Wroxton Church of England Primary School

Blackshaw Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Blackshaw Nursery

Unique Reference Number 123091 Inspection date 14 September 2005 Inspector Tracy Maria Clarke / Lindsay Ann Farenden

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Blackshaw Nursery

Setting Address Blackshaw Road, Tooting, London, SW17 0QT

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E-mail

Registered person Blackshaw Nursery Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Blackshaw Day Nursery has been registered since 1982. The nursery is situated in the grounds of St Georges Hospital, in Tooting, South West London. The area is well served by public transport and within walking distance of Tooting Broadway underground station. It is a full day care provision that is registered for 58 children aged from 3 months to 5 years. The nursery operates from 07:00 to 18:30 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and

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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 Fridays, and from 07:00 to 10:00 on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the year. Children have access to four group rooms, with children being separated according to age and stage of development. In addition there are staff facilities, a kitchen and toilet facilities. A secure outside playground is also provided. The nursery provides full and part-time places to the children of hospital staff and to children within the local community. There are currently 21 staff who work directly with the children, of whom 15 hold a relevant childcare qualification. There is also a part-time administrator, cook and kitchen assistant. One member of staff is currently undertaking a National Vocational qualification (NVQ) in childcare. There are 67 children are on roll, with 46 being present during the inspection.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Currently 16 children are in receipt of nursery funded places. There are no children who have special needs or who speak English as an additional language. The nursery receive training and support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean environment and maintain good health because staff follow effective procedures and practices to meet the children’s nutritional and health needs. For example, rattles used by babies are sterilised daily, and staff follow good procedures during nappy changing to ensure children's safety and avoid the risk of cross-infection. Good adult support and guidance helps children gain an understanding of hygiene and they are fully encouraged to become increasingly independent in their personal care. Older children wash their own hands as part of every day routines, such as before eating and after using the toilet, and clean their teeth after lunch, although staff do not always discuss with them why they are doing so. Older children help themselves to drinking water throughout the session, whilst staff ensure that younger children are regularly offered drinks throughout the day. Babies

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Helping children to be healthy

benefit from an excellent lunchtime routine, where they are given good levels of support from staff during feeding, whilst also being fully encouraged to begin to feed themselves. Older children are encouraged to scrape their own plates after they have finished eating, although there are some missed opportunities for them to develop further independence during meal times. Children are encouraged to learn good table manners and are provided with foods which are healthy and well balanced. They enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables every day, and the majority of lunch time meals are prepared using fresh ingredients. Staff work closely with parents to ensure children's individual and cultural dietary needs are known, and all staff take account of these when planning and preparing food. For example, staff in the baby room keep very detailed records regarding babies' dietary needs, to ensure that when they make up

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Helping children to be healthy

bottle feeds and serve food, they meet the individual needs and changing routines of

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 each child. Children enjoy a range of indoor activities which encourage their physical development. For example, babies enjoy moving through and rolling over the balls in the ball pool, whilst toddlers climb in and out of barrels, jump on soft play mats, and kick and throw balls around the room. Older children develop a positive attitude to physical exercise and enjoy running and chasing each other in the garden, climbing on and through the climbing frame, balancing on structures and travelling around fixed play equipment. The garden area is used well by staff to encourage older children's physical development, but babies have less opportunities to access the garden regularly throughout the year. All children have opportunities to move to action rhymes and music tapes. Their hand and eye co-ordination is encouraged as

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Helping children to be healthy

they play with sand and water, build construction resources, mould with play dough and use a variety of resources when undertaking activities. Children receive appropriate medical attention from trained first aid staff. Parents are kept notified of accidents which occur and provide appropriate consents in relation to medication and emergency treatment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's risk of accidental injury is minimised through very effective risk assessment procedures. Staff identify hazards and either take action to minimise them or ensure that they are made inaccessible to children. Security arrangements also ensure that children are kept safe. For example, there is an intercom system with ensures that all parents and visitors to the nursery are identified prior to their gaining access to the nursery. Children are kept safe during outings because staff follow appropriate procedures and have an understanding of health and safety requirements. For example, when using the mini bus to take children on outings, staff ensure that all appropriate documentation and equipment is in place to ensure that children are transported in a vehicle which is safe and roadworthy. Children have access to a range of toys which are safe, of good quality and developmentally appropriate. These are organised so that children are able to make

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

independent choices. Furniture and equipment provided is age-appropriate and encourages children's development. For example, younger babies are placed within supporting rings to encourage them to sit with support, and the chairs and tables provided in the baby room enable babies to sit together socially at meal times and feed themselves independently. Children are encouraged to use toys and equipment appropriately, and to move around the nursery and the garden in a safe manner. Children's wellbeing is safeguarded due to staff's knowledge of child protection. All staff undertake appropriate training so they are aware of the signs of neglect or abuse, and are able to follow the necessary procedures.

