Yeovilteenies Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/07/2004 Inspector Name Carole Argles

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Yeovilteenies Day Nursery Setting Address RNAS Yeovilton Ilchester Yeovil Somerset BA22 8HL

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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

Yeovilteenies Day Nursery opened in 1995. It operates from purpose-built premises situated in the grounds of the Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton. There are two play rooms which are divided to provide care for children of different ages. There is a fully enclosed outside play area. The day nursery serves families employed at RNAS Yeovilton. The nursery is registered to provide care for 32 children and takes children aged 3 months to under 5 years. There are currently 32 children from 9 months to 4 years on roll. This includes 10 funded three-year-olds and 5 funded four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children who have special needs. There are currently no children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The group opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 07.30 until 17.30. There are nine full-time and two part-time staff who work with the children. Of these 10 have early years qualifications. The setting receives support from a mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Yeovilteenies Day Nursery provides a satisfactory standard of care. The premises are light and well-maintained. Staff create a welcoming environment with many displays and make good use of the rooms to group children effectively. Most of the required policies and procedures are in place. There is a suitable range of furniture, equipment and toys to meet the children's needs and support their development. Staff keep the premises secure and supervise the children well at all times. There are effective fire safety arrangements and risk assessments carried out. All staff have taken first aid training. They have not requested written parental consent for

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How good is the Day Care?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 emergency medical advice or treatment. Although staff understand the importance of maintaining good hygiene, they do not always put this into practice; for example children did not wash their hands before eating. Nutritious meals are available for the children. Staff understand child protection issues but the child protection procedure has insufficient detail. Staff provide good support for children who have special needs, working closely with their parents and others. The children are happy and settled. They relate well to the staff who give them praise and encouragement. Children behave well and older children are beginning to play cooperatively together, sharing fairly and taking turns. Staff plan and provide a

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How good is the Day Care?

broad range of activities throughout the day which support all areas of the children's development. However staff working with the younger children often put out only two activities at a time, allowing them little opportunity to make their own choices. Staff respect the babies' individual routines. There is a friendly relationship between staff and parents who exchange information about the children so that their individual needs can be met. Staff complete diaries for the under twos. There is suitable information available for parents about the nursery and the activities provided.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to ensure that suitable vehicle insurance was in place for transporting children. A copy of the insurance document is available which confirms that a vehicle is suitably insured for carrying children.

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What is being done well?

• The purpose built-premises are bright, clean and well maintained. Staff use the rooms well to meet the children's developmental needs. Children use the outside area frequently. The nursery is welcoming to children and parents having many displays of children's art work, posters and photgraphs. • The children are happy, confident and settled. They relate well to the staff who give them praise and encouragement. Children are developing good independence with their personal care for example with dressing or putting on their shoes. • Staff manage the children's behaviour well, treating them with respect. They gently remind children of their expectations and give them praise and encouragement. Children's behaviour is good in response to this approach. • Staff provide good support for children who have special needs. They work closely with parents and others involved with their care, and adapt activities

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What is being done well?

to make sure that all can take part. • There is a wide range of furniture, equipment and toys which can be used to support all areas of the children's development. These are of good quality and provide suitable levels of challenge for the children.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• the children's learning by making sure that the younger children can select independently from a wider range of activities • the children's health by ensuring that good hygiene procedures are observed at all times and by encouraging children to wash their hand's before eating • the children's safety by extending the scope of the child protection procedures • the children's health by requesting written parental consent for seeking emergency medical treatment or advice.

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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 3 Provide more opportunities for the younger children to choose from a wide range of activities. 7 Make sure that staff promote good hygiene at all times, for example by encouraging children to wash their hands before eating. 12 Request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment. 13 Extend the scope of the child protection procedures.

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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?

Yeovilteenies Day Nursery provides nursery education which is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals and very good progress in some areas of learning. Teaching is generally good. Staff relate well to the children and work directly with them. They manage their behaviour effectively, giving them praise and encouragement. They provide very good support for children who have special needs. Most staff have a generally good understanding of the early learning goals. They observe the children and monitor and record their progress. They use this information to help them plan and provide a broad range of activities to support children's development in most areas. They set generally good levels of challenge for the children, asking them open questions to encourage them to think. However, they do not always take advantage of situations to extend children's learning, for

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How effective is the nursery education?

