Keele University Day Nursery

Keele Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 218444 Inspection date 09/07/2012 Inspector Mary Henderson

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Setting address University of Keele, Keele, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG Telephone number 01782 583394 Email 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

Keele Day Nursery opened in 1989. It operates from eight playrooms in a purpose- built single-storey building, situated within the grounds of Keele University campus. The nursery opens five days a week for most of the year, closing for a week at Christmas and for all bank holidays. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery serves students and staff of the university and the surrounding community. There is an enclosed outdoor play area for the children.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 136 children may attend the nursery at any one time and of these, no more than 48 may be under two years. There are currently 130 children on roll aged between 12 weeks and five years. The nursery is also registered by Ofsted on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are 32 full and part-time members of staff who work with the children, including the manager. The manager has a BA (Honours) degree in Early Childhood Studies, with all of the remaining staff having a National Vocational Qualification at Level 3. There are three members of staff currently working towards a Foundation Degree.

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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, effective systems are in place to support the development of positive relationships between children and staff and to meet their individual needs. In the main, effective procedures to involve parents in their children's learning and development are in place. Liaison with other professionals and providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage is strong. Children's welfare is promoted as risk assessment and safeguarding them is a priority. Most resources, equipment and space is used well to promote positive outcomes for all children. Systems to evaluate the provision are strong, ensuring that continuous improvements are made.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the support provided for children during changes that may occur to their routines so they continue to feel safe and secure and ensure the effective deployment of key persons at all times, particularly during children's routine care needs  provide an environment that is calm and quiet, so that children can talk and be heard during their indoor play times  extend partnerships by further encouraging parents to contribute to the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 ongoing observations of their children's learning.

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the early years provision

Systems in place for safeguarding children are effective because all staff have a clear understanding of the policies and procedures to be followed. All adults are suitably checked and vetted, ensuring that they are suitable to be in contact with children. The risk assessments to ensure children are kept safe include the identification of possible risks in the indoor and outdoor areas and for all outings.

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the early years provision

Staff and management are committed to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Communication with support specialists and other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage effectively ensures that children's needs are identified and met. This promotes inclusion for all children on roll. There are warm and caring relationships between the key persons and their children. Key persons supervise the children closely and ensure that most of their needs are identified and met. However, key persons do not always ensure they see to their own key children's care needs, such as changing their nappies for them, in order to develop settled, close relationships with them.

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the early years provision

All managers, leaders and staff share an ambitious vision for the nursery and the children. Staff attend regular training and are fully included in the development and implementation of all systems throughout the setting. This raises morale, which has a positive impact on the children's care, learning and development. The self-evaluation systems in place effectively outline areas of strength and areas for further improvement and are ongoing. The self-evaluation systems include the views of management, staff, parents and their children, ensuring that the provision is reviewed from different perspectives.

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the early years provision

Engagement with parents is good. There are effective relationships between the staff and the children and their parents. There is written and verbal two-way exchange of information to ensure that each child's needs are identified and met. The displayed information and newsletters provided to parents keeps them updated about all that is going on within the provision. There is also a parents group where they can discuss issues with nominated parents, which are then fed back to the management. Parents have free access to their child's learning and development files. These provide information about their child's ongoing progression. Parents are included in the identification of their child's starting points across all areas of their learning and development. However, systems to invite parents to contribute to their child's records are less effective. Parents have free access to the broad range of policies and procedures because they are on display

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the early years provision

at all times, which ensures that they are well informed of how the care of their children is organised. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children have an awareness of the importance of being healthy. They wash their hands before eating and after visiting the toilet and talk about why they need to do so. Children sit and enjoy drinks of water after their physical play and talk about being healthy and fit. Children are provided with a balanced diet and they enjoy eating various fruits for snack times. This is a social time where the children talk about their home lives with one another and the staff who sit with them. Children learn about personal safety, such as road safety while on outings and during outdoor play activities. They are all included in the fire evacuation procedures of the setting, which helps them to learn about the action to be taken in the event of an emergency. Visitors, including the police and fire officers, come into the setting to talk to the children about possible hazards and dangers in the home and on the roads.

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and outcomes for children

The children show that they feel safe in their environment. Babies are held and comforted when they become unsettled and toddlers and older children seek comfort and assistance from their carers when they want it. Children show good levels of confidence as they help themselves to the resources around them in the well-defined areas. However, although children feel safe and secure, the staff do not always support this by ensuring the children know who is in the room and why they are there, although the impact is minimal. Staff interact with children during their activities to ensure that they are progressing across all areas of their learning and development. They plan for their individual key children's interests and they are caring and warm in their approach to them. However, at times in the older children's playrooms, the noise levels can become high due to children's excitement. As a result, their concentration can be affected, impacting on their

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and outcomes for children

Children find out about and identify features in the place they live and the natural world. They enjoy outings to places of interest, on and off the university campus. This includes walks to the local lakes to notice the changing seasons and talk about the shapes, colours, numbers and letters, which they see on the way. Children look around them for evidence of growth and decay at various times of the year. Children enjoy visiting the campus farm. Here, they talk about the cows and the piglets and during various times of the year, they visit the puppies that live there. Children also play in the hay barn under supervision and talk about the various farm machinery, which they see around them. Children like to post letters and visit the local campus shops to find out about food and other things that interest them. Over time, the children watch the diggers and the workmen as they complete the new build adjacent to the setting. They also enjoy other outings,

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and outcomes for children

which involve their parents, peers and key persons, including a day trip to a local fun park and zoo. Here, they talk about the various wild animals they see and enjoy time spent around the park with their family. To extend children's learning, visitors come into the setting to talk to the children and bring along various artefacts. For example, children benefit from visitors, who bring and talk about reptiles and exotic insects and how they live. Parents also come into the setting to share their knowledge and interests with the children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children's physical development is fostered well by their key workers. They enjoy daily outdoor play where they can climb and balance, run around on the grass, ride their trikes and chase one another around. Children laugh and giggle with their peers and spend time playing imaginatively with the home corner resources. They

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and outcomes for children

enjoy playing with dolls and buggies and invite their friends to join them when they build with construction resources. Children's physical skills are further fostered as they enjoy dancing and action songs. They use various tools during creative time as they paint pictures with their fingers and brushes and glue junk together to make models. Children make marks in various ways. They like to colour in pictures and younger babies and toddlers like to push their fingers through the sand and other mediums that leave marks. Older more able children are beginning to show emergent handwriting skills. Children's work is displayed for them in their play areas, which gives them and their parents a good sense of belonging to the setting.

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and outcomes for children

They explore number, shape, colour and size, as well as position, using different equipment. During outdoor play, children seek hidden small world animals, finding them by size, colour and shape. Younger children enjoy pushing buttons on the battery-operated toys and are supported to achieve by their key workers. All children explore problem solving as they put puzzles together and build using construction toys suitable to their individual level of development. Staff use various spontaneous opportunities throughout the day to encourage children's counting skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to have an understanding that people have different needs, views, cultures and beliefs They explore their own and others cultural and religious beliefs. Children do this through discussions, story and reference books and through food tasting and arts and crafts activities. They play with a range of resources that reflect positive images of diversity, including books, small world people and dolls. The resources also reflect positive images of disabled people. 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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