Charters School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 15/09/2003 Inspector Name Jacqueline, Ann Connell

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Rotherly Day Nursery Setting Address Rotherly House Links Road Winchester Hampshire SO22 5HP

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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

Rotherly Day Nursery is situated in part of the boarding house, and in a separate near-by cottage, at Westgate School which is located on the outskirts of Winchester town centre. It is managed by the school and takes children from a wide area. The nursery is registered for 46 children between the ages of three months and five years but ,of these, no more than 12 children may be under two years. The children under two years are cared for in the cottage. The registration does not include overnight care. The nursery is open on weekdays, for 50 weeks a year, between 8:00 and 17:30pm. It closes for one day each term for the purpose of staff training. The members of staff all have a qualification in child care and, in addition, certificates in food hygiene and first-aid. There is a qualified special needs co-ordinator [SENCO]. The nursery takes three and four year olds who are receiving funding. There are

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Information about the setting

currently 23 funded children. Two children have special needs. Rotherly has received accreditation by the National Day Nursery Association.

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How good is the Day Care?

Rotherly Day Nursery provides good care for children between the ages of three months and five years. The nursery offers a warm, friendly environment for children. The staff make good use of space for instance, the babies are in the separate cottage which helps them to feel secure. Rotherly has an enthusiastic staff team who operate an effective key-worker system. The staff offer an extensive range of stimulating activities which are well planned and encourage the children's development and learning. They provide a wide range of toys and equipment which the children are able to access for themselves.

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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 The staff are vigilant in ensuring the children's safety and have good procedures in place to support this. There is a system which monitors the access to the nursery and this is very effective for most of the time. The staff are active in promoting high standards of hygiene and encourage the children to develop healthy routines such as washing hands before eating and cleaning teeth after lunch. The nursery has its own chef who provides healthy and nutritious meals for the older children. There are clear behaviour boundaries in place and good behaviour is encouraged and, as a result, the children behave well. The nursery has close working relationships with parents. The documentation is well recorded and most required

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How good is the Day Care?

information is in place. The children's records are kept in a secure place.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

This does not apply as the last inspection was a transitional inspection.

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What is being done well?

• The nursery has a stable and committed team of enthusiastic staff who work closely together in order to meet the needs of the children.All the staff have a qualification in childcare and the nursery is committed to ensuring all staff receive on-going training in order to further their knowledge and understanding of their work. • The manager is extremely competent and has good systems in place to ensure the nursery is well run and that staff are providing quality care for the children. • The staff interact very well with the children. They know them well and are very interested in what the children say and do. • The staff provide a very warm, welcoming and homely environment for the children. The nursery walls are brightly painted and are covered with attractive posters and displays of the children's art work. • The staff make very good use of the outside play areas and have good procedures in place when taking the children outside. Babies sleep in the

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What is being done well?

cottage garden, when weather permits, and the older children use the outside area for physical play and to learn about the environment. • The nursery has a very positive attitude towards caring for children with special needs. The staff plan individual programmes and work closely with other agencies to ensure the children with special needs are included and that their development is extended. • The staff give parents very good information about their child's progress. They inform parents of their child's routine and activities on a daily basis and give them regular written reports of their child's development. They offer guidance to parents about supporting their child's learning and development both through informal discussion and termly information meetings. They keep parents informed of general nursery news by means of a bi-termly newsletter

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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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An aspect of outstanding practice:

The nursery invites visitors to come in and extend the children's knowledge and understanding of the world. This included a visit from a blind person with her guide dog. The children were able to discover some of the problems of being blind and how the dog is able to help. They made numbers and letters which could be identified by touch rather than sight. They made her a thank-you card which she could feel. At the end they asked if there was anything they could do for her. The blind person asked the children to sing to her because listening is very important for her. The children learnt about someone with special needs, some of the problems of blindness and developed their numerical, literacy and creative skills by making tactile letters and shapes.

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What needs to be improved?

• the access to the main nursery when the boarders return from school; (Standard 6) • the inclusion of Ofsted in the complaints policy. (Standard 12)

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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 ensure the access to the nursery is monitored at all times of the day. 12 include the registering body [OFSTED] in the complaints procedure.

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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?

