St Katharine's Church of England Primary School

Twickenham Park Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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109193 Unique Reference Number 06 March 2008 Inspection date Jane Nelson Inspector

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Cambridge Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 2HN Setting Address

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E-mail

Eaton Square Private Schools Ltd. 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?

Twickenham Park Day Nursery was registered in 1992 and is one of several provisions operated by Eaton Square Private Schools Ltd. The nursery operates from purpose built premises in Twickenham, Middlesex. The premises comprises of three ground floor play rooms and one first floor play room, two children's bathroom areas, a kitchen, office and staff room. There is an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery operates from 08:00 until 18:00, Monday to Friday throughout the year, except for the usual bank holiday closures.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery is registered to care for a maximum of 60 children aged under five years. There are currently 87 children from six months to under five years old on roll, including 24 children aged three and four years, who receive Educational funding. Children from the local community attend the nursery and can attend for a variety of sessions. Systems are in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery implements the Foundation Stage curriculum and the Birth to three matters framework.

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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 Seventeen full/part time staff work with the children. Sixteen staff have Early Years qualifications equivalent to NVQ Level 2 or 3. One member of staff is currently working towards a recognised Early Years qualification. The nursery receives ongoing support from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy a balanced and nutritious diet which encourages their awareness of healthy eating and their good health. They enjoy their lunch of freshly cooked pasta and broccoli, many having second helpings. Younger children are gaining independence in feeding themselves and ask for more when they have finished. Older children use cutlery confidently, using their knives and forks to cut up their broccoli, some with adult support. Children over two years old, all eat meals together in a large group, which can result in high noise levels at times during their meal. Staff sit with children in small groups, while they eat. Children socialise and enjoy their food, laughing and chatting to each other and staff, as they eat. Children enjoy healthy snacks of breadsticks and fruit, helping themselves to drinks of water, older children are able to decide when to sit at the snack table and have their snack. Babies' individual feeding routines are

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Helping children to be healthy

followed, younger babies are fed their lunch by staff, sitting in high chairs. Older babies sit in low chairs, fitted with safety straps at a low table, and are encouraged to start feeding themselves, they enjoy experimenting using their fingers, and spoons.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy daily outdoor play and exercise, which encourages their good health and physical development. They have fun climbing on out door equipment, chalking on a chalk board, playing in the play house and taking part in a weekly extra curricular football session. Babies movement and progression to independent walking is encouraged well in the baby room environment, where they have room to roll, crawl, pull themselves up on and walk around furniture and cots. Older babies use push along toys and sit and ride toys, and are encouraged by holding a member of staff's hand as they gain confidence in standing and walking independently.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receiving nursery education have good opportunities to develop their large physical skills. For example, they ride bikes, navigate space in the garden, climb over and move under equipment, have great fun learning to balance on stilts, and participate in drama games. Extra curricular activities, such as, karate, football, swimming and ballet sessions are provided. Their fine motor skills are encouraged as they use materials such as pencils, scissors, and pencil sharpeners, pour their own drinks and operate small buttons on remote control toys.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children gain a good awareness of their own personal hygiene through practices that are part of their daily routine. Older children use the bathroom independently and wash their hands, after using the toilet, before meals and after creative activities. Younger children are supported by staff as they gain independence in using the bathroom. Babies have their hands and faces wiped using wet wipes, before and after meals and staff talk about being nice and clean as they wipe babies' hands and faces.

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Helping children to be healthy

Information regarding children's health needs, accidents, and administration of medication is recorded appropriately. Six members of staff have current first aid qualifications, the remainder of the staff team have recently attended in house first aid training and are awaiting their first aid certificates. Accident records indicate that basic first aid is applied appropriately for minor accidents. Children's health is protected and the risk of infection minimised by staff following good hygiene procedures, for example, wearing protective clothing such as aprons and gloves

