Serendipitys Day Nursery and Pre-school

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 06/02/2004 Inspector Name Katherine Powell

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Serendipitys Pre-School Day Nursery Setting Address 32 Nottingham Road Bingham Nottinghamshire NG13 8AT

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Serendipitys (Day Nursery) Child Care Services Ltd

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Serendipitys (Day Nursery) Child Care Services Ltd Address 32 Nottingham Road Bingham Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG13 8AT

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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

Serendipitys Pre-School Day Nursery is a privately run provision which has been operating since 1998. The nursery operates from a converted bungalow in the centre of Bingham. The premises consists of four playrooms for different ages, a kitchen, office and toilet facilities. There are enclosed outdoor play areas. There is a car park for staff and parents at the front of the building. Children attend from the town and surrounding villages. There are currently 120 children on roll. This includes 36 children who are in receipt of nursery education funding for three and four-year-olds. There are children attending who have been identified with special needs and all children speak English as their first language. The provision receives support from advisors at Nottinghamshire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. The nursery is open each week day throughout the year from 07.15 until 18.00, with

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Information about the setting

the exception of bank holidays. The nursery employs 14 members of staff on both a full and part-time basis. Of these, 12 staff have completed childcare qualifications.

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How good is the Day Care?

Serendipitys Pre-School Day Nursery provides good quality care for children aged from birth to eight years. Children are cared for in a calm, happy and harmonious environment. There is an effective keyworker system and staff work well as a team. They are well deployed and have a consistent approach to their work. This is achieved by regular staff meetings, staff appraisal and good opportunities for further training and development. Staff make effective use of space, although in one pre-school area, children's movement is restricted due to the number of children using the room. A comprehensive range of policies and procedures are in place, however, some lack sufficient detail. Staff ensure procedures outlined in health and safety polices are fully implemented and good hygiene routines are maintained to prevent the spread of infection. Staff provide a stimulating range and balance of activities which support all areas of

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How good is the Day Care?

learning and build on children's previous skills. Children are grouped effectively

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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 according to their individual stages of development and staff have established consistent and effective relationships with children and parents. Children with special needs are fully included in all activities. Activities are well organised to promote children's independence. Sessions are well planned and children are able to access a wide range of practical activities. Children have regular access to the outdoor areas, however, school age children have fewer opportunities to engage in outdoor physical play. Standards of behaviour are very good due to high levels of supervision by staff and effective strategies used to manage children's behaviour. There is a very good partnership with parents. Parents receive detailed information

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How good is the Day Care?

about the curriculum and are actively encouraged to be involved in the children's learning. Staff ensure that parents are kept fully informed about the provision and the progress their child is making.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to: record the times of arrival and departure for staff and children in the daily attendance register; ensure that all day care records are kept on the premises; ensure that adult:child ratios are met in each room; implement a system for recording incidents and sharing information with parents on the day of the incident and include a statement about bullying in the behaviour management policy. The behaviour management policy has been reviewed and the system for recording significant incidents has been improved. Staff ensure that all information is shared fully with parents. Detailed attendance records are maintained in each room and these clearly show the times of arrival and departure for staff and children. All records relating to day care activities are kept on site and are available for inspection at all times. Staff are well deployed around the nursery and records show that

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What has improved since the last inspection?

staffing ratios in each area are always met and are often exceeded. Consequently, children receive high levels of support and supervision which has a positive impact on the care they receive.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide a stimulating learning environment. Children's art work is attractively displayed throughout the setting. • Staff work well as a team and provide high levels of support for children during activities. They plan a broad and balanced range of activities to promote learning in all areas. • Staff have developed very good procedures for sharing information with parents. Useful information is included in the prospectus and displayed throughout the setting. Staff share information about children's progress on a daily basis. • Standards of behaviour are very good. Children respond well to the high expectations of staff. • There are effective systems in place to promote children's health and safety

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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 within the setting. • Activities are organised effectively and children are able to make independent choices. Children in the nursery have regular opportunities to engage in outdoor physical activities.

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What needs to be improved?

• documentation, with regard to procedures to be followed involving child protection and in the event of a child being lost • the organisation of snack time and opportunities for outdoor play for children attending the out of school club • the operational plan to ensure that minimum space requirements are met in the pre-school room.

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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 2 Develop written procedures to be followed in the event of a child being lost. 3 Ensure children in the out of school club have regular opportunities to engage in outdoor physical play and improve the organisation of afternoon snack time to meet the needs of all children attending. 4 Ensure that space requirements are met in the pre-school area. 13 Develop written procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer.

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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?

