Pendle Vale College

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 134989 Inspection date 02/08/2007 Inspector Margaret Davie

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Setting address The Mulberry Room, Grandpont Nursery School, Whitehouse Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4QH

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Telephone number 01865 794350 or 01865 242900

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E-mail

Registered person Grandpont Daycare Type of inspection Care Type of care Full day care

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E-mail

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be freely reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided the source and date of publication are stated.

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The provider must give a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must give a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Day Care and Childminding (inspection) (England) Regulations 2005 No 2300 Regulations 5 and 6).

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Grandpont Daycare (The Mulberry Room) opened in 2001. It operates from a large room in a purpose-built unit in the grounds of Grandpont Nursery School in the Grandpont area of Oxford. A maximum of 20 children may attend at any one time. It is open each weekday from 08.00 to 17.30 during term time and from 09.00 to 17.00 during the holidays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 147 children aged from three years to under eight years on roll, who attend for a variety of sessions. Most children come from the local area. The Mulberry Room currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The Mulberry Room also supports a number of children who speak English as a second language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Mulberry Room employs five members of staff. Of these, four hold appropriate qualifications. It provides wrap around care during term time in the form of a breakfast club, after- school club and full or sessional day care for parents of children attending local schools.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children thrive because staff have a very good understanding about how to help them keep healthy. The premises are very clean and inviting and there are excellent arrangements in place to ensure children wash their hands regularly and therefore minimise the spread of germs. Children are very well protected from harm from the sun, as staff are very vigilant about ensuring they use sun cream and wear hats when they go outside.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's individual health needs are comprehensively supported as the manager makes every effort to get relevant information from parents and ensures details are made available to all staff. Children who have food allergies and serious medical conditions are identified by picture, in the kitchen area, to ensure there can be no misunderstanding about their requirements. This ensures their care and welfare are of very high priority.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn the importance of eating healthily, and enjoy helping to prepare a very nutritious selection of fruit or cereal at snack time. Meal times are very well organised, social occasions and children particularly like eating their packed lunch outside during the summer months. Fresh drinking water, to which children confidently help themselves, is available from a dispenser at all times. This encourages children to learn about their personal needs. Children enjoy plenty of physical activities in the fresh air, which helps keep them in good health. The Mulberry Room shares a very well equipped outdoor area with the adjoining nursery, where children gain a high level of confidence in climbing, balancing, hopping and running. They negotiate space very well when riding trikes and scooters, manoeuvring around obstacles confidently. They also take great delight in less boisterous play, such as blowing big bubbles, and watching the wind

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from playing in a spacious, well organised environment that allows them to stay safe. They feel welcome because the setting is brightly decorated and has a wide open feel, with large windows overlooking the appealing outdoor play area. A good range of safety measures, for example, covered sockets, effective emergency evacuation procedures and good security at the entrance to the site, ensure children are kept safe. Children play and explore safely both indoors and outdoors because staff risk assess all areas on a regular basis.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have easy and safe access to a good range of toys and resources appropriate to their age. They make good use of small equipment such as straws, play dough and shapes to make models and enjoy imaginative play in the water and sand trays. Outdoor equipment is of good quality and well maintained, giving children plenty of opportunity to practise and develop their physical skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are warmly greeted by staff when they arrive and good staff deployment ensures they are well supervised at all times. Children's welfare is effectively promoted because staff have a good understanding of child safeguarding issues.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are very happy and very well settled in The Mulberry Room. They benefit tremendously from mixing with children of other ages, which helps them learn to communicate and develop strong relationships with one another. Their personal development is very well supported because staff make every effort to encourage them and praise their achievements, which really boosts their confidence. They talk happily about their home life and family, learning to make sense of their feelings and emotions with sensitive support from the staff. Adults have developed an excellent understanding of when to intervene in children's play, which promotes their development to a high level and ensures a very calm and well ordered environment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy a very good range of stimulating and challenging experiences. They learn how to take turns when playing games and are welcomed into ongoing activities, developing their understanding of how to share both toys and space. Children express themselves creatively by painting and drawing, for example learning the technique of marbling, and take part in singing activities with a lot of enthusiasm. Children speak confidently to peers and adults, supported by the very good role models provided by all of the adults in the setting. They learn to listen to each other and take turns speaking, because opportunities to sit together and chat are planned for each day. They are developing a love of books because staff read stories in an exciting and interesting manner and are beginning to explore the world around them, for example, watching tadpoles develop and tending to vegetables in the garden.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's individual needs are well known because staff make good use of the information they obtain from parents. This, combined with regular observations and a clear focus on including all children equally, ensures each child's individual welfare is promoted and makes them feel valued. During a straw modelling activity, for example, staff sensitively and unobtrusively spread out the play area so that others can join in, without disturbing a group of children who are already absorbed. This means that all children have access to the full range of experiences that are offered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities settle well and make good progress because staff regularly consult with parents and outside agencies to ensure they get the individual support they need. Staff are happy to adapt resources and the way in which they provide adult support in order to make activities suitable for all children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is good. They are developing a clear sense of right and wrong because staff give reasons when they intervene, and make their expectations quite clear. Children's care is well supported by the good relationships between staff and parents. Parents are warmly greeted when they bring their children to The Mulberry Room and if they wish, encouraged to stay to make sure their child is settled before they leave. Parents get daily feedback about their child's day, which helps to ensure continuity of care. Parents particularly like the warm, family atmosphere, and praise staff for their caring approach to children. Parents are given a good amount of information about policies and procedures which enhances children's welfare, however the information given to them about how to make a complaint to the regulator, does not contain the relevant address.

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Organisation

Children are well supported by the lay out of the room and outdoor play area. The outdoor area is particularly well resourced, allowing children free access to plenty of fresh air and exercise. Additional resources available from the neighbouring nursery are used to enhance children's access to multicultural resources, particularly books. Staff show a clear understanding of their role in supporting play and development.

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Organisation

All documentation required for safe and effective management is in place and ratios are always observed. Attendance records are kept, however they do not accurately reflect the times of children's attendance.

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Organisation

Children benefit from well qualified and experienced staff who are very caring. They work well as a team in order to provide activities for children, which they find interesting and challenging. They treat each other with courtesy and a good deal of professionalism and are therefore good role models for the children. They are committed to further training in order to continually improve the quality of care they offer. The Mulberry Room meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the time of the last inspection the setting was asked to ensure the child protection procedures included details about informing Ofsted of allegations of serious harm or abuse against a child while the child was in their care and to implement a system to observe and record what children do, and to use these observations to plan the next steps for children's play, learning and development.

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Improvements since the last inspection

A policy has been written and procedures put into place to deal with any allegations made against a member of staff. This ensures that staff recognise their responsibility in safeguarding the welfare of children. A comprehensive system of record keeping has been developed and is now used by staff to ensure that planning takes account of what they know about children, thereby ensuring their individual needs are met.

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Complaints about the childcare provision

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints about the childcare provision

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

 ensure complaints procedure includes the address of the regulator  ensure records show children's hours of attendance

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WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

procedures set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted’s role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2473) which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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