The Little School Daycare

The Little School Daycare

Inspection report for early years provision

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The Little School Daycare

EY280834 Unique Reference Number 13 February 2007 Inspection date Christine Bonnett Inspector

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The Little School Daycare

44 Boston Park Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9JF Setting Address

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E-mail

The Little School Daycare 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?

The Little School Daycare nursery is privately owned by Harbir Kaur Randeva. It opened in 2004, and operates from a converted building in Brentford, in the London borough of Hounslow. A maximum of 65 children may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 55 children aged from under one year to under five years on roll. Of these, 19 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local and wider community. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 18 staff, of whom 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications. A further three staff are 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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is promoted well. They are cared for in a clean environment where staff maintain good hygiene practices. There is a thorough daily cleaning routine in place and staff wear protective clothing to minimise cross infection, for example, when changing nappies. Children are encouraged to wash their hands after visiting the toilet and before eating their lunch. They understand why this is important as they relate "you don't want germs in your tummy, they make you sick". Good procedures are in place for administering medication and managing accidents. The majority of staff hold a current first aid certificate.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished with healthy and nutritious cooked meals and snacks that take account of their individual dietary needs, and conform to the wishes of the parents. This includes fresh fruit, pasta, chicken and vegetable bake. Meals are freshly cooked on the premises in a clean kitchen. The cook and most of the staff hold food hygiene certificates and so understand how to store, cook and serve food safely to minimise the risk of contamination.

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Helping children to be healthy

The independence of the older children is not promoted at lunch time. They are not given routine opportunities to serve themselves and to negotiate what, and how much, they are given. In addition, although children sit together in small groups, because staff walk around serving them with their food, a relaxed, social time is not created.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have good opportunities for active, physical exercise. The garden area allows them to run around within a secure environment. In addition, children thoroughly enjoy the frequent musical movement sessions, which also promote general fitness.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming and child-friendly environment. They have ample space to play unhindered in well-maintained, safe surroundings. Children's safety is important to staff, and any potential hazards are identified and quickly reduced to prevent the children coming to harm. Security of the premises is good, which also helps to protect children from potential danger. Effective systems are in place to ensure that unwelcome visitors do not gain entry to the building, and children cannot leave unobserved.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children profit from the broad range of developmentally suitable toys and resources available for them. Their independence is fostered as they are able to help themselves to the play equipment that is set out attractively for them on open fronted shelving.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Babies are cared for in a comfortable and homely room, for example, there are soft furnishings and lots of interactive toys that are easily accessible. Babies are well supervised as staff sit close to them on the floor and encourage them to move and explore materials and equipment safely. However, the majority of play equipment in the baby room is constructed from plastic.

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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 Consequently, children do not benefit in their everyday play from experiencing natural resources and textures, such as wood, sponge, fabric and shells.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's wellbeing is protected because staff have a good knowledge and understanding of child protection matters. The signs and symptoms of abuse are recognised by staff, and the procedure to follow for reporting concerns is understood.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive happily at the nursery. They are greeted warmly by their friends, and staff. Children settle very quickly as they find something interesting to become involved in. Children are becoming independent learners from a young age as they select what they wish to use from a wide range of resources attractively displayed for them. Staff are close by to offer support and supervision where needed. Children are content and comfortable as they interact well with the staff. They laugh and have fun with them. Consequently, children become confident and begin to express their individual needs and wishes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young babies are nurtured in a warm and comfortable environment. The calm and tranquil atmosphere created by the caring and experienced staff enable children to feel relaxed and at ease. In addition, children benefit from the high number of staff in the room as they receive plenty of individual attention throughout the day. The affectionate and gentle care given by the staff enables babies to develop a sense of belonging and trust. Good eye contact is given to babies by the staff and plenty of cuddles so that the child understands that they are valued by, and important to, their carer.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of the teaching and learning is good. Planning is effective and children benefit from the staff's generally good knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Children's individual achievements are noted, and evaluated. This information is then used to plan the next step in their learning. Staff are clear about the learning intention of each activity they supervise, and understand that if it is well planned and resourced, it can incorporate all six areas of learning. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn, and provide a stimulating environment in which resources are used well to enable children to make progress in all areas of learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show curiosity and a desire to learn as they explore activities and join in enthusiastically. Vocabulary is developed as staff ask open-ended questions to make children think and respond appropriately. Children also become excited as they anticipate what comes next in a familiar story, such as "the three little pigs". They select books to look at for pleasure from the book corner and are learning how to handle them, and that print carries meaning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing their physical skills as they handle tools, such as brushes, glue spreaders and scissors. They also have tremendous fun developing large motor skills by joining in organised musical movement sessions. They jump, skip and hop around the room with staff while singing at the top of their voices! However, the programme for physical development does not provide

