Bright Skies Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 28/07/2004 Inspector Name Jane Elizabeth O'Callaghan

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Bright Skies Nursery Setting Address 40 New Road Side Rawdon Leeds West Yorkshire LS19 6HN

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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

Bright Skies Day Nursery opened in 1994. The nursery is situated in the Rawdon area of Leeds. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas. The premises comprise of an entrance hall, two ground floor play rooms, two first floor playrooms, laundry, toilet facilities, staff room, office and large storage areas in the staff room and outdoor room. There are two fully enclosed outside play areas available. There are currently 87 children from three months to five years on roll. This includes 17 funded three-year-olds and eleven funded four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children attend with identified special educational needs and none of the children speak English as an additional language. The nursery opens five days a week, 51 weeks a year. Sessions are from 07:15 until 18:30. There are 20 part time/full time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level two or three. The setting receives

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Information about the setting

support from an Advisory Teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

Bright Skies Day Nursery provides good quality care for children. The physical environment is warm, welcoming and clean. There is good evidence of children's work displayed attractively throughout the nursery. The settings toilet facilities limit the children's privacy. The staff team are organised and work well together, are aware of what needs to be improved and demonstrate a commitment to developing their practice. There is a good staff induction programme encourages staff to effectively implement the settings polices and procedures and staff attend relevant training regularly. The staff recognise the children as individuals and meet their differing needs well. The children are settled, have warm relationships with the staff and are keen to communicate with them. The staff set clear and consistent boundaries through discussion, praise and encouragement. The children are very well behaved and all

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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 children use manners appropriately, they say thank you and sorry and are co-operative at tidy up time. There is a very good range of toys and activities available for children for all ages, including resources, which reflect positive images of culture, gender, ethnicity and disability. Children are able to access toys and equipment independently. They are interested in their surroundings and engage in activities, which sustain their interest for periods of time. Planning and assessment systems are established for all age groups. The staff warmly welcome children, parents and visitors into the setting. The staff are approachable and friendly. The parents are well informed about the provision and their child's progress, for example through newsletters, profiles, open evenings.

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How good is the Day Care?

All required documentation is in place, regularly up dated and is kept for an appropriate number of years. Confidentiality is maintained at all times with both information and when meeting and talking with parents.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

All actions raised at the last inspection have been completed. The range of toys and activities suitable for age two to five is now suitable and meets their development needs. There are good systems and procedures in place for child protection and staff have had relevant training. The the nursery hold a copy of the Area Child Protection procedures, and staff are aware of the need to inform Ofsted of any changes to the setting, ensuring children are in a safe environment.

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What is being done well?

• The staff work well as a team. They are committed to improvement, are involved in planning, evaluating and developing practice. Staff have regular access to relevant training, for example, first aid, child protection, foundation stage etc. • Staff have created an orderly environment in which to care for the children. Each session has been planned for in advance. Staff are effectively deployed. A well organised, established system is in place for staff, student and parent inductions. The registration system is effective, which clearly shows when staff, visitors and children are present. Resources are effectively organised so that all children can independently access these. • There is a very good range of toys and activities available for children for all ages. Children are interested in their surroundings, engage in activities, which sustain their interests for periods of time. • Staff take positive steps to promote safety within the setting to ensure the

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What is being done well?

children are kept safe and free from harm. Risk assessments are undertaken regularly, smoke alarms are tested, and emergency evacuation procedures are practised and recorded. • Healthy and nutritious snacks and meals are provided, ensuring parental

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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 wishes and children's individual needs are catered for. • The staff are very friendly and approachable. They have developed good relationships with the parents and they share information regularly and work together to meet the child's needs, through open evenings, newsletters etc. • Children are settled and have positive relationships with others. The staff set clear and consistent boundaries, through discussion, praise and encouragement. The children are very well behaved, older children use manners and are co-operative at tidy up time.

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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 4 Improve toilet facilities, to ensure children’s privacy.

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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?

