Manor Community Childcare Centre Ltd

Manor Community Childcare Centre

Inspection report for early years provision

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Manor Community Childcare Centre

300816 Unique Reference Number 25 September 2006 Inspection date Jill Lee Inspector

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Manor Community Childcare Centre

33 Vikinglea Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S2 1BE Setting Address

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Manor Community Childcare Centre

0114 2642594 Telephone number staff@manornursery.demon.co.uk E-mail Manor Community Childcare Centre Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Manor Community Childcare Centre

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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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?

Manor Community Childcare Centre was registered in 2001 and was previously known as Manor Community Nursery. The centre primarily serves the local area but is open to families city wide.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

It operates from single storey, purpose built premises, incorporating four play rooms, a training room, a parents' room, a meeting room and a crèche room. Children in the nursery are grouped in three rooms according to age. Children share access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The centre is open each weekday throughout the year from 08.00 until 17.00, offering both sessional and flexible full day care.

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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 A maximum of 65 children may attend the centre at any one time. There are currently 123 children on roll, of whom 28 receive funding for nursery education. The centre supports children who have learning difficulties and disabilities and for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The centre employs 16 staff to work directly with the children, of whom 15 have an appropriate qualification in childcare and education and one is working towards this. The centre is undertaking the quality assurance scheme, the Sheffield Quality Kitemark.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children have a wide and varied range of experiences in the fresh air, as they enjoy daily activities outdoors. They play running and chasing games, laughing with staff and using space well. They learn to be aware of younger children's needs as they share the outdoor space. They dance with delight, moving rhythmically to the music and they gather an 'orchestra' together as they sail off in the boat, singing happily and making lovely music together. They pretend to waddle like penguins and play ring games. They love riding bikes and scooters and successfully negotiate obstacles, as they transport each other on the trailers.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children skilfully use a wide range of equipment. Babies learn to negotiate steps and work out how to balance steadily on the slope, and the soft play area in the toddler room is enjoyed by everyone. They are developing a healthy independence and feel secure because staff stay emotionally and physically close, giving them confidence to explore and try out new challenges. They climb safely to the top of the climbing frame, balance along the bridge and learn to swing their body over the bars. Staff supervise closely, but do not offer help unless children ask, encouraging children to have confidence and trust in their own abilities. Physical play is well planned to help children develop coordination and control and to move in imaginative ways. Toddlers have sturdy toys to push along to support their developing mobility, and staff provide many opportunities for them to extend their physical skills.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are cared for in a bright and welcoming environment, which is clean and well maintained. Staff clearly recognise the importance of health and hygiene guidelines and implement them systematically. Arrangements for first aid and administering medication meet requirements and effectively protect children. Children spontaneously wash their hands before they decide to have their snack. They learn how to blow their own nose properly in front of the mirror. Well presented books and everyday conversations raise their awareness of health issues, as they write down appointments to see the dentist in the role play office area and talk about safety in the sun in their small world play. Staff consistently promote and encourage clear health and hygiene routines within everyday practice, so that children learn how to keep themselves healthy. They become increasingly independent in attending to their own personal care.

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Helping children to be healthy

Parents' wishes are fully considered so that children's individual health and dietary needs are met. Children bring a packed lunch each day but the nursery works closely and creatively with parents to ensure the food provided is balanced and healthy. Suggestions of what to include are shared and there is always lots of conversation about what is good for your body. Excellent

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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 displays about healthy eating encourage everyone to think about how important it is to be well nourished. Parents are asked not to send sweets and chocolates and the nursery provides milk or water to drink. Staff talk about the importance of limiting sweet foods and cleaning teeth after eating. Children are introduced to a wide variety of different fruits at snack time, encouraging them to try new tastes and textures of food. Snack and lunch times are highly enjoyable and relaxed occasions where staff and children sit together, sociably sharing conversation. They are encouraged to sit at the table until they have finished eating. Older children are supported to begin to manage their lunch time independently, in preparation for school. Children are offered drinks frequently and older children can access drinks independently.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have grown tomatoes and herbs in their garden and they made mint tea to drink. They sometimes shop for and help prepare snacks.

