Abbey Children Centre Nursery

Neighbourhood Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Neighbourhood Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY297566 Inspection date 29 November 2005 Inspector Shawleene Campbell

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Neighbourhood Nursery

Setting Address Abbey Children's Centre, North Street, Barking, Essex, IG11 8JA Telephone number 020 8724 1274

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E-mail

Registered person London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Sure Start 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?

Abbey Surestart Crèche and Neighbourhood Nursery is one of five purpose built nurseries managed by Barking and Dagenham Surestart. It opened in March 2005 and operates from four rooms. The nursery and crèche is located in Barking, Essex within close proximity to Barking Town Centre and local amenities. A maximum of 52 children may attend the nursery at one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 8:00 to 18:00 for 50 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure

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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 enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 58 children aged from 0 to under 5 years on roll. Of these 14 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area and neighbouring boroughs, as some parents travel to work within the local community. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs, and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The crèche facilities operate from the building shared with Abbey Surestart. The crèche is set up to support adult education classes provided by Abbey Surestart. Parents attend classes within the building. A maximum of 14 children may attend the crèche at any one time. The crèche is open each weekday from 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 15:00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs twelve staff. All staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children understand that they need to wash their hands so that they do not spread germs. Children wash their hands with anti-bacterial soap. There are good arrangements in place to minimise the spread of infection for babies and young children, such as wearing protective covers over shoes and ensuring personal items are clearly labelled, for example bottles and beds. Parents give prior written consent to administer medication which ensures children receive the correct dosage according to their needs. All staff hold a current first aid certificate. This means they can give appropriate care if there is an accident. Children benefit from vigorous exercise and enjoy daily opportunities to participate in activities, developing their co-ordination and skills. For example steps, the slide and a parachute. Children receive nutritious snacks and meals that help them understand foods that

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Helping children to be healthy

are good for them. Throughout the day children help themselves to a variety of fruits and drinking water at the fruit table. Through well planned topics such as ‘Our Snack Table’, children go on trips within the local community to obtain fruits. This encourages children to try different foods and learn how to prepare them. Staff gather all relevant information regarding children’s dietary needs and medical history. This ensures children’s individual dietary and medical needs are met.

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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 Children benefit from playing in a spacious well-organised environment. This allows them to move around safely. There are excellent systems in place for the safe arrival and collection of children. Parents take responsibility to sign their children out. Staff deployment is very good and guarantees children are well supervised and safe at all times. For example, younger children are escorted to and from the bathroom and there are good procedures in place to cover staff absences. Robust outing procedures ensure that the nursery is aware of children’s whereabouts at all times. Children use a wide range of good quality toys and resources appropriate for their age and stage of development. Children are able to make informed choices regarding their play, much of which is presented at low level and labelled in clear

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

storage boxes. There are soft furnishings and cushions available in the baby room allowing babies to crawl without hurting themselves. Regular fire drills help children become familiar with the procedures so they learn how to leave the premises quickly and safely. There are regular risk assessments both indoor and out that enable staff to identify and quickly address any potential dangers. Policies and procedures are in place to ensure children are protected at all times. However staff’s knowledge of child protection issues require further development to ensure appropriate procedures are implemented effectively at all times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children have good relationships with staff. They play harmoniously together and are marking firm relationships. Children under three explore and experiment through a range of well planned activities that are stimulating and provide sufficient challenge. Babies use sounds and gestures to communicate to staff. Key workers know their children well and are able to talk about children’s stages of development in great detail. Babies and young children receive a lot of warmth and affection to support their well-being, such as when children are unsettled and upset, staff are very tentative towards their needs by giving cuddles and reassurance. Younger children display extreme enjoyment as they play and explore with malleable play materials, such as wooden spoons, paint brush and wooden balls. All children’s creative and imaginative development is encouraged through activities such as art

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and craft, junk modelling and playing music. Staff read to children and ask questions to develop children’s language. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are extremely well motivated and enjoy new challenges. They are able to concentrate well at self chosen activities, such as playing in the art studio. Children work well independently and co-operate well when working as a team, for example, playing with the parachute. Children behave very well and help tidy up after activities. Children are confident in expressing a range of feelings, as they look into the mirror and talk about their facial expressions. This builds upon children’s confidence and self esteem.

