Cheeky Monkeys Day Nursery LtdOfsted inspection, 27 Feb 2006

Cheeky Monkeys Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Cheeky Monkeys Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY101429 Inspection date 27 February 2006 Inspector Valerie Thomas

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Cheeky Monkeys Day Nursery

Setting Address Cheadle Road, Uttoxeter, Staffs, ST14 7BY

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Cheeky Monkeys Day Nursery

Telephone number 01889 564444 E-mail chrissy@cheekymonkeysdaynursery.com Registered person Christian McKeon Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Cheeky Monkeys 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

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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?

Cheeky Monkeys Day Nursery was registered in 2002. It operates from four rooms within a single storey building in Uttoxeter. There are two fully enclosed outdoor play areas fitted with a safety surface available. A maximum of 88 children may be cared for at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 137 children from 0 to under 8 years on roll. Of these, 37 receive

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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 funding for nursery education. Children attend from the local and surrounding areas. There are 24 staff who work with the children. Sixteen of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. Five staff are working towards a recognised qualification and one is working towards a further qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through well-planned routines. They know that they need to wash their hands before eating their snack as they have 'germs on them and they need to wash them away down the sink'. Good procedures such as, staff wearing protective clothing for nappy changing and for serving food sustain good levels of hygiene. This helps reduce the risk of cross contamination. Clear procedures for sick and infectious children help prevent the spread of infection. This helps to keep children healthy. There is a good level of staff who have a current first aid certificate and this helps to ensure children's needs are met if a medical emergency arose. Children benefit from a healthy and nutritional diet. Drinks are offered regularly throughout the day. Children are given a varied range of fruits and vegetables for their afternoon snack. For example, menus show that they have melon, oranges,

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Helping children to be healthy

cucumber and carrot sticks and children say that they like to eat apples. The nursery makes a commitment to parents that at least four portions of fruit and vegetables will be provided each day. Continual encouragement from staff at meal times helps children develop a positive attitude to healthy eating. They are very attentive to the young babies' needs, implementing their individual routines. This helps the transition from home to nursery care. Children enjoy good opportunities for physical exercise. Younger children join in well with action songs, for example, 'The big ship sails on the deep blue sea', moving their arms as they pretend to swim. Older children have lots of fun using the climbing equipment outside and taking part in the pancake race. In addition, the nursery has visits from a dance teacher and 'Jo Jangles' where children learn to move their body to the music. The well-planned activities help children to develop their physical skills

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Helping children to be healthy

and encourage a positive attitude towards a healthy lifestyle.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a very welcoming and well-organised environment, where all risks to children are limited through good safety and security procedures. Staff monitor access to the group at all times and precautions are taken by staff to ensure the outdoor areas are safe and secure. The two outdoor areas have a safety surface fitted to enable children to play safely. Risk assessments are completed regularly and daily safety checks are made. Clear procedures for outings help ensure children

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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 remain safe. Children know that they need to hold hands when walking and to cross the road where the 'lollipop person is'. Fire evacuation procedures are fully understood by staff and are practised with the children. Children know that they need to go outside when they hear the bell and line up to wait for the register call. This helps children remain safe. Children use a wide and varied range of safe, good quality, developmentally appropriate resources. These are organised well to ensure good accessibility for children and ensure they can make decisions about their play. Staff explain safe practices to children such as, not pushing each other on the slide as they may fall and not to slide down on the chair as they may hurt themselves. Children know that they need to come down the slide on their bottom so that they do not fall. This helps

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

children learn to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe. Children are well protected by staff that have a clear understanding of child protection issues and understand the correct procedures to follow. Many staff have received training in child protection which ensures that staff fully understand their responsibilities in protecting children from harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are confident in the setting's welcoming and caring environment. Staff make good use of the 'Birth to three matters' framework to guide their planning and recording of progress. Babies receive lots of cuddles and enjoy the positive interaction they receive from the staff. They benefit from routines which are consistent with their experiences at home and staff are very attentive to their needs. High importance is placed on providing varied sensory play for all children. Babies show good interest and have lots of fun as they explore the shredded paper with their hands and letting the cous cous run through their fingers. They develop early communication skills as they join in with action songs clapping their hands and dancing to the music and enjoy looking at books with the staff. Children imitate staff as they call out the staff names when they are outside and receive lots of praise

