Kids Come First

Kids Come First Kids Come First, Bradford Road, CLECKHEATON, West Yorkshire, BD19 3PN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/08/2013 20/12/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 3 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Children are not always kept secure and safe as hazards are not always identified quickly and rectified.  Staff do not have sufficient opportunities to improve their personal effectiveness. Appropriate supervision arrangements are not in place and staff appraisals do not occur on a regular basis. As a result, teaching is variable and some practitioners do things for children rather than encourage them to find out for themselves.  Staff deployment is not sufficiently well managed to always support each child's individual needs. In addition, there is no named person responsible for behaviour management to advise staff on behaviour issues.  Parents are not always informed when their child has had an accident at the nursery.  Some resources, such as books, are few in number and not well organised. In addition, there are insufficiently interesting resources for pre-school children in the outdoor provision. This reduces learning opportunities.

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It has the following strengths

 Parents feel welcome in the nursery and feel involved in their children's development.  Key practitioners know children well. In particular, young children and babies enjoy lots of cuddles and attention. As a result, they feel confident and are making steady progress.

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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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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff engaging in a range of indoor and outdoor play and learning activities, and daily care routines with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to children and staff, and also held discussions with the deputy during the inspection.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the deputy of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's individual files, containing assessment documents and evidence of their progress. The inspector also reviewed planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working in the setting, the provider's self-evaluation systems and a range of other supporting documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection. The inspector also reviewed questionnaires completed by parents obtained from the provider of the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Kids Come First is a privately owned nursery and out-of-school care provision. It is situated in Cleckheaton, close to Bradford and Huddersfield. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It opened in 2008 and operates from a prefabricated building with three playrooms, all on the ground floor. There is an enclosed area for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open each weekday from 7.15am to 6pm for 52 weeks of the year, with the exception of public holidays. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 114 children on roll, of whom 70 are in the early years age range. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about the setting

There are 14 members on the staff, including the two owners. Nine of these are qualified to level 3 or above. One of the owners has a B.A. Honours Degree together with Qualified Teacher Status. The setting receives support from the local authority and is a member of National Day Nurseries Association. Staff are available to transport children to and from local schools.

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must:

 ensure that hazards are identified quickly and rectified to safeguard children. For example, the broken catch on the swing door between the baby room and adjoining kitchen

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must:

 put in place supervision arrangements to coach and mentor staff; ensure that staff receive regular appraisals so that they are able to improve their personal effectiveness to improve children's welfare and learning

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must:

 ensure all practitioners have a clear understanding about the different ways children learn and how to teach effectively by, for example, thinking about children's understanding, exploring alongside them and asking them open-ended questions

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must:

 ensure that staff are deployed so that all children are supported according to their individual needs

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must:

 ensure that there is a named practitioner in place who is responsible for behaviour management and that all staff are aware of these arrangements and make use this support when needed to maintain consistency and boundaries for children

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must:

 ensure robust implementation of the system of informing parents of accidents and injuries to their children that occur within the nursery.

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

 check resources, such as books, to make sure they are sufficient and appealing, and organise the outdoor resources for pre-school children to improve the learning opportunities for children indoors and outdoors.

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who attend

The resources are generally appropriate to support most areas of learning. They are easily accessible to all children in each of the rooms. For example, younger children and babies happily crawl around in the soft play area and enjoy their strength as they toss balls from the ball pool. Staff join in quickly with their play. They fetch balls back and support young children to learn about number and colours as they throw them back to the children. Older children can choose to play in the sand, with water or to build with blocks. Other resources are arranged in child-height cupboards and boxes that are labelled with pictures and words. This encourages children to play and explore independently. However, there are few books available in the room for over two-year-old children and these are stored haphazardly, without a nearby comfortable reading area. This reduces children's interest in books and reading for pleasure. Children have many opportunities to exercise as they

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who attend

vigorously play outdoors. Children are active as they ride bikes, play with hoops and balls and climb on the slide. However, the range of equipment available to pre-school children outdoors lacks challenge and excitement. While some children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development, these gaps mean that opportunities for all children to grow in their knowledge are at times limited.

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who attend

Practitioners observe children regularly. They write notes, which they add to children's files together with photos and children's artwork. Staff use this information to track children's development in each of the areas of learning. Staff also complete regular assessments and the 'progress check at age two' for children in that age range. This allows parents to see what children are doing at the nursery and how they are progressing. Key persons also communicate with parents through daily verbal feedback. This shows a sound understanding of the importance of partnerships with parents.

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who attend

Activities are varied and broadly stimulate children's interests. The nursery uses displays to introduce children to print words and to extend their knowledge of the world. For example, there is a large display about the travels of Bjorn the Bear. Parents are involved because children are encouraged to take the bear home with them and bring back information about their travels. Children really enjoy finding out about the natural environments through seeing chicks as they break out from their eggs. Children take great pleasure in being able to carefully hold these newly born tiny creatures. Activities, such as baby ballet help develop children's listening skills as they follow the instructions and music. Children count together with the leader as they try out 'demi plies', and have great fun as 'head, shoulders, knees and toes' gets faster and faster. Children have an opportunity to develop their writing skills as they make Eid cards. They develop creativity

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who attend

and ability to manipulate small objects while they play with home-made modelling dough. As a result, children are generally developing some of the skills necessary to prepare them for school, when the time comes.

