Kinder Castle

Kinder Castle 4 Tynemouth Road, Tynemouth, NORTH SHIELDS, Tyne and Wear, NE30 4AY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/08/2013 16/06/2009

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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 management team and staff members strive to continually improve the setting through effective evaluation of what the setting offers, this benefits the experiences children have in the nursery. Staff members work closely with parents and are particularly sensitive in helping new children settle quickly.  Secure attachments are seen throughout the nursery as a result of the purposeful interactions between staff members and children. Staff members are skilled in interacting with children, are sensitive to their needs and work well together as a team.  Members of staff use a calm, positive approach to managing children's behaviour, which takes into account children's understanding and maturity. Consequently, children's behaviour is good.  Children benefit from a varied range of purposeful activities and experiences and are well-supported by the staff members, which helps to support them in making good

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This provision is good

progress in their learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not always have sufficient opportunities for challenge and to explore the natural world by developing and using additional resources in the outdoor environment.  Role play resources are not sufficient enough for pre-school children to extend and develop their imaginative play fully.

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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 activities in the main group room and outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journeys, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of practitioners working in the setting and a range of other records, policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through discussion with them.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Kinder Castle was registered in 2004 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose-built premises in Tynemouth and is owned by a limited company. The nursery serves the local area and further afield. It is accessible to all children and there are enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 24 members of permanent childcare staff including the nursery manager and deputy. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level three and above. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm, throughout the year, excluding bank holidays and one week between Christmas and New Year. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 108 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance the use of the outdoors so that children have rich opportunities to investigate the natural world and further opportunities for physical challenge

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

 enhance the role playing areas to provide resources and materials which reflect children's family lives and communities to further develop children's imagination.

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who attend

Information gathered at the onset of a placement, from parents ensures that a clear picture of children's abilities, interests and activities they enjoy at home is established, which mean the staff have a very good understanding of children's likes, needs and routines. Staff members demonstrate a good understanding of the areas of learning and because of this the quality of teaching ensures an effectively organised and stimulating learning environment is provided. All children are making good progress towards the early learning goals, particularly in the prime areas of learning. Good ongoing observations and thoughtful intervention mean that the staff members extend children's interests and explorations well. For example, young children express a great interest in messy and creative play and staff use this well to develop children's mark making and social skills. For example, children fully engage with

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who attend

their peers as they play in a 'gloop' activity and marvel at the shapes they make in the mixture. They learn to use descriptive language as they describe the 'gloop' as being 'sticky', and state 'tip' as they watch the mixture falling down from their hands. They share and take turns as they skilfully handle the various tools used, to make marks. These include brushes, spoons and forks. This in turn provides them with good opportunities to develop their personal, social and emotional development in addition to developing their mark making and physical skills. Babies have very good opportunities to explore using their senses and benefit greatly from the sensory experiences provided for them. For example, they reach out to touch the colourful streamers within their grasp, gaze with wonder at their refection in the mirrors and explore their sense of smell using the hanging lavender filled bags. They clearly love making music and become animated to the sounds

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who attend

they make using the various musical instruments. Outdoors, with caring support from their key persons children further develop their physical skills well, as they learn to balance and climb on the various sized crates. This provides them with very good opportunities to learn control of their bodies.

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who attend

Staff members plan activities well to include all children, who consequently thoroughly engage and enjoy playing with the parachute. They laugh and smile with pleasure as they take turns hiding underneath and begin to develop an understanding of space and measure as they discuss how high it floats. In addition, they discuss and skilfully identify the various colours displayed. Older children are becoming confident in number recognition as they sit with staff members and draw various numerals for their room display. Children clearly love outdoor play, however the outdoor area used for the older children does not provide them with sufficient opportunities for challenge or opportunities to explore the natural world. However, trips to local parks, the seaside and fish quay give children good experiences to discover and explore nature as well as providing them with some opportunities for challenge. This also provides them with good opportunities to learn

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who attend

about their local community. They learn about the wider world as they discuss holidays and celebrate many festivals to further their understanding. Children are confident to communicate and discuss the pet lizards in the pre-school room. They explain how they help to feed and bathe them and that they feel tickly when they crawl through their hair. This provides children with very good opportunities to care for living things and experience nature.

