Handsworth Day Care CentreOfsted inspection, 6 Jul 2006

Handsworth Day Care Centre

Inspection report for early years provision

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Handsworth Day Care Centre

Unique Reference Number 229031 Inspection date 06 July 2006 Inspector Kashma Patel

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Handsworth Day Care Centre

Setting Address 34 St. Peters Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B20 3RR Telephone number 0121 523 7578 or 0121 515 3662

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E-mail

Registered person Handsworth Day Care Centre Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School 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?

Handsworth Day Care Centre Nursery and Out Of School Club has been registered 1971. The nursery is a two storey building, children have access to both floors and fully enclosed out door play area. The out of school club have use of an adjoining building. The nursery consists of three playrooms and the club consists of four playrooms. There are currently 25 children on roll of which eight are grant funded. The nursery is

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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 open between 07.30 to 18.00 and the out of school club between 07.30 to 08.30 and 15.30 to 18.00. The nursery and out of school welcome children from all backgrounds and is open to the local community. The nursery supports children with Special Educational Needs and children who speak English as a second language. There are 12 staff of whom 10 hold a relevant Child Care qualification. There are eight staff who are able to speak the community language Urdu and Punjabi. The setting receives input from a support teacher from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn about good health and hygiene through consistent routines, for example, children are aware why they wash hands before food and commented that they washed hands because they were dirty. There are good procedures in place to minimise the possible spread of infections, including anti-bacterial spray being used to clean tables before meals and snacks. Children are also learning about hygiene and look forward for their turn to clean the tables. The outdoor play area and some large equipment were not clean on the day of inspection and this compromises children's health. Children participate in a variety of physical activities and exercise during the day, which contributes to their good health. They have access to a well equipped outdoor area, which was set out with a good range of activities to promote learning in all areas. They are able to develop control of their bodies by riding on wheeled toys and

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Helping children to be healthy

using the climbing frame. They are developing fine motor skills through the use of a variety of tools such as scissors, rulers, and crayons. Children's good health and well-being is promoted in the nursery. Staff are aware of and respect children's individual dietary requirements. Meals are freshly prepared on site with high regard given to the nutritional value of the food and the use of fresh ingredients. Children are able to freely access water from the fountain. They also have free access to fruit and a child was observed choosing a piece of fruit to take home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a welcoming and safe environment. Staff take action to minimise potential risks. For example, children are safe as they play outside because staff undertake a check of the area before they go outside. Also some smoke alarms required a battery change and this impacts on children's safety in the event of a fire. Visitors to the building are also monitored through the buzzer entry system. Children move safely and with confidence around the nursery. They were observed playing outside and returning inside to collect equipment of their choice, good

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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 supervision allows children to move freely between the play areas. Children have access to a range of toys and equipment which is age and stage appropriate and meets safety standards. They are encouraged to tidy away toys before getting more out, this ensures they have sufficient space to play safely. They also inform staff if they come across toys which are broken or damaged.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded because staff have some knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. They know that the manager has to informed if they were concerned about a child, but are unsure of the procedures if allegations were made against them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and enter the nursery confidently, benefiting from staff being enthusiastic and welcoming on arrival. They take part in a range of activities and play opportunities which they find interesting and enjoyable. Staff throughout the nursery interact appropriately with the children, involving themselves in their play and giving appropriate assistance. They also have a detailed knowledge of children's skills, interests and needs, which is further enhanced by the information from parents. However, staff have not completed training for the 0-3 curriculum and this impacts on the care and learning for the younger children. Children’s language and communication skills are promoted by staff who use effective conversation and questioning to extend children’s confidence and ability. Children have a good range activities which include; art and crafts, imaginative play, constructive play, drama, dressing-up, model making, and cooking biscuits and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

cakes. They have good access to a well equipped outdoor play areas which promotes their development in all areas. Children are well occupied most of the time and learn to make choices between structured activities and free play opportunities. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff use some good methods to promote learning, they ask open questions to stimulate children's thinking. Staff have some knowledge of the Foundation Stage and early learning goals, but have not been on any training. They follow the activity plans and have an understanding of what children are expected to learn but do not always extend and challenge children further. They also do not link evaluations to the next stage of children's development, which means staff are unsure of children's capabilities. Children with disabilities are well supported, but there is no information on the weekly plans. Staff record

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

observations which are then transferred to children's assessment records to assist with future planning. Children are confident and enjoy good relationships with staff and each other. They are able to take care of their own needs and enjoy the responsibility of helping staff in every day tasks such as setting the table. Children were observed placing name cards for all the children ready for snack and lunch times. Registration time is used

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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 effectively to greet each other and enable children to develop a sense of belonging. Children find their name cards and have opportunities to discuss the days of the week and the seasons. Children are developing confident language skills as they explain and make connections. They were observed talking about their experiences with their peers. Children have access to books which they handle appropriately, they enjoy looking at pictures and re-telling the story. Children show an interest in counting and numbers during daily situations, such as counting their friends and cups at snack time. They are gaining confidence in solving simple addition and subtraction problems during practical activities and are beginning to use mathematical vocabulary and language to describe position and size. Children observed picking their name cards and knew

