Muhammadi Nursery

Muhammadi Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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227211 Unique Reference Number 28 November 2007 Inspection date Bogusia Matusiak-Varley Inspector

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Clifton Mosque, 17 Clifton Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, WEST MIDLANDS, B12 8SX

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Setting Address

0121 440 8661 Telephone number shehla.moledina@ksmnet.org E-mail The Trustees of K.S.I.M.C OF Birmingham Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Setting Address

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?

Muhammadi Nursery opened in 1998 and serves a multi-cultural community in Balsall Heath Birmingham. It operates from a purpose built community building on five days a week during term time from 09:00 to 15:00. Access to the nursery is via an intercom system. Children play in two main rooms and have access to a secure outside area. The nursery is registered to care for 30 children aged two to under eight years. At present 15 children are in receipt of funding for early education. Children attend a variety of sessions. The vast majority of children have English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery provides an Islamic environment which places great emphasis on social and cultural unity and equality and is open to children of all faiths. Staff are qualified, experienced and speak a variety of community languages. Over half of the staff have an Early Years qualification to National Vocational Qualification Level 2 and 3 and one member of staff has an Early Years degree. The setting receives support from a teacher mentor from the local authority.

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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. The environment is meticulously clean and staff are very vigilant in keeping it that way. Regular routines of disinfecting toys and wiping down tables ensure that children play in an exceptionally clean environment. The risk of infection and cross contamination to children is minimised. Comprehensive written health policies, supported by daily implementation of staff, ensure that the highest possible standards are maintained. Children are encouraged and supervised to wash their hands before and after meals, outside play, after touching Toffee the pet rabbit and after messy activities. At all times, staff reinforce why it is important to maintain excellent personal hygiene practices. They talk to children and parents about the risk of germs and encourage them to adopt hygienic routines. Children are gaining a secure understanding of why it is important to stay healthy. Promotion of healthy eating is of high priority. Parents play a very

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Helping children to be healthy

active role in this as they are encouraged to provide their children with healthy lunch boxes. Much time and effort has been invested in supporting parents to help their children lead a healthy lifestyle. An excellent range of stimulating and fun activities supports the development of children’s knowledge of healthy eating. These include drawing, printing with and tasting new fruit. Meal times are very relaxed occasions, children discuss the healthy content of their lunch boxes and are encouraged by staff to finish their food. Children access water freely and help themselves to fruit.

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Helping children to be healthy

Younger children rest and sleep in comfortable surroundings which take into account their own routines. Parents are informed daily about activities the children have been involved in. Opportunities for children to access fresh air are excellent. When children play outdoors they have access to a purpose built climbing frame and they take part in a very good range of physical activities supporting them to lead a healthy lifestyle. They ride their bikes and push prams with skill and confidence. Children recognise that they get hot when they run around and this is because their bodies are working hard. An excellent range of comprehensive procedures for ensuring children’s welfare are in place. All staff have been trained in safeguarding issues and risk assessment of trips out and activities provided in the two rooms are very detailed and thorough. Accurate records of medication are kept and procedures clearly outline staff

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Helping children to be healthy