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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 when nappy changing and systems being in place to ensure furniture and toys are cleaned regularly. Children who are unwell or infectious, do not attend nursery and parents are informed of any infectious diseases and their exclusion periods, which minimises opportunities for the spread of infectious illnesses.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. Parents/carers and visitors are admitted to the premises by staff, via a video security gate, and a secure keypad entry system at the front door. Children's awareness of their own safety is encouraged. For example, older children gain confidence in using the stairs, holding on to the child height hand rail and walking carefully up and down the stairs with staff supervision. They are reminded to be careful in their play, as they move about, and with each other.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are generally well supervised by staff and good systems are in place to monitor children's movement from room to room and when going into the garden. However, on occasion, temporary staff are not fully briefed on the developmental needs of the ages and stage children they are caring for, which results in them not being fully aware of individual children's physical abilities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Space is well organised for children to play and move about safely. For example, younger children have space to push wheeled toys and sit on sit and ride toys, moving themselves around the room safely. Children have access to a good range of safe play equipment, use appropriate furniture, such as, tables and chairs, cots and sleep mattresses that are safe and in good condition. Older children are able to help themselves to equipment from low storage units safely, and use play materials and equipment on child height tables or on the floor. Babies are supported by staff in exploring their environment safely, and gaining confidence as they increase their mobility.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is protected by staff's awareness of child protection issues, the nursery's child protection procedure and clear guidance being available for staff. However, not all staff demonstrate a full understanding of the range of issues relating to child protection.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at nursery, most arrive happy and separate well from their parents/carers, waving goodbye to them from a doorway that looks out onto the garden. The nursery is well resourced, with a good selection of play materials and equipment. A good range of play experiences are planned and provided to encourage children's interest and development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies are cared for in a bright, calm and interesting environment, that encourages their investigation, and independent mobility. They are supported well by staff, who encourage their vocalisation and provide physical reassurance, as babies explore and gain independence in mobility. Their individual routines are followed, providing continuity of their home routines and helping babies feel secure and settled. Older babies are gaining independent mobility as they pull themselves up on furniture and equipment and explore different textures and play materials as they move around the room. Babies have access to some natural materials, such as brushes and a colander, encouraging them to explore different textures and materials. They enjoy an impromptu game of Peek-a-boo, laughing, as staff put small blankets over their own heads and then remove them quickly.

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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 Toddlers have space to move around and investigate. They have fun as they explore construction materials, make animal noises, such as roars and growls, as they play with toy animals, move around sitting on, or pushing wheeled toys and explore the texture of glitter mixed with fairy liquid with their hands and the toy animals. They enjoy an impromptu singing time with a member of staff, joining in the songs and clapping, while they continue with their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Nursery children have great fun and spend time concentrating, and exploring texture as they mix corn flour. Staff help children stirring the stiff mixture and help them to spoon it onto plates and into cups using their hands and spoons. Children talk about the corn flour mixture looking like custard and what they like to eat with custard.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff plan and provide an interesting environment that encourages children's interest and learning. Play experiences, such as, a shopping activity are creatively presented and set out, with adequate space for several children to participate in the activity comfortably and take turns at buying food and operating the till and chip and pin machine. Staff interact very well with the children, supporting their learning and investigation through discussion, during story and group times and as children play. They sit nearby as children use the computer program and make suggestions when children are unsure which icon to choose, helping them predict what may happen. Some areas of the curriculum are extended into the outdoor environment, extending opportunities for children to write and mark make, outside. Planning is clear and reflects what staff hope children will learn from activities and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

play experiences, although the system for recording children's progress is not fully developed and is not being used to identify where individual support is needed and how children will be supported in their progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident and happy. They enjoy their time at nursery and work well together in small groups at activities, such as, completing a program on the computer, reminding each other which icon to click the mouse on and excitedly making suggestions about where Nemo will go as the program progresses. They enjoy circle time, joining in with discussions about the weather and the letter of the week. Staff use stories about feeling happy and sad to promote discussions with children about their feelings.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children thoroughly enjoy story time, they listen avidly, concentrating, asking questions about who is in the story and joining in with familiar phrases, such as counting the number of chickens in the story. Children have opportunities to write and mark make, they enjoy drawing, carefully sharpening pencils and talking about what they are drawing. They sound the letter of the week, and staff link this to objects children may find during their search on the computer program. Some children write the letter their name begins with.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use numbers confidently and use simple addition when counting and adding the number of chickens in the story. Children have good opportunities to recognise numbers in the environment in displays inside and outside, for example, on puzzles, displays, a clock, calculators and telephones. They recognise the number for their age on the telephone keypad, and talk about how old their siblings and friends are. Children observe how bubbles increase when they blow into liquid with a straw, and feel the bubbles expand with their hand. Children have opportunities to observe change and growth, they observe how daffodil bulbs grow. They help to care for the nursery pet budgies and goldfish. They feel soil when digging in the soil and sand mixture in the garden.

