The Old Bridge Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 06/05/2004 Inspector Name Marilyn Besford

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name The Old Bridge Nursery Setting Address 1 Jubilee Place, High Street North Shincliffe Durham County Durham DH1 2NJ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of Mr H & Mrs C Walmsley

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Mr H & Mrs C Walmsley Address 2 McCracken Close Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear NE3 2DW

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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 Old Bridge Nursery is a privately owned daycare facility, registered by its proprietors in 1996. It operates from self-contained premises in the village of Shincliffe outside Durham City. The nursery serves the city and a wide surrounding area. The nursery is registered for 27 children, aged from birth up to five years. Children attend both full and part-time. There are currently 51 children on the roll, of whom 19 are under two years, 12 are two years, 16 are three years and 4 are four years. Nine of the three-year-olds and all of the four year olds are in receipt of nursery education funding. The setting currently supports children with special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. There are eight permanent members of staff and a regular supply nursery nurse, all except one of whom are qualified to NVQ level 3. That member of staff has a level 2 qualification and is working towards level 3. In addition, the nursery has a Modern

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Information about the setting

Apprentice and a student on placement. The setting is open from 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, all year round, except bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year. The nursery receives support from the Local Authority.

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How good is the Day Care?

The Old Bridge Nursery provides good care for children. The staff are enthusiastic and work well together. Their level of qualifications is good and there is an effective induction, supervision and training programme which helps keep their skills and knowledge up to date. There are clear policies and procedures which form an effective operational plan although some need for further development was identified. Systems are in place to keep all required records. Confidentiality is maintained for most of them.

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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 The nursery is bright and welcoming, with space well used to meet the play and care needs of children of different ages. There are suitable furnishings, equipment and play materials throughout the nursery. Staff have a good understanding of health and safety procedures. They maintain a safe environment for children with regular safety checks and thorough security arrangements controlling access to the nursery. There are suitable health and hygiene practices and medication procedures in place. Staff understand their responsibilities with regard to child protection. Children's individual and special needs are recognised and met well. The range of activities for all children is enjoyable and stimulating, promoting all aspects of their

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How good is the Day Care?

development. Children are confident and enthusiastic about their activities. They have good relationships with the staff, who are supportive and manage their behaviour well. Staff have good relationships with parents. They share information in writing and through discussion, ensuring parents know about their children's welfare and progress and what is happening in the nursery.

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What is being done well?

• Staff are keen to continue to develop their skills and knowledge through training as they understand how this benefits the children they care for. • The premises are bright and welcoming with children's artwork and photos well displayed. Space is used effectively for children of different ages and for different activities. Opportunities for children to experience the outdoors are enhanced by using the village environment around the nursery. • Children take part in play activities and experiences which are planned to be developmentally appropriate and enjoyable. They are well supported by staff who know the children well and give full consideration to their individual needs. • Children's behaviour is good. Staff set a good example and are positive, using praise and encouragement, with consideration for children's maturity and understanding, and as a result the children respond by behaving well. •• The partnership with parents is good. Systems for exchanging information

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What is being done well?

work well, with written information and records and opportunities for discussion with the staff responsible for individual children.

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What needs to be improved?

• the policies for uncollected children and child protection • the confidentiality of medication records.

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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 12 Ensure that parents can access records about their own child without seeing those of other children. 2 Ensure that policies contain the necessary information on the procedure followed in the event of a child being uncollected. 13 Ensure that the child protection procedure for the nursery indicates actions to be taken in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff.

