Humphrey Perkins School

Happy Child Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Happy Child Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number 137799 Inspection date 14 October 2005 Inspector Daphne Prescott / Audrey Opal Ufot

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Happy Child Day Nursery

Setting Address 2 Victoria Road, Kilburn, London, NW6 6QG

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Happy Child Day Nursery

Telephone number 020 7328 8791(HQ 020 8579 8558)

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E-mail

Registered person Happy Child Limited Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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E-mail

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 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?

Happy Child Day Nursery is one of 18 nurseries and 4 prep schools privately owed. It opened in 1999 and operates from 7 rooms in a purpose built nursery in Kilburn in the London Borough of Brent. A maximum of 70 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 to 18:00 for 52 weeks of the year.

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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 There are currently 45 children from 3 months old to 5 years-old on roll. This includes 5 funded 3-year-olds. The setting supports one child with special educational needs and 5 children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 16 staff, 14 of the staff including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff is working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children’s good health is promoted as staff implement effective hygiene procedures to minimise risk of infection across the nursery. They have relevant first aid training and implement procedures such as the recording of accidents and administration of medication appropriately to maintain good health and hygiene. Children follow good personal hygiene routines helping to prevent the spread of infection as they independently wash their hands before eating their snack. They understand why they must wash their hands after using the toilet and before meals 'to stop the spread of germs'. Children talk about their experiences of visits to the dentist, staff remind them how important it is to brush their teeth to keep their teeth healthy. Children are learning about some aspects of healthy eating as they benefit from a varied menu, including a range of hot and cold meals. These comply with their

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Helping children to be healthy

special dietary requirements, ensuring their individual needs are met. However, their understanding of healthy eating is not actively promoted, as they have biscuits each morning and afternoon and are not encouraged to make choices from a variety of healthy options. Younger children are offered drinks throughout the day, whilst older children help themselves to drinking water, recognising when they are hot and thirsty, for example after running around outside. Children sit at the table for snacks and meals and they eat in a relaxed and social atmosphere where they chat to their peers and adults. Children enjoy a range of energetic physical exercise and fresh air that helps to contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Staff follow the Birth to Three Matters framework to promote children's health and their understanding of the importance of being healthy. Younger children's physical needs are well met as staff ensure sleep and feeding

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Helping children to be healthy

routines are consistent with those at home. Babies and young children begin to gain control of their bodies as staff encourage them to feed themselves, which develops their independence and fine motor skills. Older children enjoy daily opportunities to participate in a good range of activities developing their co-ordination and gross motor skills. Such as, they climb and slide down the slide with great confidence and are proficient at riding their bikes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children access a good range of play equipment and resources, which are presented

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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 at low level in labelled boxes and in open storage trolleys which increases opportunities for them to be independent. The learning environment is bright and stimulating, welcoming to both children and adults, which enhances children’s learning and increases opportunities for them to develop self-esteem. For example, children are very excited as they notice their creative work displayed. Children move confidently around the environment, both inside and out, making their own choices about their play. Space is well organised and used effectively to allow children opportunities to be active, engage in physical activities, table top and floor activities and to enjoy opportunities to relax and share books in a comfortable environment with chairs and cushions. Younger children are able to sleep and eat in

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

comfort and safety as the nursery has a wide range of suitable furniture and equipment, such as cots, highchairs and child-size tables and chairs. Staff help to keep children safe as there are good security precautions, such as an intercom system in place and they are very vigilant in closely supervising children. They are also kept safe by the effective use of formal and informal risk assessments and the positive steps taken to reduce hazards, both inside and outside. Children are learning the importance of keeping themselves safe. They are encouraged to put toys away after playing with them so they do not trip over them and hurt themselves and to push their chairs in under the table when they have finished their snack. Children are well protected because staff have a clear understanding of their role with regard to child protection issues and know how to implement local procedures. Implementation of effective systems, such as the collection of children and recording

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

of visitors contribute to ensuring children’s safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the nursery. They arrive happy and confident and quickly settle into the routine making their own choices about their play and pursue their own interests as they choose between the wide range of activities. Staff make good use of the Birth to Three Matters framework, as a result younger children are very confident in the setting. They enjoy and relish in the attention given by the staff. They take part in all the activities offered, for example, they have great fun smelling and feeling the bubbles in the water play. They giggle with each other as the bubbles touch their noses and the children are encouraged to make different shapes out of the bubbles with their hands. Consequently, children are developing their senses and creative abilities because the staff encourage and support children in their learning. Younger children develop good communication skills as they

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

contribute to group discussions at circle time. Babies communicate well with one another as they sit with staff sharing stories and songs. They use gestures and babble imitating sounds as they begin to find their voice. They are beginning to become competent learners, as they self-select activities, such as, puzzles, drawing and threading helping to increase their manipulative skills. Staff know children well and talk to them about their family and what they have been doing

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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 at home. This interaction, and the implementation of a successful key worker system, helps to secure relationships between children and staff developing a strong sense of trust. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum which enables them to plan and provide a good range of activities and experiences for children to enjoy. Although, some staff need to continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of the six areas to help broaden children's experiences and extend their learning. Children make good individual progress because staff have a secure understanding of how children learn effectively. They adapt their questioning techniques, according to the age and ability of the child, and introduce an exciting range of activities and experiences to all

