Heather's Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 04/08/2004 Inspector Name Diane Lynn Turner

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Heathers Day Nursery Setting Address James Backhouse Place Holgate York North Yorkshire YO24 4NS

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name York Childcare Ltd Address 54a Nunthorpe Road York North Yorkshire YO23 1BP

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ORGANISATION 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

Heather's Day Nursery opened in May 1995 and is run by the charity York Childcare. It is situated in the Acomb area of York and operates from a single storey building. The accommodation comprises of two areas. This provides a self contained unit with playroom, separate sleep room and kitchen facilities for the under twos and a main playroom with separate pre-school room within this for the over twos. Toilet facilities are available in this area. There is an enclosed area at the rear of the premises for outdoor play with equipment for outdoor use. A rabbit and guinea pig are kept in this area. Kitchen, office and staff facilities are also available. The nursery serves the local community and surrounding areas and is registered to provide care for 36 children aged from 0 to five 5 years. There are currently 59 children on roll including 12 funded three-year-olds and 7 funded four-year-olds. The nursery opens from 08.00 to 18.00 Monday to Friday all year round with the

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Information about the setting

exception of Bank Holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery welcomes and supports children who have special needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The manager has a level three childcare qualification and has a supernumerary role. Ten members of staff work directly with the children. Eight have an early years qualification to level three, one has a level two and one is working towards this. In addition there are three domestic members of staff including a teatime supervisor, qualified cook and cleaner. The nursery receives support from the development workers at the Early Years and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) and is a member of the National Day Nursery Association (NDNA) and the Pre School Learning Alliance (PLA).

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How good is the Day Care?

Heather's Day Nursery provides good quality care for children. The provision is well organised with a high level of qualified staff. They have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities and work effectively together as a team. There are effective procedures to monitor their performance and they show a commitment to

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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 updating their knowledge and developing their practice through training. They provide a warm and welcoming environment which is well maintained in most areas. There is a good range of toys and play equipment and these are used effectively by staff to support children's play and learning in all areas. Staff have a high level of awareness of all risks to children's health and safety. There are effective procedures to identify and minimise hazards, ensure good hygiene practices in most areas and protect children from possible abuse. Varied and nutritious meals and snacks, including a cooked midday meal are provided. These take into account the children's dietary needs and preferences. The children's individual needs are known, understood and met by staff who have a

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How good is the Day Care?

commitment to ensuring that all children have equal opportunities and access to activities. A good range of interesting and well planned practical activities are provided. Staff support children very well, extending their development and learning in all areas. There are clear boundaries for behaviour and these are maintained in age appropriate ways in a caring and consistent manner. Parents are made very welcome. Information they receive is clear, of good quality and well presented. There are effective systems in place to share information and they are kept very well informed about their child's progress. All documentation is in place and used consistently. It is well organised and stored securely which adds to the safe and efficient management of the service.

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What is being done well?

• A very colourful and stimulating environment is provided. Displays throughout the nursery are well presented and include the children's work which shows this is valued. • Staff pay very good attention to fire safety. There are clear evacuation procedures displayed in all areas which detail the role and responsibilities of all staff in the event of a fire. • Children are offered a very good range of activities in all areas. These are presented in a thoughtful and interesting way that enables them to make choices and develop many new skills. • Good behaviour is valued and encouraged which results in children interacting well with one another. Staff's polite and calm manner sets a very good example for the children to follow. • Parents are made very welcome and staff give excellent attention to gaining and exchanging information about the children and their care. The daily diaries for the older children in particular are used as an effective two way

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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 • Staff in all areas maintain very detailed, informative and well presented records of progress. These included photographs, detailed observations and examples of the children's work.

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What needs to be improved?

• the maintenance in relation to the outdoor area • the staff's monitoring of the children's use of the toilet area.

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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 4 Ensure all areas provided for children’s outdoor play are well maintained. 7 Ensure there are effective systems in place to monitor the use of the children’s toilet area in order to maintain a good standard of cleanliness at all times.

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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?

