Upton Priory School

Blue Planet Montessori Nursery School Inspection report for early years provision

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135255 Unique Reference Number 22 January 2008 Inspection date Malini Parmar Inspector

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Michenden Sports Complex, Bramley Road, London, N14 4HL Setting Address

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E-mail

Diane Stocking 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?

Blue Planet Montessori Nursery School opened in 1999. It operates from a hall in the grounds of Minchenden Association Sports Club in Southgate in the London borough of Enfield. It has exclusive use of the building from Mondays to Fridays. Children attend from the local and surrounding areas. The nursery within walking distance to transport facilities, schools and shops.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 24 children from two years to under five years may attend at any one time. There are currently 42 children from two to four years on roll. This includes 22 children who receive funding for nursery education. Children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are welcomed, as are children who speak English as a additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery school opens five days a week during school term times. Children attend a variety of sessions which run from 09:00 until 15:30, 09:00 to 12:15 and 12:30 to 15:30.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Five staff work with the children. All staff have early years qualifications, which include NVQ Level 2 and 3 as well as specialist Montessori qualifications. The nursery school practices a Montessori method into the curriculum. The setting receives support from a mentor from the

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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 Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP). The nursery school has taken part in a quality assurance scheme and has been accredited.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health and hygiene is effectively promoted through the routines and procedures in place. All staff are qualified in first aid to ensure children receive good support in the event of an accident. Clear procedures for the recording of accidents and safe administration of medication ensure the welfare of the children. Children receive swift individual attention and good care if they become unwell whilst at nursery. Staff quickly respond and follow the strong procedures in place and comfort children whilst waiting for their parents to collect early.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are keen to become increasingly independent in their personal care. They are gently reminded to wash their hands at appropriate times, wipe their noses and change their shoes from indoor to outdoor environments. Staff clean the premises daily to ensure they remain generally clean. The group are currently strengthening the rota system for cleaning toys and resources. Staff skilfully remind children to wash their hands at the sink to prevent the spread of infections. Children have access to liquid soap and disposable towels and have their own bedding.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children freely access fresh dinking water throughout the day. They relish spreading butter and cheese as they make their own sandwiches and enjoy the range of fruit on offer at snack times. They eat in small groups and exchange useful conversation about eating good food to maintain health. Children bring packed lunches which conform to special dietary requirements and parental preferences. Parents receive useful information about providing children with healthy options.

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Helping children to be healthy

Fresh air and exercise form a strong feature of the programme. Children are able choose to play indoors or outdoors throughout the day. They build their coordination and control over their movements as they enjoy climbing, running and racing their scooters. Children participate well in the yoga sessions as they carefully change their movements and postures to reflect different creatures in the story. They are beginning to recognise the changes to their bodies as they learn they become hot after exercise.

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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 secure and welcoming environment. They are warmly greeted upon arrival by staff and their friends. A sense of belonging is promoted effectively for children, as they each have their own coat hook and folder to collect their work. Children particularly enjoy looking at the attractive displays of their work ands eagerly point out their friends as babies and now. They have easy access to a large selection of toys, resources and equipment in a child focussed environment. Many of the resources are linked to the specialist Montessori method and of sound quality from natural materials. Resources are available to promote children's independent choices from low level shelves. The layout of resources and equipment is currently under review to ensure the best use of space within the room and on the shelves.

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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 Children are protected from the robust procedures in place. The entrance is diligently monitored by staff who use the inner lobby to check the identity of visitors prior to entering the main hall and where they supervise the collection of children by parents. A record of visitors is maintained and children benefit from an introduction of their visitor and the reason for their visit, to make them feel secure. Thorough and detailed assessments of potential risks of the premises, furniture, outings and activities are made on an ongoing basis. In addition, a daily checklist is completed to ensure all fundamental safety measures remain intact. Children gain secure knowledge of how to maintain their own safety as they are reminded by staff, for example, about how to safely carry 'long rods' to protect themselves and one another. The provider ensures all electrical

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

and gas appliances are assessed for safety at the specified times. Fire safety is given appropriate priority, staff are secure in their individual responsibilities during an evacuation and drills are practised regularly for children to develop their confidence in safe evacuation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded as most staff have a sound knowledge of protecting children from harm. There is a comprehensive procedure in place which includes procedures to follow in the event an allegation of abuse is made against a member of staff. Staff who are less secure in their knowledge of this aspect would be able to consult with this policy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive happily and settle well into an environment which offers them a variety of stimulating practical activities on offer. They select these freely and young children in particular are learning to be more independent as they are encouraged to return their activity when completed back to the shelves. Children enjoy transferring water with sponges and pipettes, they thread necklaces with beads and enjoy wearing the finished article. They gain concentration and strengthen their coordination. They are happy to play on their own or with their friends in small groups in the role play area as they make beds for their dollies. There is a good balance of activities from quiet to more active as they decide to play indoors or outdoors. Children decide if they want to participate in the adult led activity or choose something for themselves. This helps them to be confident learners. Staff use the Birth to three matters framework to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

support them in planning and assessment of the needs of the younger children to differentiate their needs. These systems continue to evolve to help staff in supporting their development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make good progress in all areas of learning as staff successfully use a range of teaching and questioning techniques to extend their thinking and learning. The specialist Montessori equipment and resources are effectively combined with other activities to provide children with a range of choices which arouse their natural curiosity and interest. Children are keen to learn and consistently make independent choices in their play. They are purposefully involved in activities which hold their interest. Such as building puzzles, using small shapes to sequence and make representations of 'houses' and 'boats'. They develop strong concentration as they persevere in their chosen tasks such as 'transferring marbles' with a spoon. Children build positive friendships as they learn to share and take turns when using the small computers. They happily invite one another to play. Planning and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

assessments continue to evolve to ensure children's individual learning priorities across all six areas of learning are clearly identified.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children become independent learners as they choose from the good balance between staff led activities and those they initiate for themselves. Staff plan a focus activity daily around the

