My Choice School Arundel

Toddler Inn Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Toddler Inn Nursery

135111 Unique Reference Number 05 March 2007 Inspection date Deborah Wilkinson Inspector

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Toddler Inn Nursery

Cicely Davis Hall, Cochrane Street, London, NW8 7NX Setting Address

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E-mail

LAURA McCOLE Registered person Childcare 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Toddler's Inn Nursery which has been running since 1981. It operates from a community hall within a housing estate. The nursery is located in the St Johns Wood area of Westminster.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery opens five days a week during school term times from 09:00 to 15:30 and provides places for 24 children. Currently there are 43 on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children whose first language is not English.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Four staff work with the children. Two have an early years qualification and a third is currently training.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery receives support from Westminster's Providers Association Under 8's Forum.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in clean and welcoming surroundings. They are well protected from the risk of infection because staff carry out effective hygiene practice. Children are encouraged to learn about the importance of hand washing and other aspects of personal care from an early age and are very familiar with daily routines.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's wellbeing is safeguarded by the thorough systems in place to deal with accidents and any medication given. Children who have accidents are given appropriate treatment by one of the qualified first aiders. Records are kept and parents informed of any action taken.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a healthy snack of fruit which they eat together in a group. Those who stay for the afternoon session bring a packed lunch with them. Guidance about the type of foods to provide is given to parents and fresh drinking water is always available. Staff also bring their lunch and sit and chat with the children while they eat.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have opportunities for exercise when they join in the music and movement sessions. They dance, crawl like snakes and join in enthusiastically when doing the actions for 'if your happy and you know it'. Staff set up equipment including balancing beams and children practise their catching skills using balls and beanbags. There is an outdoor play area but this is not currently used as the fence requires repair. However, when the weather permits the children go to the local park which is a short walk away.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time in the attractive environment that is carefully assessed and checked by the staff each day. There is a designated health and safety officer, however, all staff share responsibility for keeping the premises safe. Children are able to explore their surroundings in comfort and safety because staff take good practical precautions to protect them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's security is a high priority and entry into the premises is gained by ringing the bell.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children enjoy playing with a range of safe, clean and well maintained toys and equipment. The organisation of the rooms helps ensure they are able to help themselves from low level storage units.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The overall welfare of children is positively safeguarded. Staff have a good understanding of child protection issues with up to date written procedures to follow.

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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 satisfactory. Children are happy when they come into the nursery. They are familiar with the staff and the routines that are in place and this helps them to settle and feel part of the group. Their interaction with staff is warm and children are confident to ask the adults for help. Children enjoy their time in the nursery and generally participate well. However, some group activities are not presented in an appropriate way for the younger children who become restless and lose interest.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children benefit from the key worker system which enables them to form a trusting relationship with a known adult. Staff know the children well and use this knowledge to plan activities which are linked to themes. For example, children are learning about growing. They observe the cress seeds and the onion which is sprouting. They make drawings of the caterpillars as they watch them pass through the different stages on the way to becoming butterflies. One child spends a long time looking at and touching the miniature garden they have made.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore a range of materials that are suitable for their age and stage of development. They help to make the play dough and enjoy painting their junk models. They play with sand, listen to stories and make tea in the role play area. While children have opportunities to develop their self help skills, sometimes staff provide too much assistance and inadvertently fail to encourage children's independence.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued and respected as individuals. They join in, take responsibility and play a productive part in the nursery. They are confident within the playroom and choose from the selection of activities available.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is good. They work well together and are able to co-operate and share. This is helped by the clear rules, simple explanations and the gentle encouragement of the staff. The adults are good role models, speaking quietly and thanking the children for their help.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are developing self esteem and respect for others. They learn about other cultures and lifestyles when parents visit to tell them about their festivals. They admire a Divali display and enjoy dressing up in the saris. Chinese New Year is celebrated with origami decorations and a bright pink pig which the children help to make. A regular visitor to the nursery brings in unusual animals for the children to experience. There are also visits from the police, fire brigade and librarian.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the positive relationships between the parents and staff. A useful prospectus is provided to parents making enquiries about the nursery. Those who use the service receive regularly updated information. Copies of the policies and procedures and a folder of information about local resources are available in the lobby. Staff are always available to discuss each child's progress. Parents are complimentary about the service that is provided.

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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 good. The established group of staff work well as a team. They are organised, support each other and are used to the routines. The comprehensive policies and procedures provide a sound framework to guide and support them. There is an induction procedure in place and whenever possible staff attend training provided by the local authority. Staff review the way in which they work and all aspects of the group are discussed at the regular staff meetings. Currently, there are no formal systems in place to monitor staff practice.

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Organisation

Children are confident and enthusiastic because of the warmth of the staff. Their welfare is safeguarded by the staff who keep records to ensure they can provide appropriate care.

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Organisation

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 previous inspection the provider was asked to ensure that staff understood the procedures regarding child protection and health and safety. To demonstrate how the required number of staff will be trained and provide confirmation that they are checked for their suitability. Lastly to maintain records in a confidential manner.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children benefit from staff's understanding of the health and safety procedures and the action they will take if they are concerned about a child's welfare. Children's welfare is protected as all staff have current enhanced CRB checks and 50 % have a child care qualification. Confidentiality is maintained when accidents and incidents are recorded separately.

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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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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • review the presentation of activities to ensure that they are appropriate for all the children • provide opportunities for children to develop their independence and practise their self help skills • formalise the system to monitor staff practice

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The quality and standards of the care

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 care

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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