Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery Schools

Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery School

Unique Reference Number EY260137 Inspection date 06 July 2006 Inspector Linda Close

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Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery School

Setting Address St. John's Church Hall, North End Road, London, SW6 1PB

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Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery School

Telephone number 020 7385 0055 E-mail info@peques-nursery.co.uk Registered person Margarita Beltran Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery School

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?

Peques Anglo-Spanish Nursery School opened in September 1999 as a pre-school and expanded to full day care in 2003. It is situated in the upper rooms of the St Johns Church building in the Fulham area of southwest London. The local authority is Hammersmith and Fulham. The nursery operates from a large main hall that is used as the main playroom with specific play areas for different age groups. A separate room is set aside for babies

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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 who move into the main hall as soon as they are walking confidently. The nursery serves the local community and Spanish and English are the main languages spoken. The nursery has an office, a kitchen, toilet facilities and an outdoor area which is mostly grass covered and enclosed by railings. A smaller room adjacent to the hall is used for group activities and for children to rest after lunch. The nursery is open every weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 for 50 weeks per year. Children attend either part-time or full-time depending on parental preference. There are 59 children on roll in total at the time of this inspection and 24 of these are three or four years old and in receipt of Nursery Education Grant (NEG). A very small number of the children on roll have learning difficulties. Approximately 90% of the

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

children attending speak more than language. Almost all of the 17 members of staff who work with the children hold recognised Early Years qualifications. Five members of staff hold relevant first aid certificates. A cleaner works in the nursery every day and a cook is employed to prepare children's meals on the premises.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Very good standards of hygiene are maintained in the baby room. Baby's have their nappies changed as often as necessary and not to fit in with the routine of the nursery. They are kept clean and comfortable at all times. Babies sleep on clean sheets that are kept for their own personal use. All adults remove their shoes before entering the baby room to ensure that the floor is kept clean for crawling babies. The doors and roof windows are ajar to ensure that fresh air flows through the baby room in hot weather and staff remove some of the babies' clothing as soon as they arrive to keep them cool. They often offer cool boiled water to the babies. Children in the older groups have easy access to clean, suitable toilet facilities. They wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. They have disposable towels to dry their hands to avoid cross-infection. Children are encouraged to clean

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Helping children to be healthy

their teeth after lunch which is good practise but unfortunately the brushes are stored together in one container which is not hygienic. Parents are kept informed if children have an accident and appropriate records are maintained. Children are only given medication if parents authorise it in writing and records are kept correctly. Older children can rest after lunch if they need to. A quiet room is set aside for restful sleep. However, the sheets used are not labelled so children are not sure to get their own sheet to use again on subsequent days which is not appropriate. A trained first aider is on the premises at all times to promote the health and wellbeing of the children. Children enjoy freshly cooked meals prepared on the premises. Menus are printed and shared with parents so that they know what the children are eating. The meals are varied, tasty and nutritious. All members of staff are aware of children's special

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Helping children to be healthy

dietary needs. The children are carefully supervised at mealtimes. Staff sit with the children and they encourage them to taste new foods and they promote conversation and good manners. Children help themselves to drinks, biscuits and fresh fruit when they feel the need.

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Helping children to be healthy

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 enjoy healthy exercise at the nursery indoors and outside. They play energetic games on the grassy area outside the church. They run fast, climb competently and enjoy games of hopscotch and frisbee as well as playing with wheeled toys. Lively indoor activities are provided if the weather it unsuitable for outdoor play. Children enjoy movement to music with staff and they take part in creative dance lessons weekly with a visiting specialist teacher. Babies are involved in 'Baby Yoga' and they are also encouraged to crawl and move about freely in their own room.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children and their parents are warmly welcomed into a pleasant nursery environment each day. Children have sufficient space for free movement and play. Groups use different parts of the hall for some activities specific to their age group and they can mingle with other groups in free play periods. Staff have divided the hall effectively using mobile dividers to give definition and a sense of order to the hall space. The hall has recently been re-arranged successfully to give children more ease of movement and better free choice as part of a quality assurance exercise carried out in the setting. Children have space for sand play, water play and art and craft activities. They particularly enjoy the home area which is well resourced and interesting. The noise level in the main hall is sometimes too high because the high ceiling causes sound to reverberate around the room. A pleasant side room is used for rest and quiet

