West Silvertown School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 17/12/2004 Inspector Name Susan Jennifer Scott

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Bright Beginnings Setting Address Dering Way Gravesend Kent DA12 2JJ

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name North West Kent College Nursery Address Dering Way Gravesend Kent DA12 2JJ

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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

The Nursery opened in 2004, having moved from other rooms on this site. It is a new purpose built nursery set in the ground of the North West Kent College. The nursery is owned by the college. They have sole use of the building most of the time although an agreement is in place to provide facilities for children sponsored by the local Sure Start group. The nursery recruit from the a wide surrounding area, feeding on to a variety of Primary schools. The nursery offers full day care and is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:15 until 18:00. The nursery serves students attending the college and the public, and is open throughout the year. There are 45 children on the register. There are 25 funded children attending the nursery. Children with special educational needs (SEN) who have English as an additional language (EAL) attend the nursery. There are sixteen staff and a supernumerary manager who work with the children.

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Information about the setting

Over half the staff have early years early years qualification. There are three staff currently working towards recognised qualifications to NVQ level 3. The group is a Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA) associated group and receive support and training from the Early years Advisory teacher (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

Bright Beginnings provides satisfactory care for children. Staff work well together and create a caring and relaxing environment for the children. Children arrive happily and settle quickly. Staff are directly involved with the children and have positive relationships with them. Areas used by children are clean and there is an attractive and exciting range of toys and equipment. The premises are secure and there is a system for the safe arrival and departure of children. Staff are diligent about promoting children's safety and conduct appropriate risk

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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 assessments. Staff work hard to minimise hazards and health and hygiene is promoted satisfactorily. Children are encouraged to learn about personal hygiene through the routine. However,nappy bins stored in the nursery, are emptied once a fortnight. An excellent range of healthy food is freshly cooked on the premises and children can exercise choices in the vegetables they eat and when they wish to have a snack. Children have access to a wide range of toys and resources and enjoy using these. Children confidently select from all that is on offer and move freely form activity to activity. However, children spend too long waiting for their turn during whole group activities. Staff consistently praise and encourage the children to achieve and

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How good is the Day Care?

children are secure and confident. There is an equal opportunities policy in place and staff are skilled in meeting the needs of individual children. There is a child protection policy and a procedure is in place although staff are unsure in their knowledge and understanding of it. There are effective systems to support effective partnerships with parents. They receive useful information upon entry and are invited to contribute to their children's learning. Parents have access to the group's policies and procedures and staff are available to exchange information at every session. All the necessary documentation is in place.

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What is being done well?

• The environment is attractive and well suited to the needs of the children with a good variety of attractive and appropriate toys and equipment. Children are encouraged to access a range of toys and play equipment independently and are encouraged to choose these for themselves. • Children are provided with a good healthy menu and have freshly cooked meals which are varied and nutritious. Children can choose when to have their snacks and are offered a choice of healthy options for this. • Staff are aware of the needs of individual children and provide good care to meet these needs. There is a good range of anti-discriminatory resources and guidance to promote equality.

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What needs to be improved?

• the documentation, so that this is a confidential and permanent record, up to date and shared as appropriate • the plans for the safe evacuation of babies in emergencies • the hygienic disposal of soiled nappies.

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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

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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

Since 1st 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 2 Ensure all documents are a permanent record. 3 Ensure children's records are up to date. 6 Plan for the safe evacuation of babies in emergencies. 7 Ensure soiled nappies are not stored in areas used by babies or children. 12 Ensure all indidual information is confidential.

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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?

The nursery education at provided at Bright Beginnings Nursery is acceptable and of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress in all six areas of development. The quality of teaching is generally good; activities are planned although activities and routines are not always organised to ensure all children are stimulated and challenged throughout the sessions. Staff are patient and calm, offering good opportunities for children to experience self selection. They provide clear instructions and enable children to develop and progress through a balance of adult led activities and free play. The observations and assessments of children have not been systematic, although a new system has been provided which will be evaluate children's progress against the stepping stones and early learning goals. Planning will focus on activities that enable children to progress through the areas of the curriculum methodically.

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How effective is the nursery education?

