Wingfield Business and Enterprise College

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 04/11/2003 Inspector Name Timothy Butcher

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name First Steps Day Nursery Setting Address Southville Centre Beauley Road,Southville Bristol BS3 1QG

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Southville Community Development Association

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Southville Community Development Association Address Southville Centre Beauley Road,Southville Bristol BS3 1QG

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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

First Steps Day Nursery opened in 1991. It operates from one main room, an office, toilet facilities and outside play space, within Southville Centre, Southville, Bristol. The nursery serves the local area. There are currently 54 children from 1-5 years on roll. This includes children who are eligible for nursery education grant. Children with special needs or with English as an additional language, are supported through the group. The group opens five days per week all year round from 08.00 until 17.30. Children attend for a variety of sessions. 1 part-time and 7 full-time staff work with children. 6 staff have early years qualifications and 1 staff member is currently working towards a recognised early years qualification.

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How good is the Day Care?

First Steps Day Nursery provides good care for children. The operational plan is comprehensive and effectively meets the needs of children in practice. Good use is made of space and resources. Some limitations to space mean that there are logistical issues in the movement of children and staff are well organised to deal with this. Children are grouped appropriately. The environment is warm and welcoming. There is a good range of toys, equipment and furniture for all ages. Toys are easily accessible to children. Staff are safety conscious. The premises are secure and there is a suitable procedure for the arrival and collection of children. However, the risk assessment is not reviewed sufficiently frequently. Staff are active in promoting good health and hygiene practices with children. There are suitable arrangements for first aid and the administration of medication. There are good arrangements in place to ensure that

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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 There is an excellent induction and initial assessment programme for all children and children are settled well. Both the toddler group and older children have good access to a broad range of toys and activities that support their development. Staff plan well for older children and all children are provided with stimulating activities that support language, imagination and creativity. Some staff missed some opportunities to talk and interact with older children. The behaviour management and discipline policies are comprehensive but sometimes in practice some staff do not always guide and support children enough. As a result there is less opportunity to acknowledge children's feelings and for children to show care and concern for each other.

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How good is the Day Care?

However, overall, care remains good. There are clear policies that are shared with parents. Parents are kept well informed of their child's progress. A good relationship exists between parents and staff.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection consent forms did not specify the use of community rooms. The appropriate consents are now in place. It was agreed that policies and information for parents would be drawn up in line with the National Standards. This has now been done. There are comprehensive policy documents for all standards and they have been recently reviewed. Other information available to parents in the form of prospectus and procedures, have also been updated. This contributes to the safety of children and keeps parents better informed about the setting. Some minor alterations are needed to minor detail. The information for parents about uncollected children for example requires further review as it might be misleading to parents. Some information in the foyer was out of date. The risk assessment now includes outings, as agreed but it requires up-dating more frequently. The registration process is robust and the registration record has been

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What has improved since the last inspection?

improved. Staff departure times are not consistently recorded, but this is being addressed.

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What is being done well?

• There is an excellent induction assessment programme for all children. • The environment is warm and welcoming with children's pictures and materials on display. Parents and children are welcomed. Feed back from parents was positive. • The operational plan is comprehensive and effectively meets the needs of children in practice. Good use is made of space and resources. There is a high percentage of qualified staff. Staff are deployed well. • There are good arrangements in place to ensure that children's dietary needs are met and a good range of nutritious snacks and meals are made available through the café facilities. • The nursery has a strong commitment to an inclusive approach. There is a clear policy that is being implemented. Individual children's needs are identified and activities are adapted to ensure all children are included. The

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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 excellent initial assessment when a child first starts at the nursery, supports this process. • There is excellent information available to parents in regard to the child protection policy and in particular the reporting procedure to the manager should an allegation be made against a member of staff. • The majority of documentation is well kept and up-to-date. There are now clear policies and procedures and these are shared with parents. Parents are kept well informed of their child's progress through the key worker system, newsletters, notice board and parents evenings. A good relationship exists between parents and staff.

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What needs to be improved?

• the interaction of staff with children • the implementation of the behaviour and discipline policy to support children better • the information within the uncollected children documentation and the risk assessment.

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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 Review practice to ensure all staff interact with children and respond readily to them 11 Ensure the behaviour management and disciplinary policies to support children in their interactions with others is consistently applied by all staff 14 Review the documentation in regard to procedures for uncollected children and the risk assessment

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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?

