Plume Avenue Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/07/2004 Inspector Name Chris Gregson

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Plume Avenue Nursery Setting Address United Reformed Church Plume Avenue COLCHESTER CO3 4PQ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents. If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

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Information about the setting

Plume Avenue Nursery opened in 1971. It operates from four rooms in the United Reformed Church in the Prettygate area of Colchester The nursery serves the local area. There are currently 108 children from 2 to under 5 on roll. This includes 38 funded three-year-olds and 41 funded four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports a number of children with special educational needs, and some who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 until 12:30 on Monday and 09:00 until 15:30 on Tuesday to Friday. There are 18 part time staff who work with the children. Over half the staff have, or are working towards, recognised early years qualifications at NVQ level 2 or 3. There are two staff currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and

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How good is the Day Care?

Plume Avenue Nursery provides satisfactory care for all children. Policies and procedures are in place and are shared with staff and parents to enable the pre-school to operate effectively. Most paperwork and documentation is in place, however, some need minor amendments. Staff are encouraged to go on short courses, however, there is no training plan in place for staff to update qualifications. There is no robust system to register times when staff are present on the premises. Children have child-sized furniture and a range of toys and resources so they can play, eat and rest during the day. In some areas, the premises are showing signs of wear, however, staff display children's work to make the environment child friendly. Children use physical play equipment both inside and outdoors.

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How good is the Day 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Staff know about health and safety, child protection procedures, have first aid training and encourage children to use good hygiene practice. Effective records inform about a child's health and welfare including any specific diet or allergies and staff act on this to ensure children are protected. Correct procedures are in place to deal with administration of medication, but not all records are counter-signed. Staff provide a happy and secure environment for all children. They are warm, caring and supportive. They talk and listen to the children and ask questions to make them think. They provide a varied programme of interesting play activities and are good role models. Staff observe and record individual children's progress and provide

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How good is the Day Care?

extra help for children with a specific need. However, records, in the two rooms for younger children, are very basic at present. Children's behaviour is good. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Staff are friendly and talk informally to parents before and after the sessions. Staff work with parents to ensure children settle into the pre-school.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to provide an induction procedure, an operational plan and ensure written permission to seek medical treatment for children is in place. New staff now have a formal induction and sign to say they have been given policies for health and safety and child protection in their first week of employment so that they know how to protect the children in their care. A good start has been made on the operational plan so that parents and staff know how the nursery is organised and run. Written permission to seek emergency medical treatment on the registration forms now protects children.

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What is being done well?

• Children are able to ask for breakfast if they are hungry. This is served at a table in the main room and they have a choice of cereals, fruit, breadsticks to eat and milk, water or fruit juice to drink. • Staff are very supportive and caring in all areas of the nursery. They enable children to know the routines and settle. • There is a good range of toys and resources, especially for the older child, including a well set up computer at child height and a very good area for mathematics. • A file has been put together that forms the start of a very good operational plan so that staff and parents know the expectation of the owner. This informs staff about health and safety in the nursery so that children are safe and protected.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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What needs to be improved?

• staff training and qualification to ensure there are 50% at NVQ2 and all room supervisors at NVQ3 • registration to show the hours children and staff are present • countersigning of some medication records • lost child policy • special needs statement • complaints procedure giving details of the regulator • child protection statement giving details of required phone numbers.

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 2 Develop an action plan that sets out how staff training and qualification requirements will be met. 2 Ensure there is a system for registering children and staff attendance on a daily basis, showing hours of attendance. 14 Update policies and procedures in line with current legislation and guidance. (This refers to administration of medicine records, lost child, special needs, complaints and child protection policies.)

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by the time of the next inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

Plume Avenue Nursery provides good quality nursery education overall which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas. The quality of teaching is generally good with some very good aspects. Plans show areas of learning are linked, however, some staff have limited input to the weekly planning. A new planning system has recently been introduced and when fully developed and evaluated should provide an effective system. Some staff understand the early learning goals, but some have a less secure knowledge. Children are grouped into two age-related rooms, although, they join together at certain times. They work individually, in small or in a large group. Staff in both rooms observe children. The records in the older room cover all areas and are generally linked to the stepping stones. However, the assessment records for the younger child are only linked to one area of learning. Staff have very good

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How effective is the nursery education?

relationships with children and are enthusiastic about their learning. Leadership and management of the pre-school nursery are generally good. The owner is updating her qualifications and staff are encouraged to attend short courses to up date their knowledge in some, but not all, areas. Staff have completed new self assessment forms to help identify areas for improvement and necessary training in future. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents receive lots of information about nursery routines, but limited information about the Foundation Stage. They are informed of their child's progress, however, there is limited opportunities to share their records.

