Heaton Nursery and Out of School Club

Heaton Nursery and Out of School Club

Inspection report for early years provision

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Heaton Nursery and Out of School Club

Unique Reference Number 319193 Inspection date 06 April 2006 Inspector Cathryn Parry

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Heaton Nursery and Out of School Club

Setting Address 38 Heaton Grove, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE6 5NP Telephone number 0191 265 6427

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E-mail

Registered person Harold Dodds 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 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Heaton Nursery and Out of School Club is one of two provisions owned and managed privately. It opened in 1970 and operates from a converted Victorian mid-terrace house. It is situated in the residential area of Heaton in Newcastle upon Tyne. A maximum of 44 children may attend the nursery, and 10 children may attend the out of school club at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.45 to 17.45 for 51 weeks of the year. The out of school club is open from 07.45 to 09.00

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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 15.00 to 17.45 each weekday during term time, and 07.45 to 17.45 during school holidays. There are currently 63 children aged from 0 to under 5 years on roll in the nursery, and 10 children aged from 3 to under 8 years on roll in the out of school club. The club also cares for children aged over 8 years. Of the 63 children attending the nursery, 12 receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery and out of school club support children with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery and out of school club employs 25 staff. There are 24 of the staff, including the manager, who hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are four members of staff working towards a further qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The children thrive, as staff provide healthy and nutritional meals and snacks. These have been enhanced through staff liaising with a dietician. Babies are regularly offered drinks, and older children have free access to individually named water bottles throughout the day. This has a positive impact on their overall development. They explore, test and develop physical control on a daily basis, such as during music and movement activities. The nursery's flexible routine incorporates time for quiet play and rest, enhancing children’s well-being. Children are learning good personal hygiene practices through consistent routines. Comprehensive policies, very good relationships with parents and relevant training ensure individual children are cared for well, should they become ill. These factors reduce the risk of cross infection. All relevant documentation with regard to health, including specific dietary needs and consent forms are in place and up to date.

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Helping children to be healthy

These documents positively safeguard children’s well-being.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are safeguarded well as the nursery is secure at all times. Security is supplemented with effective procedures for adults collecting children. Regular risk assessments both indoors and out, minimise the risk of accidental injury. Children are able to explore safely, using clean and well maintained resources. Furniture and equipment are of an appropriate size throughout the nursery, enabling all children to participate in activities fully. All safety equipment is in place and staff respond positively to risks. For example, they were observed wiping up spilled water, which reduces the risk of accidents. Organised visits from other professionals, including the road safety officer, encourage

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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 children to take responsibility for their own safety. The visits are complimented in the out of school club, with children devising their own ground rules. Children are protected well as staff generally have a sound understanding of child protection issues. Appropriate documentation contributes positively to children’s safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the nursery and are eager to participate in the wide variety of activities provided. Through observation and talking to parents, staff ensure they have a good knowledge of the children's developmental stage when they start at the nursery. This enables the staff to provide appropriate experiences. Children up to the age of 3 years make good progress, and have fun, as staff have a sound understanding of the Birth to three framework. Activities are extended, such as collecting leaves and making collage pictures with them. This inspires children to use their imagination and increases their knowledge of the natural world. All children participate in creative activities, including babies, who enjoy opportunities, such as exploring jelly. This increases their tactile awareness. Communication skills are fostered in many ways, including songs and rhymes; this results in good interaction

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

between children and staff. Children in the out of school club participate in an array of experiences, including appropriate computer-based games and traditional colouring activities. These ensures children's needs across the age range are met well. The broad spectrum of resources and appropriate low level storage stimulates children’s overall development. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are happy and self assured in the setting, confidently participating in group activities. They use their imagination well, with this being developed into extended and purposeful play. Children show skill and control when they create imaginative movements, including pretending to be spiders and snakes. Staff offer suggestions and ask questions which challenge children to think and develop their ideas. They are gaining confidence in using numbers in every day activities, including counting how many cups are needed at

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

lunchtime. Children use mathematical language in other areas of play, such as when describing which stickle brick model is bigger. Additional teaching support is provided twice a week for French and English. The support has a significantly positive effect on children's progress in this area. Children enjoy mark making, with some being able to write their own names. Topics, such as the life cycle of the butterfly, increase children's knowledge and understanding of the world they live in. Displays and previous plans show that all areas of learning are being covered well. However, these do not include differentiation to extend activities for more able children. This has a negative impact on some children reaching their full potential.

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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 Children are well settled in the friendly and welcoming environment. This is partly due to the very friendly and approachable disposition of the staff. With effective adult support children are learning right from wrong and are starting to take responsibility for their own actions. The children share and take turns well, such as when playing dominoes. Children confidently make independent decisions and choices, with youngsters in the out of school club being consulted on the types of activities provided. Displays of children's art work, together with consistent praise and encouragement, raise self-esteem and confidence. Generally, sufficient effective support is given, which nurtures the children’s independence. However, this does not consistently occur at meal times with children aged 2 to 5 years; as a result, this has

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Helping children make a positive contribution

a negative impact on developing self help and social skills. A positive approach to behaviour management is generally adopted effectively, with the majority of the children's behaviour being very good. The staff’s confident approach to equal opportunities actively contributes to children’s positive attitudes to the wider community. This is complimented with a selection of resources depicting different cultures. However, there are very limited resources portraying positive images of people with disabilities, which hinder children awareness and understanding of difference. Children explore their feelings, such as linking their likes and dislikes to happy and sad faces, which are displayed. These positively foster children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Partnership with parents and carers is good, which is beneficial to the continuity of care the children receive. Detailed information is shared with parents on a daily basis,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

as well as regular newsletters, annual reports and parent’s evenings. Parental feedback is encouraged in a variety of ways, including questionnaires and a suggestion box. Parents and carers are encouraged to participate in nursery events, including trips to the pantomime and sponsored activities.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management is good. The manager has a clear vision for the overall nursery, with high emphasis being put on constantly improving the care and education offered. She shows a commitment to the professional development of her team, encouraging training in all areas. The manager has a clear understanding of the Birth to three framework and the Foundation Stage, enabling her to foster good practice throughout. Staff meetings encourage the sharing of views and ideas, which the manager actively responds to. Children’s play opportunities are maximised through the effective organisation of space, time and resources. Indoor space is well organised and staff are purposefully deployed, enabling children to participate independently and in groups. Very good organisation of time ensures babies' individual sleep patterns are accommodated well. The High Scope Approach is employed, with children being able to

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Organisation

independently access appropriately stored resources. Policies and procedures are reviewed regularly and individual documentation stored confidentially. This practice ensures children’s well-being and privacy are respected throughout.

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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 Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection, the provider was asked to assess the layout of the room, to continue to develop equal opportunities resources and to ensure medication forms are countersigned by parents. The room layout and medication forms have been appropriately addressed. Equal opportunities resources continue to be developed. All of these resources have a positive impact on children's welfare and development.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since 1 April 2004. 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 good.

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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): • further develop equal opportunities resources with regard to disability (also applies to nursery education)

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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 planning to include differentiation for more able children • further develop children's self help and social skills at meal times (also applies to child care).

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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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