, providing staff with a fuller understanding of children's needs. The partnership with parents of children who receive funded

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Helping children make a positive contribution

nursery education is satisfactory. Staff discuss the activity plans and display some written information to inform parents about the Foundation Stage for learning. However, parents are not able to see the written plans easily and this reduces their ability to extend their child's learning at home.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from a familiar routine of the day. The large majority of children are content and confident. A key person system is in place and works adequately for most of the time. However, it is not always used effectively to settle new children. As a result, they take longer to settle and change carers often. Space is well-organised to enable children to play in an age and stage appropriate environment. Staff deployment is good for the majority of the time. They spend most of their time working directly with the children, responding directly to their care and learning needs. However, during lunch time staff and space are less well-organised. Children sometimes sit for long periods of time waiting for their dinners without staff interaction. As a result, they become restless, lose concentration and do not have the opportunity to develop their communication through meal time conversations.

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Organisation

There is effective recruitment and induction procedures which ensure staff are suitable to work with children. A good level of qualified staff are employed. Staff have attended a broad selection of training courses, which helps to widen children's experiences. Documents are organised effectively which aids the smooth running of the nursery and helps to safeguard children's welfare. The leadership and management of the nursery are satisfactory. A clear management structure is in place. Some staff accept extra responsibilities, for example the role of special needs coordinator to share their expertise. All staff have adequate awareness of their roles and responsibilities through such events as staff meetings and appraisal systems. Monitoring of the education programme takes place, however it has not been comprehensive enough to identify where improvements are needed. As a result, there are gaps in some areas of children's

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Organisation

learning. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend.

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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 the 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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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 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): • ensure that identified risks to health and safety are minimised and comply with health and safety regulations • ensure staff manage children's behaviour in a way that promotes their welfare and development • improve the deployment of staff and the organisation of the meal time routines and ensure the key person system fully supports the well-being of all children • ensure good hygiene routines are practised consistently.

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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 the planning of the nursery education programme is effectively monitored to ensure all areas of the Foundation Stage are covered • make effective use of large group and routine times of the day to challenge all children's thinking • ensure that parents are well informed of the educational programme.

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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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