1st Friends day nursery and creche Ltd

1st Friends Day Nursery and Créche Roko Health Clubs, Roko Gillingham, Will Adams Way, GILLINGHAM, Kent, ME8 6BY

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/10/2013 16/08/2011

p.1

early years provision

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

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 The management have failed to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage relating to the safety and supervision of children. As a result, children's safety is compromised.  Risk assessments are not always effective in identifying all possible hazards and risks to children's safety.  The youngest children have fewer opportunities to express their ideas and thoughts to fully support their imaginative and creative development.  There are less opportunities for children to extend their independence, particularly at lunch time.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 The nursery successfully combines nursery care with provision for crche facilities for parents wanting to use the adjoining gym.Partnerships with parents are positive and support continuity of care routines between home and the nursery and crche.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the children and staff interacting in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector spoke to children, parents, staff and the managers.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of stipulated safeguarding documents, risk assessments, policies and procedures.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff's qualifications and suitability to be working with children.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager of the nursery and crche.

p.2

Information about the setting

1st Friends Day Nursery and Crche registered in 2011. It is registered on the Early Years Register. It is one of three day nurseries owned and operated by 1st Friends Day Nursery Limited. The nursery and crche operates from Roko Health Club in Gillingham, Kent.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery is open each weekday from 7am to 7pm for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 67 children in the early years age range on roll. The nursery and crche receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year olds. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery also supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs nine staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

p.3

must:

 ensure that children are adequately supervised and unable to leave the premises unsupervised at all times

p.3

must:

 ensure that all risks to children's safety are assessed and reviewed regularly and all staff understand the procedures to be followed to fully promote children's safety

p.3

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

 develop mealtime routines to help children to be able to independently serve themselves

p.3

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

 develop the educational programme for expressive arts and design for the youngest children to provide a range of experiences to enable them to use all of their senses.

p.3

who attend

Staff show a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This enables them to provide a suitable range of activities and experiences for the children who attend. Staff observe the children regularly to see what they can do and any emerging interests. This information is assessed to plan relevant next steps to help promote children's learning and development. Staff evaluate each week's planning and activities to monitor whether children have achieved their intended learning outcomes. This allows staff to plan additional activities and experiences to further support children to reach the next steps in their learning and development. Systems are in place to ensure that children's progress is monitored through the completion of the two year progress check. This means that staff are able to identify early on any concerns in children's learning and development. Consequently, children are able

p.4

who attend

to make sound progress in relation to their starting points.

p.4

who attend

Children enjoy a range of activities, which enables them to learn through planned, purposeful play. Staff have limited space in the nursery, but use a range of storage to maximise the resources available for children to choose from. Older children enjoy creating models with scented play dough. They use some of their senses, as they mould and shape the dough. Staff support this by talking to the children about the smell of the play dough and what they can create using their hands and the tools available. The younger children have a range of age appropriate toys to explore and develop their physical skills. Children learn to operate simple technology as they press large buttons on a wall mounted, sounds box. They are rewarded with a range of different sounds and music, which they move their bodies to. Thus helping develop their co-ordination and balance, as they transfer their weight from one foot to the other in time to the music. The

p.4

who attend

older children have opportunities for messy play daily. Staff ensure that sand and water is always available. In addition, paint and paper is easily accessible, as are opportunities for children to develop their early writing skills on the mark making table. However, opportunities are missed to enable children to enjoy role play, as the area does not look exciting or have an appropriate range of resources for children to access. In addition, opportunities for the youngest children to develop their creative skills are limited and those that are provided are not imaginatively resourced. For example, children have only one colour of paint and a couple of paint brushes to use, which results in few children engaging in the activity.

p.4

who attend

Overall, staff use secure questioning techniques to promote children's communication and language development. Staff working with the youngest children talk to the children constantly about what they are doing. Children respond with single words and babbling, which the staff respond to. This helps children to hear the correct pronunciation of the words they say and learn to take part in reciprocal conversations. Older children enjoy interactive story times, as staff do not always read from a book. They encourage the children to take part in the story through their use of sound questioning techniques, which enables the children to think through what is happening in the story and offer their own ideas. This helps to support children's imaginative development and help them to learn to take turns in putting forward their ideas. Children have a suitable range of books for them to relax and enjoy looking through.

p.4

who attend

Children's well-being and their physical skills are supported as they are able to enjoy fresh air daily as they play outdoors in the nursery garden. A large canopy means that children can enjoy playing outside all year round. The garden has been imaginatively resourced, with a range of resources and equipment to enable children to develop their physical skills and learn through play. For example, a role play area laid out as a builder's yard, enables children to learn mathematical concepts as they move lengths of wooden around and measure them.

p.4

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

The nursery operates from one large room within the health club premises. Consequently, parents wishing to use the gym facilities are able to place their children in the nursery's crche while they attend fitness classes or use the gym equipment. Staff therefore, care for a number of children who only attend one or two hours per week, as well as children who attend the nursery full-time. The management and staff take positive steps to promote children's well-being. However, a recent breach of a legal requirement means a child was able to leave the premises unnoticed and unsupervised. Therefore, children's well-being cannot be assured.

p.5

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

Staff support children's personal, social and emotional development generally well, as every child who attends the nursery and/or the crche has a key person. Information systems at the start of each new care arrangement ensures that staff have all the necessary information about individual children. In addition, parents are able to stay with their children for as long as they feel they need to, which means that children are able to explore their new surroundings from the security of their parents. This well planned settling-in process enables staff to build a relationship with their key children, and provides familiarity when they are left for the first time. Babies who arrive unsettled are quickly soothed by the warm, loving and consistent care they receive from staff. This means that children demonstrate they are happy and settled in the care of the staff. Consequently, children are ready to learn through play.

