Newpark Childcare Centre

Newpark Childcare Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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EY284463 Unique Reference Number 05 February 2008 Inspection date Suman Willis Inspector

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1 St. Giles Terrace, Barbican, London, EC2Y 8DU Setting Address

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020 7638 5550 Telephone number barbican@newparkchildcare.co.uk E-mail Newpark Childcare Company Ltd 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 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?

Newpark Childcare Centre is one of three settings run by Newpark Childcare. The nursery was registered in 2004. It operates from a recently refurbished church hall which consists of one large hall, one small room, kitchen, changing area and toilets. The centre is situated in the Barbican next to St Giles Church. The nursery is open each weekday from 07.00 to 19.00, for 50 weeks a year.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 24 children aged from six months to five years may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 24 children on roll. Of these one child receives funding for early education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. Children are taken out to the park and visit the library and museum regularly.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs seven members of staff. All staff working directly with children hold appropriate early years qualifications. Of these, one member of staff has a level four in early years.

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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 The nursery follows a Montessori method of teaching.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are involved in a good range of activities which promote their physical development. They go for daily walks and weather permitting and visit the park where they have access to a variety of large equipment such as climbing frames, swings and roundabouts. Children enjoy climbing and swinging and use the slide with ease. They happily push their friends on the roundabout and see-saw. Children also engage in ball games both indoors and outdoors. They can relax in the cosy book corner if tired and most children sleep after lunch.

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Helping children to be healthy

Babies are learning to gain control of their bodies as they learn to crawl safely. They feel safe as they acquire new skills because staff are at hand to provide appropriate support and equipment to ensure that they become skilful in a range of movements. For example babies are excited as they crawl up a few steps and pull themselves up using the banister and then skilfully crawl down the slope. Babies feel secure as they are cuddled and fall asleep in the arms of adults.

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Helping children to be healthy

Consequently, children and babies stay healthy because they have regular fresh air and exercise. They rest according to their individual needs which contributes to them being happy and enables them to play an active part in the setting.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are clear policies and procedures in place to ensure that children's health needs are effectively met. For example, permission from parents to administer emergency aid and medication is obtained. All staff are appropriately trained in administering emergency aid and have easy access to a first-aid kit. This enables staff to act promptly should the need arise. Children develop a very good understanding of simple health and hygiene procedures as they independently access flannels to wipe their own faces after meals. They are encouraged to wipe their own noses and dispose of the tissues appropriately. Staff are good role models and re-enforce good hygiene practices because children and adults do not wear outdoor shoes in the main area and they wear disposable gloves and aprons when changing nappies and also when serving food; this helps to minimise cross-infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are very well-nourished. They eat well-balanced meals such as bean hot pot and pasta with a meat sauce and beans. Children have fresh fruit and sandwiches for tea and are offered cereals for breakfast, with raisins for snacks. There are very good procedures to ensure that children's health needs are effectively met because parents provide valuable information about children's individual dietary needs. Children then wear appropriate colour coded bands so that staff know immediately what they can eat and drink. Children and babies are offered regular fresh drinking water but their independence is not fully promoted because they are not able to help themselves to water and quench their thirst as and when they want it.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm, welcoming and secure environment. The procedures to maintain children's safety are very well implemented. For example, both external doors are fitted with a keypad entry system and there are buzzers outside to alert staff of visitors. Although children

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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 do have not have access to a direct outdoor play area, they are taken out for walks within the Barbican area and visit the park daily. There are clear procedures such as daily risk assessments for both indoor and outdoor activities to ensure children stay safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have access to a broad range of resources which provide challenge and promote children's development in all areas. These are suitably maintained and stored to ensure children can make independent choices. Babies are able to explore their environment and respond to challenges because they have developed a good relationship with staff who ensure that babies and toddlers stay safe at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children and babies are developing a good understanding of staying safe because of clear boundaries set by staff. For example, babies and toddlers are appropriately strapped into buggies and walking children know that they have to hold on to buggies. Staff also set clear boundaries as they play in the playground. Staff are very well deployed to monitor children's safety. Fire drills are carried out regularly and visitors such as the local police and fire officers are welcomed into the group to develop children's understanding of staying safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures which are in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board. However, the policy does not include procedures to be followed in case of allegations made against members of staff, which may compromise children and staff's safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and engage in their chosen activity with ease. Staff are at hand to offer support and comfort to children who are upset, this helps children to settle quickly. Children are interested in what they do because staff provide a wide range of activities which are age-appropriate and provide challenge. For example, younger children enjoy playing with sand and discovering miniature animals. This helps to extend their language as they examine sea creatures such as an octopus. They enjoy experimenting with colours as they carry out a variety of painting and creative activities such as making Chinese hats using glitter and glue. All children are very well supported to ensure that they can all play an active part in the setting. Resources are laid out to enable children to use their own initiative and select their own play materials. They pretend to go to school and then fetch hats and umbrellas before setting off. Some

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children enjoy dressing up and are imaginative as they request tails and ears to complete their outfits, this enables them to build on their knowledge as they use role-play to extend their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Babies are becoming competent learners and are delighted as they explore the treasure basket in the baby corner and learn to move safely as they access a variety of other resources which interest them. For example, they enjoy crawling out of the non-mobile area and discovering other play materials such as musical instruments which sustain their interest. Babies are developing good communication skills as staff sit with them and spend time building a relationship. They enjoy looking at board books while being cuddled and staff make good eye contact as they interpret the children's needs through the sounds they are making.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage and how children learn. Staff use the Montessori method of teaching