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

later that two children were missing after seeing cards left on the table. More able children freely access flash cards and were observed talking about shapes and size language, such as big and small with their peers. Children are able to develop physical skills as they move their bodies in response to directions to their favourite music. They have free access to a range of instruments which develops their fine muscle control and listening skills. Children use their hand and eye co-ordination to thread and when using a range of writing materials such has crayon, pencils, scissors and stamps.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are valued and respected as individuals and have equal access to a wide range of resources and activities that help them to appreciate the wider world, including role play equipment, books and puzzles showing positive images. Children have opportunities to learn about other cultures through festivals, they have made cards for Eid and Diwali. Staff work with other professionals and parents to meet the needs of children with disabilities. They ensure when planning activities that all children are integrated into the setting. Staff have a clear and consistent approach to managing children's behaviour. Children behave well and are able to share and take turns with some adult support. They are given opportunities to make decisions, which helps them to learn right from wrong. They are beginning to show concern for others, a child had hurt her knee and other children were observed reassuring and comforting her. Staff praise the children

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Helping children make a positive contribution

by rewarding them with praise and telling them how well they have played or worked. Children have individual sticker books which promotes their self-esteem. Children are confident and ask staff for what they require and also help themselves, children were observed going inside the nursery to get toys to play outside. Partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents are encouraged to support their children's learning both at home and in nursery and are provided with frequent opportunities to discuss their child's progress with staff both informally and at parents evenings. They receive information through newsletters about topics and

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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 future events. Parents have access to the planning, but are not provided with information relating to the Foundation Stage. Parents commented that they were happy with the care they received for their children and were kept informed about their progress. The nursery does not have a log in place for complaints which relates to the National Standards. Photographs and samples of children's work is kept to show parents of their children's achievements. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit by being cared by staff who are warm and know the children well. Staff enjoy being with the children and are committed to provide a stimulating day for them which will promote their development. The environment is welcoming, due to the presentation of children's work which promotes a sense of belonging. Staff are qualified and a recruitment and vetting procedure is in place, but this does not ensure that all staff are suitable, both mentally and physically to care for children. A key worker provides consistency in care and provides parents with regular contact to discuss their child's progress. Annual appraisals are in place to identify training needs and staff attend regular staff meeting. However, some staff are unsure with the nurseries polices and procedures, due to polices being updated and staff not being kept informed. Most legally required documents are in place, however not all documentation is

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Organisation

readily available for inspection. Polices and procedures are being updated and some were not on the premises during the inspection. Children's records are detailed and informative ensuring that staff are kept informed of children's needs. Overall the needs of all the children attending are met. Leadership and management is satisfactory. Staff work well together and communicate well with each together. They are deployed effectively which means children are supervised at all times. Staff have opportunities to have meet as a team and discuss planning on a weekly basis. Many staff have not been on training on the Foundation Stage and this impacts on children's learning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection the setting was asked to improve their documentation with regard to fire drill and children's attendance being more detailed, to improve safety of the building by ensuring that risk assessments are carried out regularly, to provide parents with information on menus, to meet children's dietary needs, to extend resources that reflect disability and to ensure that the nappy changing area conforms to health and safety requirements. Since the last inspection the setting now carries out regular fire drills, risk assessments and a detailed record is kept of children's attendance; this promotes

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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 children's safety. A menu is displayed which meets children's dietary requirements and keeps parents well informed of children's diet. The nursery has extended resources which reflect disability and have improved the changing area which conforms to health and safety requirements. This promotes children's welfare. At the previous inspection of nursery education the setting agreed to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of children's learning, to improve planning to identify the learning intention, to review the daily routine to reduce disruption to children's concentration, to develop more opportunities for children to self-select, to improve opportunities for children to develop imagination and creativity and to review the recording and assessment of children's progress to inform future planning in

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Improvements since the last inspection

children's development. Children have more opportunities to develop their imagination and creativity, a good range of role play and messy activities promotes children's development. Children also have a good range of equipment which they can self select. There is less disruption in children's routines as older children now use another room for certain activities and this promotes their concentration and learning. Staff are aware of what they want children to learn, but they have not completed the Foundation Stage training and this also impacts on their planning. Staff are not using children's progress to plan for their future.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Concerns were raised regarding failure to inform parents of a case of ringworm in the nursery and the standards of hygiene within the setting. Ofsted asked the provider to investigate and report back to Ofsted within 10 working days. Following the report Ofsted made an unannounced visit to the setting and raised an action; to meet any recommendations made by the Environmental Health Department. The provider has reported that all the recommendations made by the Environmental Health Officer will be implemented by the registered body and will be checked at the next inspection. The provider 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

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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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

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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 both outdoor play areas and toys are cleaned regularly • ensure children are protected by developing knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures in relation to allegations against the staff • keep a record of complaints relating to the National Standards and any action taken • improve outcomes for children from birth to three by using an approach in line with ‘Birth to three matters’ • improve vetting procedures to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children.

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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 older and more able children receive sufficient challenge to extend their learning • ensure evaluations are used to plan for the next stage of children's learning, including children with disabilities • develop staff knowledge of the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

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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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