Blackburne House Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 03/06/2003 Inspector Name Michele Anne Villiers

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Blackburne House Nursery Setting Address Blackburne Place Off Hope Street Liverpool Merseyside L8 7PE

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REGISTERED PROVIDER 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

Blackburne House is a registered private day nursery and has been established since 1994. It is situated in the city of Liverpool and is part of Blackburne House Technical College for Women. The nursery occupies part of a listed building which was formerly a school. It is registered to care for 30 children in total and is open for 51 weeks a year. During the summer months a Holiday Club is provided for eight children aged four to eight years. The nursery comprises of a baby room, a toddler room, a pre-school room and a secure outdoor play area. There are four qualified nursery staff and two part-time managers. The nursery receives grant funding for three and four year old children and currently 11 funded children attend. The children attending the nursery come from a variety of social, economic and ethnic backgrounds. There are four children who have English as an additional language and provision is also made for any children with special educational needs.

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How good is the Day Care?

Blackburne House Nursery provides satisfactory care for children aged 0-5 years. Staff are qualified in childcare and contingency plans are in place to ensure correct ratios are maintained at all times. The management have a commitment to improving the nursery and staff access further training where possible. Staff have an awareness of health and safety and receive training at induction. Fire drills are regularly practised and recorded and risk assessment is conducted on equipment and premises. Children learn about personal hygiene and health awareness through planned activities and the daily routine. A cook is employed and meals are well balanced and nutritional. All meals are vegetarian and dietary needs met. Children are provided with a wide range of toys and equipment. Books and other materials show positive images of people of all races, cultures and abilities. When purchasing toys emphasis is given to avoid racial and gender stereotyping. Activities

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How good is the Day Care?

are planned and there is an inclusion policy for children with additional needs.

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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 Parents are kept informed about the nursery, its routine and activities on a daily basis and through regular newsletters and parent evenings. Parental involvement is encouraged and there is an open door policy. On admission parents receive an informative booklet, which includes statements on policies and procedures.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There were no actions to address since the last inspection. Staff have continued to receive in-house training and some have accessed training in the foundation stage and curriculum plans for 3 and 4 year old funded children. Policies and procedures have been updated and a new parent information booklet produced.

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What is being done well?

• The provision of a wide variety of stimulating activities, suitable and challenging for the age range and abilities of the children (Standard 3). • Nutritional meals are provided, these are varied and include different nationality dishes. (Standard 8) • Staffs positive approach to equal opportunities and recognising the importance of respecting each child as an individual. Toys and resources reflect positive images of culture, gender and disability (Standard 9).

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What needs to be improved?

• paperwork for the operational plan needs to be collated to form a working document, and make available for parents. (std 2) • the continuing recording and assessment of the development of funded 3 and 4 year old children, in order to track their progress towards the early learning goals. • the complaints procedure to be updated and made available for parents. (std 12) • the child protection policy and procedures to be updated.(std 13)

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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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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

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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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 2 produce an operational plan as a working document and make available for parents. (std 2) 2 devise system to record the arrival and departure times of children. (Std 2) 7 ensure children’s temperature is recorded when administering medication (calpol). (std 7) 12 update the complaints procedure, to include Ofsted address. (std 12) 12 ensure parents of funded 3 and 4 year olds receive sufficient information on their children’s development. (std 12) 13 produce a written procedure to be followed in the event of an allegations of abuse being made against a member of staff or volunteer. (std 13)

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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 at Blackburne House Nursery are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Effective planning and teaching helps children enjoy learning through a wide range of interesting activities. Children are making very good progress in personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Teaching is good, with positive effects on children's behaviour. Children are learning to form good relationships with adults and children. The key strengths in personal, social and emotional development are due to the skilful interactions of staff. Staff create a positive atmosphere where the children's achievement are praised and their self-esteem fostered well. Valuable opportunities are provided for children to learn about their own culture and other cultures through planned activities and everyday situations, giving them a strong sense of place and the world they live in.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The effective planning of activities helps children develop in all areas of learning; however staff assessment of children's learning needs to be improved in order to inform the monthly and long term plans. Leadership and management are generally good. Management have a commitment to improving the care and education for all children and work hard to develop an effective staff team. All staff are qualified in childcare and access further training when possible. Partnership with parents is good. Parental involvement is very much encouraged and parents are informed about the activities and routine of the nursery on a daily basis and through newsletters. More involvement needs to be developed in the sharing of children's progress and assessment sheets on a regular basis.

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What is being done well?

• children's progress in personal, social and emotional development is very good. Children are learning to confidently form good relationships with adults and peers. Staff encourage the children's independence and create a positive atmosphere which fosters their self-confidence. • children's knowledge and understanding of the world is very good. Children are developing a strong sense of place and awareness of the world they live in through routine activities and planned topics. Staff make good use of the local environment and facilites, frequently taking children on walks and networking with other nurseries. • management and leadership promote good relationships with parents and

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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 staff. All staff are qualified and parental involvement is very much encouraged.

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What needs to be improved?

• children's assessment sheets need to be developed and completed regularly in order to link to planning. • staff to maximise everyday opportunities for children to develop their counting skills and to provide mathematical challenge for the more able children. • provide greater opportunity for older, more able children to practice forming recognisable letters and writing their name during practical activities.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The nursery are making good progress since the last inspection. Short term and long term plans are well focused and make clear the learning outcomes for each activity. Staff have also accessed training and the nursery now have input from a support teacher.

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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 make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development. Children sit and listen carefully to stories and talk confidently in a familiar group. They are forming good relationships with others in a positive atmosphere where achievement is praised and valued. Children's independence is encouraged and they are able to choose their activity, although sometimes there is a limited choice of toys made available to them.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in communication, language and literacy. Many children are confident speakers and engage easily in conversations with each other and with adults. They ask simple questions in the form of 'where' and what'. Through stories children are learning that print carries meaning and they practice writing skills during play activities. The older more able children need more opportunitiy to practice writing their name and forming recognisable letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children's progress in mathematical development is generally good. Through planned activities children are learning about shapes and recreating patterns. Children confidently count to ten and, through a displayed activity of 'The Bakers Shop', they are learning to recognise numerals and the written word. However, there are many missed opportunities during practical activities, such as snack time and register, for children to use counting and develop mathematical ideas and problem solving.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children make very good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world. Valuable opportunities are provided for children to learn about their own culture and other cultures. The current topic 'food' enables children to discuss different food, culture, religion and where food comes from. Frequent local outings enable children to learn about their environment. Children are developing their ICT skill with computer programmes, however the use of programmable toys and equipment is limited.

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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: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in physical development. Children are developing good manipulative skill through activities such as threading, model making and playdough. They are learning about health and bodily awareness through planned activities such as 'food', 'how does our body work' and 'exercise'. They learn about the importance of hygiene when encouraged to wash their hands before food and after the toilet, although this sometimes needs extra supervision.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in creative development. Through planned activities children are able to use a range of media, such as paint, water, sand and collage. Children are able to sing simple songs from memory and explore sound through musical instruments. These activities are, however, often adult lead and therefore missed opportunities for them to express more individual creative skills.

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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

• children's assessment sheets to be developed and completed regularly in order to link to planning.

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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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