Bright Horizons Didsbury Day Nursery and Preschool

Kidsunlimited Nurseries - Didsbury Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number 500116 Inspection date 17/01/2011 Inspector Christine Myerscough

p.1

Setting address 139 Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury, Manchester, Lancashire, M20 2DY Telephone number 0845 3652935 Email didsbury@kidsunlimited.co.uk 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.

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the setting

Kidsunlimited Nursery, Didsbury opened in 2001 and is one of 56 nurseries run by Kidsunlimited Limited. It operates from three clearly defined childcare units within a two storey purpose-built building in the West Didsbury area of Manchester. There are two fully enclosed outdoor areas for outside play. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 52 weeks of the year and closes on bank holidays.

p.4

Description of the setting

The nursery is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 158 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 155 children aged from five months to under five-years-old on roll. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language.

p.4

Description of the setting

There are 48 members of staff, 38 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery provides funded early education for three and four- year-olds and has links with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The nursery promotes children's welfare and learning very successfully. All children are warmly welcomed and treated with equal concern; therefore, they feel valued and fully included. Excellent working partnerships with parents and good partnerships with others involved in children's care and education effectively promote their well-being and learning. The nursery successfully self-evaluates their service and is fully committed to implementing ongoing improvements. Areas for further development centre on improving play resources for children.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 increase the amount and variety of books for younger children  ensure all jigsaws and problem-solving resources are kept in good order and are suitable for purpose.

p.4

the early years provision

The nursery is very well led and managed, therefore, runs smoothly. Rigorous procedures are in place for the recruitment, vetting and induction of staff, ensuring that children are cared for by suitable people. Thorough risk assessments are undertaken of the premises and children feel at ease in a safe and secure This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 environment. Good security arrangements, such as a key-coded door pad at the entrance area prevent unwanted entry into the nursery. Record keeping is very well-organised and a comprehensive range of policies and procedures underpins the safe care and management of children. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and deploy themselves effectively to ensure children are well supervised. Children's safety is further supported, as staff have a secure understanding of how to follow robust safeguarding procedures, which enables

p.4

the early years provision

them to protect children from harm. Children are cared for in well-maintained surroundings and move around the play rooms in a confident manner. In general, they enjoy a wide range of good quality resources, which stimulate their curiosity and meet their developing needs.

p.5

the early years provision

Management work well together to motivate staff and drive improvement. There is a strong and shared commitment towards the continual development of the nursery. Both the management team and staff are proactive in monitoring and evaluating their practices. There are also regular internal audits and reviews, which include support from a local authority advisor. Staff work well as a team and are well supported to access training to support their professional development. Systems for on-going self-evaluation are very effective and take into consideration the views of staff, parents and children. This enables the nursery to clearly identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Actions taken are well-chosen and carefully planned. As a result, outcomes for children are good. Recommendations raised at the last inspection have been successfully met. For example, all areas of the nursery are now maintained to a good level of cleanliness to promote children's

p.5

the early years provision

A highly effective partnership with parents contributes to meeting children's needs successfully. Good information is sought prior to admission, helping staff to recognise the uniqueness of each child. Parent's wishes for the care of their children are rigorously adhered to, such as, meeting specific dietary and health requirements. Feedback from parents about the service is actively sought, using questionnaires and comments books. Their comments are very positive and management monitor responses carefully. Parents are kept very well informed about their children's welfare and learning through a range of sources. For example, through newsletters, notices and there are twice yearly parents evenings. Staff also complete, 'a day in the life' sheet which provides information about a child's day at nursery, such as, their sleeping and eating habits. Parents are actively encouraged to become involved in their children's learning. For example,

p.5

the early years provision

staff and parents work together in supporting children with letter sounds and families bring in items to support topic work. The nursery establishes good links with other providers who are also involved in the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Effective partnerships working with local schools support children in the transition period between nursery and school. This successfully promotes continuity of care and education for children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children are happy and enjoy a good time at the nursery in the care of an enthusiastic staff team. A relaxed and positive atmosphere contributes to them feeling secure. As a result, they express themselves freely and take a lively interest in their play. Staff have a caring approach and establish good relationships with children. Their secure understanding of the learning and development requirements enables them to plan the day to encompass a wide range of fun learning experiences. The use of systematic observation and assessment is effectively supporting staff to identify and plan for the next steps in children's learning. This ensures children make good progress in their overall development.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children play purposefully and confidently making decisions about what they want to do. They enjoy including others in their games and boys particularly like pretending to be superheroes with their friends. Children benefit from a wide range of experiences to promote their sensory development. Young children investigate everyday objects made of different textured materials in their treasure basket and become intrigued by exploring sawdust mixed with water. Fascination is shown as staff blow bubbles in the air and children become excited as they try to catch them. Children are well behaved. They act responsibly, as they eagerly help to set the table, brush up in the outdoor area and recycle paper. The nursery display children's art work and photographs of their family members. This enables children to develop a strong sense of belonging.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Staff introduce children to simple sign language and successfully promote children's language and understanding through good quality interactions. They value linguistic diversity by requesting that families who speak English as an additional language share some basic words in a child's home language. As a result, children's communication skills across all age groups are developing well. A variety of mark-making materials and activities are on offer to enable children to practise their pre-writing skills. Children enjoy rhyming phrases, such as, 'a bug in a mug' and recognise their name on their name card. Most children have good access to books, although, the amount and variety of books available for younger children is limited. Children enjoy counting activities and eagerly recognise numbers. A good range of resources are available to promote children's mathematical awareness. However, pieces of some jigsaws and other problem-

p.6

and outcomes for children

solving equipment are missing, which limits the play value for children.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children have good access to electronic and programmable resources to support their learning. As they play independently on the computer they develop good skills for the future and quickly become competent in using a mouse. Through taking part in activities linked to various religious festivals, children gain a good awareness of diversity and the wider world. For example, during Chinese New Year, children make lanterns and at Eid, they taste Indian food. Children develop a keen interest in nature and living things. Curiosity is shown as they plant cress seeds and watch them grow. Outdoors, they become inquisitive and collect insects on a bug hunt. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children are developing good control and coordination over their bodies. Yoga and baby massage sessions are popular with children. Children enthusiastically participate in outdoor games, such as a game of skittles. They competently ride

p.6

and outcomes for children

bikes and eagerly practise star jumps. Children eagerly express their creativity as they draw detailed pictures of cars and paint freely at the easel. They concentrate well as they carefully spread glue onto tissue paper and confidently express their ideas. Children enjoy experimenting with different sounds by vigorously shaking a range of musical instruments. They gain great pleasure from engaging in imaginative play and playing with dolls in their snow cave.

p.7

and outcomes for children

Good emphasis is placed on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The outdoor play areas are well used and provide children with plenty of fresh air and exercise. A good range of practices prevent the risk of cross infection. Staff wear disposable gloves and aprons when nappy changing and visitors are invited to use antibacterial hand gel on entering the building. Well established routines help children learn about healthy practices and they become independent in their personal hygiene. For example, children remember to throw their tissues in the bin and pre-school children have recently started to brush their teeth to promote good dental hygiene. Children are well nourished and benefit from a balanced diet to promote their growth and development. Meals are prepared and cooked at the nursery using fresh local produce. Children gain a good understanding about safety issues through stories and planned visits, for example, from the fire service. Monthly fire

p.7

and outcomes for children

drills enable them to become very familiar with emergency procedures and they learn to evacuate the nursery quickly. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.8

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

p.8

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.8

Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

p.8

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

p.8

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 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 2

p.8

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

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

p.9