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What is being done well?

• Plans show all areas are linked into the topic. For instance when the topic is 'where we live': personal, social and emotional development identifies talking about houses on the way to the nursery; communication, language and literacy is linked to the story of the three bears; mathematic development is linked to shape of houses being cubes or cuboids; knowledge and understanding of the world is linked to building junk houses; physical development is linked to making a building in playdough and sand and creative development is linked by printing houses using shapes. • Creativity is encouraged and children are able to freely create their own drawings and paintings, which are displayed in the main room. In the small room children can paint freely over the mermaid worksheet allowing their own creativity to shine through.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • Provision for their personal, social and emotional development is particularly well planned and children are very confident, able to concentrate and ready to learn. They are caring and considerate towards others and well-behaved. They form very good relationships with staff and one another, enabling them to develop confidence and self esteem. • Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is particularly good. Children are encouraged to observe and think about what they see. Staff ask questions to make children think about how and why things happen or work. • Children learn basic literacy skills, such as letter sounds though enthusiastically singing rhyming songs and playing matching games such as

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What needs to be improved?

• assessment records, linked to the stepping stones for three and four-year-olds to identify their next step and to share with parents and enable them to contribute information about the child's learning and achievements at home • information for parents about the Foundation Stage and how children learn through play.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made in implementing the action plan drawn up to address the two points key issues identified at the previous inspection resulting in some improvements being made to the educational programme. A number corner has been has been created in the main room with good resources and displays in the area. Staff in both rooms have a good understanding of practical maths activities. Children are introduced and involved in maths learning through practical and role play activities. A parent's morning was introduced after the last inspection so that parents could be involved in and informed of their child's progress. However, this is no longer in operation and opportunities for parents' comments and observations on their child's progress to be included on their child's assessment record remains a key issue.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are very confident concentrating at activities, such as, playing with small world figures and cars or showing their yellow t-shirt with pride at whole group time. They form good relationships and share and take turns at board games. Independence is encouraged through freely going to the toilet and washing hands after messy activities. They learn about their own community through taking part in the Christmas nativity and end-of-year play about the Little Mermaid.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children communicate through words and gestures. They know to talk and listen to each other making conversation, especially at snack time. They enjoy singing rhyming songs and older children know letter sounds. They hold books correctly and listen to stories read at whole group time being able to predict the end of the line in a rhyming story. Staff encourage mark making with younger children and older children write their names clearly on their work using good pencil control.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently count to ten and beyond when lining up or singing number songs. Staff provide practical activities for younger children to understand the concept of numbers through placing teddies on number cards and counting on fingers, while older children recognise numerals on jigsaws. Children add and take away during action songs and by staff asking if there are enough chairs for the patients in the doctors. They know about shapes, measure, quantity and position through topics.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Through exciting activities children observe changes and patterns around them, such as ice cubes melting, making a weather chart and Rangoli patterns. They construct, build and join with Duplo and re-cycled materials making a police car or fire engine. They push buttons and competently use a mouse at the computer. They know about the past, present and talk of their family, animals hibernating and take photographs of buildings on a walk locally. They learn to understand and respect others.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently move around inside or outdoors. They climb up and slide down large equipment. They balance on beams and throw and catch balls. They have an awareness of space and sit carefully in a whole group. They know about being healthy and the need, for example, to clean their teeth. After exercise they feel their heart beat and notice they are out of breath. They mould and shape playdough with their hands or small tools and develop hand-eye co-ordination.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children know colours and feel textures through an excellent range of colourful resources, arts and craft activities. They enthusiastically sing to a guitar. They listen and move to different sounds and rhythms in a range of music, such as Carnival of the Animals. Imaginative play is good with staff providing a café, hospital or fruit shop. They learn about their senses and respond in various ways when tasting fruits, making soup and feeling various things such as paint or frozen peas.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• ensure assessment records are linked to the stepping stones and used to inform planning of the child's next step. Provide opportunities for parents to share and add to these records • provide information for parents about the Foundation Stage. This should include information about the early learning goals and the stepping stones and how children learn through purposeful play activities.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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