Arundel Court Junior School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 11/02/2005 Inspector Name Helen Ann Woods

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Riverside Childrens Centre Setting Address Edensor Road Chiswick London W4 2RG

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Riverside Childrens Centre 293506

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Riverside Childrens Centre Address Edensor Road Chiswick London W4 2RG

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents. If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

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Information about the setting

Riverside Children's Centre was established in 1984 in the present premises for a maximum of 26 children aged 2 to 5 years. It is open from 08:00 - 17:50 for a total of 51 weeks of the year with one week closure at Christmas. The premises are purpose built and there is access to an outdoor play area. The setting operates as a full day nursery and a pre-school playgroup. Currently there are eight 3-year-olds and one 4-year-old receiving funding, there are no children attending with special eeducational needs and 1 child attending has English as an additional language. The Nursery is a member of the Hounslow Early Years Childcare Development Partnership and the Pre-School Learning Alliance. There are four full time qualified staff and four part time staff including a part time volunteer and a student. There is no overnight care provided.

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How good is the Day Care?

Riverside Nursery offer good quality care for children aged two to five years old. The nursery is welcoming to children, their families and visitors. Positive steps have been taken to promote safety within the nursery and over half the staff hold a recognised first aid certificate. There is a clear system for registering staff and children's attendance on a daily basis with time of arrival and departure being recorded. The premises is spacious, well organised to create a stimulating, orderly and supportive environment for the children. A broad range of practical activities support and stimulate children's social, physical intellectual and emotional development. Children are able to access toys and equipment easily. Consistent relationships are well established between parents, children and staff

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How good is the Day Care?

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 with a daily exchange of information. Children are provided with substantial healthy meals and snacks, cooked and prepared on the premises, that takes account of special dietary needs and preferences. There is a consistent positive approach to the management of children's behaviour with clear boundaries established according to the children's level of understanding.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to make washing machine and drier safe, ensure a visitors record system is maintained, ensure electrical appliances are checked regularly, carry out regular risk assessments and develop a written outings procedure. All actions have been carried out within the time scale, health and safety has been improved.

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What is being done well?

• The organisation of the nursery offers the children continuity of care with a key worker system and good contingency arrangements for staff shortages. • An excellent range of activities and resources support and stimulate children's all round development whilst helping them make successful progress towards the early learning goals. • The premises is welcoming to children and their families, well maintained with plenty of space both inside and outside in the well planned playground, offering easy access to the facilities and range of activities. • The children are provided with a varied menu that allows a choice every day, introduces dishes from around the world that link to topical activities inspiring the children to develop an understanding of the world. Freshly cooked meals and snacks are prepared daily on the premises in a kitchen area where the staff and children can talk to and watch the cook.

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What is being done well?

• Staff interaction with the children is of a high quality and extends the children's language and thinking. • Positive behaviour management and setting of clear boundaries has created a secure environment.

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What needs to be improved?

• the procedure to be followed when parents do not want to agree to emergency medical treatment. • the procedure to be followed if an allegation of abuse is made against a member of staff. • the contact telephone number of Ofsted as the regulator on the complaints procedure.

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What needs to be improved?

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 7 Obtain written permission for emergency medical advice or treatment that facilitates parent's right to refuse. 14 Ensure relevant contact details are stated on the complaints procedure. 13 Devise a procedure to folow in the event of a child protection allegation being made against a member of staff.

