Ysgol Llanrug

Sticky Fingers Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Sticky Fingers Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 400094 Inspection date 18 January 2006 Inspector Pauline Garfield

p.1

Sticky Fingers Day Nursery

Setting Address School House, Learning Lane, Whitley, Goole, North Humberside, DN14 0WE Telephone number 01977 663393 E-mail stickyfingers@fsmail.net Registered person Sticky Fingers Day Nursery Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School care

p.1

Sticky Fingers Day Nursery

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Sticky Fingers Day Nursery is a privately owned setting that opened in 1999. The premises were originally the headmasters house and are attached to the local primary school in Whitley, North Yorkshire. They serve the local rural community and surrounding areas. A maximum of 33 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children have use of the secure enclosed outdoor play area.

p.2

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 54 children on roll aged from a few months to under 5 years. Of these 20 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend for full day care, part-time and sessional care. Appropriate provision is available for children with special needs or those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery also operates Sticky Kids Holiday Club, which is based in the adjoining school. Out of school care is provided during school holidays only and operating times are the same as the day nursery. A maximum of 16 children may attend at any one time. There are 10 staff including the owner and administration person who work in the setting and support the children. Within the staff team six, including the manager, hold appropriate childcare qualifications and one member of staff is working towards

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through well planned daily routines. Their clear understanding of why they must wash hands before eating and after using the toilet reduces the risk of infection and cross contamination. Children begin to understand the benefits of a healthy diet. They grow vegetables and fruit in the garden and then help to prepare and cook the things they have grown. Children enjoy fruit at snack time and have access to drinks throughout the day. All children are given drinks on a regular basis and have healthy meals and snacks that are prepared for them. Some babies are not given plates and spoons at dinner time and eat their dinner with their hands from the sterilized tray on the highchair. This does not introduce them to acceptable social eating habits. Meals and snacks comply with all special dietary requirements and parents wishes to ensure children remain

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

healthy. All children are able to move freely both indoors and outdoors on a regular basis. They enjoy riding bicycles outdoors and participate in music and movement indoors. This range of activities contributes to children's good health and promotes their physical wellbeing.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm and welcoming environment where staff are friendly and approachable. Priority is given to identifying and minimising risks which means children are able to move around safely, freely and independently. For example, the provision has good safety precautions such as risk assessments and fire safety drills. Children are developing a good understanding of being safe both inside and outside

p.3

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 the building. For example, they know that they must be careful when using outdoor climbing equipment so that they do not fall and hurt themselves. Staff also teach road safety through books and discussion. This helps children take responsibility for keeping themselves safe. Children use a range of safe, good quality, developmentally appropriate resources. Staff have effective routines in place that enable children to use them safely, which in turn supports their play and learning. However, there is limited range of accessible resources to stimulate mark making and creative development. This inhibits the children's ability to develop creative and early writing skills. All the required procedures are in place to ensure children's welfare is safeguarded. Staff attend training in child protection and are fully aware of the types of abuse and

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

the signs to look for. They have a good understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns and give priority to children's welfare.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Babies benefit from routines that are consistent with their experiences at home. They have a strong bond with their key worker and settle well into the organised environment. Children are supported by staff who are interested in them, give them lots of smiles, praise and encouragement and they build warm relationships. For example, staff smile and have good eye contact as they shake rattles and encourage children to reach for and access toys and equipment. This develops their sense of belonging, confidence and self-esteem. Young children benefit from good interaction with staff and children enjoy looking at books on comfortable furniture which develops children's early communication skills. Children can sleep and rest according to their needs. They enjoy threading activities, making marks on chalk boards and pressing buttons on the musical bear to make sounds. This develops children's cognitive skills

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and hand eye coordination. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage and use this to provide a balanced range of activities across the six areas of learning. This ensures children make good progress through the stepping stones. Children are motivated to learn through well-planned experiences and activities that capture their enthusiasm and sustain their interest. For example, children show wonder as they make a three dimensional structure from wooden blocks, metal objects, sponges, Duplo bricks and play people. They stay for an extended length of time at the activity and take turns and share when negotiating the design of the structure. Children are good communicators and use language confidently for many purposes. For example, they initiate and participate in conversations, make their needs known verbally, describe past events, ask questions and plan their play. Some children

