Ragamuffins Nursery School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 21/02/2005 Inspector Name Rebecca Hadley

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Ragamuffins Nursery School Setting Address 70 Rectory Road Redditch Worcestershire B97 4LL

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Ragamuffins Nursery opened in 1994. It operates from five rooms in a detached property on the outskirts of Redditch. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas. There are currently 57 children under 5 years on roll. This includes 20 funded 3 year olds and 7 funded 4 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week all year round. Sessions are from 07:30 to 18:00.There are ten full time staff who work with the children, of whom seven have early years qualifications to NVQ Level 2 or 3. There are currently two staff working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher / mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

p.2

How good is the Day Care?

Ragamuffins Nursery provides good quality childcare. There are good procedures in place for appointing and vetting staff and procedures to deputise are effective. Staff continue to further their knowledge and expertise by attending training. Excellent use is made of space and a safe, welcoming environment is provided for children and parents. The wide range of toys is stored to enable children to easily choose them and are regularly cleaned and checked. All documentation is in place and stored confidentially, although accident and medication records are not always accurately maintained. Staff demonstrate a very good awareness of safety procedures and are vigilant about children's safety. Staff are pro-active in promoting good hygiene and there are excellent procedures in place for protecting children from infections. Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided which meet children's individual dietary requirements.

p.2

How good is the Day Care?

All children are valued. Equal opportunities are actively promoted and children have access to a range of resources to promote positive images of diversity. All staff have

p.2

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 a very good awareness of signs and symptoms of abuse and of their role in protecting the children in their care. Staff interact positively with children and actively encourage them to participate in the wide range of activities provided. There are consistent and positive methods in place for managing children's behaviour. Effective procedures are in place for passing on information to parents verbally and through daily diaries, newsletters and notice boards, although the complaints procedure is not readily available.

p.2

What is being done well?

• Excellent use is made of available space and a very welcoming environment is provided for both children and parents. Children are easily able to move between areas, which allow them to access a wider variety of activities, and actively promote independence. • Children have access to a wide variety of interesting and exciting activities both inside and outdoors to promote learning in all areas of development. • Staff are vigilant about children's safety and there is an in-depth risk assessment in place which covers all areas of the nursery. Risk assessments are carried out regularly and also include procedures to ensure the safety of staff. • There are very good procedures for identifying and monitoring special needs. Staff actively work with parents and outside agencies to ensure that children's needs are met appropriately. • There are consistent procedures in place for managing children's behaviour

p.3

What is being done well?

which include giving children an explanation as to why behaviour is not appropriate and offering constant praise and encouragement to re-enforce positive behaviour.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• accident records to ensure that the full date including the year is recorded • medication records to ensure that they are signed by parents after medication has been administered and that confidentiality is maintained • the complaints procedure so that it is easily accessible to parents.

p.3

from September 2004. The complaint record relates to complaints from the last

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

p.3

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.

p.4

by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 7 Ensure that all medication records are signed by parents when medication has been administered and are confidentially maintained; and ensure that accident records show full date including the year. 12 Ensure that the complaints procedure is made easily available for parents.

p.4

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

p.4

How effective is the nursery education?

Ragamuffins Nursery provides very good quality nursery education. Children are enthusiastic and eager to try the varied and stimulating learning opportunities that are provided to help them make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is very good and children are well supported across all areas of learning. Staff have a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage and plan creative, interesting and exciting activities to help children learn. They provide children with opportunities to learn through group and play situations and ask questions to encourage children to think, although occasionally opportunities are missed to extend learning. Staff are consistent in their approach to managing children's behaviour. They have high expectations and help children to develop good social values, confidence and self-esteem. Planning is in place and relates to the areas of learning, although staff

p.5

How effective is the nursery education?

have not attended formal training. They use assessment records to identify the progress children are making and to help them move forward at a pace suitable for their individual needs. They organise the daily routine well and set out activities to enable children to move freely between them and chose for themselves. Leadership and management are very good. The nursery benefits from a good management structure and staff are aware of senior management roles. Staff have regular opportunities to improve personal development through training and are actively encouraged to do so. The manager is pro-active in implementing ways to improve the nursery. Management and staff are totally committed to providing a high quality of care and education for the children. Partnership with parents is very good and parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning. They are informed of their children's progress through

p.5

How effective is the nursery education?

newsletters and a notice board, although they are not informed how topics relate to the areas of learning.

p.5

What is being done well?