p.5

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

The staff help children to develop an understanding of the importance of leading healthy lifestyles through daily access to fresh air and physical play, and healthy, balanced and nutritious meals and snacks. The nursery uses an external catering company to provide their hot meals. The manager works closely with the company to ensure that all children's dietary requirements are met. This ensures that children with allergies or those who cannot eat certain foods due to cultural preferences are catered for. Staff support those children who are weaning, through blending or chopping their food to their individual stages. Children enjoy the social side of mealtimes, as they help to lay the table and sit with their friends and staff while eating. However, staff miss opportunities to help the older children develop their independence skills as children are unable to serve themselves lunch. This means that children miss out on developing their coordination and balancing

p.5

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

skills, and are also unable to learn about portion size and the balance of the different food groups. All children are able to enjoy daily outdoor play. The nursery's garden is not attached to the nursery. Consequently, staff and children have to walk through the gym coffee lounge and entrance to get outdoors and then walk along the side of the building to the rear, where their secure garden area is situated. The staff have a routine in place, which enables them to move the children safely between the indoor and outdoor environments. Some of the babies who are not yet walking are transported in an evacuation cot, while those that can walk hold on to staff's hands. Older children form a line, threading their arms through hoops attached to a rope and walk out single file, singing songs as they go. However, this procedure is reliant on the vigilance of staff and their communication between one another.

p.5

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

Children behave well in the nursery, as staff continually model appropriate social manners and politeness. Staff use 'please' and 'thank you' when talking to the children or each other, which means that children hear the use of good manners. Staff remind children to use their 'kind hands' and 'listening ears', which means that children are able to manage their own behaviour. Older children learn to manage their own personal hygiene routines as staff encourage them to manage their buttons and zips by themselves. Children go and wash their hands after personal hygiene routines and before eating, which helps to prevent the risk of cross infection and supports children's health and well-being.

p.6

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

The nursery and crche has links with the local schools, which enables the sharing of information between settings. The nursery has a secure relationship with the local school and the children's centre, which operates from the school site. Consequently, children are able to meet their teachers prior to them starting school, as the teachers visit the children in the nursery. This enables the teachers to see the children in their familiar surroundings and talk with children's key person about their learning and development. Therefore, children are able to move smoothly into the next stage of their education.

p.6

provision

This inspection was brought forward by Ofsted, following notification by the manager that a child was able to leave the premises unsupervised. A member of the public found the child near a busy road and returned the child to the setting unharmed. This incident raised concerns relating to child supervision, staff deployment and outings. The inspection found that staff had failed to supervise the children adequately and a lack of communication between staff left a vulnerable child unsupervised. Generally, the managers ensure that the other areas of the safeguarding and welfare requirements are met. However, the risk assessment procedure had not fully identified the potential weaknesses in the procedure for taking children outside. Staff knew individual children's needs, but had not ensured systems were securely in place to communicate with each other. The managers have put in place further systems as a result of the incident to ensure that all children are fully

p.6

provision

supervised and unable to leave the premises unsupervised. A barrier has been used to screen off the indoor area where the children put on their shoes and coats and this is not moved until all the children are securely 'hooped' onto the rope. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are placed at the end or the beginning of the line, which enables staff to hold their hands as they walk to the garden. As a result of the inspection findings, the provider is required to take further action. This is because they are not meeting all the legal requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage relating to safeguarding children's welfare.

p.6

provision

Despite this, staff show a secure understanding of the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child. They receive regular refresher training, which helps to ensure that they all have up-to-date knowledge and are confident in recognising and dealing with any concerns that they may have about a child in their care. Risk assessments and visual daily checks ensure that the indoor and outdoor learning environments are safe for the children who attend. Staff check the garden prior to the children going outside and encourage the older children to look to see if the gate is locked internally while they are outside. This helps to ensure that no unknown persons are able to access the garden while the children are outside.

p.6

provision

The manager monitors the educational programmes that staff provide for the children. Consequently, children are generally well supported to make consistent progress towards the early learning goals and their eventual move to school. Staff have regular staff meetings, which enables them to put forward their views on the educational programmes and the environment for the children. This helps the managers and staff to identify some of the nursery's strengths and weaknesses and produce action plans to tackle identified areas for improvement. Current plans for the improvement of the nursery are to create a larger play area for the older children, by swapping the age groups around. This will allow the staff to plan additional activities for the children, making sound use of the larger play area. The nursery seeks the views of the parents through daily verbal feedback and sessions for the parent's to attend the nursery with their children. Parents are happy with

p.7

provision

the care their children receive and the flexibility of the crche and nursery sessions. Parents comment that after successful crche arrangements, they use the nursery to provide longer care arrangements for their children. Staff have regular supervisions and appraisals in which they are able to discuss their own professional development or request any additional training, which they feel would benefit their practice. Staff are able to attend a range of training, which helps them to develop professionally and promote positive outcomes for children. Consequently, staff are enthusiastic about their roles and clearly enjoy their jobs.

p.7

provision

Wider partnerships with the local children's centre professionals and local authority childcare development workers, enable the staff to seek support or guidance should they have a concern about a child in their care. Professionals, such as speech and language advisors, come and visit the children in the nursery, which enables them to see the children in their familiar environment and view children's learning and development records. This enables tailored support to be put into place, which helps children to make progress in relation to their starting points.

p.7

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY423311 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 939284 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider 1st Friends Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 16/08/2011 Telephone number 01634 233348

p.9

Setting details

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

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,

p.10

Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.11

Type of provision

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

p.11