General Day Nursery & After School

General Day Nursery & After School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 315420 Inspection date 28/11/2011 Inspector Jan Linsdell

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Setting address 42-50 Sherdley Road, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5AB

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Telephone number 01744 454 111 Email info@generaldaynursery.co.uk Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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

General Day Nursery and After School was registered in 1996. It is privately owned and operates from a single-storey building located in St Helens, Merseyside. Children are cared for in five rooms and have access to a secure outdoor play area. The setting is open each weekday, from 7.30am to 6pm and an out of school club is provided during school holidays. Children attend from a wide catchment area.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 96 children aged from birth to under eight years may attend the setting at any one time. Children aged eight years to 11 years attend the holiday club. There are currently 77 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age range and, of these, 19 receive funding for free early education. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs 15 members of staff including the manager. Of these, the manager and another member of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4, 8 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and 4 hold qualifications at level 2. 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

The setting has good security measures in place to keep children safe and the outdoor play area is a significant strength. There is a strong commitment to continuous improvement, with effective systems to evaluate, monitor and maintain good standards. Children enjoy their learning and make good progress in all areas of their development. Daily routines are generally well-organised and most required records are accurately maintained. Staff successfully promote equality and diversity, and they work well with parents, carers and other professionals to ensure children's individual needs are addressed.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the daily record of children's hours of attendance includes the names of the staff caring for them (Documentation). 12/12/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the organisation of lunchtime preparations, so that children have This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 adequate space and free movement to carry out usual hand washing routines.

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the early years provision

Priority is given to ensuring children's safety, for example, by using closed circuit television and fingerprint recognition to gain entry to the building. Thorough risk assessments and daily checks ensure the premises are safe and well-maintained. All staff are well-qualified and appropriately vetted to ensure their suitability. They are fully aware of the possible indicators of abuse and know how to respond to any concerns about children's welfare. Informative safeguarding displays in each room remind staff of important policies and the process of referral to the relevant authorities.

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the early years provision

Management and staff are committed to driving improvements to further enhance the quality of the setting. They make good use of self-evaluation systems to review practice and identify future targets. Recommendations from the last inspection have been fully addressed and the garden has been significantly improved, so that children can enjoy many valuable learning opportunities outside. Staff are actively encouraged to improve their skills and a number of staff are currently attending further training to enhance their qualifications.

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the early years provision

Overall, the setting runs smoothly and routines are organised effectively to meet children's needs. However, during lunchtime preparations, the bathroom becomes quite congested, with limited space for children to carry out usual hand washing routines. Staff implement effective policies and procedures and ensure required records are well-maintained, but the system for recording staff attendance does not fully met requirements. This is an administrative error and has little impact on children's safety.

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the early years provision

Staff take positive steps to ensure children with disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language are well supported. They engage well with parents and carers, and close relationships between them are evident. Staff make sure parents are kept well-informed and they share children's development files regularly. Parents are very complementary about the setting, particularly about the staff and the 'fantastic support' they give to the children. Effective links with other professionals involved with the children contribute positively to supporting their welfare and learning.

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and outcomes for children

Staff successfully support and encourage children's learning and enjoyment. They are beginning to develop systems for establishing children's starting points on entry. They observe children regularly and plan activities to meet their learning needs, interests and next steps. Comprehensive and up-to-date development files clearly show the positive progress children make towards the early learning goals. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Consequently children make good progress in all areas of their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well in the setting and play cooperatively together because staff give clear explanations and set appropriate boundaries. Older children are encouraged to put on their 'listening ears' and follow simple instructions. They enjoy guessing words that rhyme, which supports their understanding of letters and sounds. Children's independent skills are encouraged from a young age and they learn to appreciate other cultures because staff make effective use of displays, resources and activities to promote diversity.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health is well-promoted and the setting has a healthy eating award for providing nutritious, freshly-prepared food. Children enjoy weekly physical education sessions. They follow good hygiene routines and understand they need to wash their hands because the 'germs can make us poorly'. Staff develop close and supportive relationships with the children, which helps them to feel safe. They help them to learn about road safety and organise visits from the police and fire service, to enhance their awareness of safety issues.

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and outcomes for children

The exciting outdoor play area promotes all areas of learning very well. For example, children fill containers with water and build with the tyres and crates. This encourages their problem-solving skills. They develop their imagination when they dress up as fire fighters or use real tools in the garage, such as spanners. They also grow vegetables, dig for worms and discuss what snails like to eat, which supports their understanding of the natural environment. Children develop positive skills for the future. For example, they enjoy opportunities to share books in the den. They draw with pencils and chalks, join in with counting songs and use electronic resources, such as cameras and computers. 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 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 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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