• Children are interested, motivated to learn and enthusiastic to join in the wide range of activities available to them. They are very confident, chat happily to each other and staff and can take the lead within group and play situations. • Children show an active interest in numbers and counting and have opportunities to use number and counting in everyday situations. They are beginning to understand that numbers have meaning and can match number to object by forming themselves into groups of a given number. • Children are developing a very good understanding of people’s different cultures and beliefs through a variety of activities. They have access to a range of resources that depict diversity and celebrate festivals and taste food

p.5

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 from different countries. • Children show a very good awareness of space both for themselves and for others. They move with control and co-ordination often weaving around other children and obstacles. • There is a clear management structure in place and staff are aware of their individual roles within the setting. The manager is able to assess the settings strengths and weaknesses and continually looks for ways to improve and for activities and experiences to motivate the children and to help to move them forward to meet the stepping-stones.

p.5

What needs to be improved?

• information provided to parents to show how topics and activities cover the six areas of learning • staff's awareness of the Foundation Stage curriculum to enable them to further improve and plan activities to extend children's learning.

p.6

What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the setting agreed to provide opportunities for children to explore their environment and plan activities to build on children's knowledge of nursery rhymes to help them to associate sounds with patterns in rhyme. Progress since the last inspection has been very good. Children now have opportunities to explore their local environment through walks and trips to the town. They learn and recite rhymes daily, although on occasions staff miss opportunities to reinforce the rhyming words with the children.

p.6

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

p.6

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are interested, motivated to learn and enthusiastic to join in activities. They are very confident and chat happily expressing their views and opinions to each other and staff and are proud of their achievements. They form very good relationships and are sensitive to each others needs. They work as part of a group to complete tasks and also independently alongside each other.

p.7

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident speakers and listeners. They actively join in group times, share information with each other and answer simple questions. They practise mark making daily, can form recognisable letters and some can write their name, although this is not always extended. They enjoy looking at books and join in with their favourite stories, although the organisation of circle time does not always allow all children to participate. They can recognise their own names including their surname.

p.7

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children show an active interest in numbers and counting and use number and counting in everyday situations. All children can count to 10 and some to 20. They use mathematical language to compare size, shape, weight and measure in a variety of different activities and are beginning to understand simple addition and subtraction.

p.7

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children explore and learn about the local environment and the wider world through topics and walks. They enjoy digging and planting in the garden and look at how things grow and change. They are developing a good understanding of people’s different cultures and beliefs through a variety of activities. They discuss past and present events in their lives and are developing a good sense of time. They are able to use a variety of equipment including a computer, a calculator and a till.

p.7

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children can confidently use a range of large and small equipment and have access to a variety of activities to promote physical well being. They show a good awareness of space both for themselves and others and can move with control and co-ordination. They are developing a good understanding of how to stay healthy and are aware of the need for personal hygiene and the changes that take place to their bodies after exercise.

p.7

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

p.7

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children play imaginatively both individually and with their peers. They enjoy exploring sounds and listening to music and regularly sing throughout the day. They enjoy exploring different media and materials and have access to a range of materials to develop creative skills. They are able to express themselves in a variety of ways including dance, and activities to use their senses and are able to describe sensory experiences using a wide variety of language.

p.8

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

p.8

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.

p.9

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: • raise staff's awareness of the Foundation Stage curriculum to enable them to further improve and plan activities to extend children's learning.

p.9

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.

p.9

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

p.9

STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

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

p.10

NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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

p.11