Thrumpton Primary Academy

Broadgate Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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144555 Unique Reference Number 12 February 2008 Inspection date Diane Mary O'Neill / Susan Marriott Inspector

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21 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3LW Setting Address

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020 7247 3491 Telephone number broadgate@brighthorizons.com E-mail Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited 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 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Broadgate Nursery opened in 1991. It is a private day nursery situated in the London Borough of Hackney close to the City of London. The nursery is one of a group of nurseries belonging to the Bright Horizons International Company which operates this nursery on behalf of Deutsche Bank. There are interconnecting rooms between areas for younger and older children. There is a split level outside play area. A maximum of 50 children may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open from 07.30 to 18.30 from Monday to Friday for 52 weeks per year.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 28 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. Of these, four children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery currently supports a number of children who have English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs 11 members of staff, of whom eight hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are working towards a qualification. The nursery has visiting teachers for yoga, French and computer studies. The nursery receives support 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 satisfactory. Children's health care needs are reasonably well-supported within this setting. Children have opportunities to wash their hands before snacks and after using the toilets. Staff ensure all services are cleaned well before meals and snacks. However, some staff do not always wear protective clothing when changing nappies to limit cross infection and this presents a potential risk to children's health. Staff have clear procedures of exclusion for certain forms of illness and suitable systems in place to care for children if they are taken ill whilst at the nursery. A majority of the staff hold current first aid qualifications. There is a rolling training programme to ensure their qualifications are kept up to date. This enables staff to respond appropriately to children in an emergency situation. First aid and emergency procedures are generally well documented using appropriate forms. However, a few of the forms used to record the giving

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Helping children to be healthy

of medication do not always contain the relevant details of time and date. The omission of such details may compromise the health and welfare of the children.

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Helping children to be healthy

The babies are provided with suitable opportunities to follow their individual sleep patterns. Each baby and young child has their own individual bedding and a photograph at the end of their cot enabling staff to know where each of them sleeps. The toddlers and older children who require a rest after lunch, do so either in cots or on mattresses. The nursery has its own laundry facilities to ensure that an adequate supply of clean bedding, towels and spare clothes are always available.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are nourished and enjoy a generally well-balanced diet. Healthy snacks include fresh fruit, savoury biscuits, water and milk. Some children are encouraged to pour their own drinks, help themselves to their snacks and serve their meals. This is a new venture for the nursery to encourage the children to develop their personal independence. All the meals and snacks are prepared on site by the nursery cook who has been with the nursery for some time. All menus are overseen by the Bright Horizons company dietician to ensure they are well-balanced and meeting the dietary needs of the children.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a suitable range of indoor activities which promote their physical development. Babies pull themselves up on the low-level equipment in the baby room and learn to balance as they walk along. Older children have opportunities to develop their small hand and finger muscles when building, playing in the sand and painting, playing and moulding with clay. All children have daily access to the outdoor space to expend their energy. They enjoy play on sit and ride toys and develop coordination skills whilst playing with small apparatus such as balls and hoops. However, toys and equipment present insufficient challenge for the older and more able children.

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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 generally safe and welcoming environment. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure children's overall safety and well-being and most safety measures are in place. Fire records and equipment meet requirements. Fire doors and fire exits are not obstructed, are clearly identifiable and easily opened from the inside. Arrangements for evacuating the building from the rear of the premises are satisfactory. However, management and staff have not fully assessed the implications of using the front entrance as an evacuation point from this

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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 below ground level building. Staff cannot access the evacuation cots for the babies which are currently stored in the shed at the rear of the building. In the event of an evacuation from the front entrance, children's safety may be compromised. Fire plans are displayed on the walls and drills are practised with the children. Not all staff are familiar with the emergency prevention systems. For example, some staff are unaware of the location and precise function and purpose of the panic button system.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have access to a suitable range of toys and equipment that are generally safe and age appropriate. These are organised throughout the nursery in an inviting manner which enables children to make individual choices. The inside play space has been recently improved and is spacious, bright and airy. Children's work is displayed on the walls showing that their achievements are valued. The children are happy and relaxed within this environment. Outside the children have suitable access to two fully enclosed areas. The lower play area is of soft green tiles and the upper level is of decking which is used in fine weather. Both of these areas are monitored at all times by staff. Children have suitable access to a variety of equipment which enables most areas of their physical development to be explored.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is adequately safeguarded. The staff have a secure knowledge of child protection signs and symptoms. They keep up to date with information from their polices and procedures which are in line with those of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Staff attend regular training to ensure they are up to date with information and can therefore safeguard the children in their care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children attending the nursery are happy and generally confident. Staff are on hand to give reassurance to any children who may feel unsettled. Children develop a sense of belonging in the nursery and are aware of the daily routine. They know to sit at the tables when it is snack and meal times and to get their coats on when going out to play. They confidently access the varied range of play-based activities and are beginning to form secure relationships with staff and the other children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children under two-years-old have two interconnecting rooms in which they can play. The non-movers and crawlers can be in one area and the movers in another. The children are encouraged by the staff to free flow into either area to join in the activities which are taking place. Gentle music plays in the background and adults sit at floor level, being very attentive towards the babies who are happily occupied in purposeful play. Photographs show the babies engaged in exploring paint and pink soapy suds.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff working across the nursery have a variable awareness of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and include the aspects and components of this framework on their plans. Staff working with children under two implement their plans effectively. However, the staff working with a small number of two to three-year-olds in the pre-school room do not implement the spirit of the framework in a satisfactory manner. Planning and assessment does not enable staff to meet the needs of younger children in this room and does not successfully promote, challenge or extend younger children's learning opportunities.

