Tops Day Nurseries - Wimborne

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 16/11/2004 Inspector Name Penny Fisher

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Tops Day Nurseries Setting Address Tops House Leigh Road Wimborne Dorset BH21 2BX

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Tops Day Nurseries Ltd Address Unit 11 Central Business Park, Southcote Road Bournemouth Dorset BH1 3SJ

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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

TOPS Day Nursery opened in July 2001 and is one of a local chain of nurseries. It operates from two floors of converted premises approximately one mile from the centre of Wimborne. The nursery serves the local community and surrounding areas of Hampshire, Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset. There are currently 106 children under 8 years on roll. This includes 21 funded three- and four-year-olds. Some children attend for the whole day and others part day. The nursery supports children who have special needs. The nursery opens five days a week all year round except Bank Holidays from 07:30 until 18:00. Fourteen full-time, five part-time staff and three modern apprentices work with the children, and the manager is supernumerary. Fifteen staff have early years qualifications, and many staff are currently on training programmes to either gain or further enhance their qualifications. The setting receives support from Dorset

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How good is the Day Care?

TOPS Day Nursery provides good care for children. The manager and staff are well qualified and training is provided for all staff, which encourages professionalism. Organisation is good: staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilites and a very thorough and effective operational plan works well in practice. There is a good parent registration system in place. The premises are bright and attractive, with displays for parents and children. There is a wide range of resources, including those reflecting equality of opportunity. Documentation is of a high standard overall and all regulatory policies and procedures are in place. Safety and security is given high priority within the setting. Staff are active in promoting good hygiene, for example handwashing and nappy changing routines are effectively carried out. The medication procedures are not currently secure.

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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 Children that take advantage of the nursery meals are offered a balanced and nutritious menu and staff are aware of all the children's dietary needs. All children, including those with special needs are regarded, and cared for, as individuals within the setting. Key staff do not have a full working knowledge of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. They do, however, demonstrate a good understanding of the procedures to follow if there were child protection concerns within the nursery. Babies and younger children's routines are respected. An early years framework is being used well to promote their development. There are good levels of interaction between staff and children throughout the nursery and staff are fully involved with

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How good is the Day Care?

the children. Staff have a positive attitude to behaviour management and challenging behaviour is handled well using appropriate strategies. Parents are welcomed into the setting. Feedback from parents is valued and helps develop practice. Parents are given good information about the nursery, childen's safety, health and welfare.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the nursery was given one action regarding gaining parental permission before administering medicine to children. The setting now gathers a blanket permission to administer Calpol from parents when the child starts attending nursery. There is also blanket permission for other ongoing medication such as inhalers. For any other medicines, such as a course of antibiotics, the parents give written permission on the day they bring the medicine into the setting. The permission forms are not currently dated so there is no way of tracing back the date the medication was given and sometimes parents are not contacted on the day, before Calpol is administered.

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What is being done well?

• The partnership with parents works well. The setting ensures that parents have all the information they require to enable them to be fully involved with the setting, their children's development and their time at nursery. Parents appear relaxed and comfortable within the setting and aware of policies and procedures. • The staff manage children's behaviour well using strategies that are positive and appropriate to the age and stage of the children's development. Praise and encouragement are frequently given to the children thoughout the setting. • The setting ensures that children are safe. Checks are carried out on the premises in the morning and evening to ensure that risks are minimised. The premises are secure and children are unable to leave unsupervised. • The manager organises the setting well. Staff are well trained and highly qualified and the nursery encourages a professional approach to childcare.

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What is being done well?

Good quality documentation and well implemented staff procedures help to

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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 ensure it runs smoothly and efficiently. • The individual care needs of the younger children are respected and well met. For example, children are able to sleep and eat at times to suit both their needs and those of their parents. Staff know the children well.

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What needs to be improved?

• the key staff's knowledge and understanding of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice • the medication procedures.

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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

Since 1 April 2004 Ofsted has not received any complaints about this provider.

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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 10 Develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. 7 Revisit medication procedures and policy to ensure that parents are contacted prior to the administration of any non-prescription medication and that the administration of all medication is accurately recorded.

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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?

