Solent Infant School

Osterley Park Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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116199 Unique Reference Number 21 May 2007 Inspection date Sylvia Dindar Inspector

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Quakers Lane, Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 5AZ Setting Address

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E-mail

Dawn Sian Heather 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?

Osterley Park Day Nursery opened in 1984. It is situated in a quiet lane next to Busch Corner in Isleworth, in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is a private day nursery, registered for a maximum of 17 children aged two to five years. It is open from 08:00 to 18:00 Mondays to Fridays 51 weeks a year. The nursery offers full time places (five days per week), part time places (one to four days per week) and a limited number of half day places from 08:00 to 13:00 or 13:00 to 18:00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery also offers the nursery education grant for three and four year olds and currently have 20 children in receipt of funding, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities. The premises offers the children three playrooms, set out over two floors and there is a large garden at the rear.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There is a staff group of four including a deputy and all staff holds a recognised childcare qualification. The nursery does not offer overnight care.

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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 well cared for in the setting. Risks of infection are minimised as rigorous cleaning routines are in place and ensure that all equipment and toys are kept clean. Toilets are cleaned and checked regularly and children who are toilet training have their own potty. These are colour coded and clearly marked for each individual child. Children learn good hygiene procedures as part of the nursery routine, for example, they wash their hands before meals and after messy play. The group have a clear sick child policy which they share with parents so that they understand that the nursery has a responsibility to protect the health of all children.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished. Food is freshly cooked on the premises and contains a range of fresh and frozen produce. Careful planning ensures that meals are well balanced offering a balance of nutrients and no salt is added. Good systems are in place to ensure children who have food allergies or adverse re-actions are not exposed to foods that may cause harm. Children are offered a choice of milk or water to drink and water is available at all times to ensure children do not become thirsty. Alongside this, staff further increase the healthy eating message through planned activities.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children take part in vigorous outdoor activities and are developing their motor skills and physical abilities. They enjoy exercise and are able to use the outdoor area on most days. The nursery is in the process of refurbishing the garden area so that children are able to use the increased paved areas to move around. They confidently pedal their bikes and enjoy speeding around on the scooters. They have room to manoeuvre and do this with ease and are careful not to bump into each other. Indoors they take part in dance and action rhymes. These activities promote well-being, stimulate thinking and help to keep them fit and healthy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety is paramount. The setting is secure as the gates and doors are kept locked. Only those authorised to do so can gain entry. Risk assessments are in place and identify any hazards both on and off site and these are acted upon by staff. Safety features, such as, stair gates restrict children' access to hazardous areas such as the stairs and the kitchen area and all cleaning materials are kept out of reach of children. Children take part in regular fire practices, and the safe evacuation of children is assured as the nursery times and evaluates each practice. They ensure that all safety equipment is in working order as planned maintenance takes place.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are learning to keep themselves safe as they are reminded through a child health and safety video about dangerous objects, such as, knives. In addition children are involved in their own mini pictorial health and safety checks and identify hazards. Children learn to tidy up as staff remind them that they may fall over if toys are not picked up.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded as staff are well informed about child protection. There are effective systems in place which helps to ensure children are protected. A child protection policy is in place and has been recently reviewed and amended to bring it in line with the Safeguarding Children measures. This is shared with parents showing them the group have responsibility to keep all children safe.

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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 good. Nursery Education

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good and three year olds are making steady progress toward the early learning goals. Staff's knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is sound and they plan and provide a broad range of experiences for children. Differentiation in planning ensures that children are well stimulated and appropriately challenged and can learn at a pace most suited to their needs. Staff skilfully ask children questions that make them think. They set up activities with a range of good resources and allow children time to use their natural curiosity to develop their own learning. They praise and encourage children so that that they gain confidence in their own abilities and continue to want to learn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a number of opportunities to develop their independence skills as part of the daily routine. For example, they help themselves to drinks, serve themselves from dishes at lunch time and are involved in choosing their own activities and contributing ideas. However, when toileting, children are not always given the independence and privacy they need. Children are confident in the setting, they know where things are and enjoy playing together and are building firm friendships. They are developing an awareness of others needs as well as their own as they learn to share and take turns. Children enjoy the attention they get from staff and are keen to communicate with them, they enthusiastically greet them as they arrive and are keen to share their news and ideas. They enjoy stories both as a group and on a one to one basis; they get to choose the books they want to read. They begin to understand that print has

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

meaning as staff clearly label toys and resources. They practise writing their names as they label their work or are involved in more focused writing and letter recognition.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children take an interest in the world about them. They learn about nature as they plant seeds to grow sunflowers and they reflect on why the squirrel ate them. They understand how they have to adapt what they do to prevent this from happening again and place mesh over the pots. Children understand how they must water them to make them grow. The nursery have a hamster and children are involved in feeding and cleaning it. They are learning to take care for living things.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are interested and excited by the healthy eating topic; they are keen to identify the vegetables in the factual books. They clearly identify the colours and are able to express their own likes and dislikes. They are using their senses as they smell and identify the fruits. They are learning new words such as bitter, sour, sweet. Staff encourage children to try new things, such as, kiwi fruit and nectarine. The topic is further developed in creative play. The children paint and stamp with the fruit and reflect on the patterns they make. Children are learning to write as they practise writing their names on their work. Staff know the children that need help; they sound the letters out so that children learn to link the sounds to the letters. They practise using scissors and learn how to squeeze glue tubes as they make a large group collage, as well as their own individual books about their favourite foods.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore how things float and sink talking about heavy and light and reflecting on their findings, helping them understand the concept. They talk about under the water and on top of the water, developing their language for maths. Children further develop their maths skills, for example, through stories, songs and rhymes. Children are learning about shapes as they construct with puzzles and junk modelling.

