Kids Academy - West Park

Kids Academy - West Park West Park Drive, Spen Lane, West Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 5AS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/02/2013 11/03/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The thoughtfully planned playrooms create an enabling environment for all children to promote independence and to engage children in purposeful play. Children benefit from a good range of play materials to support their learning and development.  Effective systems for planning and assessment display an accurate understanding of all children's skills, abilities and progress. Every practitioner has a good awareness of how young children learn and make the most of opportunities to promote children's learning through play, discussions and group activities.  Children's behaviour is good because staff make their expectations of children clear. This enables them to learn to care appropriately for their environment and their resources within it, as well as developing the ability to take turns and share.  Children's communication and language are given high priority and lots of opportunities are available to develop their skills. For example, children of all ages enjoy listening to

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This provision is good

stories and joining in with action songs.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The outdoor area is not yet fully developed to give children more opportunities to investigate the natural world. For example, by providing wind chimes, streamers, windmills and bubbles.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation and observed all children playing both indoors in the various rooms and in the two outdoor areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning records and a variety of documentation, whilst talking to the manager and owner at a variety of times through the inspection.  The inspector read written comments from the parents about the setting.

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Information about the setting

Kids Academy @ West Park was registered in 1997 on the Early Years Register. It is situated in a converted church hall in the West Park area of Leeds and is managed by Kids Academy Ltd. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from three rooms and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 15 members of child care staff. Of these, two hold a level 2, one holds a level 5, nine have level 3 and two hold a degree in childcare and one member of staff working towards a level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30 until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 75 children attending in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special needs

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance the use of outdoor areas to give opportunities for investigations of the natural world, for example, provide chimes, streamers, windmills and bubbles.

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who attend

Children's learning and development is enhanced by staff that are enthusiastic and intuitive to children's needs. The educational programme is well balanced and implemented successfully by staff that have a secure knowledge of how to promote the learning of young children and babies. Staff are good role models, encouraging children to explore, try new things and make links as they learn. Staff know the children very well. They use spontaneous and planned observations that are well captured, evaluative and used to fully inform individual plans for children. This results in all children making good progress. Children show increasing curiosity and confidence. They happily navigate around the environment, supported well by staff.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy messy play with dough. They are shown how to use the rolling pins and children are keen to show their friends and staff the buns they are making. Other children do free painting on the easel and draw pictures and make Mother's Day cards, with some help from staff. This helps to develop their manipulative and creative skills. Older children are keen to take part in the planned activity. They sit in a circle and make the shape with their fingers, they then hold the material and stretch it tight. All children shake the material and watch the ball jump and express how high it goes and that some of the balls smell of grapes and others have holes in. This very good activity that children are reluctant to stop doing, helps to develop their numeracy as they count three, two and one before they start and aids identification of shapes and different smells.

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who attend

Pre-school children get very good opportunities to develop their recognition of phonic sounds as they listen to the music and sounds of the letters. They sing along and clap each other when they are correct, supporting each other. This also prepares them for school, as they sit and listen attentively. Babies get lots of opportunities to move around as they push the wheelie toys around pressing the buttons and watching the different lights flash. They also go outside where they climb up the small slide and with help from staff and laugh as they come down. This helps to develop their early physical skills and social development as they take turns. In the large outdoor area, older children enjoy using the different play equipment. They ride bicycles, climb on the apparatus and play in the small covered area with balls and at certain times of the year grow flowers and vegetables within the garden. However, staff have not yet fully developed the outdoor

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who attend

space to enhance children's play and learning through making additional resources available to develop their knowledge of the natural world.

