Asquith Nursery - Richmond

Asquith Nursery - Richmond

Inspection report for early years provision

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Asquith Nursery - Richmond

EY302074 Unique Reference Number 16 November 2006 Inspection date Jane Nelson Inspector

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Asquith Nursery - Richmond

C/o Marshgate Primary School, 157 Queens Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6HY

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E-mail

Asquith Court Nurseries Limited Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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 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?

Asquith Nursery, Richmond was registered in September 2003. It operates from four rooms in purpose-built premises on the Marshgate School site in Richmond and serves the local community. The after school club is located in a classroom in the school building and provides after school care for children attending Marshgate School.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting is registered to provide care for 62 children under five years in the nursery, and 24 children aged between three to under eight years in the after school club. There are currently 66 children aged three months to four years on roll in the nursery. This includes 14, three to under five year olds who receive educational funding. There are 40 children aged five to under eight years on roll attending the after school club. The setting supports children with disabilities and who speak English as an additional language.

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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 opens five days a week, throughout the year and operates from 07:30 to 18:00. The after school club opens from 8.00 to 9.00, 12.00 to 13.00 and 15:15 to 18:00 during term time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Eight full time and 13 part time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications equivalent to NVQ level 2 or 3. Three staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's health is promoted by clear hygiene policies being in place and implemented by staff. For example, staff wear gloves and protective clothing when serving food, preparing feeds and changing nappies. This together with the setting's sick child policy, and ensuring parents are informed promptly of any infectious diseases, minimises the risk of infection to children.

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Helping children to be healthy

Most children are learning about good hygiene, for example, a member of staff talks to a baby about making them nice and clean, while wiping their face after a meal time. Younger children are supervised in the bathroom and reminded to wash their hands before lunch and after using the toilet. Older children use the bathroom independently, they are not always reminded to wash their hands, and often forget. They then continue with their play, which provides opportunities for infection to spread.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have a balanced diet. They enjoy fresh pear and crackers at snack time and lasagne with potato wedges and broccoli at lunch time. Older children enjoy helping to set the table for lunch and chatting to each other while they eat. Some staff oversee the children, standing, rather than sitting with the children, which means they are not interacting with children or using mealtimes as a social occasion. Information about babies individual feeding routines is obtained from parents and followed. Staff bottle feeding babies sit on the floor, with babies held cosily on their laps.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have good opportunities for physical development. The environment where babies and toddlers are cared for, is planned and organised to encourage mobility and independent walking. Older children enjoy daily play in a safe and easily accessible out door play area. They have fun digging in the sand pit, rolling balls, using sit and ride toys and climbing on the climbing frame.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receiving educational funding have good opportunities to develop physical skills. They climb over, under and through equipment, when using the climbing frame. Children are gaining an awareness of space when navigating and steering bikes in the garden. They enjoy putting their hoods up and being outside when it is raining. They talk about how high they can jump and doing somersaults. Children are developing their fine motor skills as they cut with scissors, use pencils and crayons and use cutlery with increasing confidence.

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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