Tops Day Nurseries provides nursery education that is of good quality and children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals and very good progress in their physical development. The teaching is generally good. Staff work well with the children, asking questions to encourage them to think and giving help and encouragement. They form good relationships with the children, managing their behaviour well and giving plenty of praise. Staff have a generally good understanding of the early learning goals. They frequently observe and assess what the children can do and record their progress. They use this information to help them decide the next steps in each child's learning. Staff plan and provide interesting themed activities for the children but these do not cover some areas of their learning effectively, for example in mathematical development. The routine of the session includes times for physical, group and

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How effective is the nursery education?

quieter activities. Staff have created an attractive and well-planned learning environment. However they do not always make good use of the space and resources, making sure that all children can choose freely from a wide range of activities or areas of play. The leadership and management is generally good. There are clear management structures in place which ensure the nursery runs smoothly. All are committed to the development of the nursery and children's education and there are many opportunities for staff to take training. There are procedures in place to monitor the effectiveness of the nursery and the children's learning but currently staff do not monitor whether children take part in a broad range of activities daily. The partnership between staff and parents is very good. Parents receive plenty of high quality information about what their child will be doing and this helps them become involved with their learning. Staff hold regular meetings so that parents can

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How effective is the nursery education?

see their child's records and discuss the progress they are making.

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What is being done well?

• The staff work well with the children, giving them good support at the activities and asking them questions to extend their thinking and learning. They have a friendly relationship with the children and know them well, talking with them about their homes and families. This ensures the children are happy and settled. • Most children speak clearly and confidently. They talk about what they are doing and their feelings and some are beginning to use language to show their reasoning and thinking. Many children confidently offer their ideas at circle times. • Children are making very good progress in their physical development. Some

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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 children take part in weekly swimming lessons as well as the activities provided at the nursery. They thoroughly enjoy the music and movement sessions where they move in a variety of ways and are developing very good control and coordination. • There is an effective partnership between the staff and parents. Parents receive very good quality information about the nursery and their children. Staff provide details of the topics and planned activities the children will be taking part in. There are suggestions for activities and outings which parents and children can do together at home. This allows parents to be very involved in their child's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the planning to ensure that children are able to select freely from a wide range of activities daily • the monitoring of the breadth of activities to ensure that all areas of the curriculum are given equal emphasis.

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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 form good relationships with the staff. They behave well and are beginning to consider the needs of other children and to share fairly and take turns. They understand there are times to sit quietly and show good levels of concentration. Some children can choose an activity for the session. However the range of activities made available for the remaining children can be very limited, giving them little scope to make their own choices.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Most children speak clearly, taking turns in conversation and talking about real and imaginary ideas. They are interested in new words and are developing a wide vocabulary. They are beginning to understand how sounds link to letters. Some children can read familiar words. Although there is a good range of books, these are not always available for the children to use. There are many activities to help children develop good hand-eye coordination and some children can form recognisable letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are interested in numbers and some use them spontaneously in their conversations. Many are beginning to count and to recognise numerals, correctly linking objects to numbers. There are daily activities to support this but fewer planned activities which help them begin to compare groups of numbers or solve simple number problems. Children are beginning to use the right words to describe and compare shapes and sizes. They use shapes for a purpose when using construction toys.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good There are themed activities which help children find out about the world around them and the community in which they live. They observe changes and nature for example on autumn walks. Children are developing a good sense of time and talk about future events they are arranging. Many show good concentration when using construction toys, modifying and talking about their models. However they have few planned opportunities to try out a wide range of methods of joining materials or to use tools.

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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, control and in safety. They show a good sense of space when playing and sitting together or when using equipment. There are frequent music and movement sessions. Children enjoy taking part in these and show good coordination and move in a variety of ways. They are developing a sense of rhythm. Children have opportunities to use small and large equipment and are developing good hand-eye coordination. They learn about good hygiene through the routines of the day.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use their imaginations and talk about their ideas in pretend play, playing cooperatively together. They enjoy music and singing and join in readily with the words and actions to songs. They frequently respond to what they see, hear and feel for example when using the sensory area. The displays of art work show that children have opportunities to use their imaginations and explore their own ideas but art materials are not always readily available for them to use during the sessions.

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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 monitoring of activities to ensure that all areas of the curriculum are given equal emphasis and children are able to select freely from a wide range of activities daily

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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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