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

activities. A further room is set aside for the sole use of babies. This room is bright, clean and sufficiently spacious for rest and free play. Children have easy access to a good range of resources and toys that are maintained in good condition. Chairs and tables are the correct size for children to sit, play and eat in comfort. Children are kept safe indoors because the staff are vigilant and they ensure that strangers do not gain access to the setting. Risk assessments are conducted regularly on the premises and the children are kept safe for example, from contact with hot liquids and sharp objects indoors and additional checks are made to plan for the children's safety when they go on outings. The owners of the building are planning a major refurbishment of the outdoor area and the plans for this are on display. Staff are aware of the need to be especially vigilant during the improvement work period and they ensure the security of the outdoor area at all times. Plans are in

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

hand for disused outdoor equipment to be removed and in the meantime children do not use it. However, a solid concrete plinth in the grass play area is a trip hazard for children that has been overlooked. Children are safe in relation to child protection issues because the staff are well informed. Staff attend appropriate training to support their ability to identify children at risk. They know that they must inform the manager immediately if they have concerns for the welfare of the children in their care. The policy and procedure document for child protection issues is complete but the wording is not entirely clear.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Babies and younger members of the group are making good progress in their learning because each child is given effective support by the staff. These younger children are cared for in small groups with sufficient staff to attend to their individual needs. Staff in the baby room are particularly effective in their work. They plan and provide an interesting range of activities for babies that are carefully linked to the Birth to three matters framework. For example, babies eagerly select toys from treasure baskets, they admire their reflections in low level mirrors, they listen and respond with interest to music and to staff singing songs to them and they splash in water. They also enjoy 'Baby Massage' sessions which they find soothing and enjoyable. Toddlers who have moved into the main hall also have a good range of planned and free choice activities. They enjoy the greater freedom, space and choice

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in the hall and they show growing confidence in their selection of activities. They are divided into groups according to their ages and individual needs. Group leaders and staff know the children well and they help them to gain confidence in their new surroundings. Records are kept for all children to share with their parents. The records are useful although some entries lack dates. Nursery education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are confident. They talk to visitors calmly and politely. They happily explain which groups they belong to, what they are doing and who is their teacher. They competently pour their own drinks and take a snack when they feel the need. Children are forming firm friendships. They get along with each other well because the staff are good role models and they teach the children how to relate to one another by their own good example. Children are happy to take turns, for example they take a turn at ringing a little bell to signal tidy up time

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and they put things away quickly and well. Children focus their attention well on the staff in group activities in spite of the level of noise in the hall which is sometimes a little high and doesn't fully promote good listening skills. Staff introduce and explain new words to the children in both Spanish and English. Staff make good use of mime, pictorial clues and repetition to ensure that all of the children understand stories and discussions. Children have free access to writing materials which they make good use of for mark making. Most children can recognise their own names and many can write them with well formed letters. They use hole punchers and scissors competently and they hold pencils firmly. Children often choose and enjoy story books and they show that they know how books work. The reading area is well stocked although not very attractively organised. Children often count with the staff in practical situations. They played a game that

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

involved numbering places on a town map and were able to find numbers up to 10 with ease. They count aloud in songs and at story time. Staff make learning about numbers great fun and the children are making good progress. They learn about more and less in discussions over meals and play with sand and water. Activities planned for the children include many that help them to learn about shape, size and position.