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

when they say 'thank you' for their toast. Older children have positive relationships with staff and receive comfort and attention when they need support. Children play happily together and have lots of fun as they splash the wellingtons in the water and make prints as they paint with them. Children's language and communication skills are promoted well by staff through constant conversation and regular singing sessions. They are encouraged to name colours as they draw and children are able to name the basic colours well. Consequently, children are learning to develop their speech and are able to express their needs confidently. They enjoy the many activities outside, climbing on the slides and digging in the sand and are able to sit quietly with the books if they wish. As a result children play well and show good interest and are keen to take part in activities. There is a good range of resources throughout the nursery to promote all areas of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

play and staff make good use of natural resources such as jelly, custard and spaghetti to extend children's sensory skills. The nursery is very well-organised

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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 throughout and promotes a stimulating environment for all children. Nursery education. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage and a good understanding of how young children learn and progress. Consequently, children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Planning provides clear guidance for all staff to ensure a wide range of activities and experiences are provided for children to extend their learning in all areas. Staff use good methods to maintain children's interest for most of the time and high importance is placed on child choice. However, on some occasions discussion at circle time is not always age appropriate and some children lose interest. Staff sit with children in small groups, asking questions and extending their play. Staff help

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

raise children's awareness of the community and the wider world well. There are a good range of resources to promote this and different festivals are celebrated. Children are challenged well through good questioning by the staff during activities. Assessment systems link to the stepping stones and are in the early stages of being implemented. Observations of individual children and group evaluations of activities take place to inform records. However, these have not been completed rigorously to show the clear progress of children. Behaviour is well-managed and this results in a calm and caring environment for children. The room and outdoor area are well-organised and offer a stimulating environment with a good range of accessible resources to promote children's learning. Children show a strong sense of belonging as they greet staff on arrival. Children are interested and eager to take part in activities for most of the time. They show good

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

concentration as they build their cars with the 'duplo' and count the spots on the dominoes. Children are confident and enjoy being chosen as the helper for the day, giving out the cups at snack time. Children behave well, responding positively to the boundaries set. They play well together as they hold the parachute for others to run under and have lots of fun as they sing and dance as a group to the music outside. Children's language skills are good. They speak clearly and confidently and are able to express their thoughts. Children tell the group that they like ice cream and oranges on their pancakes and explain that they think one phone is old because it is big and dusty. Children recognise their name card as they come into the room and post it into the post box and older ones are beginning to recognise their last name. Writing skills are developing and older children show good control as they colour their picture and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

paint the letters staying inside the lines. Children understand and use numbers well. Younger children count up to five confidently and are able to match number to object as they count the spots on the dominoes. Older children are able to count up to 10. They recognise numbers well as they find the numbers on the number line and can put them in order up to five. They develop problem solving skills as they find the marbles to match the number of spots on the dominoes and know that one more is needed to make 10. Children demonstrate that they understand shape and size well. They easily name and find the shapes outside and know that the rectangle is the biggest shape. Children know which bear is big and which is little and know that their hand is bigger than their friends'. Children develop an initial sense of time and place, and gain good knowledge of the environment as they are taken on trips to the fire station and have

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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 visits from the police and ambulance. They talk about old and new objects and know that the photograph is old because it is not in colour. They develop good exploration and investigation skills as they learn about change when planting radishes and parsley and look at the life cycle of a butterfly and frog. They know how to use the headphones to listen to the story tapes and are competent when using the computer knowing they need to move and click the mouse to activate the picture. Good use of the indoor and outdoor area helps children to develop all of their physical skills well. They use one-handed tools competently as they draw and paint their pictures and are learning to use scissors to cut around the shapes. Children climb and slide down the frames with confidence and show good control when kicking

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and rolling the balls. They balance well as they walk along on the stilts and are able to stop and start safely as they take part in the pancake race. They are able to express themselves freely through painting and enjoy exploring many different textures such as, jelly, sand and play dough. Children name a wide range of colours well and learn about different art techniques when they design a 'wall relief' with cardboard and wool in the Frank Stella style.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children enjoy positive relationships with the staff and with each other. All children are valued and respected as individuals and their confidence and self-esteem is developed well by staff with use of praise and encouragement on arrival and during their play throughout the session. There is a good range of resources available that positively represent different cultures, gender and disability. Many festivals are celebrated such as 'Eid and the 'Chinese New Year' and parents come in to the setting to talk about their cultures. Children have taken part in a 'Hawaiian Day' where they tasted coconuts. They have been for walks around the local village to raise money for 'Barnardos' and have visited a nearby farm to look at the animals. This helps children to develop their knowledge of the wider world and raise their awareness of diversity. The setting's policies promote inclusion for all children and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

the premises are suitable for all to access. Although there are no children currently attending with special needs there is an appropriate system in place to support them. Children behave well and respond positively to boundaries set by staff. Activities are planned to encourage children to take turns and share which, they do well. Children work together well as they play with the parachute and wait for their turn in the pancake race. This promotes a harmonious environment for children. Good use of praise and encouragement by staff build children's self-esteem well. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. All children benefit from the positive partnership staff have developed with parents. Children settle well because the staff work closely with parents to ensure their child's needs are met. Parents are made aware of how the setting operates mainly through discussion. Procedures to ensure parents are aware of the written policies are not

