Thurstable School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 22/03/2004 Inspector Name Laura Brewer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Parklands Nursery Setting Address Pavilion, Coney Hall Recreation Ground,Church Drive,Coney Hall West Wickham Kent BR4 9HJ

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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

Parklands Nursery is a privately owned group which opened in 1996. It is situated within the pavilion of Coney Hall Recreation Grounds, located in a residential area of West Wickham. The premises includes one main playroom (divided into specific activity areas), children's bathroom, kitchen, office and staff facilities. There is an enclosed outdoor play area which is accessed directly from the main playroom. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday, 8.00am to 4.30pm, and Friday 9.00am to12.00 noon, term time only. Both sessional and full day places are available. Lunch can be added to extend a morning or afternoon session. The group also offer a holiday scheme for a period of time during school holidays, which is open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. There are 7 members of staff, of whom some work on a part-time basis. All but one member of staff have a recognised early years qualification. The member of staff

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Information about the setting

who is not qualified is very experienced and has attended training courses provided. The majority of staff are also first aid qualified. The owner/manager has a Bachelor of Education Honours Degree and a Diploma in Child Development and Early Years Education. The nursery is registered with the Local Authorities EYDCP to receive the nursery education grant for funded 3 and 4 year olds. Presently there are 56 children on the roll, of whom 17 are funded 4 year olds and 13 are funded 3 year olds. The nursery supports 6 funded children who have special educational needs.

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How good is the Day Care?

Parklands Nursery provides good quality of care for children. The group provide a stimulating, relaxed environment where children learn though play, exploration and investigation. Staff are well organised and have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The activity planning is very varied, offering a wide range of activities which motivate children to expand their learning.

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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 have a very good knowledge of each child's individual needs and interests. They effectively use observations of what children can do to plan for their next stages. Staff are successful in promoting positive behaviour and there is a strong commitment to supporting children who have special educational needs. The environment is welcoming, clean and well maintained. Staff give high regard to ensuring health and safety practises are followed. Records are kept to a high standard. Polices are well written, clear and readily available, however one policy is not in place. Parents receive very good written information about the setting. Staff are available to talk to parents on a daily basis and provide regular updates about their child's

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How good is the Day Care?

progress during open forums. Parental involvement is positively encouraged and parents are very happy with the quality of care provided.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the nursery agreed to ensure parents countersign all accident records and check that vehicles used have up to date MOT's. All accident records are countersigned by parents and records confirming vehicles have up to date MOT's are now maintained.

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What is being done well?

• Staff are well qualified, competent within their roles and have access to ongoing training. All staff are clear of their responsibilities and work effectively as a team. • Excellent developmental records are maintained, enabling staff to ensure children make good individual progress. Assessments are used to guide teaching and inform planning. • The holiday club provides a relaxed setting where children can have access to a range of fun, exciting activities. • The premises is bright, welcoming and well maintained. Space is organised well to provide children with easy access to a range of resources. Many resources are stored at child level to motivate children to want to explore and make their own choices. • There is a varied selection of resources which are in good condition, conducive to group play and promote diversity. The resources available meet the individual needs of children attending. • High priority is given to health and safety issues. Staff are vigilant to ensure

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What is being done well?

safety of all areas is maintained. • Mealtimes are sociable occasions. Staff are fully aware of children's individual requirements and meals/snacks are healthy and nutritious. • There are excellent systems in place to support children with special educational needs. There is a strong commitment to working in partnership

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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 with parents and outside agencies to enable children's individual needs to be met. • Staff actively promote positive behaviour management strategies and encourage children to take responsibility for their own actions. The children are well behaved, familiar with the behavioural expectations of the group and confident with the routines. • The nursery have very strong links with parents and actively support parental involvement. Parents are exceptionally happy with the service provided. They find staff friendly, supportive and approachable and value the ongoing support given to their children.

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An aspect of outstanding practice:

Staff plan an excellent programme of activities which promotes children's development in all areas and motivates them to explore and investigate. Staff interact well with children and are skilled at their questioning techniques to provide challenge and encourage children's thought processes. Staff demonstrate a very caring, supportive approach towards children and they know each child well. The children are happy, confident, familiar with staff and the general routines.