Bright Skies Day Nursery provides good quality nursery education overall which helps children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for communication, language and literacy and creative development is very good. Teaching is generally good, staff have a good base knowledge of the foundation stage and have increased their knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals. Staff organise the children effectively and set clear boundaries to encourage the children to behave well, however, some group sizes are too large causing disruption, making story, singing and meal times difficult. There are very good systems in place to support children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. Staff have very good relationships with the children. Staff plan an interesting selection of activities which effectively link to most areas of learning. However, there are limited opportunities for children to

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How effective is the nursery education?

access larger play equipment and insufficient activities to challenge and increase the children's independence e.g. at snack time. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff have opportunities for professional development and staff are committed to improving care and education. Staff appraisal, development and review systems are in place. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Parents are encouraged to come into the setting and to be involved in their children's learning e.g. go on outings. They have access to their children's profiles and receive daily feedback; there are also opportunities for parents to attend open evenings. The staff team are committed and systems are in place to share information about the curriculum planning, however, parents do not recieve complete and clear information regarding the stepping stones and assessment systems to show the developmental progress

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What is being done well?

• Children with special needs are fully included in all activities and integrated into the setting, for example, a child is given one to one support and individual care, and is encouraged to work and play with other children. Staff also work with other agencies to ensure the child's developmental needs are met. • Children have good creative development with a wide range of available activities all easily accessible. A good creative area is available for children can go and help themselves to various activities e.g. mixing paints, dough, water, sand etc. • Children have good communication skills. Staff value what children do 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 say and work well together. They provide good opportunities for children to learn and develop good language and literacy skills, for example, alphabet posters are displayed around the room and labelling at children's level. Children are encouraged to do writing skills, a good book area is available and also imaginary activities available.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to access larger play equipment. • opportunities for children to be able to concentrate, behave well and contribute effectively during story, singing and meal times • opportunities for children to develop problem solving, shape and size • assessments to show children's progress in the stepping stones in order to aid future planning of the next steps in their learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection. The Officer in Charge has ensured that all staff have attended Foundation Stage training, and some improvement has been made in this area. Progress has been made towards planning, and some areas of the mathematical development have improved. Children now have more opportunities to learn about numbers and now count up to 10, with more able children counting above 10.

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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 form good relationships. They confidently talk to adults, telling them about their holidays and their families. They are happy, secure and able to trust the practitioners who work with them. They are encouraged to express their feelings and show respect for each others' opinions. They help each other and play well together. However, there are limited opportunities for children to develop their independence e.g. at snack time, children are not able to serve themselves.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak with confidence when talking to staff and each other. They use language during imaginary play, as they re-create roles and experiences e.g. working in a travel agency, office and home corner. They are confident at writing their own name and some everyday words e.g. a 4-year-old writes very clearly " I love you" to take home to her mummy. All children are able to listen carefully, sing songs and re-tell stories confidently e.g. The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are making generally good progress in learning to count using numbers in everyday situations e.g. counting objects on the picnic blanket. They recognise numbers 1-10 and also in reverse. They recognise numbers out of sequence and understand positional language such as taller and smaller, however, there are missed opportunities to extend children's learning through practical problem solving activities and limited opportunities to extend children's understanding of size and shape.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Staff provide a range of activities that encourage children to find out about the community in which they live e.g. trips to farms. They are given opportunities to discuss past and present events in their lives e.g. moving to Australia and holidays. Children show care and concern for others. However, there are limited challenges for children to independently select tools, use everyday technology, and learn effectively about the natural world e.g.using the garden area.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are learning and beginning to understand about keeping healthy e.g. healthy eating and the importance of sun cream and sunhats. Children move freely around with pleasure and confidence. They are very enthusiastic about outside play. However there are limited opportunities for children to access an appropriate range of large play equipment e.g. for balancing and climbing, and missed opportunities for children to develop independence and skills at snack time e.g. pouring drinks.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use their imagination well e.g. in home corner, cooking Chinese food, pretending to giving out wine. Children can confidently sing songs from memory e.g. Old Mac Donald, Baa, Baa, Black sheep. Most children enjoy exploring what happens when they mix colours, they know that red and white make pink. They use available resources to create props to support their role in play e.g. a travel agency.

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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

• develop opportunities for children to access larger play equipment • improve opportunities for children to be able to concentrate, behave well and contribute effectively during story, singing and meal times • develop opportunities for children to extend their learning in problem solving, shape and size • assess and record children's progress in the stepping stones in order to aid future planning of the next steps in their learning.

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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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