Heather's Day Nursery provides a happy and welcoming environment where overall children make generally good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. Very good progress is made in some areas. Teaching is generally good. Staff demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage curriculum and how children learn. The accommodation is mostly well organised and a good range of well planned, interesting practical activities is offered in most areas. Staff know the children very well. They set challenges for both the three and four year olds and use effective questioning during activities to develop children's understanding and encourage their thinking. Planning is clear, covers all areas and identifies children's individual learning needs. Staff make careful assessments of children's responses to activities and use them to plan for their future learning. Behaviour is managed very well. The

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How effective is the nursery education?

staff's polite and calm manner sets a very good example for the children to follow. The leadership and management of the nursery is generally good. The manager is committed to ensuring children's safety and well being and improving practices. The systems for monitoring this are effective in most areas. Staff are well led, their skills valued and they work well together as a team. They are very clear about their roles and responsibilities and there are very effective systems to monitor their development and identify any training needs. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents and staff have a friendly relationship and they are kept well informed about forthcoming events and activities through newsletters, displays and one to one contact with staff as key workers. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning and ideas to support this at home are regularly shared. Parents speak highly of the activities and

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How effective is the nursery education?

experiences that are provided and are confident that their children are making good progress.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide excellent opportunities for the children to develop their independence and take responsibility through the daily helper system. • High priority is given to developing children's communication, language and literacy skills with staff making good use of every opportunity to show that print carries meaning. • Children have very good opportunities to recognise and write their own names and familiar words. Very good support is provided for those who are less able or confident in this. • Very good opportunities are provided to help the children develop their fine motor skills through a wide range of practical activities.

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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 • High priority is given to developing an effective partnership with parents with particular attention being paid to involving them in their child's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities for children to access the pre school room • the organisation of some group activities • the range of equipment to support the development of some areas of children's gross motor skills.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the nursery was asked to increase the opportunities for the children to learn about the cultures and beliefs of other people and increase the opportunities for them to use the outside area. Good progress has been made in implementing the action plan developed in response to the issues raised. Staff now identify and plan activities to celebrate a number of different festivals throughout the year such as Diwali and Holi. This help to raise the children's awareness of diversity. Regular opportunities are now included in the daily routine for children to access the outdoor area, usually twice each day, which effectively helps them to develop their physical skills and knowledge of the outside environment.

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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 All children are very keen and motivated to learn. They enthusiastically try out new ideas and experiences and most show good levels of concentration in both large and small groups. They confidently choose between activities, select resources for themselves and take care of their personal needs such as toileting and washing their hands. Their behaviour is very good. They are learning to negotiate, be polite and considerate to others and take responsibility through the helper system.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children demonstrate good speaking and listening skills. They initiate conversation, enjoy listening to stories and know that print carries meaning. They can confidently name a number of letters and their associated sounds and correctly identify their names when they self register. Most can write their names, forming the letters correctly and there is good support for the younger and less able in this. They confidently use mark making to support their play in other areas such as role play.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Both three and the four-year-olds can count reliably to 10 and this is reinforced well during everyday routines such as counting the number present at registration. They demonstrate an understanding of size and positional language and use this in their play, for example when lining up. They sort and match objects correctly when helping to lay the tables for lunch and have good opportunities to learn about capacity during water and sand play when they use different sized containers.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good opportunities to learn about the environment and living things. They are able to identify the weather, grow plants in the garden, search for insects and help to care for the nursery's rabbit and guinea pig. They carefully make models from construction sets and use recycled materials when making 3D models of insects. They show a good understanding of IT and are able to use the nursery computer confidently and independently but the opportunities to do so are often limited.

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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: Generally Good All children move confidently around the premises. They demonstrate good body control, co-ordination and spatial awareness. They can successfully negotiate a pathway when running and chasing each other and show good control when using wheeled toys. Their fine motor skills are developing very well. They use equipment such as scissors, pencils and paint brushes confidently and effectively. The resources and opportunities however for them to develop their climbing and balancing skills are limited.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have good opportunities to explore colour, media and materials through the good range of practical activities that are provided. They draw freely and use paint and collage materials in different ways, for example using cotton reels and paint to make patterns. They use their imagination to express and communicate their feelings through role play when they act out family situations and have regular opportunities to use musical instruments to accompany their singing activities.

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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

• improve the use of the pre school room to ensure children have sufficient time and opportunities to access the activities based here and develop and refine their ideas, particularly their use of the computer • improve the organisation of some group activities to ensure the three and four-year-olds are not distracted by the younger children at these times • develop the range of resources in the outdoor area to support the development of children's climbing and balancing skills.

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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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