First Steps Day Nursery provides a generally good standard of education. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals (elgs) with some areas being very good. The teaching is generally good and staff plan a curriculum of interesting and stimulating activities to meet the needs of all children. The deputy manager, responsible for the three to five year olds, is a very skilled practitioner and interacts well with the children. She spends time talking to them and asks appropriate questions to extend their thinking. This approach is not evident in all staff however. The curriculum is based on topics and includes all areas of learning. Associated activities and resources are varied throughout the week. However, more attention could be given to encouraging children to develop their own ideas and solve problems encountered through play. Staff build good relationships with the children

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How effective is the nursery education?

through a key-worker system and generally manage their behaviour well. Leadership and management is generally good. The new manger has a strong commitment to the improvement of care and education for all children. She spends time with the staff and children each day and is working towards better utilisation of staff skills. Staff meet together on a weekly basis to plan activities and discuss specific issues. There is an appraisal system in place and staff are encouraged to consider their own professional development. The nursery is currently looking towards undertaking a quality assurance scheme. The nursery's partnership with parents is very good. The excellent introduction procedure establishes a good relationship between parent and key-worker and child. An initial assessment is made at this time. Information about activities and topics is clearly displayed. Written observations are shared with parents and key-workers are

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How effective is the nursery education?

available to discuss children's progress at any time. There is a commitment to further improve parental involvement in the nursery.

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What is being done well?

• The skilful integration of mathematics in the routine of the day as well as specific planned mathematical activities is very effective. • The deputy manager's ability to draw out the learning potential in various play situations is highly skilled. • Children's easy access to a wide range of resources across the curriculum, helps them to make informed choices about what they want to play with. • Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is very good. They enthusiastically join in with a wide range of activities from cooking to computer skills.

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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 • The group's commitment to working with parents is very good. Staff make good use of the introduction and settling-in process to establish positive relationships and really get to know the children.

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What needs to be improved?

• the involvement of all staff with children that goes beyond supervision • the opportunity for children to build on their own ideas and solve problems encountered through play • the provision of writing materials in meaningful situations; for example the role-play area.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection there were no significant weaknesses identified. The points for development were around extending children's access to the resources and giving children more opportunities to choose materials independently, in order to express ideas and reinforce introduced skills. Since then the nursery has acquired a number of low level storage units for toys and materials. The resources are well organised and in clearly labelled containers. Children can easily see what there is to choose from and can help themselves. This has the effect of allowing children to make informed choices. They also know where to return things when they have finished playing with them. The daily routine has an emphasis on free-play and children choose how they want to spend their time. However, there is still a lack of attention given to children expressing and developing their own ideas.

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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's personal, social and emotional development is very good. They are motivated to learn and excitedly explore new activities. Toys and materials are easily accessible and they choose their own playthings. The children are well behaved and have good relationships with each other and staff. They talk confidently about their home life and are learning about the community in which they live. Children are encouraged to be independent and most can take care of their own personal needs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children's progress in communication, language and literacy is generally good. Many children are confident speakers and they use descriptive language in context. They recognise their own name in written form with most being able to sound the initial letter of their name and familiar words. Children have access to writing materials, but not always in meaningful situations which would consolidate the purpose of writing. Children enjoy group story sessions as well as choosing books independently.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good The provision for mathematical development is very good. Most children are able to count and recite numbers up to seven with some going beyond. Maths is integrated into the daily routine and planned activities help children learn about number, weight and measure. Simple calculations are practised when handing out snacks and sharing toys. Resources are well used to reinforce concepts such as: more, less, heavy, smaller than, too much etc., and tidying up teaches children about classification.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is very good. They explore and investigate a variety of natural and man-made materials using their senses. Children have good access to construction toys and modelling materials with which they design and build. A computer with appropriate software is used daily and other technological equipment is regularly available. The familiar and consistent routine helps children to gain an understanding of time and sequence.

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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 Children's progress in physical development is generally good. Children have regular opportunities for physical play outside where they can run, balance, pedal and move with objects. There are sufficient resources which are well used to help develop children's fine motor skills and eye to hand coordination. In poor weather there is alternative accommodation available for physical activities. Children learn about health and nutrition through related topics and good routines.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children's creative development is very good. They make good use of a wide range of creative materials which they are free to explore in their own way. Staff value children's own work and talk to them about it. Children periodically take part in music and movement sessions when they enjoy playing instruments and moving imaginatively. The 'home corner' is well equipped and children engage in elaborate role play.

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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 that all staff understand the importance of integrating with the children to support and extend their learning and to spend time talking and listening to them • encourage children to build on their own ideas and solve problems encountered through play • provide writing materials for use in meaningful situations such as the role-play area.

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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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