Charing Cross Day Nursery

Charing Cross Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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EY234149 Unique Reference Number 05 July 2007 Inspection date Arda Halls Inspector

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Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8RF Setting Address

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E-mail

Hammersmith Hospital 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?

Charing Cross Day Nursery opened in 2003. It operates from three rooms in a purpose built building on the hospital grounds. It is situated in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. A maximum of 50 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 7:15 to 18:30 for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. Charing Cross Day Nursery is privately owned by the National Health Service. The nursery is a registered charity managed by a board of trustees. There are currently 60 children aged from six months to under five years on roll. Of these, five children receive funding for nursery education. The children come from the local community. The nursery currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 16 staff. Eight of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

qualifications. Two staff are working towards a qualification.

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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 well-being is protected and supported by the clear and comprehensive policies and procedures which are understood and carried out by staff within the nursery. All staff hold current first aid certificates and accurate records are kept of accidents and administration of medication. A thorough sick child policy is shared with parents and implemented by staff which ensures children do not attend when they are infectious. Children are learning good hygiene practices as staff maintain good levels of hygiene. They know to brush their teeth after story time and they learn to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet. A good daily cleaning routine is in place both indoors and out which includes sweeping and vacuum cleaning the outside area to ensure the ground surface is appropriate on which babies can crawl.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy fresh air everyday and they are able to make good progress in their physical development. They dance spontaneously around the nursery, they play ball games and they take part in many action songs and games. Children are learning to run, jump and steer as they negotiate around the garden on wheeled toys, which improves their physical co-ordination. Children laugh as they run about. They climb and slide down the climbing frame with ease. They balance with great skill and they smile as they play. The atmosphere is relaxed and the children thoroughly enjoy their physical play.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have many good opportunities to develop their fine motor skills as they pick up, release and arrange a selection of objects. They use scissors, pencils and crayons with great skill. Children of all ages learn to make sandwiches and cut up soft fruits which gives children a good sense of achievement. Some children are able to dress and undress independently, requesting support with some fastenings.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy well-prepared, healthy and nutritious snacks and meals. At meal times they look for their own named cups and placemats. However, there is no opportunity for children to pour drinks or serve one another food at meal times. They recite a thank you without any hesitation before eating and they patiently wait for each child to be served before eating. Children are praised for good eating and encouraged to try new foods as well as new skills, such as using a knife. They know to push in their chairs when they leave the table to prevent others from tripping.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are made to feel welcome in this child-friendly environment. Staff greet children and parents warmly as they arrive. The premises are safe and secure with CTV cameras and remote access entry. Outside a wooden sand pit with sliding wooden covers ensures animals do not gain access. Furniture and toys are well maintained and suitable for the age of children attending the nursery. Activities are well planned to offer opportunities for children to develop all areas of their development. Babies enjoy bubbles blown over them as they play. They sit on the floor with a good selection of clean and safe toys. They enjoy looking at themselves in low level unbreakable mirrors and they enjoy touching and feeling a variety of play materials which stimulate their senses.

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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's individual needs are well met within the setting. There is ample furniture for children to rest, eat and play comfortably with good quality child-sized tables and chairs, rest mats and cots. A creative use of canopy tops in the garden protects the children from hot sun. Resources are well maintained with frequent washing to keep children safe from cross infection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are kept safe and secure on the premises. Fire drills are carried out regularly and a clear evacuation procedure is displayed at various locations in the nursery. A good supervision of staff ensures staff are well deployed and have a good knowledge and understanding of their health and safety responsibilities. However, the nursery laundry is accessible in the pre-school children's toilet. A thorough outings policy and risk assessment carried out prior to outings helps keep children safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded from abuse or neglect. A child protection policy includes action to be taken if an allegation is made against staff. The policy, however needs further updating. Most staff have obtained child protection training and are fully aware of the necessary action to take if they have concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young children are enthused by the activities provided and they are interested to learn and explore as they move around the nursery seeking out toys and exploring their environment. They are beginning to make connections between objects and ideas and they are imitating others as they smile and giggle. Young children are helped to make sense of what they see, hear, smell and touch as they play with a selection of creative and manipulative materials. Babies communicate effectively in a variety of ways. They respond positively to familiar adults and they shake their hands in delight as song time begins. Everyone takes part and the babies are enthralled by the familiar music which fills the room. When babies have had enough they sit on the side and they enjoy a cuddle.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are benefiting greatly from the quality of teaching carried out by a dedicated staff team. Staff have a good knowledge of the foundation stage and attend regular training run by the local Early Years Partnership. Staff plan and evaluate the children's activities on a weekly basis. Both the manager and deputy manager monitor the educational programme and ensure that staff receive support from the early years service team. The Special Educational Needs coordinator also has regular network meetings with the local authority and outside agencies. Staff encourage and extend children's learning taking into consideration the records of observations of the children. Children's profiles are well organised and evaluated every week.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are able to make good use of their time in the nursery. Straight after breakfast they are invited outside to play. They thrive on the individual attention they get in the early morning. They benefit from a good selection of toys out of doors. The nursery is truly "inside out"! Children delight in examining the flowers they have planted and they squeal with excitement as they examine the parts of the plants. Staff are skilled at asking questions to extend the children's thinking, vocabulary and understanding during activities. They are asked what shape the seeds are and they conclude that the seeds are like circles. They listen carefully as the questioning takes them to the next stage of the day as they are asked "what do we do before lunch?" They call out in unison: "we wash our hands". Not a moment is lost as the children

