Paradise Park Children's Centre Nursery

Paradise Park Children's Centre Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Paradise Park Children's Centre Nursery

EY321188 Unique Reference Number 10 October 2006 Inspection date Amanda Shedden Inspector

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Paradise Park Children's Centre Nursery

Paradise Park Childrens Centre, Mackenzie Road, London, N7 8NT Setting Address

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Paradise Park Children's Centre Nursery

0207 697 7341 Telephone number info@islingtonplay.org.uk E-mail Islington Play Association Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Paradise Park Children's Centre Nursery

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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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?

Paradise Park Nursery opened in December 2005 and operates from one room in a purpose built building. It is situated on the edge of Paradise Park in the borough of Islington.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 48 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 hrs for 50 weeks a year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 33 children aged from six months to under five years on roll. Of these 11 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area as most of their parents work

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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 The nursery is able to support children with additional needs, and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 10 staff. Six of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children’s personal hygiene is promoted, staff encourage children to wash their hands explaining about germs on their hands. They go into the bathroom to wash their hands and face after lunch with increasing independence.

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Helping children to be healthy

Appropriate procedures are in place to promote children's health. All areas accessed by the children are cleaned daily and disinfected when necessary. Staff wear gloves when changing nappies and mats are cleaned between each change.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children really enjoy their food, the nursery use a six week menu ensuring that they are offered a broad range of healthy food. Children frequently ask for, and are given more. Each day they are given a choice of fresh fruits for dessert and afternoon snack. Children readily access drinks and choices are given from juice and milkshakes, water is served at lunch time. This prevents them from becoming dehydrated. Staff are fully aware of any allergies or cultural requirements of the children and procedures are in place to ensure that children do not have access to foods they are not allowed.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children enjoy daily access to outside play where they negotiate around each other and the plants and trees. They use equipment such as climbing frames, bicycles and balls to enhance their large motor skills. Balloons have been strung up high and children have great fun stretching their bodies and using their eye to body co-ordination as they try to touch them. Children stretch further as they attempt to climb the low level trees in the garden.

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Helping children to be healthy

Activities are planned to encourage children to control parts of their bodies, shaking one arm, two arms and then introducing the rest of their bodies until they are wibbly wobbly jellies. Children respond with enthusiasm, laughing at themselves as they wobble around. They respond well as they learn to balance on a low level beam, increasing with confidence as they are encouraged to walk across it at different speeds.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children and parents are greeted warmly by the staff. Children settle quickly and are keen to see what there is to play with and which of their friends are already there. Children move freely and safely around their environment and independently access much of the provision as it is stored on open shelving units and in low level storage trolleys. Equipment is safe and suitable

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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 for the ages of children attending. The environment is welcoming to children and parents and children's own work is valued as it is displayed around the room.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected as staff ensure that all areas of the nursery are safe. There is a security door with camera on the front of the building, however it is not working correctly, staff have to answer the door which has an impact on the children as staff have to leave an activity to answer the door.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are aware of the procedure to be followed if there were to be a fire however this is not displayed ensuring that visitors or new staff and children would be fully aware. Daily registers are not completed as the children and staff arrive, if there was to be an evacuation of the building staff could not be sure of who was in.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected because staff have a good awareness of the different types of abuse and possible signs and symptoms that might indicate a child is at risk. They are aware of the procedures to be followed if they had a concern about a child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Babies and young children receive individual attention and develop warm and trusting relationships with all of the staff. They enjoy the same exciting range of activities and play experiences as the older children. Consistent staff work with these children helping to ensure secure relationships are established. All staff know the children well and respond to their needs. They are good at interpreting young children's gestures and early language and help children develop their play. For instance a 20-month-old was laying her dolls on the floor, staff got her a bed and blanket to lay the dolls on, she was very happy laying many of the dolls out and caring for them. Other children wanted to join in the staff member stayed, supporting all of the children and continued to extend their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young children experiment with different textures, for instance whilst using glue to stick onto egg boxes. They concentrate and persevere, looking intently at what is stuck to them and their box. They enjoy their turn in the swing and wait patently for their turn. They laugh and giggle when being pushed. Young children have access and enjoy using resources such as sand and water, increasing their pouring skills and eye to hand coordination as they fill the buckets up with sand.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff plan using the Birth to Three framework to plan interesting activities for the young children and babies. They have a good understanding of the framework and make observations reflecting the different areas such as a 'Strong Child' to ensure they are meeting the needs of the child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and children's learning is satisfactory. Children show interest and enthusiastically undertake activities. Children are confident to try new challenges such as cake making and playing memory games. Staff support children well using language that is suitable

