The Co-operative Childcare Islington

Places for Children

Inspection report for early years provision

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Places for Children

Unique Reference Number EY311534 Inspection date 20 March 2006 Inspector Asia Islam

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Places for Children

Setting Address 10 Galway Street, Islington, London, EC1V 3SW

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Places for Children

Telephone number 020 7374 8398 Mobile 07967007530

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E-mail

Registered person Places For Children Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School 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 good. 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Places for Children Day Nursery registered in August 2005 and is one of six nurseries run across the country by Places for Children. It operates from the ground floor of a housing complex near Old Street station, in the London Borough of Islington. Children have access to the ground and lower ground floor indoor play areas, toilets and an enclosed outside play area. The group opens five days a week from 08:00 to 18.00 all year round. The out of school children have access to the

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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 ground floor annexe of the premises. The group is registered for a maximum of 96 children aged under 8 years. There are currently 39 children aged between 5 months to 3 years on roll. Of these, 2 children receive funding for nursery education. The group currently supports children with English as an additional language and children with special needs. The group’s out of school club is registered for a maximum of 18 children aged from 5 years to under 8 years, but this is currently not in operation. There are nine staff members working directly with the children and they all hold relevant childcare qualifications and experience. In addition, there is an appropriate number of auxiliary staff in place. The group is aware of the supports services from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn good personal hygiene practices through the well planned daily routines. Older children, for example, know that they must wash their hands after using the toilet. Explanation about the importance of hygiene is not always given to fully support their understanding. Staff wear gloves and aprons when changing babies’ nappies and disinfect their changing mats after each use to prevent the spread of any infection. Children benefit from staff’s excellent understanding of the procedures to follow for administration of medication, and in the event of any accident and illness. Four staff members hold a valid first aid certificate and first aid boxes are stocked with the appropriate supplies. Parents’ written consent to seek emergency medical advice and treatment is also in place. Children are developing healthy eating habits because their meals are nutritious and freshly cooked on the premises. For lunch they enjoy spaghetti bolognese and garlic

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Helping children to be healthy

bread, followed by ice cream for dessert. Fruits are offered to them at snack times. Babies’ milk is made at the nursery and drinks are offered to them throughout the day. Older children can help themselves to drinking water at any time. Their meals are agreed with their parents and meet their individual dietary needs. The Birth to three matters framework is used and babies are appropriately supported to crawl, sit, stand and move freely. Toddlers confidently walk and ride the rocking horse. All children are able to rest and be active according to their needs. They have access to indoor equipment, such as trampoline and climbing frame to support their physical development. A small paved area is also available for their outdoor play, in addition to their regular visits to the local park.

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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’s risk from accidental injury is minimised in the child designed setting which incorporates the necessary safety and security measures, such as an intercom system and high level handle on all doors to prevent children gain unsupervised access to any hazardous areas of the premise. Staff keep children safe both in the nursery and outside through good levels of supervision and because they comply with the healthy and safety requirements. Fire evacuations are regularly practised with the children to support their understanding of the potential risks to them in the event of any fire. Safe practices, such as why younger children should not eat hot food before it cools down as they could burn their tongue and hurt themselves is explained. Children use a range of good quality, safe and developmentally appropriate

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

resources. These are well-organised and within their easy reach to encourage their healthy independence and exploration. Children’s resources are regularly checked by staff to ensure that these are maintained to a good standard. Children are safeguarded very well. There is a designated child protection staff member, who keeps the required procedures up to date and ensures that all staff is aware of their responsibilities. They understand that any concerns must be recorded and reported to the manager who would ensure that the correct child protection committee procedures are followed.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Babies receive lots of cuddles and have strong bonds with their key worker which supports their sense of well being. Their individual sleep and eating patterns are supported in the nursery. They enjoy the available sensory activities and bathing. They are developing early communication skills as staff use good eye contact, sounds and facial expression with them. Children between the ages of 1 to 3 years are also very confident in their relationships with the staff members. They play happily alone and together with adults. They enjoy looking at photographs of past events in the nursery. Play resources includes puzzles, books, small world toys, game, trampoline, rocking horse and an indoor climbing frame, which are suitable for their ages and stages of development. Children’s achievements are recorded very well under the different aspects of the Birth to three matters framework. Their next step in development is

