Nonsuch High School for Girls

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 11/02/2004 Inspector Name Jonathon Christopher White

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care Setting Name Puddleducks Nursery Setting Address Wheelgate House School, Trevowah Road Crantock Newquay Cornwall TR8 5ES

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Puddleducks Nursery

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Puddleducks Nursery Address Puddleducks Nursery Wheelgate House School Crantock, Newquay Cornwall

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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

Puddleducks Nursery opened in 1988. It operates from two main rooms in the grounds of Wheelgate School Crantock. It serves the local and outlying areas. There are currently forty children on roll. This includes eleven funded 3 year olds and five funded 4 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery also supports children with special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The nursery opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions for the nursery are from 08.30 to 17.30. For the 3 to 4 year olds sessions are from 09.30 to 15.30 five days a week. The Nursery also operates an adventurers club for one week at Easter and five weeks during the summer holidays. This operates for nursery children only. Four full time staff and two part time staff work with the children there is also a manager and an administrator. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to

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Information about the setting

NVQ 2 or 3. One member of staff has a nursing and play work qualification. One member of staff is currently on maternity leave and has an NNEB qualification.Two staff are working towards a recognised early years qualification. The nursery receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

Puddleducks Nursery provides satisfactory care for children. Present staff have some childcare and professional qualifications. Other staff have teaching experience. Staff are committed to ongoing training and development. Policies and procedures are in place however staff would benefit from special needs training to increase their knowledge and understanding of the legislation and guidance.

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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 Staff ensure children are safe throughout the nursery most hazards are minimized. However arrangements need to be made so children do not have access to the kitchen area. Children need direct staff supervision at all times. Staff promote children's personal hygiene as part of daily routines. However attention needs to be given to children's hand washing procedures. Nappy changes and feeding records are detailed. Suitable sleeping arrangements are provided for babies and children under two years. Staff manage children's behaviour well and are consistent in their approach to behaviour management. Risk assessments are in place and detailed but not always put into practice. Visual daily checking is essential practice.

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How good is the Day Care?

The nursery arrangements split children into two groups in separate rooms, one group of three year olds and under, the other group of three and four year olds, mostly funded. Planning is available for both groups and suitable observation and recording systems are in evidence. An interesting programme of activities for older and younger children is well organised. Both children's rooms provide a warm welcoming environment with plenty of children's work displayed. Children have opportunities to use role play and information technology to support their language and mathematical thinking. Relationships with parents are good verbal feedback is given daily about all children's progress. Clear records are kept on all children. Notice boards and parent information is clearly displayed in both rooms.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to ensure enrolment forms are completed and signed by parents; make the garden gate safe and secure; provide a medication book; provide a written statement that includes the procedures to be followed if allegations are made against a member of staff or volunteer; make premises safe and secure; provide a written complaints procedure which includes the address and telephone number of the regulator; make sure relevant members of the committee undergo checks including a police check; ensure perishable foods are stored appropriately. The above actions have been completed satisfactory.

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What is being done well?

• Good record systems on all children have been set up and maintained on a regular basis. • Children's rooms are well presented and staff work hard to ensure children benefit from their skills and experience. • Planning is well organised throughout the nursery providing a good balance of play and learning opportunities.

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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?

• the information supplied to Ofsted about any significant changes to staff or premises • the close supervision of children in all areas with potential dangers or hazards • the regular practise and completion of risk assessments and hand washing procedures provided for children • the staff knowledge and understanding of the special needs policy which is consistent with current legislation and guidance.

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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 4 Ensure Ofsted are informed of any significant changes staff or premises. 6 Ensure that children do not have access to the kitchen except with direct staff supervision. 6 Ensure risk assessments are put into practice. 7 Ensure good hygiene practices are in place regarding children’s hand washing procedures. 10 Ensure that the special needs policy legislation and guidance is understood and implemented by all 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?

Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They are making very good progress in personal, social and emotional development and in knowledge and understanding of the world. Teaching is generally good. The recently employed member of staff is establishing a comprehensive system for planning and implementing a good range of interesting activities. However there are some weaknesses in the support that the children receive and the organisation of the sessions. The wide range of abilities in the group provide a challenge to the staff to ensure that children are all being challenged appropriately and the teaching methods used suit the needs of the children. Detailed assessments are kept, but some observation records are not up to date. The information gathered from these records are not used effectively to influence future short term planning. Leadership and management is generally good. The setting aim to provide good

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How effective is the nursery education?

education for children. Strong links between the foundation stage and the key stage one teacher provide support and consistency. However some staff have limited information on their roles and responsibilities to be able to support the staff and children well. There is limited monitoring and evaluation of the nursery education provision. Partnership with parents is generally good. Some useful information is displayed on door for parents, to keep them informed of themes and activities children will be involved in. Regular verbal information is exchanged and established parents evenings provide opportunity for staff and parents to look at the children's records and work together. Some parents have visited the setting to shared their knowledge with the children, such as working on a farm.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident to speak in group situations and are developing good phonic knowledge. • Children are developing some good self help skills and also a willingness to help each other. • Children behave well and staff use good strategies to manage children's behaviour.

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What needs to be improved?

• The organisation of the session and staff to meet all children needs, and to provide a balance of adult and child directed play.

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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 effective use of the assessments to influence planning • A system to monitor and evaluate the quality of the nursery education.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the previous inspection when four key issues were raised. 1.The setting agreed to monitor the provision to ensure that all resources and equipment is in good order and help children to learn. The setting have recently moved the funded children into a new room which has a wide range of resources which are in good condition. This has addressed the key issue. 2.The setting were asked to improve resources in two areas, books and in the outdoor climbing equipment. The books have been renewed and are sorted and replaced when needed. The outdoor areas has two pieces of climbing equipment to cover a range of ages and abilities. However one climbing frame is now showing signs of deterioration and the setting have recently placed an order to have this replaced. 3.The setting agreed to monitor and review the assessment system. This is still ongoing but the setting now use three types of assessments , 'I can' statements, a

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What has improved since the last inspection?

weekly focus tracking system and direct observations. This has been developed and supported by the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. However some of the assessments are not regularly updated and the information gathered is not used to influence planning. 4.The setting was required to ensure that all staff are familiar with the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs, which remains a key issue. The manager has attended some training in this area, but the staff in care of the children have limited understanding of the procedure and stages of the Code of Practice.

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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 friendly and helpful to each other. They are willing to help tidy up activities and will help each other to pick up and look after their personal possessions. Most children are able to see to their personal hygiene independently and regularly practise changing for outdoor play with minimal help.Some children are able to sit and concentrate in large group activities, however the younger children are less able to do this.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident to speak in group situations and are developing their language skills. They frequently practise their phonic skills during all activities. Some children are able to write their names, and all children enjoy practising mark making during registration and in the role play area. However there is limited opportunity for children to enjoy listening to stories to extend their understanding of books.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Most children are able to recognise numbers correctly and are enjoying counting for various purposes. Children enjoy playing games which use their maths skills and use good positional language. Displays in the room show how children have been learning about patterns and have recreated their own patterns in foot and hand prints. However there are limited opportunities for children to use practical situations to practise calculating to solve simple problems.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have recently planted seeds and are able to explain what will happen next and that they seeds will grow into beanstalks. They are confident to use the computer in the room independently. The trips to the woods and the local church help children become aware of their local environment and the natural world.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children regularly access the outdoor play area for free play where they use a range of climbing equipment to move, balance and climb. Children are aware of the importance of eating healthy foods and why we exercise. A good range of gym equipment is available for children to use for planned activities to extend their sense of space and co-ordination on large equipment. However children have less opportunity to use tools and small equipment to develop fine motor skills.

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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: Generally Good A good selection of various displays demonstrates materials which the children use. Some children enjoy playing in the well supplied role play area which has a range of props to support their imaginative play. Music is regularly used, children have learnt a variety of signals to be able to conduct an orchestra and to express themselves. However children's creativity is limited by lack of time and resources freely available and the expectation for them to produce a pre-defined end product.

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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 all staff are familiar with the Code of Practice for Special Education Needs and are able to identify and implement support for children at all stages. • consider the needs of the children and their abilities when organising the routine and activities, to ensure that all children are provided with a balance of adult and child directed play opportunities, and that their time is used effectively. • maintain up to date observations and assessments and use this information effectively to influence planning the next stage in children's learning. • develop a system to monitor and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the setting, and it's ability to evaluate the provision of the nursery education.

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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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