Squirrels Day Nursery Corby Ltd

Squirrels Day Nursery Corby Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY356271 Inspection date 31/05/2011 Inspector Sarah Measures

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Setting address Hazelwood Neighbourhood Centre, Gainsborough Road, CORBY, Northamptonshire, NN18 0QF Telephone number 01536 505307 Email squirreldaynursery@googlemail.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

Squirrels Day Nursery Corby Ltd first opened in 1995 and undertook a change of name in 2007. It remains under the same management and is a Neighbourhood Nursery. It is based at Hazelwood Neighbourhood Centre in Corby in Northamptonshire. There is disabled access to the premises. All children have access to an outdoor play area. The nursery is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of 63 children at any one time, of whom 27 may be aged under two years old. The nursery is also registered on the compulsory and the voluntary parts of the Childcare Register to care for older children, however, there is currently no out of school care provided. The nursery is open five days a week for 51 weeks of the year. Opening hours are from 8am to 6pm. There are currently 118 children on roll. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs 19 staff, 18 of

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Description of the setting

whom have appropriate early years qualifications, with four staff qualified up to level 6 and one who is working towards an appropriate qualification. The nursery has achieved a Heartbeat Award for promoting healthy eating and 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 satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Several policies and procedures safeguard children well. However, not all of the welfare requirements are met which potentially impacts upon the welfare of the children. Overall good systems of planning and organisation promote children's learning and development. Children are valued as individuals within the nursery that offers a warm welcome to all children and their families. Staff use effective methods to drive forward improvement. However, their methods of self-evaluation are not sufficiently established to enable them to evaluate all aspects of the provision for children within the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and to make sure all requirements are met.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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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) 01/06/2011

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further?

 keep records of the information used to assess the suitability of staff, including a record of the unique reference numbers of Criminal Record Bureau Disclosures obtained and the date on which they were obtained (Suitable people). 10/06/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 make sure observations and assessments are kept up-to-date for all children in order to demonstrate their progress and next steps  develop an effective system of self-evaluation in order to make sure that children's individual needs are met  improve the two-way flow of information regarding children's progress with other settings that children attend that also deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

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the early years provision

Some good policies and procedures safeguard the children. However, procedures for vetting new staff do not meet with requirements. This is because records kept do not identify the dates on which the Criminal Record Bureau checks for staff were obtained. Documentation, therefore, does not provide sufficient information to demonstrate how children are protected. Appropriate child protection policies and procedures safeguard the children. Staff are well aware of how to refer any concerns they have about a child in order to protect them from abuse. The nursery is well organised to offer a welcoming and accessible environment for children who choose freely from a good range of equipment and resources to support their learning. Staff are well organised to supervise and support children. Various methods of risk assessment make sure indoor and outdoor areas and equipment are safe for children to use. The opportunity for children to have accidents is

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the early years provision

effectively minimised because of the way staff analyse accident records and use this information to inform risk assessments. The entrance to the provision is safety monitored in order to protect children and make sure no persons can enter the premises without being checked by staff. Suitable checking systems make sure children are collected by appropriately identified persons. Staff share relevant information with parents as to how to make a complaint, that includes details of how to contact Ofsted as the regulator. This promotes a safe and transparent provision for parents and children. Staff do not obtain written consent from parents to administer creams provided to use at nappy changing times. This does not meet with requirements and make sure children's health and safety is fully protected.

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the early years provision

Staff work well with parents in order to establish effective working relationships. Staff share good information with parents regarding how children learn within the Early Years Foundation Stage in order for parents to be able to continue with their children's learning at home. Parents provide information from home in order for staff to plan according to children's interests and to value children's families and home life within the setting. This helps children to develop a firm sense of belonging within the setting and enables staff to get to know children well in order to meet their individual needs. There is no effective system to share information regarding children's learning and progress with other settings they attend. This does not enable all those involved in the care and education of children to plan cohesively to meet their needs. The nursery operates an effective inclusion policy and offers a warm welcome to all children and their families, irrespective of their

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 backgrounds. Secure provision is in place to support any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work with professionals outside of the setting, accessing further support for children as necessary. Staff work closely with families who have English as an additional language.

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and outcomes for children

Children are settled and enjoy their time at the setting. Children across the nursery are purposefully engaged in interesting activities that promote all aspects of their learning and development. Staff interact with the children warmly and purposefully in order for children to feel secure and to develop their language for communication. Staffs interactions encourage children to be independent and to think for themselves. Babies and young children develop confidence and a desire to learn as they explore with a good range of sensory and messy play opportunities. Staff encourage and value their early attempts to communicate. Pre- school children enjoy books and stories that they choose to share with staff. The book area is well organised, comfortable and welcoming and well used by the children as a result. Older children concentrate well as they take part in activities purposefully planned from staffs observations of their interests. For example, prior

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and outcomes for children

to the inspection, children had been involved in an activity of making their own play dough. Staff observed that children enjoyed exploring with the flour and so extended this to offer children further opportunities to enjoy and achieve. An extension activity was planned to stimulate children's senses as they experimented with flour mixed with talcum powder. They used their imagination and they refined important early writing skills as made marks and patterns using a variety of objects. Children actively use their imagination in role play. They dress up and select resources to follow their own ideas. Boys enjoy looking after the dolls in the home corner and girls dress up as action figures showing they are comfortable in different roles with no gender discrimination. Children solve problems and develop a secure understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, they sort by colour and count and compare as they build towers from mathematical cubes.

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and outcomes for children

Staff plan positive experiences so that children can learn as they play and have fun and they use their observations of children's achievements and interests effectively to plan to offer a good programme of learning tailored to meet children's individual needs. Although, staff observe and assess children on an ongoing basis and have a good understanding of their individual needs, records of these observations are not kept up-to-date for the younger children in the nursery. This is an area staff are currently working on that needs to be addressed so that staff can confidently plan to make sure all children have every opportunity to reach their full potential. Children develop some good healthy habits as they take part in different activities out of doors. All children access a range of equipment to challenge their physical skills and abilities. They also enjoy reading, construction, creative and musical

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and outcomes for children

activities out of doors. Children enjoy balanced and nutritious meals that appropriately consider any individual dietary needs. Children develop good relationships amongst themselves and learn to share and cooperate with others. Older children chat happily as they play and share ideas, learning from each other. Staff teach them to be responsible and to sort out their own disputes by This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 appropriately considering others. Children are well behaved because they are well occupied and supported by staff. 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 2 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 2 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 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: 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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