New Foundations Day Nursery

New Foundation Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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New Foundation Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY268011 Inspection date 24 January 2006 Inspector Teresa Evelina Coleman

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New Foundation Day Nursery

Setting Address 41 Church Road, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 4DD

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E-mail

Registered person New Foundation 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?

New Foundation Day Nursery has been registered since 2003. The nursery is located in a 2 storey detached house in Bexleyheath in the London borough of Bexley. The nursery uses the ground floor rooms for children aged 2-5 years. This area comprises a large through room which is divided into designated areas. Toilet and hand washing facilities are located nearby. The baby unit is located on the first floor. It comprises of a large room with an adjacent changing area. There is also an office

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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 and staff facilities on the first floor. Staff also have their own rest room in the adjacent annexe. Kitchen facilities are on the ground floor. There is a fully enclosed outside play area, part of which is safety surfaced. A maximum of 20 children aged under 5 years may attend the nursery at any one time, and of these not more than 8 may be under 2 years. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:30 to 18:30, for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently a total of 46 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. Of these, 12 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and a number of children who speak English as an additional language. There are 2 owner/managers, at least 1 of whom is always present. There is also a

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

newly-appointed deputy manager. A total of 10 staff work directly with the children, 6 of whom currently hold an appropriate level 3 childcare qualification, 2 currently hold a level 2 qualification and 2 are working towards a childcare qualification. The nursery also employs a cook and a cleaner. The nursery is part of the Bexley Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and receives support from an early years advisory teacher.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The effective use of appropriate health and hygiene procedures at the nursery clearly supports children's health and protects them from the risk of illness and the spread of infection. For example, staff use disposable gloves when changing babies' nappies and nappies are hygienically disposed of, using a nappy cassette system. In addition, there are extra hygiene precautions in place to protect babies, for example, parents and visitors are asked to remove their outdoor shoes when going in to the baby room so that the carpet can be kept clean for babies to play and crawl on. Regular cleaning procedures are in place and include the use of different coloured cloths for different tasks, spraying surfaces and changing mats with anti-bacterial disinfectant spray and laundering individual face flannels and bedding on a daily basis. The good attention paid to hygiene means that the children are cared for in a clean environment where

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Helping children to be healthy

risks to their health are minimised. The children are learning to take some responsibility for their own personal care through daily routines and gentle reminders from adults. For example, they wash their hands after using the toilet, reminded by 'photo instructions' displayed above the washbasins and wash their hands and face with individual flannels after lunch. Children are also growing in independence because even the younger ones are encouraged to try and put on their coat and shoes, help to clear up and push their chairs under the table. There are policies and procedures in place for the reporting and recording of accidents and medication in order to ensure children's health and well-being.

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Helping children to be healthy

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 benefit from a balanced and nutritious range of snacks and meals. These are home-cooked and include regular quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables. Menus are planned on a three-weekly basis and consist of an excellent range of meals, including mild chicken curry and rice, lamb mince shepherds pie with broccoli and carrots, lamb casserole with potatoes and mixed vegetables and lasagne with peas and sweet corn. Children are able to help themselves to a variety of fresh and dried fruit at snack-times and tea-time menus are also varied and include some home-baked items, for example, cakes, scones and biscuits, as well as fresh fruit. Children have some opportunities to serve themselves at snack-time and tea-time and are consequently gaining in independence. Staff sit with the children and help

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Helping children to be healthy

them to learn about which foods are good for them, as well as talking about children's individual likes and dislikes. Information about dietary requirements, including allergies and any religious or cultural considerations are sought on the registration form and shared with staff and the cook. Parents are informed that the nursery caters for all dietary requirements and that alternatives may be provided, as requested. Children are provided with regular drinks in individually marked beakers and are able to access these themselves, as required. The nursery routine provides children with good opportunities for regular physical play and exercise which includes planned opportunities for outdoor play. They use a range of equipment that promotes the development of their physical skills. For example, they are learning to climb, balance, ride bikes and sit and ride toys and to kick and throw a ball. The children are able to enjoy outdoor play in the fresh air all

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Helping children to be healthy

year-round. However, if the weather is too cold or wet their physical development is promoted through a good range of indoor physical activities. These include joining in lots of action songs and rhymes, musical games and opportunities to exercise, dance and stretch as they listen to a tape and pretend to be elephants swinging their trunks, jumping frogs, hissing snakes or snapping crocodiles, in the jungle.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The children are cared for in a warm, welcoming, home-like environment where safety risks have been identified and minimised. Appropriate safety precautions are in place, for example safety gates and a low-level stair-rail are used to ensure children's safety when using the stairs. Notices are displayed on the doors to remind adults to knock before opening to further ensure children's safety. The nursery's policy states that it is of paramount importance that the setting is a safe and healthy environment for children, parents, carers, staff and visitors. This is achieved because staff carry out regular risk assessments that include a daily checklist of the premises and equipment and ensure that any concerns are reported to the management immediately so that they can be dealt with. Staff give children frequent gentle reminders to take care so that they do not hurt themselves or others, for example as

