Playstation Day Nursery Ltd

Playstation Day Nursery Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Playstation Day Nursery Ltd

Unique Reference Number 223582 Inspection date 03 March 2006 Inspector Janette Elizabeth Owen

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Playstation Day Nursery Ltd

Setting Address Forest House, The Homend, Ledbury, Herefordshire, HR8 1AR

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Playstation Day Nursery Ltd

Telephone number 01531 631082 E-mail annbrennan@playstation17.freeserve.co.uk Registered person Playstation Day Nursery Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School care

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Playstation Day Nursery Ltd

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?

Playstation Day Nursery has been open since 1991. It operates from its own premises on the outskirts of the market town of Ledbury. A maximum of 40 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 17.45 throughout the year. Children have access to safe and secure outside play in separate areas for babies and older children. There are currently 35 children aged between 3 months and 8 years on roll. Of these,

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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 10 children receive funding for nursery education. Out of school provision is also provided for a maximum of 10 children at any one time. The nursery supports children with special educational needs, and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 10 childcare staff and 4 support staff. Seven of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff are working towards a qualification. The nursery works in partnership with a local training organisation who provides training, and are able to offer placements to students. The nursery receives support and training from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children’s health is promoted effectively because the nursery takes positive steps to promote children’s good health, and encourages them to begin to take responsibility for their own health and hygiene. Appropriate measures taken when children are ill so that their health needs are met. Staff are well informed of health and hygiene procedures and follow procedures rigorously to prevent the spread of infection and maintain children's good health. Children are beginning to learn about personal hygiene, they talk about the importance of washing their hands to prevent germs and older children are developing their independence in using the toilet facilities independently. Children are provided with well-balanced, freshly cooked meals which take into consideration children's individual dietary needs. All children are provided with well presented meals of sufficient quantity to meet their needs; the children enjoy the

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Helping children to be healthy

cooked meals and nourishing snacks and regularly ask for second helpings. Meal times are a sociable occasion, enabling children to begin to develop their independence as they learn to feed themselves, pour their own drinks at snack time and competently use their cutlery at meal times. Children's physical skills and co-ordination are developing well. They are engaged in a wide range of different activities when using the separate outside play spaces, the area for babies is separate from preschool, ensuring their safety when playing outside. All children have access to a secure outside play area which is equipped with age-appropriate physical play equipment such as trampoline, climbing frame, balance beams and wheeled and push along toys. Equipment is adapted to enable all children to participate in physical activity and achieve a good level of independent mobility. Activities are planned into the curriculum to ensure children participate in a

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Helping children to be healthy

varied range of physical activities which help them develop all their muscles and develop control and co-ordination. Children make good use of indoor activities such as music and movement, co-operative games and action songs to further develop their confidence in moving and turn taking. Babies and very young children are provided with appropriate activities and resources to support their physical and emotional development. Staff have a very good understanding of the individual needs of each child and provide good opportunities for babies to explore and investigate.

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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 They are involved in a stimulating range of activities and provided with experiences which are exciting and offer opportunities for them to be active and quiet times when their emotional needs are met well because the staff respond in a very caring way towards the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are safe and very well cared for in premises that are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose because the nursery gives children good access to a comprehensive range of facilities that effectively promotes children’s development, enabling them to develop their independence safely and have access to a varied range of learning opportunities. Children are provided with resources which are of good quality and varied; they are suitable for children of all ages and used effectively to promote children's learning and development. Bright displays of children's work add colour and interest to the rooms used by the children. Children’s safety is promoted because the manager and staff take positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures correct procedures are followed when dealing with accidents. Risk assessments are carried out on a daily basis but are not always used effectively to rectify any potential hazards. Children are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

learning to keep themselves safe because staff talk to the children about safety and fire drills are regularly practised. Children are well protected by staff who are vetted and have a sound understanding of their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures into practice. However, staff have not updated their knowledge in order to keep up with new guidelines and information.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are well settled and happy. All children receive a good level of support and access to a wide range of developmentally suitable activities which enable them to make sound progress. The consistent staff group are qualified and knowledgeable and use their understanding of early years guidance, such as 'Birth to three matters' and the 'Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage', to provide good quality care and education. Children in the baby room receive a very good level of support enabling them to settle and be happy because staff respond well to their emotional needs. Their individual needs are met effectively because staff work closely with parents enabling staff to build a good relationship with the children which increases children's sense of trust and self assurance. Early communication skills are supported well through use of signing and children are able to explore and make sense of their world using good

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

quality resources and equipment. Nursery education.