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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 current theme. Children clearly enjoy the good support they receive while they choose a variety of different textures and shapes, which are prepared for them, as they assemble their sea turtle. They are increasing in their independence as they learn to make their own snack, pour a drink when they recognise they become thirsty, use the toilet and dress for outdoor play. Children develop good listening and speaking skills as they exchange conversation with their friends and adults alike. They enjoy listening to stories as staff read to them on an individual basis to find out what happens in 'Space'. They gather in groups at regular intervals for stories and circle time. Occasionally, at these times some children take a while to settle in the large group. Children successfully identify their names as they arrive. They particularly enjoy making shopping

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

lists in their imaginary play, as they decide what to bake for their party. They are supported very well as staff skilfully model learning by writing alongside children as they share both lists. Much emphasis is placed on children identifying sounds in words as they play 'I spy' games and use objects such as a 'bat' and 'ball' to learn they begin with the sound b. Older children are supported well to match short words to pictures they delight as they successfully match these to build their puzzle. Children successfully repeat much of the mathematical language they hear spoken by staff who consistently use activities to alert children's attention to numbers, shapes, colours and quantities. In this way children learn to calculate the number of children and plates needed at snack time, the shapes and colours of the plates they use. They ably count the number of sides on a triangle and how many they will need to make their picture. More

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

able children are supported well to learn to add. As a result they happily learn to combine the numbers of animals on each page to successfully reach a total. Young children widen their knowledge of natural and living things as they match mini beasts with the corresponding picture and learn how different they are from each other. Children build with construction toys and gain good physical skills as they 'squeeze' small pipettes and pegs to complete their tasks. Children enjoy using a wide variety of textures, shapes and colours to communicate their thoughts and ideas, as they paint freely, cut, glue and stick.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children share their thoughts and feelings openly in an environment which values their contributions. Children freely access and enjoy books, puzzles and posters reflecting different cultures and many traditional festivals are acknowledged throughout the year. These promote a balanced view of society and are used well to reflect the identity of the community. For example, the nursery dedicates some time to exploring instruments and music from around the world and invites parents' to share their knowledge and experiences with the children. Children benefit from the secure arrangements to promote inclusion within the nursery. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are generally well behaved. They respond well to the warm sensitive interaction they receive as they are consistently praised and encouraged to boost their confidence and self esteem. Children are involved in writing the classroom rules and staff consistently refer to these by gently reminding them to 'use their indoor voices'. They have useful chances throughout the day to learn to manage their own behaviour as staff generally offer them clear explanations and, for example, help children to successfully negotiate their turns. The group are currently working towards ensuring even minor displays of unwanted behaviour are effectively addressed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. It forms a strong feature of the nursery and children benefit from the solid procedures in place to promote healthy partnerships with parents to ensure their well being and progress. Parents receive good information about the setting and the Foundation Stage curriculum in the form of a detailed prospectus. Newsletters and notice

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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 boards are used effectively to ensure parents have ongoing information about events in the nursery. They are welcomed into the nursery and staff are available at the beginning and end of each day to exchange pertinent information. The effective use of the key worker system ensures secure settling in arrangements and a robust system for the continual exchange of information thereafter. Parents views, opinions and experiences are ascertained more formally via questionnaires about the service. Children's individual needs are documented well, this includes information via an initial assessment form of children's development. Parents receive their child's development records every two weeks and their contributions are sought by staff who value their knowledge of the child. Parents receive information about the regulator should

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Helping children make a positive contribution

they wish to raise a concern and the information within it is currently being enhanced to ensure it contains all the necessary detail.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Leadership and management of the setting is good. The provider who is the settings' manager has a clear vision and aims for the nursery. Many strong systems are in place to ensure the good care and education of the children attending. The manager has a secure knowledge of how children learn and supports staff in the effective planning of activities. Children benefit from the strong organisation in which staff are effectively deployed at all times to extend their play and learning. Robust systems such as secure recruitment procedures, clear inductions, regular supervision meetings and regular staff meetings ensure staff are familiar with their roles and responsibilities for the smooth delivery of the programme. All required records are in place for children with necessary consents. The group are currently strengthening their systems to ensure all documentation always includes the necessary information. The manager

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Organisation

and staff team meet regularly to discuss strengths and areas they wish to improve. Systems to monitor and assess the practise such as peer observations are evolving as staff evaluate one another's focus activities. Children benefit from the positive approach of the nursery staff as they have a commitment to the setting. Staff are keen to continually update their knowledge and skills by attending training and short courses which are linked to appraisals. They work together well to provide a warm caring environment where children have fun. The nursery 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 agreed to meet one recommendation. They agreed to conduct a risk assessment on the premises identifying actions to be taken to minimise identified risks in the toilet area.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery have made very good progress in addressing this. Thorough and detailed risk assessments are made of the premises which now includes this area. In addition a check list is now in place to ensure it remains free of hazards throughout the day.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection there were no key issues to address but the nursery agreed to consider increasing opportunities for children to problem solve during adult let activities and practical situation in order for more able children to be further challenged. The nursery have considered this point greatly and children have good chances to problem solve through practical activities such as at snack time when they consider how many plates they may need to ensure each child at the table has one.

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Improvements 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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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.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which can be seen 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): • continue to improve the organisation and layout of resources to ensure full and effective use is made of all the space available in the hall and on the shelves, to help children in selecting resources (also applies to nursery education) • continue to review all documentation to ensure all records, policies and procedures contain the necessary detail

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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 the assessment and planning systems to ensure children's individual learning priorities are consistently identified.

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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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