Precious Ones Nursery

Precious Ones Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Precious Ones Nursery

Unique Reference Number 319367 Inspection date 09 March 2006 Inspector Linda Filewood

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Precious Ones Nursery

Setting Address Austin Burke Memorial Centre, 196 Chapeltown Road, Chapeltown, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS7 4HZ Telephone number 0113 2374079 or 0113 2374287 E-mail cogopleeds@aol.com Registered person Precious Ones Nursery Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Precious Ones Nursery

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Precious Ones Day Nursery has been operating for many years. Situated in the Chapeltown area of Leeds, the nursery is owned and managed by The Church of God of Prophecy and operates in purpose built accommodation. The open plan nursery is registered for 35 children between the ages of 3 months to 5 years. They are currently caring for 49 children of which 14 are in receipt of nursery education funding. None of the current children have special needs or speak English

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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 as an additional language. The nursery opens all year round and sessions are from 08.00 until 18.00 each weekday except for bank holidays. The nursery employs 10 staff to work with the children and the majority of these staff hold a relevant childcare qualification. The nursery receives teaching support from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good hygiene practice through consistent daily routines. For example, they know to wash their hands after using the toilet and that washing the germs off helps prevent them from becoming poorly. Staff follow good procedures to maintain high standards of hygiene, such as covering the tables with wipeable table cloths before a meal, using colour coded cleaning cloths and consistently wearing disposable gloves when changing children. Good systems, which are shared with parents, are put into practice to support children who are ill and ensure sick children are excluded to protect the health of others. At least one member of staff, trained in administering first aid, is available at all times. All required permissions and records are in place regarding the administration of medication to the children. Any accidents are clearly recorded and most are signed appropriately.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy well-balanced meals, which are freshly cooked on the premises. They are developing independence at meal times with good support from staff. Younger children learn to feed themselves and older children given good support in learning to use cutlery to cut up their own food. Mealtimes are relaxed, social occasions when children and adults sit together in small groups around the tables to enjoy the food and each other's company. Babies have food and drink following their home routine, as discussed with parents. Drinking water is always available to the children and they are encouraged to drink regularly, especially at snack and meal times. Staff are aware of each child's individual dietary needs and ensure they are met. They work well with parents to ensure that children have sufficient rest and sleep according to their individual needs and home routines. Children are active and enjoy regular daily outdoor play, which contributes to their

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Helping children to be healthy

overall good health. They benefit from an outdoor play space that offers both a grassed and paved area as well as a shaded area in summer. Children are developing self confidence in their physical skills as they use a wide range of indoor and outdoor toys and equipment. They competently use a wide range of equipment, such as scissors and paint brushes, which help to develop their fine motor skills. Older children run around with good body control and negotiate space around the playroom with ease. For babies and young children the good arrangement of toys and play equipment encourages crawling and offers space for babies to roll and stand with support.

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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

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a very safe indoor and outdoor environment which has excellent security precautions contributing well to the children's safety. Sleeping children are well supervised at all times. Space is organised well and children are able to move freely around the room accessing different areas of play. Children have limited independent access to all toys and resources but ample resources are put out at any one time to give them good choice. Children do, however, access craft items independently and can safely reach, for example, scissors and glue sticks from drawers and trays. Babies and young children play in a secure area within the room. This allows them to enjoy the company of the other children whilst being protected from playing with toys that are not suitable for their stage of development. The wide variety of resources available are in good clean condition and suitable for the age of

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

the children attending. Children learn to keep themselves safe due to clear explanations from staff. For example, through sensitive discussions whilst playing at being doctors, they are helped to understand how they can avoid accidents. Positive steps are taken to ensure that any risks to the children are minimised and that a safe play environment is maintained. Fire safety is well considered and the staff carry out regular fire practises which are well logged, raising the children's awareness of what to do in the event of an evacuation. Children's welfare is well considered and they are protected at all times. Staff clearly understand their role in caring for the children and undertake regular child protection training. They have good knowledge and understanding of child protection issues and know how to put appropriate procedures into practice, if and when necessary. Clear policies are in place and shared with parents for the safe collection of children

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

and their care if they are not collected.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children experience a good varied range of activities which contribute well to their development in all areas. All children are very happy, busy and interested in their play. They are full of confidence and enjoy a family atmosphere in which they chat happily to each other and the staff. Babies receive plenty of attention, cuddles and enjoy the good interaction of the staff. This has a positive impact on their well-being and security. Staff value children's early attempts at communication and respond positively to children's sounds, words and facial expressions. They have a basic increasing knowledge of the Birth to three matters framework and are beginning to put into practice a programme to further support the development of the children. The profiles for the younger children clearly show what they know and understand and are used to plan for the next steps in their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All staff relate very well to the children offering consistent support, good encouragement and meaningful praise. This results in the children feeling secure 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 confident to enjoy all the activities available to them and they happily play independently or in groups. Children are challenged to use what they know and are encouraged to learn in a comfortable and relaxed environment. Staff know the children very well and are fully aware of the learning potential of each activity. All children enjoy stories and make good use of the book corner, sitting quietly for periods suitable for their stage of development. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are progressing well, supported by the staffs' clear knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Planning is detailed, covers all areas of learning comprehensively and each activity is clearly evaluated. However, although children's profiles cover the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

