Bright Sparks

Bright Sparks Nursery School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bright Sparks Nursery School

Unique Reference Number 161979 Inspection date 21 March 2006 Inspector Catherine, Louise Sample

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Bright Sparks Nursery School

Setting Address Ebbesbourne Wake Village Hall, Ebbesbourne Wake, SALISBURY, Wiltshire, SP5 5JF Telephone number 01722 781069

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E-mail

Registered person Bright Sparks Nursery School Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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E-mail

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

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Bright Sparks Nursery School opened in 1991. It operates from a hall in the village of Ebbesbourne Wake. A maximum of 26 children aged 2 to under 7 years may attend at any one time. The group opens five days a week during school term times and for varying periods during the school holidays. Term time sessions are from 09:00 until 15:00 every weekday. There are currently 43 children from 2 to under 7 years on roll. Of these, 25 receive

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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 funding for nursery education. The nursery caters for children who have special needs. The nursery serves villages in the local area. The nursery employs seven staff. Six have Early Years qualifications and one is currently attending Early Years training. The nursery receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are well protected from the risk of infection. The nursery has effective procedures for preventing cross infection. For example, children with chicken pox are excluded until the spots have healed. Children's health is also promoted by informing parents of the latest advice about illnesses such as meningitis. Children's first aid needs are met effectively through most of the staff having current first aid training. Children's hygiene needs are met well. They are learning about why it is important to wash their hands and use liquid soap and paper towels to ensure good hygiene. They know that they must wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Children have healthy food and drink. They have snacks of fruit and raw vegetables such as carrots. They are able to choose from drinks of water, cold milk, hot milk or hot chocolate at snack time. However, there are currently no arrangements in place

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Helping children to be healthy

for children to help themselves to drinking water during the day. Children are learning about healthy eating. There are posters displayed about eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Children and staff discuss healthy eating. For example, a member of staff asks "Is carrot good for us?" and tells children that 'Milk is good for your bones.' Children's dietary needs are respected. Parents are asked for details of any needs and staff ensure that they are met. There is a clear list of children's food intolerances displayed in the kitchen. Children are helped to keep fit through a good variety of daily physical play including music and movement and outdoor play on equipment such as swings and a climbing frame.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are gaining a good understanding of safety. Staff talk with them about why it is dangerous to stand on a toy with wheels - 'You could slip and hurt yourself.' They also encourage them to identify risks. For example, they ask "What do you think might happen if you run in a shop?" Even the youngest children talk about what happens if the floor is wet and slippery. Children's safety is promoted through positive measures that include regular risk assessments and keeping staff up to date with health and safety advice. Children's safety on the premises is ensured through providing a safe environment. For

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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 example, electrical sockets are covered and dangerous areas, such as the kitchen, are out of bounds to the children. The building is kept secure at all times and access by visitors is monitored. Children play safely in the fully enclosed outdoor play area, which has a soft play surface and no hazards. Children are kept safe on outings through a range of effective measures. These include making initial checks on the destination to check on safety and suitability. Children wear nursery sweatshirts and name tags to make them easily identifiable. A high adult to child ratio also helps to protect the children, and parental help is sought to ensure a ratio of 1:2 is met. Children's welfare is promoted through staff's sound understanding of child protection issues. Staff have a thorough awareness of the possible indicators of abuse such as

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

bruises, burns and signs of neglect. They also have a clear understanding of the procedures to be followed in the event of concerns. The child protection coordinator has recently attended training and is sharing what she learnt with the other staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children benefit from a wide range of purposeful activities that cover all areas of their learning and development. They enjoy stimulating activities such as exploring the properties of shaving foam and looking in the mirror and talking about themselves. They are able to choose from a varied range of age appropriate resources. Both areas used by different age groups are fully resourced. For example, there are two role play areas and two book areas. Children have lots of choices. Staff ask "What would you like to do? What would you like to get out?" Children have good self esteem and are proud of what they can do. A child proudly says " Look! Football!" and then kicks the ball. Staff are quick to praise and acknowledge achievement. For example, a child is told "Well done. Very clever" when she says that she has 10 fingers. Younger children's care is enhanced through the use of the Birth to three