Procedures for children with special educational needs are inclusive and positive. Leadership and management is generally good. The new manager provides good support and guidance and has developed an action plan which clearly identifies all the issues which need to be addressed. However, there has not been sufficient record keeping or a clear assessment of the impact of operating in a new environment until very recently. The manager has begun to evaluate and monitor quality through observations and discussions. Partnership with parents is generally good. Staff provide frequent verbal feedback on children's development and progress and the records of transfer are completed when children leave for school. Parents have had limited opportunities to receive regular information on the progress children make in the group, although the new manager has plans to hold a variety consultation sessions and workshops for them.

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What is being done well?

• The choices offered to children and their opportunities for self selection are very good. Children can access a range of appropriate toys and equipment in several rooms which are attractive and welcoming with very good displays of children's work. • Individual children are supported effectively by staff who are aware of their needs and preferences and cater for these well. Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) have Individual Education Plans (IEPs) which are clear and appropriate and shared and reviewed with parents regularly. • Children use books well; they enjoy listening to stories read by staff and learn from these as well as the stories which are acted out by staff in a lively 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 humorous way.

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What needs to be improved?

• the outdoor play; so that children experience a variety of learning and access a varied range of equipment • the organisation of play and learning activities; to ensure that children are provided with suitable challenges that meet their individual needs at all times • the observations of children's progress; so that these are systematic and provide a reliable basis to assess progress and plan for the next steps in their development.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The nursery have made generally good progress since the last inspection for nursery education. Planning for language and literacy has ensured that children have opportunities to cover most aspects of the curriculum, although the staff need to ensure there is an emphasis on supporting children's learning about sounds of letters and words and linking these to written language. Activities in mathematics build on what previous activities and children's skills and the assessments have covered all areas of the curriculum, although recently they have not been completed regularly. To ensure all children's achievements are recorded in a methodical way, a new system is about to be introduced to achieve this. For children who learn more quickly there are opportunities for them to develop their skills and extend their play through the good support offered to individuals by staff.

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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 choose between activities, select resources to use and learn to be independent. They wash their hands, are able to put their coats on with some help and choose when to have their snack and drink. They learn to share and take turns, and help staff to tidy up during the routines. Their confidence and self-esteem are built up by staff who are sensitive to their needs and know them well. Children mostly behave well and staff help them understand right and wrong.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills at circle time. They enjoy listening to stories and stories which are acted out by staff. However,they are not consistently encouraged to notice the sounds of letters and words during activities. Children have limited opportunities for mark making though some are encouraged to write their names on work. Activities such as role play are not fully exploited to include a variety of examples of written information to use.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children benefit from good individual support to help them count to over 10 and to compare, match numbers to ticks in the register and add up . They recognise shapes and numerals during registration times. They learn that coins have different values as they buy items using the toy till. Children enjoy action songs and are encouraged to use good mathematical language such as 'more, less and on-top-of' when they perform the actions.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children use outdoor area to observe the natural world. Staff take good opportunities to help them notice changes that occur, for example, when they talk about the weather and the project which is 'Santa and the snow' and children discuss what they see when they open the advent calendar window. Children learn about families, cultures and events in their lives through the imaginative activities to celebrate various festivals.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use the outside play area for sports and activities throughout the year. They are set challenges, such as jumping and skipping, hopping and running. They manoeuvre trikes, scooters, the parachute, and use the climbing frames well. They use balls both inside and outside to increase their motor skills, although opportunities to practise balancing skills are limited. Children are developing good fine motor skills using puzzles, scissors, pencils, paintbrushes and stencils.

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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 Children draw and paint, choosing varied materials to make their own designs; they experiment with glitter and sponge blocks and the effects made on paper and card. They play together in the role play area with "props" which are linked to the topic of Christmas and Santa's visit. They explore tastes, smells and textures when they cook pizzas and discover the results. They make music with instruments they make and sing songs, although the singing sessions are not planned to link into the topic.

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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

• plan for outdoor play so that children experience a variety of learning and access a varied range of equipment • organise and plan play and learning activities to ensure that children are provided with suitable challenges that meet their individual needs at all times • observe and record children's progress systematically to provide a reliable basis to assess progress and plan for the next steps in their development.

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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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