Dell Cottage Day Nursery

Dell Cottage Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Dell Cottage Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY315470 Inspection date 14 February 2006 Inspector Anne Munro

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Dell Cottage Day Nursery

Setting Address 76 Walkford Road, Walkford, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 5QG

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E-mail

Registered person Dell Cottage Day Nursery 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?

Dell Cottage Day Nursery has been registered since 2005. It is a privately owned nursery offering full day care in a converted house in Walkford. The premises include 4 playrooms as well as kitchen, cloakroom and staff facilities. There is a secure garden for outside play. The nursery is registered to care for up to 18 children aged from 1 to 8 years. There are currently 8 children on roll, including 5 in receipt of nursery funding. Sessions are

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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 from 08:00 to 18:00 on weekdays all year round. Children come from the surrounding area and attend for a variety of sessions. There are 3 members of staff working with the children, all with relevant early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are encouraged to be independent in their personal care. They have easy access to toilets and washbasins and learn to wash their hands from an early age. They are protected from the spread of infection by the staff's careful attention to good hygiene practice. Staff have up-to-date first aid qualifications and clear policies and procedures are in place to ensure that sick or injured children are cared for effectively. Children benefit from a healthy diet, eating fruit at snack times and enjoying nutritious meals cooked at the nursery. They show good levels of independence in pouring their own drinks and washing up their cups and plates. Staff keep records of any allergies and ensure that individual dietary needs are met. After lunch children are able to rest quietly with beanbags and blankets. Younger children are able to sleep in a quiet room during the day, in buggies, on beanbags or a travel

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Helping children to be healthy

cot according to individual preference. Children have plenty of opportunity for active physical play, both inside and out. They use the secure outside play area daily. Children develop spatial awareness steering ride-on toys around a large patio and practise their skills with a good range of small equipment such as hoops, skittles, balls and beanbags. There is less opportunity for them to develop physical control and co-ordination with climbing or balancing equipment. They enjoy circle games and moving to music indoors. Children use a good variety of resources and activities to develop their manipulative skills. For example, they use scissors, glue and glitter to make Valentine cards, ice and decorate biscuits, mould and cut play dough, thread beads and draw with pencils and crayons.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children move confidently around a safe, clean and well-maintained environment. Staff carry out regular risk assessments and safety checks and have taken precautions to protect children, such as fitting covers to electric sockets and safety film to low level glass. There is still some risk to the youngest children from hot radiators in their playroom. Gates prevent children from accessing the stairs and kitchen and extra catches have been fitted to external doors to keep the premises secure. Children practise emergency evacuation, developing confidence and understanding, and learn rules to keep themselves safe, for example when carrying scissors or when moving chairs. They have safe and easy access to an excellent collection of good quality toys and stimulating resources which are stored in child

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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 height units. This enables children to make choices and to help keep their environment tidy. Children are cared for by staff who have been suitably vetted and have a good range of skills and knowledge, including training in child protection procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children come happily into the nursery, separating confidently from their parents and settling quickly into familiar routines. They form good trusting relationships with staff and play well alongside other children, showing good levels of interest and involvement in the activities planned for them. The nursery is well equipped to meet the needs of children under 3 years old and staff use the Birth to three matters framework to plan appropriate activities. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff are confident in their understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and plan interesting activities to stimulate children's learning. Although at the time of inspection the nursery has been operating for less than a term, staff show good knowledge of the capabilities and needs of the children in their care and keep accurate records of their progress. They

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are developing an effective planning system, but plans do not yet show how all six areas of learning are to be covered and are not clearly linked to the needs of children at different stages of development. Staff make good use of available space, providing a bright and stimulating learning environment. They work closely with the children, prompting conversation and asking questions to promote learning. They are particularly good at encouraging children's imagination and enabling them to develop independence. Children are able to sit quietly to listen when appropriate and can concentrate for long periods at their chosen activities. Staff use praise and encouragement to reinforce their good behaviour and to promote their self-esteem. Children become confident speakers as staff encourage conversation throughout activities. They enjoy looking at books and listening to stories. They use pencils and crayons with

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

developing skill and are beginning to write their names on their work and to form some recognisable letters. They learn to recognise their written names as they find name cards on their pegs and on the snack table and are introduced to other written words with clear labelling on displays and on storage units. They play with a good range of games and puzzles that teach them to recognise numerals and are able to count with confidence. Staff introduce the language of size and shape into activities and provide a good variety of resources that enable children to sort and match. For example, children sort coloured pasta shapes and beads, arrange toy animals in groups and sort everyday objects into round, square, rectangle and triangle. Children design and build with various construction toys as well as using imagination to construct with recycled materials. They use battery operated toys to learn about simple technology. Children talk about their homes and families and learn about their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

own and other cultures. For instance, they taste Chinese food for Chinese New Year

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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 and make Valentine cards for people who are important to them. Children particularly enjoy imaginative play, in a room set aside for role play, with a very good selection of dressing-up clothes and a well equipped home corner, which at the time of inspection is transformed into a supermarket. Children are able to express their own ideas. They use imagination in art work, explore colour and texture with a good variety of materials and techniques including collage, painting and drawing, finger painting and printing, as well as experimenting with such materials as shaving foam and cornflour dough. They learn about sound and rhythm using percussion instruments and join in songs and rhymes with enthusiasm. Overall children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are developing good levels of confidence and independence. They learn about their own and other cultures through craft activities, tasting foods from other cultures, dressing-up and playing with a good range of multi-cultural resources such as books, dolls, finger puppets and musical instruments. Children's individual needs are addressed and staff have appropriate training and experience to support children with special educational needs, although none currently attend. Children are generally well behaved as staff maintain consistent boundaries and praise good behaviour. Children play well alongside others, learning to take turns and to share. Overall their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents receive good information about the group in a comprehensive prospectus and on notice boards. They are told about

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Helping children make a positive contribution

current topics and are invited to contribute resources and to continue children's learning at home. Communication is encouraged so that children benefit from consistency and continuity. Staff provide daily feedback with notes about activities and personal routines. Parents are able to discuss their children's progress and receive good support with any difficulties.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from good levels of supervision and individual attention in a small nursery with high staffing ratios. Space is well organised and children have easy access to an excellent range of new, good quality toys and equipment. The owner has thorough recruitment and employment procedures in place, ensuring that children are cared for by a well-qualified and efficient staff team. Leadership and management of the setting are satisfactory. The nursery has been open for a very short period and clear procedures are being developed. The manager works alongside staff members, monitoring and evaluating practice and together they plan for improvement and development of the nursery. Staff induction and appraisal systems are in place and staff are supported in updating their skills and knowledge with ongoing training. Staff members are all involved in planning activities and the

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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 manager produces daily rotas to ensure that they are effectively deployed and are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Comprehensive policies underpin the smooth running of the group. Staff maintain accurate records, ensuring that they have all the information they need to care for children effectively and confidential information is stored securely. Overall the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. 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 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): • develop the use of the outside area to provide children with opportunities to practise climbing and balancing skills. • protect hot radiators so that children are unable to reach them.

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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): • further develop the planning system to ensure balanced coverage of the six areas of learning and to reflect the current needs of children present.

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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 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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