Latest Ofsted Report

Inspection report for early years provision

Unique Reference Number 507840

Inspection date 16/04/2010

Inspector Lynn Reeves

Setting Address 10 Padnell Road, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 8DZ

Telephone number 023 92254236, E-mail annswomblesnursery@live.co.uk

Registered person Ann Kathleen Prior

Type of inspection Integrated, Type of care Full day care

About this inspection

The purpose of this insection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding:

  this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality

Good:

  this aspect of the provision is strong

Satisfactory:

  this aspect of the provision is sound

Inadequate:

  this aspect of the provision is not good enough

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

Description of the setting

Ann's Wombles Nursery opened in 1977 and operates from rooms on the ground floor within the providers own home in the village of Cowplain in Hampshire. The nursery is privately owned and has easy access to the building with ramps. It is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 26 children may attend the nursery at any one time aged two to under eight years. The nursery opens each weekday from 7:00am to 6.00pm except for bank holidays. All children share access to the enclosed outdoor play areas. The group also offers a facility for caring for school aged children before and after school.

Currently there are 27 children on roll, of which 21 are in the early years age range. The owner and four members of staff work directly with the children, of whom three hold relevant child care qualifications and one who is awaiting training. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional

language.

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision.

Overall the quality of the provision is good,

All children are happy and settled during their time at the nursery because staff, take the time to get to know the children well. Clear policies and most of the procedures are implemented consistently to ensure all children are supported and continue to make good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff attend training to ensure they continue to update their knowledge and skills, driving

development and improvement in the setting for the benefit of the children who attend. Strong partnerships with parents of children who attend are developing well, ensuring each child's individual needs are being met.

What steps need to be taken to improve provision further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

 continue developing the assessments and planning to clearly show identified next steps for children's progress which can then be measured against their individual achievementsMaintain the relevant documentation with the required parental signatures.

 The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision

Children are being safeguarded because good recruitment and vetting procedures are in place. Staff have a secure knowledge of the child protection procedures and know how to implement them to safeguard the children. All visitors to the setting are required to sign in and out of the visitor's book, maintaining an accurate record of everyone who comes into contact with the children. Daily registers are taken of the children and staff in attendance. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure the premises are safe and secure for the children and undertaken daily to ensure children are kept safe.

The owner and staff have a clear vision for the nursery and are continually developing systems and procedures to monitor the effectiveness of the setting and the outcomes for children. For example, since the last inspection the owner has decorated and re-organised the children's base rooms, and added more storage areas with clear labelling. This helps to develop children's independence for self-selecting resources and creates a clean and bright learning environment. The owner has also installed a disability ramp to the rear of the building and has two additional portable ramps that could be used at the front of the building to ensure easy access for everyone. A bio-metric finger print system has also been installed, which allows only parents who are registered on the system to gain entry. Daily routines, staff performance and individual activities are consistently monitored and evaluated to ensure they reflect the care needs of the children. Staff deployment is good, ensuring all children are fully supervised and receive support and encouragement throughout the day. The setting has made good progress since the last inspection and has addressed all of the previous recommendations raised. For example, staff have attended Early Years Foundation Stage training and are working well to ensure all six areas of the curriculum are covered, However, the observations and assessment systems still need areas developing. Clearer information is displayed and shared with parents to ensure they are fully involved with their child's learning and the risk assessments and the complaints procedures are now well maintained.

Procedures are in placed to record accidents, incidents and medication; however, some have the required parental signatures missing. Staff attend team meetings to share expertise and are encouraged to attend regular training. Staff are well deployed to maintain good ratios and support the children in their learning and play. The learning environment is bright and colourful with children's own creations and photographs displayed promoting their sense of belonging. The sessions run smoothly and the wide range of resources help children to be actively involved.

Equality is promoted well within the setting and all children's individual needs are being met. They use a range of multicultural resources to learn about other cultures and beliefs and take part in planned topics and themes celebrating festivals. Positive images of ethnicity, gender and disability are displayed around the nursery. Procedures are in place to support children with individual needs and staff are skilled at differentiating the activities to ensure all children are involved and gain the most of what is on offer.

Children's welfare needs are being met throughout the nursery because staff spend time with the parents and record detailed information about their children's daily routines and individual care needs. Strong relationships are being built with the parents and they are able to talk to the staff at any time. Verbal information about what the children achieve is shared openly and parents receive information about their children's next learning steps to involve them in their child's learning both at the nursery and at home. Parents have access to their child's records at any time and are able to make written contributions about their child's learning.