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who attend

Parents are very much involved in their children's learning and the setting in general. They have opportunities to discuss their children's progress regularly. Staff provide daily verbal feedback, share children's learning records and also use daily diaries to enable additional communication. Staff invite parents in to the setting to join in with the activities or to share events they are celebrating at home. Parents are encouraged to continue children's learning at home. Staff identify next steps through observations of the children and ensure parents are informed and feel fully involved in their children's progress. Staff complete a thorough progress check at age two and these are well documented with the children's next steps being monitored and parents kept fully informed through regular meetings. This helps to ensure continuity of care and good involvement of parents. Children's learning records are well documented, with additional tracking sheets to ensure children

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who attend

are developing according to their age and stage of development. The observations are clearly linked to all areas of learning and supported well with photographic evidence. Staff record with parents the children's starting points and also their next steps of learning.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff support children's well-being in a very positive manner, the key person system works very well throughout the setting. Children are placed with the key person to whom they respond to and they build strong relationships with each other as well as with the children's parents. Every child and its family receive a warm welcome in the nursery. This helps children's separation from their parents, puts children at ease, builds attachments and promotes their self-esteem. The nursery promotes transition well, when children progress to another room within the nursery. For example, children have settling in times in their new room, and with their new key person. Staff ensure parents are fully aware of which room, their child is moving on to and who their new key person is and have a transition book available for them. This helps to ensure that parents and children feel happy and settled before making the transition.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The inspection was brought forward as a result of a complaint relating to administering of medication, provision of breakfast and children's nappies. Throughout the inspection it was seen that children are cared for in a safe environment. Good nappy changing systems are in place and also good written procedures for administering medication and cream is in place and carried out according to parents' wishes. The setting has well written and clear risk assessments in place ensuring it is a safe, hygienic and healthy environment for children. For example, there are lists in each room referring to the creams used for each child when changing nappies and all medication administered is dated, recorded, witnessed and kept in a confidential manner. This ensures children's safety, good health and hygiene is paramount at all times.

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provision

Leadership and management of the nursery is strong. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the signs and symptoms to look for, should they have any safeguarding concerns. There is a well written policy and procedure for staff. This includes the role of the practitioner who takes the lead responsibility for safeguarding. The recruitment procedure is clear and fully established within the nursery. This means that every person who works in the nursery is properly vetted and cleared before being given a thorough induction. The nursery also has a secure intercom entrance system in place. Staff insist on seeing all identification of visitors and recording their visit. This ensures that children are cared for in a secure environment.

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provision

Staff work very well as a team and they are supported well to understand their roles and responsibilities. For example, regular reviews of polices at staff meetings, help to recognise the importance of policies, such as, safeguarding and risk assessments. Induction, supervision and appraisals are effective tools that the leadership team use to support staff and ensure that they have the opportunities for continual professional development, through attending further training. For example, staff are attending further training to support their already good understanding of caring for children with additional needs. Staff ensure that all planning is completed daily and is adapted to meet all children's interests. Any additional needs are identified and their stage of development recognised. This ensures children's skills and abilities are monitored and that they continue to make good progress in their learning.

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provision

There are good systems in place to monitor the educational programmes and development children make. Managers and staff regularly discuss the learning and development arrangements and how children are moving towards their next steps. Self-evaluation is ongoing and the whole staff team contribute to this. Staff are highly reflective and effectively evaluate the different parts of the provision. Managers and staff demonstrate a strong capacity to make improvements to the solid practice in place. The staffing team have a common sense of purpose and work effectively together to continually improve opportunities for children to achieve and maximise their individual potential. The nursery has a very well-established partnership with parents; the manager ensures that settling-in periods meet with parental needs. Parents receive information through regular newsletters, parents evenings, social events and very informative notice boards,

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provision

throughout the nursery. Staff make parents feel welcome in the nursery and provide daily feedback and daily diaries. This ensures that parents are continually involved in their children's welfare and learning. The nursery develops communication links with others provisions. Children are fully supported for their transitions to primary schools, as teachers attend the nursery to meet the children. This enables the key person to discuss children's individual learning and development and any special needs, ensuring continuity of care and learning.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 319383 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 902563

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 55 Number of children on roll 75 Name of provider Kids Academy Ltd Date of previous inspection 11/03/2011 Telephone number 0113 216 1090

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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