Once Upon A Time - City

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 15/03/2004 Inspector Name Alison Putnar

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Paper Lace Day Nursery Setting Address New College Nottingham Stoney Street Nottingham NG1 1LH

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name New College Nottingham Address Basford Hall College Stockhill Lane Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG6 0NB

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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

Paper Lace Day Nursery opened in April 1999. The nursery is one of the New College Nottingham childcare facilities. It operates from a purpose-built refurbishment of listed premises situated in the Lace market area of Nottingham city. The nursery serves a mixed cultural and economic community, which comprises of parents who are students, staff and private users. The nursery was part funded by the City Council and is registered to receive Nursery Education Grant funding for children age 3 and 4-years-old. The nursery is registered to provide 50 places for children under eight years. There are currently 68 children on roll, of these 17 are funded 3-year-olds and 4 are funded 4-year-olds. Two children speak English as an additional language. No children have been identified as having special needs. Children attend both full and part-time. They are cared for in 4 rooms, organised into age/ability groups. There is access to

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Information about the setting

an outside area, which consists of a hard surfaced court yard. The nursery operates Monday to Thursday 07:30 to 18:30 and Friday 07:30 to 18:00 with Saturdays and Sundays as required. The majority of staff hold recognised early years qualifications, with others working towards these. Additional training is accessed, 'in-house', through the Nottingham City Councils Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) and external agencies.

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How good is the Day Care?

Paper Lace Day Nursery provides good quality care. The well-qualified, experienced staff team have a good awareness of all aspects of childcare. They have in-depth knowledge of the nursery's comprehensive policies and use these to under-pin the smooth running of the facility. Staff are deployed effectively ensuring children receive the necessary care and attention. A welcoming atmosphere and child friendly environment is created, encouraging children to settle quickly. Staff establish positive relationships with parents and children. Children are happy

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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 and confident in the setting. They eagerly greet their daily carers who reciprocate their affection appropriately. Staff plan and provide a varied range of activities for all ages of children, encouraging them to make progress in development while they play. Although, opportunities were missed during meal times to encourage younger children's social skills and language. Children's progress is well documented; good systems are in place to share these records with parents. A wide range of resources and equipment are available, all are clean and the majority maintained in a suitable state of repair. Staff pay close attention to safety, the internal and external areas are safe and staff effectively monitor this. They demonstrate good hygiene practise to promote the

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How good is the Day Care?

health and well being of children. Children are appropriately encouraged to develop good routines, for example, regular hand washing. However, the organisation of sleep mats in the toddler room does not provide sufficient space between children. Staff are clearly aware of the need to work in partnership with parents and carers. Relevant information is obtained and used well to ensure the facility provides for the diverse needs of all. Staff strive to meet the varying needs of all children with regard to routines of sleep and dietary requirements. Good quality refreshments are provided regularly. Children are cared for in line with parents' wishes.

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What is being done well?

• The comprehensive induction system and a commitment to staff development and training ensures staff are competent and able to carry out their roles effectively. • Staff supervise children well throughout the day ensuring they remain safe when playing indoors and outdoors. They encourage older children to consider safety themselves, reminding children of safety in the nursery and through acting as good roles models. Babies are closely monitored during sleep time to ensure they sleep soundly and safely. • A healthy balanced diet is provided, children are fed according to their individual needs and babies home routines are closely adhered to. Children's personal independence is well fostered, opportunities are provided for younger children to attempt to feed themselves. • Effective communication systems keep parents well informed about the nursery provision. The attractive development records, particularly those in

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What is being done well?

the baby unit, provide parents with a personal account and in-depth information of their child's activities and development at nursery.

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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 condition of the sleep mats for the toddler children and bouncer chairs in the baby room • organisation of children's beds to prevent the possible spread of minor infections and illness • organisation of staff and their involvement with the younger children at meal times to promote social skills and language development.

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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 Make more use of meal times in the toddler room to promote language and social skills, through staff interaction and involvement. 7 Review the condition and organisation of sleep mats in the toddler room to maintain the good health and well being of children.

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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?

