Ethelburga Early Years

Ethelburga Early Years

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Ethelburga Early Years

Unique Reference Number EY289376 Inspection date 02 August 2005 Inspector Mauvene Burke

p.1

Ethelburga Early Years

Setting Address 60 Worfield Street, Battersea, London, SW11 4RA

p.1

E-mail

Registered person The Management Committee Ethelburga Early Years Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are inadequate - notice of action to improve.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Ethelburga Early Years was originally registered in 1987 under the name of Ethelburga Family Centre, but was re-registered in 2004 under the current name. It is managed by the Ethelburga Early Years Centre Management Committee and operates from a separate baby unit and a play room plus several domestic rooms, in

p.2

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 a single storey purpose built premises. The nursery is located on the Ethelburga Estate in Battersea. The nursery serves the local area. A maximum of 29 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 with sessions also offered from 08:00 to 13:00 and 13:00 until 16:00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area with a separate designated area for children under two years. There are currently 22 children aged from 0-5 years on roll. Of these 6 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery employs eight staff. All staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualification.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is inadequate. Children are beginning to learn the importance of good personal hygiene through planned daily routines. Staff are on hand to remind them about the importance of washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Babies are also being set daily routines, they have their hands wiped before eating by staff, who use individual flannels. Although there are some very good procedures in place such as staff consistently wearing disposable gloves and aprons for nappy changing and wiping down changing mats after use, all of which sustain good levels of hygiene and helps prevent the spread of infection, babies may still be at risk as staff do not always wash their hands before handling food or ensuring foods such as ham is suitably covered when transported from the kitchen. Children are not always offered a healthy diet and menus are not readily available for parents as the person who prepares the meals decides the day before what she will

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

cook for the following day. Although children are sometimes offered fresh vegetables and fruit and meals are generally well presented, there is at times an over dependence on convenience food such as chicken dippers, chips, frozen sausage rolls and tinned spaghetti. Babies however do have a separate diet consisting mainly of fresh vegetables, meat with potatoes. Meals given to children comply with any special dietary requirements they may have. All children are offered drinks throughout the day, older children confidently ask for a drink and some can help themselves to water at any time. Children enjoy a range of physical activities which contribute to their good health. There are daily opportunities to enjoy physical play indoors and out, which helps them to develop control of their bodies. Children can run, jump and balance and can move confidently and safely. They confidently use a range of small and large

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

equipment such as scooters, cars and balls. However, the lack of planning for outside play means that children's physical development is not fully extended or sufficiently challenging.

p.3

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

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Babies are cared for in a safe and secure environment which is equipped with soft furnishing and safe play equipment. All children are able to independently select activities from a range of toys and equipment which meets safety standards and which are appropriate for the age and stage of children's development. Good security systems help to keep children safe within the nursery and staff comply with their written procedures, which include a risk assessment of the premises. Although most hazards have been identified throughout the setting, children's complete safety may be put at risk in the baby unit because of the positioning of furniture by the fire exit which may hinder a safe escape in the event of a fire. Children's well-being is safeguarded because over 90% of staff have a first aid certificate and have a secure understanding of child protection in line with the local

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Area Child Protection Committee procedures.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is inadequate. Babies have very little opportunity to explore a wide range of natural resources and play equipment on a daily basis. A great deal of the play equipment is made of plastic, and the resources and activities for the children are repetitive and uninteresting. Staff set out similar resources each day and do not plan a wide range of activities and experiences that are related to children's individual needs and developmental progress. Babies do not always receive enough cuddles, which means they are unable to form a strong bond with their key worker which in turn decreases their sense of well-being. Children aged two to three years benefit from having regular access to a painting easel, sand and water, as well as other activities. They enjoy a variety of first hand experiences such as role play in the café which provides opportunities to use a range of different materials and sources of information. Children can access resources

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

easily and can make their own choices as to what they play with, however, they are not given a choice as to when they play outdoors as outdoor play is at set times only. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is inadequate. Although children are making progress in some areas of their learning they are not making enough because staff have an insecure knowledge of the Foundation Stage. Plans lack detail, long-term plans are set out under each area of learning but not all aspects are covered sufficiently to promote children's learning. Staff do not use the stepping stones or observations to clearly identify children's achievements in order to plan the appropriate next step in their learning. They do however have a good knowledge of what children can do, but without the use of observations it is unclear how this has been achieved.

p.4

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 All staff have good relationships with children and have high expectations of their behaviour. They make imaginative use of the space available and organise resources according the six areas of learning to encourage children's choice and independence. There is an over-dependence on worksheets and children are not encouraged to be creative as templates used for cutting and sticking activities have been pre-prepared by staff. Although there is a computer available, this is covered over which means children are not given enough opportunities to use this independently. Children are friendly with one another and speak about their "friends". They speak confidently and are beginning to count and recognise different shapes. However, they rarely use the writing area independently or are encouraged to attempt early

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

writing for example, labelling their own work. Children use their imagination in play and are developing good hand-eye co-ordination but poor planning for the outdoor area restricts the development of children's large physical skills.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children attend the centre from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and special needs and are welcomed warmly into the nursery. Staff ensure that there are good resources which positively represent children who attend, this helps children to develop a positive attitude to others. Children are well behaved and polite, they are learning to take turns and share the equipment with one another. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Communication is clear and keeps parents informed about the setting and its provision. The provision encourages parents to make suggestions about improvements to the nursery and have provided a notice board with relevant and useful information for parents to read and take away. Parents are satisfied with the care that their children receive in the nursery. There are regular

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

opportunities for parents to speak to staff both formally and informally about their children's progress although they are given very little information about the curriculum for the funded children.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. Induction training and appropriate polices and procedures work in practice to safeguard children's welfare but do not do enough to ensure children are kept healthy. Too little is done to ensure that the range and quality of activities for children aged two and under is good enough and not all staff working with the funded children have a secure knowledge of the Curriculum Guidance for the foundation stage to ensure all children achieve well. Staff are not currently assessing children's learning against the stepping stones and early learning goals and so do not know or plan what children should do next. Records presented to parents do not provide a clear picture of children's progress.

p.5

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 The leadership and management are satisfactory. The current manager has been in post for a relatively short period of time and has responsibility of the day to day running of the nursery. She is aware of what the weaknesses of the provision are and has begun to put into place, actions for improvement. For example, she is planning to ensure all staff are trained in the Birth to Three Matters Framework. She is aware of the gaps in the planning and the non-existence of observations to inform the planning, this will be addressed with her staff. Staff have been given opportunities to attend training and since being in post, the manager has ensured that more than half the staff have received training in first aid. The manager has yet to put in place a rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching. All records, policies

p.5

Organisation

and procedures are in place. The setting does not meet the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are inadequate - notice of action to improve.

p.6

The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care, the registered person must take the following actions: • improve the staff's knowledge and understanding of the needs of children under two and develop a suitable range of activities, for example, by using the Birth to three framework. • ensure good hygiene practices are in place regarding hand washing • ensure that anyone responsible for the handling of food is aware of, and

p.6

The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 complies with, Environmental Health requirements These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

p.6

The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education, the registered person must take the following actions: • develop staff's understanding of the foundation stage curriculum and how children learn to improve the quality of teaching • develop an effective assessment and planning system to further support children's individual learning needs, which ensures that the next steps in learning for each child is identified and met • introduce a rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice. The Department for Education and Skills and the local authority have been informed.

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.7