The Early Years Nursery

The Early Years Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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The Early Years Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY273240 Inspection date 17 November 2005 Inspector Maxine Rose

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The Early Years Nursery

Setting Address Plaistow Park, Greengate Street, London, E13 0AS

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E-mail

Registered person The Foundations for Learning Partnership Ltd. 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Early Years Academy opened in 2004 and is one of a chain of nurseries owned by Foundations for Learning. It is situated in a converted barn style building in the Plaistow area of Newham. The nursery works in liaison with Newham Community College and offers a training room for students studying for qualifications in childcare. The setting is registered to provide care for a maximum of 79 children at any one time. The nursery operates from Monday to Friday, all year round, from 07:30 to

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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 18:00, and children attend from the surrounding areas. There are currently 67 children on roll. Of these 5 children receive funding for nursery education. The group support a number of children with special educational needs. There are currently no children attending with special educational needs. The nursery employs 14 staff and all of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children develop a sound understanding about healthy practices. The children are familiar with the well planned daily routine, they practise washing their hands before meals and after using the toilet. The staff are trained to manage health and hygiene in the nursery. They implement a comprehensive hygiene programme to reduce the spread of cross infection to children, for example using disposable gloves in the nappy changing area and cleaning work surfaces. Children’s individual needs are met by effective arrangements for ill children and the administration of medication. Children are provided with nutritious meals each day consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables. Young children are served regular drinks throughout the day and older children can freely access fresh drinking water in the group room. Children's individual dietary needs are well catered for, and clear procedures help to ensure

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Helping children to be healthy

food is prepared appropriately, such as temperature checks on the fridge and cooked food. Children have regular opportunities to enjoy physical activities during the day. They move around the playground confidently, when walking, running, jumping, skipping and balancing on large equipment. They use a wide range of small and large equipment with increasing skill, for instance paint brushes, tricycles and scissors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are kept safe by the implementation of some effective safety measures. They use a variety of equipment and furniture that are appropriate and necessary to their developmental needs such as chair harnesses, construction sets, low level tables and shelving units all of which are well maintained and easily accessible. The children are able to move around the setting with some freedom and independence, owing to the effective security systems which help to monitor the arrival and collection process. Staff minimise the risks to the children through the effective management of the premises, the use of risk assessments and the comprehensive safety policy which covers most areas accessed by the children. Occasionally the arrangements for babies' sleep times do not always ensure they are supervised as well as they could be. Children are made aware of areas that are not safe to play by

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

secure boundaries such as stair gates and socket covers. Other safety measures

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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 include the staff's sound understanding of child protection procedures which serves to uphold the welfare of all children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The children are relaxed in the setting and enjoy their time there. They are building strong relationships with the staff and other children. The children receive some good opportunities for one to one care and learning from the staff. This helps to build their confidence, for example when listening to stories. Occasionally the arrangements for feeding babies do not always ensure that their individual needs are fully met. The staff have a sound understanding of the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework and promote children’s independence in positive ways. The children choose from a range of interesting activities and make good use of routine tasks to practise, brushing teeth, putting on aprons and fastening clothes. The children are keen to communicate and initiate their ideas either in small groups or one to one situations, for example when requesting resources or building with 'construction'. They are

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

learning to share and take turns with resources such as tricycles and the home corner accessories. The children enjoy a variety of creative activities such as painting, drawing, cutting and sticking. They are proud of their achievements and thrive on the praise and encouragement they receive from the staff for their efforts. Nursery Education The quality of the teaching and learning is satisfactory. The children are making satisfactory progress. They are well supported by the staff who demonstrate sound knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage of learning. They plan and provide some effective and interesting challenges for the children. Staff organise activities well with sufficient resources and appropriate equipment. The children are confident and keen to learn; this is positively promoted by staff's friendly approach and interest in them. The staff provide generally good opportunities for children to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

receive one to one learning. In most cases this contributes well to meeting children's individual needs. Occasionally activities are not sufficiently adapted to meet the needs of children who speak English as a second language. The children's work is attractively displayed depicting an array of resources and methods used by them such as collage, models and free painting. The children are excited and motivated to learn and show an interest in new experiences such as making 'jewellery'. They behave well and work harmoniously in creative tasks, where they show tolerance and understanding of others when sharing resources for cutting and shaping play dough. The children communicate and express themselves well, both with each other and staff. They enjoy talking about their experiences during snack time, and the staff actively build on children's language skills by asking them questions and encouraging them to think. The

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children make good use of resources for mark making such as paint brushes, pencils, crayons and chalks. Older children show an interest in learning skills for writing. They use notebooks in the home and pretend to write as part of role-play. However, their skills are not sufficiently extended to enable them to practise writing their names and

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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 familiar words. The children enjoy listening to stories; they handle books with care and take pleasure in looking at them. They actively engage in storytelling where they learn new words and recall significant events from beginning until the end. Children access a range of resources that feature shapes, numbers and encourage them to count with purpose, such as puzzles, books and number games. The children describe shapes seen on familiar objects such as a "square sandwich", but they have less opportunities to extend their understanding of mathematical ideas in other areas, such as counting, comparing numbers and making simple calculations. The children are gaining a positive image of themselves and the wider community through well planned topics on displaying their 'family tree' and themed books about

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The children behave well. They are learning to work together harmoniously as they share and take turns with resources. The staff know the children well and value their individuality this builds children’s confidence and gives them a sense of belonging. At times activities do not always take full account of the individual needs of children who speak English as an additional language. There is a good selection of resources and displays that promote diversity and the children are learning about the wider world. The group have clear procedures for how children with special educational needs can be fully integrated in the setting. There are good opportunities for children to develop their communication skills through one to one learning with staff, listening to stories and learning new words. This also helps to ensure all children settle well, feel respected and form good friendships.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. The staff maintain good systems for exchanging information with parents about their children’s individual needs. The parents are kept informed about the setting and their children's progress in practical ways. There are also good opportunities for parents to exchange information with the staff about children's progress. This helps to establish a stable care and learning environment for the children. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the children is fostered appropriately.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The provider has a comprehensive understanding of the National Standards for Day Care. Staff are suitably qualified and experienced in child care. They organise the setting well and arrange the furniture and resources in the rooms to help maximise play opportunities to children. There are useful policies and procedures in place. They are clearly presented and help to promote the children’s welfare for example the key worker system. Leadership and management is satisfactory. The provider has a positive attitude to

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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 developing the quality of educational provision to children. The team work well to co-ordinate their roles when monitoring and assessing children’s progress. There are some shortcomings in this area; assessments lack detail and plans for supporting children to the next stage of learning are limited. Staff have attended training and have sound knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum. Effective arrangements ensure staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities and can improve and develop their skills, for example training opportunities and appraisals. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom they provide.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints made to Ofsted 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 satisfactory.

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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 sleeping babies are appropriately supervised at all 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): • ensure staff monitor and evaluate what they have learnt from children's assessments including those who speak English as an additional language; use this information effectively to inform plans for the next stage of learning; consider whether learning should be extended or modified.

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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 plans for communication, language and literacy to ensure older and more able children have sufficient time to recognise and practise writing their names and familiar words whilst making appropriate use of upper and lower case letters. • develop plans for mathematical development ensure children have sufficient time to use and say numbers for the purpose of counting, comparing, adding and taking away in problem solving situations

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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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