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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 balancing, scrambling and climbing opportunities to challenge and dare the older and more able children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is well promoted as they concentrate deeply while exploring what magnets, magnifying glasses and microphones do. In addition, they benefit from daily access to information and communication technology.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are developing good confidence and self-esteem as they explore independently in the safe environment. Children are finding out about the world in which they live as they celebrate festivals such as Christmas and Diwali. There is a satisfactory range of toys and resources to promote children's understanding of diversity, for example, dressing up clothes and books.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All children are respected and valued as individuals. Their individual needs are met well because staff find out from parents about the child's routine, such as diet and sleep patterns, and incorporate them effectively into the daily routine. Children with learning difficulties or disabilities are welcome in the setting. Staff work closely in partnership with parents or carers, and other professionals to promote the well-being of the child.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good as the variety of play opportunities available each day ensures they are kept busy and interested. Any difficulties that may arise are managed using age-appropriate and positive strategies.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children settle quickly into the nursery because of the effective partnership staff enjoy with parents. All relevant information is exchanged daily to ensure the child's needs are met. Parents are well informed about the routine of the day and care given, as policies and procedures are available for them to consult. A wealth of relevant information is also displayed for them to read. Each child has a "personal passport" that follows them through their time at the nursery. This records their progress in relation to the Birth to three matters framework initially, and then the Foundation Stage of learning. Parents are welcome to read their child's book, and discuss it with staff, at any time. The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is good. A digital video disc (DVD) is given to them which explains the six areas of learning, and how they are implemented within the nursery setting. Regular news letters are

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Helping children make a positive contribution

also produced to ensure parents are kept up-to-date about all topical issues.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the nursery is good. The joint managers and staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and, as a result, the day runs smoothly for the children. The managers are committed to the promotion of quality childcare. They encourage staff to attend all relevant training courses to build upon their skills. In addition, the robust recruitment procedure adopted by the nursery ensures all adults who have unsupervised contact with the children are suitable to do so. Staff are motivated, and focus upon the needs of the children.

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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 Good communication systems between management and staff are in place, such as daily verbal support and formal staff meetings.

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Organisation

The premises are well organised and children are happy, secure and confident in their surroundings. Their individual needs are met effectively because staff have a good understanding of child care and development. Children also profit from the effective partnership staff have with parents.

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Organisation

Good policies and procedures are in place and work well in practice to keep children healthy and safe. They are regularly reviewed and updated as legislation changes. Funded children are making good progress in their development. 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 inspection, the nursery was required to improve standards of safety by conducting fire drills regularly. Drills are now held every term, and the findings are recorded. The hours of attendance of the children and staff are also now recorded, to ensure safety is maintained. Parents receive verbal and written information about the developmental progress of their child to ensure they are kept well-informed. Children's progress records are also stored securely, and staff are aware that confidentiality must be maintained at all times.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery was also required to provide appropriate furniture to meet the needs of babies. Younger children are now able to sleep and eat in comfort and safety, as highchairs and cots are available, as well as a range of suitable play equipment. In addition, children now enjoy access to a range of dressing-up materials and clothes to enhance their imaginations.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Recommendations were also made at the last inspection to improve the nursery education programme. Staff's knowledge of the Foundation Stage has increased, and the curriculum is delivered effectively to ensure children make good progress in all six areas of learning. In addition, the time table of the day has been adapted to offer children more time for free-play and exploration.

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Improvements since the last inspection

As well as an improvement in the delivery of the educational programme, the planning of the curriculum has also been improved. Children are observed and the areas of development to be enhanced are identified and built into the planning. Benchmarking is used to track each child's learning to ensure their individual needs are met.

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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 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): • reorganise lunch time to encourage children's independence and create a social occasion (applies to nursery education also) • enable children in the baby room to experience heuristic play equipment and resources that include natural materials such as wood, shells and fabrics.

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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 the programme for physical development by providing apparatus to challenge and dare the older and more able children.

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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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