Clever Cloggs Day Nursery

Clever Cloggs Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Clever Cloggs Day Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY299997 Inspection date 23 January 2006 Inspector Deborah Ann Benn

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Clever Cloggs Day Nursery

Setting Address Cundy Community Centre, Hartington Road, Custom House, London, E16 3NP Telephone number 0207 511 9126 (M) 07958 296 719 E-mail jenniferalewis@yahoo.com Registered person Clever Cloggs Day Nursery Ltd Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Clever Cloggs Day Nursery

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?

Clever Cloggs Day Nursery opened in January 2005. It is a privately owned provision run by Clever Cloggs Day Nursery Ltd. and operates from a purpose built one story building adjacent to the Cundy Community Centre in Custom House within the London borough of Newham. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The nursery is open Monday to Friday 51 weeks of the year and children attend between 08:00 and 18:00. There are currently 30 children aged between 6 months

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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 and 4 years attending in total including 4 funded 3-year-olds and 2 funded 4-year-olds. Currently there are no children attending with special educational needs or learning English as an additional language. There are 8 staff working with the children of whom 6 hold an appropriate qualification to National Vocational Qualification level 2 or 3 and 2 are currently working towards a level 2 qualification. The nursery receives support from an advisory teacher via the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a clean and well maintained environment. Most processes are in place to limit the risk of cross infection, such as good cleaning routines of the premises, the use of disposable paper towels for hand washing and the use of anti-bacterial spray on the changing mat between every nappy change. However, staff practice is not fully consistent regarding the use of gloves for nappy changes. Children are provided with a varied and well balanced diet. Food is freshly prepared and cooked on the premises and children's individual dietary needs are appropriately catered for. Good systems are in place to make sure that all staff are aware of children's needs and the menus adapted accordingly whilst still providing variety. Healthy eating is actively promoted. Children are provided with a choice of prepared fruit and vegetable crudités for mid-session snacks and are encouraged to make their

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Helping children to be healthy

own choices. A choice of milk, water and fruit juices are made available for children to drink throughout the day at set meal and snack times; although children may have additional drinks on request they do not have free access at all times to water. Meal times are sociable occasions, with staff sitting with the children who are able to assess their own needs, asking for second helpings if they wish. However, although older children are involved in setting up the snack mid-session, other opportunities are missed to promote children's independence at meal times as they do not serve themselves, pour their own drinks or help to set the tables. Children have daily opportunity to take part in vigorous exercise as they run freely in the fresh air. Babies are able to crawl, roll and take part in a range activities which encourage their physical development as staff play with them and use resources well. Older children are developing finer physical skills as they grapple with difficult

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Helping children to be healthy

concepts such as using chopsticks and accurately use pencils and tools. Children learn about keeping themselves healthy through daily routines and conversations such as why they need to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet or should not share cups or utensils.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from the attractive premises and outside play area. The purpose built

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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 premises provide ample room for children to take part in a wide range of activities. The baby and pre-school rooms are particularly well resourced and organised. The nursery is very well furnished and decorated, resources are attractive, sturdy and add considerably to the welcoming atmosphere. Toys are clean, safe and age appropriate to each play room, meaning that children can play freely and safely. A wide range of toys is readily available to the children with the use of low storage units enabling children to make choices and explore their environment safely. The soft surface and division of the outdoor play area means that children are able to play safely as they take part in more vigorous activities. Children are cared for in a safe and very secure environment where all visitors are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

monitored by a visual intercom system. No one can enter the premises without staff letting them in. Good daily systems are in place to make sure that staff check all areas carefully before the children enter the premises. Children's welfare is appropriately safe guarded. The manager and deputy have a very good understanding of their responsibility and the appropriate procedures to be taken if there was concern regarding child protection and staff are aware of nursery procedures.

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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 are happy and content, there is an obvious warmth between adults and children and they enjoy each other's company. All children have daily access to creative activities and a wide range of tactile experiences. Children show delight as they respond to music and different medias. Babies laugh and clap their hands together as they explore the texture of coloured spaghetti and toddlers giggle as they splash water. All children are encouraged to develop their confidence to try new things because the staff team effectively support them by providing suitable and challenging experiences. Children have opportunity to be still and quiet as well as busy and good use is made of classical music and soft lighting throughout the nursery to help children to relax. Staff support children's language development well. Adults echo sounds young babies make and interpret meaning to children's words, which encourages them to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

be confident and competent language users. Children are given opportunities to share their thoughts, feelings and ideas, particularly at snack and circle times. They talk with other children, staff and visitors about what they see, hear, think and feel, such as talking about the birds outside and how it must be fun to fly. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are keen and motivated to learn. They concentrate well showing good perseverance as they grapple with challenging activities such as learning to use chopsticks. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and use questions and discussion effectively, promoting children's language development helping them to problem solve. Staff know the children well and ably build on children’s interests and support

