Waterloo House Day Nursery Ltd

Waterloo House II Private Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Waterloo House II Private Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 303860 Inspection date 20 February 2006 Inspector Alexandra Cole

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Waterloo House II Private Day Nursery

Setting Address 3 West Parade, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 2TE

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E-mail

Registered person Josephine Capone 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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?

Waterloo House Private Day Nursery Ltd has been registered since 1999. It operates from a converted warehouse and has access to four rooms and a large hall area. It is situated a couple of miles from the centre of Halifax and serves the local and wider community. A maximum of 65 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open from 08:00 to 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share

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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 access to a secure enclosed front outdoor play area. There are currently 68 children aged from birth to under 8 years on roll. Of these 25 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 8 full time and 5 part time staff. 11 of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is inadequate. Staff suitably address and support most aspects of children's health. Arrangements for administering medication and recording accidents are in place but written permission from parents is not obtained before administering medication to children. This is a breach of the regulations as set out in the National Standards and compromises children safety. Staff act in the best interests of children when they are ill; protecting them from illness and infection. Children benefit from regular physical exercise. For example, as they thoroughly enjoy their time in the play gym. They develop their coordination skills and balance as they climb in and out of the ball pool and as they use the slide. Older children use the outdoor area to run, jump, skip and use equipment, such as beanbags. They move spontaneously within the space outdoors and indoors. Children adjust their speed as they race, avoiding each other

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Helping children to be healthy

and obstacles, such as play equipment. Children are reasonably well nourished. They are offered a range of nutritious meals and snacks which includes the provision of fresh fruit and vegetables. Food and drink is stored and prepared appropriately reducing the risk to children's health. Staff gather detailed information from parents regarding children's individual dietary needs. They comply with children's special dietary requirements to ensure children remain healthy. Although the older children are provided with a water cooler in the pre-school room, this is inaccessible to them, meaning that they do not benefit from continuous hydration. This does not promote healthy development. Older children are independent in self-care skills and have a good awareness of healthy practices. For example, they have a clear understanding of why they need to wash their hands and they recognise when they are tired. An example of this is when

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Helping children to be healthy

after outdoor play children flop onto a mat and tell staff that they are tired. Children are protected through good hygiene routines that include staff wearing disposable aprons and gloves during nappy changes and ensuring the changing mat is disinfected after each use. Protecting them from illness and infection.

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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 provision is inadequate. Children are cared for in sufficiently maintained premises. Welcoming facilities are provided, which help children to feel settled. Displays of children's work are bright and attractive helping children to develop a sense of belonging. Children are generally able to move around safely in the environment. Rooms are well arranged to provide different areas for play and for rest. Children benefit from suitable facilities indoors and outdoors. Risk assessments of the indoors and outdoors are undertaken regularly and any issues noted; ensuring the environment is a safe place in which children can play and learn. The children are sufficiently safeguarded within the setting as doors are kept locked with a secure entry system. Children have a good selection of age appropriate toys and equipment to choose

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

from. Rooms for older children are organised into different areas of learning where toys are available for self-selection; increasing children's independence and promoting their decision making skills. They are encouraged to learn how to keep themselves safe through reminders and explanations from staff, for example, when staff tell children why it is dangerous to run inside. Staff are aware of their responsibility towards child protection in line with Area Child Protection Committee procedures. However, the child protection policy does not include the procedure to follow if an allegation of abuse is made against a member of staff. This is a breach of the regulations as set out in the National Standards and does not ensure that children are fully protected.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy and settled at the nursery and they are fully involved in their play. Warm and caring relationships are apparent between the staff and children and they are confident and happy to arrive at the setting; contributing towards their sense of belonging. Children are confident in their relationships with staff. They play happily together and with adults, enjoying using resources such as the home corner, construction toys and the book area. The staff have attended the Birth to three matters framework training but their use of it is ineffective. For example, staff are too focussed on the schedules and routines of the nursery which does not flow with younger children's individual needs. Staff have a lack of understanding of the 'key person' system within the framework to ensure that a child benefits from consistency in order to develop their trust and confidence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's self-esteem is developed through the staffs good use of praise and support, for example, when the children are encouraged to give themselves a round of applause after helping to tidy up. The staff use suitable questioning to make children think. An example of this is when staff remind children of the rules of the home corner by asking them how many of them are able to play there at one particular time. Children play well together, they learn to share and have respect for each others feelings, for example, when children apologise to each other when they

