The Village Day Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/06/2004 Inspector Name Jackie Phillips

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name The Village Day Nursery Setting Address 31a New Village Road Cottingham North Humberside HU16 4LX

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name For Under Fives Ltd Address 33 Abbey Road Grimsby North East Lincolnshire DN32 0HQ

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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

The Village Day Nursery is one of a group of nurseries owned by a private company known as " For under Fives Ltd", based in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire. The Nursery has been registered since 1991, and is situated in a converted Victorian house in the village of Cottingham, within the East Riding of Yorkshire. Children attend from a large catchment area but primarily the local area and surrounding villages. There is a small baby unit available and a toddler area for the under two's. Older children between the ages of 2-5 years use the two playrooms downstairs. There is an enclosed grassed area available for outdoor play. The Nursery is registered for 50 children in total, aged between 0 - 8 years of age. They are currently caring for 63 children of which fifteen 3-year olds and three 4-year olds are in receipt of nursery education funding. Good support is provided for children with special or additional

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Information about the setting

needs and for children who use English as an additional language. Children attend for a variety of sessions including full and part time, and before and after school care. The majority of staff hold a relevant childcare qualification and regularly attend short training courses. The setting receives support from the Local Authority. The facility operates Monday to Friday 07:00 to 18:00 daily, 52 weeks of the year, except Bank Holidays.

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How good is the Day Care?

The Village Day Nursery provides good quality care for young children. The setting is well organised and a bright, homely environment has been created. Appropriate areas are created for babies and young children and there is a clear progression route for the older children into areas that are appropriate for their age. The routine of the day is well planned, although opportunities for the older children to access and self select some resources and activities are limited. There is an established team of carers who support each other and develop positive relationships with parents and

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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 children. There are clear health and safety measures in place although some attention to detail of written documentation is required. Children are offered a healthy menu throughout the day, and have good access to fresh drinking water. The setting clearly supports children with special or additional needs and staff have realistic expectations when managing children's behaviour. Attention is paid to matters relating to child protection issues, although some additional policy development is required. There is a good range of toys provided including those intended for outdoor use. Equipment includes a range of resources to promote children's understanding of equal opportunity and cultural diversity, and to allow children to experiment with a

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How good is the Day Care?

range of art and craft materials. Toys for babies and the younger children are interesting and meet their developmental needs. Children who attend after school are encouraged to contribute to the display work. An effective partnership with parents is clearly promoted, through regular feedback, written records and clear visual information relating to the operation of the setting. Parents and staff chat informally on a regular basis to exchange information regarding the care of the children. Documents are organised in an orderly manner to ensure information is relevant and easily accessible.

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What is being done well?

• A bright, cheerful environment is created which has a homely feel and enables young children to feel comfortable and secure. The areas created for the full age range of children are appropriate to meet their developmental needs. • Children and staff interact well with each other and positive relationships are fostered. Staff know the children very well and are able to respond to individual need. • There is a consistent approach to behaviour management, which is based on realistic expectations of children's differing abilities. • There is a good variety of equipment that meets the needs of the full age range of children attending the setting. A good system is in place to purchase new equipment on a regular basis.

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What needs to be improved?

• the access to resources and equipment to allow sufficient opportunities for the older children to have choice and develop independence

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What needs to be improved?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • the sharing of information with parents regarding the policies and procedures • the child protection policy to include details of informing the regulator (Ofsted).

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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 3 Improve the access and presentation of resources to provide sufficient opportunities older children to self select chosen activities and equipment. 12 Consider a system to ensure that all parents are aware of the settings range of polices and procedures. 13 Develop child protection policy to include details of keeping the regulator (Ofsted) informed.

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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?

The Village Day Nursery provides generally good nursery education within an interesting environment where young children are happy and settled. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning. The carers work well together and effective relationships are fostered between adults and children. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff support and encourage the children's learning and development through a purposeful planning process. There are opportunities for children to engage in group activities and individual focused activities with an adult. Staff use very good open ended questioning techniques to encourage children's language development. The routine of the day is however, very structured often resulting in children being seated for long periods, and does not allow sufficient opportunities for children's free choice of resources and activities.