example during group stories. They create an attractive environment and provide a good range of toys and equipment. However some staff do not make best use of these with the younger children. The partnership between staff and parents is generally good. There is a friendly relationship between them and they frequently talk about the children's care. Parents receive generally good information about the nursery and what their child will be learning. Parents can ask to see their child's developmental records. However there are few planned opportunities for parents to discuss their child's progress or to share what they know about their learning with the staff. The leadership and management is generally good. Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities and the sessions run smoothly. However, the management of the session for the younger children allows them few opportunities to select and use activities independently. Staff are beginning to monitor the effectiveness of the

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How effective is the nursery education?

nursery education. They regularly attend training.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide many activities to help children develop good hand-eye coordination. They use puzzles, construction and threading activities, and many children use scissors skilfully. This helps them develop good pencil control. • Children enjoy making models with construction activities. Older children often work independently, showing good concentration. They plan what they wish to make, selecting the components they need. They often solve any problems that arise, for example in making parts the same length. This helps them in their mathematical development. • Children have many opportunities to use the outside area where there is a

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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 wide range of outdoor play equipment. Staff play with the children to help them develop new skills, for example throwing and catching balls. • Most children speak clearly and confidently. They talk about themselves, their experiences, and imaginary events. They are curious and ask many questions. They are developing a wide vocabulary. • There are many examples of children responding to their experiences through art activities. Older children obviously enjoy drawing. They choose to sit for long periods carefully drawing what they have seen or imagined and talking about their pictures.

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What needs to be improved?

• the organisation and planning of activities for the younger children to make sure that they are able to develop independence and use their initiatives by choosing from a wider range of activities • the opportunities for children to find out about the wider community and natural world around them • the partnership between parents and staff to extend the opportunities for them to exchange information about the children's learning and progress • the staff's use of activities to encourage children to develop and use their skills purposefully, giving particular attention to group stories and children's developing writing skills.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection there were no significant weaknesses to report, but the following point for development was made: When children choose their own activities ensure that they always have sufficient time to fully develop them. There has been generally good progress. Generally children have the time to complete what they are doing, and are often told that the activity will be changing shortly. Older children were busy drawing pictures and wanted to develop this activity further. The member of staff working with them altered her plans to allow them time to do this. However occasionally some staff do not allow this flexibility or consider the daily routines before getting out new activities which are then put away before children have had the chance to finish using them.

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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 happy and settled. They are interested in the activities and keen to take part, with many older children showing sustained concentration. Children behave well and understand there are times to sit quietly. They relate well to others, many speaking confidently to unfamiliar adults. Children are proud of their achievements and like to show others what they have done. Usually only two activities are put out for younger children giving them little opportunity to choose independently.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Most children speak clearly, talking about real and imaginary events; some are beginning to express their feelings. They are developing good hand-eye coordination and older children are beginning to form recognisable letters and to write familiar words. Sometimes they are not encouraged to use these skills, for example by naming their own pictures. Children enjoy group stories and most listen attentively. However they have few opportunities to talk about the story or predict what will happen.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are interested in numbers and shapes and talk about them spontaneously in their play. They are beginning to use the correct words to describe and compare shape, size and quantity. Many children can count, linking numbers and numerals to objects. Older children are beginning to solve simple number problems, adding and taking away objects and counting the total of two groups. Children match, select and use shapes, for example when making models.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have opportunities to examine objects and find out how things work. They build and design with a range of construction toys and materials and are beginning to select tools and resources to use for a purpose. They can use computers and everyday technology. Children are developing a good sense of time and talk about past and future events in their lives. There are few opportunities for children to find out about the wider community or the natural world around them.

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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 confidence and control and often play in the outside areas where they use a wide range of equipment. They show a good awareness of space of themselves and others when playing together or using wheeled toys. Older children show a clear preference for using their left or right hand. There are many activities, for example using simple tools or puzzles, which help children develop good coordination. Children learn about the importance of good health in planned activities.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good There are many opportunities for children to use their imaginations and respond to their experiences in creative activities. There are frequent art activities and older children particularly enjoy drawing or making models of what they have seen or talked about. Children enjoy singing and join in enthusiastically with the words and actions. They use musical instruments and move to music. During pretend play children talk about their ideas and play cooperatively together.

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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

• review the organisation and planning of activities for the younger children to make sure that they are able to develop independence and use their initiative by allowing choice from a wider range of activities • plan and provide further activities to help children develop a good understanding of the wider community and natural world in which they live • continue to develop the partnership with parents to provide further opportunities for parents and staff to exchange information about the children's learning and progress.

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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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