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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 provide a varied range of activities to promote children's learning. These are effectively linked to the Foundation Stage to ensure that all six areas of learning are covered. However, displays and labelling are not used effectively to promote children's understanding of letters and numbers. Children receiving funding for nursery education are provided with more challenges as they carry out Montessori activities. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the learning objective and are good at extending children's learning as they ask open ended questions during routine play. Staff carry out regular observations and make written assessments about children's progress. Staff use effective methods to manage children's behaviour and provide strategies to help them manage their own. Consequently, children are keen to learn and make good

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are well behaved and enjoy being given responsibilities, such as serving at meal times. This makes them feel valued and respected. Children are beginning to make firm friends and negotiate role play as they make decisions about who is going to make the dinner. They wait and listen to instructions very well as they prepare to go out. Children learn to negotiate turn-taking when using the large playground equipment. They confidently ask for their favourite nursery rhymes during circle time. Children know that they will be supported as they confidently seek out adults for support. They show a strong sense of belonging as they select their own play materials and are interested as they take part in their chosen activities. Children develop a good understanding of their community as they go out for daily walks visiting the park, museum and library.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use language to communicate their needs effectively. They are beginning to link letter sounds as they confidently say 'I' for India. They are delighted as they play with words and letters to develop rhymes such as 'Hairy' and 'Clary'. Children enjoy being read to and participate with enthusiasm to the story 'Five Minutes Peace'. They also enjoy looking at a variety of fiction and non-fiction books independently. Staff use small group time to extend children's understanding of how numbers and letters are formed. For example, they use sand letters and numbers for children to feel. Children count with ease as staff encourage this through their daily play routine. For example, during sand play they find an octopus and count correctly the number of tentacles. This helps to extend children's language and number skills. They learn about volume as they count how many cups of water it takes to fill a jug. They learn to use

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

mathematical language such as 'bigger' and 'smaller' during all activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a good understanding of technology. They competently use a camera to take photographs of each other during play. Children use everyday resources such as a toy iron and microwave in the role-play area. They learn about other cultures and beliefs through a variety of topic work and have access to a very good range of resources such as food items, dressing-up clothes and musical instruments. Children develop a very good understanding about their local community as they go for daily walks and visitors such as fire officers are invited into the setting. They learn about living things because staff use opportunities when out and about to extend children's knowledge. For example, children are interested as they stop and observe a spider's web.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children participate in a wide range of activities which promote their creative development. They independently access a very good range of musical instruments to make music. Staff join in and extend this activity by singing familiar rhymes to music. Children enjoy making pictures using glitter, paints and collage. They experiment with sand-play and with flour mixed with rice and lentils.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled in a warm and caring environment. They are greeted warmly by staff upon arrival and staff are at hand to offer support; this enables children to settle with ease. Clear procedures for settling-in ensure that children spend time getting to know the other children and parents, which help children to feel a sense of belonging. Information about children's development and their daily routine is effectively shared with parents. Parents keep staff informed both formally and informally about any changes in children's behaviour which enable staff to be fully prepared to meet their individual needs. Parents are clearly informed of the nursery's complaints procedure. Consequently, partnership with parents is used very well to meet children's individual needs and to promote their well-being.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children develop an understanding of their local community as they are taken out for daily walks to the park, visit the museum and library. Their knowledge and understanding of the wider world is extended as they freely access a good range of multicultural resources. Children participate in a wide range of activities centred around different cultures. This helps children to understand the diversities in culture and acknowledge the differences in people. Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of working with children with learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities and with children who have English as an additional language.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave very well. They help each other as they prepare for meal times and listen carefully to instructions given by staff. Older children are eager to help younger children by holding their hands during group activities. Children develop good manners and are polite. They say 'please' and 'thank you' without prompt as they ask for help with their dressing up clothes. Children work very well in their chosen groups negotiating turn-taking and making decisions. Children are constantly praised by staff and reassured. Therefore children feel valued and are respectful of each other and of adults. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of children in receipt of funding for early education is good. Parents are provided with information about the Foundation Stage through 'complete guide'. This book is effectively used to inform parents of the progress the children are making within the six areas of learning. Topics are also displayed and parents receive regular newsletters. Individual assessment records show the progress the children are making and are shared with parents. Parents are warmly welcomed into the group and informally discuss their children's progress. Their feedback to Ofsted is positive with comments about how well informed they are of their children's progress and how approachable staff are. Information about the nursery's complaints procedure is clearly recorded and readily available for parents. Consequently, partnership with parents is used very well to promote children's learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from a team of staff who work very well together and have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Effective procedures are in place to ensure that staff are suitably vetted and qualified to promote children's well-being and safety. The high ratio of qualified staff ensures that children's care, learning and play is fully promoted. New staff are encouraged to develop their knowledge and understanding of child development. Staff are appropriately deployed to contribute to children's health, safety, enjoyment and ability to take

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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 an active part in the setting. Policies and procedures work in practice to promote care, learning and play; these are effectively shared with parents.

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Organisation

The leadership and management for children in receipt of funding for nursery education is good. Staff work well together and the group leader is a positive role model, this enables all staff to work with children effectively. Although older children carry out activities using the Montessori resources to extend their learning, this is not consistent. Therefore, children are not always fully challenged. All staff are given equal responsibilities and regular meetings ensure that all staff are included and kept up to date. The leader continues to review the nursery provision and implements changes which promote children's learning. All staff are encouraged to attend training and update their knowledge in the Foundation Stage to ensure that all children make good progress in all the six areas of learning.

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Organisation

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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the nursery agreed to have an appropriate range of resources that promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. The nursery has added a broad range of resources to enable children to respect and value the differences in people.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop procedures to enable children to access fresh drinking water at all times • develop child protection policy and procedure to include allegations of abuse made against a member of staff or a volunteer.

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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):

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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 • develop the environment to promote children's understanding of numbers and letters through labelling • develop procedures to ensure that children are grouped effectively so that they are fully challenged.

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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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