Sunny Day Nursery & Play Club

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 29/09/2003 Inspector Name Mary Daniel

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Sunny Day Nursery Setting Address Middle Farm Barns Middle Farm Way Poundbury Centre Dorchester DT1 3WA

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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

Sunny Days Nursery is privately owned and provides full day care for children. The nursery operates from a converted barn situated in the village of Poundbury, near to the town of Dorchester. The accomodation is on two floors, and downstairs comprises of an entrance hall, four baby units, with two separate sleep rooms, three toddler units, and two pre-school rooms, each unit having its own integral kitchen and toilet facilities. Upstairs, which is accessed by lift or stairs, is the Play Loft soft play centre, communal dining area and After School and Holiday Club room. There is an enclosed, outdoor hardstanding playground and grassed garden area, with chickens, two rabbits and guinea pigs housed separately.

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Information about the setting

Sunny Days Nursery is open from Monday to Friday, from 07:00 to 21:30 all year round, and has been registered at these premises since March 2002, and at previous premises in Dorchester since October 1995. The nursery registration is for 173 children between the ages of three months to eight years, and includes places for children aged up to 14 years. Children attend on a part or full time basis and come from a wide range of communities from the town of Dorchester and surrounding rural areas, and further afield within a 30 mile radius.

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Information about the setting

There are 49 staff, with a full time cook, the majority of whom are qualified in child care or who are undertaking training. A nursery in-house training programme is provided, and several staff work at management level, having particular responsibilities with the different age groups and areas of the nursery. The nursery is in receipt of funding for 35 three-year-olds and one four-year-old, and caters for children with special needs and those with English as their second language. The nursery work in liaison with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Information about the setting

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 good is the Day Care?

Sunny Days Nursery is providing good care for children. The nursery is very well managed and has effective policies and procedures in place, including a thorough staff induction, appraisal and training programme. The nursery is committed to improvement, with the children's welfare as their prime concern, and staff are currently working to a Quality Counts Assurance scheme. The purpose built premises are bright, attractive and provide an exciting and comfortable play environment where children and their families are welcomed and valued. There is a good range of play resources, used appropriately to provide interesting activities, aimed at encouraging all children to learn through play. Children are offered good physical play opportunities and regularly use the purpose built, soft play centre within the nursery. Babies are cared for well in small groups, with particular attention given to good hygiene practices. There is an efficient system in place for monitoring sleeping

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How good is the Day Care?

babies, which will be extended to include checking of room temperatures. Staff use consistent daily routines to support the needs of the toddlers, and the pre-school staff work well as a team, providing a good variety of well structured play activities. After-school children have their own dedicated club room with a wide range of age appropriate resources. All children are valued and included, and positive images of diversity are promoted well throughout the nursery, and will be continued through ongoing staff development. There are good health and hygiene procedures in place, and safety issues are well monitored. Staff show a good understanding of children's individual needs and stages of development and effective behaviour management strategies are used. Good behaviour is promoted well through praise and encouragement. Documentation is efficiently organised and maintained. Good relationships are formed with parents and they are recognised and supported as their childs first

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What is being done well?

• The organisation of operational procedures are effective in ensuring the smooth running of the nursery. There are clear routines in place of which staff are familiar and each room has it's own individual operational plan to allow for a secure daily routine to be provided for children. • The care and play activities provided are very good. Staff are knowledgable in child development and related issues and support children well within each

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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 age group. • There is a friendly, welcoming play environment and good facilities provided. Rooms are bright, well maintained and provide a child orientated, exciting play environment. • There is a wide variety of exciting and appropriate play resources. These are attractive and inviting for children, maintained in good condition, & used to provide a range of interesting play experiences to help children learn through play. • The partnership with parents is very good. Parents involvement is valued and encouraged with good liaison maintained, and their opinions valued through use of feedback questionnaires. There is a parents support group within the nursery.

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What needs to be improved?

• the introduction of a system to record room temperatures, to enhance the already good practice regarding babies sleep routines • the provision to raise children's awareness of the wider spectrum of cultures within their society, to enhance the already good practice of promoting diversity.

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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 Extend the current effective system regarding babies sleep routines, to include monitoring of room temperature.

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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?