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How effective is the nursery education?

A stimulating range of activities are available to the children, but lacks opportunities for self expression, experimentation and investigation. Staff know the children very well and respond promptly to individual need. They have realistic expectations of managing children's behaviour. Children are competent and confident but opportunities to develop levels of independence are not always provided. The setting is led and managed well and a commitment to providing a service for parents and children to a high standard is evident. Good systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery education and the smooth operation of the setting, which are shared with parents. Partnership with parents is very good which positively impacts on children's learning. Parents are provided with a regular flow of information both written and verbal, and are encouraged to discuss their child's progress at regular opportunities. They are

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How effective is the nursery education?

kept very well informed by informal conversations and visual displays.

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What is being done well?

• Children are given the opportunity to work alone or within a group situation. They particularly enjoy the one to one focused activities with an adult, and respond well to the methods used to promote communication and language development and support mathematical understanding. • Children and staff relate well to each other and very good relationships are developed. They engage in conversations easily about events outside of the nursery environment and staff expand upon this by very good use of open ended questioning. • Parents are kept very well informed of their children's progress through a diverse range of techniques. They are encouraged to share their ideas about the setting and are able to access their children's work books easily. Parents

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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 evenings and newsletters keep parents up to date with events, and on a daily basis parents and carers exchange information regarding the progress of the children.

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What needs to be improved?

• the routine to allow greater flexibility of self selection of resources by children and decrease the length of time children are seated • the opportunities to develop children's independence through practical activities or by greater freedom of choice • the spontaneous opportunities for children to develop an increased awareness of simple number operations and to identify familiar words • the opportunities for children to experiment, observe change and investigate • the inclusion of activities within the routine to promote self expression and provide sufficient physical challenge for the older children.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection on four key issues relating to areas of mathematical, physical and creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world. The introduction of a range of new resources such as calculators, calendars and maths cards support the development of number work and large pieces of equipment have been purchased to promote children's physical development. The introduction of a sound area enables children to explore a range of sounds and increased opportunities have been provided for children to record their observations of the world about them.

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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 and staff relate very well to each other and often discuss events that occur outside of the nursery environment. Staff know the children well and are able to respond to individual need. Children are competent and confident, however, they do not sufficiently self-select resources within the daily routine in order to develop independence. Children share and play well together and good behaviour levels are maintained.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children listen well and respond to adult instruction. They enjoy books and stories and can recall and discuss events using descriptive language, gestures and facial expressions. They can recognise letters of the alphabet but opportunities to identify familiar words are insufficient. The routine often results in children being seated for long periods although their concentration levels are often sustained.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children benefit from good individual support to help them count, recognise shapes, colours and size. Sand and water play reinforces their understanding of weight and capacity. A good range of resources is provided to help children to understand simple addition and subtraction, although the use of spontaneous practical situations does not exploit sufficiently the understanding of simple number operations, calculation and problem solving.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Visitors are regularly invited to the setting to discuss various topics with the children. They build and design using a range of construction materials and have the opportunity to use the computer or audio equipment. Their awareness of the diverse world is encouraged by a good supply of resources including books and posters displayed around the setting. Opportunities for children to experiment, investigate and observe change are not fully exploited in the planned curriculum.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use the space inside and out well and can negotiate obstacles well when using mobile equipment. They have a good awareness of their bodies and can recognise change of appearance of others. Fine and gross motor skills are well developed, although there are insufficient challenges for the older children when using the outdoor equipment. The supply of resources for children's mark making does not sufficiently develop their fine manipulative skills and hand and eye co-ordination.

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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 access to a range of activities which promotes their creativity including music, stories, role play and art and craft work. Their free expression of creativity and natural imagination is sometimes hindered by an excessive amount of adult led activities. They have a very good repertoire of songs and rhymes and enjoy experimenting with the musical instruments within the sound area.

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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

• make greater use of the resources and spontaneous events to develop children's independence skills, freedom of choice and self expression • improve opportunities for children to experiment, investigate and observe change • provide sufficient challenge for the older children to increase and develop physical skills • make greater use of practical situations to develop and extend children's understanding of simple number operations, problem solving and calculating.

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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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