Serendipitys Pre-School Day Nursery offers a welcoming and secure learning environment where children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The provision for personal, social and emotional development is a particular strength of the setting. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and provide a broad and balanced range of activities to cover the six areas of learning. Planning and assessment systems generally provide a suitable framework to help children make progress. However, gaps in curriculum planning result in children have insufficient opportunities to practice balancing skills or to recognise changes which occur to their body when they are active. Children are developing good concentration skills and very good standards of behaviour are maintained. However, they have limited opportunities to practice writing for different purposes, particularly during role-play activities. The pre-school

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How effective is the nursery education?

has a good range of equipment and resources to cover all areas of learning, however, resources to develop children's designing and making skills are not organised effectively to fully encourage children to be independent learners. There is an effective system in place to provide good support for children with special needs. The leadership and management of the pre-school is very good. The commitment to improving practice is demonstrated through the regular monitoring and evaluating procedures which take place and the support which the setting receives from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. All staff are positively encouraged to undertake further training. The partnership with parents is very good. Staff regularly talk to and share information with parents about their child's progress and parents are encouraged to be actively involved in the learning process. Parents receive good written information

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How effective is the nursery education?

about the nursery and the daily activities.

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What is being done well?

• A very good partnership with parents is fostered through effective verbal and written communication. Parents are actively encouraged to be involved in the children's learning. • The strong leadership ensures that staff are encouraged to access further training opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. Consequently, children benefit from up-to-date practice. • Personal, social and emotional development is a particular strength. Children are confident, motivated to learn and have formed effective relationships with each other and staff. Children behave very well in response to high

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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 expectations from staff. • Staff work well as a team and provide a stimulating learning environment where children are encouraged to make independent choices. Staff thoroughly plan a broad range of stimulating activities which are well matched to children's individual abilities.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to practice writing for different purposes, particularly during role-play activities • the organisation of resources to enable children to freely access a wide range of materials and tools when designing and making • opportunities for children to practice balancing skills and to recognise changes which occur to their body when they are active.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The pre-school has made generally good progress since the last inspection to address the key issues raised. Parents have regular opportunities to meet with staff and key workers to discuss their child's progress. This is done on a daily basis when parents bring and collect children and during open days and parents' evenings. Parents are given opportunities to look at children's work and progress records. The pre-school has implemented a system where parents are asked to record their own observations of their child's progress and learning at home. These records contribute to children's individual profiles and the information is used when planning the next stage in children's learning. The system has had a positive impact on the way that the nursery gathers and shares information with parents. Staff provide opportunities for children to explore, compare and describe natural and made materials. This is done through planned topic work, creative activities and

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What has improved since the last inspection?

during nature walks around the village. Children handle and use materials such as clay, leaves, playdough, wood and plastic. They have also observed changes which occur when melting and cooking some materials. Children have opportunities to use apparatus such as sand and water toys, magnets and battery toys to find out how things work. However, knowledge and understanding of the world is an area which the pre-school has identified for further development and improvement, particularly with regard to activity planning and staff training.

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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 Children are motivated to learn and independently select their own activities. They have formed effective relationships with each other and approach adults with confidence. Very good standards of behaviour are maintained and children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions. Children learn to share resources and play co-operatively in group activities. Through topic work children are developing their awareness of diverse faiths and cultures.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing good language skills and speak confidently in group activities. Children enjoy listening to stories and show an awareness of how print works. Children have regular opportunities to read their names and more able children write their names independently. Some children are able to link letters and sounds, however, there are limited opportunities for children to practice writing for different purposes when engaging in role-play activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children can count in sequence to ten and beyond and more able children can read and write some numerals. Children are developing their understanding of mathematical language and concepts, such as addition and subtraction, through practical activities and daily routines. Children can sort, match and name familiar shapes and use appropriate terms to compare size, quantity and position.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and learn about the work of people in the community. They explore the natural environment and use their senses to describe materials. Children are developing their understanding of the uses of technology and use simple equipment to support their learning. However, due to the organisation of resources, children are not able to freely select from a range of materials and tools when designing and making.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children's small hand skills and whole body movements are developed through effective use of a wide range of equipment and tools, although there are limited opportunities for children to use apparatus to develop their balancing skills. Children are learning about the importance of being healthy and good hygiene practices are encouraged. However, children have insufficient opportunities to recognise changes which occur to the body when they are active.

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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 learnt a wide variety of songs and join in group singing times with enthusiasm. They have regular opportunities to play musical instruments and explore different sounds. Children have learnt a range of techniques, such as string and sponge painting, and use a variety of tools during creative activities. They draw on first hand experiences when engaging in role-play activities.

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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

• provide further opportunities for children to practice writing for different purposes, particularly during role-play activities • improve the organisation of resources so that children are able to freely access a wide range of materials and tools when designing and making • extend opportunities for children to practice balancing skills and to recognise changes which occur to their body when they are active.

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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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