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Helping children to be healthy

Key staff liaise very closely with parents, so that they are very alert and responsive to individual development needs. They recognise signs of tiredness in babies and toddlers and respond appropriately, ensuring rest and sleep routines flow with the child's needs. All children are made to feel very special, as they enjoy close interactions with well known staff. Excellent consideration is given to times of transitions between rooms, enhancing children's sense of security.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's understanding of safety is strongly promoted because staff discuss limits and boundaries with them within everyday activities. They are cared for in an environment where staff confidently balance freedom and safe limits, so that children develop good levels of independence. They routinely explain and reinforce safe practice, like wiping up spilt water around the water tray and not running indoors. Good supervision encourages children to behave in caring and responsible ways, for example, they all help to tidy away the toys before lunch time. Consistent reminders about rules help new and younger children quickly begin to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn to use the large and well planned space purposefully, developing awareness of the needs of others. Staff enable them to access all areas of the environment, including free flow visits to other rooms from the garden, with safety and independence. A well considered range of good quality resources is stored at child height so that children can select them safely and without help. Appropriate risk assessments are conducted and practice is consistently monitored and evaluated to increase all children's safe and independent participation in everyday activities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are cared for by staff who give the highest priority to protecting children and keeping them safe. They enable children to feel confident to share their feelings and make their needs known and sensitively establish very supportive relationships with parents. They work in conjunction with the local Sure Start to provide 'breathing space' support for families. Staff access appropriate training opportunities and fully comprehend their responsibilities within child protection procedures, so that children's welfare is fully safeguarded. The child protection procedure has not yet been updated to reflect current guidance.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children love coming to the centre, where they are settled and secure. They explore and enjoy the stimulating nursery and crèche environment, developing self confidence as they plan their own play. Their self-esteem is nurtured as staff show interest in what they do and say, listen closely to them, ask questions and offer suggestions. Staff are reorganising the range and accessibility of resources in the continuous provision as they develop planning based on children's interests.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children experiment with different media and develop their own ideas as they freely explore with sand, water, paint and dough. Their independent creativity is nurtured as they make a huge floor painting, squirting different coloured paints, using rollers and large brushes to mix and swirl their colours. They blow bubbles with water and paint and make 'bubble' pictures outdoors. They are fascinated as the bubbles rise above the top of the pot 'like an ice-cream'. They make 'junk models' and develop wonderful imaginary games with the small world creatures in different landscapes, made of varied natural materials, becoming completely lost in their own pretend world. They make large models outdoors, using crates and guttering. Children are encouraged to be interested in change and the world around them, as they explore many natural materials, observe creatures and grow their own plants.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies and toddlers enjoy lots of cuddles and physical closeness. They are very secure and play contentedly, learning to enjoy being with others. They explore richly varied treasure baskets, which stimulate their senses and curiosity. Staff respond intuitively and sensitively to non-verbal communications, showing a high degree of respect for children's individuality. Babies' and toddlers' learning experiences are enriched as staff observe children closely and talk frequently with parents. They plan a richly stimulating environment based on children's interests, using the 'Birth to three matters' framework.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and children's learning is good. Staff have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and comprehensive planning ensures that children enjoy a very broad range of well planned activities and experiences which motivate them and sustain their interest. Children learn to concentrate and persevere very well with activities they enjoy. They relate well to others and learn to be caring towards new and younger children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have many opportunities to engage in conversations as staff encourage them to share their experiences. For example, staff support role play and small world play very effectively to introduce new language and nurture children's ability to communicate their own ideas. Staff actively reinforce 'good listening'. Children love reading books and enjoy a wide range, which promotes their awareness of the world around them. They listen with pleasure to stories and have made their own 'Animal book' and 'Book of names'. They love acting out stories as part of their everyday role play, a favourite is 'We're going on a bear hunt' and children have made a display to share their fun with everyone. They have many opportunities to write for real purposes in their role play, for example, they write appointments for the dentist as they play offices. They learn to recognise and write their name. Children count and become familiar with

