Littlebrook Nursery

Littlebrook Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY334366 Unique Reference Number 15 March 2007 Inspection date Jean Williams Inspector

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501 Bath Road, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 0EN Setting Address

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01753 686029 Telephone number liz@littlebrooknursery.co.uk E-mail Littlebrook Nursery Ltd Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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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?

Littlebrook Nursery is privately owned. It opened in October 2006 and operates from six rooms in a two storey building. It is situated close to Heathrow Airport in Longford Village, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. A maximum of 56 children may attend at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.15 to 18.30 all year around, except for bank holidays. All children share access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery employs 11 staff. Of these ten of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications and a further member of staff is working towards a qualification. The nursery employs a cook.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 45 children aged from nine months to under five years on roll. Of these, 14 children receive funding for early education. Children come from a wide catchment area, as most of their parents travel in to work at the airport or the surrounding area. The nursery currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports children 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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children benefit from being cared for in a setting that is well maintained, bright and clean. They are learning the importance of good hygiene practices through established, daily routines such as hand washing. They are also given clear explanations by staff, why they must wash their hands, for example to get rid of the germs. Most staff have current first aid certificates, which means that they have the relevant knowledge to deal with any accidents appropriately. All documentation relevant to first aid and the administration of medication is recorded as required, which means that children's health and well being is positively promoted. The paperwork currently used to record accidents and the administration of medication does not always carry the correct setting within the heading.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a nutritious, healthy, varied diet. Meals are cooked on the premises. They are offered fresh fruit at snack time and staff talk to them about the benefits of healthy eating. Children have opportunities to help themselves to food and to decide the size of portion they would like to eat. All children in the nursery enjoy sociable meal times staff sit with the children to give help and encouragement when needed. Babies under one are fed according to their individual routines with food and bottles provided by parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have easy access to drinks throughout the day. The older children help themselves when they are thirsty.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have regular opportunities to experience fresh air when they go outside in the garden to play or when on walks to local places of interest such as the local aquarium or farm. In wet or very cold weather the children are able to play in the indoor physical area where they have plenty of opportunities to run, balance, slide and jump as they play on the indoor equipment. This means that they are developing their physical skills. Funded children also have many opportunities to develop their fine motor skills through the use of tools such as scissors, paint brushes and cutlery.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children and parents are welcomed into the setting by the staff who greet them warmly. Parents take their children into the allocated room and settle them for the day. The nursery is bright, light, clean and well maintained. Rooms are attractively set out in preparation for the children. Attractive displays of the children's work give them a sense of belonging and ownership

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected within the setting. All visitors sign the visitors book. Daily risk assessments are carried out both inside the nursery and the garden, they are recorded and acted upon as needed. There are clear policies and procedures in place to ensure that children are safe on outings. Entry to the nursery is governed by an entry phone system. There is also CCTV coverage throughout the premises which is monitored by the manager.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are confident and happy in the nursery, they make their own choices of activities and the resources they will use. Toys are stored in all rooms to enable children to self select. The needs of the different age groups of children are very well met. There is a good supply of furniture and equipment that is of a high quality and enables staff to make flexible arrangements in the rooms. For example, the babies and younger children are able to sit comfortably together

