Castle Nurseries at Rye Hill

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 10/11/2004 Inspector Name Shirley Peart

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Creche Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Rye Hill Community Nursery Setting Address Colby Court Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear NE4 6HL

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Rye Hill Community Nursery Address Colby Court Rye Hill Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6AL

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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

Rye Hill Community Nursery opened in 1973 and operates from four rooms in a purpose-built building. It is situated in a residential area in Newcastle upon Tyne. A maximum of 60 children may attend the nursery at any one time with no more than 24 children aged under two years. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays. Children have access to two enclosed outdoor play areas. There are currently 46 children aged from birth to under five years on roll; of these 12 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a close catchment area, as most of their parents live locally. The nursery currently supports five children with special educational needs, and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 17 staff. All of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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How good is the Day Care?

Rye Hill Community Nursery provides a good standard of care. The managers are supportive of the staff and have a clear presence within the nursery. Staff have access to regular relevant training and meetings, which ensures that the nursery provision and development of staff is given high priority. All staff are dedicated and caring, they work well together and staff caring for babies are very experienced. Policies, procedures, and information are well organised and underpin the running of the nursery. There is only one issue to attend to, relating to the fire procedure. The current acting manager has a good working knowledge of the policies of the nursery. Staff are vigilant and well deployed to ensure children's safety. Record keeping is very detailed and each room takes responsibility for this, which ensures that children's individual care and needs are met very well. A warm, welcoming environment is provided, with effectively defined areas within the

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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 rooms, so that children can access toys and activities easily. Children with special needs are fully included in activities. Staff monitor and record children's individual progress well. There is a very good range of equipment and good use is made of natural and real materials. Babies and children aged under two years are settled and well cared for. They enjoy exploring their environment and are supported by attentive staff who provide spontaneous, natural interaction. The children in the two to three group are confident and independent. Those in the three to under fives group are making very good progress in their development. Staff in all rooms are very attentive, caring and competent, interested in the children and what they are

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How good is the Day Care?

doing. Staff provide lots of stimulating activities to assist children in all areas of their development. Parents are pleased with the care offered; an abundance of positive comments were received from the parental questionnaires. Parents find staff friendly and approachable.

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What is being done well?

• Children are settled, happy and confident and clearly enjoy being in the nursery environment. • Staff plan and provide a range of stimulating activities for the children. They are involved effectively in the children's play and learning so that children's all round development is fostered very well. • Spontaneous and natural interaction is apparent throughout the nursery, but specifically for the under two year olds where their needs are met very well. • There is an excellent range of equipment and toys which are readily accessible to the children within well organised, child-centred rooms. Good use is made of natural and real materials.

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What needs to be improved?

• the information displayed regarding the fire procedure.

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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

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

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Outcome of the 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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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 6 Extend the fire procedure so that this is clearly defined for emergency evacuation of the building and consider displaying the procedure in all nursery rooms for staff.

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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?

Rye Hill Community Nursery provides a welcoming environment where children make very good progress towards the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good. The environment is well set out and the staff are well deployed, organised and clear about their role within adult-led activities. Good quality resources are available, which are used effectively by the children. The staff put a great deal of effort into planning an effective curriculum for the children so that they have access to wide and varied activities within the six areas of learning. Good open-ended questions are used, which extend children's thinking and language development very well. Staff use appropriate written evaluations and observations of the children to monitor their progress; however this is not clearly linked to the stepping stones to identify where children are at. The staff are calm and competent when dealing with children's behaviour. Good relationships between the

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How effective is the nursery education?

Leadership and management is very good. The current acting manager is clear about her role and responsibilities and is always available to support the staff. Good communication is in place, staff are given time to plan the curriculum and regular meetings are held where the educational provision is monitored. She is aware that all staff, including management, should enhance their knowledge and understanding of the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. Partnership with parents is very good. Information displayed is useful and good quality newsletters are provided regularly for parents on topics/activities and how they can become involved. Regular reviews are held and reports on the progress children make are also given to parents. Parents are happy with the way in which information is shared about their children's care and learning.

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What is being done well?

• Children's personal social and emotional development is given high priority. Therefore children are happy, settled, confident, sociable and independent. • The good quality teaching and excellent planning ensures that the curriculum is wide and varied. Lots of enjoyable learning activities are offered to the children. • The provision for creative development is excellent. Children have good opportunities to explore and experiment with a range of media and materials. • The environment is well set out and staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Good quality resources, which are used effectively, enable children to learn well in all areas of their development.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• There are no key issues identified but consideration should be given to improving the following: • the records regarding children's progress • knowledge and understanding of the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The nursery has made very good progress since the last inspection. They were required to develop the child assessment system and to further develop the nursery's procedures and systems for working with children with identified special educational needs. Assessment systems are appropriately in place and are under constant review. Appropriate procedures are now in place for working with children with special educational needs and individual plans are in place.

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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 are settled, happy and leave their parents confidently on entering the group. They have secure relationships with the staff. They are very independent, for example they are able to find and put on their coats, help themselves to drinks and manage well in the bathroom. They concentrate well on their chosen activity.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are enthusiastic, are able to listen attentively during story time and they are able to join in and 'read' along with staff. The four-year-olds are able to finish the rhyming endings of a familiar story by themselves, using correct sentences. Both three and four-year-old children are confident speakers and speak clearly within the group. Three and four-year-olds can use writing materials competently and with good control during everyday play, for example when making shopping lists.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use numbers confidently in planned and everyday activities and are able to calculate well during play situations. The four-year-olds can recognise numbers up to five and indicate correctly how much the items are in the shop. Children use their fingers confidently for counting during rhyming and singing activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children show a keen interest in how things work, for example the computer equipment, and they attempt to operate this by themselves. Children use a range of materials well to create designs and to make things. They are engrossed during activities and fascinated at the results.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children demonstrate good spatial awareness, they are keen to follow instructions and manage well. Children use a range of small tools with good hand/eye coordination to achieve their aim. They use outdoor equipment, such as scooters and bikes with good control and use the space safely and confidently.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are gaining a good understanding of colour and how to mix colours to make different ones. Both three and four-year olds are able to differentiate colours well. Children are attentive and thoroughly enjoy their singing activities. They use their imaginations well as they have easy access to planned activities in the role play area such as the shop.

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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 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 key issues to report, but the following are raised as points for consideration: • develop the records, so that they clearly show children's progress in relation to the stepping stones and early learning goals. • develop knowledge and understanding of the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

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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 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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