Quaggy at Margaret Bondfield NurseryOfsted inspection, 30 Jul 2007

Quaggy at Margaret Bondfield Childrens Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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EY350218 Unique Reference Number 30 July 2007 Inspection date Mandy Mooney Inspector

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Quaggy at Margaret Bondfield Childrens Centre, 77 Raglan Road, London, SE18 7LB

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Setting Address

0208 465 9785 Telephone number dawn@quaggychildrenscentre.org.uk E-mail Quaggy Development Trust Registered person Childcare Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Setting Address

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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Quaggy at Margaret Bondfield Children's Centre was registered in 2007. It is a full day care provision run by Quaggy Development Trust on behalf of the London borough of Greenwich. The nursery runs from a purpose building in Plumstead, in the Borough of Greenwich. The nursery runs from Monday to Friday from 08.00 to 18.00, all year round. It is registered to care for 49 children under five years at any time. There are currently five children on roll. The nursery provides a service for children from the local area. Five childcare staff work directly with the children, of these, at least half hold an appropriate childcare qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children play in a very clean and organised environment. Effective cleaning routines, such as regular wiping of surfaces and toys with anti-bacterial spray minimises the potential of germs spreading, especially in the baby room where children tend to put toys in their mouths more. The cleaning standards are maintained throughout the nursery, with staff being particularly vigilant in the kitchen and bathroom areas. Good nappy changing routines mean that staff

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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 wear disposable gloves when changing nappies, wipe down the area with anti-bacterial spray in between changes and dispose of the nappies promptly. Children are encouraged to have effective and independent self help and hygiene routines, such as regular hand washing, which is supported with soap, nail brushes and disposable hand towels. They are also learning the importance of keeping themselves healthy by brushing their teeth, as they begin to do this after lunch.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's medical health is well promoted. Clear policies and procedures are in place to deal with medical emergencies and accidents effectively. Several staff hold a current first aid qualification, first aid boxes are maintained and written consent to acquire emergency medical treatment or advice is in place for all children. Health procedures are supported by clear policies, such as administration of medication and the exclusion of unwell children. These are shared with parents who are aware they are in place to protect all children's health and to minimise the spread of infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have frequent opportunities to take part in physical activities as they make good use of the well maintained outside play area. This gives them the opportunity to bring their play outside whilst enjoying the fresh air. They also have opportunities to take part in music and movement indoors as this forms part of the regular routine. The daily routines allow children to sleep and rest according to their individual needs and this ensures their bodies are refreshed and ready to enjoy their day.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are encouraged to eat healthily. Parental wishes and children's preferences are considered when meals are planned. Parents are kept informed of the meals on a daily basis as staff record this on the main board at the entrance to the nursery. Meals and snacks are varied and nutritious. At the moment staff are cooking meals because the nursery has recently opened. Several staff hold a food hygiene qualification and this means they consider hygiene practices when preparing food as paramount. Children enjoy lunch time where they sit together and enjoy the balanced meals, such as mash, chicken and broccoli and ice cream and fresh fruit for pudding. Younger children have their own cup and water and milk are available to them; older children access the 'snack station' where they independently choose a snack of fruit or bread sticks and pour their own drink of water.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children experience a well presented, light and airy environment that is in excellent condition, which gives them warm and comfortable accommodation areas for their care and play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's risk of accidental injury is minimised in the well-designed setting that has good safety precautions, such as having an intercom entry system to monitor who enters the nursery and coded door entry within the nursery which means that entry to the main base rooms is monitored. Written risk assessments are completed for indoors and outside and this means potential hazards are minimised and children are able to play in a very safe environment. Staff help to keep children safe in the nursery because they have awareness of health and safety requirements.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children use a wide range of safe, excellent quality, developmentally appropriate resources. These are well-organised in child height storage units, which are clearly labelled to encourage independent selection. Children have an understanding of safe practices, for example, staff

