Kindercare

Kindercare Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Kindercare Ltd

Unique Reference Number EY300452 Inspection date 12 January 2006 Inspector Abigail Caroline Cunningham / Margaret Shelborn

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Kindercare Ltd

Setting Address Kindercare, Kearsley Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 2RN

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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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?

Kindercare is one of seven nurseries run by Kindercare Ltd. It opened in 2005 and is situated in the former university campus, in Ripon. The nursery operates from 10 rooms in a purpose-built building. A maximum of 124 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.30 for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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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 70 children aged from 5 months to under 7 years on roll. Of these 13 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the surrounding areas. The nursery employs 14 staff. Nine of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. Three staff are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. All staff are fully aware of individual dietary requirements and preferences which are discussed in full with parents. The children receive a good range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. Children sample foods associated with other countries to increase their knowledge of the wider world, for example, chicken curry and sweet and sour chicken. Drinks are offered to children at set times during the day. Satisfactory arrangements are in place for administering first aid and medication. Most of the staff hold a current first aid certificate and there are fully stocked first aid kits available. Written policies regarding sickness, accidents and administration of medicines are initially shared with all parents. There are very limited opportunities for babies to make sense of and respond to what they see, hear, smell and feel. This is because opportunities to enjoy sensory

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Helping children to be healthy

experiences, such as sand, water play, finger paint, glue and natural materials are insufficient. Babies' emotional needs are mostly met as they receive plenty of individual attention and cuddles, however, practitioners do not effectively recognise that changes of staff temporarily affect their confidence. The children have daily opportunities for fresh air and outdoor play, such as, going out for walks in the local community and accessing the outdoor play area. They are able to use a satisfactory range of small and large apparatus with confidence, control and co-ordination, for example, ring games and the parachute. Children effectively show awareness of space, themselves and others and are beginning to recognise the importance of keeping healthy. The children handle tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Children benefit from a satisfactory range of safety measures, for example, through the use of socket covers, safety gates and a secure outdoor play area. They develop an awareness of safety through regularly practising emergency evacuations. The children are supervised at all times, are unable to leave the premises unattended and are never left alone with persons who have not been vetted. The system for managing access to the premises is good and unauthorised persons are unable to gain entry and there is a record of visitors.

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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 have a satisfactory knowledge of child protection procedures and they are aware of their responsibilities towards the children in their care. All staff have received some child protection training, however, staff induction training, does not cover the implementation of the setting's child protection procedure. The premises are clean and welcoming and there is good evidence of children’s play and activity. Parents and children are warmly welcomed on arrival and the children’s work is displayed attractively on the walls. The under floor heating is not working and the children's play rooms are being maintained at an inadequate temperature, resulting in the children's hands being very cold. Toys and resources are in good condition and are regularly checked and cleaned.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is a satisfactory range of activities available for 2 to 5-year-olds. However, there is a limited range of activities available for babies, young children and children from 5 to under 8 years.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is inadequate. Activities are generally well organised. The 2 to 5-year-olds are involved in a satisfactory range of activities both inside and outside, such as, messy play, role play, creative and outside activities. However, children under 2 years have very limited opportunities to be involved in messy, creative and imaginative play and to learn through using their senses. Staff working with the younger children lack confidence in planning a suitable range of activities for this age group. There is also a limited range of activities, which particularly interest older children from 5 to 8 years, for example, this age range are mostly accessing the pre-school activities. Children relate and play well with their peers and the children are mostly happy and settled. The staff balance their time carefully to allow children to play and learn independently as well as giving time to support and encourage. The staff are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

interested in the children and value what they say and do, they respond enthusiastically giving praise and encouragement. Children engage in activities and sustain interest in them for short periods of time and are interested in their surroundings, for example, a baby pulled self up to the window, to look outside. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teaching is appropriate for all groups of children. Practitioners understand the children’s needs and provide a satisfactory range of activities and experiences. The main member of staff working directly with the funded children has a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage, has a reasonable range of teaching methods and an adequate understanding of how young children learn and progress. However some of the other staff who are working with the funded children are not fully involved in planning the curriculum and have not

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

attended any Foundation Stage training. Assessment records clearly show the children's approach to learning and their achievements and progress, however, these do not identify what needs to be included in planning for children's individual next steps in learning and not all the funded children currently have an assessment

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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 record. The activities and experiences satisfactorily cover all areas of learning and mostly meet the needs of individual children. Practitioners generally manage children and their behaviour appropriately. They provide a secure environment which reflects the background of the children. They make satisfactory use of their time and resources to support children’s learning. All children separate from their main carer with confidence. They seek out others to share experiences. Most children talk freely about their home and community. The children are generally well behaved, they share, are co-operative at tidy up time, they can maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly when appropriate. The children use talk to connect ideas and anticipate what might happen next, for