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. Security procedures such as an entry phone and closed circuit television, help to ensure that the premises are secure. Space is organised appropriately to provide safe areas for children's play. For example the baby and toddler rooms are organised with clear floor space and carpeted areas to encourage children to investigate play materials and equipment safely and gain confidence in mobility and independent walking.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Arrangements for fire drills are displayed, however practices are infrequent, which means that not all staff and children have opportunities to experience how the evacuation procedure works in practice. Room temperatures in certain areas of the nursery are high at times, and systems to monitor temperature are not always fully effective. This means that a comfortable, consistent temperature is not always maintained.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Play equipment, toys and furniture are safe and in good condition. Equipment for younger children is set out on the floor and on low tables and easels, which means they can play and use equipment safely. Older children are able to help themselves to play equipment from low storage, and use play materials at tables, easels and on the floor safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is protected by staff's awareness of possible signs and symptoms that may cause concerns, and the action they need to take. However, they are less confident in their knowledge of the procedure followed by management.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. A range of activities and interesting experiences are provided for young children. They have fun painting at a low easel, spreading paint on the paper with brushes, and experimenting with glue and glitter. Children sit comfortably on the floor with a member of staff looking at books in the toddler room and gain confidence when climbing up and down on the small steps of an indoor climbing frame. There are occasions in the toddler room when staff do not sufficiently engage with children to ensure meaningful play. For example, staff involved in other tasks are unaware when young children push an empty water trolley across the room.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children in the nursery room, listen to a member of staff reading a story in the book area, however the story is not extended nor further discussion with children encouraged. They enjoy rolling play dough and talk excitedly about how they have iced biscuits. Not all staff interaction with children is consistent. For example, arrangements at children's lunch time in this room, do not always follow the same routine, at these times staff sometimes simply supervise children, rather than sitting and engaging with them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies enjoy exploring a well planned environment, they see their reflection in mirrors, squash and squeeze tactile toys, play 'Peep Bo' with a scarf, begin to walk independently and vocalise. They are able to sit supported in comfortable positions and gain confidence in mobility. Staff

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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 interact with babies well, mimicking their vocalising, talking about what babies are doing and encourage them in exploring a range of tactile and natural materials.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children attending the after school club greet each other and staff on arrival. Following a group greeting, activities are set out and the choice explained to children. Children enjoy their time at the club, they have fun designing and making Christmas cards, working on a communal drawing, building with lego and playing board games. They are busy and interested in activities, they chat, laugh and socialise with each other and staff while they are playing. Staff interact very well with children, making suggestions about creative activities, asking questions, and talking about children's families.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff interaction with children is not always consistent. Key staff, interact positively with children, they use questioning well to extend children's learning and thinking. For example, discussing why foam bubbles increase when a child blows air into a container and what happens when they put their hand on the foam. However staff employed to cover absences, do not consistently interact with children to fully promote their learning. Staff plan and provide a range of activities and experiences to encourage children's learning, such as a visit from the Zoo Lab, during which children enjoy observing and handling animals and insects. Planning is related to children's interests and staff's observations of their development. Use of the outdoor area to extend the curriculum and enrich children's learning is not yet fully developed. The needs of an older group of children returning from the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

school, for an afternoon session are not always fully catered for. As a result children are not always fully engaged in activities and are easily distracted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are interested and motivated to learn as they persist at chosen activities, such as blowing through tubes to increase foam in a mini tank. They are excited as the foam increases and talk about how big it will grow. They are learning to take turns and enjoy playing games such as snakes and ladders together. They relate well to key staff and use their names frequently, asking questions and for help when needed. Children are increasing their independence, they help to clear away after activities, for example a child cleans the table after a clay activity and mops the floor when water is spilt. Some children have good awareness and independence in their personal care, using the bathroom and washing their hands. Others frequently forget to wash their hands and are not reminded to do so.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have lots of opportunities to practice early writing skills, with pencils, crayons and when they ask for 'teacher's pen'. They enjoy helping themselves to paper and pencils and mark make in letter format. These opportunities are not extended to the outdoor area. Children have opportunities to link their name to their photograph and see letters and words used in displays, photographs and equipment labels. This helps them to recognise letters and simple word formation. Children have access to a selection of books in the book area, however they, rarely look at books independently, or use them to locate information.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use numbers confidently in their play and when talking about their own and other's ages. They refer to large numbers on the snakes and ladders board. Children use numbers in practical situations, such as calculating how much cutlery is needed and left over at lunch time.

