Hayesdown First School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 22/11/2004 Inspector Name Christine Coleman

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Play House Day Nursery Setting Address Royal Marsden Hospital Downs Road Sutton Surrey SM2 5PT

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Royal Marsden NHS Trust Address Director of Finance & Info. The Royal Marsden NHS Trust Fulham Road London SW3 6JJ

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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

Playhouse Day Nursery is owned and managed by the Royal Marsden NHS Trust. It operates from a purpose-built two-storey building within the grounds of the Royal Marsden Hospital. A maximum of 42 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:45 to 17:45 for 52 weeks of the year excluding bank holidays. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 49 children aged from 6 months to 5 years on roll. Of these 11 receive funding for nursery education. The baby room which is on the first floor provides for up to 9 babies, the ground floor toddler room provides for up to 8 children under 2 years, and the large room with a room divider provides for up to 25 children aged 2 to 5 years. The nursery provides a service for hospital staff and children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery is able to support children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional

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Information about the setting

language. There are a total of 16 staff including the manager and deputy manager. All staff hold early years qualifications with some working towards a NVQ level 3 qualification.

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How good is the Day Care?

Playhouse Day Nursery provides good care for children. The nursery provides a warm, caring environment and a well-organised routine to the day. Play activities are planned to stimulate children's learning and development. The staff are trained with many being well-experienced in child care. The staff to children ratio is good, and there is a key worker system in place. Comprehensive written policies and procedures underpin the day to day running. The nursery operates from a two-storey building with three rooms, one with a room divider, toilet, laundry and kitchen facilities. Rooms are well heated and ventilated

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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 with air conditioning available. There is a large enclosed soft surface play area available for outdoor activities. The nursery provides a safe environment for children, and there are good standards of cleanliness and hygiene. The individual needs of children are attended to, and any concerns about their development are discussed with parents. Meals provided are prepared in the main hospital kitchen and the menu varied with options for different dietary needs. The provision of regular drinks is limited. The nursery has a wide range of organised and labelled play resources and equipment, and items are regularly added to, including items reflecting positive images of ethnicity, gender and some of disability . Activities are planned and

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How good is the Day Care?

include regular themes and imaginative ideas. Behaviour is managed well using appropriate methods and a consistent approach. The nursery actively encourages a good partnership with parents and provides regular verbal and written information.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the need for more staff to be First Aid trained was identified and this has now improved with 10 out of 16 staff having a current training certificate. The sharing of child protection procedures with parents has improved by writing information in the parent's handbook.

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What is being done well?

• Playhouse Day Nursery provides a good ratio of staff to children with a high priority given to staff training • The nursery provides a wide range of activities to stimulate learning and development in a bright and welcoming environment. There are good play resources and equipment with suitable items made accessible to children in a planned way. • The nursery promotes health and hygiene in a safe and secure environment. • The nursery uses positive and consistent behaviour management methods which are shared with parents. • The nursery actively promotes partnership with parents by arranging meetings, giving regular written information and encouraging parent participation.

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What needs to be improved?

• the provision for regular drinks. • the range of play resources reflecting positive images of disability.

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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

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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 8 Ensure that fresh drinking water is available to children at all times 9 Add to range of play resources items reflecting positive images of disability

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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?

Playhouse Day Nursery provides a high quality learning environment, whereby children are making very good progress towards all six areas of the early learning goals. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff are sound in their knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage of learning and are skilled at exploiting opportunities to enhance and challenge children's development, through joining in play, spending time listening, talking and questioning the children. The environment is attractive in presentation and rich in learning opportunities and resources, although the provision for outdoor winter play is more restricted. Effective teaching methods inspire children's self motivation and interest in learning, particularly in literacy and maths and staff's calm and consistent approach ensures children's high levels of confidence, self esteem and co-operation. Their developmental progress is thoroughly monitored and documented, staff know the children well and ensure next

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How effective is the nursery education?

steps for learning are clearly identified. Leadership and management is very good. The professional and supportive approach ensures a reliable, experienced and consistent staff team, who work well together. Staff's contributions are valued and staff morale is high. The commitment to continual improvement is evident by on going systems for monitoring and evaluating both the quality of teaching and provision of nursery education. Partnership with parents is very good and they hold the nursery in high regard. Parents are confident to approach staff to discuss concerns and they positively contribute to planning next steps for children's learning. Twice yearly reports provide them with detailed developmental information, but the informal arrangements to discuss progress further are not effective for everyone. Whilst parents clearly understand how children's progress is linked to the six areas of learning, their

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How effective is the nursery education?

understanding of the foundation stage in general, is not consistent.

