Ark in the Park Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 23/02/2004 Inspector Name Sally Hall

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Ark in the Park Setting Address 20 Keyberry Park Newton Abbot Devon TQ12 1BZ

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Ark in the Park Address 20 Keyberry Park Newton Abbot Devon TQ12 1BZ

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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

Ark in the Park is a private day nursery, which occupies a large Victorian property situated in a residential area on the outskirts of the town of Newton Abbot. The nursery opened in May 2001 and is registered for 62 children aged under five years. There are 142 children on roll and 35 funded three- and four-year-olds. There are 26 members of staff employed to work directly with children. Almost half of the staff employed are qualified to NVQ level 3 and over half the staff who are unqualified are working towards their NVQ Level 3 in Childcare. The nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year from 08:00 to 18:00 hours. To the rear of the building is a large garden, which has lawn and low impact surface areas and a variety of outdoor play equipment. There are also some animals, and miniature ponies will return in the summer, to which the children have access. There are currently two children with special needs. There are no children currently

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Information about the setting

attending with English as an additional language. The nursery offers Ballet lessons twice a week and Soccer Tots by a qualified teacher and football coach. Partnership involvement includes the Playlines Training Scheme and regular meetings with Pre-school Advisor and SENCO.

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How good is the Day Care?

Ark in the Park Day Nursery is providing satisfactory childcare. Children are cared for in a very warm, caring environment. The lay out of the nursery has been very well planned and thought out with children being cared for in age related groups in which their individual needs are met. There are effective procedures in place for appointing staff with clear induction and training programmes, and staffing ratios are met. Resources are in good condition and age related in each room. The documentation is well presented. However some further attention to detail in the policies and children's records is required to ensure the standards and regulations are met and

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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 that parents are well informed of current practices. Children are generally supervised appropriately. However, on-going risk assessment is not effective in minimising day-to-day hazards. Hygiene is promoted with staff and children. Children's dietary needs are catered for. They have a varied and balanced diet with all meals cooked on the premises using mainly organic produce. Resources are in place to raise children's awareness of diversity. Clear arrangements are in place to seek advice and support for children with special needs. Behaviour management varies in the nursery depending on the ages of children. The different strategies used are not made clear in the policy for behaviour management. Positive behaviour is valued and staff member’s knowledge of dealing

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How good is the Day Care?

with child protection is developing. Babies are cared for appropriately and individual routines are followed to ensure consistency between the home and the nursery. Planning activities for the three and four-year-olds, use of resources and time management is not effectively or fully developed. Children are secure, happy and confident in the nursery. Parents have a prospectus, regular newsletters and a daily record book is maintained on each child, as well as information shared daily with parents who are warmly welcomed.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the last inspection satisfactory progress has been made. The nursery has ensured the complaints procedure has the name and address of Ofsted, and that it is readily available for parents. There is now a system in place for parents to give consent for medial advice/treatment, however is not held on every child.

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What is being done well?

• The environment is warm and caring children are effectively supervised in premises that have been well planned and thought out. • Provision for babies is very good ensuring individual needs and routines are met. • The promotion of healthy eating ensures children have a good and varied diet. • There are well-presented and good quality resources available throughout the nursery so children take part in a wide range of activities.

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What needs to be improved?

• the documentation including policies and children's records to ensure the standards are met and parents are well informed and to ensure confidentiality is maintained

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What needs to be improved?

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 • the risk assessment of the premises to minimise risks to children • activity and session planning for three- and four-year-olds.

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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 3 Devise a system for planning and implementing a suitable range of activities for three and four-year-old children, which is appropriate for their stage of development and based on their individual needs. 6 Conduct a risk assessment of the premises identifying actions to be taken to minimize identified risks. 14 Ensure policies and children’s records contain all the relevant information to meet the standards and to keep parents well informed.

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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?

Ark in the Park provides nursery education which is acceptable and of good quality overall. The children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals and very good progress in physical development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff and children form good relationships. Staff manage children's behaviour effectively, giving them praise and encouragement. They support children with special needs well. Staff plan and provide a wide range of activities which support the children's learning in most areas of the curriculum. Systems for assessing and recording children's progress do not to allow staff to plan the next steps in their learning effectively or consistently provide a suitable level of challenge for each child. Staff do not always manage time well to allow children to select and complete activities, and children spend time standing waiting for the next activity. Staff create an attractive environment for the children

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How effective is the nursery education?

and provide a wide range of resources to support their learning and development. The leadership and management are generally good. Staff work well together and are aware of their roles and responsibilities. The proprietor is committed to improvement of the care and education of the children and continues to extend the resources of the nursery. She encourages staff development. Some procedures are in place to help monitor the effectiveness of the nursery education. However, these have not identified all weaknesses in the provision. The partnership between staff and parents is generally good. There is a friendly relationship between them. They exchange information about the children's care and what they have been doing daily both verbally and in home link books. However, information about what children will learn and their progress is more limited. Staff share some information with parents to encourage their involvement with their

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How effective is the nursery education?

children's learning. Parents receive good quality information about the nursery.

