St Luke's Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 17/01/2005 Inspector Name Sarah Jane Wignall

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Chuckles Nurseries Limited Setting Address Station Road Perranwell Station Truro Cornwall TR3 7PT

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Chuckles Nursery Address Perranwell Station Station Road Truro Cornwall TR3 7PT

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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

Chuckles Day Nursery is a privately run group which is owned by Mike and Sue Everall. It opened in 2001 and operates from two floors in a converted Methodist Chapel. It is situated in the rural village of Perranwell Station. A maximum of 50 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 8:00 until 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed play area. There are currently 70 children from 3 months to 5 years on roll. Of these, 27 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area, as most parents travel in to work. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 18 staff, 12 of whom have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. One staff member is currently working towards a level 3 qualification. The nursery receives support from an advisory teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP). The nursery is a member of the Kernow Association of Day Nurseries (KADN).

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How good is the Day Care?

Chuckles Nursery provides good care for children. They are a well organised setting, where children are cared for in key groups and by designated members of staff. Sessions are well organised, and staff show a good awareness of their roles and responsibilities. They operate from a welcoming, spacious environment, which has been recently modernised and updated. The play space is well laid out to meet the needs of the younger and older children. They have a good range of resources available in both play rooms. Comprehensive documentation is in place. Not all records are stored appropriately. Staff have a sound understanding of safety issues. They are deployed effectively to

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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 offer appropriate levels of supervision and support. Comprehensive fire safety records are in place. Staff are active in promoting children's health and hygiene. They encourage children to follow appropriate routines with regards hand washing, and all areas of the nursery appear clean and well maintained. The nursery meets children's dietary needs well. They are provided with a balanced and varied range of hot cooked meals and snacks. Staff are aware of action to take if concerned about a child in their care. The nursery plans a broad and balanced curriculum that covers most areas of learning, and offers an appropriate balance between adult led and child initiated activities. Staff are beginning to make use of a national framework for birth to 3 and

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How good is the Day Care?

are developing the curriculum for the younger children. Staff support children with special needs well. They work closely with parents and professionals in order to meet individual needs. Staff have a consistent approach to managing behaviour. They offer lots of verbal praise and encouragement. The nursery keeps parents informed of routines and events through notices, newsletters and verbal feedback. They do not provide sufficient opportunities for parents to share information about children on initial entry to the setting.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the nursery agreed to update policies and procedures on behaviour management, child protection and the complaints procedure. They also agreed to devise a system to make policies available to parents. Relevant policies and procedures have now been updated, and parents now have access to these.

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What is being done well?

• The nursery is well organised. Children are cared for in age appropriate groups and by key members of staff. Staff work well as a team and sessions run smoothly. • Children have access to a well organised, bright and welcoming play space. Many areas of the nursery have been modernised and updated, and children enjoy access to an improved outdoor play area. • Children are provided with a varied and healthy range of hot cooked meals and snacks. • Staff have a sound understanding of safety issues. There are effective procedures in place to ensure appropriate supervision when moving around the nursery.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities for parents to share information about their child on initial entry to nursery

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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 storage of confidential information.

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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 12 Provide opportunities for parents to share information about their child on initial entry to the nursery. 14 Ensure all records are stored confidentially.

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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?

Chuckles Nursery offers good quality nursery education where children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for personal, social and emotional development is good and children are making very good progress in this area. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and they plan an interesting and practical range of activities that interest and involve children. Staff organise the play room well so that children can make some independent play choices. Sessions are well organised and offer a good balance between adult led and child initiated activities. Planned and group activities do not always differentiate between the needs of the more able and less able children. While staff are making regular observations and assessments of children, they are not using this to inform future planning, and identify individual targets for

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How effective is the nursery education?

development. Children are very confident and settled at the nursery. They show good levels of independence. They have good relationships with staff and each other. Staff offer appropriate levels of support, and children with special educational needs are encouraged to participate in the full range of nursery activities. Staff manage behaviour well, and they offer continual verbal encouragement and the use of the 'rainbow chart' to identify and reinforce positive behaviours. Leadership and management are generally good. Staff are well qualified and are aware of their roles and responsibilities They work well together as a team and they share ideas when planning the curriculum. The nursery makes effective use of advice and support from outside agencies. The partnership with parents is generally good. They are kept informed through notices, newsletters and verbal feedback. Regular activity sheets keep them

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How effective is the nursery education?

informed of current topics. They are not provided with regular opportunities to discuss their child's progress.

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What is being done well?

• Children's personal, social and emotional development is very good. They are confident and settled at the setting. Children have good relationships with staff and each other, and they behave well. • Children are developing a good understanding of the link between sounds and letters. Staff use a good range of practical activities to reinforce this learning. • Children use their imagination well when playing in role play. Staff give children sufficient time to develop and extend their play.

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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 use effective methods to manage behaviour. Clear routines and high expectations of staff encourage children to behave well.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities to inform and involve parents in their child's progress and development; • the use of observations and assessments to help identify individual targets for development; • the use of planned and group activities to differentiate between the needs of the more able and less able.

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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 very confident and settled at the nursery. They show good levels of independence as they select resources and help to tidy away. They have good relationships with staff and each other and they play well together, often joining together to develop role play situations. Clear routines encourage children to behave well, and they are learning to share and take turns.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing a love of books and stories. They handle books with care and spend time in small and large groups listening to stories. Children's language skills are developing well and they use a range of descriptive words when describing items in the feely box. They are gaining a good understanding of the link between sounds and letters and some children can identify initial sounds in their own names and other familiar words. Children have regular opportunities to write and make marks

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are learning to recognise shape and size as they compare different sized balls, and complete jigsaws and other shape sorter games. They are learning to recognise numerals and to count and this is reinforced during daily routines such as snack time. Children learn about addition and subtraction as they sing nursery rhymes such as '5 currant buns', and they identify the biggest and smallest number in a counter game.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy using their senses as they explore a range of materials such as foam, water, sand and dough. They learn about growth and change as they plant seeds and observe changes. Children are learning about technology as they become competent when using the computer and completing simple programmes. They enjoy learning about the local and wider community through visits from outside agencies, and celebrating other beliefs and traditions.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have opportunities to develop physical skills through a range of practical activities. They learn to control their movements as they move slowly, quickly and stiffly when moving like a robot. They show good spatial awareness as they play both inside and out and they negotiate obstacles well when riding on bikes and trikes. Children are taught to handle a range of small tools such as pencils, brushes and glue sticks and can do so with increasing control.

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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 use their imagination very well when playing in role play. Several children join together to develop a story about a tea party, or to use a cot to represent a boat to go sailing in. Staff give children time and opportunity to develop their ideas, suggesting items they could use as a sail for the boat. Children enjoy playing musical instruments and listening to different types of music. They are confident in naming colours and use paint to create their own pictures.

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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 regular opportunities to inform parents about their child's progress, and use ongoing information from parents to help inform future planning • use regular observations and assessments of children's progress to help identify individual targets for development • ensure planned and group activities differentiate between the needs of the more able and less able children.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

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

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

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

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