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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 satisfactory. Children enter the nursery confidently, feel secure making independent choices and link up with other children to play together. Children enjoy the experience of playing with the sand and the play dough, and are encouraged to make independent marks and designs using paint. Craft activities are encouraged every day, with children for example, making collages, finger painting, and feeling the texture of paint on their feet and hands. They enjoy playing in the home corner, pretending to make one another food and feeding the dolls. A range of manufactured resources are provided for babies, which they use to explore colours and sounds. In the baby room, staff have successfully used their knowledge of the Birth to three matters framework to introduce differing textures and natural resources. For example, babies enjoy exploring cardboard boxes, and they crawl across shiny paper, observing their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

reflections as they do so. Children become independent as they choose between a variety of books, toys and activities which appeal to them. However, children aged 1 to 2 do not have access to a wide range of toys and activities, and the room layout prevents them from moving freely between areas. Children have positive relationships with staff, and benefit from the key worker system. For example, babies receive lots of cuddles and have a warm and affectionate relationship with staff, who are caring and fully aware of their needs and routines. Children play well with the resources provided, and a range of age-appropriate activities and resources are made available. However, planning in some rooms lacks variation from day to day, which does impact upon children's ability to be fully excited and motivated to learn. Staff have undertaken training in the Birth to three matters framework, which has had a positive impact in the baby room.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

However, some staff are more confident than others in adapting their knowledge to the daily planning. As a result, the range of experiences provided for some children is not wide enough to fully capture and develop all aspects of their learning. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff have an awareness of the Foundation Stage and are able to plan a range of activities under all areas of learning to encourage children's development. However, they are less confident in their knowledge of the stepping stones, and as a result, they do not make effective use of what they know about children's achievements, to fully encourage individual children to be challenged in their learning. Planning is theme based and includes the activities children take part in under all six areas of learning. On a daily basis the room is also set up with key activities, such as sand and water, play dough, construction and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

home corner resources. However, themes are often re-visited year after year and the planning is not always adapted to provide children with activities which provide greater challenge and motivation. As a result children sometimes appear bored and their behaviour is affected. Children gain some knowledge of the local community through occasional trips to the library and outings further afield. They play with resources that reflect diversity, and take part in a range of festival celebrations, which encourages children to learn about

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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 others and develop positive attitudes. They develop a sense of time through daily discussions about the month and day of the week, and when observing change over time. For example, children planted strawberry seeds, watered them daily, watched as they grew and then ate them once they were ripe. Children have developed good IT skills, clicking and dragging the mouse, and using a range of programmes to support their learning. They learn to communicate effectively through singing and listening to stories, and make marks at the writing table, with some children able to form some letters of their name. However, they are not fully encouraged to write for a variety of purposes. Staff label some resources within the room, and children’s names are placed on trays, to encourage them to begin to recognise familiar words.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

However, staff do not always use everyday opportunities to encourage children to link sounds to letters. Children show a strong sense of belonging, separating well from their main carer and greeting the staff and their friends with big smiles. They quickly link up with one another to play with the activities provided, selecting resources independently and initiating their own role play activities. They use their imagination well, and move to music on a regular basis. However, they only have access to musical instruments once a week at a set time. Children enjoy taking part in organised craft activities, such as sponge painting, string painting, and creating a fossil using glitter. However, the craft activities are generally adult led, leaving children less opportunity to create their own two and three dimensional designs and select from a wide range of craft resources and materials. Children are beginning to count up to 10 and are able to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

match and sort some colours and shapes. They enjoy learning about volume and capacity when transferring water and dry sand into different sized containers. Children learn about measurement as they count out the spoonfuls of ingredients during cooking activities, and talk about the biggest and smallest dinosaurs. However, staff do not encourage children's mathematical thinking or awareness of calculation in everyday play experiences and through effective questioning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children from a variety of backgrounds are warmly welcomed into the playgroup. Children develop positive attitudes to one another through festival celebrations and when playing with resources which depict positive images of diversity. Older children develop some awareness of their local vicinity when visiting the library, but there a few opportunities for children to explore their local diverse community on a regular basis. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. There is a designated member of staff who has undertaken training in relation to special needs. Although no children currently have special educational needs, children who have some developmental delay are not always given sufficient support and encouragement to help them make progress. The partnership with parents is good. Parents receive an end of year report about their child, and provide regular opportunities for parents to share information with