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What needs to be improved?

• polices, to ensure a written procedure is in place for an uncollected child.

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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 Devise a written policy for an uncollected child.

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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?

Parklands Nursery provides high quality nursery education where effective teaching helps children make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is very good. Staff have an excellent knowledge of the foundation stage and are skilled in their questioning techniques to challenge children and extend their learning. The activity provision provides numerous opportunities for children to explore, investigate and communicate their ideas. The use of assessment ensures children make very good progress in all areas and enables staff to have a clear focus for future planning. Children's personal, social and emotional development is well supported through positive relationships, clear expectations of behaviour, and good opportunities to develop confidence. Children with special educational needs are very well supported by staff. Leadership and management is very good. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities

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How effective is the nursery education?

and work very well as a team. High priority is given to ensuring staff have regular access to training to further develop their skills. There is a clear commitment to continual evaluation and improvement. The partnership with parents is very good and contributes to children's overall good progress. Parents are well informed about events and activities at the nursery, and receive ongoing feedback about their child's progress. Parental involvement is actively encouraged and valued.

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What is being done well?

• The organisation of resources provides children with excellent opportunities to self -select items and work independently. Children are motivated to learn due to the wide variety of well planned activities that encourage them to explore and investigate. • Children are confident, eager to join in with activities, and have very good relationships with staff and their peers. They are very good communicators due to staff's positive interactions and opportunities to communicate their own ideas. • Children with special educational needs receive excellent support. Staff liaise effectively with parents and outside agencies to ensure children's individual needs are met and targets for the future are identified • Children's behaviour is very good due to positive relationships with staff and their consistent expectations. Children are confident and familiar with the general routines. • Staff have a complete understanding of how children learn and use

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What is being done well?

assessments well to guide teaching and build steadily on progress.

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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 • The staff work well as a team and are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities due to the good leadership. The management is committed to ongoing improvement and evaluation of the service provided. • Parents have very strong links with the nursery. They like the activity provision and find staff friendly, support and approachable. Parents receive very good information about their child's individual progress and they are welcomed into the setting to be involved in their child's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the information given to new parents during the admission stage to provide further support.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made very good progress in response to the key issues from the last inspection. All staff have are secure in their knowledge of the Foundation Stage and the six areas of learning. They plan a very effective programme of activities to support children's development and have a full understanding of the learning intentions identified.

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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 have a good understanding of the behavioural expectations of the setting and they respond well to the familiar routines. They have very good relationships with staff and each other and demonstrate care and concern for others. Children are confident to explore and investigate and self-select tools to work independently.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak very confidently, they initiate conversations and use language to explore real and imagined experiences. They know letter sounds and can read and write familiar words. Resources available enable children to have many opportunities to develop their skills. Children listen and respond to stories with enjoyment and they anticipate what is going to happen next. They use books independently alongside their play and for a variety of purposes.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children count confidently to 20 and beyond. They recognise numbers and incorporate counting independently within their play. Children develop confidence in solving problems during a range of practical activities. They have an excellent knowledge of language to describe and compare shape, size and quantity.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children design and construct with confidence and skill. They are able to select their own resources to create a piece of work and design with a specific purpose in mind. Children show curiosity about why things happen and how things work. Excellent opportunities are provided for them to explore and investigate within the natural environment and learn about other cultures.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move very confidently, with good control and in a variety of ways. They competently use a wide range of small and large equipment with co-ordination. They have an excellent understanding of health and bodily awareness and understand what keeps us healthy. They are familiar with following good hygiene practices which is supported through the daily routines.

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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 express their imagination very well through role play, art and design. They have excellent opportunities to explore media and materials. They are confident to independently select resources and design with a purpose in mind. Children use all of their senses to respond to a variety of experiences and to communicate their ideas. They actively join in songs and repeat many by memory. They imitate and create imaginative movements in response to songs and music.

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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 significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following: • Build on existing good practice by extending information given to new parents during the admission stage to provide further support.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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