Winstanley College

South Avenue Day Nursery - Kinder Group Limited Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 127560 Inspection date 09/06/2011 Inspector Fiona Robinson

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Setting address South Avenue, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4SU

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Telephone number 01795 428881 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. 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

South Avenue Nursery was registered in 1999. It is part of Kinder Groups Ltd, a chain of nurseries in Kent. It operates from a purpose-built mobile building that is specifically designed for nursery use and is located within the grounds of South Avenue Infants School, near the town centre of Sittingbourne in Kent. There is ramped disability access to the building. All children share access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery mostly serves families from the local area. There is provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery may care for no more than 77 children in the early years age group at any one time. Of these, not more than 20 may be under two years. There are currently 101 children on roll in the early years age range, of whom 47 receive

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Description of the setting

funding. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.15am until 6pm, all year round. Children attend for a variety of the sessions on offer. There are 23 staff working with the children, of whom 14 hold a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 3; four hold a NVQ at level 2; one has a BA Hons degree in Early Years and Childhood Studies; one is working towards a BA Hons degree in Early Years and Childhood Studies; and one has a BTEC Nursery Diploma. The nursery receives support from an advisor from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good. Children achieve well in a stimulating environment because staff take into consideration their individual needs and interests. There are excellent links with parents, the host school and outside agencies, and information is shared very effectively. Children feel valued and included in interesting and well-organised activities. The manager and staff have a good knowledge of the nursery's strengths and areas of development, such as increasing resources. They have good capacity to improve in the future.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop children's problem solving and investigatory skills in the outdoor garden and environment  develop the use of technology to support children's learning and skills. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding and child protection issues. They implement comprehensive policies and procedures to ensure children's safety. Collection procedures are rigorous and are followed carefully by staff and parents. There are robust staff recruitment and vetting procedures in place to check the suitability of adults having contact with the children. Risk assessments are carried out daily in the indoor and outdoor environments. Fire evacuation procedures are practised regularly so that staff and children are familiar with the routine. Staff are deployed effectively throughout the nursery to ensure babies, toddlers and children's safety. They have access to a good range of equipment that is well-maintained, safe and suitable for their age. The nursery is well-led and managed. Staff meet regularly to discuss planning and assessment. There are good self-evaluation systems in place and the

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the early years provision

manager and staff clearly identify what works well and outline areas for improvement. They take the views of parents and children into consideration and act on these. They have developed new resources and purchased furniture for the babies and toddlers to promote their independence. Good progress has been made in addressing the recommendations of the previous inspection. In particular, there are rigorous systems in place for monitoring and assessing the quality of the nursery provision. Staff regularly monitor children's achievement and progress and make effective use of a good range of resources to meet most of the needs of the children. They attend training to enhance their qualifications and have a clear understanding of the role of the key worker. They actively promote equality and diversity and ensure children are fully integrated into activities, such as encouraging the pre-school children to dress up as pirates and work together to

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the early years provision

convert the climbing frame into a pirate ship for role play. They have a clear idea of the areas for improvement, such as further development of the layout and organisation of the outdoor gardens and environment. Planning shows that opportunities for children to explore and investigate their problem solving skills are not fully exploited in the outdoor garden and environment. There is a limited range of information and technology resources, which impacts on children's choice of activity. Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. They are kept very well informed of special events and fund raising activities such as The Royal Wedding street party and the Summer Fayre. Information is shared regularly via the daily contact books, informal discussion, regular newsletters, the website and the parents' notice board. Key staff monitor the children's achievement and progress carefully and share the children's learning journals with parents on a

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the early years provision

regular basis. These are shared more formally at consultation meetings and open days. Partnerships with the host school are outstanding and the nursery benefits from the use of the outdoor environment and field. Information is shared very effectively with outside agencies when appropriate, staff at the host school and parents. Staff are very experienced in caring for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They seek and use training and advice to support them well in their learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Babies, toddlers and children achieve well because staff place a strong emphasis on learning through play. Children's views are valued and incorporated into the planning and organisation of activities. The curriculum provides interesting and varied activities and children are effectively supported in their learning. Themes such as Summer, The Hungry Caterpillar and The Royal Wedding result in colourful displays, which make the environment bright and stimulating. Children are well behaved because staff are very good role models with clear expectations. Children help to compile rules and boundaries which are consistently used and reinforced by staff. Babies, toddlers and children are given lots of attention and build meaningful relationships with staff. Children are fully included in activities and festivals such as Diwali, Christmas and the Chinese New Year enhance their experiences. Role play activities in their Chinese restaurant and

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and outcomes for children

participating in a dragon dance enrich their understanding of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Topics about other cultures, customs and food increase their understanding of the wider world. Children develop a good understanding of keeping themselves healthy and safe. They make healthy choices at snack time and help to prepare fruit kebabs and pizzas. They learn to use equipment safely as they make their own bread and cakes. They develop their physical skills well as they climb, balance and dance to music. Children are encouraged to wash their hands before and after eating. Good routines are established in the baby and toddler rooms. Children benefit from talks on safety from the police and fire services. They practise their road safety skills as they walk to the local library. There are good opportunities for sensory play in the baby room and babies and toddlers enjoy using shaving foam, paint and chalks to explore different

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and outcomes for children

textures. The two-to-under-three-year olds talk about their families and learn about animals. Communication, language and literacy skills are developed well throughout the nursery. Pre-school children enjoy listening to a story about a hungry caterpillar before they count the food he eats and reflect on his journey to becoming a butterfly. They learn about re-cycling and taking care of their environment and make a wormery and watch the worms making tunnels. Children develop their creative skills well as they print patterns with fruit and vegetables and design and make their own wallpaper for their home corner. They enjoy dressing up as pirates and using maps they have made to find buried treasure. They plant and grow their own vegetables from seed and taste their own tomatoes and lettuce at snack time. Most can count up to twenty and beyond by the time they leave pre-school and identify two-dimensional shapes. Opportunities to use

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and outcomes for children

the computer are welcomed; however children make limited use of the digital camera to record their experiences. They do not fully use their problem solving and investigatory skills in the outdoor environment. Overall, children enjoy their activities and are prepared well for future learning 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 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 2

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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

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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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