Kindred Edmonton

Bright Stars Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bright Stars Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY305333 Inspection date 29 March 2006 Inspector Carolyn Mary Hasler

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Bright Stars Nursery

Setting Address Edmonton District Scout Headquarters, Scout Hall, 19 Tristram Drive, London, N9 9TQ

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E-mail

Registered person Bright Stars Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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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.

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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.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Bright Stars Nursery opened in 2005 and operates from three rooms in a purpose-built building. It is situated within a residential area in Edmonton, London Borough of Enfield. A maximum of 40 children may attend the nursery at any one time between 0 and 5 years. The nursery has 21 children on roll. Of these 5 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports children with special educational need’s,

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 there are no children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 6 members of staff. All the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children follow good personal hygiene routines; they are generally encouraged to be independent according to their abilities, in self-care skills, helping to prevent the spread of infection. For example, children are reminded to wash hands after playing with cornflour; before sitting down to eat snacks and meals and after going to the toilet. Children make good use of tools such as steps to reach the sink in order to wash their hands. There are pictures on the walls to help children to understand what they need to do. Younger children increasingly gain control of their bodies as they learn to recognise signals that indicate they need the toilet or feel tired. They know when to ask for help while completing tasks developing healthy independence. For example, while in the toileting area and when putting on coats and boots to play in the garden. However, children lacked opportunities to access tissues in order to

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Helping children to be healthy

further develop independence in self care skills. Children recognise the benefits of vigorous exercise and enjoy daily opportunities to participate in activities that develop their coordination and skills, for example; rolling balls, riding bikes, crawling through tunnels and using a variety of push along toys. Children use resources both inside and outside gaining access to fresh air and larger indoor areas to move around freely. Younger children grow in confidence as they gain physical skills such as crawling, holding on to objects and pulling themselves up, moving around their space at their own pace. Toddlers are acquiring physical skills such as walking unaided, with the aid of push along toys or adult support, and spend time with the older children encouraging their increased confidence. Children's health is well promoted as staff have relevant first aid training and implement effective hygiene procedures to minimise the risk of infection, for example

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Helping children to be healthy

when preparing snacks and responding to accidents or changing nappies. Children are offered drinks, snacks and meals at set times during the day. However, they are given little choices about food as it is placed in front of them. Snacks and meals consist of fresh and nutritional foods prepared on the premises. The nursery displays healthy images of food around the play room and practitioners promote healthy food, by using fruit and vegetables within activities focusing on children’s senses, which help children to develop their understanding of eating healthily. Although drinks are offered at set times during the day, children do not have continual easy access to them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The provision is good. Children have access to a well-organised and safe play space which allows them to choose between quiet and more boisterous activities. They access a good range of well maintained and good quality play equipment and resources which are carefully selected to ensure that they are developmentally appropriate for the children present. Children learn about keeping themselves safe through clear boundaries set by staff. For example, children receive clear messages about not throwing toys; the safe use of scissors and keeping resources containing small pieces away from very young children. Children practise fire drills each term, so that they become familiar with this routine helping to gain an awareness of potential safety issues. Children are kept safe because the staff identify areas of risk and remove them. Risk

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

assessments are carried out and monitored. Adult/child ratios are high and the layout of the play room allows for constant supervision. This means that children receive much individual attention. The implementation of affective systems, such as the arrival and collection of children and the monitoring of visitors, contribute to ensuring children’s safety. Children are protected and safeguarded from harm because practitioners have a suitable knowledge and understanding of child protection issues and know how to implement local procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children arrive happy at the nursery; they are greeted enthusiastically by practitioners. There is a calm and supportive atmosphere. Established children show that they have good knowledge of the routine through responding to practitioner’s clear messages reminding them that it is time to tidy or sit on the carpet for circle time. Children move around the setting confidently, moving from one activity to another as they make choices and access play equipment. All children take part in group activities such as circle time; they are animated and respond to practitioners well. Practitioners encourage positive relationships between children through encouraging new children to take part in small group activities. They sing familiar songs which greet individual children, encouraging children to build positive relationships. Children’s awareness of others increases as they express their feelings sometimes

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

displaying a variety of behaviours towards others. Practitioners support children’s behaviour well which helps children to focus on enjoying play. Practitioners use a key worker system; this is to support both children and parents. Practitioners working with babies and young children demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge of the Birth to three matters framework. Some practitioners have received training in Birth to three matters; however their understanding is limited. Practitioners are becoming more familiar with the framework as they make daily reports to parents

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 and complete observation sheets. Nursery Education Children are generally engaged in learning. They showed good levels of concentration and perseverance with activities such as playing with puzzles, construction and taking part in cooking activities. Children show curiosity through watching others. They play well independently, as they begin to understand the concept of taking turns, for example, on the tricycles in the garden. Children begin to except the needs of others, for example learning to say sorry, and they show care and concern for others as they begin to form friendships. Children respond to different sized groups and enjoy more focused work in small groups of two or three children. Children enjoy listening to stories both in large groups and individually. They interact