stepping stones, they are used in conjunction with children's work books and are not always updated regularly, therefore, not clearly showing accurate progress towards the early learning goals. A good balance of child led and adult led activities are planned and provided, which supports children's areas of development and encourages them to investigate their environment. Children are motivated and very enthusiastic to learn as staff adopt a very relaxed, cheerful approach with them. They benefit from good quality interaction and skilful use of questioning techniques, to encourage them to talk and think about what they are doing. Children are confident speakers and staff listen to them and value what they say. They eagerly initiate conversations, talk about their family life and confidently relate their favourite story. Many opportunities for children to learn about the meaning of print are made available, both displayed around the nursery and included in the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

activities. For example, they measure the ingredients to make playdough following a recipe card displayed on the table and then write their own version of the recipe into their work books. This helps them to represent meaning through mark making. Children engage in a variety of activities, which foster their hand and eye coordination and supports their early writing skills. Children enjoy group singing times and listen well to stories whilst being equally happy to sit quietly on their own to enjoy the books. They are becoming independent and manage developmentally appropriate tasks very well. For example, they concentrate hard and dextrously pour water from a large jug into a plastic bottle whilst playing in the water. Children are developing good counting skills and use their mathematical skills to readily solve problems. Staff know the children well and offer appropriate challenge to the more able and older children. For example, younger children know how many

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

candles they will need to fit into the holes on the top of plastic birthday cakes, whilst older children calculate how many more they will need when only given a few to complete the task. Children explore colour in a variety of activities and confidently make models using a large variety of junk materials and equipment, such as glue sticks and scissors. They enjoy using their senses to explore a wide range of different materials, and are encouraged to feel the flour and then the play dough that has been made from it. The children are developing a good understanding of technology and enjoy using headphones and sharing a number-song CD with a friend. Planned activities and visitors to the nursery enhance the children's awareness of nature and the world around them, and they learn to appreciate this. For example, they enjoy the feel of snakes from a mini zoo and look for worms in the soil using magnifying

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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 glasses.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are welcomed and play a full part in the nursery because the staff value and respect their individuality. Good use of displays and children's work creates a bright and interesting environment throughout showing appreciation of children's creativity. This fully promotes children's learning and their sense of belonging. The good range of resources and activities provided promote a positive view of the wider world and increases the children's awareness of diversity and their understanding of others. They celebrate festivals that have meaning to both staff and children. Posters and photographs displayed around the nursery show positive images to further raise children's awareness of similarities and differences. Children play harmoniously together, are well behaved and respond well to consistent adult expectations of their behaviour. Staff act as good role models and children are actively encouraged to be

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Helping children make a positive contribution

well mannered and show respect to others. This approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The partnership with parents is good. Staff actively seek parent's views about their children's needs and interests before the children start at the setting and on a regular basis throughout their time there. Babies and young children settle well because staff work closely with parents to ensure they follow their home routine and keep parents fully informed of their child's day and progress through daily feedback sheets and clear profiles. Parents receive good quality general information about the nursery and the children's daily routine through a clear informative leaflet and policies and procedures are clear and available. Good information on the Foundation Stage curriculum and effective communication, through notices, profiles, regular verbal exchanges and open evenings, helps staff and parents work together to help children

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Helping children make a positive contribution

make progress and enhances the quality of care the children receive. Parents feel confident in approaching staff and are confident that their children are being well looked after.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's feelings of security and well-being are increased by the effective deployment of staff. All records, policies and procedures required for the efficient and safe management of the provision are in place and used effectively. Group sizes and staff deployment contribute to the children's good health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution. Staff have a high regard for the well-being of all children and clearly know and care about all the children in the group. The sessions are organised successfully so that children benefit from a good layout of easily accessible resources covering all developmental areas and are comfortable with the consistent routines. Children under 3 are beginning to benefit from some staff's recent attendance of training on the Birth to three matters framework, which is being introduced in practice.

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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 Leadership and management of the educational provision is good. Clear, sound recruitment and vetting procedures ensure children are well protected and cared for by staff with knowledge and understanding of child development. Induction, training and the enthusiasm of the staff have a positive impact on the children's welfare and development. However, an appraisal system is not in place for staff to identify and address any gaps in their own training needs. Children clearly benefit from staff who fully understand their roles and responsibilities; all are involved in planning which is fully evaluated and ensures that information gained informs future planning. The setting monitors and evaluates the progress of the children through mostly effective assessment records. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children who

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection various methods have been developed for sharing initial information with parents. A leaflet is in place giving clear general information about the setting and parents are asked to share information about their child's likes, dislikes and dietary requirements. Parents of Foundation Stage children are invited to an open evening where the curriculum is explained and are given written information to take home with them. Dates are now included in the development profiles and assist in monitoring the children's progress. Extra resources have been obtained and activities planned to raise the children's awareness of disability. For children receiving nursery education there is a good balance within the session to ensure a mix of child led and adult led activities. Staff are skilled and ensure the activities give children free choice, within the well organised lay out of the room and

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Improvements since the last inspection

promote all aspects of learning. Planning shows that children are given challenge to develop new skills in outdoor play. The observation of children's responses to learning are beginning to be recorded within in the six areas of learning and used as a guide to future planning. However, the profiles shown to parents do not yet fully show the progress their children are making, as they are not always updated regularly.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since 1 April 2004. 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

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 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): • develop a system for staff appraisals.

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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): • introduce consistent systems to monitor children's progress towards the early learning goals that are manageable for staff.

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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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