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

identified and supported by the staff, but this is not clearly shown in the planning. Staff has a secure understanding of the different experiences younger children benefit from and support their ongoing progress within the daily activities. For example, sticking with glitter and making a collage for Mother’s Day helps them to explore and experience a range of textures, and represent their feelings. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children aged 3 and above are making

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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 good progress because the staff members working directly with them have a secure understanding of the Foundation Stage. Activity plans cover six areas of learning, which ensure children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Children’s achievements are recorded very well and are used to plan their next step in learning, however the planning records do not clearly show this. Focused activities are carried out with children, but clear evaluation records are not maintained, which means staff do not fully recognise where they are successful in promoting children’s learning and where aspects require enhancement. Children’s individual needs for creative and imaginative play, mathematical thinking and mark making skills are effectively met. Children can recognise print of numbers

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and letters, they can count to more than five and some are beginning to form the first letter of their name. They enjoy looking at books with their peers and alone. Children show good interest in group games, which includes listening and matching sounds to the pictures. Children have opportunities to play with a variety of constructional materials, small world toys, musical instruments, situational play equipment, water and sand. They have regular access to a computer and are encouraged to take lead roles for serving desserts to their peers during lunch time, which helps their understanding of responsibility. Children benefit from regular visits to the local park to support their physical skills whilst building work remains incomplete for the outside play area.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children from a variety of cultural backgrounds and special needs are warmly welcomed in the nursery. They have access to good resources and staff ensure children participate in the celebrations of different community festivals of the children in attendance and the wider community. This effectively helps their understanding of themselves and develop positive attitude toward others. Children play and behave very well. They benefit from the good partnership held with parents. The management and the staff team are very flexible, they work closely with the parents and obtain necessary details about children’s home routines to help them settle. Children respond positively to staff’s gentle guidance and are encouraged to take turns and show concerns for others. This positive approach fosters children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Partnership with parents and carers is good. Formal meetings are held every six

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Helping children make a positive contribution

months as a minimum to share children’s learning progress with their parents. Children’s daily progress books and activity plans are on display to actively encourage parents’ involvement in their children’s nursery education. A daily exchange of verbal information between staff and parents also helps to support their continuity of learning. Parents express very positive comments about the staff team and the setting.

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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 The organisation is good. Children benefit from a very well organised care and play environment. They are settled, comfortable and confident in play. Displays in the rooms are not always at children’s eye level and therefore, are not so effective in promoting learning. Staff members work well together as a team and ensure children’s developmental needs are met because of their secure knowledge about each child’s requirements. Recording systems are maintained and show good achievement records for children. The provision’s policies and procedures work in practice to keep children healthy and safeguard their welfare. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. The leadership and the management of the nursery education are good. The manager has designated the Foundation Stage planning and practice to a senior staff

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Organisation

member, who effectively promotes all areas of children’s learning, together with her co-workers. Staff fully understands the aims and objectives of the setting because the systems in place ensure that they have the necessary induction at the start of employment, thereafter regular staff meeting, supervision, yearly appraisal and training to support their professional development. The provision, however, does not have an effective system for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching. As a result, they are only aware of some of the weaknesses in the setting, such as the incomplete building work for children’s outside play area.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration, Ofsted has received a complaint and this related to the National Standard 2 – Organisation, National Standard 4 – Physical Environment, National Standard 6 – Safety, National Standard 7 – Health, National Standard 11 – Behaviour and Annex A. On the 21 November 2005 an unannounced visit was carried out by an Ofsted inspector, who found the group in compliance with the required standards and the registered person remains qualified for 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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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 good. 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

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 and standards of the nursery education are good.

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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): • support children’s understanding about the importance of hygiene through explanation

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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): • enhance planning by including the next step children's learning • improve systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching

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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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