Newsletters and notice boards are used to keep the parents fully informed about developments and activities within the nursery. Some parents have verbally given positive comments about the nursery, stating that the staff are very friendly and approachable and that their children's needs are being met well including their care, welfare and educational needs. Systems are in place to share information with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage when children begin to attend other settings which ensures the children's care, play and learning in one setting complements another. The children are given opportunities to visit the local infant schools and the teachers are invited into the nursery to meet the children to ensure the transition into school runs smoothly.

The quality and standards of the early years provision and outcomes for children

All children in the nursery have fun and enjoy a wide variety of activities and experiences to promote their learning and development is all six areas. The staff team have secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and spend time gathering information about what the children can do through observations, They keep samples of the children's work and achievements in their individual learning journals, which are shared with parents. Although, the systems in place need further developing to ensure the planning clearly show identified next steps for children's progress which can then be measured against their individual achievements. Staff ask open-ended questions to extend the children's learning and encourage the children to think about what they are trying to achieve. For example, children making elephant masks are encouraged to look at the pictures in the book to see if they can create and decorate the same images. Children enjoy colouring and show off their creations with pride to the

adults, talking about what they have drawn and coloured in, They use their imagination well using a variety of media such as sand, foam shapes and dried pasta.

Children are able to play alone if they wish to, or sit and read books independently. They have opportunities to choose books from the mobile library and enjoy listening to stories from the visiting local story teller who uses a range of props

when reading to the children to make books interesting. Staff sit down on the floor with the children, becoming involved in their play when asked, or stand back to let play develop. For example, as several children build a tower with the Lego bricks, they ask adults to help them build it high. Children's mathematical concept is developing as they laugh and giggle saying the tower is bigger than them. They thoroughly enjoy themselves knocking the towers over and starting again. They consolidate their learning with playing match and soft and comparison games.

Other children enjoy using the Magna Doodle boards, counting and naming the colours and shapes as they create patterns. Children are developing their recognition of letters and words as they self-register and see labelled resources

around the setting. Staff introduce new vocabulary and allow the children time to repeat the words as they consolidate their learning. Children use everyday technology, such as computers and programmable toys. All staff are enthusiastic

and support the children well during activities and continuous play. All children have access to outdoor play areas and have opportunities to reap the benefits of the fresh air every day and enjoy outings to local amenities and parks.

Children have opportunities to run, jump and climb and laugh and giggle as they feel the sand in their toes playing in the large sand pit in the garden. They organise themselves well, taking off their own socks and shoes and pretend to

hunt for buried treasure in the wet sand. They demonstrate good spatial awareness as they ride the wheeled toys on the hard standing and begin to understand the concept of playing quietly and loudly as they play a range of musical instruments,

The children are developing good self-care skills as they attempt to put on their own coats and shoes for outdoor play and visit the toilets independently. Good hygiene procedures are implemented to help prevent the possible spread of

infection. They help themselves to tissues and wet wipes and pour their drinks from the water dispenser. Children are beginning to learn about the importance of eating food that is good for them and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They have access to the secure garden throughout the day to ensure they reap the benefits of the fresh air and talk about how exercise is good for their bodies.

Children take part in activities to further develop their understanding of a nutritious diet. For example, they take part in food tasting activities and are provided with a good selection of healthy options for snacks and meals. Meals times are sociable as all the children sit together and they talk about the germs they have just washed

off their hands.

Children learn how to keep themselves safe through discussion and the consistent rules and boundaries implemented by staff. For example, children know they must not run in the nursery or stand on the chairs in case they fall and hurt themselves.

Children and staff practise regular fire drills to ensure everyone knows what to do if they have to evacuate the building in the event of an emergency. Children talk about how important it is for the staff to check if the gates are locked before they go outside to play. Staff implement clear rules and boundaries consistently, so the children know exactly what is expected of them. Children are well behaved because they are busy and occupied in activities throughout the day that reflect their own interests. They are beginning to show consideration for others as they share and take turns and are encouraged to say sorry and think about the feelings of others if they upset anyone, The staff effectively involve and include children in activities, encouraging them to work together in a cooperative way, for example,

working out how long they should stay in the sand pit before letting others use it or how long they should use the computer for. Staff are positive role models and actively encourage the use of good manners and politeness from an early age.

Children are interested in the activities and are fully occupied throughout the day, which has a very positive effect on their behaviour.

Annex B: The Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part

of the Childcare Register are: MET

The provider confirms that the requirement of the voluntry part

of the Childcare register are: MET