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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 The quality of teaching and learning is inadequate. Overall, children are making insufficient progress towards the early learning goals given their capability and starting points. Plans do not support the efficient delivery of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Although plans generally cover the six areas of learning, they do not always identify clear intentions for children’s learning. Therefore, staff are not always clear about what learning to draw from each activity and this results in weaknesses within most areas of learning for children. Company planning sheets, entitled ‘What in the world is planned for today?’ are intended to support observation and assessment based planning. However, staff knowledge and understanding of how to plan is weak and they do not complete the sheets competently. Staff do not consistently use the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

terminology of the stepping stones and the early learning goals in their plans. This means that children’s learning is often left to chance.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Planning sheets provide space for staff to make observations of what actually happened but too often, the evaluation comments about activities do not provide any meaningful information beyond children’s enjoyment level. Repeated written comments about activities being cancelled or not done due to lack of time, indicate poor organisation and preparation by staff. This means that all too often, activities with learning potential do not materialise. For example, plans state that children were unable to do a messy play activity to explore shaving foam or jelly and a planned activity to do leaf printing was cancelled and replaced with free style painting at the easel.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Every child has a profile folder which is kept in a designated space near to the child’s coat peg and belongings so that parents can access the information at any time. Many profiles of the older children have detailed observations, photographic evidence of achievements and examples of work which have been conscientiously collated until recent months. Some of the profiles for younger children and new arrivals have no information in them. Assessment profiles are not being completed regularly and fail to track children’s progress through the stepping stones. Staff do not always complete the ‘next steps’ information box to inform future plans. Information about children's interests and starting points is not always gathered so staff are not always able to provide sufficient challenge to actively progress learning. Therefore, the information gained from observations cannot be used effectively to plan according to what children know

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Nevertheless, staff give good emphasis to teaching personal, social and emotional development. Children develop positive relationships with staff and each other and behave well. Staff engage children in conversation about what they are doing and praise children for their achievements. This enables children to develop self-esteem and confidence. For example, children paint pictures and are encouraged to display their own work on a board dedicated for this purpose. Children readily access activities and equipment set out for them and staff are beginning to be aware of opportunities to encourage children's growing independence. Children enjoy a range of suitable play activities and staff support children appropriately. For example, children listen to stories and count familiar objects. They explore musical instruments and play ring games. They enjoy constructing towers with bricks outside in the garden. Children are happy to play

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

at the sand and water trays in groups. An activity to look at how and why we use our senses involves children in playing with water and describing how the water feels on their fingers. However, some elements of the areas of learning are overlooked because staff are unaware of the learning potential of some activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The room layout reflects the six areas of learning but many of the activities set out for children are inappropriate for children's ages and stages of development, lack challenge and clear purpose. For example, an activity is identified to look at the number line. Plans do not provide

