Stargazers Nursery

Stargazers Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY318145 Inspection date 07/06/2011 Inspector Dianne Andrews

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Setting address Stargazers Nursery, Unit 8, Sweetlake Business Village, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 9EW Telephone number 01743 248448 Email 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

Stargazers Day Nursery opened in 2003, transferring into the present ownership in 2005. The nursery operates from three rooms in a building in Sweetlake Business Village, Shrewsbury and serves the local area. The nursery is accessible to all children and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 36 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

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Description of the setting

Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 46 children from birth to five years on roll. There are 10 staff working with the children and all staff hold early years qualifications. One staff member has Early Years Professional Status. The nursery 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

There are some procedures in place that are effective in supporting children's well- being. However, steps are not consistently taken to safeguard and promote children's welfare, as safeguarding procedures are not effectively implemented. In addition, management have not been successful in identifying areas of development to improve the quality of the provision in all areas; however, they are positive in their approach and there is a strong commitment to addressing the weaknesses and prioritising for further improvement. Children's learning and development are well promoted as staff observe and build on children's interests and offer them good support in their play and learning opportunities. Partnerships with parents, carers and others are effective and widely promote consistency in the care children receive and promote inclusion.

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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?

 ensure all practitioners have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and are able to implement the safeguarding policy and procedure appropriately 07/06/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 ensure that there are effective procedures in place for checking that all staff are suitable to work with children; this relates to the employment of temporary staff (Suitable people)  develop risk assessments and minimise hazards in relation to sleeping arrangements and hygiene practices (Suitable premises, environment and equipment)  improve the systems for the organisation of the setting by developing the use of self-evaluation to support ongoing improvements; in particular in planning for staff training to meet first aid requirements.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare and well-being are compromised as safeguarding procedures are not effectively implemented. In particular, the steps to be taken if the setting has concerns about a child or if a child's health deteriorates during their time in the nursery are not appropriately followed and information is not clearly recorded. The practitioner with lead responsibility for safeguarding children is not consistently consulted, which has led to a breakdown in the procedures.

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the early years provision

Many areas for improvement are identified through reflective self-evaluation, although management are working to ensure that the document consistently reflects current practice within the nursery. Action plans are displayed as a means of recording and monitoring planned developments to improve the outcomes for children and demonstrate a clear willingness to secure further improvements. However, the management systems are not effective in all areas, for instance in identifying and planning effectively for the renewal of training to meet the requirement for first aid trained staff. To minimise the impact on children's well- being during staff holiday times, temporary staff have been employed and existing staff have extended their hours of work. Employment procedures are robustly followed for permanent staff, however the same rigor is not applied when employing those on temporary contracts. Adults awaiting appropriate checks are

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the early years provision

supervised effectively to promote children's safety.

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the early years provision

Risk assessments are carried out on the premises to reduce the risk of children coming into contact with any hazards, however, the potential risks of cross- infection due to the repositioning of cots alongside each other have not been considered and children helping with snack preparation do not consistently follow effective hygiene routines.

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the early years provision

The premises are bright, and welcoming and recent improvements have been made to offer all children ample space to move around freely. The outdoor area is small, but well planned in layout, with care taken to offer safety surfaces as well as hard standing and areas where children can engage in interesting activities, such as gardening, chalking and playing musical instruments. Each care base is amply resourced with equipment and toys stored at a suitable level for the age and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 stages of the children in each area, thus promoting self-selection and developing independence.

