Treehouse Children's Centre

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 11/01/2005 Inspector Name Heather Jeanette Knox

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care, Out of School Day Care Setting Name Treehouse Children's Centre Setting Address 30 Chatham Street Norwich Norfolk NR3 3DN

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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

Treehouse Children's Centre opened in 1986. It operates from a self-contained premises, comprising of a large hall, a small room and a grass and concrete outside area. The nursery is situated close to the centre of the city of Norwich. Children come from a wide catchment area, as most of their parents travel to work around the city. The nursery is registered for 34 children aged from two to five years. It also operates an out of school scheme, with registration for 26 children aged three to eight years, although children up to the age of twelve can be accommodated. There are currently 53 children from two to eight years on roll within the nursery. This includes 21 funded children. Children attend both settings for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with special needs and those for whom English is spoken as an additional language. The nursery opens five days a week during school term-times. Sessions are from

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Information about the setting

0830 until 1300hrs. The out of school scheme opens five days a week from 1500 until 1800hrs during school term-times. It also operates from 0830 until 1800hrs during the school holidays, with the exception of one week at Christmas and the last two weeks of the summer break. The organisation employs 11 staff. Three staff work full-time and eight staff work part-time. Six of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

Treehouse Children's Centre provides a good standard of care for the children who attend.

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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 All aspects of the provision are well-organised and effective use is made of space, staff and resources to provide an interesting, and stimulating, environment. Staff are guided by an agreed set of policies and procedures which they consistently implement. There is an established key-worker system that enables the staff to form good relationships with children. Children who attend the out of school club are very relaxed and clearly enjoy their time at the group. They are able to self-select activities and put forward their own ideas and suggestions. Priority is given to ensuring children's safety, both in the centre and, when using the minibuses. Very clear health and safety polices have been developed to identify

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How good is the Day Care?

hazards, although, further checks are needed to monitor the plants in the garden. Children are encouraged to develop good hygiene practice, such as hand-washing before eating. They are provided with regular drinks and healthy snacks. The setting actively introduces children to other cultures and traditions through planned activities. All children are treated equally and with respect. Staff effectively support children with special needs working, if needed, on a one-to-one basis. Clear rules and boundaries are set for the children, although older children need further guidelines during snack times to ensure appropriate behaviour is always maintained. There is a good partnership with parents and carers. Parents receive a prospectus and are kept informed of current issues through detailed newsletters. Staff ensure parents are always given details about their child's day and display work completed in the session. Good documentation is in place to support the management of the

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group agreed to review the operational plan, the daily registers and the child protection policy. All required documentation is now in place enabling the group to meet the standards and keep children safe and well cared for.

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What is being done well?

• A clear and comprehensive operational plan is in place with supportive management systems. The high level of qualified staff employed at the group ensures that good adult to child ratios are maintained. • Staff work well together and plan an interesting range of activities. They have good relationships with the children and help them to feel secure and settled. • The out of school club provides the older children with a relaxed, and friendly, environment where they can be with their friends and have fun. • Staff have developed good relationships with the parents who are kept fully informed about their child's day. Parents are encouraged to share in their child's learning through a reading scheme and a library service. • Good support is given to children with special educational needs. Staff work closely with the parents to indentify how they can best support the individual children.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• the guidelines for the behaviour management of older children during snack times • hazards in the garden.

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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

Since the last inspection Ofsted has not received any complaints about this provider.

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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 make sure that poisonous plants are inaccessible to the children 11 review rules and boundaries for older children

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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?

Treehouse Children's centre offers good quality provision which helps the children make very good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning. Teaching is very good. Staff have a secure knowledge, and understanding, of the foundation stage and use effective questioning techniques to encourage the children to think for themselves. They are fully involved with the children and actively engage with them in their play. Staff set clear rules and boundaries for the children which they consistently reinforce. Clear, and very comprehensive, plans are in place which cover all the areas of learning. Regular assessments are carried out on children which are linked to the six areas of learning. Staff use the information gained from these assessments to set focused future targets for the children. Effective use is made of resources to support learning. Leadership and management is very good. The setting benefits from strong

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How effective is the nursery education?

leadership and a good, supportive staff team. The staff work very well together and are fully aware of their individual roles and responsibilities. Staff show a commitment to on-going training, and systems are in place, to effectively monitor the quality of the provision. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents are regularly updated on issues through newsletters. Parents talk to staff on an informal basis and are also offered the opportunity to attend a parents evening to discuss their child's progress and development towards the stepping stones.

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What is being done well?

• Staff work well together as a team. They effectively support each other during the session and skilfully interact with the children to extend their learning. • Children's early literacy skills are fostered well through planned activities and resources. Many children are fluent early readers, and children have sound knowledge that print has meaning, which they incorporate into their writing. • The children show good concentration skills, and listening skills, as they work in both small and large groups. • Children are confident at using numbers in their play. The staff effectively support, and extend, the children's learning through well-planned activities. A wide range of resources are available to introduce the children to different mathematical concepts.

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What needs to be improved?

• the group needs to ensure that it continues to maintain the high quality of

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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 educational provision.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made very good progress since the last inspection and this has had a positive effect on the children. New assessment documentation is in place which clearly links into the stepping stones to show the children's progress and development. The timetable has been adapted to provide a balance of child and adult-led activities and enables the children to have independence and choice.

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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 happy and settled in the nursery and enjoy playing with their friends. They have good relationships with each other and the staff. They show respect and have an awareness of other peoples needs. Children are able to share the equipment and take turns, for example, as they play games and use the computer. Children are confident, and have good independence skills, which they use as they put on their coats and pour their own drinks. They are well-behaved.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing good listening and speaking skills. They enjoy sharing their views in large and small groups. Children confidently recognise their name, and older children recognise a range of familiar words, introduced through effective use of a reading scheme. Children are developing a good understanding of the phonic alphabet and enjoy listening to a range of stories. Children have valuable opportunities to make marks, both in their free-play, and dduring structured activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident at counting and using numerals. They regularly use numbers in their free-play and in set activities. Children are successfully able to sort and match items, into different categories, and can effectively recreate a pattern. They talk about objects being different sizes and recognise when there are more, or less, objects. They have a good understanding of different shapes and confidently use positional language to describe an object's position.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy investigating and exploring different materials. They observe what happens as they mix bread, apples and cheese to make bird food. They discuss how liquid fat can turn into a solid lump. Children plant beans and bulbs and watch them grow and go for walks to find and examine minibeasts such as slugs and snails. They regularly take part in cooking. Children are very confident at using the computer and frequently use technology in their free-play.

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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 show control, and co-ordination, as they move indoors and outside. They competently use a range of tools. Older children carefully use scissors to cut out shapes and use knives to chop apple and cheese. They effectively use rollers, and cutters, to make playdough shapes. Children successfully complete puzzles and thread string through lacing cards. They confidently pedal bikes and balance on beams. Children take part in music and movement where they imaginatively use their whole bodies.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to explore colour, shape and texture in two and three dimensions. They paint self-portraits and make observational drawings of flowers and birds. They make clay hedgehogs, dragon masks and crowns. Children have good imaginative skills, which they use in the different role play scenarios, and with small world equipment. They take part in cooking when they make crumbles, pizzas and carrot cake. Children enjoy using their voices to sing familiar songs and action rhymes.

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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 improving the following; • continue to maintain the high standard of education by maintaining, and regularly reviewing, the systems for monitoring and evaluating the provision offered to the children.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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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