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Helping children make a positive contribution

staff about their child's changing routines and needs and the progress they are

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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 making. Each child has their own booklet which includes photos of the child undertaking activities, examples of their completed craft work and observations staff have undertaken on their progress. These booklets are shared with parents during the annual parents' evening, and given to them when their child leaves the nursery. The notice board is used to keep parents informed of activities, policies and procedures, and regular newsletters are sent home to keep parents informed of events in the nursery. Children are generally well behaved, taking turns when playing games and sharing resources with one another. Staff remind children of the expectations of the setting, although they sometimes fail to provide sufficient explanation so that children begin to take greater responsibility for their own behaviour. There are also occasions when

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Helping children make a positive contribution

some children's behaviour becomes challenging due to the routines of the nursery and repeated activities.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are cared for in an environment which gives them confidence to select resources independently and to settle well. Safety and hygiene are strong areas, which ensures children are kept safe and remain healthy, and staff use policies and procedures effectively to promote the welfare and care of children. The majority of policies and procedures are well written and staff understand and implement them well. However, planning does require some amendment to ensure that a wider and more stimulating range of activities are provided to develop children's all-round learning. There are good systems in place to share written information with parents, and they have opportunities to discuss their child's day and changing routines with staff, and attend regular parents meetings. The majority of staff are qualified and there is a commitment to ongoing staff training in areas such as child protection, first aid and health and safety, which ensures that

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Organisation

staff are kept updated of changing practices and procedures. Recently all staff undertook training in the Birth to three matters framework, but there have been few opportunities for staff who deliver the foundation curriculum, to undertake training to develop their knowledge and skills. The majority of staff are qualified, and many staff have worked at the nursery for many years, which provides good consistency of care for children. Staffing rotas are well organised to ensure that staffing ratios are maintained and qualified staff are deployed effectively. However, there are not always effective systems in place over lunch time periods, to ensure that those children who do not wish to sleep, are fully supervised and motivated whilst other children sleep. Children are well protected and kept safe through very effective recruitment procedures, which ensure that staff undergo vigorous checks to determine their

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Organisation

suitability to work with children. New staff also undertake appropriate induction to ensure they are aware of procedures and are able to meet children's needs and routines. Leadership and management is satisfactory. Although all staff undergo supervision

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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 and appraisal, there are not effective systems in place to evaluate the activities provided and the quality of teaching, and to monitor the impact of children's learning across the setting. Overall however, the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides a service.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection a number of areas were identified as requiring improvement. There has been good improvement in relation to policies and procedures, which have been revised and improved. The majority of children now access the garden daily, although babies are still not experiencing outside play on a regular basis. Babies and children are given opportunities to explore and investigate a range of materials and experiences, although this has not been fully implemented throughout all rooms. Children are now afforded privacy when using the toilets, as curtains have been provided, and a daily risk assessment is now undertaken of the outside area before children use it. Parents are now kept well informed of their children's progress as parents' evenings have been introduced, and notebooks of children's progress are available for parents to look through. There has been limited progress in relation to key issues raised regarding nursery

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Improvements since the last inspection

education. Children are still not given sufficient opportunities to write for a variety of purposes, and although children count confidently and are able to use numbers to solve problems, staff do not use everyday practical activities to extend their mathematical thinking. Staff's written assessments of children's progress have been improved, and planning now links the area of learning to the activity. However, staff's knowledge of what children can do, is still not linked successfully to planning, so that each child is sufficiently challenged and supported in their learning.

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Complaints since the last inspection

A complaint was received on 7/2/05. The complaint related to Standard 7 (health). The complaint was referred to the provider to investigate. The action taken by the provider to investigate the complaint and the systems put in place to address the concerns raised were deemed appropriate, and the provider remains qualified for registration.

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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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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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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): • provide opportunities for children aged 1 to 3 to experience a more varied range of experiences to fully capture and develop all aspects of their learning and exploration. • ensure that more effective systems are put in place to support and encourage those children who may have some developmental delay • introduce a more rigorous system of evaluating teaching and the activities provided, implement a consistent policy for children's learning across the setting and monitor it's impact (also applies to nursery education)

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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): • improve staff's awareness of the six areas of learning, so they are more effective at linking what they know about children's individual progress, and using this information to inform the planning and offer children greater challenge

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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