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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 Old Bridge Nursery provides good-quality nursery education which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. They enjoy a broad range of interesting, planned and freely-chosen activities. Progress in communication, language and literacy and in mathematical development is generally good; whilst progress in personal, social and emotional development, physical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development is very good. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have adequate knowledge of the curriculum. They devise long, medium and short-term plans. Present systems are still being developed as they do not effectively monitor children's progress towards the early learning goals, nor ensure all children are sufficiently challenged. However, staff and management demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment towards on-going training programmes to improve their knowledge further and to inform future

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How effective is the nursery education?

practice. Staff, furniture and resources are well organised to provide an attractive and interesting environment where children's learning and independence is fostered. Leadership and management systems are generally good. There is a structured management system in place. The manager works hard, supporting the staff team and ensuring there are regular opportunities for training and staff development. They self-evaluate and work closely together, with parents, carers and other professionals to meet children's individual needs and to develop and improve practices within the nursery. Partnership with parents is very good. There are comprehensive communication systems in place, including written contracts, newsletters, informative notice-boards, open evenings and verbal daily updates to ensure information is shared consistently about the curriculum and to update them of their child's progress. Parents are

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How effective is the nursery education?

welcomed into the group and are encouraged to be involved with their child's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Staff and management demonstrate a strong commitment to their roles and to developing and improving their educational provision. They are able to identify their personal strengths and areas they wish to improve further to help children reach their full potential. • Children's personal, social and emotional development is very well promoted. They are happy within the group, are establishing good relationships with adults and peers and are developing high self-esteem. • Staff provide rich learning experiences and make excellent use of the surrounding countryside to develop children's interest in nature and the world

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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 in which they live. • Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They make very good use of regular routines and ensure high levels of staff support to help children clearly understand what is expected of them. As a result, children manage their behaviour very well. • Parents are made to feel welcome, valued and necessary through a range of planned and spontaneous opportunities. Comments from parents indicate that staff are valued and held in high regard.

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What needs to be improved?

• planning and assessment systems to ensure all children are sufficiently challenged across all areas of the curriculum, linking progress to the stepping stones and early learning goals • the curriculum for communication, language and literacy by ensuring more able children are sufficiently challenged and extended and by encouraging children to select and use books independently •• the curriculum for mathematical development by providing more opportunities for children to compare groups of objects and to begin to develop an understanding of simple addition and subtraction problems.

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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, well settled and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging to their family and to the group. They relate very well to staff, adults and peers. All are very interested, excited and motivated to learn. They are developing high levels of confidence, independence and pride in their achievements. All children have a sound awareness of daily routines. They behave very well and demonstrate good self control.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are gaining good language and communication skills. Most speak confidently during small or large-group activities. All enjoy stories, performing actions and refrains enthusiastically. Reading skills should be further developed through planning and by encouraging children to select and use books independently. Children are beginning to write for a purpose. Most can form some recognisable letters; some write their names competently and are beginning to link phonic sounds to letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children demonstrate a strong interest in numbers and counting. They count purposefully during planned and self-initiated activities, although opportunities for children to compare groups of objects or develop an interest in number problems are limited. All can recognise a number of shapes, identify and use a range of numerals and most can touch count a series of objects. All children are able to recognise and use positional language and language relating to size.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are developing a sound knowledge of the world in which they live, including why things happen and how things work. They are actively encouraged to use all their senses to learn about living things, objects and events. They show an interest in ICT. They use planned opportunities to design and construct imaginatively, using simple tools and techniques skilfully. They are learning to express their feelings well and are gaining a good awareness of different cultures and beliefs.

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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 move around confidently and demonstrate good spatial awareness. Most control body movements well whilst negotiating obstacles, both indoors and out. They are aware of their personal needs and most carry out healthy practices competently e.g. hand-washing and personal hygiene. Many children recognise changes in body temperature after exercise. Children handle one-handed tools, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy exploring a range of creative materials that promote colour, texture, shape, form, space and sensory awareness very well. They show a strong interest in what they see, hear, smell, taste and touch. They are developing good imagination through stories, role play, music and dance, as well as art and craft activities. They are learning to express and competently communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings, using body language, gestures and facial expression.

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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

• continue to develop and to improve planning and assessment systems, to ensure children are sufficiently supported and challenged across all areas of the curriculum. Link progress to the stepping stones and early learning goals and ensure assessments are used effectively to inform future planning •• develop the curriculum for communication, language and literacy by encouraging children to select and use books independently •• improve the curriculum for mathematical development by providing more opportunities for children to compare groups of objects and to begin to develop an understanding of simple addition and subtraction problems.

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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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