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

enjoy making marks on paper in the writing corner. However, they have limited opportunities to ascribe meanings to marks, attempt writing for a purpose and write

p.4

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 their own name. Children take turns and share spades in the sand. They find their name cards when entering the setting and hang up their own coats. Children respond to boundaries and routines and are well behaved. They have personal independence at snack time and pour their own drinks from a jug. Children show an interest in information communication technology and use the computer, some with assistance, and others independently as they develop mouse skills and enjoy programmes to enhance their mathematical and language skills. Children show an interest in the world they live in and enjoy looking at books, including those with different languages. Children enjoy singing favourite colour songs and rhymes. They talk about the colours in the environment, the weather and the colours of the rainbow. Children develop their imagination as they explore the

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

dressing up clothes and negotiate and act out roles. For example, when using the doctors outfit. Children show an interest in what they see, feel, hear and smell as they explore the plastic and natural shells in the sand. They comment on the shells and share their experiences with others. Children enjoy learning because staff weave learning opportunities into everyday play and activities. For example, mathematics becomes real to children as they measure themselves against the Duplo tower and make decisions and judgements on whether they are bigger or smaller than the construction. Staff ask open-ended questions and pose some realistic challenges, such as encouraging children to work out how many Duplo bricks they would have if they added one more. They know individual children well as they regularly observe them and interact in their play. They make good use the information gained to provide a clear record of children's progress in each area of

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have a strong sense of belonging and feel at ease in the nursery, as they are warmly welcomed by friendly, familiar staff. Children play harmoniously together and are learning to manage their own behaviour, with support from staff. They follow the good models of staff by showing courtesy and consideration for others. For example, children wait patiently in line for a turn on the tyre stepping stones in the outdoor play area. Staff provide clear and consistent boundaries to help children know what is expected of them and use distraction, praise and encouragement appropriately to promote good behaviour. Practitioners ensure that the resources positively represent the children who attend as well as individuals from the wider community. This helps develop a positive attitude to others and fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff make time to talk with parents

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

about their children's needs and interests before children attend the nursery and at the start of each day. This helps staff build on children's previous experiences and

p.5

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 meet their individual needs. A comprehensive progress report is sent home to parents every three months, which includes photographs and details of children's progress in each area of learning. A profile is also completed and is passed on to the next school showing the actual stage of learning along the stepping stones to the early learning goals, but this is not shared with parents.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for in a secure environment where staff attend to their needs and provide a wide range of developmentally appropriate activities that children enjoy. Staff make good use of the available space to make sure children eat, rest and play according to their needs. They have secure knowledge of how to help children learn and use this to make sure all children can participate and are fully included in the group. Leadership and management of the educational provision is good. Staff understand the setting's aims for the children's education and work well together to reflect the aims in practice. They access relevant training and work co-operatively with other professionals, such as the early years teacher, to improve the provision. They have attended training in the stepping stones towards the early learning goals and are involved in planning for the curriculum. The quality and range of activities provided is good and children are at ease in the

p.6

Organisation

organised environment. This means they are confident to initiate and extend their own play and learning. Overall, the needs of all the children who attend are met.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection documentation and policies have been revised to include a policy if a child is lost. The provision has also implemented an action plan to improve the nursery education in line with the key issues raised at the last inspection. Staff have provided more opportunities for children to link letters to sounds and learn the concept of calculation in everyday play. The number of children in a group has been reduced to develop children's ability to sit quietly and the planning of the curriculum has been improved. All of which ensure children's safety, welfare and progress is maintained.

p.6

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 complaints records may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

p.6

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

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.7

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.

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.7

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): • further provide babies and young children with spoons and plates at meal times and assist children where necessary in order to introduce them to acceptable social eating habits • further develop resources to stimulate mark making and creative development.

p.7

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): • further develop opportunities for parents to be informed of their children's achievements and progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals • further promote opportunities for children to ascribe meanings to marks, attempt writing for a purpose and write their own name.

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.7