Bright Kids Studley

Bright Kids at Studley Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 200530 Inspection date 16/02/2011 Inspector Sally Wride

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Setting address Briarwood, The Slough, Studley, Warwickshire, B80 7EN

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Telephone number 01527 852165 Email brightkidsstudley@supanet.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. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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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

Bright Kids at Studley is one of six early years settings run by the Millennium Bright Kid Company. It was registered in 1999 and operates from a single storey building and a converted detached house located between Redditch and Studley on the Warwickshire/Worcestershire border. The setting offers provision in the main building for children aged from six weeks to under five years old. An out of school provision operates in the single storey building for out of school and holiday care for primary school children. The provision also offers a wrap around service for younger children attending Studley Infants school on a part time basis. At present the out of school service picks up and drops off at six local primary schools. The provision is open each weekday from 7.30am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There is a Forest School on site and children are regularly taken to a nearby wood for Forest School

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 76 children may attend the setting at any one time. There are currently 42 children within the early years age range on roll. Of these, 14 children receive funding for early years provision. Children generally attend from the surrounding towns and villages and the rural area. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting has procedures to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs ten members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications to National Vocational Qualification Level 3. The manager and deputy manager both hold Level 4 qualifications. The setting also employs additional members of staff, such as drivers for school collections. The senior management team works closely with the setting to support staff. Two members of staff from the senior management team hold Early Years Professional Status with one further member of staff currently working towards this award. There are three members of staff currently working towards relevant degree level qualifications and a further member of staff working towards the Forest School leader qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is inadequate.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's safety and welfare is compromised as policies and procedures are not effectively implemented by staff and in some cases parental instructions not followed. Two of the Early Years Foundation Stage specific legal requirements in respect of the administration of medication are not met which places children at risk. Children are, however, happy and settled in their care environment and benefit from the inclusive service provided. They make good progress in their learning and development and benefit from a good range of activities. Good arrangements are in place for working in partnership with other professionals to ensure that children receive continuity along with well-targeted support in line with their individual needs. Whilst leaders and managers demonstrate capacity to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 improve the service offered to children, systems of self-evaluation have not

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

ensured the identification of all areas for improvement.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the early years provision requires significant improvement. The registered person is given a Notice to Improve that sets out actions to be carried out.

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further?

To comply with the requirements of the EYFS the registered person must take the following action by the specified date:

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further?

 promote the good health of children by ensuring that staff consistently implement the policy on administering medicines (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 16/02/2011

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further?

 obtain prior written permission for each and every medicine from parents before any medication is given (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register). 16/02/2011

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further?

To improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 ensure all practitioners have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues  ensure that the premises and equipment are clean, with particular regard to carpeted areas  ensure all staff have a sound understanding of the learning objectives of activities.

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the early years provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children are inadequate. Children's safety and wellbeing is compromised because staff do not always follow the correct procedures when administering medications to children. Staff do not pay close enough attention to the times that medications require administering in line with parental requests. On the day of the inspection this resulted in a child being given medication two hours earlier than requested. As a result, children are not effectively safeguarded. Their welfare is at risk and parental requests are not acted upon. Although medication records are in place, parent's prior written consent for medication to be administered is not always secured. This is a breach in Early Years Foundation Stage requirements. In other respects, most staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to protect children in their care and have a clear understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of a concern about a

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the early years provision

child. However, other staff members are less confident in their knowledge of the known indicators of child abuse and the referral procedures. Children's care environment is safe and secure and detailed written risk assessments and daily This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 checks ensure that action is taken to minimise potential hazards to children. However, some carpeted areas of the nursery are not suitably clean, impacting on children's health and safety. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to ensure that those working at the setting are safe to be in contact with children. Policies and procedures required for the safe and efficient management of the setting are in place, meet requirements and are openly shared with parents. However, these are not consistently implemented by staff.

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the early years provision

The leader and managers work as a committed team and are motivated to seek further improvement to promote better outcomes for children. They provide staff with good levels of support and are quick to rectify issues that arise. Systems of self-evaluation involve the views of staff, parents and children and many of the setting's strengths are recognised. Whilst some areas for development have been considered and planned for to ensure improvements are made, not all areas requiring improvement have been identified. Following the last inspection, action has been taken to improve outcomes for children in relation to some of the recommendations raised. However, other recommendations have not been met in full and remain recommended areas for improvement. Staff receive ongoing appraisals and their training needs are regularly assessed. They attend training courses and complete formal qualifications which support their ongoing

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the early years provision

professional development. Staff are well deployed within the setting which ensures that children receive good levels of support in their play.

