Oakdene Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 29/09/2004 Inspector Name Anne Felicity Taylor

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name OAKDENE DAY NURSERY Setting Address COVENTRY ROAD CUBBINGTON LEAMINGTON SPA WARKS CV32 7UJ

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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

Oakdene Day Nursery opened in 1997. It operates from premises in a rural setting on the outskirts of Cubbington, near Leamington Spa. The nursery has two single story buildings, one for babies and one for pre-school children, within a large safely enclosed area. The area includes outdoor play space with covered play facilities and office/staff facilities. There are currently thirty-six children from nought to four years on roll. This includes fourteen funded three-year-olds. Children attend for day care and a variety of sessions. The setting is able to support children with special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The nursery opens from 08:00 to 18:00 on five days a week all year round. Eight full time staff and the owner work with the children. All staff have or are working towards appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from an advisory teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare

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How good is the Day Care?

Oakdene Day Nursery provides good care for children. All the staff who work full time with the children hold, or are working towards appropriate qualifications in early years. Staff work well as a team, supporting each other in the care of the children. There are good procedures in place for appointing and vetting new staff. The staff/child ratio is carefully monitored and children are offered a lot of individual attention. Safety is a high priority and risk assessments have been completed. Fire evacuation procedures are in place and practiced regularly; some aspects of fire safety are to be reviewed. Staff have first aid training and the first aid box is fully-stocked. Child protection procedures are in place. There is regular monitoring for toddlers and babies sleeping. Children are encouraged in good personal hygiene, and aspects of

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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 healthy eating and caring for yourself are covered well in topic work, general discussion and daily routines. A wide variety of well-maintained, appropriate equipment is available, enabling staff to provide a good range of activities, helping babies and children to develop, learn and have fun. Effective planning ensures children are offered a choice of activities to encourage co-operative and imaginative play. Talking and listening skills are a high priority, with staff valuing the individuality of the children. Outdoor activities and exploration are a feature of the daily routine for all the children, with a specific area available to babies and a covered area for older children. There are strong relationships between staff and parents, and parents are offered

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How good is the Day Care?

regular opportunities to discuss their child's progress and are welcomed into the setting at any time. Daily diaries are used for babies. Policies and procedures are available to parents; some are under review. Good communication ensures the individual needs of each child are met well.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the setting was asked to: - develop an operational plan which is made available to parents; ensure the complaints procedure includes the telephone number and address of Ofsted; ensure comprehensive risk assessments are completed; ensure access to the outside baby play area is safe; devise a procedure for outings; ensure outdoor toys and equipment are maintained in good repair; devise a procedure for the emergency evacuation of the baby unit and ensure drills are carried out periodically and a fire log book is maintained for both units. Good progress has been made in most areas. An effective operational plan is now in place and easily available to parents. The complaints procedure contains all the relevant information and risk assessments are in place. A safe procedure is in place for outings and access to the outside baby play area is safe and carefully monitored. Staff monitor the safety of all equipment and good procedures are in place for repair.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Fire drills are practiced in both buildings on a regular basis and are recorded. Parts of the fire evacuation procedure are under review.

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What is being done well?

• The warm welcoming environment created by staff ensures that children settle quickly to play on arrival. Parents are well informed about daily activities and feel welcome to talk to staff at any time.

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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 • Play opportunities include lots of opportunities for outside play. The children enjoy climbing and balancing and outdoor domestic play. • Babies and toddlers benefit from lots of clear and safe crawling and walking space both indoors and outdoors. Babies choose from lots of interesting equipment and books, and particularly enjoy musical toys. • The children are offered a variety of healthy drinks and meals throughout the day. A two course hot lunch and a freshly prepared tea are available. There is an interesting four week menu, including some multi-cultural dishes. • A behaviour management policy is in place, and available to parents. Staff are very good role models and handle difficult behaviour in a calm consistent

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What needs to be improved?

• the procedure to ensure that appropriate equipment is available in each building to raise the fire alarm and that all necessary information is taken when evacuating • the procedure to develop a professional abuse policy and review the complaints procedure.

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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 Ensure that appropriate equipment is available in each building to raise the fire alarm and that all necessary information is taken when evacuating. 14 Ensure the child protection policy includes the procedure to follow 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?

