Gorse Bank Community Special School

Warwick Pre-School Group Inspection report for early years provision

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105749 Unique Reference Number 13 June 2007 Inspection date Christine Bonnett Inspector

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76 - 78 Warwick Gardens (rear of 78), London, W14 8PR Setting Address

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E-mail

Warwick Gardens Pre-School 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?

Warwick Pre-School Group is managed by a voluntary management committee, made up of parents of children at the pre-school. It is a registered charity. It opened in 1974 and operates from purpose built premises in W14 in the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea. A maximum of 22 children may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open each weekday from 09:15 to 15:00 during term time. Half day places are available. Children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 25 children aged from two years 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 a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs four staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 as the nursery is maintained to a high standard of cleanliness. Children are learning self-care skills to prevent the risk of cross-infection as they wash their hands at appropriate times during the day. They also understand why it is important to do so. Children profit from good opportunities for physical play and exercise as they have routine access to the well equipped garden. Here, they have the opportunity to run, swing and slide within a secure environment. Effective procedures are in place to manage accidents, and all staff hold first aid certificates. However, the accident book lacks the necessary detail.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy the variety of fruit available at the snack table. Children's independence is encouraged as they are able to decide for themselves when they are ready to sit down and eat. Staff monitor the children to ensure that no child misses out on their refreshment. Parents provide a packed lunch for their child. Advice is given about which types of food should be included and which to avoid to ensure the food remains safe, as well as being healthy and nutritious. Children are also learning about the importance of healthy eating through project work. They relate with conviction that 'crisps are not healthy for you'. A social occasion is created at meal times, as children sit around tables and talk with their friends and the staff. However, children's health may be compromised at lunch time because some meals are heated in a microwave by parents on the duty rota. The parents are not made sufficiently aware of

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Helping children to be healthy

food preparation and handling regulations, and do not have the required utensils to implement the requirements.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children have ready access to a wide range of stimulating and fun play resources set out within a warm and welcoming environment. They have sufficient space to move around and play safely. Children confidently select equipment they wish to use from shelves and open fronted units. All furniture and equipment is clean and in good condition.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety is promoted as daily checks by staff ensure there are no potential hazards to endanger them. Fire drills are held regularly, and fire exits are clearly indicated and unobstructed to assist with the quick and safe evacuation of the premises in an emergency. The security of the building is also good as a closed circuit television camera (CCTV) monitors the front gate to ensure that unwelcome visitors can not enter the premises, or children leave unnoticed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is further safeguarded by the staff's detailed knowledge and understanding of child protection matters. They are aware of the signs and symptoms a child may exhibit that could indicate they were being harmed and the procedure to follow to report concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive happily and immediately settle down to an organised activity, or initiate their own play from the wealth of resources available for them. Younger children benefit from activity planning that follows the Birth to three matters framework to support their learning. This means that they are becoming competent learners as the activities are meaningful and appropriate.

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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 thoroughly enjoy being able to move freely between playing indoors and out. The garden is well equipped and allows them to have great fun squirting water onto plants, painting with large rollers and generally running around.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The nursery has a relaxed and caring atmosphere. Staff give warm and gentle care to the children and interact positively with them. This increases children's sense of wellbeing and security.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of the teaching and learning is good. Staff have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage of learning. They demonstrate that when an activity is well prepared, presented and delivered, all six areas of learning can be effectively incorporated. For example, the dough making activity covered sensory skills by feeling the flour, mathematics by counting the scoops of flour required, measuring by adding water and physical skills by pouring and kneading the dough. The play opportunities provided are stimulating and fun because staff understand how children learn. This in turn means that children show good levels of independence, curiosity and an eagerness to participate.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are observed to identify their achievements; the information gained is evaluated and used to plan the next step for each child. This enables children to make good progress in all areas of learning. However, little evidence is available to demonstrate each child's individual progress and stage of development at any given time. Children work well together in small groups, and individually, as they concentrate and persist at their chosen activity.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have access to a good range of resources that enable them to develop an understanding of diversity within society and respect for others. Books, musical instruments and play figures reflect positive images of different cultures, faiths and abilities. A variety of world faith festivals, such as Diwali, Eid and Easter are acknowledged and enjoyed by all.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good as they are all busily engaged in stimulating play. Positive and age appropriate strategies are used to manage any unacceptable behaviour that may arise. Plenty of praise and encouragement is given to children to maintain their self-esteem and confidence. In addition, the nursery has a list of rules for children to conform to which helps to create a harmonious atmosphere. The children know and understand the rules, which include being kind to each other, smiling, listening, looking after the things they are using, but most of all, having fun!

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of children who receive nursery education is good. Information about the Foundation Stage and the planning sheets are displayed for parents. A book loan scheme is provided to encourage children to read books at home with their parent's support. In addition, the manager and her staff recognise the value and importance of establishing positive relationships with parents and carers. By creating an open and honest two-way flow of information and expertise the nursery gains a clearer picture of each child's stage of development. This benefits the child because the next step for their learning is planned and supported by everyone involved with their care. All parents have the opportunity to be part of the parent's duty rota and spend a session in the nursery. This is greatly enjoyed by all, as parents often bring their individual skills and interests into the setting, such as cooking,

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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 The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with parents and other agencies involved with each individual child to ensure their needs are fully met. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The nursery is well organised with resources and play areas used effectively to create a welcoming environment. The staff make good use of the available space to enable children to make choices about how they spend their time. Children are safe and well looked after because policies and procedure for their wellbeing are followed by staff. All documentation required for the effective management of the nursery is in place. However, the accident book and the attendance register lack the necessary detail. Robust recruitment procedures are implemented to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the setting are good. The staff team is led by a manager who is a good role model and is committed to the promotion of good quality childcare. She encourages her staff to increase their skills through further training, and gives them good support, both informally on a daily basis and formally through staff appraisals and meetings. Staff have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities, and their deployment around the nursery is effective to protect the wellbeing of the children. They also ensure that all children are happily engaged in purposeful activities. Staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage and they effectively support the children's learning and development. In addition, the manager and her staff value the input from advisory teachers to support their delivery of nursery education. As a result, 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, a recommendation was made to improve the welfare of the children by obtaining permission from parents to seek medical treatment for their child in the event of an emergency. Permission is now routinely obtained as part of the enrolment process. A further recommendation was made to ensure children were safeguarded. The nursery was requested to ensure child protection procedures were up-to-date and for staff to attend training in this area. Since the inspection, staff have received child protection training and policies and procedures were up-dated. In addition, further staff training is planned to take account of the recent changes in relation to safeguarding children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Recommendations were also made at the last inspection to improve the nursery education in relation to providing more opportunities for children to explore and investigate how things work. The learning area of knowledge and understanding of the world is now very well promoted within the nursery. Children have access to a range of programmable equipment, such as telephones, computers, and tills. They are finding out how they work, and their function. Children observe and care for growing things, such as strawberry and tomato plants. They are also learning about their bodies as they discuss their bones and teeth.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 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 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 those responsible for the preparation and handling of food are fully aware of and comply with regulations relating to food safety and hygiene • ensure children's surnames are included in the attendance register and accident book.

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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): • continue to develop systems for recording and monitoring children's development.

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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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