Gaynes School

Clive Hall Inspection report for early years provision

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144095 Unique Reference Number 06 February 2008 Inspection date Denys Rasmussen Inspector

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52 Clive Road, London, SE21 8BY Setting Address

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E-mail

Clive Hall Day Nursery Limited 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?

Clive Hall Day Nursery opened in 1998. It operates from a converted church hall which has been refurbished to accommodate the nursery.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The premises comprises of a separate self contained baby unit with adjacent out door play area, two playrooms, a Montessori class room, children's toilet and washing facilities, staff facilities, kitchen, office and outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting can care for a maximum of 50 children at any one time. Currently there are 80 children aged under five years on roll. This includes 17 children who are funded for nursery education. Children attend a variety of sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting opens five days a week for 51 weeks a year. Sessions are from 08:00 to 18:00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The manager plus 19 members of staff work with the children, of which 14 staff have appropriate early years qualifications and two staff are on a training programme.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting incorporates the Montessori method of teaching within the curriculum.

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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. Good hygiene practice is effective in preventing the spread of infection. The children use liquid soap and paper towels; babies faces are cleaned with individual flannels; children have individual bedding and no outdoor shoes are worn in the baby room. This helps to prevent the risk of cross-contamination. Children are encouraged to develop good personal hygiene practices through the daily routine by washing their hands appropriately. Most staff are trained in first aid and accidents are recorded and discussed with parents. This ensures accidents are dealt with appropriately. Children's health needs and dietary requirements are well recorded and complied with to ensure children remain healthy. Clear and accurate records are kept, for example about any medication that has been administered. This ensures that children's health needs are met and information can be effectively shared with the parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

The nursery cook is trained in food hygiene which means she is fully aware of regulations relating to food safety and hygiene. Children enjoy varied, nutritious meals and snacks that are freshly prepared on the premises and which take into account their individual dietary needs. Menus ensure children are offered fresh fruit and vegetables each day. They benefit from daily physical activity, such as playing in the outdoor areas or taking part in a music and movement sessions, as part of a healthy lifestyle. Children's well-being is supported through the warm relationships the staff have with them and by having consistent staff caring for them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The children are cared for in a warm and welcoming environment where there are facilities to meet all their needs well. Children gain a sense of belonging when they see photographs of themselves displayed on the walls and have a named drawer for their personal items. The good organisation of the nursery ensures the toddlers have opportunities to interact with the older children during periods of the day supporting their social skills and friendships. In the baby room individual sleep patterns are facilitated. The children have access to a wide variety of age appropriate resources and play materials which are used to create a stimulating and accessible environment. Equipment is checked regularly, is kept clean and in good condition, which helps ensure children can play safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The nursery's effective risk assessment ensures measures are in place to keep children safe. The exit gate is kept locked and can only be accessed via the intercom. Staff are particularly vigilant when the children are using the outdoor area and ensure someone is stationed at the gate area. The generous ratio of staff to children ensures the children are well supervised. Fire safety precautions are good; a regular fire drill helps the children to learn to leave the premises calmly and quickly. Children are well protected because of effective vetting procedures. Their welfare is safeguarded because staff understand their responsibility in relation to child protection. The manager has completed child protection training and provides support and guidance for other 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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy to be at the nursery. They are enthusiastic and motivated to learn. Good relationships have been built, which enable children to feel secure within the nursery. Children receive lots of cuddles and attention from the staff that care for them, which increases their sense of well-being. They benefit from routines, equipment and procedures that meet their needs well. All staff working with the under three's make good use of the 'Birth to three matters' framework as part of their assessment process to plan a stimulating environment to help children progress. Babies enjoy digging in the sand tray and experimenting with hand painting, corn flour and play dough whilst interacting with the staff sitting with them. They have good opportunities for heuristic play and experimenting with cause and effect toys. The grouping of the babies is fairly large, however the staff manage their individual needs well and the babies

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are settled and content. Exploration with paint, dough, graphics, flour, sand and water helps the toddlers represent their experiences, feelings and ideas in a variety of ways. Children play happily together and with adults, enjoying using resources such as puzzles, construction, role play, books and outdoor equipment, suitable to their age and stage of development. The staff know the children well and adapt activities to the child's stage of development and understanding. The staff's skilful use of story books helps the children to make connections and extend their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. There is a basic long term plan which focuses on themes, number, colour, letters and shapes. The medium term plan is more detailed which states the learning intention under each area of learning and the activities that will promote these. This is broken down into learning intentions for the week and a provision plan of play resources. The staff follow the children's interests and spontaneously correct the planning to accommodate this. Children make good progress because the staff have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage and a good range of teaching methods. Children are involved, motivated and engaged in a broad range of interesting, hands-on activities and experiences which provide good levels of challenge. They show high levels of curiosity, imagination and concentration and make good progress towards the early learning goals. Children's achievements are identified

