Presmere Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 02/03/2004 Inspector Name Denise May Smith

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Presmere Day Nursery Setting Address 2 Potash Cottages, Stump Street Pettistree Woodbridge Suffolk IP13 0JB

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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

Presmere Day Nursery opened in 1991. It operates from two rooms within a converted cottage. The cottage is surrounded by farmland in the village of Pettistree. The nursery serves the local area. There are currently 45 children from 3 months to 5 years on roll. This includes 9 funded 3 year olds and 2 funded 4 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports a number of children with special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 08:30 hrs until 18:00 hrs. Three full-time and three part time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 3. The setting receives support from a teacher/mentor from the Early Years Development and Child Care partnership (EYDCP)

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How good is the Day Care?

Presmere Day Nursery provides good care for children. The nursery offers a welcoming environment for children. The proprietor is keen to ensure the nursery remains small and child focused, presenting a 'home from home' atmosphere. The playrooms are organised to meet the differing ages of the children. There is a comprehensive system of gathering and recording information. Policies and procedures are in place. However, some are not up to date and most are not directly available to parents although they may request copies. Staff give high regard to health and hygiene issues, both in their own practice and also in encouraging children to adopt good hygiene procedures. They have a good awareness of keeping children safe at the nursery and when on outings. However, staff are not sufficiently aware of some aspects of health and safety requirements. A

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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 varied and nutritious menu of snacks and meals is provided, these are cooked on the premises and cater for children's individual dietary requirements. Parents provide milk and food as appropriate for the babies who attend. Staff and children enjoy good relationships with each other. Children are provided with a range of toys and activities, which includes frequent opportunities for outdoor play and local outings. The care offered in the baby room is child led and follows individual children's routines. Children progress from the baby room according to their age and stage of development. There are good procedures in place to support children with special needs. Staff use praise and encouragement effectively to

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How good is the Day Care?

reinforce good behaviour and promote the children's confidence and self-esteem. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Appropriate information is gathered and shared with parents who are encouraged to approach the staff and /or management at any time.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There were no recommendations or actions raised at the last inspection.

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What is being done well?

• Staff are proactive in promoting good health and hygiene within the nursery. They explain to children why they should wash their hands, cover their mouths when coughing etc which fosters a good understanding of staying healthy. • The good procedures, which help staff to identify and support children who have special, needs and enable all children to be included in the nursery and the activities. • The flexibility offered to parents with regards to the care provided for their children, most especially for babies, enables staff to follow individual children's routines.

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What needs to be improved?

• the staff's knowledge and understanding of health and safety requirements, for example, to ensure that electrical equipment conforms to safety requirements and the recording of risk assessments • policies relating to child protection, complaints and behaviour so that they are further developed in line with the National Standards and made available to parents.

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Outcome of the 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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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 Develop the staff's knowledge of health and safety requirements. Ensure that electrical equipment conforms to safety requirements and risk assessments are recorded. 14 Review the policies for child protection, complaints and behaviour in line with the National Standards and make all policies more readily available to parents

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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 provision for nursery education at Presmere Day Nursery is of good quality. It enables children to make very good progress in their communication, language, literacy and their knowledge and understanding of the world and generally good progress in all other areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have an appropriate knowledge of the Foundation Stage. They provide interesting activities and varied opportunities for children to try new experiences but some spontaneous teaching opportunities are missed. Core activities such as sand, water and free art underpin the topic related activities. The new planning and assessment system in place will be used to identify children's strengths, highlight any gaps in learning and to inform planning. This planning structure provides a comprehensive and clear framework for staff to deliver a broad curriculum. Children behave very well. Staff have clear expectations of the

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How effective is the nursery education?

children and consistently apply age appropriate strategies to encourage positive behaviour. An effective system for supporting children with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language ensures equality of access to the provision and enables all children to participate in the opportunities available. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities and work well as a team. The group does not have a system of staff appraisals or self-evaluation. The training needs of staff are given appropriate consideration; they are encouraged to attend short courses, which meet their needs and those of the nursery.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The partnership with parents is generally good. Information is gathered and shared in a variety of ways. Plans are displayed and newsletters sent out about current topics. Parents will be, with the new assessment system, encouraged to be involved in the assessment of their children.

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What is being done well?

• The use of books within the nursery is a key strength. Books are used for enjoyment, and for reference. Staff encourage children to handle books appropriately and foster a love of stories. • Good relationships are developed with parents who are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning. • Children are given good opportunities to develop an understanding of themselves and the world around them.

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What needs to be improved?

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 • opportunities for children to develop independence, for example, pouring their own drinks, setting the tables, encouraging them to try to cut up their own food and make choices in their play • the use of spontaneous opportunities to reinforce children's mathematical learning in everyday situations, for example simple calculation, one more/one less, combining groups of objects and relating them to adding and subtracting • extending role-play, by providing a wider range of resources to support and underpin children's learning and the development of their imaginations.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made at addressing the key issues raised at the last inspection. The planning and assessment systems have been changed several times. A new system has now been introduced which is effective. Staff observations inform the assessment of children. Staff know what children can do, they identify the next steps of learning for children and use this information to inform the planning cycle. Planning is now comprehensive. It is balanced across the six areas of learning, shows how activities can be extended for the more able children or made accessible to less able children. The improvements made enable staff to confidently assess and plan for children's individual needs.

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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 motivated to learn and to try new experiences. They concentrate and persevere, with adult support where appropriate. They are happy and secure; separating from carers with ease. Children form good relationships with staff and peers, co-operating and taking turns. Children are very well behaved responding to the positive messages given to them. Children are able to self-care but do not routinely make choices in activities or in selecting resources.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children use language to negotiate with peers and adults. They link sounds to letters and match sounds to the alphabet. The good use of books is a strength of the group. They are valued and handled appropriately. Children join in and listen intently to stories predicting the story lines and enjoy telling stories to their friends. Children are skilled at mark making throughout many of the activities offered and attempt to label their own work, most letters are formed correctly.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently and use numbers correctly during play. They are beginning to recognise and write numerals and use mathematical language in context. Staff introduce basic mathematical learning such as size and shape throughout practical activities such as construction and modelling. Staff, do not always use opportunities to introduce concepts such as combining groups of numbers, addition and subtraction. Number lines are available but not used to reinforce learning.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children build and construct using a range of objects and tools. Good opportunities are provided to use information technology, which underpins learning in other areas. They develop a sense of self and enjoy talking about past and present events in their own lives and those around them. They learn about the environment, the natural world, the local community and the wider world through an interesting range of activities such as planting potatoes, seeds etc and observing them as they grow.

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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 develop an awareness of space and others around them. They enjoy using a range of resources, tools and equipment, which they do safely and with developing control. Daily opportunities are provided for children to experience, climbing, running and balancing. They develop an awareness of why it is important to stay healthy through daily routines. Health awareness is included in the planning, but little emphasis is given to help children to recognise changes to their bodies after activity.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are given opportunities to explore texture, colour and form in 2 and 3 dimensions, through a range of planned activities where they can develop their imaginations and creativity. They enjoy role-play, but this tends to be 'home corner' based with accessories added to change the emphasis; doctors sets added to make a hospital. Children enjoy singing simple songs and rhymes; they join in with ring games and enjoy dancing. Music is planned for fun and to support other areas of learning.

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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

• foster children's independence and encourage them to make choices in their play • use spontaneous opportunities to extend and reinforce children's mathematical development • develop the role-play scenarios so that they clearly support and underpin children's learning and the development of their imaginations.

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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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