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

they go up and down the stairs, go into the garden and use the outdoor play equipment. Staff also remind children to blow on their food to ensure that it is not too hot and to tuck their chair in under the table when leaving an activity so that others don't trip over. Even the youngest children do this confidently. Consequently, children are beginning to have some responsibility for keeping themselves safe. As a result of

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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 the good attention paid to safety and staffs' clear understanding of appropriate supervision, the children are able to move around the setting safely and confidently. Security is good. Parents and visitors ring the front doorbell and are admitted by a member of staff. They are asked to sign their child in. There is a password system in place and the nursery requests details of any person other than parents who may be collecting the child. All visitors are asked to sign in and out of the visitors book. Toys and equipment are well-organised and generally accessible to the children so that they can select some resources for themselves. However, Sunflower and Blossom rooms are divided for part of the day and this means that children's access to some activities, for example, the home corner, is restricted at these times. All

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

furniture and resources are in a good, clean condition and staff regularly carry out checks on their condition, thus helping to ensure the children's ongoing safety. Children's welfare is also promoted and safeguarded through good fire safety procedures, for example, regular fire drills and servicing of equipment. Children's welfare is generally protected because staff understand their child protection responsibilities and are aware of the action to take in the event of a concern about a child in their care. However, most staff have not attended any recent training to up-date their knowledge. In addition, although child protection procedures are displayed around the nursery, neither the staff handbook or parents prospectus include any information about child protection.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Staff throughout the nursery are kind, affectionate and caring towards the children. Consequently, children are confident and happy and are forming positive relationships with adults and each other. Staff in the baby room are very skilled at encouraging children's language development by playing with them, talking to them and encouraging them to name objects, repeat words and follow simple instructions. Younger children are making good progress because the staff provide a range of stimulating and challenging activities that encourage them to develop their skills. For example, the younger children use a variety of containers and diggers in the sand and use a variety of tools to aid their co-ordination when playing with the play dough. Staff encourage all children, including the younger ones, to grow in independence by encouraging them to put on their own coats, hats and shoes and to help with clearing

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

activities away. Staff draw up plans for the activities provided, using the Birth to three matters framework for babies and toddlers and the Foundation Stage curriculum guidance for pre-school children. Children take part in a good range of activities across all areas of play and learning. Observation folders are used to record observations, evaluate children's achievements and progress and identify the next steps in their learning. Children in the two to five age group are currently divided into two groups for part of the day. However, because staff physically divide the play area into two, using, wheeled storage units, some activities, for example, the home corner, are not freely available to all children throughout the day. Consequently, children are sometimes

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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 unable to freely take part in imaginative and role play, but are limited to times when it is accessible to them. This means that children can miss out on valuable opportunities to play out real and imaginary situations which can help them to come to terms with situations in their own lives, for example, the birth of a new baby. However, for most of the day children are able to make independent choices because resources are well-organised and accessible. They enjoy a wide range of play opportunities and engage in self-initiated, spontaneous play, as well as activities which are adult-led. Resources are very good, particularly those for imaginative play and provide children with lots of scope to use their imaginations. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Most staff understand that

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children learn best through play and their own first-hand experience and interests. However, too much emphasis is sometimes placed on completing planned, narrowly focused activities. This means that valuable learning opportunities to extend children's learning through self-initiated and spontaneous play are sometimes missed. There is an effective key worker system in place which ensures that the staff know the children very well and are able to provide good individual support. There are clear systems in place to evaluate children's progress and achievements. These include observation records, dated examples of children's work and tick sheet assessments for the six areas of learning. Long, medium and short term plans are based on the guidance to the Foundation Stage and include an evaluation of each weeks' activities. However, these evaluations do not always form a good basis for future planning because they are not consistently used by all staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's personal, social and emotional development is progressing well. Children benefit from a relaxed, happy, home-like atmosphere and from good adult support. Staff are kind and patient and frequently use humour when they talk to the children. Consequently, children are growing in self-esteem, becoming confident and developing a sense of belonging. They feel good about themselves because staff frequently praise them, for example, when they help with the clearing up. Children behave well because staff are very good role models, for example, they always treat children with kindness and respect. As a result children are learning to respect others, share, take turns and generally play co-operatively with others, for example, when playing in the home corner. Children are learning to be independent because staff encourage them to take responsibility for their own personal care, for example, putting on their coats and outdoor shoes and serving themselves at tea-time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have some opportunities to use mathematical concepts as part of everyday life, for example, they count each other at register time and tell staff what colour the monsters they have drawn are. However, opportunities to extend their learning, for example, through practical activities and daily routines are sometimes limited. Children generally enjoy listening to stories. They listen and concentrate well, are able to anticipate what will happen next and participate appropriately. However, children's enjoyment is sometimes hampered because stories are occasionally used to occupy the children while they are waiting for something to happen, for example,

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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 lunchtime. Children enjoy conversations with adults and they have opportunities to speak in a groups, for example, during song and story time. Most staff are skilled at focusing discussion, introducing new vocabulary and ideas and encouraging children to think, recall and predict. Children do not frequently select books for themselves because although they are accessible to them, many of them are not in good condition. There are opportunities for children to draw and make marks using a variety of media and some children can write their own name. Good use is made of labelling in the environment so that children are beginning to understand that text carries meaning. Children play outdoors regularly so they have some opportunities to learn about nature and the natural world. They plant sunflowers and other plants in containers

