St Anne's Roman Catholic High School, Stockport

Jays Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 106144 Inspection date 02/11/2010 Inspector Heather Morgan

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Setting address Children's Centre, Moorhaven Village, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0EX Telephone number 01752 894437 Email jacqui@thejaysnursery.entadsl.com Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Jays Day Nursery is a privately owned nursery situated in rural surroundings in Moorhaven Village on the edge of the town of Ivybridge, Devon. It has been registered since 1995 and operates from a building that was formerly a nurses' social club. The building is situated within the grounds of the former Moorhaven Hospital. The accommodation consists of an office, staff room, kitchen and three children's areas. The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm throughout the year.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is registered to provide care for a maximum of 47 children at any one time, all of whom may be in the early years age group. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for three and four-year-olds. There are currently 48 children aged from three months to the end of the early years age range on roll, grouped in three rooms. Approximately five school-aged children, up to the age of seven years 11 months regularly attend the holiday club. Children attend a variety of sessions. The nursery caters for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for children who use English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 12 members of staff working within the nursery, nine of whom hold relevant qualifications. The nursery owner, who manages the setting, holds Early Years Professional Status.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are happy, settled and making good progress in some areas of learning. However, observations of children are not used effectively to develop detailed plans of how activities will support all children in achieving their full potential. The staff team are committed to developing their practice and, following recent changes within the building, have developed plans to continue improving outcomes for children, although these have not yet been fully implemented. Some staff lack confidence in procedures for keeping children safe and risk assessments lack rigour.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 take steps to ensure that all staff are confident in their ability to implement the nursery's clear safeguarding procedures  ensure that all staff are fully aware of the procedures in place to assess risks and that evacuation procedures are regularly reviewed and practised This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  use information gathered from observations of the children to develop more detailed activity plans that demonstrate how all children will be supported in their learning and development  review whole group and transition times to ensure that children are actively engaged in purposeful activities throughout the day.

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the early years provision

Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff caring for children are suitable to do so. A clear safeguarding policy demonstrates how the setting supports children in the event of any concerns, but not all staff are able to demonstrate confidence in implementing these procedures and they have not had recent opportunities to update their training to refresh their knowledge. Nevertheless, they are clear about their responsibility to report concerns to the management team, who demonstrate a good understanding of their role in safeguarding children.

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the early years provision

The nursery has recently undergone some significant re-organisation, and whilst there are appropriate procedures in place to assess any risks to children, some staff have a limited awareness of these procedures. However, they regularly check the children's indoor and outdoor play areas in order to identify potential hazards. There are sufficient numbers of staff available to support the children, but they are not always deployed effectively when children are given the opportunity to choose between different play areas, such as the baby and toddler rooms.

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the early years provision

Children are making progress in their learning and development as useful observations are used to identify what they need to learn next. However, this information is not used sufficiently well to inform planning and ensure progress for all children in each area of learning. Children's celebration books provide useful information for parents, and some take the opportunity to share information about their children's learning at home. Good attention is paid to meeting individual children's care needs. Consequently, they are happy and settle well with their familiar carers at the nursery. The nursery is beginning to establish links with other early years providers and schools in the local area, to support children who attend more than one setting.

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the early years provision

Staff are reflective and committed to improving outcomes for children; the management team have successfully supported staff through recent major changes within the nursery, although they have not promptly implemented their plans for improvement, which has had an impact on rigorously maintaining all safety procedures. Appraisals and observations help the management team to identify what staff do well and to identify training needs, although the nursery training plan has not been updated recently. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children settle well at the recently re-organised nursery and have opportunities to engage in a range of interesting and enjoyable activities both indoors and outdoors. Particularly good use is made of the local environment; children dress appropriately for the weather and enjoy walking, investigating puddles and exploring nature through the changing seasons. As well as regular access to fresh air and physical activity, children also enjoy healthy meals and snacks, which promotes a healthy lifestyle.

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and outcomes for children

Good attention is paid to developing children's independence and confidence. Older children enjoy spreading toppings on their toast, and are familiar with routines such as putting aprons on before they access messy activities. They learn to use tools, such as scissors, skilfully and carefully, and enjoy using resources in different ways to create pictures and models. For example, they explore different ways of using paint, and help themselves to sticky tape, to join materials together. Even the younger children enthusiastically join in with tidying away resources, carefully sorting them out as they return cars and other vehicles to the appropriate storage basket. Children's behaviour is good and they are learning to share and take turns. They participate in activities and handle resources that help them develop an awareness of diversity in the wider community.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing good language and communication skills and lively conversation takes place in all areas of the nursery. However, the lack of detail in planning activities does not ensure that all children's individual learning needs are given appropriate focus in each area of learning. Although children enjoy group activities, such as singing songs and rhymes together, these sometimes go on for too long and do not always sustain the interest of the youngest children. Sometimes, the routines of the day limit children's opportunities to engage in purposeful play activities. For example, older children regularly interrupt their play in order to tidy away resources, line up and take turns in the bathroom before meal times.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe. For example, older children talk knowledgably about the dangers associated with bonfires and fireworks. However, the lack of rigour in implementing risk assessment procedures following recent changes to the nursery building compromises their safety. For example, they have not had an opportunity to practise their evacuation procedures since moving to new play rooms. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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