Rotherley Day Nursery provides very good quality nursery education. Children make very good progress towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. The staff team work effectively together to provide a wide range of activities and experiences for children. Staff use their knowledge of how children learn to plan the next stage of development for each child. Staff make very good use of an excellent range of resources to provide activities both indoors and outdoors which maintain children's interest. They question children effectively to make them think, and listen to what each child has to say. Children feel valued and are interested in the activities provided, as a result, behaviour in the nursery is very good. The leadership and management of the nursery is very good. The manager has been very effective in developing a committed staff team who work together to

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How effective is the nursery education?

create a stimulating environment with a well balanced programme. Systems are in place for the continual assessment and development of staff who are actively encouraged to improve and update their skills through training. The manager continually monitors practice and procedures for the provision of nursery education and discusses proposed improvements with the staff team. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are very well informed about the nursery's educational programme and are encouraged to discuss their child's progress. Staff involve parents in the assessment and planning process. Parents receive regular information about what their child is doing and forthcoming topics. They are encouraged to take part in fundraising events or become a member of the parent committee. Parents feel the staff are very approachable and always happy to discuss all aspects of their child's care and development.

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What is being done well?

• An enthusiastic and skilled staff team create an environment where children are happy and relaxed. They provide effective challenges, value each child's contribution and support children who are less able or confident. Children develop confidence and self-esteem and behaviour is very good. • Staff have a sound knowledge of the early learning goals. They make very effective use of a comprehensive assessment and planning systems to ensure each child makes good progress in all areas of learning. • The management of the nursery is very effective. The manager works closely with staff to monitor and improve the provision of nursery education using internal assessment and independent external accreditation schemes. • Staff develop good, open relationships with parents who are welcomed into the nursery for formal and informal discussions. Parents are involved in the

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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 process of developing individual play plans for their child.

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What needs to be improved?

• There are no key issues, however, consideration should be given to improving the following:- • opportunities provided for children to attempt writing for different purposes, particularly during freeplay. • parent's awareness of the nursery's policies and any changes which are made to them.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The nursery has made good progress since the last inspection. The development and implementation of storysacks has involved staff, students and the local community. This new activity is clearly enjoyed by the children and develops skills in communication, language and literacy.

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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 develop positive relationships with staff and other children. They learn to co-operate and work together, for example, sharing resources, taking turns and listening to each other. They develop confidence in their personal care, selecting resources, dressing themselves and helping themselves to drinks. They are encouraged to participate in activities and their efforts are praised by staff who know them well. Children develop confidence and self-esteem and behaviour is very good.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy books and listen avidly to stories. They enthusiastically take part in the role play involved in the use of story sacks. Their spoken language is developing well, as they are encouraged to express their thoughts and ideas. They speak confidently in small and large groups, extending their vocabulary and learning the meaning of new words. Children practice pre-writing skills, learn to read and write their names and link sounds with letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children recognise and use numbers one to nine, with some children identifying larger numerals. Their understanding of numbers is reinforced as they take part in routine tasks such as counting the number of children going out to play. Children learn about mathematical language and problem solving through every day activities like card games. They enjoy learning about size, shape, quantity and position through a range of projects like comparing different windows and doors.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children use the outdoor area to explore the natural world eg looking at plants. They enjoy talking to visitors from the local community like a fire officer. They learn about different cultures and beliefs through project work where they look at clothes, foods, currency and festivals from different countries. Children develop very good cutting and joining skills, using a variety of tools and materials to make models and pictures.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy many opportunities to develop confidence using small and large tools and equipment. They use the outdoor area to run, balance, climb and ride bicycles and scooters. They also have opportunities indoors to match movements to music and practise skills like rolling balls to each other and using tools. Children learn about changes that happen to their bodies when they are active and understand about keeping healthy, for example, children know why they wear sunhats and sun lotion.

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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 use their imagination and develop their ideas in a variety of ways, for example through role-play and dressing up. They learn about colour, texture and shape through art and craft, sand and water play and construction toys. Children confidently participate in music and movement sessions and explore sound and musical instruments. They respond with all their senses to a broad range of experiences such as tasting and smelling foods and touching a range of contrasting textures.

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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, however, consideration should be given to the following points:- • provide more opportunities for children to attempt writing for different purposes, particularly during freeplay. • ensure parents are aware of the nursery's current policies. 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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