Bright Horizons Crofton Day Nursery and Preschool

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 24/02/2004 Inspector Name Teresa Evelina Coleman

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Crofton Day Nursery Setting Address 86 Crofton Lane Petts Wood Orpington Kent BR5 1HD

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Asquith Court Schools Limited 2313425

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Asquith Court Schools Limited Address Orbital House, Park View Road Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 3EY

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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

Crofton Day Nursery has been operating for some years and was recently bought as an ongoing business by Asquith Court Schools Limited. The nursery is located above a row of shops, on a main road in Petts Wood. The Nursery serves families from the local community. The nursery comprises of three main group base rooms; a baby unit, a toddler unit and a pre-school room. The baby room includes a milk kitchen and a baby changing area. There is also a physical and creative play area, an office area, kitchen and laundry facilities. There is a fully enclosed roof garden which is accessed via stairs from within the nursery. There are currently 81 children on roll, several of whom attend on a part-time basis. This includes 10 funded four-year-olds and 26 three-year-olds, 20 of whom are funded. There are no children with identified special needs or who speak English as an additional language currently attending the nursery.

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Information about the setting

The nursery operates from Monday to Friday from 7.45 to 18.00hours and is open for 51 weeks of the year. Seventeen members of staff and a manager work with the children. All staff have recognised child care qualifications. The Nursery also employs a cook and an assistant cook. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

The care provided by Crofton Day Nursery is good. The setting offers a welcoming environment where children are happy and confident. Staff establish close relationships with children and meet their individual needs in a sensitive, caring way. Children's behaviour is managed appropriately, with the focus on positive behaviour.

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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 are well-behaved and interact well with others. The nursery provides a balanced, stimulating range of age-appropriate activities across all areas of children's play, development and learning. Activities are well-planned and provide children with a varied, interesting day. Good use is made of the roof garden which children use regularly. Staff engage actively in children's play offering help, support, praise and encouragement. Staff talk and listen to children and encourage their language development through asking questions. The Nursery is well resourced and the standard of toys and equipment, including book provision, is very good. There is a well-organised lending scheme in operation which provides an effective link between home and nursery. Toys and equipment

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How good is the Day Care?

are accessibly stored, providing children with frequent opportunities to select their own activities. The manager and staff team promote all areas of health and safety and ensure that appropriate levels of supervision are maintained at all times. The building is clean and well-maintained and effective security arrangements are in place. Children are provided with a varied, nutritious diet. Staff are aware of their child protection responsibilities. The Nursery maintains effective relationships with parents and provides them with good quality written information about the setting. They are kept informed of their child's progress through contact books, informal discussions and regular open evenings. All necessary documentation is in place, except written parental permission to seek emergency medical treatment.

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What is being done well?

• The nursery makes excellent use of space and resources, including the roof garden and well-equipped activity area. Staff are deployed effectively in order to ensure that children are happy, confident and well cared for. • Staff establish close relationships with children. They engage actively in children's play, extending it through praise and encouragement and asking questions. Children relate well to each other and to adults. • Activities are well-planned for children of all ages, including babies and reflect all areas of children's play, development and learning. Children are interested in their activities and enjoy their play. Plans for older children reflect staff's understanding of the early learning goals. Observations are used to inform future planning. • The Nursery provides a warm, welcoming environment, enhanced through the creative use of displays. These include examples of children's work,

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What is being done well?

friezes and collages and the imaginative use of photographs.

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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 • Resources are well organised, clearly labelled and accessible to the children. Children are able to select their own activities. • Staff promote positive behaviour through providing good role models and the use of praise and encouragement. They have realistic expectations of children's behaviour and set clear, consistent limits. Children are well-behaved, play co-operatively and are beginning to become self-disciplined. • Children are provided with nutritious, healthy meals. These are home-cooked and imaginatively planned. Menus are planned on a weekly basis and are available for parents. • Parents are provided with good quality written information about the setting, including a set of clear, well-written policies and procedures. Good use is

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What is being done well?

made of noticeboards and the Nursery produces a regular newsletter. • Parents are kept well-informed of their children's progress through the use of contact books, frequent informal discussions and regular open evenings.