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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 number concepts within their everyday routines. At group times, they count all the children and sing and act out number rhymes. They investigate mathematical ideas as they roll and shape dough, fill and empty containers in the water and build models with the large bricks. Staff do not maximise use of everyday opportunities to help children hear rhyming sounds so that they begin to link sounds and letters, or to reinforce children's awareness of mathematical language and problem solving in their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff interact very effectively with children to stimulate their curiosity and consolidate learning. They model skills and consistently reinforce expected behaviour, so that children learn to work cooperatively and use all activity areas productively. Assessments of progress are clearly linked to the stepping stones but the intended learning within activity areas in the continuous provision is not always sufficiently defined. Staff have developed clear and varied systems to observe children's interests and monitor their individual progress. They do not always fully utilise this information to adapt learning opportunities and challenge children to extend their learning in the everyday environment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are warmly welcomed into the inviting nursery environment. They develop a strong sense of belonging as they get to know staff well and become familiar with routines. Support for children with learning difficulties and disabilities is a real strength of the nursery. Enabling approaches, like use of signing, ensure all children are included and each child's individuality is nurtured. The sensory room provides space for relaxation and being calm. Children are cared for by familiar and well known staff, and they develop secure and trusting relationships. Shared outdoor play and mixed age group play times, including both nursery and crèche, enhance children's links with all staff and with each other, promoting their confidence and self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn to be kind and polite as staff gently and very consistently reinforce rules and boundaries. Their good behaviour is sensitively encouraged and supported. They learn to keep the play environment tidy, to share, take turns and think about others. Staff very clearly explain why certain behaviour, like pushing, is unacceptable so that children feel safe and know staff will help them to resolve any difficulties. Strategies, like use of an egg timer, help children independently manage turn taking and extend concentration times at activities. Children are alerted to changes in the routine by the shaking of bells, so that they have time to prepare for disruption to their play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn about different faiths, beliefs and lifestyles as they engage in activities, like role play and dressing up, which reflect their local community and wider world. They have some dual language children's books to read and well displayed posters show images of other cultures and scripts. Outings are planned occasionally, for example, to the local park or to the shops to buy fruit for snack time; this helps to promote children's awareness of their local community. Staff very successfully create a participative environment in which children make lots of choices and decisions. They learn to express their own needs and preferences and actively contribute to their own experiences. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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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 partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are encouraged to spend time settling their child, so they get to know staff well. Staff work very hard to promote effective communication with parents and aim to develop shared strategies to ensure consistency with home. Parents enjoy relaxed and comfortable relationships with staff, which promotes children's sense of security. They know how to raise any concerns, although the complaints procedure does not show the contact details of the regulator and has not been updated to reflect current guidance. A parent commented in a routine questionnaire that the nursery offers 'excellent childcare' and is a 'very welcoming place offering excellent support to diverse families'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents receive an information brochure when their child starts nursery. Staff talk through policies and procedures in detail and share information about the 'Birth to three matters' framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum. Excellent photographic displays give parents some vivid insights into the varied activities which support their child's progress. Parents communicate informally with staff on a daily basis and information about younger children's routines and activities is shared using daily care sheets. They are readily able to access their child's development profile. Photographs are used very creatively to record and share children's experiences in their record book 'All about me'. Regular newsletters keep parents updated about planned topics and parents are encouraged to become actively involved in their child's learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The nursery environment is very well organised to promote children's welfare and safety. Daily routines are clearly planned and flexibly implemented to respond to children's varying needs and interests. Staff are deployed very effectively to ensure appropriate levels of care and supervision, and they sensitively support and follow children's interests.

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Organisation

Children's care and education are enhanced by good leadership and management. Space and resources are organised to promote children's independent participation. The staff team is strong and cohesive, and they have developed a very effective approach to shared reflective practice. Systematic self-evaluation procedures help them to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement. Well planned observations of children help staff to identify children's interests and plan for progress, although systems to monitor the quality of teaching and its impact on children's learning are still being developed. Children's experiences are significantly enhanced by well planned access for staff to appropriate training and development opportunities.

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Organisation

Comprehensive policies and procedures are very effectively implemented, so that children's welfare is safeguarded. Recruitment procedures are robust, ensuring that staff are suitably skilled and experienced to work with children. Well planned induction procedures, together with ongoing staff monitoring and appraisal, ensure staff are able to support children's individual needs. Required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place and there are procedures in place for regular review. Parents' wishes regarding their child's care clearly influence day-to-day practice and clear written agreements are recorded.

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Organisation

Overall the provider meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to continue to review documentation regularly. There are now clearly identified procedures for regular review and updating of policies and procedures. This helps to ensure that children's welfare is protected. Some key policies have not yet been updated to reflect current guidance, for example, child protection and dealing with complaints. Staff are, however, aware of recent guidance and this is reflected in nursery practice.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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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.

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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): • update the child protection procedure to reflect current guidance • continue re-organising the way the continuous provision is resourced, to extend children's opportunity to make wider independent choices when planning their own play, both indoors and out • update the complaints procedure to reflect current guidance and include the address and telephone number of the regulator.

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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 observations to inform planning of next steps in children's learning and to identify the teaching focus in activities • develop further the systems to monitor the impact of teaching on children's learning.

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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 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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