Kids Planet Kettering

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 29/11/2004 Inspector Name Mark Evans

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Angels Nursery School Setting Address 113 London Road London Road Kettering Northamptonshire NN15 7PH

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Angels Nursery Limited Address Angels Day Nursery 113 London Road Kettering Northamptonshire NN15 7PH

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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

Angels Nursery School first opened in September 2001. It occupies part of a specially converted large town house on the outskirts of Kettering town centre. There are six main teaching rooms that are used for aged based activities. The accommodation also includes a kitchen, staff room, and garden with two enclosed play areas. There is an extension with space for additional physical and creative activities. The nursery school is open from 08.00 to 18.00 each weekday for 52 weeks of the year. Longer hours are available on request for part-time sessions. Children may attend on a full-time or sessional basis and there are 97 children on roll at present. The setting serves Kettering and surrounding areas. The children represent a range of social and cultural backgrounds. There are some children at the setting who are bi-lingual. The nursery school also supports children with special needs. There are 22 nursery staff and a qualified chef. Many of the staff hold appropriate

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Information about the setting

childcare qualifications, with some staff working towards relevant qualification. They work with the children in separate age groups. The nursery offers education places to eligible children and there are currently 24 attending who are in receipt of funding. Staff attend training courses organised by Northamptonshire Early Years Childcare and Development Partnership and the setting receives support from an advisory teacher.

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How good is the Day Care?

Angels Nursery School provides good care for children. The premises are welcoming to children and parents and are maintained to a high standard. Staffing ratios are well organised in order to provide good levels of adult support. The setting has a full range of equipment for children's care, play and learning opportunities. Most records and documents are up-to-date and orderly. There are very effective arrangements for maintaining a safe environment and all visitors to the nursery are vetted to ensure security of the building. Staff have

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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 knowledge of first aid and there are clear procedures for dealing with accidents and for the administration of medication. The setting has a written policy for child protection and the staff have satisfactory knowledge of relative issues. Staff encourage children to adopt good personal hygiene practices within their routines to develop knowledge and maintain health. Children's meals provide them with a varied and healthy diet and staff account for any individual dietary needs of children. The children's curriculum is planned and provides good opportunities for their learning and play. The staff have positive relationships with the children which helps to foster co-operative attitudes. Children's behaviour is managed positively, using

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How good is the Day Care?

praise and encouragement to promote good behaviour and self esteem. There are resources and events that promote diversity. There is effective support for children identified with special needs. The setting has a positive and constructive approach towards working in partnership with parents and has good methods of communicating, giving sound opportunities for staff and parents to share and exchange information to help with continuity of care. Staff greet parents and welcome them into the setting. Confidential records are kept in order to have relevant contact details, to meet the individual care needs of children and agreed parental consent for any other aspects.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the setting agreed to develop a statement of procedures to followed in the event of a parent failing to collect a child or of a child being lost and to keep a record of medicines administered to children, which is signed by the parents. The setting has provided a written statement of procedures to followed in the event of a parent failing to collect a child or of a child being lost and now keeps a record of medicines administered to children to ensure that sound procedures are undertaken between staff and parents for these arrangements.

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What is being done well?

• Staff caring for babies show value to the children by supportive contact, reassuring voice intonation and helping their involvement in activities, giving them a strong sense of security and secure adult relationships. There are excellent arrangement for exchange of information between staff and parents of babies, including written details on how the child has been, food intake, etc, which helps to promote continuity of care. • The premises are warm, welcoming and very well presented. They are maintained to a high standard and have good facilities, which provide children with an effective and comfortable care environment. • The setting provides meals and snacks that are healthy and balanced, ensuring that they have nutritional foods for their growth and development. • The setting's special educational needs co-ordinator has very good understanding of and commitment to the procedures and support needed in

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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 providing an effective programme of care for children identified with special needs.

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What needs to be improved?

• the child protection statement so that it includes the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer • the record of the children looked after so that it includes their hours of attendance.

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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 14 Make sure that the record of the children looked after includes their hours of attendance. 13 Ensure that the child protection statement includes the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer.

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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?

