Klas Childrens Day Nurseries

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 02/03/2005 Inspector Name Jill Hunn

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Klas Childrens Day Nurseries Setting Address The Farm House, Bell Plantation Watling Street Towcester Northamptonshire NN12 6HN

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Klas Childrens Day Nurseries Ltd 4694218

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Klas Childrens Day Nurseries Ltd Address The Farm House, Bell Plantation Watling Street Towcester Northamptonshire NN12 6HN

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of 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 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

Klas Childrens Day Nurseries is run by Klas Childrens Day Nurseries Ltd. It opened in October 2003 and operates from a converted farmhouse within the grounds of The Bell Plantation on the outskirts of Towcester in the south of Northamptonshire. A maximum of 70 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to three secure enclosed outdoor play areas. There are currently 103 children aged from 3 months to under 5 years on roll. Of these, 42 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend from several surrounding villages and nearby towns. The nursery employs 19 childcare staff. Seventeen of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. Three members of staff are currently working towards a qualification. The setting receives support from the Northamptonshire Early Years Development

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Information about the setting

and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PSLA). The nursery is currently working towards the PSLA 'Aiming for Quality' accreditation scheme and the South Northamptonshire Heart Beat Award for healthy eating. The nursery is a member of the South Northamptonshire Early Years Liason Group.

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Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

Klas Childrens Day Nurseries provides high quality nursery education which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good and staff have developed a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum. They plan a range of exciting and purposeful activities that challenge both younger and older children well across all six areas of learning. Staff have warm relationships with the children and know them well. They explain things clearly and make good use of questioning to make children think and move on in their learning. Staff consistently encourage the children and children behave well. There are suitable systems in place to support children with special educational needs. Staff organise the indoor and outdoor space and the range of imaginative resources thoughtfully to create an interesting learning environment in which children increase their independence. Staff support children well during

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How effective is the nursery education?

activities although children occasionally become restless when waiting for specialist sessions to begin. Staff make regular observations of children's progress and assess their learning against the stepping stones. They use this detailed information to plan what children should do next. The leadership and management of the nursery is very good. Staff work together as a successful team guided by well-informed management. There is a strong commitment to the continued improvement of the care and education of the children and the professional development of the staff. Thorough systems are in place to evaluate the provision, practices and children's progress. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. There is a range of good quality information to advise parents about the nursery and the curriculum. Information about children's progress is shared regularly and parent's observations are used to inform future planning. Parents are given suggestions of how to support

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What is being done well?

• Children's confidence and self-esteem are successfully fostered by staff who consistently encourage and value them and give them time and space to focus on activities and their interests. • Children are encouraged to be independent and to take care of their personal needs, such as washing their hands and dressing after dance sessions. They are able to freely select from a range of readily available resources and initiate their own learning. • Children are confident speakers. They take turns in conversations and competently express their thoughts and views in group situations.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • Children have good opportunity to investigate the importance of everyday technology. They learn how to operate simple equipment and programmable toys, record their own singing and use computer programmes to support their learning. • Children are challenged to refine and develop their physical skills during indoor and outdoor activities. They competently manoeuvre wheeled toys, climb rope ladders and learn to use a variety of tools and materials such as chopsticks, hole punchers and sellotape.

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What needs to be improved?

• the planning of specialist activities so that children are always effectively engaged when waiting for the sessions to start.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident, excited and keen to learn. They persist and concentrate well. Children form good relationships with adults and peers and show care and concern for others. Children are learning to share. They help each other and work together well. They are aware of the boundaries set within the nursery and behave well. Children take care of their personal needs independently and select and use resources for themselves.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak very confidently. They listen attentively at group time and eagerly respond to questions and what they have heard. Children link sounds to letters and name some letters. Children identify their names and some other names from cards. They enjoy a range of fiction and factual books and re-tell stories. Children write for different purposes with some using marks and others recognisable letters. Some older children write all of their name with letters correctly formed.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Younger children are developing their counting and number recognition skills to 10 with some older children beyond 20. Children compare groups of objects and begin to solve simple number problems. Children are developing their understanding of addition and subtraction through practical activities and songs. They measure their heights and weigh cooking ingredients. Children use language to describe shape, size and position and create patterns. They explore capacity with sand and water play.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children investigate a variety of objects and materials using all their senses. They learn about growth by planting bulbs and seeds and eat vegetables they have grown. They investigate how things work, such as windmills and cameras and make things to their own design. Children competently use programmable toys and technology to support their learning. They develop a sense of time. Children find out about their local environment, the wider world and their own and other's cultures and beliefs.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of 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 coordination. They learn new skills and experiment with different ways of moving as they move to music and balance during dance sessions. Children show an awareness of their own and other's space during activities. They learn the importance of good health. Children use a variety of tools and equipment skilfully and with increasing control to develop and challenge their small hand and whole body movements.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children express their creativity with a variety of textures and materials. They work in two and three dimensions and investigate what happens when they mix colours. Children respond to a variety of styles of music, sing songs and action rhymes. They explore the different sounds of instruments and use shakers they have made to accompany singing. Children draw on their experiences and imagination as they play in the home corner and go camping. They paint and draw freely to express their ideas.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of 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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to the following: • further consider the planning of specialist activities so that children are always actively engaged before the sessions start.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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