Roundabout Private Day Nurseries
Professional Childcare
Roundabout Private Day Nurseries
Professional Childcare
Roundabout Nursery
Inspection report for early years provision
Unique Reference Number 260347
Inspection date 22 February 2008
Inspector Maxine Williams Setting Address 51 Abbey Lane, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST2 8AU
Telephone number 01782 533699
E-mail joanb1950@aol.com
Registered person Roundabout Out-of-School-Care Ltd
Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care,
Type of care Sessional care, Out of School care
About this inspection
The purpose of this inspection 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.
THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION
On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection: The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding. The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.
WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?
Roundabout Out of School Care (Time Out) is one of three settings run by Roundabout Out of School Care Ltd. It opened in 2001 and operates from a former school annex building. It is situated in between Our Lady and St Benedict's school and church in Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent. A maximum of 60 children may attend the out-of-school provision and a maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The out-of-school club is open each weekday from 07.15 to 09.00 and 15.00 to 18.00 during school term times and from 07.15 to 16.00 during school holidays. The pre-school is open each weekday during the spring and summer terms from 09.30 to 12.00. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.
There are currently 37 children aged from three to under eight years on roll. Of these, 12 children receive funding for early education. The setting also caters for children over the age of eight. Children come from the local and surrounding areas and children attending the out-of-school club are collected from several local schools. The setting currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.
The provision employs nine members of staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are working towards a qualification.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISION
Helping children to be healthy
The provision is good.
Children are cared for in a warm, clean environment where they learn the importance of good personal hygiene through well-planned routines. They know they need to wash their hands before snack times and after using the toilet. Children's health is well protected by the successful implementation of policies and procedures. Accident and medication systems are fully understood and all records are accurate and up to date. The majority of staff have current first aid certificates and there is a fully stocked first aid box available. Consequently, children are protected in an emergency. Children’s understanding of how to keep themselves healthy is promoted through topics and conversations about nutrition, hygiene and the importance of exercise in maintaining good health. This means that children begin to recognise ways to keep themselves healthy and to take responsibility for their own well-being.
The setting provides a healthy and nourishing range of snacks that appeal to children and meet their nutritional needs. Children attending the out-of-school provision enjoy sociable snack times, where they sit down together in small groups to share nutritious food. Children aged eight and over are encouraged to develop their independence as they make their own sandwiches, using bread, crackers and an assortment of fillings. Younger children eagerly request apples, bananas and octopus oranges, as staff dutifully separate the segments to form an octopus shape. When choosing food children are reminded to take the first item they touch, promoting their awareness of suitable table manners. However, although the table is wiped with antibacterial spray prior to use, not all children are provided with plates to put their food on, therefore they eat directly from the table. As a result, understanding of appropriate food and hygiene procedures is not fully extended for some of the children.
The independence of children attending the pre-school provision is promoted as they are encouraged to pour their own drinks and helpers are chosen to assist with preparing the fruit snacks. Staff work in partnership with parents to meet children’s dietary needs, parents provide a range of fresh fruit each day and staff discuss the different fruits with children and sit with them and offer assistance, when required. When children attend during school holidays parents supply packed lunches, staff provide parents with information on healthy options for lunchboxes, in order to assist children in developing their understanding of the benefits of a healthy diet and making nutritious choices. Fresh drinking water is freely available and children frequently access the water dispensers during sessions. This means that children are able to meet their own dietary needs, in regard to keeping themselves hydrated.
Children enjoy a wide range of activities, which contributes to their good health. Children attending the pre-school provision use the lawned area at the front of the building to play a range of physical games. When the weather does not permit children to use the outside area, staff set up physical play equipment and arrange active play sessions inside to help children make progress in their physical abilities. For example, children move with control and coordination when moving around the room in the exercise wheel, using their whole bodies to make the wheel turn and propel them around the available space. They enjoy playing basketball and riding in the coupe cars, carefully manoeuvring around each other and negotiating which direction they want to travel in. During out-of-school sessions, children use the lawned area as well as the adjacent school playing field to play a range of physical games. They delight in bouncing around the outside area on the space hoppers and participating in games of football. They join in the activities with enthusiasm and are able to rest and be active according to their needs.
Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe
The provision is good. Hazards to children are reduced because the staff are very attentive and use daily detailed risk assessments to reduce possible dangers, meaning that children are able to move around safely, freely and independently. Staff monitor access to the premises at all times to ensure that admittance to the premises is controlled. Consequently, the safety and well-being of children is protected. Fire evacuation procedures are good; they are fully understood and emergency evacuations are practised on a regular basis, with a record made of each fire drill. Knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures is good. Staff have a thorough awareness of the signs and symptoms of abuse and are confident to report concerns. There is a detailed child protection procedure in place and a designated person, who has attended training in child protection, is available to give support to staff, parents and children, should any concerns arise. As a result, children’s safety is well-protected.
The provision is split into two spacious rooms, along with a smaller cosy room which is used for story times and relaxing. Children attending the out-of-school provision are allocated to one of the two main rooms according to age. Children attending the pre-school use one of the rooms for most activities and access the other for physical play sessions. There is a wide range of high quality and developmentally appropriate resources available, which meet safety standards. These are organised effectively in storage containers at heights which are accessible to children. Consequently, children are able to independently access resources and make decisions about their own play and learning. The setting provides an attractive environment in which children are able to develop confidence, self-esteem and a good sense of belonging.
Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do
The provision is good. The setting consists of a pre-school which operates in the spring and summer terms and an out-of-school club which operates all year round. Children attending the out-of-school provision settle well in the club's welcoming environment. They confidently engage in self-chosen play activities from the good range available. Six- and seven-year-olds enjoy playing on the games consoles, they use the controls to move the characters around the screen and complete an array of tasks to complete their mission, taking turns well and excelling at the challenges they face. There are extensive opportunities to be involved in creative activities; children use crayons, pencils and pens to decorate drawings of their favourite characters, with older children assisting younger ones, demonstrating high levels of care and affection.
Children increase their confidence and self-worth as they develop positive relationships with staff members and with their peers. They enjoy the range of play activities on offer; they play pool with staff and each other and sit together at tables looking at the talking books, pressing the buttons to listen to the sounds of the stories. They choose between a large assortment of toys, books and activities which are interesting and appealing. Staff continually talk to children and interact with them during sessions, they sit with children helping them with reading and homework and encourage children to be actively involved in the range of creative and physical play opportunities available at all times. Consequently, children using the out-of-school facility enjoy their time in the setting and benefit from the high standard of care and attention they receive from staff.
Nursery Education
The quality of teaching and learning is good. The manager and staff delivering the Foundation Stage demonstrate a firm knowledge and a secure understanding of how young children learn and progress. Planning covers most areas of learning well and links clearly to the stepping stones, although there is no written differentiation of activities in the planning. However, due to the high ratio of staff to children and all of the children attending being of a similar age and stage of development, staff are able to adapt activities to suit the needs of individual children, in order to help them progress. Subsequently, the lack of detail in planning documentation does not significantly impact on meeting children’s learning needs. There is a system in place for assessing children's development, it is robust enough to record children’s levels of progress and assess children’s improvement in individual activities. However, observations are taken infrequently, do not contain sufficient detail and the next steps in learning are not identified. This means that it is not clear how children are progressing along the stepping stones and it can not be ascertained how well children’s learning is being extended.
Children are involved and enthusiastic and they enjoy taking part in the available activities. They are secure with the staff and have good levels of self-esteem. They are confident in initiating their own learning and are consistently well occupied by the interesting activities. Children demonstrate consideration and are polite to each other as they wait patiently in line to go outside for physical play and to take their turn in watching the porridge cooking. Their self-help skills are promoted well during everyday hygiene routines as they are all encouraged to use the toilet and wash their hands independently. Children's verbal communication skills are good. Most children speak clearly and assertively, talking about their personal experiences. They are able to put their thoughts into words, saying what shaped cutters they are using to make ducks and stars out of the play dough and telling staff when it is their Mum’s birthday and that they are going to have a cake to celebrate. They speak clearly and are confident, happy to talk to both adults and children and eager to demonstrate how they can do press-ups, talking about how they do them to keep fit. Children are able to recognise their own names as they find their name on the fish shapes at registration time and stick them on the seaweed board. When some children struggle to recognise their name, staff pronounce the initial letter, encouraging them to listen carefully and to identify if it is the correct letter sound for their name. As a result, children’s language and literacy skills are developing well.