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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 Children take part in activities and outings that broaden their knowledge and understanding of the wider world. They visit the local library every week to choose books and to listen to stories. They have visited the railway station to look at trains and travellers and had an exciting time on their visit to a local football stadium. Other stimulating outings include meeting fire officers at the fire station, outings to play in local parks, visits to meet Father Christmas in a famous London store and rides on buses. Indoor activities are equally well chosen and worthwhile. Children visited the nursery baby room to learn about the care of babies and they took along their own dolls to wash. They learn about nature through planting seeds in pots. Technology is used to support children's learning although their use of it is not recorded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have free access to paper and paint to express their creativity. They play with rollers and cutters at the dough table and explore other materials such as sand and water as a free choice activity. Children take part in daily imaginative play activities in a well resourced home corner. They dress up in hats and costumes and explore the characters they portray. They remain dressed up when taking part in other activities which shows that their freedom to enjoy themselves is not limited in the nursery. The children explore a good range of craft resources such as glitter, glue, fabric, string and wool. Staff fully appreciate that children learn through the experience of exploration and the children's work is appreciated and attractively displayed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are met because staff ask parents for information at registration that includes food allergies or food preferences, their home language, any health issues, and any other details that will help them provide continuity of care for each child. Staff discuss this information together so that all are well informed. They are particularly careful that children with allergies are not given food that does not agree with them and that children who are learning Spanish understand what is being said. Staff have attended training about diversity, inclusion and how to cope with challenging behaviour to help them to meet the needs of individual children. They liaise well with parents and share their thoughts, ideas and methods of helping the children to make progress. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Daily records sheets are compiled for the youngest children to keep parents informed about food intake, nappy

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Helping children make a positive contribution

changes, sleep times and general observations about progress and development. Parents are more than happy with the care provided for their children. They particularly appreciate being made to feel welcome in the setting. They can discuss their children with the staff and see the meal menu in advance so that they know what their children will be eating. Staff working with older children prepare record books for each child. Planning documents are available for parents so that they can support and extend children's learning at home. Parents also report that they heartily approve of the staff photographs being on display together with their certificates of training and their qualification documents. This information helps them to feel confident that they are leaving their children in good hands. Parents have access to

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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 useful information about the six areas of learning. Behaviour management in the nursery is good. Children are given firm but kind guidance. Staff get down to talk to them about any disagreements or boisterous moments. They explain clearly so that the children know what is expected of them. These discussions are gentle in tone and always end with an affectionate hug so that children are not corrected but not distressed. Staff manage such situation in a way that does not damage the children's self-esteem. The nursery programme of activities and outings helps children to accept and respect diversity. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The owner and the manager ensure that all staff are checked for their suitability to work with children at the time of their employment. Almost all staff are suitably qualified. Staff working with the older children are fluent speakers of both the English and Spanish languages. Staff do not provide personal care for the children until checks are completed. New staff are gradually introduced to the policies and procedures of the setting and they are supported by a more experienced staff member. Monthly meetings and annual appraisals are conducted for all staff to help them to evaluate their work with the children. They note their own strengths and weaknesses and suitable training is identified to assist them in their professional development. An effective contingency plan is in place to ensure that staffing ratios are correct at all times. The setting is well organised overall. Some issues for improvement identified at this

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Organisation

inspection were very promptly addressed during the inspection. The nursery is currently taking part in a quality assurance programme to ensure that standards of care and education in the nursery are good and that the development plans for the setting underpin continuing progress. Leadership and management in relation to nursery education is good. The provider has attended recent training to enable her to prepare for inspection. She has made good use of the information gained to review and update her policy and procedure documents. She oversees the planning of the educational programme effectively to ensure that all six areas of learning are supported. She also ensures that the children enjoy an interesting range of outings. All documents and records are in place according to regulation and to support the smooth running of the nursery for the children. Records are neatly kept and made available for inspection at any time. The setting meets the needs of the range of the

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Improvements since the last inspection

One recommendation for improvement was made at the last inspection. The provider agreed to ensure that the emergency procedure policy statement is signed and understood by those parents who may not agree with their child receiving any medical treatment. Parents are asked to sign this form at the time of registration at

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Improvements 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 the nursery which helps to safeguard their health and welfare.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted 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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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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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 each child has a bed sheet for their own use only at rest time. • make sure that the children's toothbrushes are stored hygienically • ensure that any trip hazards in the outdoor area are made inaccessible to children

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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): • take steps to promote children's listening skills through maintaining a lower level of noise in the main hall • record children's use of technology to support their learning and add dates to the entries in the children's records of progress.

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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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