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and recorded with links to the 'stepping stones', however, children's next steps are not recorded. The manager is reviewing the recording of children's assessments to improve on their present system. The children are given a good balance of free play and guided choices and are given sufficient time at activities to solve problems. This allows the children to practise and consolidate their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are well behaved, polite and play well together because of the skilful guidance of the staff and the effort staff have invested in building warm supportive relationships with the children. The resources are stored to enable self selection ensuring the children have choice in their play and promoting their independence. Children find out about the world around them through worthwhile topic based work, such as mini-beasts, myself, transport, and festivals. Outings and the role play area are used creatively to enhance the children's experiences. For example, visiting the local Chinese restaurant to collect menus and chopsticks to supply the role play area when celebrating Chinese New Year. Children learn French and are curious about languages other than their own. Children also learn about people that help them through visitors to the nursery such as their local police officer who talked to the children about road safety

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and gave them opportunities to experiment with finger printing. Children have good access to a computer and are skilled at completing simple programmes and are acquiring good mouse

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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 control. The outdoor areas are used well to promote children's large physical development and when indoors an obstacle course challenges the children. Children's hand to eye coordination is promoted through pouring and transferring activities and by using small tools such as scissors, spoons and tongs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about size, shape and measure through good practical activities. They use size language to describe and compare and sing songs that introduce them to early addition and subtraction. Children learn to sequence through practical activities, and good quality Montessori equipment such as puzzles and rods. They learn about heavy and light things that float and sink when playing in the water and learn about number by grouping marks and objects. Children use their imagination well when engaging in small world play and experimenting with malleable materials such as jelly, shaving foam, corn flour and play dough. Children have access to a creative area, where they paint, print, make collages and design with recycled materials. They help themselves to writing materials during daily activities and write and make marks for a variety of purposes, such as writing a letter to Santa Claus or marking their work. The staff

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

provide activities to develop children's listening skills through story telling, circle time and listening games and the children engage enthusiastically in singing and rhymes supporting their emerging language skills.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children benefit from the positive partnership staff have developed with parents. This ensures children settle well and their individual needs are met. They experience consistent care because of the effective communication systems between staff and parents. The provider highly values parents suggestions and used a parental questionnaire to evaluate the service provided. Parents wishes are respected in the care of their child and all written parental consents are in place.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents of the children who receive nursery education is good. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning through informative newsletters and by sharing their knowledge with children and staff such as when a parent drew some Chinese writing to contribute to the display celebrating Chinese New Year. Parents are well informed about the Foundation stage and how the nursery implements this in the nursery prospectus. There are planned opportunities for parents to meet staff to talk about their child's progress and the staff's approachability means that parents feel confident to go to them with any issues or concerns. Parents made comments such as 'there is strong management and leadership, the staff are loving and professional, an excellent atmosphere' and 'staff communicate very well'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision of resources depicting positive images and the celebration of a variety of festivals and cultural traditions help children to understand and respect differences. There are systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and or disabilities and staff have a positive attitude to providing an inclusive environment. Children's self-esteem is fostered when staff praise them and recognise their achievements, such as when they are kind or are willing to share. Children are well behaved and work harmoniously with each other in response to the realistic boundaries and expectations of staff. Children's spiritual, moral, social and emotional development is fostered.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Space, staff and resources are well organised to create a stimulating and accessible environment where children are busy and occupied throughout the day. However, thirteen children are based in the baby room which is too many in one group. Children aged under two years must be cared for in groups of no more than twelve. Nevertheless, the staff to child ratios are maintained and the babies are happy and settled. Children are cared for by suitably qualified staff who have been appropriately vetted, due to effective recruitment procedures. The nursery's policies and procedures work well in practice, ensuring the efficient and safe management of the nursery. Leadership and management of the nursery education are good. There is a strong commitment to develop the provision and effective systems in place to monitor and evaluate teaching. Staff development is a high priority and the nursery closes for three days to allow staff training to

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Organisation

be completed. Staff have clear responsibilities and work well as a team. They have a sound awareness of the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage supported by the manager and how to apply this in practice to support children's development. Parents are well informed about their child's progress and are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last care inspection the provider has improved the child protection policy by including the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last education inspection the provider has improved circle time by separating the groups into the age and stage the children are in and ensuring the time taken for this activity is appropriate. This means there is less disruption and all the children are benefiting from the activity.

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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 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): • ensure that children aged under two years are cared for in groups of no more than 12 (Annex A).

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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): • consider ways of further improving the recording of children's progress and their next steps of learning.

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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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