Kimbolton Nursery Group

Kimbolton Nursery Group

Inspection report for early years provision

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Kimbolton Nursery Group

Unique Reference Number 223547 Inspection date 27 February 2006 Inspector Juliette Jennings

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Kimbolton Nursery Group

Setting Address St James C E School, Kimbolton, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 0HQ Telephone number 01568 612691

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E-mail

Registered person Kimbolton Nursery Group 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Kimbolton Nursery Group was founded in 1980 by a group of local parents who formed a committee. The group operates from three classrooms within St James CE Primary School in Kimbolton, close to the town of Leominster in Herefordshire and thus has strong links with the school. The children have the use of the school toilet facilities and there is an enclosed outdoor play area adjacent to the facility. The group serves the surrounding rural area and some families travel from parts of

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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 Leominster to use the nursery. The nursery is registered for 16 children aged 3 to 5-years. They provide a full-day session each Monday from 09:15 until 15:30 and morning sessions on Tuesday to Thursday from 09:15 until 12:15 during term times. There are currently 20 children on roll who are all in receipt of funded nursery education. There are three staff working with the children, all of whom hold appropriate childcare qualifications. The setting receives support from the Local Education Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children have a good choice of healthy snacks such as apples, oranges, banana and carrots, with the benefit of full-cream milk at every snack time. They have good access to drinks within the daily routine and also independently through the provision of water fountains. Children know how to use these and access water as they wish. They develop an understanding of being healthy within activities and themework. Ongoing discussion and regular information to parents supports a healthy eating ethos. Children develop an awareness of good hygiene procedures through routine activities such as toileting and hand-washing. Awareness is also reinforced through activities such as baking. Good hygiene practices in the areas used by children ensure that children are cared for in a hygienic atmosphere, for example, tables are wiped down prior to snack and meals. There are appropriate procedures in place for

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Helping children to be healthy

ensuring that children's accidents are recorded and any administration of medication is noted. Children's physical development is promoted very well. They have plenty of access to fresh air and outdoor activity which supports their physical development effectively. They enjoy the outdoor space and use the wide variety of activities available to them to develop their overall development, not just the physical aspect. Children have good opportunities to run around, climb, slide, use wheeled toys, investigate in sand and water and develop role play in the outdoor space. They particularly enjoy imaginary play outside and also re-enforcing their letter, sound and number concepts by using the murals on the walls. They develop other skills such as hand and eye co-ordination, through the use of resources such as paint brushes, cooking utensils, pencils, stencils, beads and small construction toys.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children enjoy and benefit from a colourful, stimulating, child-orientated and accessible space. The areas children use are bright and interesting and children are

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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 extremely confident, happy and secure in the space. They have very good access to a wide variety of toys, resources and equipment which they access from mostly low-level storage and within a routine which accommodates a good mixture of free play, child-choice and some adult-structured activities. Children's safety is important and there are procedures in place which generally work in practice to ensure the space is safe for the children to use. One safety issue was highlighted at inspection in relation to some electrical sockets which were not fitted with socket covers in areas used by children. There are good systems in place for ensuring that children are safe on the premises, for example a secure entry system, a visitor record and very good supervision of children at all times. Children are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

developing an understanding about safety through themework, for example, learning about how to dial '112' in an emergency and becoming aware of fire safety through role play and other activities. . Policies and procedures are in place which help to ensure that children's welfare is promoted effectively. Training is accessed regularly and this helps to ensure that staff are aware of what to do if there is an accident, emergency or a concern about any of the children. There is a thorough child protection procedure available to all staff and training is accessed on a regular basis.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. All children benefit from a colourful, stimulating and interesting environment in which they are happy, content and secure. Younger children mix well with the older, more able children and they access a range of activities within specific rooms, busily occupied with favourite activities that include role play, dough, free painting, water play and sand play. They enjoy good relationships with staff and other children and all are developing their independence and confidence well. They have very good support and encouragement from staff, who actively engage in their play and know what is needed to help children progress. Nursery education. The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. Children aged 3 and 4-years utilise an excellent range of resources and equipment which helps them to develop and extend their learning very well. They are excited,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

enthusiastic and motivated to learn, interested in what is happening around them, intrigued and keen to discover, explore and investigate and are confident to ask questions. They form solid relationships with staff and other children and appear extremely happy, content and secure in their environment. The confidence and enthusiasm of the children shines and it is obvious that they relish their time in the nursery. Children are supported very well in their play by staff who engage enthusiastically with them and clearly enjoy being with children. They are very good role models and