Children often self-select and look at books independently. The good range and organisation of books encourages children to access them and to develop their reading skills and there is a comfortable area available for children to relax, enjoy quiet time and read books. Children often approach staff to read them stories and staff are always willing to sit down and read to children. The nursery is committed to promoting the communication, language and literacy of children attending. Themes are often organised around stories such as the current one on ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’. Each theme is promoted through a range of activities to help children extend their knowledge and awareness of the subject. For example, the themed book is read on a daily basis and a wide variety of creative activities are planned to promote children’s enjoyment. Children are encouraged to develop their understanding through themed role play, they use tables, toy bears and kitchen equipment to re-enact the story. Their mathematical skills are promoted, as they count the bowls and cutlery and talk about the differing sizes of the items. They produce a variety of artistic creations such as paintings of goldilocks and collages of the three bears. Each of the children participates in making and tasting porridge, while talking about the porridge being too hot, too cold, or just right in the story. These additional measures promote children’s interest in the subject they are learning about and enables them to develop a deeper understanding of each theme. Staff actively encourage children’s understanding and imagination during story times. Books are held so children can see the writing and pictures and staff ask children about the story as it is read and encourage them to predict what will happen next. When children ask questions or offer comments on the story, staff are eager to engage children and promote their understanding of the narrative.
Children’s behaviour is managed well and they enjoy being in the calm and caring surroundings. They are gently reminded not to run in the pre-school and to treat each other and the resources with respect. Children are polite to each other and happily share resources, they welcome other children to join in with games and politely tell them that they will give them the cutters for the play dough as soon as they have finished using them. Staff praise children when they share and show consideration towards their peers. This promotes children awareness of appropriate methods of behaviour and increases children’s understanding of suitable conduct. The rooms and the outside play areas are well organised and offer interesting and appealing environments, with a good range of developmentally appropriate resources. Children learn about shapes, size and colour through activities and games. Three-year-olds are prompted to look at the differing sizes of the three bears and the bowls and discuss which colours they are using to paint the Goldilocks picture. They are able to say they are using blue, green, brown, red and yellow. Children’s counting skills are promoted in everyday activities; three-year-olds spontaneously count up how many ducks they have produced out of the play dough, confidently counting up to six. They are encouraged to join in counting songs such as ‘Five pretty flowers’. Each child has some play money which they pay the ‘shopkeeper’ in order to purchase a flower, as they count the flowers down from five to one. They are regularly asked to count items during routine activities and games. Consequently, children’s mathematical skills are progressing well.
Staff use appropriate means to sustain children's attention, they sit with children, ask questions and help to expand their learning and enjoyment during activities. Children’s awareness of the community and the wider world is increased though activities and the positive attitude of the staff. Children enjoy listening to the story about where different foods come from and taking part in food tasting sessions to explore the tastes of a variety of tropical and exotic fruits. A range of festivals are celebrated and children enjoy learning about a variety of cultural practices such as dancing around the May Pole to celebrate May Day. There are topics to help children learn about nature and the world around them. For example, they take part in growing an assortment of plants such as beans and sunflowers. Children have access to a computer to help them develop their awareness of information technology and they are able to operate a variety of apparatus with confidence and ease, as well as learning how to operate simple apparatus and implements by imitation. For example, after observing staff use the microwave to heat up the porridge, children use the oven and microwave in the role play area to cook the play food, discussing how long it takes to cook, stirring it halfway through and patiently waiting for the ‘ping’ noise to inform them their ‘meal’ is cooked.
Children enjoy physical play regularly with the good range of play equipment available. There are regular opportunities to use ride-on toys and to play physical games, as well as dancing and moving to music. When children have been playing active games they use the floor cushions or the soft seating in the quiet room to make themselves comfortable for a rest. This helps them develop knowledge of the effect of exercise and a healthy life on their bodies. Fine manipulative skills are developing and children demonstrate good control as they use scissors to cut out the pictures of the bears. Three-year-olds concentrate well as they colour and then cut carefully around the bears, using the glue spreaders to apply them to the card, in order of size, to make their bear collage. Children respond well to a wide range of creative activities. They produce a variety of pictures and artistic creations for each topic. For example, when doing a topic ‘all about me’ the children did self-portraits and discussed the differences between their appearances. While learning nursery rhymes they have made finger puppets of 'Humpty Dumpty' and painted spiders to represent 'Incy Wincy Spider'. There are regular opportunities to play with musical instruments and explore musical sounds and rhythm. Children are encouraged to access the instruments and to develop their understanding of rhythm as they dance around the room shaking maracas and tambourines, following the instructions of staff. They enjoy listening to music and are eager to participate in dancing and singing sessions. All children enjoy their time in the setting and are developing their learning through well-organised stimulating play.