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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 bump into one another. Children are involved, interested and enjoy their play, for example, as they thoroughly enjoy singing 'the wheels on the bus' song together. Nursery Education: The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The staff have an adequate understanding of the Foundation Stage and of how children learn. They plan a suitable range of activities and experiences to cover all areas of children's learning. Planning is sufficient to ensure that children are able to progress in all aspects of the areas of learning within the curriculum. However, all of the staff team are not involved in devising the activity plans; impacting on their understanding of how activities can be developed to further challenge children. Staff know children well and give children opportunities to contribute their ideas and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

personal experiences through general conversation. They are confident and secure, chatty and complete daily routines with confidence. Children who are settling in are given support and encouragement until they are confident to join in with other children and participate independently in routines. They are given responsibilities to increase their self-esteem and to have a sense of belonging, such as giving face cloths out after meals. Although systems for assessing children's learning are in place, they do not always clearly demonstrate children's progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals effectively. Overall children make satisfactory progress in all areas of learning. Staff use open questions to promote children's thinking, for example, as they ask them what colours the leaves on the trees are during different seasons. Children are developing early reading and writing skills, through the use of the mark making area as they are able

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to ascribe meaning to marks and as they confidently handle books in the book area. They consistently handle the books and pretend to read stories to each other. Children can recognise basic numbers and colours and can confidently complete puzzles and put the pieces in the correct space with little adult intervention. Children use mathematical language, such as 'one more' and 'how many' as they calculate how many knives they will need when they help to set the tables at lunch time. Children benefit from a suitable range of information and technology equipment to support their learning, such as compact disc players and the computer. They can confidently use a computer programme, using good hand-eye coordination as they control the mouse whilst looking at the screen. Children are developing an understanding of the natural world through activities, such as planting bulbs and watching them grow. Through the current theme of 'mini beasts' the children are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

learning about the life cycle of a butterfly. Children are cared for in an environment where they can independently select activities that are laid out for them and self-select from other resources. Children develop their creativity as they have free access to the painting easel and as they spend a long period of time making a model using the collage materials.

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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 The provision is satisfactory. Children's individual needs are adequately met and they are fully included in the nursery. Children develop a positive attitude to others and develop an understanding of the wider world through celebrating festivals and having access to a range of resources which show positive images of culture, ethnicity, gender and disability. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development sufficiently. Children are well behaved because they are made aware of boundaries and expectations. For example, when staff explain to children how to behave during story time. Children willingly share toys and cooperate well together. An example of this is when they help each other to remove the toys from the sand tray. Staff use praise

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and support to reinforce and encourage good behaviour and encourage children to use good manners. Children show a sense of caring towards each other, for example, as they help each other to put their shoes on. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Staff record all of the necessary information from parents and share policies and procedures with them. Parents know they can discuss any issues when necessary and can make appointments for confidential meetings about their child and any issues that concern them. Staff record children's achievements in a development record which parents may take home. Additional information relating to the current theme and updates for the setting is shared through the use of a regular newsletter. Staff record details of younger children's personal care and this is shared with parents on a daily basis. Promoting continuity of care.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The staff organise the setting sufficiently well to ensure that the children feel settled and secure and the suitable presentation of activities and resources enables children to initiate their own play and learning. Staff know their roles and responsibilities and sufficiently implement routines to give children a range of experiences. Children benefit from well deployed staff, that give children appropriate support and encouragement, which helps them feel secure and confident. All staff are appropriately vetted; ensuring children's welfare needs are met. A lack of knowledge of the requirements of the National Standards means that the registered person fails to comply with some regulations. Policies and procedures are not accessible and available for inspection at all times. The child protection procedure does not contain all of the required information and the procedure for

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Organisation

administering medication to children does not meet requirements. Overall the provision does not meet the needs of the children who attend. The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. Annual staff appraisals and monitoring systems are adequately used to plan staffs' development and training needs. The setting has a positive attitude to improvement and a commitment to training in order to provide an appropriately qualified and skilled

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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 workforce.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection the nursery has improved children's safety and hygiene through replacing the worn flooring, improving the cleanliness of the sink area and ensuring that accidents are now recorded appropriately. They have improved children's access to materials that encourage free creative expression and developed the system for recording children's attainment and progress, however, these systems require further improvement. Parents involvement in their child's learning has been encouraged through the use of a regular newsletter detailing the current theme or topic. The operational plan requires development to ensure policies and procedures meet regulations.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaint 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care, the registered person must take the following actions: • Obtain written permission from parents before administering medication to children. • Ensure that the Child Protection policy includes the procedure to follow in the event of an allegation of abuse being made against a member of staff. • Ensure that all records relating to day care activities are readily accessible and available for inspection at all times.

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • Improve knowledge and understanding of the requirements set out in the National Standards. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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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 staff's knowledge and understanding of how activities can be developed to further challenge children • develop the systems of assessing children's learning to ensure they clearly demonstrate children's progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals.

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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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