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the early years provision

Children are encouraged to play a full part in the life of the inclusive setting because staff understand, respect and value their unique learning and development needs. Play resources are well laid out in low level storage units and in boxes so all children, including babies, can independently select what they wish to play with. There is a good range of toys and resources available to children that are fit for purpose and support their learning and development. Partnerships with professionals and other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage are well developed to ensure that children benefit from continuity and cohesion in their care, learning and development. Prompt action is taken to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and English as an additional language receive the support they need during their time at the setting. Whilst parental requests are not always respected in relation to medication arrangements,

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the early years provision

in other respects children do benefit from the relationships that their parents and the staff hold. Parents enjoy an information exchange with staff at the start and end of each day and have open access to their children's development records. Twice yearly parents evenings provide the opportunity for a more formal exchange of information and the sharing of children's assessment records. Parents are warmly welcomed into the setting, for example, to support their child as they settle in when they first begin their placement or to share their skills with the children. Parents spoken to during the course of the inspection express their great satisfaction with the care and education their children receive. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time at the setting, are happy and settled and have fun participating in a good range of indoor and outdoor activities. Overall, systems of observation, assessment and planning are good and ensure that children receive a balance of activities that cover all six areas of learning and meet their individual learning and development needs. However, some staff lack understanding of planned activities and the learning objectives of these which limits their ability to support children's learning and assess their progress. Children are, however, making good progress towards the early learning goals. They are well supported in their learning and development by staff, who ensure parents are kept well informed about their child's progress. Staff engage in children's play, ask the children questions to encourage their thinking and implement ideas into their games.

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and outcomes for children

Throughout the nursery, children develop good skills for the future. From an early age they become confident, resourceful learners who play well independently and together with their peers. Their independence is fostered as they see to their own personal care, hygiene and eating and make decisions about activities they would like to take part in. They become confident, articulate speakers as staff consistently talk to babies and children, responding to children's questions and baby's vocalisations to extend their vocabulary and foster their thinking. Children enjoy books, stories and rhymes and take part in weekly music sessions delivered by an external professional. They are encouraged to recognise their names and make marks. Babies and children think critically. For example, in pre-school they competently count and recognise numbers during a fun matching game and whilst comparing the size of their constructions. Children are imaginative, acting out

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and outcomes for children

different scenarios during role play. They express their ideas through their construction and artwork. They explore different materials, including resources of different textures in the treasure baskets and using their senses to explore shaving foam, jelly and baked beans. Children are curious. For instance, they go on bug hunts in the garden and observe their findings more closely with magnifying glasses. Outdoors they dig soil and plant seeds, tending to these as they grow. They learn about caring for the environment and sustainability as they compost, recycle and make use of resources such as plastic crates in their play. Children benefit from regular outdoor play and access to the fresh air. They are physically active and move, balance and climb with increasing confidence and control. This also helps children to develop spatial awareness and to understand about the importance of exercise for their growth and good health. All children develop skills

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and outcomes for children

required for operating simple information, communication and technology equipment, such as walkie talkies. Older children make good use of the computers within their base rooms, successfully operating touch screens, keyboards and the mouse.

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and outcomes for children

Children's understanding of healthy lifestyles is developed as they follow good hygiene routines. They enjoy sociable mealtimes and benefit from healthy and nutritious meals and snacks which meet their individual dietary needs. Children develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe as they participate in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 regular fire evacuation practices and follow the rules of the setting. Whilst they develop positive relationships with staff, children gain a false sense of security due to medication arrangements not sufficiently focusing in their individual needs. Children learn about different cultures throughout the year. For example, at Chinese New Year children worked together to create a large dragon model. They sourced and watched a video on the internet to explore Chinese dancing with dragons. After watching this they used musical instruments to recreate what they

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and outcomes for children

had seen on the video with their own dragon. This supports children's developing knowledge of cultures and cultural traditions, aids their music and movement skills and helps them to understand that information can be gained from media such as the internet. They have access to a good range of resources that promote positive images of diversity. Children behave well and enjoy the warm praise and encouragement that they receive from staff. Consistent and age-appropriate behaviour management strategies are applied by staff which ensures that children develop an understanding of what is right, wrong and why. They are sociable and kind and increasingly share and take turns. They are helpful, enjoying assisting at tidy-up time. 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 4 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 4 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

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 4

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 4 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

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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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept). 16/02/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept). 16/02/2011

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