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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 waiting to wash their hands sing a favourite song of the "Tiny Turtle" and "Old McDonald". Staff have high expectations of children. They call out children's names to encourage them to answer questions about the songs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. They are interested, excited and motivated to learn at their chosen activities. They sit and concentrate as they discuss the visit they are planning to the farm. They discuss what bags they will use and they learn the differences between suitcases and rucksacks. They are given time to draw their own conclusions and they decide that a rucksack is best for a visit to a farm. Children are increasing their independence as they select materials and begin to dress and undress themselves. There is a good range of resources to promote positive images of culture, religion, gender and disability which helps children learn about their own beliefs and those of other people. There are good opportunities to explore real and imagined experiences during discussions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing their communication, language and literacy skills as they talk to one another during their play. They fit hats onto one another and onto the staff. They learn about how to handle the hats and how to care for them, the play evolves naturally and they discuss princesses and beasts. They talk loudly and they whisper quietly as they talk with their key workers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children listen to explanations as they draw pictures of coins that they use. They learn that pence are English and cents are American. They listen attentively with good interaction. They join in with excitement as they sing familiar songs and rhymes. Children are learning to recognise and name some letters displayed in the environment such as the letter "m". Some children rapidly find their name tags beginning with "M" and some children take a while longer. They learn to watch the faces of the staff for clues as they choose their name cards. They beam with delight when they are told they are very good at finding the letters. There are many good opportunities to practise early writing skills as they draw and paint. Some children scribble while others use plastic letters as stencils. They enjoy sharpening their pencils and they enjoy drawing lines and circles confidently.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore numbers and shapes as they count out candles on the birthday hat. They have fun as they talk about the birthday party yesterday. At baking time they discuss what is 50 grams. They examine the weighing scales and they listen intently as it is explained what the scale is for. Some children are advanced in their understanding and they take on the role of the teacher. They ask the others "now what is happening to the flour?" They listen as the mixture is compared to bread crumbs. They learn new descriptive words such as "fine and grainy". They learn that they are pinching the mixture and squeezing the butter. The children are praised for their work, they are successful at their job of making muffins and they laugh and clap their hands together to dust themselves off before they finish.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are exploring and investigating their environment. They are developing a good understanding of the world in which they live. They explore living things as they look at similarities and differences in the life cycles of a butterfly. They have good opportunities to explore all strands of learning as they do a graph of how they grow.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making good progress in their creative development. They respond enthusiastically to what they see, hear, smell and taste. They are developing a good knowledge of colour and shape as they paint big black clouds and puddles which get darker and darker as they paint over and over the same cloud. The children are excited as the clouds they paint are like the clouds outside. The staff stay nearby and are supportive of their work. Children play on 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 computer exploring the life cycle of a sunflower. They learn first hand what the flower needs to grow. They discuss what is enough and what is too much as they play electronically at watering the sunflower. When the play becomes too popular and all the children want to water the sunflowers at the same time they use a sand timer ingeniously to time one another at the programme. This teaches the children a sense of fairness and what is right and wrong. They accept this system and are able to get on with their play without further discussion.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

