The Small School At Winestead Hall

Inspection report for early years provision

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118134 Unique Reference Number 10 January 2007 Inspection date Deborah Jane Orchard Inspector

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1 Avenue Crescent, Acton, London, W3 8ES Setting Address

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E-mail

Cybertots Limited Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of 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

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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 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?

Cybertots Day Nursery is one of three nurseries privately owned by Cybertots Ltd. It opened in 1999 and operates from one room in a purpose built building in Acton in the London Borough of Ealing. A maximum of 27 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 34 children aged two to under five years on roll. Of these 13 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local community. The nursery supports children with English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs seven staff, of these six including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. one member of staff is working towards a qualification.

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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 affiliated to the Pre-School Learning Alliance who awarded the nursery an Aiming for Quality Certificate in 2003.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery receives support from the Foundation Stage Consultant from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery offers additional French and Italian classes and art and music sessions. These are run by specialist teachers.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children’s wellbeing and health are being well promoted in a clean environment where staff follow effective health and hygiene procedures. For example, they clean tables before meals and wear protective gloves for nappy changing. Children learn the importance of good hygiene routines as they clean their teeth after lunch and wash their hands regularly. They have a growing understanding of how to keep their bodies healthy as they have access to reference books and staff discuss healthy living in daily activities.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are protected from unnecessary illness as a sickness policy is in place, necessary consent is obtained from parents and carers, regarding administering medication and seeking emergency treatment. The staff receive training to help keep children safe, including first aid and the use of Epi pens.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are able to enjoy nutritious and well planned meals, which include fresh fruit and vegetables. Older children are developing their independence as they are able to help set the table and serve their own food and drinks. Children are able to access drinking water throughout the day. The staff team have a good understanding of children’s dietary needs and the preparation procedures for serving food is very carefully observed to ensure individual food requirements are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have good opportunities to enjoy physical exercise and fresh air. They are able to run, jump, balance and climb in the secure outdoor area. Older children have opportunities to use large outdoor apparatus as they make visits to the park. Younger children have fun as they develop control of their bodies using the climbing frame. Children have fun as they participate in obstacle courses, which help develop their balance and spatial awareness.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy joining in action songs and in addition they are able to participate in weekly music and movement sessions, which are run by a specialist teacher.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are able to play and move freely in a welcoming environment where hazards are identified and reduced. For example, the building has a buzzer entry system and records are

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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 kept of all persons on the premises. The parents are able to access images of the nursery via the internet, which helps to give additional reassurance. Children’s safety is well protected in the event of a fire as fire equipment is in place; evacuation procedures are displayed and practised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are able to access a wide range of suitable and safe resources which are kept within reach and checked regularly for safety. There is good range of equipment to meet the individual needs of the children attending.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded as staff have a good understanding of their role and responsibilities regarding child protection issues. They are aware of how to recognise possible signs of abuse and the importance of recording and reporting concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and relaxed in the setting. They settle well to activities and spend their time purposefully as they happily participate in activities. Children have fun and enjoy their time at nursery because they are well supported by staff who are warm and friendly in their approach. The Birth to three matters framework is being used, which helps support children's learning in their early years. Children are becoming competent learners as they participate in imaginary play, they enjoy mixing soil to make pretend rice and play with puppets. They enjoy joining in circle times as they sing and listen to stories.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching is good. Children benefit from the effective teaching methods used by staff such as open ended questioning and active participation during imaginary play. The staff observe and evaluate children's progress effectively, which is regularly reviewed with the support of the manager. Staff are actively involved in planning a well balanced curriculum which includes all areas of learning. The resources and activities are set out attractively and within children's reach. This ensures children are able to develop their independence and learning experiences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have good opportunities to develop their personal and social skills as they share and take turns during activities. Children fully participate as they select from a wide range of suitable resources. They form meaningful relationships as they talk about home routines whilst playing imaginatively at feeding babies and ironing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children speak clearly during circle time. For example, they discuss the adventures of "cyber bear" following trips home with children. They enjoy listening to a range of stories in groups and understand that print and pictures carry meaning. A book corner is made available, however, the area is not tempting children to regularly select books independently. Children are able to recognise their own names and have a good range of opportunities for mark making.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confidently exploring numbers as they count to ten and beyond during action songs. They have fun as they look for different numbers on doors and bus stops and take

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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 photos using a digital camera. They are able to recognise colour and shapes as they participate in sequencing activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are exploring and investigating their environment as they learn about technology whilst playing on the computer. They enjoy digging in the outdoor area and investigating living things using magnifying glasses. Children are able to use their imagination during creative play as they self select craft materials and develop fine muscle movements by using scissors. They are able to develop their senses as they listen to a range of music and play with water and rice mixed with lentils. Children develop physically through a wide range of experiences indoors and outside.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is being fostered in an environment where differences are valued and respected. The children are able to play with a wide range of resources which positively reflect diversity within the community. For example, books, small world people and puzzles. Children have fun as they join in singing during the French lesson. They find out about the beliefs of others as they fly "Befana" the Italian witch puppet around the room during circle time and make African pictures to celebrate Kwanzaa.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are able to develop their confidence and self-esteem as they explore their environment independently and select toys. They benefit from secure and warm relationships with staff as there is a key worker system in place. Children understand right from wrong as the they receive praise and encouragement in daily activities and respect each other.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's individual needs are recognised within the setting, staff have a positive attitude towards inclusion and suitable polices and procedures are in place. However, seating arrangements and methods of choosing helpers at group times do not always ensure that all children feel included.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. They receive regular information about the setting as they have access to newsletters and a notice board. Parents comments are valued as regular questionnaires are circulated and a comment box is in place. Parents receive information about the educational programmes and have opportunities to share information with their key workers both formally and informally. This helps support children's learning. Information is obtained from parents and carers which helps ensure each child's developmental needs are met. Feedback from parents highlights they are happy with the service they receive.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the setting is good. The manager supports the team well as she is actively involved in the setting on a daily basis. They work well as a team, which helps to create a happy and effective environment for the children. There are clear induction procedures in place, which helps to ensure each team member is clear of their role and responsibilities in the setting. Staff are able to discuss issues informally on a daily basis and

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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 receive regular supervision and appraisals. The team are actively involved in planning for the Foundation Stage and Birth to three matters framework, which reflects in their daily practise. Children are progressing well in all areas of learning, however, their interest in independently selecting books could be further enhanced. The staff are able to observe and evaluate children’s progress and the manager routinely checks children’s folders to ensure records are kept up to date. The deployment of staff is good and each child has an identified key worker. The team have regular meetings to ensure all key issues are addressed.

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Organisation

The children are able to enjoy well planned activities which largely take account of individual needs such as regular meals, quiet time and rest. However, arrangements at circle time do not consistently ensure children always feel included. The team have regular opportunities to participate in training and share their learning with other staff members. The staff are committed to continually improve and enhance their practice and carry out regular self assessments, observe each others practice and identify issues they would like to change within the setting.

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Organisation

All the required policies and procedures are in place and additional information is available. This helps to ensure children are safeguarded and the nursery is run is effectively. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the provision was judged as good. The provider was asked to revise policies to include uncollected children, contact details for complaints and child protection. The polices have now been updated and contain the necessary detail. This helps to safeguard children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection the provision was judged as very good. The provider was asked to develop recording of observations of what children know. The observation records have now been revised, which helps to identify clear learning objectives for children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made 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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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 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

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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 children are always able to feel included at circle and meal times

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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): • organise the book area to ensure children enjoy selecting books independently

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) 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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