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

example, during story time. They listen to others in small groups when the conversation interests' them. The children have satisfactory opportunities to link sounds to letters, and can name and sound out letters of the alphabet. Children enjoy writing for a variety of purposes, such as, making cards. More able children can write their own name, they are using talk in imaginary situations and they know how to use books. Some children understand that print carries meaning and are able to read their own and other's names. The children are developing satisfactory counting skills and enjoy participating in counting songs and rhymes. They can name and match colours and many can recognise and name numerals from one to six. Children are beginning to show an interest in number problems, for example, while playing dominoes. They can use language to compare size and shape and use vocabulary correctly, such as, triangle,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

circle, square, big and little. Children understand and use positional language such as up, down, in, out and under. Children independently investigate living things and objects and learn to identify their features, for example, helping to care for the nursery Guinea Pigs. They remember significant events, which have happened to them and are given opportunities to discuss past and present events in their lives, such as, playing in the park during the summer. The children are beginning to know about their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people. They know how to operate simple everyday technology, for example, a computer programme and a mouse. All the children are able to express preferences. They show an interest in what they see, feel, smell, hear and touch, such as, ice cubes and play dough. Children use available resources to create props to support their role play, for example, sparkly

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

material. They are able to confidently sing simple songs and rhymes from memory and enjoy participating in ring games. Overall, the children make sound progress towards the early learning goals given their capability and starting points.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents have trusting and friendly relationships with the staff who make themselves available for daily discussions and are friendly and welcoming to children, parents and visitors. Staff working with the

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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 babies and young children use a variety of ways to inform parents of their care and development, such as, development records and daily slips. The parents receive some information about the educational provision through regular newsletters and the parents notice board, however, information regarding the foundation stage curriculum is not made clear. Parents do have opportunities to share what they know about their child through regular discussions with staff, however, the parents are not fully involved in their child's learning, for example, the children's assessment records are currently inaccessible to parents and they are unable to add their own comments or observations to these. There are satisfactory systems in place to support children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The children

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Helping children make a positive contribution

develop a positive attitude to others and develop an adequate understanding about the wider world and community through celebrating festivals and having access to a satisfactory range of resources which show positive images of culture, ethnicity and gender. However, the resources that reflect disability are limited. Staff create a suitable atmosphere where children develop satisfactory attitudes and dispositions to learning. All children separate from their main carer with confidence, talk about their home and community and show care and concern for themselves and others, for example, a three-year-old helps another child put their cardigan on. Children demonstrate pride in their achievements, they are able to select resources independently and can manage their own personal hygiene. However, opportunities for more able children to increase their independence are insufficient. Most staff have a consistent approach to managing children’s behaviour, which is

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Helping children make a positive contribution

reflected in the setting's behaviour policy. As a result, behaviour is good enough to enable learning to take place as the children are generally well behaved, for example, they share, take turns and are co-operate at tidy up time. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The staff team are committed to improving care and education and have regular opportunities for staff development, such as, attending training. The staff regularly work with an under threes' advisor and an advisory teacher from the local authority to improve their practice. Not all staff working with the funded children are fully involved in planning and completing the children's assessment records. The environment is generally well organised, however, ineffective action was taken to improve the situation regarding the nursery heating not working, resulting in, the children being cared for in rooms of an inadequate temperature. The staff know their roles and responsibilities and are able to implement routines. All supervisors hold a level three qualification suitable for the post and all staff receive induction training

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Organisation

during the first week of employment, however, this does not include the implementation of the setting's child protection and special educational needs

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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 procedures. Some arrangements for staffing increase the number of carers for the babies and young children, for example, familiar staff are taken out of the baby room to pick up older children from school and unfamiliar staff provide cover in the room. As a result, the babies become unsettled and cry. All the required documentation is in place, is easily accessible and stored securely, such as, emergency contact and registration details. A satisfactory system is in place to record the staff and children’s daily attendance and this is accurate and up to date. Overall, the organisation of care does not meet the needs of all the children who attend and this compromises the children's emotional well-being.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaint 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

The quality and standards of the care are inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure arrangements for staffing minimise the number of carers for children under 2 years • improve the staff’s knowledge and understanding of the needs of children under 3, for example, by using the Birth to three framework • plan a suitable range of activities for children, which are appropriate for their

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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 stage of development and based on their individual needs, for example, babies, young children and children from 5 to under 8 years • provide a suitable range of equipment to meet the developmental needs of babies, young children and children from 5 to under 8 years • ensure that all the children's play rooms are maintained at an adequate temperature. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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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): • improve the staff’s knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum • ensure all funded children have an assessment record and identify individual plans for the next steps in learning • provide opportunities for more able children to increase their independence, for example, snack time • strengthen partnership with parents, provide parents with clear information about the foundation stage and opportunities to be involved in their child's learning.

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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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