Oakdene Day Nursery offers generally good nursery education for three and four-year-old children. The setting has a welcoming and happy atmosphere, where children enjoy learning through a range of activities. Strong relationships and clear planning helps the children to progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. They make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development and mathematics. Staff take advantage of training opportunities and are all developing a sound understanding of the early learning goals; teaching is generally good. Staff ensure that the children are well-supported in planned activities and are skilful when engaging children in conversations and developing ideas. Opportunities for children to make choices in their play and further develop their independence skills are limited. The evaluation of activities, individual assessments and planning is used

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How effective is the nursery education?

effectively to ensure the needs of all children are carefully considered and met. Procedures are in place to ensure children with special educational needs or who speak English as an additional language receive appropriate support. Leadership and management of the setting is generally good. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities and work well as a team. The planning of activities and the organisation of resources to ensure individual children's learning is extended and reinforced is developing well. The organisation of some areas of imaginative and creative play sometimes limits learning opportunities, particularly in pre-writing skills. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents are offered some written information about themes and topics and appreciate good opportunities to talk to staff. Additional information and opportunities to contribute to their child's assessment would encourage parents in supporting their child's learning. Parents

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How effective is the nursery education?

appreciate the stable staff team and the relaxed environment in the nursery.

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What is being done well?

• Staff create a secure and friendly environment with strong relationships between parents, staff and children. Children are happy to be in the pre-school and settle quickly to learn and have fun. • Children enjoy listening to 'Bad Mood Bear' at group story time, and make good use of the well-resourced book area to read alone and share books with friends. • Children work together amicably, building Lego models of space ships with astronauts, using their imaginations well in play. • Children's concentration is very good when playing organised games, e.g. pairs. They take turns and are beginning to be considerate towards others, developing an awareness of right and wrong.

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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 • Children are learning to behave well in response to the high expectations and sensitive support of the staff.

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What needs to be improved?

• the use of time and resources to enable children to make choices of materials and equipment in free play and develop their independence skills and confidence, including the extension of imaginative and creative play; • the opportunities for parents to be more aware of the learning opportunities offered to their children and a system for parents to contribute to their child's individual assessment.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the setting was asked to: assess children's progress towards the early learning goals more thoroughly and use the information gained to plan future activities; increase staff knowledge of the stepping stones for learning, to sustain children's interest and provide a challenge for more capable children; strengthen the partnership with parents to provide more opportunities for parents to be involved with learning. Ensure that parents are regularly informed about their children's progress and that they have the opportunity to share their observations of their children's learning at home. Generally good progress has been made. Effective systems are now in place to complete regular assessments of children's progress. Staff use the information well to inform planning, ensuring children move through the stepping stones and are challenged in their learning. Some staff have completed Foundation Stage training and more are to complete it in the near future,

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What has improved since the last inspection?

ensuring staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the teaching and learning involved in children moving towards the early learning goals. Parents have strong, open relationships with staff and appreciate that they are able to approach staff at any time for additional information. However, there are still few formal opportunities for parents to gain detailed information of the learning in which their children are involved, or to contribute to their child's individual assessment.

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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 The relationships between staff, parents and children are very strong. This creates an environment where children are happy and settled in the nursery routine. Children talk confidently about home and family and are gaining an awareness of their own, and others needs and feelings; they show great interest in a visiting baby sister. Children are learning to behave well. They sit quietly and listen to others well during registration and when discussing younger children settling in.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good The children enjoy group story and join in enthusiastically with familiar phrases and words. They are offered valuable opportunities to make up stories and poems. There is an interesting, comfortable book area, which is very well used. Talking and listening are a high priority and children experiment with words and ideas during imaginative play. Opportunities to write for a variety of purposes are limited. All the children are making good progress in recognising writing their own names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are offered a variety of activities to look at volume and compare size, e.g. sand and water play. There are clear displays of numbers and three-year-old-children are counting and recognising numbers reliably to eight. Good opportunities to count and introduce simple sums are offered through songs and well-planned activities, e.g. during hand printing. Children learn about shape well with appropriate computer programmes, and about position through stories, e.g. Going on a Bear Hunt.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are given many opportunities to investigate and explore natural and man made objects, including walks locally and using a variety of media for creative work, e.g. model making. They enjoy visits from local community workers including the fire service. Children use a variety of tools and materials for building and construction and are becoming very skilful using the computer mouse. Opportunities are offered to develop an understanding of the local and 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: Very Good Children enjoy indoor and outdoor physical activity and learning. They move confidently and participate enthusiastically in circle games indoors. Children have a good awareness of others around them. Many outdoor activities enable children to increase skills in bicycle riding, throwing and catching skills and climbing. Children progress well using small equipment with care, e.g. scissors. They are learning bodily awareness and aspects of health through topic work and general discussion.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children take part in role play using small world play, e.g. cars on the track. They enjoy singing familiar rhymes and songs and all the children take part in music and movement sessions. Opportunities for a variety of role play and free choice in creative work are limited. There are many worthwhile activities to develop senses and explore texture and shape, including salt dough models of their own faces. Children are developing a good understanding of feelings through stories and discussion.

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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

• Ensure time and resources are used effectively to enable children to make choices of materials and equipment in free play and develop their independence skills and confidence, including the extension of imaginative and creative play. • Increase the opportunities for parents to be more aware of the learning opportunities offered to their children and devise a system for parents to contribute to their child's individual assessment.

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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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