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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 on very small chairs for mealtimes up to a table that is the right height for the chairs. This enables them to experience sociable mealtimes and it also encourages their independence.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Space is used very well in all rooms and enables children to move about with ease. They play with activities at the tables and make good use of the carpeted areas to make their constructions and sit and listen to story time or engage in circle time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are thorough policies and procedures in place to ensure that children are safeguarded. Staff have a good knowledge of child abuse and the reporting procedures to follow in a child protection case. This means that children who attend the setting are safeguarded from harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy during their time at the nursery. They settle quickly on arrival and are soon busily engaged in their choice of activity. Babies and young children settle happily and separate from their parents with confidence. Staff support the children well in their play and development. Babies settling in at the nursery are given close contact and reassurance by staff. The Birth to three matters framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum guidance, is used effectively by the staff to plan a wide, interesting, relevant range of activities for children which encourages them to participate in activities and helps in their developmental progress. Children are interested in their environment and engage in their chosen activity to a high level. Children have developed close, caring relationships with staff and with one another which gives them confidence and enables them to relax, have fun and learn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff plan a varied curriculum and take the interests of the children into account. However some activities presented to the children do not provide sufficient challenge and extension such as the writing table where children were given pieces of paper and pencil crayons that needed to be sharpened. Observation and assessment methods are in place and children's profiles are kept up to date. Staff carry out evaluations of the planned activities but do not always state if the intended learning aims have been met. Staff are deployed to work directly with the children. They are interested in the children and work well as a team to present the planned programme. Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have developed very firm relationships with one another other and familiar adults. They are able to share and take turns and show kindness and consideration to one another. Children are encouraged by the staff to be involved with the daily routines and chores such as the clearing away and preparation for meals. Children are gaining independence through pouring their own drinks, helping themselves at meal times and changing into their outdoor clothes to play in the garden.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy listening and participating in story time, they know the Gruffalo story well and join in enthusiastically. Children are confident, they have wide vocabularies and are able to engage in interesting conversations easily. They are able to recognise their own names and are skilled in linking sounds to letters. Children enjoy being able to write their own names and are practiced in labelling their work. There are many examples of the written word displayed around the nursery for children to see and copy. Children's work is effectively displayed throughout the rooms which gives them a sense of ownership and achievement.

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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 are interested in number and counting. They count how many children are present each day and have discussions about the number of girls and the number of boys. They make comparisons about who is the tallest. Through regular practical activities such as cooking and water play, they learn about capacity, volume and weight.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about the local environment when they go to the local aquarium or the park. When playing in the garden they have chance to sow and grow their own vegetables in the allotment patch. Through members of the local community visiting the nursery, such as the fire fighters, they learn about people who help us. Children have daily opportunities to use the computer and print out their work which is displayed in the group room.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are good opportunities for the children to develop their creative skills and imagination through a range of resources such as the interesting role play area. It varies depending on the themes and projects the children are following. They enjoyed being in the pirate ship and acting out the roles they planned for themselves. Children have free access to paints, crayons, sand and collage activities on a daily basis where they are able to learn and experiment with colour, texture and shapes. Children have a wide repertoire of songs that they enjoy singing. Music is played in the group rooms as the children carry out their daily tasks and activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The warm welcoming environment provided by the nursery means that children are confident and secure during their time at the setting. Staff are aware of the children's individual needs and make sure that they are met. Children are treated fairly and with respect. Staff work closely with the parents of the children who have learning difficulties and the outside agencies that may be involved which means that the children benefit from good, consistent support.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn about themselves and the wider world through using a varied range of resources that reflect positive images of diversity such as dolls, puzzles and books. They also learn about various festivals and celebrations that take place such as Chinese New Year and Christmas. The setting fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good. They share, take turns and realise that they must take care of the toys and resources. Staff provide them with firm consistent boundaries and give good explanations of why some behaviour is not acceptable. For example it is hurtful to be unkind to our friends in the nursery. Staff encourage the children's good behaviour by giving them much positive praise for their achievements.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff and parents have formed effective relationships which means that the children benefit from consistent care and contributes to their well being. Relevant information is shared between staff and the parents about the children prior to the start of the placement at the setting, which means that the staff are able to meet their needs effectively. Once the child is in the nursery staff give both written and verbal daily feedback although some information shared about the children's routines and activities is not always individual to them. Parents comments indicate that they are delighted with the service provided.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents whose children receive nursery education is very good. Parents receive clear information about the curriculum and are kept well informed about the Foundation Stage. Both written and verbal reports about the children's progress and achievements are regularly shared.

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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. Leadership and management is good. The nursery manager ensures staff receive support and she has effective leadership qualities. Regular staff meetings are held which means that the staff members are kept well informed. They also participate in appraisal programmes which identifies their training needs. The manager has a clear vision for the nursery and has identified areas for development such as the garden.

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Organisation

Children have very good relationships with the staff who have been thoroughly vetted to prove their suitability to work with young children. The staff work well as a team and are aware of their roles and responsibilities. All records are in place as is required, although, some paper work does not contain the correct name of the setting. Effective policies and procedures are in place and are implemented in order to promote good quality care for the children's safety and well being.

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Organisation

The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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. 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 all documentation used includes the correct name of the setting • make sure that the daily information given to parents is individual to the child

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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):

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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 • ensure that the evaluations carried out include children's learning outcomes • ensure that the activities provided suitably extend and challenge the 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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