Little Bear's Nursery School

Little Bears Nursery School Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY304092 Inspection date 02/12/2009 Inspector Sharon Henry

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Setting address 3 The Green, London, E11 2NT

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Telephone number 0208 5329562 Email manager@littlebearsnursery.co.uk Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Little Bears Nursery is privately owned and situated within the Wanstead area of the London Borough of Redbridge. Within walking distance of local schools and shops.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is registered to provide care for a maximum of 35 children under eight. There are currently 54 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and some of whom attend on a part time basis. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language. The setting operates Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. The nursery employs 17 members of staff including the manager, all of whom hold a recognised childcare qualification. The group receives support from the Early Years Pedagogy Advisory Team.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The staff promote most aspects of children's welfare with success, ensuring they are well cared for. They recognise that each child is a unique individual and offers care to meet their needs. All children are making sound progress in their learning and development. Positive working relationships are in place with parents and carers, which ensures they are kept well informed of most issues in relation to their child's care and well-being.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 further improve children's health by improving the present system of hand washing  improve safety by revising the risk assessments to take into account staff carrying food trays through the room  further develop observations and assessments in order to clarify the learning intentions for children; build on this information to plan for children’s individual learning needs and to enable them to make progress towards the early learning goals

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. They are aware of the signs and symptoms which may give rise to concern and are clear about the procedures to follow should they have concerns for a child in their care. Robust recruitment and induction procedures, such as Criminal Records This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Bureau checks and checking of employment history, ensure that children are cared for by appropriately vetted and qualified staff who are familiar with the range of policies and procedures that underpin good practice. Children learn to keep themselves safe through clear boundaries and explanations from staff, for example, not running inside and not walking with the scissors. There are effective security measures in place to ensure that access to the building is restricted. For example, visitors are vetted before gaining entry and are required to sign in and

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the early years provision

out, all of which contributes towards children's safety. Fire drill records show that children are learning to leave the premises quickly and safely. However, staff have not considered the possible risk at lunchtime with regard to staff carrying some hot food trays of food through the play room.

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the early years provision

Staff act as positive role models and give sensitive support to all children. They demonstrate a genuine affection for children, respecting children's feelings, valuing their comments and clearly enjoying their company. Staff follow a well-planned daily routine which promotes children's feelings of security and stability. Children are happy, settle quickly and relate well to each other and staff.

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the early years provision

Information gathered from parents ensures that children's specific care needs are met well throughout the day. Staff chat to parents at delivery and collection and parents receive regular newsletters and are invited to parents' evenings. This keeps them well informed of the children's achievements and progress. However, the system for parents to routinely contribute to assessments is still evolving. Daily diaries provide information about younger children’s care and the activities they have participated in. Positive written comments from parents’ questionnaires show they value the staff and are very happy with all aspects of the service provided.

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the early years provision

Management and the staff team work closely together as a team and have regular staff meetings and inset days to review practice and develop planning. Management are committed to developing good practice and are currently having the input of the local authority advisor.

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and outcomes for children

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are making satisfactory progress in their learning and development. Staff have a sound understanding of the framework to plan a curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Systems of observing and assessing are well established. However, staff do not always fully explore what they want children to learn from an activity, therefore, current monitoring systems are not sufficiently evaluative and do not focus on the learning intentions or the extent to which they have been achieved. For example, even though the planning shows the next steps, it is not clear how staff build on this to move children forward. Staff do not always plan effectively to meet the learning needs of individual children, which sometimes results in children not achieving as well as they might when it comes to their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children play and rest within a provision that is suitably maintained, warm and welcoming to both children and their parents. Children appear at ease and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 extremely confident within the provision. They are encouraged to be active learners by making independent decisions regarding the toys and resources they wish to explore. The setting promotes an inclusive environment, with children benefiting from the staff knowing them well and appreciating their different interests. Children arrive happy and eager to the setting. Staff are responsive to the needs of children who seek support separating from their parent. Children are cared for by key workers and this supports the close relationships the children have with their carers building their self-esteem and helping them to feel safe and secure. Staff are very attentive towards the children, they spend time talking and

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and outcomes for children

listening to them and showing an interest in what they are doing. Younger children benefit from the close nurturing at feeding and rest time, when children would be given their comforters and staff sit with them gently rocking or patting them as they settle down to sleep. They benefit from routines which are consistent with their experience at home. They enjoy the colours and sounds of manufactured toys and some textured materials which they explore with interest. For example, they become excited when pressing buttons to create different sounds and then respond with smiles. Older children's independence is actively promoted as they help set the table and serve themselves at lunch time as well as scrape their plates when they have finished.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop good communication and language skills as staff playfully interact with them. They provide activities that encourage children to listen to a range of sounds, read stories that capture their attention and introduce new words through songs and rhymes. Children are able to express their creativity in a variety of ways. For example, a group of children play in the home corner where they dress up using scarves, they pretend to answer the phone, wash up and cook things in the microwave. They enjoy playing with the water and sand as well as shaving foam, where they are encouraged to find the hidden animals. Displays promote children's artistic skills as they create Christmas designs using a variety of materials, such as tissue paper and cotton wool. Links with the local community have been established as they visit places of interest, such as the fire station and become involved in charity events, such as Comic Relief and fund raising for a cancer

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and outcomes for children

charity. Consequently, children are developing positive skills for the future and are therefore making a positive contribution.

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and outcomes for children

Systems are in place to record children's health and dietary needs, which are considered when planning menus. Children enjoy meals prepared by the experienced cook, which are served in line with food hygiene requirements. Meals provided are well-balanced and nutritious, allowing children to appreciate the importance of a balanced diet. Meal times are relaxed social occasions where staff and children sit together and enjoy each other's company. Children are learning to be independent as they confidently attend to their own personal needs. However, the hot water in the pre-school room is very hot and as a result children only have access to the cold water. Children also do not routinely demonstrate good hygiene practice as they need to be frequently prompted to wash their hands and do not always use soap to wash their hands thoroughly, all of which poses a risk of cross- infection and therefore, compromises children's health.

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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