Wendy House Nursery (Carlisle) Limited

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/02/2005 Inspector Name Lesley Ormrod

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Wendy House Nursery Setting Address Blackwell Road Carlisle Cumbria CA2 4AB

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Leslie Gibson (individual owner) Address Blackwell Road Carlisle Cumbria CA2 4AB

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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

Wendy House Nursery is run by Messrs I.D; B and L.Gibson. It opened in 1998 and operates from ten rooms in a detached building. The nursery is situated in Carlisle. A maximum of 101 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The setting is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to two secure enclosed outdoor play areas. There are currently 158 children aged from birth to under 8 years on roll. Of these 39 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the city of Carlisle and the wider geographical area. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs. The nursery employs 38 staff. 30 of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. Three staff are working towards a qualification.

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How good is the Day Care?

Wendy House Nursery provides good care for children. The nursery has a warm and welcoming environment that helps children to feel secure. There is very good organisation of the facility for the provision of full day care for children. The staff have extended their knowledge and expertise by accessing regular training and completing a range of qualifications. There is a very good range of age-appropriate equipment and play resources that provide children with good learning opportunities. Most documentation is in place and is fully shared with staff and parents. There are very good arrangements for health and safety and security to protect children. Staff have very good daily hygiene routines for children's personal care. Children use well cared for equipment in a well maintained environment. Children have healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. There is good support for children with special needs and disabilities. Staff have a good knowledge of child protection

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How good is the Day Care?

but some documentation requires extending. Most arrangements for children's health care are in place. There is a good range of resources and activities to develop children's awareness of diversity and equality.

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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 There is very good planning of play and learning opportunities and children make good progress. Babies have their needs met well. Children's development of skills in all areas is assessed and recorded. The Birth to Three curriculum is effectively used to support children under three. Staff use good strategies to manage children's behaviour. There are very good arrangements to keep parents fully informed about their child's progress. Daily handovers are good with excellent daily written records given. Parents have good support and receive regular information about events and news.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to four actions: to include in the operational plan a statement about staff deployment, the activities to be provided and meeting the training needs of staff; to have a written statement about bullying; to ensure that the child protection procedure includes contact information for the reporting of child abuse and that the procedure for dealing with allegations is made clear; to ensure that it is clear to staff that Ofsted is notified in the event of a child protection referral. The provider has developed a good operational plan with good quality procedures and policies that specify the arrangements for staff deployment; activities provided and the training provided to staff. Children benefit from high staff ratios, experienced permanent relief staff and a well planned range of activities for all age groups. Staff have personal training plans and receive regular in-house and external training.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The provider has updated the child protection procedures and all staff receive child protection training that is updated regularly. The arrangements for children's protection are understood and worked to by staff. The written statements about dealing with allegations and bullying require further development to provide clearer guidance to staff for the procedures to follow.

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What is being done well?

• The staff have enthusiastically implemented the Birth to Three curriculum for children under three very successfully. Planning is detailed and linked in well to the aspects and components. Children benefit from very good play opportunities presented by staff who understand what children's play and learning needs are. • Children enjoy an exciting range of activities. Babies manipulate the rollover bottles and experience tactile painting with their bodies. Under twos have fun with glitter and glue as they make their valentine cards and create large scale finger and hand paintings. Over twos experiment with mixing cornflour and water and chat happily as they decide what play food to choose in the home corner. • Staff plan stimulating activities to encourage children's awareness of diversity. The preschool children celebrate Chinese new year by designing a dragon and creating a dance. Younger children try tastes of chinese food and

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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 older children copy chinese writing. • There is very good use of space for children's play and learning. All units have well planned messy play and carpet areas with a range of activities rotated for variety and interest. There are cosy book corners and well resourced home and role play areas. Children use computer areas and a well designed library.

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What needs to be improved?

• the wording of the medication and emergency medical advice and treatment consents • the allegations' procedure and the bullying statement • the information in the parents' prospectus about the complaints' procedure and child protection arrangements

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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

There are no complaints to report since April 2004

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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 11 Extend the written statement about bullying and include the methods used to manage any bullying incidents. 14 Update the wording for the parental consents for emergency medical advice and treatment and for any medication; extend the allegations' procedure and include in the prospectus given to parents information

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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 about the complaints procedure and child protection arrangements.

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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?

