Little Owls Nursery Kentmere

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 26/07/2004 Inspector Name Jacqueline Patricia Walter

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Out of School Day Care, Full Day Care Setting Name Kentmere Early Years Centre & OOS Club Setting Address Kentmere Avenue Seacroft Leeds West Yorkshire LS14 1BN

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Leeds City Council Address Kentmere Avenue Seacroft Leeds West Yorkshire LS14 1BN

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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

Kentmere Early Years Centre is managed by Leeds Childcare and Early Development service and has been registered since 1990. The provision is set in an area of Leeds known as Seacroft. It opens five days a week from 08:00 to 18:00 hours, all year round and offers full- day care, sessional care and out of school care. It serves the local community. There are four group rooms, a central play area, a community room, bathroom facilities, a kitchen, an office and staff facilities. There is a outside play area which is divided into three sections for various ages groups and offers play on both hard and grassed surfaces. The Early Years Centre is currently caring for 49 children aged from two to eight years of age, this includes 14 three-year-olds and 13 four-year-olds who are in receipt of nursery education funding. They also provide care and support for children with special educational needs. There are 12 staff who currently care for children, 11 of whom have early years

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Information about the setting

qualifications to NVQ level two or three. One member of staff is currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from the Local Authority.

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How good is the Day Care?

Kentmere Early Years Centre and Out Of School Club provides good care for children. The setting is organised very well and very good use is made of staff, space and other resources, which enable the children to feel safe and secure. Staff provide a bright, very clean, and very welcoming, child friendly environment where children's work is valued and space and resources are set out attractively to allow children to make choices. All the required documentation is in place, although the policy for

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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 behaviour does not reflect strategies used against bulling. Confidentiality is upheld well. Staff take some positives steps to reduce risks to children's health and safety, for example all staff are fully aware of fire safety procedures, there are very good procedures in place for outings, effective procedures in place to prevent the spread of infection and staff teach children the importance of following good routines of personal hygiene. However risk assessments in all areas have not been completed and not all records of accidents in the Out of School Club have been signed and acknowledged by parents. Staff give good attention to the children's individual needs and are very proactive in including and supporting children that have special needs.

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How good is the Day Care?

An excellent and wide range of stimulating toys and play materials are available, which are easily accessible and encourage children's independence. Staff interact very well with the children, they know the children well, and are actively involved in working with them. Strong and trusting partnership are in place with parents. Staff ensure there are regular opportunities for parents to be informed on the care and development of their children. They value parents and encouraged them to be involved in their children's learning and work in partnership to ensure their differing needs are taken into account.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The staff have fully addressed the previous action raised at their last inspection. They have taken positive steps to promote the health of children and fully respect their right to confidentiality, by now keeping accident records individual and confidential to each child.

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What is being done well?

• The setting is organised very well and very good use is made of staff, space and other resources, for example, most staff are deployed effectively with specific age groups of children, which enable the children to feel secure and build good relationships. The staff organise space and resources imaginatively with sensory areas both indoors and outdoors, which create a stimulating and supportive environment for children. The registration system clearly shows when staff, visitors and children are present and the induction programme is effective and ensures all staff are aware of the policies and procedures; requiring staff to sign each policy to acknowledge their reading and understanding. • Staff interact very well with the children, they know the children well, and are actively involved at all times in working alongside them. Children are confident very independent, they use their initiative and relate well with one

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What is being done well?

another and adults. • An excellent and wide range of stimulating toys and play materials are available, which staff plan and use effectively to provide a balanced range of

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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 activities that prompt learning in all areas. Children can easily access their toys and equipment from attractively arranged low cupboards and shelves, which enable them to make choices and decisions and become very independent. • Staff are fully aware of the special needs of children within the setting. They are very proactive in ensuring that children are included in all activities and take appropriate action to support their individual needs. They successfully promote the children's welfare and development in partnership with parents and other relevant persons, and have good regard and understanding of the code of practice regarding the identification and assessment of children with special needs.

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What needs to be improved?

• the safety, with regard to risk assessments being regularly reviewed and completed in all areas • the recording of accident records in the Out of School Club • the documentation, with regard to extending the behaviour policy.

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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 Continue the reviewing of risk assessments and ensure plans identify and reduce risks in all areas. 7 Ensure all records of accidents are signed by parents. 11 Extend the behaviour management policy to reflect behaviour such as bullying and how children will be helped to challenge this.

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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?