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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 any detail about what children will do when looking at the number line or provide any guidance to staff about how to direct the activity to draw mathematical learning from the experience. Children have daily access to the outdoor space, but toys and equipment present insufficient challenge for older and more able children. Planning does not support the development of children’s physical skills in a progressive manner.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children attend from a variety of backgrounds and all children are warmly welcomed into the nursery. They have access to a suitable range of resources and activities which promote a positive view of the wider world and increase their awareness of diversity. Children with learning difficulties or disabilities are supported adequately by staff who have a sound understanding of their role. They share information with parents and seek the involvement of other professionals to meet the children’s individual needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s behaviour is generally good within the nursery. Children are beginning to learn about boundaries and sharing of equipment with their peers. Staff mostly deal with situations in a calm and caring manner. Children are generally valued and respected as individuals and their care needs are suitably met. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents and carers of children attending the nursery receive appropriate information about their care. This is achieved through monthly newsletters, a 'Friday overview of the week', daily communications and communication logs. The nursery has colourful notice boards in the entrance area and smaller boards in all the rooms. Children's art work and photographs of them involved in a various activities help parents to see what their children do when attending the nursery. There is a system in place for the recording of any complaints, concerns or issues raised by parents.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is inadequate. Parents can talk to staff at any time but there is limited availability of information about the actual content of the educational programme. Planning does not show parents and carers the purpose of activities and some are cancelled or do not happen because staff run out of time. Parents and carers have access to their child's individual profile which is kept in a file near each child's coat peg. However, as assessment records are not currently being maintained, parents are unlikely to gain purposeful information about their child's progress and be able to continue aspects of learning at home. This means that parents do not have opportunity to become involved in a meaningful, two-way exchange of information to fully support their child's learning and progress.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Acceptable outcomes are promoted for children through the generally effective organisation of the setting. Children are cared for by staff who have completed relevant vetting procedures and staff qualification requirements are met. There is a suitably qualified deputy and adult to child ratios are met. However, the daily registration system for the staff does not show actual hours of attendance and does not therefore protect the welfare of staff or children. Staff work in teams to support and care for the various ages of children attending the nursery. They generally provide appropriate care, and promote children's health, safety and well-being.

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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 Taken overall, most policies and procedures work in practice to promote children’s health, safety and enjoyment. Most documentation which is required for the safe and efficient operation of the nursery is in place. Staff meetings help to keep the staff generally well-informed of any new practices and procedures to help and support the children attending the nursery. Staff have opportunities to access training through the company and local authority which enables them to further their professional development.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of the nursery education is inadequate. The area manager is currently out of the country for part of the time and is not always available to support the new manager and her new deputy in an effective manner. They report that there have been many changes of staff over recent months. The manager and her deputy have identified weaknesses in planning and assessment and have attempted to address these through discussions at staff meetings and the provision of time to write up observational notes. However, staff have not implemented their suggestions and the quality of teaching and learning for children is currently compromised. The management team have not yet implemented any effective form of monitoring educational practice in the nursery. Therefore, children’s learning is not being actively progressed and moved on. Taken overall, children's needs are not met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the nursery was asked to ensure carry out improvements to the layout of the premises to ensure safe operation. The nursery has made great changes to the layout of the setting, which have greatly improved the ability of staff to adequately supervise the children at all times and improve room layouts.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery was asked to give consideration to improving the feel of the setting so that it is warm and welcoming. The recent renovations have made the setting lighter, brighter and more inviting. Having photographs of the children involved in activities, more descriptive displays; posters and planning to put staff pictures outside rooms so parents and carers know who works in what room. The adding of more ceiling decorations and soft furnishings help to create a warm and welcoming environment.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery was asked to improve opportunities for children to take turns and share. This is an on-going area of planning for staff to plan effective activities that encourage the children in taking turns and sharing as well as looking for opportunities throughout the day to promote this.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The nursery was asked to improve planning to support children's play and learning and ensure they are involved in a broad range of activities. The nursery has recently started using the company curriculum entitled 'World at their fingertips' which is intended to support strong planning across the entire curriculum. It has specific learning areas and learning is made visible through documents and can be linked to the 'Birth to three matters' framework and looking at appropriate resources for the various ages of children attending. However, weaknesses in the implementation of this programme are identified for further action following this inspection. It was also asked to incorporate food dishes that are more diverse. The nursery has looked at menus and uses family input to help put together new menu which has more culturally diverse foods to help with children's learning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection of nursery education, there were no significant weaknesses to report but the setting was asked to give consideration to the improvement of planning by increasing the links with the early learning goals and the stepping stones. Although the company has modified

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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 the planning sheets, staff are not currently using these effectively and planning remains an issue to be addressed following this inspection. The action taken has not improved the quality of nursery education for children.

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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure all staff take positive steps in order to prevent the spread of infection • ensure the written records of medication administered to children contain all relevant details • ensure there are clearly defined procedures for emergency evacuation of the building, which includes any special measures to be taken where children are located above or below ground level • ensure that staff working with under threes in the pre-school room competently plan and provide activities to help children's development in line with the aspects and approach described in the DfES publication 'Birth to three matters' framework to successfully promote, challenge and extend younger children's learning opportunities • ensure that there is an effective system for registering the attendance of staff showing

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education, the registered person must take the following actions: • improve staff knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage • improve the planning of the educational programme to ensure children’s progress and learning

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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 • gather information about children’s abilities and interests to establish a starting point from which children’s progress can be tracked and ensure that assessment profiles are regularly maintained. • using the information gained from observations to inform the next steps in children’s learning. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice. The Department for Education and Skills and the local authority have been informed.

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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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