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

with practitioners pointing out familiar pictures and anticipate key events, listening to stories with increasing attention and recall. They take part in large group activities where they enjoy rhymes and familiar songs which they can sing along to. However, children have limited opportunities to extend their language skills as spontaneous conversations with staff are short and children find it difficult to sustain, this impacts on opportunities to extend children’s learning. Children’s early reading and writing skills are not fully promoted across the setting, for example, they have limited access to writing materials or opportunities to link significant sounds and letters. Children enjoy completing number puzzles, recognising the shapes of numbers and associating them with objects. Children count confidently to 10 matching numbers to marbles and later counting fingers. Although insufficient attention is paid to extending

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their understanding of calculation, shape, space and volume, for example through routines and practical activities. They are not encouraged to solve number problems and do not use mathematical language in their play. Children build a sense of time and space through clear reminders during daily routines. They move around their environment confidently without bumping into others and they are able to find a clear space to sit during circle time. They have access to an outside area and children use both the outside and the inside environment to practice large motor skills. However children lack opportunities for developing climbing and balancing skills. Limited use is made of the local environment as a learning resource and practitioners miss many opportunities to develop children’s curiosity and investigative skills. Children have insufficient opportunities to use a range of technology, such as the nursery computer and they do not have access to programmable toys.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children lack enthusiasm to play in the home corner and do not fully develop imaginative ideas through role play. Art a craft activities are repetitious and do not sufficiently encourage children's creativity. Most art activities are adult directed and there is little evidence of children’s own creative ideas and creations displayed around the environment. Children are supported in their learning of manipulative skills such as using scissors correctly; they have access to tools such as paint brushes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Most practitioners have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and how children learn and develop. Practitioners are enthusiastic and ratios and the deployment of staff is good, however practitioners are not secure in their planning of activities and often take on a supervisory role. Practitioners lay out activities and resources as directed by activity plans, but lack understanding of what children are expected to learn from them. They rarely offer explanations or guidance, and many activities lack challenge and are repetitive, for example the home corner, water tray and structured art and craft activities. Practitioners manage children’s behaviour well and allow children to make choices within their free play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All children are welcomed and included in the life of the preschool. Children become aware of their own and each other’s needs through discussions with staff and themed activities about themselves and the wider world. Children are beginning to learn about diversity because they receive opportunities to socialise with other children. Although children begin to value and understand others differences; they lack opportunities within their play to explore diversity. There are good systems in place to support children who have special needs. The nursery has a nominated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), who maintains close liaison with parents and outside agencies and ensure all children's needs are well planned for and met. Practitioners are secure in their understanding of the code of practice. They work closely with parents to ensure children’s individual needs are known and met

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Helping children make a positive contribution

effectively. Children generally behave well, showing good levels of confidence and self esteem because practitioners praise and encourage them continuously using positive language helping children increase their level of achievement. Practitioners deal with behaviour appropriately helping children to understand and respect the feelings of others. Children learn how to behave through the good examples that practitioners set; modelling how to be kind to each other. Children’s social, moral and spiritual development is fostered. The partnership with parents is satisfactory. Children benefit because practitioners have a secure knowledge of individual children’s family and home circumstances. Parent’s provide appropriate and relevant information about their children to practitioners. This helps to ensure children receive individual care and attention. Parents receive regular newsletters that keep them up to date with any news or

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Helping children make a positive contribution

changes. They are informed about their children’s daily progress through daily discussions with key workers. however, the setting gives little information about daily activities or projects. The setting has identified that their complaints procedure is not in line with recent changes in regulation and the complaints procedure is currently

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 under review. Practitioner’s partnerships with parents of children who receive nursery education is satisfactory. Parents receive basic information about the Foundation Stage curriculum. They are not sufficiently encouraged on first contact to share what they know about their child’s abilities so that practitioners have a secure starting point. Parents meet with their child’s key worker and manager each term to discuss children’s achievements and progress. Parents receive reports about their children‘s progress in the six areas of learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Leadership and management of nursery education is satisfactory. Children’s care and learning is enhanced by the effective deployment of staff. Management place high importance in giving practitioners opportunities for professional development and the registered person actively encourages practitioners to attend training. New staff complete an induction programme and are supported through regular team and planning meetings. The staff team are new and establishing good working relationships with each other working together to promote children’s health, enjoyment and achievement. However, the registered person does not sufficiently evaluate staff practice; or observe, monitor and supervise students, and has not identified significant weaknesses such as establishing links between home, children’s progress and planning. Policies and procedures are in place and implemented and the setting has a effective

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Organisation

operational plan. Children benefit from a fully qualified staff team who are very caring. All children receive very good support from a staff group that enjoy their company and know them well; helping children feel secure and confident. Information kept about children is relevant and helps promote their welfare. Children enjoy coming to the setting and have fun while they are in the settings care. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration. 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.

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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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): • encourage children to make choices at meal times and provide drinks at all times • provide play resources which gives children the opportunity to explore and investigate diversity • observe, monitor and appropriately supervise students when working on the premises

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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): • improve systems for planning activities, monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children’s learning ( also applies to Care). • enhance children's learning through good links with home establishing clear starting points.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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