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children. Staff encourage children to lead their own learning and this is successfully achieved by a well developed routine, with a good balance of child and adult initiated activities. Children are bursting with confidence, they are very exited when new visitors come to see them. They are very confident and interact well with peers and adults. They are very actively engaged in their play and activities throughout the day. They have a high level of concentration and are able to participate in activities for long periods of time. They play very co-operatively together and they show great concern for each other. For example, a child recognises that another child is dancing alone, the child goes over and held the child's hands and they began to dance. They have good self-esteem because the staff have introduced very positive words to express how good the children are. For example, at circle time staff ask the children to clap their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

hands and to describe themselves, they said 'I am fabulous' and 'I am special' they beamed with absolute delight and proudly shared this with everyone. Children have good communication skills, they chat with great confidence and talk about their home life, past and present experiences. For example, children talk about going on an aeroplane, chat about the days of the week and seeing they families at the weekend. They are aware of which letters start their name, and the sounds that they make. Older children are able to write their own name. They select books for pleasure, hold them correctly and follow the text with their fingers. Therefore their reading skills are developing because they understand that print carries meaning. Children make good progress in mathematical development as they are able to see numbers displayed in their environment, and have access to a range of games and activities that enable them to compare quantity. They are beginning to learn basic

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

concepts of more than and less than by using their fingers to add and subtract. Numbers and shapes are used throughout the day, to enhance their understanding and children count to 10 and beyond. Children are learning about their local community and the wider world as they discuss each others' different cultures. There are beginning to learn how things work, and when things are broken. They are very inquisitive as they openly ask questions about why items are broken and are beginning to resolve how they could be fixed. For example, a child said that 'if you open this and put batteries in here and turn the button on then it will work.'

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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 Children explore colour, texture and shape as they stick, paint and draw. Fine manipulative skills are promoted as children learn to cut. They are able to discover for themselves which hand to hold the scissors in to achieve the best results. Pencils, glue sticks and brushes are available for children to develop their good hand-eye coordination and early writing skills. Children have good opportunities to develop their imagination. The role-play area is set up with different props. For example, they enthusiastically dress-up and pretend to feed their babies with the pretend bottles of milk. The suitably equipped garden allows children to develop good physical skills as they control their bodies running and stopping safely, avoiding their peers and equipment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are welcomed and play a full part in the nursery because staff value each child as an individual. Children are extremely confident and show good self-esteem responding well to continual praise and encouragement. Children’s behaviour overall is very good; they know what is expected of them and are clear about what is right and wrong. Babies and toddlers begin to gain an understanding of boundaries as staff use distraction and explain why it is nice to share their toys. Children are cared for by staff who know their individual needs and home circumstances, for example their dietary and health requirements and special needs. Children with special needs attend the nursery; their care and developmental needs are met effectively because of the staff's good understanding in this area. Individual learning plans are complied for children with special needs and shared with parents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

regularly. Children learn about themselves and the wider world through planned activities and discussions. For example, around a variety of cultural festivals, helping them to understand and value the similarities and differences between themselves and others. Children are caring towards one another and recognise that they each have different needs, in particular in the way in which they respond to children with special educational needs. They become aware of their own and others' needs through discussions with staff and themed activities. This positive approach fosters children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. The partnership with parents is good. Children benefit from friendly relationships between staff and parents, which are enhanced by the implementation of an effective key worker system. Secure links are in place between home and the nursery and parents are encouraged to share what they know about their child when they begin

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Helping children make a positive contribution

the group. This helps to ensure that children receive the appropriate care. Detailed information about the nursery and the service it provides is available for parents; this includes regular newsletters and they are well informed of the nursery's comprehensive policies and procedures. Children's needs are sufficiently met through procedures to share information with parents. For example, parents receive daily feedback on their child's activities and parents are regularly given reports on their children's progress. Parents are invited to play an active role in the nursery, for

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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 example, parents evenings are arranged. The manager value parents' input and invite comments and suggestions encouraging them to be involved in the nursery. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection are very happy with the care, education and the progress their children are making.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the setting is good. The provider has a strong commitment to training and the professional development of staff. The manager and staff work very well together as a team, consequently this is reflected in the good practice which results in the children being very happy and contented in the nursery. The manager uses discussions and regular meetings, with staff to monitor the curriculum, and the Birth to Three matters framework. These sessions contribute to children’s learning and progress. Children are settled as the staff ratios are maintained. Staff are effectively deployed to support children in their care, learning and play. The organisation of the nursery allows children space to explore and pursue their interests in safety. Toys and resources are easily accessible to help children choose for themselves, as a result children are very independent.

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Organisation

All the required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and wellbeing is in place and is regularly reviewed. Policies and procedures are used effectively to promote the wellbeing of the children. They benefit from the positive working relationship with the staff. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last Children Act inspection the nursery agreed to ensure that the kitchen and bathroom's appearance is improved and that the toilet facilities are in good working order. The fire extinguisher is fixed securely to the wall. The nursery has addressed all the issues for the safety and wellbeing of the children. They agreed to encourage the younger children to feed for themselves and to provide more toys and activities. Younger children are encouraged to feed for themselves and they have good opportunities to choose from a wide variety of toys and activities. These improvements help towards developing children's independence, and the toys and activities available effectively promote children's learning across all areas. The previous nursery education inspection recommended that the nursery increase opportunities for children to investigate and observe living things and for children to access a range of musical instruments independently; provide opportunities for

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Improvements since the last inspection

children to use information and communication technology or programmable toys to support their learning. All children have opportunities to investigate living things such as planting and growing seeds. Musical instruments are accessible to children and they have daily use of the computer. As a result, children are developing good skills in these areas.

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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

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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): • ensure that children have a choice of healthy options at snack times.

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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): • continue to develop staff understanding of the early learning goals.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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