Sunny Days Nursery is of good quality overall and children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals overall, however they are making very good progress towards mathematical and physical development. Teaching is generally good. The nursery has an Early Years Co-ordinator who advises and supports staff on planning and provision offered. A new system of planning covering all areas of learning has been introduced, however recording of learning objectives and consideration for children who attend two sessions in one day are not reflected. Therefore staff do not fully meet children's individual needs. Staff provide and support a good balance of interesting activities, including regular access to physical play activities. There is a wide range of resources, however the full opportunities to extend children's learning through imaginative play are not maximised. Staff relate well to the children and each other, and provide a positive and consistent

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How effective is the nursery education?

approach to behaviour, which children respond to. Children with special needs are supported in the group, the Senco liaises with parents and other professionals. Leadership and management is very good. There is a clear line management structure, staff are clear of their roles and deployed effectively to support the children. There is a strong commitment to improvement from staff and management, with regular staff training provided. Staff are involved in reviewing and on-going development of nursery policies and procedures. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are well informed about the provision, and what activities the children are taking part in while at nursery. They have opportunities to discuss their child's individual progress with staff, and are encouraged to become involved in children's learning e.g. by using the lending library, or visiting the group to talk about their profession.

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What is being done well?

• Children's physical development and mathematical development is very good. The children have regular opportunities to enjoy physical play experiences, and are learning about different mathematical ideas through a variety of practical activities. • The behaviour management strategies are effective, staff provide a consistent approach and children are co-operative and behave well. • The wide range of good quality resources are well organised so children can easily access them.

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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 • There are strong links with parents, and their opinions and suggestions are valued e.g. recent parent survey completed. • Staff and management are committed to improvement.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities to extend children's learning, and provide opportunties for children to experiment with mark making and writing through imaginative play activities. • the planning system to reflect the required learning objectives, and to ensure it meets the developmental needs of all children including those attending two sessions in one day.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made good progress since the last inspection, an action plan was drawn up to address the issues. The group has continued to develop and review their planning process, and have appointed an Early Years Co-ordinator who organises training on the foundation stage for staff. However planning is not sufficient to meet the needs of all children. Measures have been put in place to address planning and assessment by having regular planning meetings, plus use of notebooks for different areas of learning to enable staff to record observations on a regular basis. Resources have been extended and a good range is available, however opportunities to develop writing skills are not maximised.

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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 and curious in the activities provided, e.g. travelling on a mini-bus and visiting Tesco Bakery generated lots of excitement. They listen carefully to adults, and follow instructions e.g. waiting together and taking turns during visit. Children are settling well, and confidently share their experiences and views with others. Children behave well, and have good relationships with staff.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy stories, and joining in action songs and rhymes, and a lending library encourages them to take books home. Children have opportunities to link sounds of the first letter of their name e.g. during registration. Effective questioning and use of language by staff encourages children to think things through for themselves. However resources and opportunities to encourage children to develop mark making and writing skills could be improved.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use counting through practical and enjoyable everyday activities. e.g. finger rhymes and counting steps. Children are developing an understanding of comparisons, and simple subtraction through play activities e.g. comparing how many children and how many chairs needed. They are beginning to explore shape, colour and size e.g. relating the shape and colour of their sticker to an adults when preparing to go on the trip to Tesco.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are gaining a good understanding of their environment through planned activities and visits to local places of interest. They have opportunities to use computer programmes, and a tape recorder to support their learning. Children are learning about cultures of other people through access to a varied selection of resources

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have regular access to participate in physical activities both indoors and outdoors, where they develop skills in to climbing, travelling over, under and through objects, and balancing. Children have been learning about different ways of moving and controlling their bodies through Yoga session. Children are given opportunities to use small tools e.g. pencils, scissors, to develop their 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: Generally Good Children have regular opportunities to explore different colour, shape and texture through planned activities, e.g. learning how bread dough changes. They enjoy action songs and rhymes, and are learning about different types of music and have use of music instruments. Staff provide a range of resources which promote imaginative play however some opportunities to extend the children's learning are missed.

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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

• extend resources and opportunities for children to develop mark making and writing skills in role play and other activities. • review, monitor and develop planning system to ensure it reflects the learning objectives, and links with the developmental needs of all children.

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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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