Kidzone

Kidzone 10 Chuch Street, Crook, DL15 9BG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/06/2014 27/07/2009

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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

 Staff provide good opportunities for pre-school children to observe things closely through a variety of means, including magnifying glasses. This helps them to make comments and ask questions, which enhances their understanding of living things.  The manager and her staff team understand their role in safeguarding children. They know how to respond to possible signs of abuse and are aware of procedures to take should they have any concerns regarding the practice of other members of staff.  Partnerships with parents and external agencies are well established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs.  The manager ensures the premises and equipment are clean and comply with health and safety legislation. This keeps children safe and actively promotes their physical well-being.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, activities carried out at group time are too long for younger children in the pre-school room, which does not extend their already good listening and attention skills.  There is scope to improve access to some resources in the two-year-old room in order for children to enrich their ability to make choices and direct their own play.

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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 had a tour of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the manager's self-evaluation process and action plans.  The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in all nursery rooms.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the room leader of the baby room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a meeting with the manager of the nursery and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Kidzone was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in two-storey premises in the Crook area of County Durham, and is managed by a limited company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery operates a wraparound service for children attending local schools. It employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, and four hold qualifications at level 4 and above. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, excluding Bank Holidays. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 117 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional

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Information about the setting

language and 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:

 strengthen the already good teaching by ensuring all activities delivered for pre- school children at group time are time limited, in order for younger children to further enhance their already good listening and attention skills

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

 extend ways to enhance the independence skills of two-year-old children in order to enrich their ability to make choices and direct their play.

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who attend

Staff provide a good range of interesting, stimulating and challenging experiences for children to enjoy. Areas of provision have been carefully thought through and created to cover all seven areas of learning. This means that children thoroughly enjoy exploring their environment, find out about things and try out and practise their own thoughts and ideas. For example, pre-school children thoroughly enjoy using magnifier glasses to look closely at tadpoles. Staff support them well to talk about their observations and encourage them to use words, such as 'froglet'. Staff recognise their role in building the right conditions for children's learning. They ensure each child feels valued as an individual and their own rate of development is respected. Regular assessments of learning are carried out. This ensures all children are supported in ways that are right for them. Consequently, children make good progress as a result of attending the nursery. Staff support two-year-

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who attend

old children well as they play. They join in play sensitively and fit in with their ideas, especially when they access the role-play area. Children listen carefully and respond when staff ask questions, such as 'What am I having for my tea today?' This enables them to extend their expressive language skills and use talk to explain what they are doing. Skills are developed even further when staff make comments, such as 'I am having a cup of tea in a red cup'.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is consistently good. Staff are well qualified and provide learning experiences for all children that meet their individual needs. They support the physical skills of babies and very young children well. A wide range of resources are provided for children to explore and investigate. They are easily accessible on the carpet area and staff are sensitive to children who have limited mobility, ensuring they can reach out and touch objects placed near to them. Pre-school children are provided with very good opportunities to develop their early writing skills. The indoor environment is resourced well with pens, pencils, clipboards and notebooks, and children enjoy writing their own name and other words independently as they play. This provides an excellent foundation for children's future literacy development and supports them very well for when they start school. Staff make generally good use of group time to extend children's learning. Two-year-old

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who attend

children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend with their key person listening to traditional tales. They sustain concentration when staff read the story and enjoy joining in with repeated phrases. However, group time sessions delivered to pre-school are occasionally too long for younger children to fully enhance their listening and attention skills. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported to make progress, based on their individual starting points. Staff make good use of advice from external agencies, such speech and language therapy and Portage staff, to work together and support children's individual and specific needs. Children who speak English as an additional language are equally well supported to make progress. Staff obtain key words from parents to encourage children to use their home language in play-based activities and experiences.

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who attend

The manager and her staff team give high priority to working with parents and engage them in their children's learning and development in the nursery and at home. Parents are actively encouraged to share what they know about their children. For example, parents share children's 'wow' moments at home with staff to share examples of significant learning. Information is used well by staff, who incorporate this into children's individual learning journal files. Parents have regular access to this document. Written comments in files show they enjoy looking at observations, photographs and examples of their children's work. Documentation also includes tracking information which is highly comprehensive and demonstrates how progress is made is over time.

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

Children and parents are warmly welcomed into this friendly nursery. Staff are well qualified, experienced practitioners who find the best ways to offer care, nurture and learning that match the needs and interests of individual children. As a result, children are happy to separate from their parents each day and enjoy playing and exploring in an environment which is safe and secure. An effective key-person system is in place. This supports children to develop good attachments and offers a settled, close relationship. Children spoken to during the inspection describe how happy they are and how much they enjoy playing with their friends. Staff are good role models and behaviour expected of children is modelled by them. As a result, behaviour in the nursery is good and children are well mannered and polite. Frequent verbal praise also promotes children's self-esteem and confidence. Throughout the nursery, relationships between both staff and children are

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

very good. This promotes a relaxed and happy environment which enables children to feel cherished and secure.