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What is being done well?

• Children are making generally good progress in their personal social and emotional development. They are happy, settled and confident. They are developing independence with their personal care, for example with dressing or preparing their snack. They form good relationships with others, sharing fairly and taking turns. Some children are becoming aware of the needs of others and give help to those who are less able. • Children's progress in physical development is very good. Children move with confidence and in safety at all times. Many children are developing good control and coordination of their movements through weekly ballet classes. Many are proud of their achievements and enjoy showing others what they can do. Children are developing good hand-eye coordination and can use

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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 simple tools such as scissors with skill. • Children are interested in number and size. They talk about these spontaneously in their play, counting the toys they are using and comparing their heights. They enjoy number rhymes, counting forwards and backwards. Many children can count competently and they are beginning to recognise numerals and link them to the correct number of objects. • Children speak clearly and confidently, initiating and taking turns in conversation. They contribute their ideas readily at group times. Children enjoy singing and action rhymes, joining in enthusiastically with the words and choosing songs for the group to sing. Children are beginning to express their thoughts and ideas through language, and to negotiate and plan with

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What needs to be improved?

• assessment and record keeping to allow staff to monitor children's progress effectively in all areas of learning so they can plan the next steps in their learning and to provide suitable levels of challenge for each child • management of time to ensure that children are well occupied at all times and are able to complete activities they have selected • opportunities for children to express their imaginations and explore their ideas using a wide range of resources and media • partnership with parents to keep them well informed about their child's progress, what their child will be doing, and to encourage them to become further involved with their child's learning.

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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: Generally Good Children are happy settled and confident. They relate well to each other, playing cooperatively together, sharing fairly and taking turns. Children generally behave well and understand there are agreed codes and times when they should sit quietly. Children are becoming independent both with personal care and when working at activities, showing sustained concentration. At times, children have limited opportunities to select from a wide range of resources or to choose activities independently.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Most children speak clearly and confidently, showing an awareness of the listener. They enjoy singing and action rhymes. They are beginning to use language for expressing their thoughts talking about real and imagined ideas. Some children can link sounds to letters and are beginning to recognise some familiar words. Children make limited use of the book area to look at books independently or share with staff. They are developing good hand-eye coordination and some can form recognisable letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are interested in numbers and use number in their play. Many children can count competently and are able to say which number comes next. Children's opportunities to solve simple number problems in practical situations are limited. Children are interested in size and use appropriate language to compare heights. They are developing a good awareness of shape, selecting shapes to use in their models. Some children can recognise and name simple geometric figures.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have regular opportunities to find out about the world around them through walks and activities. They observe how things change, for example looking at tadpoles or melting ice. Children frequently use a computer and can competently complete simple tasks. Although children design and build with construction toys, they have limited opportunities to do so with a range of materials or experiment with ways of assembling them. They are beginning to find out about their own and other cultures.

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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 move with confidence and control and in safety at all times. Children show a good sense of rhythm and many are developing good coordination and control of their movements through ballet lessons. Children show a good awareness of space both when playing together and when using wheeled toys. Children use a wide range of small and large equipment and are developing good hand-eye coordination. They are learning about good health and hygiene through planned activities.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Most children can recognise and name colours. Some children explore their ideas and express their imaginations daily through painting but opportunities for older children are more limited and often adult directed. Children have daily singing times which they enjoy, joining in enthusiastically. They have regular opportunities to respond to what they see, hear, feel and taste. Children express their imaginations and share ideas in small world play but make more limited use of the role play area.

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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

• Develop the assessment and recording of children's progress to allow staff to plan the next steps in their learning and provide a suitable level of challenge for each child. • Manage time and resources effectively to ensure that children are well occupied at all times and able to complete activities they are engaged in, and they are able to select and use a wide range of resources. • Continue to develop the partnership with parents to keep them well informed about what their child will be doing and their progress, and to encourage them to become further involved with their child's learning.

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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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