Paper Lace Day Nursery provides a happy and welcoming environment where children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. Their progress in all other areas is very good. The quality of teaching in the nursery is generally good. The staff are well qualified and have a good understanding of the early learning goals and how to use them effectively in planning the programme and promoting children's learning. Staff work together very well as a team, supporting each other and working to their strengths. They have a good understanding of how and when to intervene in activities and interact well with the children during their play. The staff plan very effectively and in detail; they evaluate their planning and use the information to inform their future plans. Assessments and their transfer to children's records are undertaken regularly

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How effective is the nursery education?

but not always consistently. The leadership and management is generally good. The setting benefits from the strong leadership of the manager of the New College nurseries and good day to day management by the officer in charge. They have a good understanding of their respective roles and work well together. There is regular monitoring and evaluation leading to a shared understanding of the strengths of the nursery and a strong commitment to continually improving the provision. Staff are provided with good opportunities to access professional development and training. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. They receive detailed information about the setting and information about the early learning goals. The information they receive about their children's progress is good and they have regular opportunities to talk to staff during parents' weeks. The college regularly seeks parents' views and acts upon their suggestions.

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What is being done well?

• The nursery has strong leadership and management and is committed to raising standards and providing good opportunities for staff professional development. Staff are well-qualified and have a good understanding of the early learning goals. They work very well as a team and plan very effectively. • There are very good opportunities for children to learn about their environment and the natural world. They have a strong sense of curiosity, and designing and making skills which are well developed. • There are very good activities to promote the development of creativity and children use their imaginations effectively to make music, to design and create pictures and models and in role play situations.

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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 partnership with parents is strong; they are well informed about the setting and their children's progress and their opinions are sought and acted upon.

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What needs to be improved?

• consistency in the way assessments are recorded and records are updated so that children's learning needs can be identified and met • provision of a more varied sessional set of activities to promote mathematical, pre-reading and pre-writing development which are appropriate to the children's needs and challenge the more-able

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The nursery has made very good progress since the last inspection. An appropriate action plan has been written, which was fully implemented within six months. Outdoor play space has been secured and is well equipped and used very effectively by staff. An indoor space is now available and is used regularly by the children for accessing climbing and balancing equipment. Staff encourage the children to extend their skills and also pay due regard to safety. The provision for physical education is now very good. The three and four-year-olds now have separate story times so that the stories, discussion and questions better match their needs. A book corner has been developed which is well stocked and places an appropriate emphasis on books and reading. The nursery, which was very new when last inspected, now has a good range of equipment and resources which are of good quality and used well. They include resources which reflect our diverse society and meet the needs of children with

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What has improved since the last inspection?

special needs and those for whom English is not their first language.

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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 settle well into their activities and are keen to learn. They concentrate and work together purposefully, both independently and in small group activities. Children express their feelings through talk and painting. Behaviour is generally very good and the children have strong relationships with adults and the other children. They take turns, share toys and equipment and show care and concern for each other. There are many very good opportunities to develop independence and make choices.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children have a good awareness of books and enjoy telling stories to each other. They know that they can use them for information. They have a wide vocabulary and understanding of language relevant to their interests. They are learning to recognise letters, sounds and words. Most children recognise their own names and older children write them with well-formed script and good pencil control. There is insufficient challenge for the most-able four year olds in pre-reading and writing activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good All the children can count to ten and recognise and match objects and numbers. The older children are encouraged to add and subtract through practical activities and have a good knowledge of language related to position and size. They have good awareness of pattern and how shapes fit together. There is not enough variety of appropriate sessional activities for all children or challenge for the four year olds.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have very good opportunities to explore and investigate their environment and a variety of materials, and have very clear memories of places they have visited and visitors to the nursery. They show a keen interest in the world they live in, and are developing an understanding of time and place. They learn about different cultures from first hand experience and celebrate a variety of festivals and cultural events. They have limited opportunities to explore information technology.

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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 The children move confidently around the indoor and outdoor areas of the nursery, demonstrating good body control and an awareness of space. Their fine motor skills are developing well and they can use a range of small and large equipment confidently. Children handle tools and construction toys safely and with very good control. They eat healthy snacks and learn about the way their bodies change as they grow.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently explore colour, shape and texture through a variety of carefully planned activities. They sing a wide range of songs from memory and enjoy performing to each other. They explore rhythm and pulse with simple percussion instruments. Children use their imagination to express and communicate their feelings through role play, using resources effectively to create real and imagined experiences. They have good opportunities to explore their senses.

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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 consistency of assessments by all staff and their transfer to children's records, using the comment boxes on tick sheets to identify those who may need to revisit activities to consolidate their skills • provide a wider range of appropriate activities for mathematical, pre-reading and pre-writing development at each session and ensure that the most-able children are challenged.

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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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