Yeladenu Pre-School

Muswell Hill Synagogue

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Muswell Hill Synagogue

Unique Reference Number EY290363 Inspection date 25 April 2006 Inspector Asia Islam

p.1

Muswell Hill Synagogue

Setting Address 31 Tetherdown, London, N10 1ND

p.1

E-mail

Registered person Yeladenu Pre-School Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Yelandeu Pre-School registered in September 2004. It is a voluntary organisation and is run by a management committee. The group operates from a Synagogue in the Muswell Hill area of the London borough of Haringey and serves the children of the local Jewish community. Children have access to first and second floor play halls, toilet facilities and part of the car park area for outdoor play. The group opens five days a week during school term times. The sessions are

p.2

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 morning only from 09:15 to 12:15. The group is registered for a maximum of 30 children aged between two and five years. There are currently 23 children aged under five years on roll and of these, 22 children are receiving the nursery education funds. The group also has children with special needs in attendance. There are five staff members, including the managers working directly with the children. All staff hold the relevant early years qualification and of these, two staff members are currently working towards their Level 3 qualification. The group is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and the Agency for Jewish Education. They are aware of the support services available from the Local Authority Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a very clean and nurturing environment. They are learning about hygiene practices within their daily routines because staff encourage them to wash hands at the appropriate times. Older children independently wash hands, use the soap dispenser and drying paper after toilet attendance. Explanations about the importance of hygiene are usually given to support their understanding. Staff use visual aids to enhance children’s understanding of hygiene practices. Children benefit from staff's secure understanding about the procedures to follow in the event of any accident, illness and administration of any medication. Appropriate staff members hold the valid first aid certificate and the first aid box is stocked well to meet any emergency needs. Children's healthy eating habits are promoted effectively because the group provides a choice of milk and water for their drinks and a choice of fruits for their snack.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Information about their dietary needs is obtained from the parents to ensure individual needs are effectively met. Their drinks are easily accessible and effectively promote their self-help skills. Children carefully line up and walk down the steps to and from the outside play area. This demonstrates their familiarity with this routine procedure. They confidently run, ride bikes and scooters, jump and balance on steps, climb on the climbing frame and crawl in and out of a tunnel. They also have opportunity to play with hoops and balls and a choice to play quietly by sitting on the set out patio set.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play in a welcoming, safe and secure environment. The group has the

p.3

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 relevant safety measures in place. A security guard monitors the entrance gate. Only permitted persons are allowed to collect children from the setting at the end of the session. Staff are very vigilant and offer children very good quality supervision both indoors and outside. Fire evacuations are regularly practised with the children to support their understanding of the procedure to follow in the event of any fire. Staff also ensure children understand and become aware of the risk from cars on the road when going on local outdoor visits. Staff encourage and explain the importance of holding on to the handrail to prevent any falls when walking down the steps. The display of child-orientated posters and children’s artwork, such as their self portraits in the stairway, help to make their environment very welcoming.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from the good quality range of indoor play resources that are appropriate for their ages and stages of development. These are regularly checked and maintained to a good standard for children’s safety. The outdoor resources and equipment are satisfactory. Children are protected and safeguarded because the staff team understand their responsibility to monitor and report any child protection concerns to the designated child protection worker. They also understand the importance of maintenance of records. The child protection policy is in place and the staff team understands the relevant signs and symptoms to look out for.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children eagerly and independently choose to play with the available resources. They confidently relate with their peers and adults. Unsettled children are quickly comforted and helped to settle by sensitive staff. Children enjoy listening to music on the tape recorder, sponge shape printing, painting on easel, looking at books and listening to stories, filling and emptying sand, playing musical instruments and singing in groups. All children spend time purposefully and explore a wide range of activities which contribute effectively towards their constructional, physical, creative and imaginative play. Staff adapt activities to suit the developmental needs of younger children with reference to the Birth to three matters framework but are not currently using it to plan younger children’s activities. For example, younger children’s observation records are maintained on a chart that does not show a clear link to the

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Birth to three matters framework. Early communication skills are supported by good adult-child interactions. Close and caring relationships held between the children and staff help to develop children’s strong sense of self. Children are beginning to make a sense of the world and express their ideas through a diverse range of sensory and exploratory activities such as play dough, writing area, home area and small world play. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and children’s learning is good. The staff team has secure understanding of the Foundation Stage and the many positive ways to support children’s learning. Activities are planned and adapted to suit individual children’s needs and interest. As a result children are very motivated and make good links to

p.4

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 their learning. They use their imagination very well and initiate their own role play, such as firemen. Staff use effective questioning skills to help sustain children's interest and learning. Children are confident speakers and good listeners. They have access to a good range of books and enjoy exploring books on their own, with peers and staff. Their mathematical thinking is developed through activities such as shapes, sizes, weights and counting but it is not so well developed for extending more able children’s calculation skills. They count together to more than five. Some of the older children are beginning to form and recognise the letters of their name. They are also learning to recognise prints of numbers. Adults encourage interested children to use the computer which contributes towards their awareness of technology.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making good progress in all areas of their learning. This is recorded in photographs, children’s work and written observation records. These are used to inform the next step in children’s learning but do not always clearly show their progression.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are learning about their own Jewish festivals and community through planned activities, which effectively support their self-esteem. Their understanding of the wider community is also supported through the inclusion of other festivals, such as the Chinese new year. Multicultural resources are available to help their positive awareness of diversity. They visit places of interest to learn about the wider community, for example the London fire brigade. Children are respected and valued as individuals. Parents and carers are regularly involved in the setting, which values their support. Children's needs are met well as staff follow their normal daily routines as discussed with their parents. A designated worker for children with learning difficulties and disabilities is in place. The staff team works together with other professionals to provide inclusive activities to support

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

children's individual learning plans. Children show concern for each other and play harmoniously. They behave very well and respond extremely well to staff’s gentle guidance. They confidently decide what to do, helping themselves to aprons and independently visit the toilet. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Partnership with parents is good. Children’s nursery education progress is regularly shared with the parents and an annual progress report is issued for their information. Parents are welcome to see children’s records on request. They are also kept informed of their children’s nursery education through the display of activity plans and newsletters. Parents expressed positive comments about the setting and staff's flexible approach to meet the needs of individual children. Staff ensure parents' comments are incorporated in children’s learning plan.

p.5

Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children are comfortable and relaxed with the well organised environment. This means they are confident to initiate and extend their own play and learning. They benefit from a staff team that have secure knowledge of child development. The required records, policies and procedures are in place to support their welfare, for example, attendance records, accident and medication records. The provision meets the needs of the children who attend. The leadership and the management of the nursery education are good. The management team’s vision is to ensure that they work together with parents to meet children’s potential learning needs. The staff team are dedicated and work hard together as a team to support all areas of children's achievement. The staff team currently have an annual appraisal system in place. They also meet at the beginning

p.5

Organisation

and end of the week to discuss any issues relating to children's learning and planning. Access to training is available to develop their professionalism. The setting's current system for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the teaching has recognised some of the settings weaknesses for further improvements, such as in the outside play area.

p.6

Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.6

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):

p.6

The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • use the Birth to three matters framework in planning younger children’s activities and clearly show the links in children's observation records.

p.6

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): • enhance planning and observation records by clearly showing children’s progression and extend more able children’s calculation skills • improve systems to effectively monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.7