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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 encourage them to tidy toys and equipment. This helps children to take responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is well protected. The setting has written procedures; staff have good knowledge of child protection issues and procedures and this is supported by relevant training. Although the child protection policy is clear and shared with parents, the wording is not up-to-date in regards to referring to the safeguarding children's board. However, this does not affect the effectiveness of the policy as staff are clear about this.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children receive cuddles and supportive contact and have good relationships with staff, which increases their sense of security and well-being. Those who have difficulty settling are reassured and helped to feel at ease. They benefit from routines that are consistent with their needs at home. Although the children have only been attending for a short time, staff have got to know them well and the activities and routines are based around their needs to ensure consistency with the home environment. They enjoy outdoor play in the garden where they enjoy playing with water and the kitchen equipment and indoors where the room is attractively set up with play dough, which they explore with interest. Babies develop early communication skills as they interact with staff who respond to them during play. Children are developing increasing confidence in their relationships with staff. They begin to play happily with each other and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

with adults, enjoying using natural materials, puzzles, role play and outdoor equipment suitable to their age and stage of development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Although staff are not implementing the Birth to three matters framework or the Foundation Stage at the moment, because they are focussing on helping the children feel settled, they have a good understanding of the range of experiences and activities that enable babies and young children to make use of their senses and creative abilities and older children to develop to their full potential as they move through the stepping stones. The base room for older children is very organised into areas based on the six areas of learning, with attractive posters and labelling to increase children's communication skills and general awareness of others.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are well met because staff take time to get to know the children and their family. This helps them provide a good quality of care that fits in with their routine and contributes to providing a curriculum and opportunities to meet their all round developmental needs. Information such as, the children's religion, home language, place in the family, likes and interests is sought prior to admission and key workers are allocated when children are admitted and this contributes to ensuring consistency of care between the home and nursery environment. Children have access to a wide range of interesting and appropriately challenging toys and resources, which they are encouraged to make choices about. This promotes their independence and decision making skills. The range includes a good range to promote a positive image of many people in the local and wider community, such as different families,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

roles, cultures and ages. However, there is limited visual depiction of disability and this means children may not have as many opportunities to develop their understanding of disability.

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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 Staff demonstrate a very positive attitude to inclusion and the systems in place are effective in meeting the needs of all children. The nursery is arranged on one level and is designed with all children in mind, enabling wheelchair users access. The inclusion of children with a disability and/or a learning difficulty is further supported by a clear policy on inclusion and a named Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) in place who has attended several training workshops on the role and as a result is confident in her ability to work with parents and others to ensure appropriate services are accessed to support the children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave very well. Considering they have been attending for a very short time they are learning the boundaries of the nursery and are developing the social skills needed to progress in the community. Staff provide a positive role model for children and they are skilled at helping children settle into the environment, making the transition between home and nursery as successful as possible. Good behaviour is rewarded with lots of praise and encouragement and this helps the children to feel valued and contributes to them having high self esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Although the nursery has been open for only a short time, a key focus for staff has been to ensure the partnership with parents is established from the beginning. Useful information is obtained for each child and this includes basic information to ensure emergency situations can be dealt with effectively and information so that children's care needs are met. This includes ensuring all required consents are in place. Parents are made to feel welcome as soon as they come into the nursery, where there is a notice board displaying photographs of staff and some information on staff. This contributes to reassuring parents that their children are being cared for by an appropriately skilled, qualified and experienced staff group and it also helps them put a name to the faces within the nursery. Parents are given some useful information about the nursery when their child is admitted and this includes all policies and procedures that

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Helping children make a positive contribution

underpin practices. Each child has a key worker and staff use daily interaction and chats with parents to ensure they get feedback on what their child has been doing throughout the day.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for by a well qualified and experienced group of staff who are committed to providing a good quality of care for all. An appropriate recruitment procedure is in place and this means children are cared for by adults who are suitable and those who do not hold required checks are aware that they must not be left unsupervised with the children. This ensures children are well protected. Because the staff have previously worked at the organisations' other nursery, the childcare practices amongst the staff team are consistent and reflective of the policies and procedures in place.

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Organisation

Children benefit from the effective organisation of space and resources and these enable children to make some choices and develop their ideas as they play. The rooms are very well laid out to maximise play opportunities for the children. Staff are effectively deployed and children have lots of individual attention which supports and extends their learning.

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Organisation

Induction training and appropriate policies and procedures work in practise to keep children healthy and safeguard their welfare. Staff training needs are identified and appropriate training courses sought to help staff develop their knowledge and practices in childcare. Effective management structures mean staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and they are supported in carrying out their duties.

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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 Required policies and procedures for the safe management of the provision are in place and these are readily accessible and stored in a confidential way. Most of these are clear and concise, however, the log to record complaints does not contain the required information to ensure it is clear what National Standards the complaint relates to and it does not ensure anonymity for the complainant.

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Organisation

The provider meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • review the child protection policy to ensure it is fully reflective of the Safeguarding Children guidelines • review the complaint log to ensure it reflects what National Standard the complaint relates to and ensure anonymity for the complainant

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The quality and standards of the care

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 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

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