Leafield Church of England (Controlled) Primary School

Carmena Christian Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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123109 Unique Reference Number 11 January 2008 Inspection date Patricia Ann Edward Inspector

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47 Thrale Road, Streatham, London, SW16 1NT Setting Address

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E-mail

CARMENA DAY NURSERY (THRALE ROAD) 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 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?

Carmena Christian Day Nursery opened in1990 and operates from four rooms on domestic premises. It is situated in the London borough of Wandsworth. A maximum of 43 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is opened each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 40 children aged from six months to under five years on roll. Of these, 10 children receive funding for early education. The nursery currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 12 members of staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are working towards a qualification.

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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 a warm, clean environment where the staff satisfactorily promote good hygiene practices and follow the setting's health and hygiene policies. This contributes to children's health and well-being and minimises the risk of cross-infection. Children are learning the importance of good hygiene and personal care as this forms an integral part of the daily routines, such as brushing their teeth in the afternoon. They also wash their hands before meals and snacks. Children's understanding of health and hygiene is further supported through topic work, such as 'Health'. They rest and sleep according to their needs and follow their home routine, which ensures consistency of care. Arrangements for accidents and first aid generally meet requirements and protect children. However, medication records are not consistently countersigned by parents, when the medication is returned to them. This poses a risk to children

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is successfully fostered through the provision of ample, healthy and nutritious meals and snacks each day. All food is freshly prepared by the cook on the premises. Menus detail that children have access to fresh fruit and vegetables daily. Meals include: black eyed beans potatoes and vegetable casserole, with boiled dumplings, chicken merenge, steamed cabbage, carrots and rice and shepherds pie, carrots and courgettes. Meal times are a social occasion, where children and staff all sit together. Children are well hydrated throughout the day as drinks are provided at regular intervals.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy outdoor exercise, weather permitting, as there is a secure garden at the rear of the property. This contributes to the satisfactory promotion of their health and encourages them to develop and explore their physical skills and gain control of their bodies. For example, they have a sports company that comes in weekly and organises a range of games, where children play ball games and kick, throw, various size balls. They also visit local parks in the summer months.

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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 spacious, bright and well-maintained homely environment. They learn to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe and learn about potential dangers as staff explain safe practices to children, for example, not to throw toys. Regular safety checks by staff and written risk assessments enables the removal of most hazards, which further ensures children’s safety whilst attending the setting.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children move safely and freely around their environment, to access resources and activities. Space and play materials are organised appropriately to allow children opportunities to be active, or work at table top and floor activities. Children in all group rooms access a satisfactory range of play equipment and resources, some of which are presented at the children's level. The learning environment is generally stimulating and welcoming to both children and adults, which enhances children’s learning and increases self-esteem, for example, as they notice their creative work displayed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected from possible abuse as staff are knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms of abuse. This has mainly been done through staff attending training. Staff keep a

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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 record of any incidents, which they share with the manager. This ensures the setting can help protect children. There are clear of procedures to follow if an allegation is made against a member of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy their time at the setting, they arrive happy and quickly settle to activities. They separate from their carers with good support from staff. The homely, caring environment created by staff helps children feel comfortable and at ease throughout the day. Children are developing secure relationships with staff and are beginning to develop their relationships with each other. Children receive praise and encouragement for their achievements, this develops their self-esteem. Children under three are nurtured in an appropriate, warm and comfortable environment in which they are relaxed and contented. They have access to an adequate range of age appropriate equipment and enjoy exploring the textures of natural and messy substances, such as corn flour, water, sand, foam and dough. They are also captivated by the colours and sounds of manufactured toys.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff in both babies and toddlers areas use Birth to three matters framework to plan activities. There are systems in place to record and assess children's progress. However, observations are not completed consistently and effectively enough to fully ensure children's development is taken into consideration when planning activities. Babies and toddlers enjoy taking part in all activities and opportunities on offer. Activities in all of these areas are adequate, although, they are not always resourced well to ensure children have maximised opportunities for enjoying and achieving. Warm and caring relationships are evident between the children and the staff. As a result, children are developing confidence and self-esteem and becoming confident communicators.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff team use resources sufficiently to plan and provide a range of activities that support children's play and learning. However, activities are not always adequately resourced. The planning of activities specifically for children under three, following the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework, is developing. However, staff do not consistently record observations and assessments of what children can do to plan the next steps for their play, learning and development. The displaying of the plans for parents enables them to be aware of their child's day.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are making progress because staff have a basic understanding of the Foundation Stage and of how children learn. Staff do not effectively nor constantly observe the children and plot their progress or development through the stepping stones. Observations and assessments do not inform planning of the next steps for children's individual learning. This impacts on children's progress, opportunities of challenges, enjoying and achieving.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy the company of their friends and like to sit together at the table for snacks or lunch. They are caring towards each other and like to help to lay the table. Children are developing a positive attitude towards learning. They are able to concentrate at self-chosen, small and large group led activities. They show a strong sense of belonging as they greet each other and staff on arrival. Children are engaged in their play and some of the older children take responsibility for their own personal care, such as accessing tissues to blow their noses