Angels Nursery School provides good quality nursery education which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals and very good progress in almost all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good with some very good aspects. Staff generally have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage and how young children learn. Planning covers the six areas of learning with staff roles and aims of activities discussed before each session. Staff plan an exciting and purposeful curriculum which captures children's interest and generally challenges them well. However, children are not always able to freely select activities and resources for themselves and make independent choices about their play and learning. Staff develop warm and caring relationships with the children. They make very good use of questioning to challenge children's thinking skills, they explain things clearly and encourage

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How effective is the nursery education?

children to try new experiences. Thorough systems are in place to support children with special educational needs. Staff consistently encourage children and manage their behaviour skilfully. Staff know children well and make regular observations of children's development, but the system used to assess children's progress towards the early learning goals is not systematic and the information gained is not always used to plan the next stage in learning for all children. The leadership and management of the nursery is generally good. There is a clear vision to provide high quality care and nursery education for the children. Staff and management generally review their practice. They are very committed and work together as a strong team. The partnership with parents and carers is generally good. A wide range of good quality information is available to parents about the nursery and curriculum. Parents are generally well informed about their children's progress and are able to support

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What is being done well?

• Staff consistently praise and encourage children and manage their behaviour skilfully. They set clear and consistent limits and encourage children to show care and concern for others. As a result, children learn what is expected of them and why, and some children begin to manage the behaviour of other children. • Children successfully use their emerging writing for different purposes, for example, as a means of recording during role play situations when taking orders in 'the office', when chalking during outdoor play, writing letters in sand and for making lists. • Children investigate an excellent range of objects and materials using all their

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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 senses. They feel custard, chopped tomatoes and cooked spaghetti, taste melon and pickled onions and see what happens when ice melts and jelly sets. They observe the change in ingredients during cooking, for example, when making mashed potato and bread rolls. • Children take part in an imaginative range of activities to enable them to learn about the local area, England and the wider world. They visit the local garden centre and library, take part in balloon races and track where the balloons land using maps.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to become self-sufficient in selecting activities and resources for themselves • the system for assessment of children's progress towards the early learning goals • planning, so that information gained from assessments is used to effectively plan the next stage in learning for all children.

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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 are interested, excited and motivated to learn. They confidently take part in activities, persist and concentrate well. Children form strong relationships with adults and peers. They learn to share, take turns and work together. Children successfully learn the behavioural expectations within the nursery and develop their personal independence. However, children do not sufficiently select activities and resources for themselves and initiate their own learning.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak very confidently to each other, staff and other adults. They listen well, respond to questions on what they have heard. Children successfully use conversation in imaginary situations and enact stories. They begin to link sounds to letters. Children enjoy a wide range of fiction and factual books and re-tell stories. They attempt writing for different purposes. Younger children make marks and older children write recognisable letters and begin to form letters correctly.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children regularly count, recognise and represent numbers during practical activities. They compare groups of objects and begin to solve simple number problems. Older children are developing their understanding of simple addition and subtraction. Children explore capacity with sand and water play. They investigate patterns and sequencing during craft activities and when looking at objects. Children use language to describe size and shape, weigh dry pasta and measure their height with charts.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children investigate an exciting range of objects, materials and living things, such as the giant snails and millipedes. They plant seeds and plants and look at flowers through magnifying glasses. Children use computers and simple equipment to support their learning. They begin to develop a sense of time. Children find out about the local environment and the wider world. They develop an awareness of their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people.

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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: Very Good Children move with control, confidence and co-ordination and experiment with different ways of moving. They show respect for other's personal space during indoor and outdoor activities and when moving around the premises. Children respond imaginatively to music and during gym sessions as they are challenged to learn and develop new skills. They develop an awareness of how to keep healthy. Children use a range of small and large equipment competently and with increasing control.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children express their creativity with a variety of textures, colours and materials. They work in two and three dimensions and on a large and small scale. Children sing a repertoire of songs and action rhymes. They dance, move to music and investigate different styles of music. Children use musical instruments to make sound patterns, for example, when enacting a flower growing. Children make connections in their learning as they play alongside each other in a variety of role play situations.

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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

• provide further opportunities for children to choose activities and select resources for themselves • ensure the information usefully gained from observations appropriately informs the assessment of children's progress towards the early learning goals, for example, by recording. Make sure that planning and teaching take account of this information so that children's individual learning is effectively consolidated before they move on to the next stage.

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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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