A broad range of good quality tools and woodworking equipment is on display but is not in use. There are missed opportunities for children to learn how to handle tools with precision and how to use screws and nails on different surfaces. It is recommended that staff develop their knowledge and understanding of this area of creative play and help children to develop the physical skills and control which they can use throughout their lives for handling tools and other implements.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are very happy because their individual needs are met effectively within the setting. A thorough equal opportunities policy is shared with parents and children are treated with equal concern, they have equal access to all activities. Staff and children have equal respect for each others. A suggestion box is in place for staff and parents to deposit written wishes and comments about the nursery. Babies' individual feed and rest times are respected and followed by staff which enables babies to be cared for as they are at home. Charts are filled in to record sleep times, this enables staff to make periodic checks to safeguard the children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. There are times that are tranquil early in the morning and later in the day when children play quietly. There are times for reflection and times for music and stories. Children are supported to express their beliefs and their feelings. They are learning to manage their own behaviour and to be considerate of one another. Children are caring when others are upset and are learning right from wrong. They are encouraged to talk and sit with one another at meal times and they are valued for their opinions.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are learning about the world they live in and the beliefs of other people. They are developing a positive self-image through the positive images they see throughout the nursery. A good selection of books which reflect other cultures are available in easily accessible sites both inside and outside the nursery. A wide range of art and craft activities is available to support the cultural celebrations. Children enjoy listening to different types of music and parents make food from their own countries to support the festivals. There are good quality documents depicting various celebrations. Children have great fun looking at the photographic records of the various festivals.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with learning difficulties and disabilities are well cared for at this nursery. Several staff have knowledge and training in Special Educational Needs. They are supported by a thorough policy which is put into practice to ensure children's needs are met effectively and sensitively. Parents express their satisfaction with the service their children receive. Staff are experienced and well organised as they play with the children. Every effort is made to enable the children to take part in the day's activities. The children's learning is extended, the care is warm and affectionate and the children are able to progress at their own pace. Parents are kept well informed of their children's progress and as a result parents cannot speak highly enough of the care their children receive.

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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 Children are very well behaved as staff manage their behaviour well. Staff are understanding of the frustration that children sometimes experience. They are patient with the children and they share the policy on behaviour management with the parents. Bullying is not tolerated and suitable strategies are used to reinforce good behaviour. Children enjoy receiving stickers for the skills they have mastered such as for "good listening" or for "being helpful". Children receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff for good behaviour which is consistently heard. Children are active and busy and they know the rules of the setting, therefore their behaviour is very good.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are invited to trips and outings and special events within the nursery. Most parents are working parents and therefore have limited time to be involved in the day to day running of the nursery. However, parents contribute in various ways such as cooking for festival celebrations and attending the "Toddle Waddle" event in the hospital grounds. Parents are kept up to date about their children's progress and nursery events through well organised children's profiles, newsletters and regular consultation meetings. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection are happy with the care and education their children are receiving. Parents state: "the nursery is absolutely fantastic and we love it."

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the setting is good. The manager and deputy manager share the management of the setting in an efficient manner. Both staff are clear on their roles and clearly know the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery. They are committed to the improvement of the nursery and the development of staff.

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Organisation

The manager works closely with the Human Resources team of the hospital in the recruitment of staff. Secure vetting and recruitment processes ensure that children are protected from harm and cared for by staff with a clear understanding of the policies and procedures that the nursery uses in emergency situations.

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Organisation

Most aspects of the organisation of the nursery are consistently effective and all of the children are actively challenged. Staff take effective measures to keep children safe and secure whilst at the nursery, both indoors and out. The staff work together to use the available space for the children's benefit, and are aware of increasing the opportunities to provide more learning opportunities out of doors.

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Organisation

Policies and procedures are consistently reviewed and work successfully in practice. Although most records relating to children's care are in place, the procedure for an allegation of abuse has not been fully developed. Documentation relating to the children's arrival and departure is recorded in the message book with a clear notation of whether or not there is a message to pass on from parents to staff. 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 the manager agreed to review procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or volunteer. This procedure has not been fully developed although the nursery staff have all received child protection training organised at the nursery.

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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 the last inspection 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 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): • encourage children's independence when pouring drinks and serving food at meal and snack times • make laundry room inaccessible • ensure that the child protection policy complies with the local safeguarding children policy

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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): • develop knowledge and understanding of creative play to help children develop the physical skills and control which they can use throughout their lives for handling tools and other implements

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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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