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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 They have great fun exploring volume, bigger and smaller when blowing through plastic tubes and creating bubbles and foam. Children estimate when it will be 'bigger' and what it will be 'bigger than'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are exploring and investigating their environment, as they dig and plant in the garden and enjoy handling and observing animals as part of the Zoo Lab visit. They use a range of equipment such as hole punches, telephones, keyboards and operate a CD player with increasing confidence. They find out how equipment such as ear phones work, and what happens when they pull the ear phone plug out of the CD player. They enjoy constructing from a variety of materials, and refer to large junk models they have made hanging from the ceiling.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children's individual needs are generally well known by staff, which helps children feel secure and settled. Information is obtained from parents about babies' home routines, which staff refer to, ensuring individual feed and sleep patterns are followed. This helps babies feel secure and provides continuity of the care they receive at home. Young children are developing confidence and self esteem as they have time to explore independently, for example investigating paper streamers in a container and increasing their confidence in climbing, by using small steps on the climbing frame. The key worker system helps staff to know children well and plan according to individual needs and routines. Good communication between staff, parents and other professionals means that children with disabilities are supported well and consistent practices followed to encourages and support children's development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children receiving educational funding, have quiet times during the day, when they enjoy listening to music or story CDs. They find areas in the play room to play or sit quietly in small groups. They have access to adequate resources that reflect diversity. Children with English as an additional language are gaining confidence in socialising and developing their vocabulary. Photographs of children and some creative work are displayed on the walls and in children's individual developmental books. Children talk about large models they have made that are suspended from the ceiling. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are generally well behaved. Older children are learning to take turns and are beginning to resolve any disputes that do occur themselves, through negotiation. Suitable strategies, such as praise, clear explanations and thanking children, are used to encourage and reinforce positive behaviour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is satisfactory. Daily discussion between parents and staff, is encouraged and means that information about children is exchanged regularly. Systems are in place to share children's developmental records with parents on a more formal basis. However, systems and strategies to involve parents in their children's learning are not yet fully developed. Information about the curriculum is displayed on the parent's notice board and is included in the setting's newsletters.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The setting is generally well organised and resourced with good quality equipment, furniture and play materials. The necessary policies and procedures and required documentation are in place. These are well organised, maintained and stored appropriately. Staff are well deployed and generally clear about their roles. However arrangements for cover during staff absences, sometimes leads to inconsistencies in some children's care. The induction process for new or temporary staff, is not always fully effective as not all staff are clear about the nursery's child protection procedures.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is satisfactory. Strategies are in the process of being implemented to make improvements to the nursery education and organisation of the setting, however these are not yet fully implemented. Staff have access to training, through the local authority and in house training to increase and update their childcare knowledge. The setting is meeting the needs of the range of children for whom they provide.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following the last inspection the following recommendations were set:

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Improvements since the last inspection

Develop staff's awareness and understanding of effective ways to manage children's behaviour, taking into account their age and stage of development. Develop the routine and opportunities for all children to extend their independence, participate in conversations and tactile play materials suitable for individual needs, incorporating the participation of staff in planning and recording progress. Develop practice to ensure children's emotional needs are met. Provide opportunities for parents to receive regular information on their children's progress and develop methods of communication.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The setting has provided in house training that includes behaviour management for all staff and two members of staff have attended external training. This means that appropriate strategies are in place to manage children's behaviour, according to their stage of development.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The setting has developed planning, the key worker system and introduced continuous provision, which means that children have access to a good range of activities and experiences, throughout the day. However staff interaction with children is not always consistent, which sometimes results in different routines being followed and children's play and language not being extended.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The setting provides opportunities for parents to receive regular information about their children's progress, such as sharing developmental records with parents, newsletters and daily communication. However strategies for involving parents in their children's education are not yet fully developed.

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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

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 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 then 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 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): • make sure fire drills are held with sufficient frequency, to ensure staff and children are familiar with the evacuation procedure • monitor room temperatures to ensure a safe and comfortable temperature is maintained • make sure all staff interact with children consistently and positively, encouraging them in their play and development • make sure the induction process for new and temporary staff is fully effective, to ensure all staff are aware of the setting's child protection procedures

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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): • develop and encourage older children's awareness and independence in their personal care (applies to care also) • ensure staff interaction with children consistently supports and challenges their learning • develop methods for sharing information with parents and encouraging parents involvement in their children's learning • review grouping of children to ensure their individual needs are met and their learning is not adversely affected.

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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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