Kentmere Early Years Centre provides high quality nursery education, which enables children to make very good progress in all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff manage children very well and develop warm relationships with them. They regularly observe and assess children's learning well, and use this information to plan what the children are to learn next. There are effective plans in place, including different levels of planning, which are clearly structured to promote the early learning goals for each of the six areas of learning. Time, space and resources, particularly in the outdoor area, are organised effectively and the accessibility of resources ensures opportunities for children to choose and make decisions. Leadership and management are very good and have a positive impact on children's progress. There are clear aims which are understood by staff and achieved in practice. Staff recognise that self evaluation is the key to continuous improvement

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How effective is the nursery education?

and regularly monitor and assess their provision, practice and children's progress. They know their strengths and weaknesses and act on their evaluations to make improvements. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. An effective combination of formal and informal methods enable parents and staff to share information regarding the children's development. Parents have good opportunities to share what they know about their children and be encouraged to be involved with their children's learning, through contribution to their children's profiles and regular opportunities for them to discuss and share their observation with staff. There are opportunities for parents to become familiar with the educational provision for children, however the system for sharing information regarding, some of the policies and procedures on the setting, may not always give parents the opportunity to digest and become

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What is being done well?

• A very good range of physical activities and resources, which are effectively organised and ensure that children's progress in physical development is very good, is available. Staff have successfully created and implemented a stimulating environment in their outdoor area, for example, they are different zones which are clearly defined, such as the nature/sensory area where planting can take place, areas for role-play and the use of wheeled vehicles. This enables the children to move freely, confidently develop their understanding of the natural world and develop physical skills in a safe and secure manner. • Staff give high priority to nurturing children's personal, social and emotional development. They form warm relationships with children and ensure all

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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 children are included. Children relate well to one another, are confident and able to work independently and in small groups. • Staff make regular assessments that identify children's achievements and any learning difficulties. These are systematic, informative, objective, and clearly linked to the stepping stones and early learning goals. Staff use the information from these assessments successfully, to help children move on to the next stages of learning. • Staff and management work hard to successfully address weaknesses and improve on the quality of their provision. They demonstrate a high and enthusiastic commitment and access training opportunities when ever possible. They effectively monitor and evaluate all aspects of their provision

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What is being done well?

to ensure children are able to reach their full learning potential before they leave the setting. • Parental partnerships are developed, encouraged and valued which has a positive impact on the children's learning. Parents are encouraged to be involved with their child's learning, for example, by spending reading time with them at the nursery, or using other resources, for example, the lending library, to promote individual skills and knowledge at home.

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What needs to be improved?

•• the system for sharing information on the setting with parents.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made. The staff have fully and successfully addressed the point for consideration raised at the last inspection. They have successfully refined their previous assessment and recording system that promoted the desirable outcomes, by completely reviewing it. This now clearly demonstrates the children's progress towards the early learning goals and is used to promote their next steps in the children's learning.

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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 are very confident, very enthusiastic and motivated to learn. They form very good relationships with both adults and peers and are able to work independently and in groups. Some four-year-olds are able to display high levels of concentration, for example when watching and playing the game of 'snap'. Children show a strong sense of family and their setting are developing awareness of what is right and wrong.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children can listen with attention to information and respond with enjoyment to stories and songs and use speech very well to organise and explore real and imagined experiences. They are developing good writing skills and are attempting to write for a variety of reasons, some four year olds are able to form recognisable letters. Children are developing an understanding that print carries meaning and are beginning to link sounds to letters, naming and sounding them.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Most children can count reliably up to five and beyond. They use language confidently to describe shapes, position and size and are developing understanding of similarities in simple patterns. Children are developing understanding in simple subtraction through singing rhymes and songs, and some four-year-olds are very confident with numbers and initiate number activities with adults, demonstrating a clear understanding of addition to combining groups of objects, and subtraction to taking away.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to successfully find out, observe and identify features in the wider world and are developing skills and understanding in construction and joining materials. They are developing an understanding of information and communication technology through the everyday use of a computer and with support from programmable toys. They are developing good knowledge and understanding of culture and beliefs through use of a good range of multicultural equipment.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children show very good awareness of space and can move confidently, imaginatively and safely. They are developing understanding about the importance of staying healthy through everyday good practice and are beginning to recognise changes that happen to their bodies. Children are developing skills in handling malleable materials, simple tools and objects with increasing control.

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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 are able to confidently express feelings and ideas through imaginative play movement and song. They can sing simple songs from memory and are developing skills in matching movement to sound. Children are developing knowledge and understanding of shape, form and texture through the exploration of a variety of materials and shape, in two and three dimensions and some four-year-olds are confident in distinguishing a varying range of colours.

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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: • the availability of information, regarding the setting, to parents. 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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