responsibilities to keep parents informed of any accidents or illness on site. Only qualified staff administer medication. The nursery is very proactive in minimising the risk of infection by sharing with parents’ very comprehensive information on infectious diseases and they send children home who are unwell in order to further promote children’s welfare.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are extremely safe because they are cared for in an environment where equipment is maintained to exceptionally high standards. The safety and security of children are of top priority. Comprehensive and detailed risk assessments are regularly carried out including fire risks which are very well documented. Quick and easy reference guides ensuring children’s safety are posted around the nursery so that there is consistency in the implementation of procedures. Staff maintain extremely high levels of supervision for children to ensure they are kept safe. Children are encouraged to explore their environment in a safe way which gives them confidence to succeed. This includes children moving from room to room supervised by adults. Staff are very highly skilled in providing support and assistance, without being over protective, and encourage children to have a go. For example, when playing with the mouldable clay, 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 member of staff showed the children how to make shapes safely using templates. Children access an excellent range of activities and equipment to promote their learning and development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Safeguarding principles are highly operant in practice. All staff have received up-to-date training on child protection. Regular workshops are held with parents led by the nursery manager, who expertly enables parents to explore the most effective ways of disciplining children without harming the children’s self-esteem. This is an outstanding feature of the nursery. The nursery is staffed by members who fully embrace the values of keeping children happy, safe, secure and valued.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. This is entirely due to excellent teaching, care and support, very good planning of activities, excellent resources and very detailed assessment based upon what children can do and what needs to be provided in order to move them onto the next steps of learning. The very close liaison with parents supports this and parents travel from long distances to ensure that their children attend this nursery. Children are totally engrossed in their learning and make outstanding progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are highly motivated and inquisitive learners who are taught how to start and finish an activity which contributes very well to their love of learning. Children have outstanding attitudes to learning and behave very well. They are highly independent, they choose their own activities and resources and pack away quickly and effectively. All staff are exceptionally well involved in children’s play. The nursery’s aim of ensuring that ‘children should be nurtured in a healthy balanced environment where they learn to live in peace and be able to create a harmonious and caring environment’ underpins all aspects of the nursery’s work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn and achieve very well because their play is exceptionally well supported by staff who ensure that children are given plenty of praise and encouragement. Planning of children’s activities links to their ages and stages of development and staff use appropriate guidance and legislation well to do this. The Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage supports children over three and the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework supports younger children. All learning is done through play which is highly stimulating, interesting and challenging. The excellent provision incorporates all aspects of children’s development and is underpinned by an Islamic curriculum which places great value on respecting human beings and creation. Children achieve exceptionally well because staff know them very well as they carry out very detailed observations of their learning in conjunction with very good quality of information received from parents

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

about their children’s needs and interest levels. Staff are committed to implementing the best practices from national guidance and monitor their effectiveness through regular team meetings. They make necessary changes to provide the best learning opportunities for children. Younger children make exceptionally good progress in communication, learning how to learn, being healthy and expressing their needs and developing high levels of confidence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision and quality of teaching are outstanding. Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage and fully contribute to children’s outstanding achievement. Staff are very effective Early Years practitioners and eagerly take on board any new practices. They readily share their practice and skills through regular staff meetings. Staff are avid learners and use literature and the Internet to familiarise themselves with best practice

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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 and attend a very good range of continuous professional development courses. Detailed planning and exemplary record keeping reflect the children’s stages through the stepping stones and identify the next steps in learning. Continual review and observation enables staff to guide children to their next steps in learning. Staff give very good quality explanations both in English and in mother tongue and this enables children to achieve very well. For example, children marvel at the way chocolate melts and how water evaporates. They are able to ask questions both in English or in their mother tongue and, as a result, they make exceptionally fast progress in all areas of learning. Children are highly motivated to learn because staff have high expectations of them. In mathematics, the oldest children know their numbers to 20, can name

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

shapes and know a vast range of number rhymes. Children write their numbers and letters in sand and in shaving foam to assist with the correct formation. Children eagerly join in activities that support their language and literacy skills. They sing merrily and they fill in appointments at the role play ‘surgery’. Many children know their initial sounds and can write their own name and some can read simple sentences. Children take reading books home to share with their parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children achieve exceptionally well in knowledge and understanding of the world. They know how to look after their pet rabbit, Toffee, they grow a range of flowers and cress and observe the changes in seasons. Through the Islamic curriculum and provision for personal, social and emotional development, children learn how to care about one another and value one another’s differences. Children say their prayers reverently and learn about a range of festivals from different cultures. Both in creative development and physical development, children make very good progress. They confidently climb, run, jump and engage in a range of creative activities that use their imagination such as playing Doctors in the role play area. They paint, make collages and have produced some lovely glittery Divali paintings. Through creative activities, children confidently express their ideas and feelings.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All staff have very secure knowledge as to how young children learn, they offer explanations and constantly encourage children to do their very best. They plan activities around children’s needs ensuring that the younger children feel very secure in their learning. As a result children make rapid progress in all areas of learning and develop outstanding attitudes to learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children behave and play extremely well. They are fully aware of what staff expect from them and they respect all the adults in the setting. Children are taught to care about one another and they participate fully in Islamic Awareness Week where they help their teachers show the community what they are learning. Staff manage behaviour exceptionally well by being exemplary role models for them. They praise children and help them feel confident so that they are well prepared for the next steps in learning. The excellent relationships with parents have resulted in some mothers training to become nursery staff and this has made a very positive contribution to ensuring economic well-being. All information about rules, procedures and children’s progress is shared with parents. Key worker systems effectively contribute to this providing a key carer in the child’s day to offer consistency, reassurance and support for children. Daily record sheets