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What is being done well?

• Staff's motivation and interest in the children is inspiring. They join in with play, laugh and joke with the children and spend time talking and listening to them. The children have high levels of confidence and self esteem, particularly with regards to sharing their experiences and expressing their thoughts and feelings. • Staff have a comprehensive understanding of how children learn through play. Opportunities for children to develop their learning of numeracy, calculation, weight, measure and capacity and communication, language and literacy is skilfully incorporated into an exciting curriculum. In addition, their learning of the world and community around them is enhanced through innovative practical activities, i.e. children design their own hand patterns for

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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 Muslim celebrations, make their own passports and have fun pretending to travel to other countries. • Children's progress towards the early learning goals is well monitored and documented. Next steps for learning are clearly identified for all children and used to inform planning. The system for transition from cubs to bears ensures a consistent and effective approach. • The consistent and experienced staff team help children and parents feel secure. Leadership is clearly defined, the manager demonstrates a professional approach, a clear vision for the future and is committed to continual improvement. Staff are helped to further their knowledge and skills through good training opportunities, individual and group support.

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What needs to be improved?

• planning for outdoor play in the winter • the arrangements for formal parental consultations and parents understanding of the foundation stage of learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. Activity planning is of a high standard. Learning intentions are identified and clearly linked to the early learning goals. Activities are monitored through detailed evaluations and outcomes are used to ensure improvements. Children's progress is well monitored and documented, used effectively to inform planning and to set next steps to ensure continual progress.

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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 eagerly share their experiences and news in group circle time. They embrace new challenges with confidence and exude happiness, which is enhanced by staff's motivation and interest in joining in their play. A consistent and calm approach by staff encourages co-operative play and the children are well behaved, kind and considerate of each others differences. They concentrate for extended periods, are inquisitive and interested in learning.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children use articulate language to confidently express their thoughts and feelings and to negotiate. They enjoy listening to stories and make good independent use of the book corner. Children awareness of purposeful print is enhanced by labelling and captions around the room and routine opportunities to recognise their names. Older children label their own work, with clear recognisable letters and are beginning to link letters to sounds.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children count confidently by rote, older children well into double figures. They are interested in solving practical problems and enjoy experimenting with volumes of water and varying weights to evenly balance weighing scales. Children use mathematical language in context and are able to identify increasing and decreasing low numbers of objects. They recognise numerals displayed on the walls and chairs, independently write numbers and enjoy selecting specific quantities for staff.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children confidently inquire how a boat can carry a car without sinking. They listen with interest to the travel experiences of others and planned practical experiences bring to life other religions. They are interested in mini-beasts, investigate with a magnifier and experiment with natural resources. Children operate computer programmes with developing skill. They use past and present language in context and recall past trips to see the sharks with excited reminiscence.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children use the computer mouse with developing control, use scissors carefully and patiently thread cotton reels onto laces. They climb outdoor apparatus, balance, pedal with ease and manoeuvre in and out with good caution. Pretend play encourages their awareness of how the body works and they delight in comparing past injuries and illnesses. The garden is brought to life in summer months, but there are some missed opportunities to ensure consistency throughout the year.

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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: Very Good Children squeal with delight as they realise the consequence of smacking wet clay. They learn that pattern is a repeat and enjoy creating their own mendhi hand designs. Children produce exceptional interpretations of still life and routinely experiment with shape and colour. They act out real and imaginary experiences, dance and sing with confidence and enthusiasm and are developing their knowledge of rhythm. Stories keep them enthralled and they become excited as they anticipate the ending.

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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to the following; • improve partnership with parents further by; a) enabling them to meet with key staff on a more formal basis to discuss children's progress and development, b) considering ways to ensure they have a more comprehensive understanding of the foundation stage of learning • improve activity planning for outdoor play during winter months. 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

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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