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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 The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children's personal, social and emotional development is very good. Children are provided with positive experiences and a good level of support, enabling them to be confident, able to work independently and have a good relationship with adults and other children. They learn to play co-operatively together, sharing and helping with routine tasks resulting in children being well-behaved. Children confidently select and use resources to develop their own ideas; they are becoming independent and able to use their own initiative. Children are making sound progress in communication and language development. Staff make good use of strategies such as using sign language to enable children to use verbal and non verbal means of communication, this is

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

particularly effective in supporting children with special needs. Children are able to express their views and share experiences with other children and adults. Good use is made of circle time to allow children to share ideas and talk about home and family. Children enjoy having stories read to them; they show excitement and pleasure and join in with well remembered parts of favourite stories. The book corner is not well organised to encourage children to use and enjoy books independently. Activities such as role play are used to introduce children to writing and the written word, and focus activities are used to help children practise their letter formation before children commence writing for a purpose such as labelling their own work. Children are beginning to count and recognise numbers. Focus activities enable children to work on specific areas of mathematics such as shape and measurement but there are missed opportunities to consolidate this knowledge using informal

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

leaning and everyday activities such as counting out cups at snack time. Children have many good learning experiences to increase their knowledge and understanding of the world. They use dough to model teddy bears, having studied what a bear should look like and use their senses to smell and feel the texture of wet pasta. Children are developing a good understanding of information technology, they regularly use the computer and are competent in operating simple programmes which support their understanding of mathematics and language and literacy. Children are making good progress in their creative development. They are encouraged to produce individual pieces of work which are valued and displayed around the nursery. Children use imaginative play well to act out their own experiences. They are provided with a well resourced role play area and good quality dressing up clothes. Music sessions are regularly included enabling children to use

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

musical instruments, listen to music and participate in singing songs. Children are making sound progress in all areas of learning because the quality of teaching is good. Staff have a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and provide children with a varied range of activities which support their learning. The interaction between staff and children is good enabling children to ask questions and acquire new skills. Children are grouped appropriately enabling older children to work in small groups on specific focused activities. However, opportunities for children to consolidate what they have learnt through practical application and daily routines are not used effectively, particularly in relation to mathematics. There are effective systems in place for finding out about children's development, abilities and needs on entering the nursery. Staff build on this information using observations and assessment of children's progress to plan experiences which

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

promote children's next steps in learning.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued as individuals and are given a high level of support and encouragement because staff know the children well. They benefit from the very good relationships which have been developed between children and adults. Children are developing their sense of belonging because they are actively involved in the setting and their contribution within the nursery is valued. Children have very good opportunities to learn about the world around them and the wider society through inclusion in activities which reflect diversity such as celebrating festival and traditions. Effective use is made of visitors to the setting which help children learn from talking to people and sharing their own experiences. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The provision for children identified with special educational needs is excellent. There

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Helping children make a positive contribution

are very good arrangements in place to ensure the care and developmental needs for children with special needs are met. The nursery staff are proactive in providing a high level of support to enable all children to reach their full potential. Effective use of staffing and adaptation of resources enable the children to be happy, settled and purposefully engaged in the sessions. Children's needs are fully discussed with parents and individual action plans drawn up which identify how children's needs will be addressed. The nursery works very effectively with parents and other professionals involved in the children's care. Children are well behaved; they are polite and show a good level of care and consideration towards others. They understand responsible behaviour, helping to put away toys they have played with and happily await their turn with activities or equipment. The children are developing a positive attitude towards others because

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Helping children make a positive contribution

the staff are good role models who use positive praise and encouragement effectively to promote children's understanding of good behaviour. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. There are good arrangements in place to share information with parents; they are consulted on all aspects of their child's care and development to ensure individual needs are met. Staff regularly share information on children's progress with parents through informal chats and children's development folders are accessible to parents at any time. Parents are kept informed about the provision and any changes relating to the care provided for their child through newsletters and information on the notice board.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The good organisation of the nursery ensures that children are well cared for in a setting where there are well qualified and experienced staff to meet the needs of all the children who use the nursery. Children benefit from the consistent staff group who are experienced and have a genuine concern for the welfare of the children. The staff work well together as a team and have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage

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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 curriculum and the 'Birth to three matters' framework and apply this in practice to enable children to make good developmental progress. Training is ongoing to ensure all staff hold recognised qualifications and the nursery is working towards a quality assurance award. The leadership and management of the nursery is good. The person in charge takes an active role in the setting; she is experienced and provides a high level of support for staff enabling them to effectively meet the needs of the children. The nursery manager is proactive in addressing any weaknesses identified in the setting to ensure the safety and well-being of the 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

Since the previous inspection staff have made good progress in developing positive behaviour management strategies resulting in an improvement in children's behaviour because staff talk to children using positive language to reinforce good behaviour. Some progress has been made in developing opportunities for children to demonstrate their knowledge and skills during routine activities. However, more progress needs to be made to ensure children are able to consolidate their formal learning using informal and routine activities. Staff have made good progress in using questions to enable children to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted 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):

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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 children's safety by ensuring risk assessments effectively identify potential risks and that measures are in place to address any potential hazards • improve staffs knowledge and understanding of child protection in line with local guidelines

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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): • consolidate children's formal learning by providing opportunities for children to use mathematical language during informal activities • ensure that books are fully accessible and displayed in a way that encourages children to use and enjoy them.

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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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