Maria Grey Nursery School

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the so urce and date of publication are stated. Maria Grey Nursery School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 511687 Inspection date 10/06/2009 Inspector Angela Konarzewski

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Setting address 18a Friars Stile Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6NE

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Telephone number 020 8940 4350 Email info@mariagrey.co.uk Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises 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

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

The Maria Grey Nursery School opened in 1987. The setting is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from three playrooms and is on the ground floor of Field House, which is a former residential property located in the grounds of the Vineyard Primary School in the London Borough of Richmond. Most of the children attend the Vineyard Primary School when they move up from the Nursery. In 1991 the Maria Grey Nursery School was registered as a charity, incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and managed by a committee of parents. The group serves the local community and the majority of the children live within walking distance. A maximum of 30 children may attend the nursery school at any one time. It is open each weekday from 09:15 to 17:00, term time only. There are currently 65 children aged from two to under six years on roll. Of these, 56 receive funding for nursery education. The

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Description of the setting

nursery school supports a few children with special needs and a number of children who speak English as a second language. There are three playrooms, a kitchen, toilets, and a large outdoor play area. It has wheelchair access/ramps on all four entrances. The nursery employs eight staff who either hold or are training for qualifications in Early Years; the registered person is a qualified teacher. The Maria Grey Nursery School is a member of the Richmond Local Authority Early Years Partnership.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good. The Maria Grey Nursery is exceptionally welcoming and inclusive and staff work hard to ensure that individual needs are met to a very high standard. Planning for learning across the six Early Years Foundation Stage areas is of high quality and detailed. Capacity for the setting to maintain continuous improvement is good. The significant strengths of the setting are sometimes undermined by inconsistencies in staff expectations of children’s behaviour. This means a few children misbehave while in the indoor class bases.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that behaviour is managed consistently by all adults in the setting  take account of children’s ideas for change when planning the future development of the setting

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provision

Leadership and management are good. The committee, which is made up of parents and the headteacher of Maria Grey Nursery, meets regularly to plan and evaluate provision and to modify practice where needs are identified. The headteacher works extremely hard to ensure that the setting provides the best This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 possible opportunities for children to learn and develop. Her aim is to ‘provide children with a happy and memorable educational experience in a caring, nurturing and safe environment’. Partnership with parents and other agencies is outstanding. Information given to parents and carers in newsletters is relevant and detailed, and policies and procedures are clear and accessible. Parents receive exceptionally high quality information about their children’s welfare, learning and development which enables them to support their children appropriately. They have played a

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provision

significant part in raising funds for and designing the impressive outside areas. Although parents play a significant role in decisions about the running of the nursery, children are not currently involved in the consultation process. Increasing their involvement aims to give them a greater sense of ‘ownership’ of the setting and promote their sense of responsibility towards it. Staff are very well trained and checked for suitability to work with children. Children are very well safeguarded and the newly installed security system helps to ensure that they are completely safe both inside and out of doors.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The quality and standards in the Maria Grey Nursery are good. The planning of activities takes account of children’s needs and interests and there is a very large range of high quality toys and equipment for indoor and outdoor use which effectively promote children’s learning across the six areas. The setting is exceptionally inclusive and welcomes children from a range of different backgrounds and cultures. Parents from non-English backgrounds are invited to speak to the children about their cultural traditions, festivals, songs, stories, food and national costume. For example, a Japanese day was held with activities including origami, calligraphy, chopstick skills, dressing up and stories. The staff speak several languages themselves and are often able to converse with families in their home language. Basic French is taught to demonstrate the value of speaking different languages and to promote children’s confidence. Children with special

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

needs are also catered for, so cakes baked for the parents at sports day are made without dairy products because of allergies. The children are also taught basic sign language so they can communicate with, and relate to, children and adults with hearing impairment.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children understand the principles of healthy eating and drinking and they benefit from opportunities to grow and eat their own vegetables. They are taught about staying safe when crossing the road, for example, and when playing outside with the wheeled toys. Sometimes children pay insufficient attention to each other’s safety when running inside the nursery classrooms, and they would benefit from agreeing rules for establishing ways in which they can play safely indoors. Children thoroughly enjoy being in the setting and so they learn and develop exceptionally well, especially in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Of particular note are the first-hand experiences of life cycles which the children learn from observing the nursery’s three hens. The nursery bought a clutch of eggs, which hatched in an incubator, and they kept three of the hens. Money raised from the eggs is used to fund expenses associated with rearing and maintaining chickens,

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

giving the children insight into economic awareness. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children progress well across all the areas of learning. The emphasis placed on enhancing children’s personal, social and emotional development is mostly very successful. There is some work to do to help the minority of children who find it harder to contain their excitement indoors to take greater responsibility. Activities are planned according to systematic assessment of needs, and records of children’s progress and files of evidence are maintained to a very high standard, addressing this recommendation from the last inspection. Children’s enjoyment of learning would be further enhanced by increasing the proportion of child-initiated activities and by giving them more say in the running of the nursery. 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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of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 1 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

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Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 1

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 2 How well are children helped to be healthy? 2 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 2 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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