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who attend

Children with additional needs are supported appropriately because there are clear systems for involving other professionals and sharing information. Key practitioners monitor the progress of all children, although they are not always provided with appropriate levels of support or challenge in order to extend their learning. This is because some practitioners generally supervise children or do things for them, and do not always support children to try out things for themselves. For example, staff roll out modelling dough for children to cut out shapes, rather than enabling children to try to roll it out or make their own creations with the dough. Practitioners do not routinely ask open-ended questions that will encourage children's critical thinking. In addition, practitioners sometimes focus on one activity and do not sufficiently approach and provide support to children playing in another area of a room or in a different part of the outdoor area.

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who attend

Support for older children's learning is, therefore, limited and gaps are starting to emerge.

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

The key person system works well and parents know their child's key person. Children develop secure attachments and get to know staff well. For example, staff greet children warmly as they arrive. Babies enjoy nappy changes as staff use this as a special time to cuddle them, make faces and blow 'raspberries' with them. Babies crinkle their eyes and laugh back in delight. Children mostly make a smooth transition into the nursery. This is supported as a broad range of information for parents is displayed in each area of the nursery. Parents speak highly of the setting and that their children enjoy attending.

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

The environment enables children to freely choose resources to play with and there is ample room for them to move around. However, the baby room is not always well maintained to ensure that babies are kept safe. For example, a catch on the swing door between the baby room and the adjoining kitchen area was broken on the day of the inspection. This poses a potential risk to crawling babies. This means that staff have not effectively risk assessed to minimise risks to children.

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

Children's behaviour is suitably supported because staff have received additional training in behaviour management strategies with young children. However, staff are not aware of who is the named practitioner responsible for behaviour management within the nursery. This means that staff do not know who to ask for additional support, should the need arise. Children's behaviour is generally good. Staff act as appropriate role models and remind children to be polite to each other. Children are encouraged to share and take turns. They mainly play together well and cooperate. However, there are occasions when a child is unkind to another child and this is not noticed by staff.

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

Children have healthy snacks and meals. For example, children enjoy a meal of mince, potatoes and vegetables. Meals are prepared freshly on site by care staff. Children develop an understanding of the importance of personal hygiene as they learn to wash hands before meals. Children's self-care skills are adequately developed, as they are encouraged to clear away after meals. Babies' good health is promoted as there is a 'no outdoors shoe' rule in the baby room to reduce the risk of infection. Practitioners further assure good hygiene practices by wearing gloves and aprons when changing nappies.

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

Children are prepared for change and transitions as systems support children in being prepared for the next stage in their learning. For example, each child's key person meets with other staff members, as children move between rooms. This enables appropriate support to be given to children at times of change.

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provision

Staff have a generally sound knowledge of their responsibilities to safeguard children. For example, they understand the rules concerning the use of mobile phones and cameras within the nursery and are willing to remind parents concerning these when necessary. Practitioners have a satisfactory understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to child protection issues. For example, staff are clear about the whistle-blowing policies and say that they would not hesitate to take necessary action to protect children from potential harm. Appropriate recruitment procedures help ensure that all adults working in the nursery are safe and suitable to do so. The providers undertake all necessary background checks and provide new starters with sufficient induction. Generally good arrangements are in place to ensure that staffing ratios are maintained at all times of day, including the early morning. Doors are kept locked. Parents and visitors gain entry to the

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provision

nursery only when staff identify them and let them in via the intercom system. These measures help safeguard children.

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provision

The nursery carries out risk assessments which are reviewed regularly, but not all hazards are quickly noticed and rectified. Policies and procedures meet requirements but there are some gaps in staff adhering to these. For example, the nursery has an appropriate procedure for staff to ensure parents are aware of accidents and injuries that have occurred. However, this procedure has not been consistently followed. This means that, on some occasions, accidents and incidents have happened and parents have not been informed.

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provision

Practitioners are encouraged to attend training and to extend their qualifications. Most staff have, or are working towards, a level 3 qualification. However, staff do not have sufficient opportunities to improve their personal effectiveness though coaching and mentoring. Appropriate supervision arrangements are not in place and staff appraisals do not occur on a regular basis. This means that not all staff have a sufficient knowledge of how to support children in their learning and development. Children are not always provided with developmentally appropriate learning opportunities and, as a result, some gaps in children's progress are starting to emerge.

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provision

Self-evaluative practice is in place that generally identifies strengths and weaknesses. Parents are asked for their views through face-to-face discussions and questionnaires. Staff discuss potential areas for development in team meetings. For example, the nursery plans to extend the outdoor provision to have growing areas for children.

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provision

Liaison with parents is a strong feature of the nursery. Parents spoken to during the inspection are very complimentary about the nursery. They say their children enjoy going to nursery and that staff are very attentive to their children's individual needs. Displays and newsletters keep them informed about the nursery and its policies. Parents feel involved in their children's learning because an invitation-only social media site means that parents read about their children's day and facilitates parents sharing information. The setting works with parents and other professionals where there are concerns about children's development, to ensure that they make appropriate progress given their starting points. The managers liaise with other providers and local schools. This enables the practitioners to promote continuity of care and aids children's transition to school.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY374763 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 915664

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 73 Number of children on roll 114 Name of provider Kids Come First Partnership Date of previous inspection 20/12/2010 Telephone number 01274 876179

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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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