Platform One Nursery Ltd

Platform One Nursery Limited Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 160119 Inspection date 11/01/2010 Inspector Jill Nugent

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Setting address Grange Park Station, Vera Avenue, Grange Park, London, N21 1RE Telephone number 020 8360 6002 Email 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 0300 123 1231, 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: 0300 123 1231 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

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

Platform One Nursery registered in 2001. It operates from a converted Edwardian railway station building in Grange Park in the London borough of Enfield. Children have the use of three play rooms and an outdoor play area. Access to the building is at ground level via a short flight of steps. The nursery is open from 8.00am until 6.00pm every weekday throughout the year.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 20 children in the early years age group may attend the nursery at any one time and, of these, not more than six may be under two years of age. Currently there are 50 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. There are seven staff employed to work with the children. All members of staff hold suitable early years qualifications.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The nursery offers a welcoming play setting for children where they enjoy a choice of interesting activities and make good progress in their learning and development. Children's welfare is promoted effectively, ensuring that children are cared for in a safe and healthy environment and their individual care needs are met appropriately. There is a strong working partnership with parents which contributes to children feeling happy and secure within the setting. The manager works with parents and staff to maintain and develop different aspects of the provision so that children continue to receive good care and learning experiences.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend the use of self-evaluation in order to encourage a culture of reflective practice and identify areas for development that will further improve the outcomes for children  maximise opportunities to challenge and extend older children in their learning and development in both adult-led and freely-chosen play activities  review staff deployment in the older children's play rooms to ensure that the daily routine flows smoothly and children's individual learning needs are met effectively at all times.

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the early years provision

The nursery is very well organised in practice and offers children an attractive and stimulating play environment. The documentation is well maintained, with clearly This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 written policies in place and all paperwork easily accessible. There are effective procedures for ensuring that children are safeguarded whilst at nursery. Detailed risk assessments of the premises are carried out in addition to risk assessments of activities and outings. Staff follow guidelines relating to health and safety so that potential risks to children continue to be minimised effectively. All staff are qualified in first aid and children's medical records are completed clearly for parents. Staff know what to do if they have any concerns relating to child protection.

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the early years provision

There is a wide range of suitable resources available to children and these are rotated in order to offer variety. Background music is used effectively in all rooms to promote a relaxed atmosphere. The baby room is set out with many colourful and interesting toys in easy reach and is particularly welcoming for young children. Older children have access to various activities throughout the day that provide learning experiences across all six areas of learning. Staff are deployed around the rooms, encouraging children to make choices and supporting them as they learn through their play. However, staff deployment in the older children's play rooms is not always managed effectively, resulting in daily routines and activities not always running smoothly.

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the early years provision

Staff are attentive to children's well-being and very caring in their attitude towards children. The nursery adopts an inclusive approach offering good support to children who have special needs by working together with parents and outside agencies. Parents receive good information about the nursery's provision for children and are well supported during settling in periods. They appreciate the homely aspect of the nursery and the opportunity to develop close relationships with key workers. Staff encourage parents to be involved in children's learning through the distribution of written activity plans and song sheets. Parents also receive written daily feedback and regular reports, and may attend an annual consultation, so that they can continue to work in partnership with staff to encourage children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

The nursery manager liaises closely with staff as she works towards maintaining the quality of childcare on offer and ensures that staff are able to access training which contributes to their own professional development. She responds to parents' views and suggestions, introducing any new ideas that benefit all children and parents. She has been proactive in setting up links with other provisions and is working on the provision of more detailed information for parents regarding the Early Years Foundation Stage. She involves staff in a process of self-evaluation but does not yet use this fully to enable reflection on all aspects of their practice and prioritise all areas for further development.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a variety of different play situations and become happily absorbed in their own exploration. Babies are very content investigating toys and materials with the support of staff. They are keen to try different activities, for example, painting and printing, and benefit from staff's flexible approach encouraging them This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 to become independent learners. Older children make their own choices of activities in their play rooms and outdoors. They are well supported by staff who supervise closely and interact with them to promote learning through conversation. Children develop self-confidence and build close relationships with other children. They have good opportunities to explore mark-making and take part in creative activities. They are beginning to work with numbers and solve problems using mathematical equipment and also to increase their understanding of the world

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and outcomes for children

when exploring scientific equipment, preparing food or planting flowers. However, staff do not always make the most of these opportunities to challenge and extend older children's learning as they participate in free choice play, thereby increasing their skills in the key areas of literacy and numeracy.

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and outcomes for children

There is a comprehensive system of observational assessment in place and this enables staff to record regular observations of children's learning and to work out children's next steps in learning using early years developmental charts. This works effectively in guiding future planning so that individual children are moved on in their learning according to their needs. Consequently children progress well in each learning area. However, staff working with older children do not always focus their individual planning sufficiently, or plan group times effectively, in order to maximise opportunities to increase children's skills and extend children's learning. For example, when the story time was organised in close proximity to another group this was distracting for some children. Healthy snacks are provided although staff do not make full use of this time to encourage children to partake of foods on offer and learn more about healthy eating. On the day of inspection too few staff

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and outcomes for children

were left to supervise too many older children after lunch whilst others completed routine jobs, resulting in a situation where staff were unable to interact effectively with children.

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and outcomes for children

Children have good opportunities for outdoor play, having fun in the fresh air as staff encourage them to explore equipment and develop their physical skills. The outdoor area provides a variety of different play surfaces ensuring that children keep safe as they travel around, balance and climb. Children feel safe in the setting as there are various safety measures in place. Staff make good use of safety gates to restrict access within the building. They promote good hygiene in their own practice, for example, when changing nappies, and also encourage children to adopt good hygiene practices. Children enjoy the provision of healthy and nutritious meals, including plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit to make up their 'five-a-day'. Children are very well behaved and attentive to staff. They respond positively to instructions and wait patiently when necessary. They show a real sense of belonging as staff show interest in them and value their

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and outcomes for children

contributions. Children learn about a wider society through taking part in activities planned around cultural and religious festivals, for instance, food tasting for Divali and Chinese New Year. 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 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 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 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 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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