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

Children demonstrate good independence skills for their age. They serve their own food at mealtimes, pour their drinks and wash their own hands. Food preparation is given high priority, and pre-school children actively engage in chopping fruits, such as strawberries, for snack time. Staff talk to them about the importance of eating balanced, nutritious food, and children share their likes and dislikes of particular fruits. This supports their understanding of the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Nursery rooms are generally organised effectively and most resources are clearly labelled. As a result, children are able to find and return the toys, equipment and resources they require to support their play. However, there is scope to extend children's independence skills even further in the two-year-old room, in order to enrich children's ability to make choices and direct their own play. For example, by ensuring a wider range of books, both fiction and

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

non-fiction, are provided and making more effective use of materials to support early writing. Children's health and well-being are promoted. Staff give consistently clear messages to children to ensure they are developing an understanding of hygiene practices. For example, staff encourage children to wash their hands after exploring the tadpoles. Children's physical health and well-being are further supported in the outdoor area where safety is promoted and daily opportunities are provided for children to be physically active and exuberant. Children show great excitement about being outdoors. They use and move a wide range of open-ended equipment, such as milk crates, tyres and wooden logs, to suit the purposes of their play. Children show an awareness of safety in the indoor environment when they independently push chairs under the table during tidy-up time.

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

Continuity is provided in children's emotional and physical development when they begin attending the nursery. A wealth of good quality information is collected from parents and this is used effectively by all staff. For example, information includes family structure, children's likes and dislikes, sleep and nappy changing routines. Children make a number of visits with their parents before staying on their own. This helps them to become familiar with the nursery and to feel confident and safe within it. Children are equally well supported when they move rooms within the nursery. They make a number of visits, supported by their key person, before staying for short periods on their own. Continuity for children's individual needs is further supported when staff share key information with each other regarding children's welfare, learning and development. They complete a document called 'helping transitions' which details information, such as children's

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

independence skills and their friendships. This supports children's physical and emotional well-being during this time of change. Relationships with local schools are good and support children well when they transfer. School teachers visit children in the nursery and, occasionally staff make visits with children to their new school environment. This further supports children emotionally, especially when they have specific needs.

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provision

The manager takes all necessary steps to keep children safe and well. She demonstrates a strong commitment to creating and maintaining a high quality nursery where children are safeguarded very well. All staff understand their role in protecting children from harm. They know how to respond to possible signs of abuse and are aware of procedures to take should they have any concerns regarding the practice of fellow colleagues. A clear written policy is in place. This includes procedures for the use of mobile phones and cameras. For example, personal mobiles are kept in staff lockers at all times. The manager and her staff team use a mobile phone, designated for work purposes, in nursery rooms to make contact with parents. They send text messages and make telephone calls to reassure them their children are settled and happy. Texts viewed as part of the inspection show how parents value this form of communication. Children are further protected as they are

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provision

supervised very well at all times and staff ensure their safety. Staff are well deployed in all rooms and carry out ongoing risk assessments to ensure the environment, both indoors and outdoors, is safe and free from hazards. Effective procedures are in place for managing children's nappies. Staff maintain high standards of hygiene. They wear protective aprons and ensure children are placed on changing mats, which are cleaned to a high standard before and after they have been used.

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provision

The manager has a good overview of the effectiveness of the nursery. She carries out regular one-to-one meetings with staff where they discuss their strengths and highlight individual training needs. Staff have undertaken a range of training lately, including safeguarding. This supports their already very good practice and helps to keep children safe. The manager and her deputy monitor the children's learning journal files staff complete so that they can highlight any gaps in achievement and plan appropriate interventions. This ensures there is consistency in planning and assessment procedures across the nursery. In addition, the manager and her deputy have started to observe staff regularly and monitor the quality of teaching and learning through ongoing observations and monitoring. Self-evaluation is good because the manager and her staff team identify what they do well and how they help children learn. They have a detailed action plans

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provision

with clear priorities for improvement, which takes into account the views of parents and children. They welcome support from the local authority and act on the advice given. This means that the nursery has a good capacity to improve.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and external agencies are well established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. The entrance area provides good quality information for parents. This ensures they are kept fully up to date with key events and are effectively sign posted to external agencies and services, should they require additional help. Good use is made of information provided by external agencies, such as speech and language therapy and Portage services, to support children's individual needs. This helps to improve communication and coordination between professionals, staff and families. The manager and her staff team have been proactive in their approach to share information with other providers when children attend other settings. For example, learning and development information is effectively shared. Staff make good use of features in their local area. For example, children visit their local church, library and

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provision

market with staff. This supports their understanding and helps them to find out about life in the community in which they live.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY240340 Local authority Durham Inspection number 978289

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 117 Name of provider Kidzone Durham Ltd Date of previous inspection 27/07/2009 Telephone number 01388 768888

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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

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’.

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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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