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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 for the individual child, encouraging children to talk about what they are doing and giving clear explanations of what is required of them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children play well together and have positive relationships with each other and the staff. They are pleased to see each other and show concern if one of their friends is upset. They are confident to speak in large group situations and converse with each other while playing, developing their game, for instance when putting the fire out whilst using the bricks.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to make their mark and many are confident in writing their own names. They enjoy listening to stories and handle books carefully. They know that text goes from left to right and often read to each other in the book corner. Children's vocabulary is increased through planned activities and clear explanations are given to the meaning of new words. Children at times undertake activities using Spanish which they are learning. They have learnt songs and can name parts of their bodies and respond to some simple instructions in Spanish.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children gain confidence in using numbers through incidental activities, for example counting how many pushes they get on the swing. However, the opportunities for gaining further understanding of mathematical concepts is not planned effectively to ensure that all children progress in this area of learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are gaining an understanding of the world around them. They enjoy digging in the garden to see what insects they can find and have planted beans and cress. There is no computer or programmable toys for the children to gain an understanding of information technology. They visit the local community and enjoy the resources in local parks.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They use their imagination through role play and small world activities. Children weigh and feed the babies at the baby clinic; they put on special gloves and wear hats to put fires out and use the telephone box as an ice cream shop. They respond with laughter and excitement as they contribute to the puppet show calling out their ideas for the show. Children freely access the musical instruments and join in singing songs and the actions that go with them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage and how children learn. They ask open ended questions encouraging children to build upon their own knowledge and skills. At times, the organisation of the day contributes to children being in large groups which has a negative impact on their learning, for instance at the morning group time. Each week six children are observed ensuring that staff know them well. They following week activities linked to the stepping stones that are of interest to the children are planned. However evaluations of the activities, or the impact they have on the child are not always made therefore, children are not sufficiently challenged or supported in their progression of the stepping stones.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are valued and respected as staff have a good understanding of their individual needs. They have and use many resources that reflect cultural diversity. Children's behaviour is good overall and their understanding of right and wrong is increased as they respond to reminders

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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 to care for each other and the resources. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with additional needs are supported well. The nursery is able to work with other agencies to support a child. If necessary an individual learning plan is created for a child with the parents, agencies and staff contributing to ensure that it meets the needs of the child.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is satisfactory. The positive relationships with parents ensure that they value the nursery. Daily diaries keep parents informed of the experiences their child has had on a day to day basis. They are not however given information about the nursery's policies and procedures. Parents of children who are in receipt of funded nursery education do not have enough information about the Foundation Stage to enable them to support their child's learning further. Informal sharing of information takes place but parents are not fully informed of their child's educational progress.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children's care is supported by the staff and the understanding of the children's needs. Children feel at ease within the environment and staff, enabling them to feel confident, which is conducive to their care and learning. At times children throughout the nursery come together, encouraging interaction between the age groups, with younger children learning from the older children and the older children helping the younger children. Overall, the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

All necessary policies and procedures are in place, however the complaint policy is not shared with staff or parents. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that people appointed are suitable to work with young children.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is satisfactory. The manager is enthusiastic and has clear plans for the nursery. However the lack of support from senior managers within the organisation hinders the progress. The committed and motivated staff are suitable but not very experienced. Relief and support staff are not available which hinders the managers opportunities to observe staff and build upon their own skills. Staff are at times in charge of large groups of children, they cannot support them sufficiently, which results in children waiting for an activity and they cannot achieve the intended learning.

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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

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Complaints since the last inspection

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): • ensure that the register reflects the times of arrivals and departure of staff and children • ensure that the complaints policy is available for parents and staff and that it includes Ofsted's contact numbers • ensure that all persons present in the nursery are aware of the fire evacuation procedure • ensure parents are given information about the nursery's polices and procedures • improve organisation of routines and staff deployment ensuring that sufficient staff are working with children thus limiting the time children spend waiting (this also applies to nursery education)

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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): • further develop planning to ensure that children's individual needs are met, enabling the more able and least able to be supported effectively. • ensure that children gain an understanding of mathematical concepts during planned and incidental activities • ensure that parents are aware of the Foundation Stage and the progress their child is making • ensure that children have experiences and gain an understanding of programmable toys.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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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