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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 speak confidently to peers and adults. They express their ideas and experiences well using good vocabulary. For example, at group time and during singing sessions. Children are able to predict events and retell nursery rhymes from memory. Children are beginning to develop their skills in using phonics, as they sound the first letter of their names. More able children can recognise their name on name cards. They are beginning to learn letters of the alphabet through programmes on the computer, for example W for wiggly worm and G for goat. Children explore their senses in a variety of ways. They are developing mathematical ideas as they engage in the pyramid game and use their imagination to create simple patterns. Through practical activities, staff introduce children to basic calculations and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

more able children are able to count up to ten and beyond. However, there are limited opportunities to introduce older children to simple subtraction. Children use a variety of resources to compare size, shape and quantity, for example in the water tray. Children are able to recall past events, such as baking cakes yesterday. They are able to build and construct using a variety of resources, for example popiods, bricks and junk modelling. Children learn about the world and wider community through shopping trips to the local supermarket, collecting leaves and celebrating cultural festivals. Children have frequent access to programmable resources to support their learning. Children enjoy music and respond enthusiastically to various sounds accessed on the computer. They dance and clap their hands to the different beats. Children have good opportunities to explore colour, texture and shape through various planned and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

self chosen activities. They are able to maximise their ideas, imagination and act out real life situations through role play, for example, in the home corner. Staff have a generally good understanding of the foundation stage. They use regular observations and assessments to plan and identify next steps for children with special educational needs. However, this is not systematically carried out for all children. Therefore it is not used to inform planning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children learn about the world and the wider community through planned topics, such as Eid and Diwali. Staff treat children as individuals and acknowledge differences and preferences by adapting activities to cater for all children. However there are limited resources on offer that reflect disability. Children behave well and respond to requests for good behaviour. Appropriate methods are used to manage children’s behaviour, such as distraction and explaining why their behaviour is not acceptable. Children benefit from constant praise and learn to show respect to their peers by saying sorry. There are good systems in place to support children who have special educational needs. Close liaison with parents and outside agencies ensure all children’s needs are well planned for and met. Staff use PECS (picture exchange communication

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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 system) and Portage which helps children who have learning difficulties. Staff are secure in their understanding of the code of practice, which means they are able to plan for children’s individual needs. A good partnership with parents contributes considerably to children’s well-being while at the nursery. Staff complete a daily diary for parents giving them information about their child, their daily activities, food intake and sleep. This helps ensure children receive individual care and attention. Partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is good. Parents contribute to an initial assessment of their child entitled ‘All About Me’. This ensures staff have a good knowledge of individual needs and achievements, and helps staff build on what children already know. Parents are not formally informed of the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

foundation stage, but children’s individual progress and achievements are discussed and shared through regular meetings with key workers. Children’s spiritual, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are well grouped according to their age and the key worker system ensures appropriate support and care throughout the session. Staff understand their role and responsibility. They have the opportunity for professional development and the management actively encourage staff to attend training. There is a good induction programme. Management carry out observations and one to one meetings to identify strengths and training needs. All documentation required for the safe and effective management of the nursery is in place. This contributes to the welfare of the children. The leadership and management is good. The staff work well as a team and clear defined roles and responsibilities ensures the operational plan works in practice. Management use discussion and observations to identify strengths and weaknesses of the nursery education. The nursery is currently working in partnership with the

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Organisation

advisory teacher and is committed to reviewing practice to ensure all aspects of nursery education are met, including assessments and evaluation. This ensures children are making sufficient progress across the six areas of learning. The setting is meeting the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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

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Complaints 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 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): • develop staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues to ensure appropriate procdures are implemented effectively • extend resources to reflect positive images of disability

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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): • provide more opportunities for more able children to practice simple subtractions through practical activities • continue to implement observations and assessments for all children to ensure assessments identify next steps for children and used to inform planning

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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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