Wendy House Nursery provides good quality education overall which enable children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for personal, social and emotional development is a strength and children make very good progress in this area. Mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development are well taught and children make very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. The staff manage the children well and have very good relationships with them. They plan an exciting range of activities with good use of resources to motivate and stimulate children's responses. Staff organise the indoor space well to encourage children's independence. The staff understand what children need to learn in most areas of learning but do not always provide sufficient challenge in communication, language and literacy and physical

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How effective is the nursery education?

development. Children with special needs are fully included and make good progress. Staff assess children's learning against the stepping stones and early learning goals. Observations and recording are regularly completed and the information used to plan what children should learn next. Good termly progress reports are shared with parents. The leadership and management of the nursery are generally good. There is a shared vision with good development planning to improve the provision. Most staff are well qualified and take part in regular appraisals and training to improve their skills. The deputy regularly monitors and advises on the quality of the teaching. Parents' views are sought and responded to but parents' knowledge of their children is not yet systematically used to inform planning. The partnership with parents is generally good. Staff have good relationships with parents, who receive good daily written sheets about their children's activities and

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How effective is the nursery education?

routines. Parents now attend open days but do not regularly share their knowledge.

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What is being done well?

• Children have very good imaginative skills that are extended through the staff's good planning of the role play area and the home corner. They become estate agents and sell houses to their customers. Children write their shopping lists, do their shopping and go off to cook. • Children have good mathematical skills and count confidently as they play the spider dice game and move the correct number of spaces. They can decide how to estimate the number of children to how many pieces of toast are needed.

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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 • Staff manage children's behaviour well and children learn to show good care and concern for each other. Children respect the nursery's rules and behave well in circle times listening to each other with interest. • Staff plan a good range of activities and resources to stimulate children's investigative and creative skills. Children explore the display board of sensory items using all their senses and create sculptures with mock slime. They mix a variety of paint colours in the large play tray to make patterns with rollers and sponges.

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What needs to be improved?

• the arrangements to regularly collect information from parents about their children's learning to include in the planning • the planning system to include extension and support activities and learning intentions • the challenges to children to extend their skills in linking sounds and letters and their recall and prediction skills at story times • the use of everyday routines to extend children's understanding of health and bodily awareness.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. The staff have introduced effective measures to develop an assessment system linked into the early learning goals; developed the programme for physical development and provided sufficient challenge for children to use their mathematical skills to solve problems. The assessment records have been linked into the stepping stones and early learning goals and clearly identify children's progress. Staff regularly record their named children's progress and systematically use the records to inform their planning to meet individual children's learning needs. The planned programme for physical development has been developed and extended to provide children with good opportunities to build on existing skills and develop new ones. The provider has extended the resources to encourage children's learning of climbing and balancing skills. Children now climb, run, use balancing

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What has improved since the last inspection?

bars and negotiate obstacle courses confidently. Staff have reviewed their programmes in all areas and have developed their teaching strategies to encourage children to problem solve using mathematical skills in daily routines and activities. Children enjoy the challenges and can offer solutions to the presented problems.

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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 There are very good relationships between children, staff and parents that help children to develop good self esteem. Children confidently select their choice of activities to play and learn from. They persist for long periods to write, draw and cut out their designs. Children have good self care skills and can put on their wellies and coats to play outside. They behave well and learn to share and take turns. Children have a strong sense of being a part of the nursery community.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children confidently use their language skills to communicate and eagerly describe their experiences to staff. They learn a good range of vocabulary in their focussed activities. Children use their thinking skills to explain about flooded Carlisle and events afterwards in response to good questioning by staff. Children are competent writers of their names, forming many recognisable letters. Staff do not fully extend children's abilities to link sounds to letters and their skills at story time.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use number language confidently in their play and can count accurately to ten and beyond. They can associate number representations to the correct numerals as they throw the dice for their spider game. Children name basic shapes and use in their designs. They work out quantities to balance on the scales and use positional language as they play with the figures in the Noah's Ark. Children have an understanding of addition and subtraction and explain to each other how this works.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children freely explore and investigate using all their senses. They excitedly use their magnifiers and binoculars to explore the natural environment finding conkers and leaves. Children learn to care for babies and talk about their needs. Staff provide a wide range of information and communication technology equipment that children use competently in their play. Children have good design skills and construct lego models and kites. They enjoy a dragon dance to celebrate other cultures.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children confidently run and make up chase games in the large outside area. They practise their balancing and jumping skills as they negotiate the tyres and the balancing bars. Children kick footballs and roll hoops to each other. They handle small and large equipment with good skills and grip tools to fill up their wheelbarrow. Children have good spatial awareness and find their space in circle time. Staff do not fully extend children's understanding of healthy bodies in their daily routines.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy using the well planned creative areas. They paint pictures of their friends, create a head of hair with raffia and mould snowmen in play dough. Children sing confidently and ask for their favourite songs. They use percussion instruments and beat in time as they sing. Children develop good role play skills as they sell and buy houses in the estate agents and decide what their ideal home will be like. They use their imagination to develop a cat and dog story in the home corner.

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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

• enhance the planning system to include extension and support activities; learning intentions and information from parents about their children's progress on a regular basis • extend the teaching of linking sounds and letters to develop children's use of their phonic skills in play and structured activities, extend children's recall and prediction skills at story times and develop children's understanding of health and bodily awareness in every day routines.

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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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