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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 encourage children to develop their play opportunities to help them make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Children benefit from the good staff to child ratios and this allows them to interact with staff as they choose within a routine which reflects a good balance of child-initiated play and some more structured activities. Staff are proactive in ensuring that children have access to the resources that they need in their free play time, regularly reminding them of what is available. Children are also able to extend their learning through development of their own interests, which are accommodated in termly planning. All of the early learning goal areas are strong, in particular the language, literacy, mathematics and personal, social and emotional aspects.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The planning and assessment system works efficiently, allows children's progress to be tracked through the stepping stones and shows a clear progression towards the early learning goals, with most of the more able children reaching the early learning goal objective. Staff have an excellent understanding of the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage and this allows them to be fully aware of where the children are within their individual stages of development and, in turn, means that they know what to do to help them make progress. Children are busily engaged in a wide and interesting variety of activities which include using information technology, developing early writing skills and enjoying role play, particularly the transport café and the fire engine role play, outdoor games, creative activities, sand play, puzzles, constructing with a variety of materials, sorting objects, singing and cooking. They enjoy continuing their learning in the outdoor

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

area, for example, recognising and naming the numbers and letters that have been written on the wall. Staff have highlighted plans to improve children's access to programmable toys and wheeled toys for use in child-initiated play. The partnership with parents of the 3 and 4-year-olds is good. A relaxed, happy and helpful ethos ensures that parents are able to discuss issues informally or comment more formally on any issues they may have through the 'have your say' leaflets. Daily verbal feedback and availability of written plans helps to ensure that parents know what their children have been doing whilst attending. In addition, they are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning through being informed of themed activities and know about their child's achievements through regular written reports. There are formal ways of finding out from parents about what children can do through discussion, a simple written form and then early assessment of what children can do

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's understanding of diversity and the world around them is promoted well through discussion, themework and age-appropriate activities. Their individual needs are accommodated well and supported within the daily routine of the setting. Independence is supported very well and children confidently make decisions about what they want to do, for example, they have recently decided to alter areas within the nursery and have decided to change the role play area into a transport café, as

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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 their current theme is about transport. Children with special needs are supported very well to develop and learn at their own individual pace. The partnership with parents, the school and other agencies is an important factor in this. Children are enthusiastic, busy, occupied, keen and interested to learn. They motivate themselves very well and enjoy the wide range of activities which are accessed in free play or are provided by staff. Children are very well-behaved, they listen when required and show concern for others. Staff use appropriate techniques to foster positive behaviour, such as distraction, discussion, encouragement of independence and choice and positive praise. Unwanted behaviour is dealt with in a sympathetic, consistent and age-appropriate manner. Children are constantly praised

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and their efforts are acknowledged, for example, their work is displayed and they are able to make decisions about what they want to happen in the environment. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. The partnership with parents is good. There are appropriate procedures in place to ensure that children are cared for consistently and in accordance with their parent's wishes. This is enhanced by daily verbal feedback to ensure that parents are informed about what their children have been doing whilst attending.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management is good. The staff team and committee have a clear overview of the setting as a whole, with regular access to training and ongoing review of policies. This helps to ensure that the care and education provided for the children is constantly under review and in turn helps to maintain a steady and experienced staff group, thus ensuring consistency of care for children. Staff work well together as a team, with everyone aware of their roles and responsibilities. There are appropriate procedures in place for ensuring that children are cared for by staff who are appropriately qualified and experienced and have gone through a suitable process for checking that they are suitable to work with children. All documentation is in good order and in line with requirements. Paperwork is stored securely within a lockable cabinet on site, ensuring children's information remains

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Organisation

confidential. Children are cared for in line with parent's wishes, with appropriate consents and detailed information obtained from them prior to the children starting at the setting. Policies and procedures are in place and are reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that they continue to work in practice. Overall the needs of the range of the children who attend are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection the setting was asked to make sure that the heaters were consistently covered. The issue of covering the heaters to prevent children from accessing them is still ongoing with the school, however, at the time of the inspection the thermostats were turned down so that the heaters remained safe whilst still ensuring that the rooms that children use remain warm.

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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 In addition, the setting was asked to display number and letter posters effectively so that children can use these. Posters are now displayed at child-height and are used by children and staff to reinforce learning about mathematical and literacy concepts.

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

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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): • make sure that daily risk assessments are rigorous, particularly in relation to electrical sockets

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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): • develop further the use of programmable toys and wheeled toys within child-initiated play as detailed in the action plan.

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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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