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the early years provision

Successful partnerships are fostered with parents and carers, beginning with a two-way exchange of information about their child during recently introduced home visits. The nursery is proactive in encouraging and supporting nursing mothers and works with parents to meet children's individual dietary needs. Regular discussions take place between key persons and parents to share and celebrate children's achievements. Parents and children are actively encouraged to contribute to the development of the service and complete questionnaires to offer their views; feedback is given once these have been evaluated. Children make comments such as 'it's fun, I feel safe and I learn things'. Parents provide glowing references, confirming their satisfaction with the service provided, citing the friendly manner of the staff and management and the 'family atmosphere' as positive aspects. The nursery staff have established links with other settings to

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the early years provision

effectively support children's transition. They work in partnership with other agencies and professionals and successfully support children's inclusion, for instance, through the use of communication systems, such as Makaton and Baby Signing.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. They have many opportunities to explore and gain access to a range of activities, materials and equipment, promoting their curiosity and independence. Staff demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and support the children purposefully and enthusiastically during activities.

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and outcomes for children

A varied range of activities are planned for children that are widely influenced by children's interests. They are encouraged to make choices and develop their own play and this ensures that children experience a balance of self-initiated and planned play experiences. Staff receive support and advice from members of the management team, who have recently completed professional training, to develop their knowledge and make changes to processes in place to support children's learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Most children enter the nursery confidently and separate from their carers with ease. Others are offered appropriate support and comfort and quickly become engaged in activities when their parents have left them. Staff reassure parents by providing text messages to let them know that their child is happy, settled and involved in the nursery activities. Children are well behaved and are aware of the boundaries as they are regularly reminded of expectations for their behaviour. They respond positively to practices staff have developed to support good behaviour. For example, as a reward, photographs of individual children are displayed on a 'smiley chart' and children are proud to explain why they are there. They learn to keep themselves safe through consistent daily routines, such as tidying away resources after use to the 'tidy up song' and they complete a risk assessment diary prior to going into the garden, understanding the need to ensure

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the gate is locked.

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and outcomes for children

Children are interested and eager to be involved in a wide range of learning experiences, promoting a foundation for their future learning. They develop skills in the use of equipment to promote their understanding of information technology through access to a range of programmable toys. Daily activities are used to reinforce children's numeracy skills and they are spontaneously encouraged to count, for instance, at snack time. They use tools to plant seeds and tend and monitor the plant's growth, measuring and celebrating the progress and recording it with photographs and annotation within a garden diary. They create a wormery, which is introduced as an environmentally friendly way of converting the kitchen waste into compost and fertiliser for the garden and encourages children's understanding of the natural environment. The resulting garden produce is harvested and used within cookery activities or within the nursery menu. This

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and outcomes for children

helps children to gain an understanding of healthy eating and where their food comes from and encourages them to try new foods and tastes.

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and outcomes for children

The children are confident communicators. They listen well at circle times and story times and make confident verbal response, particularly enjoying the re- enactment of a favourite fairytale and the development of characters. They find their labelled coat pegs and drinking bottles and recognise their names for self- registration and at the lunch tables, although some children miss out on this activity as they arrive at staggered times throughout the day. Babies begin to find a voice, exploring shiny surfaces and treasures and creating noises by banging items against furniture while squealing with delight. Toddlers repeat words modelled by staff and make sounds associated with the toys they are playing with, such as the small world vehicles. Planned activities and good quality resources add to children's developing understanding of the wider world. Positive images and welcome signs, words and symbols around the nursery promote a sense of

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and outcomes for children

welcome and belonging to children and families.

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and outcomes for children

All children enjoy a breadth of experiences through the regular use of the outdoor play area, where they benefit from the fresh air and active play. They relish the opportunity to take their learning into the outdoor environment; using chalks to make marks on the paving or a variety of tools and receptacles while digging in the sand tray. They use rain water collected in puddles and make patterns with wheels, roll hoops; climb and slide on the age-appropriate equipment and manoeuvre wheeled toys, negotiating around obstacles. Children are very imaginative in their play and their creativity is inspired in a number of ways. They enjoy joining in group music and singing sessions, playing musical instruments and taking part in art and craft activities. They are keen to dress up and make good use of resources in the role play area, which they use to act out real and imagined experiences. 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 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 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 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 (Arrangements for safeguarding children) 07/06/2011

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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 (Arrangements for safeguarding children) 07/06/2011

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