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

matters framework. There is a good balance of structured and child led activities to help two year olds develop their skills and independence. Nursery education Teaching and learning are good. Children's education is enhanced by good teaching methods. Staff have a clear understanding of the early learning goals. This enables them to help children make progress in all areas of learning through a wide variety of structured and child led activities. The nursery has recently introduced a new planning method and staff are adapting it to ensure that all areas of learning are covered effectively. Staff have a good working knowledge of the stepping stones and are able to explain what a child can learn from an activity. Staff make effective use of questioning to encourage the children to think for themselves. For example, they ask "What does it feel like?" and "What makes you cross?" They offer plenty of praise to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

boost children's self esteem. For example, a member of staff tells the children " Very good keeping quiet- you're getting really good at that ". Staff have a good understanding of how to extend more able children. For example, they do addition and subtraction with a more able child and are planning to talk to the school to

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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 ensure the best strategy to keep the child stimulated. Staff make good use of assessment. They make ongoing observations of the children's progress and transfer these to the children's records weekly. Children's record folders include photographic evidence of the child doing activities and examples of their work. The records are used to inform planning. They give staff a clear awareness of the next steps children need to take and daily activity plans can then identify individual children that may need extra help or further extension. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. They are enthusiastic and motivated to learn. For example, they are keen to do show and tell and rush to take out the musical instruments. They are able to concentrate well. They

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

spend some time looking at themselves in the mirror and painting self portraits. They play an active role in the setting. They help to tidy up and enjoy helping to take the register. Children are confident and self assured. They confidently chat to the inspector about magnets and one listens to her heartbeat with a stethoscope. Children are confident speakers who talk about what they are doing and speak up in front of others at circle time. They have good opportunities to link sounds and letters and an older child is able to spell out her name phonetically. They also have good opportunities to mark make. A table is set up with a variety of writing materials for children to experiment with and they are encouraged to write their names on their work. Children enjoy listening to stories although they were not observed to choose books to look at by themselves. There are no cushions or comfortable seating and as

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

a result children make poor use of the book area. Children are learning to count. Staff encourage them to count in a variety of activities. A child counts up the children for the inspector and then counts to 30 with no help. Children use size and number language in their play. They talk about "A big tower" and a child says "I'm four" and shows four fingers. Children have good opportunities to solve number problems. They count the number of children and work out how many cups are needed. They are learning about using counting for practical purposes. They help to take the register and total up the ticks and crosses to work out how many children are present. Some children use numerals when recording this information. Children have many independent skills such as toileting and putting on their own coats. They operate independently. For example, fetching pens and paper to take the register and helping to tidy up. They have good relationships with one another and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

work as part of a group. For example, they wait patiently for their turn at circle time. They are well behaved and know the rules such as no running. They are becoming aware of cultural differences through using appropriate resources and through activities such as cooking foreign foods. Children have daily opportunities for physical activity. These include access to a climbing frame, slide and swings. They also have access to equipment such as bikes, hoops and balls. They enjoy regular music and movement sessions. They have good opportunities to find out about their bodies. For example, they use a stethoscope to listen to each others hearts and find out what happens when they jog. Children confidently use a variety of one handed tools such as scissors and paint brushes.

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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 Children can self select from a wide variety of art and craft materials. There is always an area set up for craft activities. Children can experiment freely with different media and are encouraged to express themselves. For example, during a self portrait activity children can do what they like rather than adults leading the activity. Children use musical instruments regularly and have a weekly music and singing lesson. Children are learning about living things. For example, growing bulbs for mothers day. They are also learning about the local environment by going on nature walks in the village. They talk about home and their families. For example a child talks about her new baby and another talks about where his granny lives. Children use the computer daily and there are printed displays of their mouse control up on the wall.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They also use electronic toys such as tills and calculators. Overall children are making good progress in their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have a good sense of belonging. They are warmly welcomed into the group and a child that has been off sick is told how much everyone has missed him. Children have named coat hooks to help them feel welcome and move confidently about the setting. For example, they go and fetch paper and pens for an activity. Children have positive relationships with one another. They play happily together with a game and take turns at circle time. They also have a warm relationship with staff. They chat happily to them and a child that is distressed when her mother leaves has a cuddle with a member of staff. Children are well behaved. They spontaneously use polite words such as "Excuse me" and "Please". They are good at sharing. For example, a child offers to share her paints with another child. They are also good at following instructions such as helping to tidy up. Children's behaviour is managed well. Staff lead by example and give

