Polly's Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 30/03/2004 Inspector Name Miriam Sheila Brown

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Polly's Day Nursery Setting Address Gydynap Lane Inchbrook Stroud Glos GL5 5EZ

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Polly's Day Nursery Address Brownshill Road Brownshill Stroud Gloucestershire GL6 8AS

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Polly's Day Nursery is situated in a two-storey, detached building at Inchbrook, to the west of Stroud and close to the town of Nailsworth. It is privately owned and has been open since January 2002. Younger children play on the ground floor and the pre-school group on the first floor. There is a soft-play room and two, enclosed outdoor-play areas with safety surfaces. The nursery offers full day care for children from 9 months to 5 years of age and is open from 08.00 to 18.00 on Monday to Friday, 51 weeks of the year. Polly's Day Nurseryis registered to care for 54 children and serves both the local community and those from outside the immediate area. Polly's Day Nursery is not registered for overnight care. There are currently 36 funded 3-year-olds and 16 funded 4-year-olds on roll, none of whom have special educational needs or use English as an additional language. There are 13 full time staff members working directly with the children 8 of whom

p.2

Information about the setting

have achieved a National Vocational Qualification in Child Care at level 2 or 3. The majority of the staff have also received first aid and child protection training. The nursery receives support from the Early Years Childcare Services, Foundation Stage Consultant and the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.

p.2

How good is the Day Care?

Polly's Day Nursery provides good quality care for children. The operational plan is clear, well written and provides a good working document for the nursery. Polly's Day Nursery is bright, clean and welcoming and offers appealing play areas for children. The range and balance of toys and resources are easily accessible to children, meet their needs effectively and supports all areas of development well. Safety issues are well addressed throughout the nursery and the use of a close-circuit camera assists the staff in protecting children. The hygiene policy and routines are well addressed and accident and medication records are clear. Staff

p.2

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 encourage children to develop their independence throughout the sessions. Children enjoy a varied and well-planned menu of meals and snacks and details of dietary requirements are clearly documented. Staff have a good awareness of all aspects of child protection issues. Staff organise a wide range of activities and topic work to support children in all areas of their development. The children enjoy exploring and experimenting with a choice of structured play activities both outside and inside the playrooms, although opportunities for free play are sometimes limited. The soft-play and wet rooms are greatly enjoyed by all the children. The nursery resources support all aspects of equal opportunities and children are encouraged to acknowledge and celebrate their

p.2

How good is the Day Care?

differences and similarities. There are effective procedures in place to meet the needs of children with special needs. Children's behaviour is generally good. Parents are offered good information about the nursery. Daily activity sheets and conversations with staff offer parents clear details about care and activities. Half-yearly assessments and parents' evenings give further information about children's progress. Parental surveys strongly support the nursery and the care offered.

p.3

What has improved since the last inspection?

This not applicable as it is the nursery's first inspection.

p.3

What is being done well?

• The organisation of the nursery is very good. There is a very clear operational plan which details all aspects of care and staffing and includes an ongoing development plan for the nursery. Play areas are organised well within the premises and staff deployed to ensure sufficient staffing in all areas throughout the day. • Meal and snack times are well organised. Staff provide children with a good range of healthy foods and encourage them to develop their independence and self-help skills. • The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are offered very clear information about all aspects of their children's care. Regular information is given in the form of daily activity sheets, verbal feedback, half-yearly assessments, parents' evenings and newsletters. Response from parents to the recent nursery survey is very supportive and positive. • Records, policies and procedures are clear and well maintained. They are

p.3

What is being done well?

stored securely and confidentiality respected. Parental permissions are in place and staff are vigilant about the completion of accident and medication records.

p.3

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 • the opportunities for free play.

p.3

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.

p.4

by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 3 Ensure planned activities and play include sufficient time for free-play opportunities.

p.4

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

p.4

How effective is the nursery education?