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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 them well to extend their learning. Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of the curriculum and records reflect this. Regular observations are made of children and these are used to evidence children's progress. Although key workers are very aware of how they are moving children on and plan accordingly, this is not fully reflected in records. Overall, children make good progress in all areas of the curriculum. They concentrate very well at their chosen tasks and become very independent, such as when deciding they want to write their friend's name and copying it from the name card beside the coat peg rather than expecting an adult to tell them. They develop their understanding of letter sounds, as they discuss the letters in their name and clap out

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the syllables together. They recognise and begin to write their names in daily routines, such as naming their pictures. Children access books freely and take pleasure in sharing stories with each other. They learn the many purposes of writing and the printed word within well resourced activities. For example, they look at menus whilst playing restaurants and use a notepad to 'take someone's order', write prescriptions when playing doctors and follow recipes when taking part in cooking activities. Children use mathematics naturally in a variety of daily tasks, such as counting the number of chairs and comparing it with the number of children and recognising numerals in prices. They recognise shapes and use mathematical language in their play. They state that apple pieces are crescent shaped like the moon or that by joining hands as a group they form a circle, as well as comparing quantities and volume of water or sand.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have a sense of belonging and community. They are confident in the setting and greet each other and staff with warmth. This is further supported by photographs of the children in the playrooms and the use of a map showing where staff and children's families originated. Children feel valued as they are given natural praise and encouragement by staff as they take part in daily tasks and activities. Children's behaviour is very good. Even very young children understand the need for basic rules to be able to live and work harmoniously, such as sharing and taking turns and remind each other of these politely and with good humour. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is appropriately fostered. The diversity of children's background, faith, skin colour and language is valued with the celebration of world festivals through a number of medias. For example, they

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Helping children make a positive contribution

make Ang Pows from red paper as they learn about Chinese New Year or Divas from clay as part of the Duvali celebrations. This is further supported by the use of resources, displays, posters and pictures throughout the premises. Appropriate systems are in place to provide support for children with special educational needs and processes to support children learning English as an additional language are being developed. Children benefit from the friendly informal relationships between the staff team and

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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 parents. Parents feel comfortable in the setting and are confident to speak with key-workers about their child's day. They feel welcome and actively involved in settling their child, assured that they are able to stay with their child as long as the child needs the reassurance of their presence. They receive appropriate information about the setting in the welcome pack and regular updates in newsletters. All parents are invited to attend a bi-annual parent's day where they can meet informally with other parents, look at their child's progress file and speak with their key-worker. The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is satisfactory. Parents receive some general information about the Foundation Stage within the nursery's welcome pack and prospectus. Although curriculum plans are

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Helping children make a positive contribution

displayed and the children's progress files are available to parents at any time, there is currently no system in place to actively involve parents in their child's learning or include them in forward planning.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Children develop a secure sense of belonging because the daily running of the nursery is well organised and the key-worker system means that staff know the children well. Staff are supported by the provider and manager through regular room meetings, annual appraisals and active encouragement to access training and practice workshops via the local authority. Appropriate systems are in place to ensure that adults whose checks are not yet completed do not work unsupervised. However, recent changes in legislation have not been fully responded to and the system for ensuring staff suitability is not complete. Records are clear, current and stored with an awareness of confidentiality. All required documentation regarding the care of the children is in place. Personal details and information about each child is kept in separate folders and stored in a

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Organisation

locked filing cabinet. Daily records of attendance, first aid and medication administration are clear, current and appropriately stored. Leadership and management of nursery education is good. The key-worker working with the pre-school children is knowledgeable about the Foundation Stage curriculum and uses observations and assessments effectively to evaluate how children are progressing toward the early learning goals. The manager carries out continuous monitoring of the delivery of the Foundation Stage curriculum and helps staff to reflect on their practice and evaluate their own ongoing training needs.

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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 There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration. 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): • improve procedures to make sure that routines to limit cross infection at nappy changes are consistent and to promote children's independence at meal times • improve and develop systems for assessing staff suitability in line with current legislation

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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): • improve the use of observations and assessments to clearly identify how each child is to be supported to progress toward the early learning goals • improve systems to better inform parents about the Foundation Stage of learning and how they can be actively involved in their child's education

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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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