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An aspect of outstanding practice:

There is a well-organised book-lending scheme at the Nursery. Books are colour-coded and catalogued according to children's age and stage of development. All parents and children are encouraged to participate, including babies. The scheme provides an excellent link between home and nursery and encourages parental involvement. Children learn to handle and enjoy books and to see them as a source of pleasure.

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What needs to be improved?

• documentation relating to written parental permission to seek emergency medical advice/treatment for each child attending the Nursery.

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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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The Registered Person should have regard to the following recommendations

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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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 7 Obtain written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment for all children.

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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?

The nursery provides high quality nursery education and children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals in all six areas. The quality of the teaching is very good. Staff's knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals and stepping stones in each area is secure. They have an enthusiastic approach to their work and inspire children. This has a positive impact on the children's own enthusiasm and attitude to learning. The setting is well organised and resources are effectively used by children. Staff know the children well, they monitor their individual progress through the stepping stones and use this information to inform planning. Staff have appropriately high expectations of children's capabilities. They provide interesting activities to extend children's learning. The teaching methods used for both three and four-year-old is good. Suitable challenges are presented to the children; they are grouped by age, which

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How effective is the nursery education?

enables staff to plan more advanced activities for the older children. Leadership and management is very good. The current manager has only been in post a short time, nevertheless she has coped well with the change of ownership and her new responsibilities. There is a good working relationship between the manager and staff, with staff feeling supported and clear about their own roles and responsibilities. They have continued to maintain high standards during this transitional period. The manager ensures that staff are involved in planning, evaluating and monitoring the educational programme. Partnership with parents is very good. Staff are friendly and approachable and make parents welcome. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning and staff share information about activities and achievements on a regular basis.

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What is being done well?

• The dedicated staff team have worked hard to ensure that high standards of care and education have been maintained during the recent change in ownership. • Communication, language and literacy is very good, because staff listen to children, they give them ample time to express their ideas and they value their contributions. • Staff provide a wide range of resources and well-planned activities which are stimulating and interesting to children. • Children are well-behaved due to them being interested, excited and motivated to learn. • Staff establish warm relationships with the children, which has a positive impact on their confidence, independence and self-esteem.

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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 • Staff value children's individual, creative responses, they have access to art and craft materials, musical instruments and role-play props to foster their imagination.

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What needs to be improved?

• Opportunities for children to write for a purpose during play.

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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 All children show enthusiasm and are motivated to learn, they confidently ask questions and make choices about what they want to do. They are able to sit still and concentrate during circle time. They are happy and have enquiring minds, they are well behaved and polite. Their self-esteem is increasing, fostered by staff that value both effort and achievement. Children form good relationships with each other and show a growing awareness of the needs of others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak confidently and clearly. They initiate conversations, express their thoughts and ideas. There are good opportunities for children to read, and listen to stories throughout the day. The four-year-olds link sounds to letters, naming and sounding letters of the alphabet during organised teaching sessions. All the children practice writing in planned activities, nevertheless, they do not often write for a purpose during role play or routinely label their own art work.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children learn about numbers, shape and size through a number of everyday play activities such as puzzles and construction blocks and during more formal activities such as number games, sorting, matching and sequencing. Good routines, such as counting how many children present, counting together as a group and performing simple calculations in songs, enables children to say and use numbers regularly.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good A range of well-planned topics enables children to explore and identify their own community, this includes, trips out and visitors from the community. Children take part in festivals from their own culture and those of others. There are good displays of photographs that illustrate a family tree, past events and activities. Children use a computer on a regular basis to support their learning. Children can freely select a variety of materials and tools to design and construct.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children benefit from a varied programme of outdoor play activities, they use a range of equipment to enable them to develop large motor skills. Indoor activities cater for poor weather; there is sufficient space for a climbing frame, soft play and parachute games. Children are learning about staying healthy through appropriate personal hygiene routines and topics such as 'healthy eating'. A good range of activities, successfully promotes fine motor skills.

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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 Activities are well presented. Children can freely explore a range of materials, textures, colour and shape. Children experience music, songs, stories and involve themselves well in role play. Children are confident learners and are encouraged to express their ideas, they are given ample time to pursue such experiences and adults value their individual responses.

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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 weakness to report, but consideration should be given to providing children with opportunities to write for a purpose during play.

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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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