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who attend

Staff members are extremely skilled in their story telling techniques and engage children fully whilst sharing favourite stories. Children enthusiastically finish off well-known phrases and staff encourage them to describe the pictures displayed. Children are good at listening and respond well to adult requests. Pre-school children clearly love imaginative play and interact well together as they make their make believe shop. However, there is scope to improve imaginative play further by increasing role play resources. Children display an enthusiasm to learn, and together with the very good level of support from the staff, this prepares them well for their future learning. Information is shared effectively with parents on a daily basis in the form of discussions, learning journals and noticeboards. Learning journals, as well as discussions are used to inform and discuss ideas on how parents can extend their children's learning at home. In

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who attend

addition, parents are invited to parent evenings where children's learning can be discussed in depth. The support and opinions of parents are highly valued by the nursery and they value any comments made to them through the use of questionnaires as well as through discussion.

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

Children settle well at this friendly and welcoming nursery, due to the flexible settling-in methods adopted by the staff. Parents of children that are new to the setting are encouraged to bring them for regular visits before they start, so that they can become familiar with the staff and nursery. This helps children to get to know other children in the group and to settle really well. Effective ways of sharing information about children's routines and individual needs are developed and this supports children well during their transitions from home to the nursery so they settle happily. The good level of adult attention and warm interaction ensures that all children form positive and trusting relationships with their key person and other staff.

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

Staff have a calm and consistent manner with the children, which results in them showing children the best way to behave. Children are aware of the boundaries that are set and are well behaved. Staff are good role models to them and are respectful and kind towards children at all times. For example, they get down to children's level and provide children with realistic explanations on how they should behave towards their peers. Children learn to keep themselves safe through timely reminders from staff. For example, staff remind children not to climb on furniture. In addition, ongoing risk assessments ensure accidents are minimised and emergency evacuation procedures are discussed and practised to further enhance children's awareness of safety.

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

Children develop good self-care skills as they learn about the need to wash their hands after using the toilet and happily brush their teeth after meals. They engage enthusiastically in physical play and understand when they need a drink and help themselves to their individual water bottles. In addition, they benefit from the healthy and nutritious meals and snacks, and help to serve their own meals. This demonstrates their understanding of keeping themselves healthy and caring for their overall good health. It provides them with rich opportunities to further enhance their good self-care and independence skills. They move around independently in a well laid out environment where resources are well maintained, clean and readily accessible to them.

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provision

The management and staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities in implementing the welfare and learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Support from the local authority and the completion of the Ofsted self-evaluation form helps them to continually evaluate how children can be supported to learn and make progress. This shows that they reflect on their practice well to make continuous improvements for the parents and children.

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provision

Effective induction systems ensure that staff are clear about their roles and the policies and procedures within the setting. Staff's ongoing suitability is monitored through the manager carrying out annual appraisals. This gives the staff and manager a good opportunity to discuss any concerns about performance and any training and development needs. The manager also monitors staff performance on a daily basis while she works alongside them, which results in any concerns about their performance being picked up quickly and addressed. Ongoing staff development ensures that they continually improve their knowledge and understanding of good quality practice. For example, alongside mandatory training such as first aid and safeguarding staff also complete training in British sign language. This provides staff with improved skills to communicate effectively with all children. In addition, regular team meetings where staff share good practice help to

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provision

support them well in their daily work with the children.

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provision

Management and staff members demonstrate a good understanding of how to help safeguard children. Clear child protection procedures, information to refer to and contact details are in place, should staff need to seek advice, or make a referral regarding a child's care or welfare. A secure environment, good risk assessments and robust safety practices within the setting ensure that children are also safe. In addition, the nursery has a webcam facility that parents can log into throughout the day to observe their children playing. Documentation is all very well organised, meets requirements, is easily accessible and underpins their practice well. Thorough and effective monitoring of the educational programmes ensures that a varied range of experiences are planned and provided to help children make progress in all areas of learning. The manager works directly with the children, which enables her to observe them first hand. Staff observe and note children's

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provision

achievements in a development record, which enables them to plan a suitable range of challenging activities based on children's interests.

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provision

Very positive partnerships between management, staff and parents ensure that children's overall needs are well met. Parents spoken to at the inspection are very positive about the service provided. They state that all staff members are extremely helpful and welcoming and that their children's key persons demonstrate a high level of awareness and understanding of their individual children. This enables them to keep parents fully informed of their children's progress. This is a positive indication of how committed the staff are in maintaining a strong emphasis on partnership working. In addition, good working partnerships have been developed with local schools. For example, visits from teachers, as well as discussions with the children, prepare them for their continuous learning and helps to ensure children's smooth transition as they move onto school.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 EY280850 Local authority North Tyneside Inspection number 915409

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 72 Number of children on roll 108 Name of provider Kinder Castle Ltd Date of previous inspection 16/06/2009 Telephone number 0191 2704545

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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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