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Helping children make a positive contribution

fully effective. They are given a welcome pack and a brochure which includes details of activities and some of the nursery's procedures. However, not all parents are

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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 aware of the policies. Children's individual needs and routines are discussed and recorded with parents as part of the 'getting to know you' form that is completed. Younger children have daily sheets completed to keep parents informed of their child's well-being and daily discussion is used for older ones. This helps children to settle quickly and enables staff to fully meet the child's needs. The partnership with parents and carers of children who receive nursery education is good. Information on the educational programme is displayed at the entrance to the room and newsletters are sent home to say what activities the children will be involved in. Methods to keep parents informed of children's progress are good. Open evenings are held twice a year and written reports are sent home regularly. Parents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

are asked to bring objects in for the topic and children take the 'weekend book' home to record their home experiences. Parents are also invited in to talk to children about their role in the community. This enables parents to be involved and enhance their own child's learning. This helps children progress and enables them to make a positive contribution.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. There are effective recruitment procedures which ensure staff are appropriately vetted and there is a good level of qualified staff who work with the children. There is a good training programme implemented for staff and many training courses have been attended. For example, behaviour management, 'Birth to three matters', equal opportunities and the Foundation Stage. In addition, most staff have attended child protection and first aid. This helps to broaden children's experiences and contributes to the quality of care provided. Induction training and detailed policies and procedures work well in practice to keep children healthy and safeguard their welfare. Procedures for recording accidents and medication are clear and all children's attendance is recorded although, on a few occasions departure times are not detailed. The nursery is well-organised to meet the needs of the children. Good support is

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Organisation

given to the children by the staff and the key worker system is used to monitor children's progress and liaise with parents. Staff are caring and attentive to children's needs offering comfort when needed and continually extending their learning. Consequently, children are settled, happy and enjoy their time in the setting. The leadership and management of the setting for children receiving nursery education is good. Clear guidance is given by the management to ensure that the educational programme is delivered effectively and regular monitoring takes place through the appraisal system. In addition, regular reviews of practice take place and improvements are regularly implemented. For example, the outdoor area has been re-furbished to offer greater challenge and a stimulating environment for children. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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 The last Children Act inspection recommended that the nursery should improve the organisation of mealtimes for the older children. Improvements have been made and children sit in small groups with the staff who encourage the social aspect of meal times. Children use their manners, engage in conversation and sit and eat their meals well. This ensures children's social skills are developing well. The last inspection for children receiving nursery education recommended that assessment records be improved to include the stepping stones. A new system has been devised and is in the early stages of being implemented. When the system is fully in place it will show how children are progressing towards the early learning goals.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 Ofsted has received one complaint relating to National Standard 1: Suitable Person, National Standard 7: Hygiene, National Standard 12: Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers and National Standard 13: Child Protection. The complaint related to nappy changing procedures and how the nursery adheres to parent's wishes in respect of this. In addition, the complainant was concerned that a member of staff may have mistreated her child. Ofsted asked the provider to investigate the concerns raised in October 2004. We asked for details as to how the needs of all children are met at all times and how this is monitored. We also asked for a copy of the nappy changing policy and details as to how it is followed at all times. In addition, we requested a detailed report with regard to the allegation that one member of staff may have mistreated a child. All of the documentation was supplied within the timescales set. Ofsted reviewed all

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Complaints since the last inspection

documentation received and the policies and procedures supplied met with the requirements of the National Standards. However, Ofsted did request further information with regard to the investigation into the specific allegations made. A further report was received within the timescales set. The provider supplied specific nappy change sheets and signed copies of staff interviews that had been undertaken. Ofsted were satisfied with the details provided and can confirm that the National Standards were met. 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 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 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 records of children's attendance show times of departure at all times • enhance further the partnership with parents by ensuring they are fully informed of relevant policies

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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): • improve the procedures for assessing children's progress by ensuring that records are completed more rigorously • ensure all group activities meet children's different levels of ability.

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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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