Clowns Early Years Centre

Clowns Early Years Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY283267 Inspection date 11/07/2011 Inspector Karen Byfleet

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Setting address N E Derbyshire Sure Start, Alices View, North Wingfield, Derbyshire, S42 5XA Telephone number 01246 854841 Email clownsnursery1@yahoo.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

Clowns Early Years Centre was registered in May 2004. It operates from three rooms in a purpose-built, single-storey nursery unit which is attached to a Sure Start children's centre and is situated on the outskirts of Chesterfield in Derbyshire. A maximum of 30 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There is level access to the building from the car park.

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Description of the setting

The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Regsiter to provide daycare for a maximum of 28 children under eight years at any one time. There are currently 30 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. Children from the local area use this setting. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs three full-time and three part-time staff who work directly with the children. Five of the staff hold relevant level 3 childcare qualifications. 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Staff know the children well and plan a good range of effective and worthwhile activities, enabling the children to make good progress in their learning and development. Children are happy and settled and their welfare needs are met. Partnership with parents is outstanding. Staff work very closely with parents to ensure all individual children's needs are met effectively and parents are fully included in aspects of their child's care and learning. Partnerships with other providers and professionals are well established to ensure consistency and coherence in children's care and learning. Detailed and comprehensive documentation is in place and, along with the security of the premises, ensures children are well safeguarded. Management, staff and parents contribute to the evaluation of the provision and there is a very clear vision to move the setting forward and maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 further promote the good health of children, with specific regard to ensuring they are consistently provided with healthy, balanced and nutritious meals  review the organisation of the grouping of children to extend the use of the indoor and outdoor areas as a continuous learning environment. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

A detailed and comprehensive policy and procedure is in place. Safguarding is effectively implemented with a policy and procedure that all staff have regard for, and they attend training to ensure their knowledge in this area is updated. Further safeguarding measures are in place. For example, security of the premises is well managed. A fingerprint recognition system is in place and for anyone other than parents or known carers collecting the children, a password system is in place to ensure children are not released to adults unknown to the staff. Risk assessments of all the premises, resources and outings are in place and reviewed regularly to ensure they remain effective. For example, all accidents that occur on the premises are reviewed on a monthly basis and action is taken to eliminate risks to further occurances. Children's safety is further enhanced as staff have a well-written emergency evacuation plan which is practiced with the children on a regular basis

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the early years provision

and recorded. This also enables children to learn how to stay safe in an emergency.

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the early years provision

Children's health and well-being are promoted to a satisfactory standard. Children know and follow hygiene procedures as they wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet, with little prompting from adults. They have developed a routine of cleaning their teeth after lunch, promoting good dental hygiene. However, the lunches that children are provided with are not consistently nutritionally balanced. There are no contingency plans in place for when the delivery of fresh fruit, salad and vegetables fails to be delivered on time for the day's menu. Sick children are well cared for and parents are contacted if their child becomes ill while at the setting. Parents are always consulted before the adminstration of any medication. Written parental permission is obtained and all adminstration of medication is appropriately recorded and signed by both staff and parents. Sleeping facilities are provided for babies and young children who may

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the early years provision

require a sleep. Cots and sleep mats are provided with clean linen. Parents' wishes are adhered to with regard to where their child sleeps and the amount of time they sleep for. Sleeping children are closely monitored by staff.

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the early years provision

Management and staff have implemented an effective self-evaluation system. They regularly discuss the effectiveness of their practice and make ongoing improvements to ensure all children's and parents' needs are consistently met. A suggestion box is located within the nursery reception for parents, and staff welcome their views on the provision and their ideas and suggestions for further developments. The formation of a parents forum enables parents to further enhance their involvement in the operations of the provision. Staff work extremely well with all parents, verbally exchanging information on a daily basis, and with the introduction of a 'weekend sheet' and 'overnight bag', parents are able to be actively involved in their children's learning. The 'overnight bag' has a teddy bear which children take with them everywhere they go outside of the setting. Parents are encouraged to photograph and write about their child with the teddy bear, and

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the early years provision

then children discuss their experiences and adventures with the bear with other children in their group. Partnerships with other other providers and professionals are good. The manager has formed good relationships with other local providers This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 where some children attend to ensure consistency and coherence in children learning and development. The provision is closely linked with the local children's centre, with daycare and creche provision being available for children of parents attending the centre.

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and outcomes for children

All staff have extensive knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and they regularly monitor children's development through all the areas of learning. Plans of activities are completed as a result of prior observations made by children's key workers. They clearly show children's interests and the next steps in their learning, ensuring children continue to make significant progress. Clear routines are implemented for all children, for example, snack and meal times and access to the enclosed outdoor play area. Outdoor play is also planned and children are encouraged to take indoor activities outdoors. However, the deployment of staff prevents free-flow play being consistently implemented for all children to enable a more continuous learning environment.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled in the warm and welcoming environment. They approach adults, seek out their friends with confidence and play cooperatively together. Children are able to self-select activities from a wide range of resources which are stored at low level. Displays of photographs and pictures which promote positive images are also at low level, which enables children to see them clearly. Children's artwork is attractively displayed around the setting, giving children a sense of belonging and helping to raise their self-esteem.

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and outcomes for children

Staff plan effective activities which cover all the areas of learning. They make regular spontaneous and focused observations and complete development records for each child. They then use these to help them plan the next steps in children's learning to ensure progression is suitable and challenging for all ages. Children's own interests and ideas are also taken into account and incorporated into the planning. Children engage in activities with enthusiasm and enjoyment. For example, they clearly enjoy the chalk boards as they mark make and then enjoy using the rags to clear the boards. Children initiate play, as when outdoors they ask for buckets of water and brushes and enjoy mark making on different surfaces, such as the fence and the soft play surface. The children eagerly participate in role play and use equipment with sustained knowledge. For example, they enjoy constructing a wall with building blocks and use a variety of tools such as a spirit

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and outcomes for children

level to check they have a level wall. This helps children with problem solving and developing future skills as they work together in constructing the wall. Children enjoy a good range of books and singing familiar songs and rhymes. Children's development of knowledge and understanding of the world around them is promoted through well-planned activities, such as growing plants, use of information technology and visits into the local community. 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 3 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

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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 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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