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by the time of the next 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

The educational provision at Riverside Children's Centre is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals in all six areas of learning. Teaching standards are very good. Staff demonstrate a very good knowledge and understanding of the early learning goals in their teaching of all six areas of learning. They plan interesting activities and all staff contribute their ideas at planning meetings. Children are set realistic challenges and activities are adjusted to meet the needs of younger and older members of the group. Staff share their observations of the children with parents and children's special needs are well met. Children who understand more than one language are given good support. Staff manage children's behaviour well, children are engaged in purposeful activities, consequently intervention from staff is minimal. Staff plan a sensible routine to ensure a balanced day for children. Good teamwork

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How effective is the nursery education?

is evident. Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Use of assessment does not always clearly identify the next steps for children's progress. Leadership and management is generally good. Staff appraisals are conducted annually to identify training needs. Staff training for professional development is encouraged. The manager and staff are fully committed to the ongoing improvement of the provision. The nursery has established a very good partnership with parents. Ample good quality information is available about the general organisation of the nursery and planned activities for funded three and four-year-olds. Parents are welcome to discuss children's progress with staff formally and informally. They have opportunities to extend and support children's learning however they are not involved in planning the next steps of their child's learning.

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What is being done well?

• There is a very good emphasis on developing children's self esteem, self -confidence and independence. The children take initiative in choosing activities and they manage self-care well. • Staff successfully extend children's vocabulary and develop children's listening skills. The children speak fluently and listen to stories and discussions with interest. Staff constantly refer to counting and number in play and daily routines which helps the children to relate their learning to practical activities. Very good labelling in and outdoors and number provision is used positively by staff to promote language and mathematical development • Staff provide a very good range of cultural activities and they often invite

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What is being done well?

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 parents to share their culture, hobbies and skills with the children. This extends children's knowledge and promotes their respect for each other. • Sensible planning of the nursery day ensures that children have daily opportunities for vigorous play both indoors and outside. Children are given a good range of materials to use in art and craft work and they are encouraged to explore and use the materials in their own way.

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What needs to be improved?

• the assessment system to enable staff to use the information gained from observation and record keeping to identify what children need to do next and plan accordingly. • parents involvement in planning the next steps of their child's learning. • the access children have to explore everyday technology items and programmable toys to find out how things work.

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What has improved 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are gaining good standards of independence in self-care and in choosing and using resources. They are helpful at tidy-up time and know where toys and resources are kept. Children are lively and enthusiastic taking a keen interest in both adult directed and free play activities. They form good relationships with adults and each other, they share and take turns and they are well behaved.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children listen quietly and with interest when staff speak to them and at story time. They are learning new words and speak confidently, expressing their thoughts and ideas clearly in both small and large groups. Children are learning to recognise the letters of the alphabet by shape and sound. They know that print and pictures tell the story in books. Children recognise their own names and the names of their friends. They enjoy making marks and are beginning to attribute meaning to them.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are familiar with numbers up to ten. They count confidently and with growing accuracy. Children notice the numbers displayed around the room. They learn about the concept of addition and subtraction through singing number and action rhymes, playing games and through discussions with staff. Shape recognition is covered well in the programme. Positional words and terms to describe size and quantity are used by children during play and practical activities.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good A good range of cultural activities is enjoyed by the children, many of which involve parents and staff from other rooms in the nursery. Children make and use models such as a puppet theatre and musical instruments. Children enjoy meeting interesting visitors and going on local walks to learn about the work of adults and to discover the environment beyond the nursery. They operate a computer independently but have few chances to explore everyday technology and how things work.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Good planning ensures that children have time for vigorous play every day. They climb and balance competently and use their wheeled toys well. They pedal and steer round obstacles carefully, avoiding collisions and respecting each other's personal space. Children show good levels of manual dexterity in using scissors and glue sticks. They pour their own drinks and handle writing and drawing materials with developing control.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Staff provide a worthwhile range of resources and materials for creative work. Children are encouraged to experiment and staff value what can be learned in the process of art and craft work. Children use musical instruments well. They tap out rhythm, explore volume and show a good sense of timing. They sing many songs from memory. The children are imaginative in role play and suggest what might happen in stories. They use materials that appeal to all of their senses over time.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• Revise the assessment system to enable staff to use the information gained from observation and record keeping to identify what children need to do next and plan accordingly • involve parents in the planning of the next steps of their children's learning. • increase the access children have to explore everyday technology items and programmable toys to find out how things work.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

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 Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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