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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 Children have good opportunities to explore different materials in creative activities such as painting, model making, and collage activities. They experiment putting paint on a sponge at the easel and printing with it on paper. They use their imagination during a shopping activity, assigning roles to themselves saying 'I am the shop keeper and you need to join the queue'. They operate the electronic till, and chip and pin machine confidently, and know they need to speak into the microphone on the till to make their voices heard.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are well known by staff. For example, babies' individual feeding and sleeping routines are followed, providing continuity of their home routines, and helping babies feel reassured and secure. The environments where babies and toddlers are cared for, enable children to increase their independence by helping themselves to some play materials, and encourage their confidence in moving independently. Children's achievements and positive behaviour are praised and valued, which promotes positive behaviour and increases their self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children receiving Nursery Education are busy and interested in their play and learning, which results in them behaving well. They independently choose what to play with from a good selection of play materials and activities and are learning to work together in small groups, take turns and listen to each other and staff. Children sit quietly and look at books in the book area, listen comfortably to an impromptu story with a member of staff and a small group of children, and enjoy story times as a large group. Stories about feeling sad and happy are used to encourage children to discuss their own feelings. Systems are in place to support children with English as an additional language, for example, staff asking parents for some familiar words in children's first language. Children are gaining an awareness of the world they live in, for example, they use and see a range of resources that reflect diversity, hear different accents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and languages spoken in the nursery and see different genders reflected in the staff team. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Information is shared well between parents/carers and staff, through daily discussion and some information being obtained prior to children starting at the nursery. This results in children's familiar practices, likes and dislikes being known and followed by staff. Individual written information is provided for parents daily, regarding babies' feeding, sleeping and nappy changing patterns, during the day.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Clear information about the Nursery Education curriculum is provided for parents and this is updated with regular newsletters informing them about forthcoming topics and inviting them to bring in any items of interest. Reports on children's developmental progress are shared with parents, on a formal basis, twice annually, and informally through daily discussion with staff, displays and children's creative work, which they take home daily.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The necessary written documentation and records are in place, generally well organised and maintained appropriately, although some information is in need of updating and clarifying, and information relating to children's development does not consistently identify their starting points and children's next steps.

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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 A clear management structure is in place, and staff are well supported, which results in them working well as a team. For example, regular staff meetings are held, and the manager is proactive in identifying and arranging in house and external training for staff as a team and individually, ensuring staff have opportunities to increase and update their childcare skills and knowledge. The nursery is well resourced, with a good selection of play materials, equipment and creative resources.

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Organisation

Systems are in place to ensure children's health and safety are protected. However, not all staff have a full awareness of the range of issues relating to child protection and on occasion, systems are not fully effective, in informing temporary staff about the developmental needs of the children they are caring for.

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Organisation

The Leadership and Management relating to Nursery Education is good. Systems, such as observation and communication with staff and parents, are used by the manager, to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. Staff are well supported in their delivery of the curriculum, through in house advice and training, and on going support and advice from the Local Authority. The nursery class is well resourced with a good range of equipment and play materials to encourage children's exploration, learning and interest. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides

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Improvements since the last inspection

During the last care inspection recommendations were set regarding the following; ensuring that medication and cleaning materials are inaccessible to children and that floor mats do not pose a hazard, extending the medication procedure to ensure parents acknowledge the record, and extending the procedure for lost/uncollected child to include the relevant agencies to contact.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery has taken the following actions to improve safety: cleaning materials are stored in a locked cupboard and medication stored in a cupboard in the staff room or refrigerated if required. Play mats used on the floor, are regularly checked for safety and replaced when needed. Records of administration of medication are signed by parents to acknowledge the record and the nursery's lost/uncollected child policy now includes contact details for Social Services.

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Improvements since the last inspection

During the last Nursery Education Inspection there were no significant weaknesses to report but the nursery was asked to give consideration to the following; increasing opportunities for children to explore and investigate programmable toys and equipment and developing systems for planning and children's assessments.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children have good access to, and are confident in operating, programmable toys, such as, remote control robots, an electronic till and a chip and pin machine. Although planning is effective and systems are in place to record children's development, records are not yet fully developed to identify processes and how children will be supported in achieving their next steps in development. A recommendation regarding developing this further has been set as a result of this inspection.

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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. The provider is

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Complaints 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 required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other then 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): • ensure all staff fully understand the range of issues relating to child protection • ensure all temporary staff are made aware of any specific developmental issues relating to age groups of children they will be working with • ensure the contact details for Ofsted are updated in the complaints policy and clarify the process for making the complaints log available to parents

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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): • continue the development of systems to record children's development, ensuring children's starting points and how they will be supported in achieving their next steps, are identified consistently (relates to care also)

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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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