Marc Lindsay Sports College

Hopscotch Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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137807 Unique Reference Number 18 January 2008 Inspection date Caren Carpenter Inspector

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215 Chevening Road, London, NW6 6DT Setting Address

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020 8969 9792 Telephone number hopscotch@ chevening.freeserve.co.uk E-mail The Hopscotch Management Committee Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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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 outstanding. 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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Hopscotch Nursery was registered in 1996. It operates from the ground and first floor of a four storey building. It is situated within the London borough of Brent. The setting serves the local community. Children have access to three rooms on the ground floor a dinning room, a soft play room and a large play room for wet play. On the first floor there is access to three rooms. A maximum of 34 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:30 to 17:30, 47 weeks during the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 62 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these 22 children receive funding for nursery education. The setting supports a number of children with learning difficulties and also supports a number of children who speak English as additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 16 staff, of these 13 staff hold early years qualifications. The setting receives support from Early Years Partnership.

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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 outstanding. Children’s health is well maintained. They have excellent awareness and understanding of their own personal hygiene and how to stay healthy through exercise. They follow clear procedures independently, washing their hands before snacks and after using the bathroom. Visitors to the nursery such as, a doctor and a dentist provide extremely good opportunities for children to learn about different parts of their bodies such as, their heart, muscles and their bones. They are learning the importance of brushing their teeth regularly to keep them healthy. A well written sickness policy and procedures, which staff actively share with parents, ensures children are extremely well cared for and that they are protected from illness and infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are offered excellent play opportunities in the exciting outdoor play area. They enjoy a wide range of physical activities and have an excellent understanding of the effect of exercise on their bodies. This greatly enhances their physical development, for example, they use large equipment for climbing and balancing, and enjoy dance movement sessions. They join in with great delight and excitement during a parachute activity, as they bounce, jump and stretch. They understand the value of exercise, how it makes them stronger and have more energy. Children use with increasing control a range of small equipment such as, pegs and board, writing tools, scissors, rolling pin and cutters.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a range of extensive healthy snacks at the snack bar. They help themselves to a variety of fresh fruits and snacks such as, apples, kiwi, grapes, raisins, bread sticks and toast. They have excellent access to regular drinks throughout the session and are able to help themselves to fresh drinking water. Staff are extremely well informed of children’s dietary needs and requirements, and are very pro-active in ensuring these needs are met effectively.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. The setting is exciting and simulating; photographs and examples of children’s creative work are attractively and extensively displayed, making an exceptionally warm and welcoming environment for all children. Each age group is cared for in a specific base room that has been extensively planned to facilitate their independent learning. Resources are of an excellent quality and are stored easily within children’s reach. The space is extremely well organised to promote children’s natural curiosity as learners. They access areas that are dedicated to aspects of learning. Children are highly engrossed in an excellent range of purposeful and developmentally appropriate activities, which provide exceptionally high levels of challenge.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children understand and practise fire drills regularly which are clearly recorded. They are learning exceptionally well about fire and road safety. For example, visits by a fire safety officer and the traffic club to the setting provide children with excellent opportunities to talk about fire hazards and road safety. They learn about crossing the road safely at the zebra crossing, using the green cross code and looking left and right before crossing the road. Policies and procedures are consistently applied by conscientious staff; this clearly supports children’s safety and welfare.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s welfare is further enhanced by the staffs’ excellent knowledge and understanding of the settings well-written and comprehensive child protection policy. Staff are fully aware of

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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 the local safeguarding children’s board procedures. They work exceptionally well with external agencies to meet children’s needs and ensure they are protected from harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children relish their time in the setting. They have an excellent attitude to learning and are happy, settled and purposefully engaged throughout the session. Children are extremely familiar with their surroundings; they explore and develop solid relationships with staff and peers. Time is used exceptionally well to enable children to make choices and to develop their chosen task, to lead their own learning and experiences. Children’s ability to achieve this has been extended by the excellent implementation of the Birth to three matters curriculum and the absolute belief in the child-centred learning adapted, exceptionally well by the staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The excellent range of activities and resources enable them to explore and create using all of their senses. As a result, children gain knowledge of the world around them and start to build their own identities within it.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children absolutely enjoy their time during outdoor play. This has been developed and organised to allow them to participate not only in physical outdoor play but, in a wide range of activities such as, role-play, painting, sand and water play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's work is attractively displayed around the room promoting self-esteem and encouraging them to feel part of the group. Staff praise and encourage children to try new activities. They progress exceptionally well in the extremely stimulating and caring environment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children are making excellent progress as staff plan effectively for the six areas of learning to deliver a well-balanced curriculum. The key worker system enables staff to monitor the children's progress effectively to help them to move on to the next steps of learning. Staff know the children extremely well and their teaching motivates the children so that they are keen to learn and make excellent progress. Written observations made by the staff mean that they are able to plan effectively and ensure children are appropriately challenged according to their stage of development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have excellent opportunities to develop early writing skills and some write their names independently. Writing resources are exceptionally well organised to allow children easy access and there are good opportunities for children to write for different purposes. For example, they make their shopping list in preparation for their cooking activities, during outdoor and role-play activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have extremely good access to an excellent range of quality books. They enjoy looking at books independently and listen to a range of interesting stories. They recognise their names as they select their name cards for self-registration and draw recognisable pictures. Children use reference books to locate information which increases their knowledge and use them extremely well as part of their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have excellent opportunities to take home the nursery's soft toy ‘Barnaby bear’ for a week. Parents take photographs of the children with the bear as they visit various places such as, going on holidays and trips to the farm. This contributes effectively in valuing and listening to what children say. As a result, children are developing excellent communication and language

