Flora House Day Nursery

Flora House Day Nursery LTD Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY348184 Inspection date 23/03/2011 Inspector julie morrison

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Setting address 180 Coniscliffe Road, DARLINGTON, County Durham, DL3 8PA Telephone number 01325 462302 Email florahouse@btconnect.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

Flora House Day nursery has been registered since 2003 and is owned and managed by a private individual. It operates from six activity rooms in a large converted property in the west end of Darlington. There is access to an outdoor play area. The nursery is open each week day from 8am to 5.30pm all year except, bank holidays and in between Christmas and New Year. The group is registered to care for up to 44 children aged from birth to under five years of age, of these no more than 11 may be under two years of age. The nursery is also registered to provide care for children aged over five to 11 years of age. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting currently has 100 children on roll of whom 80 are in the early years age range. The nursery employs 19 members of staff who work directly with the children, 18 of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification.

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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

Children and their families are welcomed into the friendly nursery by all staff and management. Suitable systems are in place to observe and assess children's progress and this is combined with an appropriate range of activities that cover all areas of learning. This supports children in making sound progress towards the early learning goals. Appropriate systems have been established to monitor and evaluate the practice and most of the required documentation is in place and up- to-date. The nursery has good procedures in place to work with parents to gather information about children's individual needs and ensure that all children are appropriately included at the nursery.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop children's learning developments so that they occur as an outcome of their individual interests and abilities and that planning for learning and development takes these into account  promote children's safety by ensuring that fire doors are free from obstruction  review the use of space and daily routines to effectively support children's learning and meet their individual needs  promote effective continuity and progression by sharing relevant information about children's individual learning and development with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is appropriately supported at the nursery. Staff have a good understanding of child protection issues and procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child. This is further supported by a detailed written policy. Clear vetting and recruitment procedures have been established and evidence of enhanced disclosure numbers is available for all staff. This ensures all adults looking after children are experienced and suitable to do so. Children's safety in the nursery is generally promoted well by effective procedures, such as signing-in visitors, secure entry systems and close supervision of children at all times. However, although daily checks and a record of risk assessment is in place for the setting, the fire exit in the cellar was not clear when children and staff were using the room. This has a negative impact on keeping children safe. Most documentation required to promote the effective management of the setting is in

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the early years provision

place, for example, consent to obtain emergency medical treatment and accident records. However, the nursery have not requested information from parents about who has legal contact with the child and who has parental responsibility. This does not effectively safeguard children and is a breach of the legal requirements. The risk to children is, however, minimised as effective procedures are in place to ensure that only named persons can collect children.

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the early years provision

The nursery provides a good range of age-appropriate resources, most of which children can access independently to help them to begin to make choices about their learning and play. Colourful displays of their work along with photographs help children to develop a sense of belonging and promote self-esteem. Appropriate systems are in place to evaluate the nursery, including making suitable use of the Ofsted self-evaluation form, developing action plans and working closely with local authority early years advisors, this helps to ensure continuous improvement. Most of the recommendations raised at the previous inspection have been addressed which supports outcomes for children. However, although staff have tried to address the recommendation regarding daily routines, these still do not effectively meet the needs of the children. Space, time and daily routines are not always used effectively to support children's individual needs to ensure that

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the early years provision

good use is made of the time they spend in nursery. This results in some children not being engaged in meaningful activities for extended periods of time. For example, they regularly move from room to room and mixed ages are grouped together for some circle time. Waiting for a room means that the activity goes on too long and consequently children begin to loose interest.

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the early years provision

The nursery demonstrates a positive attitude towards working with local schools and nurseries to help to promote smooth transitions for children. However, effective systems to share information about children's individual progress with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage have not been fully established. This does not support continuity of care and learning for children who attend more than one setting. Children benefit from the positive relationships developed between staff and parents. Effective procedures are in place to gather feedback from parents and the management team ensure that any concerns are immediately addressed. Good systems are in place to ensure that parents are well This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 informed about the setting, including receiving copies of all policies and procedures, regular newsletters and informative notice boards. Relevant

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the early years provision

information is gathered from parents at the start to help to meet children's individual care needs, such as babies routines, medical and dietary requirements. This helps staff get to know the children well. Daily diaries are used to ensure that parents of young children are kept up-to-date about the care of their child. Observations of children's learning are sent home for parents to read, comment on and sign. This provides parents with good opportunities to be involved in their child's learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Most children arrive happily at the nursery and part confidently from their parents and carers. They are generally content, settled and willing to take part in an appropriate range of activities that cover all areas of learning. Staff and management at the nursery are warm and welcoming and children have developed secure relationships with them, coming to them for cuddles, support and reassurance. This promotes children sense of security in the nursery. Children generally behave appropriately in the nursery, staff encourage good manners and give regular praise and encouragement to promote positive behaviour.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have attended training on the Early Years Foundation Stage and as a result, most have a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements. Various systems record photographs, observations and children's progress and planning ensures that all areas of learning are covered. However, it is not clear to see how identified next steps in children's learning are used to inform future planning. This does not support planning being based on children's individual needs. The nursery does, however, operate a key worker system, most of whom have a clear understanding of their children's individual learning. This results in children making sound progress in their learning and development. Children at the nursery engage in a suitable range of activities which cover all areas of learning. Babies have space to crawl around, exploring their environment and textures as staff introduce items, such as scarves and different materials. All children have

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and outcomes for children

regular opportunities to be creative, they enjoy painting, colouring and cutting. Such activities also helps to develop their hand-to-eye coordination and introduces early mark making skills. Most staff engage appropriately with the children to extend their learning. For example, they encourage them to discuss stories as they read and introduce language, such as 'up and down' into their play.

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and outcomes for children

Children's communication skills are fostered through various activities, including songs and rhymes, resulting in children developing effective speaking and listening skills. A good range of jigsaws, games and construction materials help children to begin to develop their problem solving skills. This is further supported as staff encourage them, for example, asking 'can you find one with two blocks?' The nursery supports children's awareness of diversity by introducing resources that reflect positive images of race and gender along with planned activities, such as celebrating Saint Patrick's day and the Chinese New Year. A wide range of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 interactive toys and computer equipment, helps children to begin to develop skills for the future. They confidently use the mouse to play matching games and listen to songs and stories through headphones. The children use their imagination well,

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and outcomes for children

for example, they dress up and pretend to be well known characters from the television and enjoy using hose pipes and collecting water as they pretend to be fire men in the outdoor play area.

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and outcomes for children

Planned activities, such as visits from the police and fire brigade help children to learn about keeping themselves safe in a fun way. This is combined with practicing road safety and fire drills to further support their understanding of keeping safe. Children's good health is promoted well at the nursery through planned activities and consistent daily routines. The children enjoy regular opportunities to play in the well resourced outdoor area where they climb, ride on bikes and balance on wooden blocks. They learn about healthy lifestyles as they go on trips to the garden centre where they select seeds which they plant and nurture. Eating the produce they have grown helps to encourage children to try new foods. A balanced range of healthy and nutritious meals, which take into account children's individual dietary requirements, further support children's good health. 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 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 3 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 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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