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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's imagination is captured as they are thrilled with their new play house and explain it can be anything you want it to be. They are sociable and keen to show their visitor their new play house. They pretend to make cups of tea; they invite people in and pretend it is raining outside. They enjoy dressing up and have a good range of outfits to choose from. Children play well together in the home corner inviting their friends to join them in their imaginary cooking activities. Children play spontaneously and follow their own ideas because they can access toys easily. For example, one child sings 'I can sing a rainbow’ whilst another makes up a rainbow with the pegs showing that they have a good concept of colours.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children construct with a good range of resources, they enjoy making 3-D images, for example, robots out of stickle bricks and large towers out of plastic construction bricks.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are included as staff are committed to providing a service that can meet individual needs and offer inclusion. For example, they use sign language which helps younger children and also children with additional languages to communicate and to be included. Written signs around the nursery are also written in signed language as well as some of the other languages in the community. Children with special needs are identified at an early stage which ensures that children get the help they need to reach their full potential. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to plan individual programmes with children to ensure individual children's need are met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are co-operative. They are keen to take responsibility by helping to tidy up at the end of play sessions. They are supported in turn taking, for example, when playing games, such as, the parachute game; they take it in turns to go into the middle or holding onto the parachute. When a favourite activity is on offer staff explain to them that they will have their turn and ensure that they do, as they remember to call them over when a space is available. Children are developing good manners as they are reminded to say please and thank you and are praised when they remember. Children play co-operatively an invite their friends to play with them. Children are encouraged to talk about the things that are important to them and taking the nursery teddy home offers them close links with home. A range of posters is reflective of their community and children's photos are displayed so children have a sense of belonging. They

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Helping children make a positive contribution

take trips to the local theatre, the local supermarket or the post office so become familiar with the community.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is good. Staff work closely with parents to build relationships which are friendly and professional. This helps to ensure children are secure and settled. Parents are well informed about the setting through the prospectus, notice board, newsletters, daily and weekly diaries. A clear complaints procedure and an Ofsted poster are displayed inviting comments from parents. A key worker photograph board helps parents and children to identify their key worker. An open door policy means that parents are able to discuss their children's welfare and development at any time. Half yearly reports are prepared by staff and used as a base for discussion about their child's progress and parents are invited in to contribute ideas and their own observations.

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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 leadership and management of nursery education is good. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom they provide. The rigorous recruitment system ensures that all staff are suitable to work with children and that they have the right qualification for their roles and responsibilities. Staff are very well motivated and supported this is reflected in their work practice as they show enthusiasm for their work with children. Systems are in place to ensure all staff have an induction period where they familiarise themselves with their roles and responsibilities. Staff work well as a team and share knowledge. They take an active part in their appraisals which explores their development, achievements, and training needs and then these are matched with the needs of the nursery to ensure the setting is able to provide good quality childcare. Staffing levels are good and all staff holds early years qualifications.

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Organisation

Space is well organised so that children can reach their toys and resources. The nursery is divided into two groups. These are flexible so that children can use the space and resources in both areas and experience mixed aged groups, so children can learn from each other, as well as having time to work with children of a similar age and stage of development on targeted activities.

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Organisation

There are good systems in place so that when staff are absent at short notice the ratios are maintained. All the documentation required by regulation is in place and available for Ofsted's inspection. However the attendance register does not clearly show individual children and records showing staff attendance are not always kept accurately. A range of well thought out policies and procedures are in place and underpins the nursery’s good practice, these have recently been reviewed, in particular, the complaints policy and the child protection policy. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides care.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection the setting has reviewed the complaints policy. Parents are provided with the appropriate information they need should they require to make a complaint. The child protection policy has been updated to reflect the most up to date practice. The group have developed the garden area which means that children have more room to play on their bikes and do not bump into each other. They have access to a new sand pit and a play house.

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Complaints since the last inspection

On 1 March 2007, concerns were raised in relating to National Standard 1: Suitable Person and

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Complaints since the last inspection

National Standard 13: Child Protection and National Standard 14: Documentation.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Ofsted conducted and investigation on 6 March 2007. As a result of this visit, 2 actions were set under National Standard 12: Working in partnership with parents and carers and National Standard 13: Child Protection. A response to these actions was receive on 2 April 2007, which indicated that the provider was now meeting the National Standards. The provider remained qualified for registration.

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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): • ensure that attendance registers clearly identify individual children and show accurate times of staff arrivals and departures.

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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): • further develop older children's independence and privacy in toileting

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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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