Polly's Day Nursery provides a good quality curriculum and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Communication, language and literacy, mathematics, physical and creative development are very good areas. Knowledge and understanding of the world and personal, social and emotional development are generally good. Teaching is generally good and staff have a good knowledge of the early learning goals and how these are used to assist in children's learning. Staff support the children appropriately and provide a wide range of good opportunities to help them develop in most areas of learning. Opportunities for children to build from their imaginations, using self-selected resources, are not always well supported. Staff are consistent and positive in their approach to children but they have a limited experience of a variety of behaviour management strategies to support individual

p.5

How effective is the nursery education?

needs. Staff have a good awareness of caring for children with special needs. Specific extension goals for children are not currently noted within planning. The leadership and management of the nursery is very good. There is an effective staff team who work well together and who are committed to ongoing improvement. A long term nursery development plan and short, medium and long term curriculum plans are in place which reflect this commitment. They regularly assess their own strengths and weaknesses through staff meetings, feedback from parents and staff and outside agencies. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are provided with good information about the setting and offered suggestions of how to support their children's learning at home, through regular newsletters and homelink sheets. They are well informed about their children's progress and are encouraged to share their own experiences and expertise in nursery sessions. Feedback from parents offer

p.5

How effective is the nursery education?

strong support for all aspects of nursery care and education.

p.5

What is being done well?

• Children's mathematical development is very good. Their confidence in the use of number in everyday situations is developing well and they are starting to recognise written numerals. Children know basic mathematical shapes and have a growing awareness of mathematical language. • Children's communication, language and literacy is very good. They talk with animation at circle times and respond enthusiastically to planned topic work. They have a good opportunities to use books for both reference and stories and to make marks as they play. • Children's knowledge of everyday technology is very good. They are very proficient in their use of the computer. They load and shut down programmes

p.5

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 and are competent with general mouse control. • Opportunities for children's physical development are very good. Outside areas are well planned to offer children a wide range of experiences such as balancing, kicking and throwing and the indoor soft-play room gives them daily opportunities to develop their large muscle control.

p.5

What needs to be improved?

• the planning of extensions for activities to ensure that children's individual needs are met • the opportunities for children to build and construct using a wide range of self-selected resources • staff awareness of a variety of behaviour management strategies to support all children effectively so that they learn to concentrate and become involved.

p.6

What has improved since the last inspection?

This is not applicable as this is the nursery's first inspection.

p.6

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

p.6

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children demonstrate a good level of interest and involvement in planned activities and choose their own focus activity for each session. They have good relationships with each other and are keen to assist in nursery routines such as setting tables for meal times. Behaviour is mostly managed well. Children are becoming increasingly independent in their self-care. Planned topic work about 'people who help us' supports children's growing awareness of their community.

p.7

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children talk confidently during group sessions and enjoy using new words introduced by staff in structured activities. They are starting to recognise initial sounds in their names and can find their own name cards in a variety of daily activities such as meal and choosing times. Children enjoy the well-resourced writing area and happily make marks as they play. Nursery topic work supports the use of books for reference and stories effectively and children use books with care.

p.7

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy many good opportunities to practise their number skills and many can count to twenty and beyond. Some children recognise written numerals. They match items such as plates, cups and cutlery to chairs at meal times and are starting to understand about adding and subtracting. They have a good awareness of shapes and use measuring in everyday situations such as the height chart and in their play with a tape measure.

p.7

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore with a wide range of equipment such as magnifying lenses, coloured lenses and they enjoy studying the nursery wormery. Structured activities offer them good opportunities to build and construct but chances for free design and construction are limited. Children are very proficient when using the computer and other technology. Planned nursery activities, resources and support for a child in Uganda assist in the children's awareness of different cultures and beliefs effectively.

p.7

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

p.7

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are very confident in their movements in all areas of the nursery. They have a good sense of personal space which is well supported through play in the soft-play room and well resourced outdoor areas. They are encouraged to practice good hygiene, for instance, hand washing at appropriate times, and are aware of the need for drinks after physical activity. Children's manipulation of small toys and equipment such as glue sticks, cutlery and paint brushes, is good.

p.8

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy exploring sawdust, spaghetti, mud and gloop in the wet room and have many good opportunities to express their thoughts and feelings through their day, for instance trying a grapefruit for the first time at snack time. They use their imaginations in the role-play area and when painting. They have a good repertoire of songs and use instruments to beat out rhythms. Throughout the year they listen to a variety of different music such as jazz, pop and classical.

p.8

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

p.8

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.

p.9

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• Develop the planning to provide a more specific focus for extension activities and more opportunities for free construction using self-chosen materials, to assist the staff in meeting the children's individual needs more effectively. • Develop staff awareness of a variety of behaviour management strategies to assist them in supporting all children appropriately.

p.9

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.

p.9

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

p.9

STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

p.10

NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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

p.11