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and water them and feed and watch the birds. A computer is available and the children are becoming competent and confident in its use. For example, they are developing good mouse skills because use of the computer is well supported by staff. Staff are introducing children to elements of some other cultures through planned topic work about festivals and celebrations, for example, Diwali and Chinese New Year. Children's creative development is well supported at the setting. Children are able to use a range of paints, crayons, paper and glue to produce art and craft work, some of which is adult-directed. However, they also have frequent opportunities to explore their own creative potential, for example, through free painting and free drawing. Good use is made of display and staff are skilled at creating an attractive and inviting environment. Children's self esteem is also fostered because children can see that

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

staff have a high regard for their work. Children enjoy very good opportunities to sing together, for example, during the whole nursery song time. Children benefit from regular indoor and outdoor play activities and are consequently developing good physical skills.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Detailed information about the children is sought from parents and recorded on child profile forms and this helps to maintain a consistent approach to all aspects of their care. Children benefit from staff's understanding of their individual needs, for example, staff provide good support for children with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. There are some opportunities for children to learn about the wider community, for example there is a good range of multi-cultural resources available. These include books (some of which are dual-language), dolls, puzzles, play cooking and eating utensils, musical instruments and dressing up outfits with matching dolls. Staff also plan some activities that help children to learn about festivals and celebrations from other cultures. These include Diwali and Chinese New Year, but are rather limited at present. Resources which

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Helping children make a positive contribution

provide images of disability are also limited. However, staff ensure that they help children to understand about disability, for example a recent topic, 'All about me' included discussions about what it would feel like to not be able to see or hear. 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 setting welcomes families whose children have additional needs and put in place plans which will help all children to make good progress. The setting has a special needs policy and a member of staff is appointed as a special educational needs co-ordinator. As a result the setting is able to ensure that the individual needs of all children are met and that each child receives appropriate staff support. Children behave well because staff provide good role models for them. They treat the children and each other with respect. Consequently, children are learning right from wrong because staff explain to them about acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Positive behaviour is promoted through the consistent use of praise and encouragement, including the use of stickers, as a reward. This also means that

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Helping children make a positive contribution

children's self-esteem is developing well and they are learning to be kind and considerate towards each other and to share and take turns. Children's social skills are developing because staff encourage them to have good manners, for example, they remind them to say please and thank you at snack-time. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Partnership with parents is good. Parents are consulted about their views through a suggestions box and were recently asked to complete a parents' questionnaire. Parents are happy with the service and feel that the managers and staff are friendly and approachable. There are generally good systems in place to ensure that parents are well informed about their children's progress. These include nursery notice boards, regular informal opportunities for sharing information and more formal open evenings. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their children's learning

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Helping children make a positive contribution

because details of activity plans and topics, for example, number and letter of the week, are made available to them. However, although parents are given verbal information when their child is ready to receive funding, they do not receive any detailed written information specifically about the Foundation Stage.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Overall, the nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Children have sufficient room to move about and play freely for most of the day because of the generally effective organisation of space and nursery routines. Planning for children's learning is generally sound and children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. The majority of staff have appropriate childcare qualifications and the remainder are currently working towards this. All staff have a current first aid qualification. Effective staffing rotas and good deployment of staff ensure that staff ratios often exceed statutory requirements. Consequently, staff are able to provide very good support for children, often on a one to one basis, for example, in the baby room. The management are aware of the recent changes to regulations relating to the suitability of staff and have appropriate procedures in place for vetting staff in order to protect

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Organisation

children. Children's records are carefully stored in the nursery office and all records relating to accidents, registration and children's care are maintained. The nursery has a set of

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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 well-written policies and procedures in place which provide clear information about all areas of the nursery's operation. These are regularly reviewed and up-dated and are easily accessible, both in the office and the parents' notice board. The parents' prospectus and the staff handbook also contain a short policy statement about most of the main areas of operation. Leadership and management across the whole nursery is good, for example, management roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and staff work very well together and show a positive commitment to their work. Leadership and management, with regard to nursery education, is satisfactory. This is because there is no robust system in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery education programme. Consequently, weaknesses in the programme are not always

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Complaints 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. On 12/12/2005 Ofsted received information from the provider regarding an incident that had occurred under National Standard 11 - Behaviour. On 06/01/2006 a complaint was received regarding the same incident. Ofsted contacted the nursery and requested written information regarding their investigation into the incident, including policies and procedures that had been followed. From the information received an action was set to ensure that the child protection procedure complies with those of the local Area Child Protection Committee and to ensure that staff are aware of the procedure and have appropriate contact numbers. The provider addressed this action on 12/01/2006. The provider remains qualified for registration. The complaint is recorded in the nursery's complaints record.

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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 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): • up-date staff knowledge and understanding of Child Protection issues, for example, through appropriate training.

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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 that children's spontaneous play and learning opportunities are not restricted by over-emphasis on planned adult-led activities. • provide parents with some written information about the foundation stage. • introduce a system to review practice and evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery education 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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