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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 skills. Children have fantastic opportunities to develop their language and imagination as they write their own stories. For example, children say ‘Once upon a time there was a princess and she wanted to marry a king and gets stung by a bee and goes home to sleep’.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are using excellent mathematical language to compare and to solve simple problems such as, how much, less, more, heavy, light, big and small. They have remarkable mathematical knowledge, they talk about floating and sinking, and recognise and name numbers up to 10 and beyond. Children are able to count and calculate through activities such as cooking. They use weighing and measuring skills. Visits to the local shops to buy items extend children’s knowledge and understanding of numbers and the cost of each item.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are extremely confident; they work and play exceptionally well on their own and with others. Behaviour is excellent; they negotiate with others and take responsibility for their actions. They have very good awareness of right and wrong in line with their development. Staff have an excellent understanding of behaviour management using a quiet, calm and sensitive approach, in which they use reasoning and explanation.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children gain a well developed respect for others, their beliefs and cultures. Through the well planned activities. They learn extremely well about the diversity in their communities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are actively engaged in planting and growing plants such as, tomatoes and peas. They know plants need sunlight and water to grow and they help to take care of the plants by watering them regularly. Children are learning exceptionally well about living creatures such as, garden birds, the life cycles of butterflies and tadpoles. For example, they have excellent opportunities to observe the changes of caterpillars and tadpoles. They investigate changes through a range of interesting experiments and practical activities such as, how ice is formed. They freeze containers of water and observe the changes as the ice melt.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making excellent progress in their physical development. They are enthusiastic as they enjoy fresh air and physical exercise daily. They negotiate space well as they speed up and slow down to avoid others when running around, riding bikes and scooters outside. Children regularly use large physical play equipment to jump, climb, slide and balance which develops their large muscles and co-ordination skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff make extremely good use of time, space and resources. Activities are well-presented and they capture the children's interest. They are age appropriate and provide excellent challenges for all children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children are highly valued as individuals and are made to feel extremely welcomed in the setting. They develop positive attitudes to others following the strong example set by all the staff. They enjoy activities and resources which promote a positive view of the wider world. They celebrate a variety of festivals such as, Diwali, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Eid. They visit the local temple and mosque to learn about the cultural beliefs of others. All children have equal access to the extensive range of resources and activities. This positive approach fosters children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The needs of the children with learning difficulties and disabilities are recognised and met very sensitively by the setting. Staff work exceptionally well with the early years special educational

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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 needs team, parents and other agencies to meet children’s needs effectively. They plan and develop individual educational plans to ensure that every child receives the best care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Positive relationships are formed and children work extremely well together. Staff use exceptional and effective strategies to manage children's behaviour. Resources such as, timers along with staff positive reinforcement help children to behave well. As a result, children are confident and show good self-esteem responding extremely well to staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is outstanding. Children benefit tremendously from the strong relationships between staff and parents as their individual needs are well met. Parents are given very clear and meaningful information on the Foundation Stage and the programme of learning through notice board and leaflets. They are kept exceptionally well informed of their children's achievements through daily exchanges of information. Parents are invited to regular meetings with the key workers to discuss their children’s written progress reports. Informative newsletters are provided for parents each half-term and gives details such as, forthcoming events and cultural festival celebrations. They are invited into the nursery to share their experiences, to talk about their job roles and to read stories to the children. Parents have excellent opportunities to participate in a range of interesting activities such as, fun days at the local park, world food

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Helping children make a positive contribution

day and fund raising events for charities. The setting values and actively seeks parents’ views about the service they provide. For example, a parent’s suggestion box and comment book provides excellent opportunities for parents to comment and contribute their ideas about the provision.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents speak highly of the provision; they say ‘we are very happy with the care our children receive; the staff are approachable and very caring and are a committed team'. This contributes to a smooth transition to school for their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. Children are extremely relaxed and motivated in a well organised and inspiring learning environment. They are very confident to initiate and progress their own play, relishing their time in the group. The strong management ensure that staff continually monitor and promote excellent care. The setting has meticulous systems in place to support their working practices and promote the children’s care and well-being. A thorough recruitment procedure is in place and children benefit from qualified and experienced staff who are effectively inducted.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the setting is outstanding. The manager is very pro-active in her approach. She works alongside the established staff team who are deployed effectively to ensure that children are well supported. Comprehensive and flexible planning systems allow children to make extensive choices. Staff are highly skilled at adapting plans to effectively support and guide children to extend their play and learning. Children benefit from staff that are well qualified and have excellent knowledge not only of the child development but of the Foundation Stage and the Birth to three matters curriculum. Annual appraisals for all staff ensure they maintain and update their professional skills and knowledge through regular training.

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Organisation

Very comprehensive policies and procedures support consistent and professional practice. Staff share and receive information with parents regularly, maintaining excellent records in a professional manner to ensure they are up-to-date. All documentation is in place and supports

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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 the very high quality practice. 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 inspection the setting was required to ensure that risk assessment records include the date they occurred and improve opportunities for the more able and older children to help themselves independently at lunch times. Children’s safety is well promoted because; risk assessments are carried out regularly and are clearly recorded with dates. Children’s independence skills are extremely well promoted at lunch times. They help themselves to their packed lunches, with staff available to support them if needed.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there has 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 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 outstanding. 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 outstanding.

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The quality and standards of the care

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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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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