Helping children make a positive contribution
The provision is good. There are a good variety of activities and resources available to encourage a positive outlook on the wider world and raise children’s knowledge of diversity and their understanding of others. Children have opportunities to find out about themselves and each other and gain knowledge of the wider world through well-chosen resources and activities such as jigsaws, books, toys, discussion and role play. A range of cultural festivals are celebrated, such as Chinese New Year and Easter. The setting’s policies and procedures promote inclusion for all children. There are a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and with English as an additional language currently attending. There is an identified member of staff who has attended training and who is able to provide support for children with additional needs and the setting links with outside agencies in order to assist children who require extra assistance to progress fully. For example, a nurse has visited the provision to instruct staff on administering medication and staff have forged links with the schools of children attending the out-of-school club, in order to provide appropriate care for children with additional needs. Staff are committed to ensuring that all children are able to integrate into the provision, while feeling valued and cherished as individuals
Staff have good expectations of children's behaviour and there is an emphasis on focusing on good behaviour. Children's self-confidence and sense of worth is developed suitably by staff with the use of encouragement and praise during their play. Children take turns and share, older children show affection and care towards younger children, assisting them in accessing resources and joining in games. Most children respect the boundaries in place, listening when staff tell them not to slide on the grass, as their school uniforms will get dirty. Children over the age of eight independently choose to do a topic on bullying. They are involved and absorbed as they list all of the things they can do to prevent and stop bullying and produce artistic creations to display on the wall. They demonstrate a good understanding of the issue and are developing a secure awareness of the social issues that affect them. Children attending the pre-school provision enjoy being chosen to help with special jobs, such as filling up the water jug for snack time. Children take pride in their own achievements, clapping themselves when they have succeeded in their tasks, as well as being given stickers to celebrate their good behaviour. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.
Partnerships with parents are positive and friendly, children’s individual needs are documented and staff are available to discuss any questions or concerns at the end of each session. Parents are asked their views on both the out-of-school club and the pre-school through regular discussions. When any issues are raised they are addressed and feedback is given. There is a complaints policy in place, which is displayed and contains the address of the regulator. Written policies and procedures are freely available at the setting for parents to view at any time. This means that parents are informed about the care their child receives. The partnership with parents and carers of children receiving early education is good. In discussion, parents comment on how happy children are and the good range of information they are given about the educational activities and topics their children are taking part in. Sessions are regularly arranged for parents to discuss the progress their child is making with their key worker and children’s observation folders are displayed daily to encourage parents to access them frequently. This ensures there is a good flow of information in regard to children’s achievements and progress. Consequently, staff are aware of any issues which may affect children’s learning and parents are enabled to extend activities at home and further children’s progress.
Organisation
The organisation is good. Children are comfortable and feel secure in the well-ordered surroundings. Indoor space is organised well to provide an extensive range of play opportunities for children. This enables them to initiate and extend their own play and learning. There are comprehensive and effective procedures in place for the recruitment and selection of staff and this helps to make sure that those looking after children are suitable to do so. An effective key worker system is in place for the pre-school children, which ensures a named person is allocated to each child to take responsibility for their day-to-day care and development. The key worker is the main point of contact for parents and carers and shares necessary information with them. Staff successfully use the policies and procedures to support the well-being, care and learning of children. All documentation which contributes to children’s health, safety and well-being is in place and is regularly reviewed.
The leadership and management of the setting are good. There are clear and effective induction procedures in place to ensure that children are cared for by appropriately qualified and experienced staff. Effective guidance is given by the manager to ensure that staff are clear in their roles and the appraisal system monitors staff performance and identifies training needs. Staff delivering early education have undergone appropriate training and have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage. Which means they are able to deliver it effectively to ensure that all children are able to progress in their educational development. Priority is given to staff development and training and all staff are encouraged to enhance their knowledge and understanding of child development through supplementary training. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.
Improvements since the last inspection
At the last inspection the provider agreed to improve documentation in regard to medication. Written permission is now always obtained prior to administering medication, which means that children's health is well-protected.
Complaints since the last inspection
Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.
The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.
THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION
On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:
The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.
The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.
WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?
The quality and standards of the care
To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):
* improve the organisation of routine snack times for children attending the out-of-school provision
* improve the methods used to record children’s attendance in the out-of-school provision, in order that it is clear when both children and staff are present.
The quality and standards of the nursery education
To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):
* develop the detail in observations of children and the frequency they are taken to help staff to recognise patterns in children’s play, what they are interested in and how learning can be extended.
Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk
