St Matthias and Dr Bell's CofE VA Primary School

Aberdeen Park Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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131659 Unique Reference Number 15 October 2007 Inspection date Moreen Johnson Inspector

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143 Highbury New Park, London, N5 2LJ Setting Address

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E-mail

Aberdeen Park Nursery 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 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?

Aberdeen Park Nursery opened in 1973 and is managed by a committee. It operates from the ground and first floor of a large Victorian house in the London Borough of Islington. Children have access to four playrooms and a fully enclosed outside play area. The nursery serves the local and wider community. A maximum of 32 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery opens each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 48 weeks of the year.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 40 children aged from six months to four years on roll. Of these, 19 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports a small number of children with learning difficulties and a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group employs 12 staff, all of whom hold early years qualifications. A member of staff is currently undertaking an early years degree and another is working towards NVQ level 3.

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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 satisfactory. Children are cared for in clean, well maintained premises. There are appropriate systems in place to reduce the risk of cross infection. For example, outdoor shoes are not allowed in the baby room, staff follow good nappy changing procedures and the highchairs are washed immediately after use. Children are developing an understanding of personal hygiene. Some children use the toilet independently and know to wash their hands. Staff ensure that children follow hand washing routines before eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are accident and medication procedures in place. Parents give written consent to administer medication and to seek emergency medical treatment. Recording systems are in place. However, staff do not always ensure that parents sign to confirm that they have been notified about accidents. Staff are not aware that Ofsted must be notified about communicable diseases.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are provided with a wide range of nutritious meals. Children's individual dietary needs are adhered to. The menu is varied and offers healthy choices which include vegetarian options. Children are given drinks throughout the day. Older children help themselves to water whilst playing in the garden.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have opportunities to develop their whole body movement. Older children play energetically in the garden running, climbing, peddling, balancing and digging. Babies have sufficient clear space to crawl, walk and climb and move freely between the playroom and garden.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit from ample space which is clean, bright and welcoming. Older children thoroughly enjoy using the large garden. Space is used effectively to allow children to move independently between the play rooms and the garden. Overall, children have access to sufficient resources. However, younger children have access to limited activities which do not always provide them with sufficient challenge. The home corner and book area in the red room are not presented well and are not easily accessible to children. Good sleeping arrangements are made for children to rest. Babies sleep in their group room in cots and older children rest on individual bedding in the blue room. Children are closely supervised whilst asleep.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All areas are safe and secure. The arrival of visitors and parents is monitored by staff which ensures that children are not at risk from intruders. However, children are at risk in the event of an evacuation because staff do not always keep an up to date record of which children are on the premises. For example, on the day of the inspection some children were not marked in the register until 10 o'clock, even though they arrived earlier than this.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's well being is safeguarded because staff are aware of the appropriate procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child. Staff are clear about their responsibilities to notify Ofsted and Social Services and to keep a record of incidents. The group has a comprehensive policy which is shared with parents.

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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 are happy and enjoy their time at nursery. They have good opportunities to explore their environment as they move freely and confidently indoors and outdoors. Children have access to a range of activities which are easily accessible to them. However, babies do not always have a sufficient range to resources to stimulate them. Children receive good individual attention from staff. For example, when children are unsettled or sick they are cuddled and comforted, but not all babies receive attention and encouragement. Children are encouraged to develop an appreciation of books. They enjoy listening to stories and are encouraged to participate by talking about what they see.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are making steady progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a satisfactory understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and the areas of learning. However, because of the management structure of the group there is no designated person who has responsibly for planning the curriculum. This means that staff do not plan effectively to support children to move to the next stage of their learning, and do not take advantage of opportunities to extend children's learning. Observations are carried out; however, they are done infrequently, are not evaluated and do not inform planning. There is no evidence that assessments are carried out on children to plan for their individual learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident speakers and readily engage in conversations with each other and adults. During sand activities, children talk about the ingredients that they use to make banana and chocolate cakes. At the lunch table children happily share their experiences and talk about their likes and dislikes. Children enjoy mark making as they draw and paint a range of shapes. They are encouraged to develop their reading skills. However, children do not always have easy access to the books in the group room. Children are learning to link letter to words as they choose their name plates at the lunch table. They confidently link letters to the names of items, for example 'c for cow', 'b for bear', 'd for duck' and 'g for goat'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are learning about the natural world because they grow a range of vegetables in a section of the garden. Some children notice that the pumpkin has been bitten and they have a lengthy discussion about what animal might have done it. Children are learning about the community by visiting local facilities, and by celebrating a range of festivals such as Chinese New Year and Passover.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use mathematical language such as 'little' and 'big', and are encouraged to recognise quantities such as 'half', when playing in the sand. However, staff fail to take opportunities to encourage basic counting, such as when children put away the place mats and when they place their water cups in the bowl.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to develop their creative skills as they role play with dolls, paint and play with the sand. Some children put the dolls to bed and state 'they are sleeping, be quiet!'. However, other opportunities for children to indulge in imaginative play are limited as they have access to an under-resourced home corner. Children are able to differentiate between a range of colours and receive support when they are unable to recognise certain colours, for example, purple and orange.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children enjoy each others company and co-operate well when playing with activities. Children are encouraged to learn about other cultures by celebrating community festivals and by having access to books and dolls that reflect positive images. However, children do not have access to resources that reflect disability. The nursery recognises that a number of children attending speak English as an additional language and demonstrate how they value children's home language through singing songs and by using dual language books. Children with disabilities and learning difficulties receive good support. Staff liaise well with parents and the local authority's inclusion team in order to develop individual learning programmes for children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well. Some children confidently resolve their dispute over the bikes whilst playing in the garden. However, no staff member is present to praise the children for their positive behaviour. Children show regard to each. For example, children readily support a child when she has a fall.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents have access to policies and procedures and a handbook that provides information about the nursery. They also have monthly newsletters to keep them updated about events and daily written reports about their child's routine. Parents are encouraged to attend regular meetings to discuss the running of the nursery.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is satisfactory. Parents receive regular verbal feedback about their children's development. However, there is no formal system in place to share more detailed information with parents about how their child's is progressing through the stepping and towards the early learning goals. Also parents receive limited information about the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. An appropriate system is in place to ensure that staff are appropriately vetted. All staff are qualified and experienced. Generally, staff are deployed well to ensure that children are safe and are given individual attention. Most records, policies and procedures are in place and are appropriately stored with an awareness of confidentiality, although accident records and fire drill records lack full detail. The group is in beach of regulations by not keeping accurate records of children's and staff arrival and departure times and by not having a procedure in place to follow should a child become lost.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of nursery education is satisfactory. Whilst the managers are aware of the weaknesses with regards to planning for children's individual needs and have begun to take steps to address this, there is no effective system in place to monitor and evaluate the provision of nursery education overall. 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 inspections recommendations were made to improve both education and care practices. The group has made some progress in addressing these by obtaining written consent from parents to seek emergency medical treatment. This ensures that children receive appropriate

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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 treatment in the event of an emergency. Observations carried out on children still do not clearly identify how children are progressing towards the six areas of learning. As a result, children are not always sufficiently challenged.

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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 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that parents sign to confirm that they have been notified about accidents • provide younger children with a wider range of activities • maintain up to date written documentation of children's and staff attendance • develop knowledge and understanding of the need to notify Ofsted about communicable diseases • devise and implement a procedure to follow should a child in the setting become lost.

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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 systems for recording observations so that they clearly evidence children's progress on the stepping stones toward the early learning goals. Use information gained to plan for the next steps in children's learning. • devise and implement a robust system which effectively evaluates the nursery education programme • improve opportunities for children to do basic counting

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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 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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