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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 independently. However, there is limited opportunity for children to develop their self-help and independent skills, such as, at meal times to serve or dish up their own meals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children count confidently and are learning to understand one-to-one correspondence. Staff plan adequate activities to develop children's awareness of numbers, comparisons, addition and subtraction. For example, when they play matching games, and some are beginning to understand the concept more and less, when they sing a counting songs. Some children are able to recognise numerals. They make use of mathematical terminology such as tallest and biggest.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show an interest in information technology and use a computer with support from staff and are developing good mouse control. They also have a number of opportunities to explore living things and observe change through accessing plastic insects and using magnifying glasses to observe them closer. Also notice change through growing beans as part of their growth theme. The nursery routine provides children with opportunities to engage in physical activities when weather is good. However, during winter months, insufficient in door gross motor activities are planned or organised to develop children’s physical skills. They explore creativity using a range of media such as sand, glue and paint. They learn about themselves and the wider community through discussion and topic work, such as a range of organisations visiting the nursery, for example, local police officers and the fire service.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children when instructed access books and confidently handle books and are beginning to understand that letters have meaning. Children are learning to recognise their own names and some children are able to write their names, however, this is not generally encouraged by staff members. The writing area provides children with resources to mark make independently. Children also visit local library, all of which contributes to promoting children’s sense of belonging and community.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children’s individual needs are met sufficiently because the staff know them. They have ongoing discussions with parents about their child's needs. The individual care and individual requirements of all children are taken into consideration. Younger children, who are new to the play group, are supported well by staff who spend time helping them to settle-in. All children have similar opportunities to take part in all activities that are available. Currently there are no children in attendance with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There is a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator in place, who is clear about her role. However, she has not had any recent training. In addition, there are some commercial posters up around the hall, but the lack of displays of the children's work does not allow the staff to show children how much their work is valued. The staff use praise and encouragement of the children’s efforts and achievements which builds

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Helping children make a positive contribution

on their self-esteem and confidence. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have some opportunities to learn about their own and other cultures, for example, celebrating different festivals such as black history month, Christmas, Easter and Chinese new year. Children in all group rooms have equal access to the toys and resources put out, some of which reflect positive images of today's diverse society and form part of integral play materials, for example books, puzzles, small world figures and dolls.

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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 The children generally behave well. They share toys and take turns with resources, for example, using the computer. They show co-operation with their peers when playing with the small world figures on the floor and working together to build towers from construction bricks. However, although the staff explain well to the children why some things are not acceptable and why, for example, they should not go into the kitchen, some staff ignore children who run within the hall.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is satisfactory. Children's progress is not effectively monitored by staff. Parents are not involved in their children's assessments, nor do they receive information about their next steps for development, which affects opportunities for them to fully contribute to their child’s learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The leadership and management of the nursery education within the setting is satisfactory. Children are cared for by a staff team who have an adequate understanding of their roles and responsibilities in helping children enjoy and achieve. However, systems in place do not effectively monitor and evaluate the delivery of the nursery education to ensure continuous improvement.

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Organisation

The daily routines and deployment of staff are satisfactorily organised to provide children with a range of activities inside the premises and ensures their safety. For example, key worker systems are in place and children are cared for within rooms specifically for their age group. The staff work sufficiently as a team to promote children's health, care, emotional wellbeing and ability to enjoy and achieve. For example, there are satisfactory systems in place to support staff development through training, which is accessed through short courses or those of longer duration, such as National Vocational Qualifications. This ensures their continued development and knowledge and understanding of quality childcare practice.

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Organisation

Records detail the adequate individual requirements of each child and include relevant consents and contacts. All the legally required documentation and policies and procedures are in place, however, some do not contain sufficient or appropriate information.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to complete a number of actions and recommendations to improve safety, resources documentation, staff organisation, qualification, and ratios of staff. There is now an appropriate system in place to manage vetting of persons gaining access to the nursery. The ratio of adult to children has improved to meet the regulations and an action was devised in relation to staff qualification, and now over half the staff team are appropriately qualified. All of which increase children's safety and welfare whilst on the premises. The setting has also revised the planning of activities of children aged 18 months to two years to ensure they have an adequate range of stimulating activities. Resources that reflect positive images of disability have been increased to include posters and disability figures. All of, which contributes to children acknowledging differences, enjoying and achieving. The remaining

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Improvements since the last inspection

recommendation around parents countersigning medication entries has not been addressed and has been reapplied.

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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 At the last education inspection the provider agreed to develop the planning and opportunities to explore knowledge and understanding of the world, creative and mathematical development and the organisation of space. The staff now include more detailed planning for knowledge and understanding of the world and children now have daily access to computer and educational software programmes. Staff awareness of mathematical development is developing and they encourage calculation and measurement development, through providing children with resources such as scales, which are slowly being introduced to them, and cooking activities. Children have daily opportunities to engage in creative activities that include them accessing a range of malleable materials, such as junk modelling, wet sand and sticking. All of which contributes to

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Improvements since the last inspection

children achieving the stepping stones. However staff understanding of planning and the importance of taking into account children's progress has not been met so has been reapplied.

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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 medication entries are countersigned by parents • ensure children in all group rooms have access to sufficient resources to increase their opportunities for enjoying and achieving • develop effective systems to detail children's progress. Ensure children's assessments inform planning and the evaluation of activities identify the next steps for individual learning. Ensure that parents have access to planning and can be fully involved in all aspects of their child's learning • increase children's opportunities to engage in large motor physical activities, during the winter months and in poor weather • ensure registers include times of all children departure.

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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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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): • develop effective systems to detail children's progress. Ensure children's assessments inform planning and the evaluation of activities identify the next steps for individual learning. Ensure that parents have access to planning and can be fully involved in all aspects of their child's learning • develop staff’s knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage in order to plan an appropriate curriculum and extend children’s learning • increase children's opportunities to hear and say the initial sound in words and know which letters represent the sound

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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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