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Helping children make a positive contribution

provide feedback for parents of younger children enabling parents to have a full picture of what their children get up to during the day. Notice boards are very informative. Comments from parents are very positive about the quality of information provided for them. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Plenty of opportunities are offered for children to marvel at creation and children have excellent opportunities to distinguish right from wrong and learn about different cultures.

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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 Partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. Parents travel from afar to send their children to this nursery. ‘Our children are exceptionally well cared for and make outstanding progress’ said one parent, speaking for many. To ensure children are developed to their full potential, the nursery manager ensures that parents provide a key role in supplying information on what their children already know so that staff can build upon previous learning. Parents are seen as true partners in learning because of the outstanding way in which the nursery manager works with them and keeps them regularly informed of the children’s progress. Parents greatly appreciate the graduation ceremony at the end of the summer term and their children’s very well presented profiles, showing progress in their work, are extremely well received. The

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Helping children make a positive contribution

home/school link book is a very valuable method of communication between parents and staff.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. Staff are exceptionally well organised and work as a highly effective team providing excellent care for the children. They are extremely professional in all of their undertakings and are very keen to take on any new practices. They have an extremely calm and caring approach to caring for children, continually ensuring that their welfare is top priority. Children benefit greatly from this through following familiar routines, use of praise, consistent care and participating in exciting activities in an environment that operates highly efficiently. Staffs’ continuous professional development is outstanding. Staff regularly attend courses and share information with one another to constantly improve the quality of provision. Policies are constantly updated, including activities from the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework. The nursery manager’s contribution to the organisational plan cannot be underestimated. All documentation is of

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Organisation

outstanding quality and is regularly reviewed to evaluate the impact it has on children’s well-being and development. All documents are very well organised and kept up-to-date. The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is outstanding. Excellent systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning. Through effective monitoring and reviewing of practice, the nursery continuously strives to improve on previous best performance. The outstanding leadership and management of the nursery manager enables the nursery to become very well respected by the community. Links with outside agencies are outstanding and the recent participation of the nursery in the Islamic Awareness Week has done much to bring about community cohesion. Appraisal systems, staff inductions and student mentoring ensure that all staff embrace the nursery values and this results in a whole school approach to providing outstanding care and learning for the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The previous care inspection identified two actions and five recommendations which have successfully been addressed. In relation to the actions, the nursery was asked to provide a written statement to be followed if a parent fails to collect a child or if a child is lost. The nursery now has a very detailed policy which is known to all staff as to what needs to be done if this happens. The nursery was also asked to make sure that, in the outside area, low level glass panels are safe and inaccessible. This has been rectified and the outside area is safe for children to play in. The previous inspection also asked the nursery manager to devise an operational plan and a policy for taking the children on outings. These documents have been produced and the operational plan underpins the strategic direction of the nursery for the next academic year. The previous inspection identified the need for the outside area to be safe and

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Improvements since the last inspection

clear before the children have access. Improvement in this area has been satisfactory as staff

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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 regularly clean the outside area, however, the synthetic floor gets very wet and therefore in order to fully promote children’s safety they do not play outdoors in inclement weather. Two further recommendations were made relating to improving the well-being of the children, notably that the name of the designated person appeared on the Child Protection Policy and that the policy reflected local guidance. This has been addressed and has resulted in children’s safety and well-being being exceptionally good throughout the nursery.

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Improvements since the last inspection

In respect of the previous nursery education inspection one key issue was raised regarding opportunities for children to explore how things work. Children are now given opportunities to further develop their knowledge and skills in this area.

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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 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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