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Helping children make a positive contribution

clear explanations of why behaviour is unacceptable or dangerous. For example, a member of staff says "You could hurt yourself or someone else". Children are praised for good behaviour. For example, they are told "Good girls - really good tidying up". Staff give consistent reminders of good behaviour such as "We share here don't we?" Children are learning about wider society. They regularly play with resources that show positive images of diversity such as ethnic dressing up clothes and books showing children of different colours. They have recently cooked and tasted foreign foods and talked about the countries that they came from. They celebrate festivals such as St Patrick's day. They are also learning through discussion. For example, an activity about differences allows children to discuss why some people have black skin. Children with special needs have their needs met well. There is a well informed

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Helping children make a positive contribution

SENCO in post who works closely with the parents and other agencies to ensure that the children's needs are met effectively. She draws up individual education plans for each child with special needs. She sets achievable targets and reviews these regularly in order to assess their progress.

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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 Children benefit from a good working relationship between the staff and parents. There is plenty of information displayed to keep parents informed about the provision. This ranges from information on pre-school care and planning to advice about meningitis. Parents and staff regularly share relevant information about the children although there is no formal system in place for parent meetings. Parents find staff very approachable and are aware that they can come in and chat at any time. Parents are asked to give information about their children's needs in a getting to know you form and this also includes any particular requests about the children's care. Nursery education Partnership with parents is good. Parents are made aware of the foundation stage of learning through the prospectus and clearly displayed planning. They are also made

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Helping children make a positive contribution

aware of what their children are learning through discussion and newsletters. Parents have access to their children's records and staff discuss their children's progress with them. Staff also give advice about how to continue what the children are learning in nursery, at home. Parents are not asked for information about what their child can do on entry to funded education. This means that parents do not contribute to the child's baseline assessment. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from a well organised environment. The space is used effectively to create different areas for different age groups using partitions. Each area provides plenty of clear play space and the partitions are used for displaying work and planning. Children also benefit from well organised resources. Toys and equipment are rotated regularly to maintain the children's interest and are stored at low level so that children can access them independently. Children's care is enhanced by having well trained staff. All the staff are qualified or currently attending training. They also attend workshops and training days to further develop their skills. Children benefit from good levels of adult support. The high adult to child ratios mean that staff can give children plenty of attention and offer support, such as comforting those that become distressed when their parents leave.

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Organisation

Children's health, safety and welfare is promoted through the keeping of all necessary records, policies and procedures. Polices are regularly updated to ensure that they meet regulations. For example, a new complaints procedure has been put into place. The partners are aware of their new responsibility to ensure the suitability of staff and take positive measures such as requesting up to date CRB checks. They do not , however, require a health declaration to ensure that the staff are physically fit. Nursery Education

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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 are good. Children's education is enhanced by the clear and effective management of the nursery. There are positive measures in place to ensure that staff are effective, including an induction programme and annual appraisals to ensure ongoing suitability. There are ongoing discussions and meetings between the staff and the partners. There are also regular planning meetings to which all are invited to contribute. The partners evaluate the effectiveness of the setting regularly. Activities are evaluated and used to inform future planning. The overall effectiveness of the nursery provision is also evaluated and positive steps taken to develop it further. A new planning method has recently been introduced and adapted to meet the needs of the children. The partners are able to identify the

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Organisation

strengths and weaknesses of the nursery and use this information to develop their practice. There is a detailed action plan in place for future development. The nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the nursery was required to keep a register that showed accurate times of arrival and departure and to further develop the child protection statement. At the last education inspection the nursery was required to increase the accessibility and range of craft materials for children to self select from. It was also required to increase the range of simple tools available to children during free play. The register now shows accurate times of arrival and departure and all children are signed in and out of the premises. This enhances the children's safety since the register is an accurate record of who is on the premises in case of emergency. The child protection statement has been developed to include the procedures to follow in the event of an allegation of abuse against a member of staff. This enhances the children's safety and protects the staff. The children can now easily access a wide

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Improvements since the last inspection

range of art and craft materials. This allows them to experiment freely with different media and to express themselves. They also have easy access to simple tools such as scissors and paint brushes. This allows them to develop their fine motor skills.

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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

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): • ensure that children have easy access to drinking water at all times • ensure that robust systems are put in place for ensuring the suitability of staff

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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): • encourage children to look at and enjoy books by developing a comfortable book area • develop procedures for using information from parents when making assessments of children when they start funded education

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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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