Olive Tree Primary School

Playtime Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 131825 Inspection date 24/11/2010 Inspector Christine Stimson

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Setting address Church Rise, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2HA

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Telephone number 020 8397 2800 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Playtime Day Nursery is one of three nurseries. It opened in 1979 and operates from three main rooms in a single storey building. Children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery is situated in a residential area in Chessington which is in the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames. The nursery is within easy access of public transport links. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm all year round.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 50 children may attend the nursery at any one time and of these only 17 may be under two years of age. There are currently 75 children aged from 3 months to under five years on roll, some in part time places. The nursery currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children who have English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 15 members of staff, 14 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 2. They have one member of staff who have has recently achieved Early Years Professional Status. The nursery provides funded early education for two, three and four year old children.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals as they are supported in their play by qualified staff who know them well. Individual planning for children is based on written observations, although some of these are not always clear as to their intention, and do not always link to the planning of activities for individual children. Staff also use information from parents who provide details of children's achievements at home. Children are happy and confident within a secure nursery and staff have developed friendly and professional relationships with parents. The nursery is pro-active in communicating with other care providers and outside agencies and this helps staff offer continuity of care and learning to children. The nursery has included parents and staff in their self-evaluation process and is committed to continuous improvement. Children are safeguarded at the nursery by vigilant staff who undertake daily risk assessments

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

on the premises and who have knowledge of how to proceed if they have concerns about a child in their care. All regulatory documentation is in place and used effectively to safeguard children, but some accident records do not show parents have been informed on the day. Recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed by the nursery. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure all parents are informed on the day of any accidents or injuries their children sustain  ensure children have privacy when using the toilets in the bathroom  ensure written observations are used to help plan ?what next? for every child improve written observations on children?s achievements to ensure they are meaningful in content and are clear and accessible to everybody who reads them

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the early years provision

Daily checks on the nursery are conducted and any hazards found are noted and acted upon swiftly. The nursery has risk assessments in place for all outings and written consent is sought from parents prior to outings taking place. Procedures for vetting staff for suitability is in place to ensure only suitable people work with children. Staff have a sound knowledge of child protection issues and a designated person has been appointed to take the lead role for this area. Safeguarding procedures are in place and these are in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board guidelines that are kept on site. Children learn to keep themselves safe as the nursery regularly practise the fire evacuation procedure to ensure they know how to leave the building quickly and safely.

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the early years provision

The nursery is well equipped with a wide range of good quality, attractive resources that are accessible to children in labelled storage boxes at child height. Children use child sized furniture and have access to good quality equipment, especially in the outside areas. For example, they have wooden structures for climbing on and wooden models of petrol pumps and totem poles to stimulate children's imaginations. Children in the toddler and pre-school rooms have access to a toilet area, where nappies are also changed. However, the toilets are not within cubicles and do not afford children privacy.

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the early years provision

The nursery promotes inclusion through their excellent partnership with parents. Contact books are in place for each child and these are updated by parents and the key person at the nursery. This ensures continuity of care and learning for children. Partnership with other care providers and outside agencies is good. The children's key person visits schools their key children will transfer to. They liaise with teachers and take pictures of their classrooms and the buildings. The photos are brought back to the nursery to reassure children about where they will be going. The nursery has systems in place to support children who have English as an additional language. For example, the key person for the child designs visual aids to help the child understand the routines of nursery. They talk to parents about having key words and use the daily dairy to exchange notes on how the child is progressing. This helps children to quickly settle in. Information is gathered

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 from all parents, at the time of placement, to ascertain each child's starting points, and this enables staff to build on children's existing knowledge and abilities.

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the early years provision

The owners and the manager strive for improvement by self-evaluating practice. Staff and parents are involved in this process. Parents receive regular questionnaires to gauge their opinions and one of these is requested when children change rooms. From the comments, management identify areas for improvement. Staff are involved in evaluating practice by completing check lists looking at the nursery from the view of a child, a parent or a visitor. Staff take part in quizzes during staff meetings so the manager can be sure they are secure in their knowledge of the policies and procedures or in their understanding of how to safeguard children.

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the early years provision

Children are cared for by qualified staff who are encouraged to embrace training opportunities to ensure they are up to date in their knowledge. Parents are aware who their child's key person is and daily verbal communication between parents and staff keep them informed of how their child's day has gone. Twice yearly meetings are arranged with parents to discuss children's progress and days are organised where parents can come to the nursery to join their children in play. For example, the nursery has had a 'Dads are Fab' day where fathers joined there children and helped them to make wooden boxes and dens in the outside area. Photos and comments of this event, kept in a browsing folder, show children are very proud of their fathers and the day was finished off with a BBQ involving all parents. Since the last inspection the nursery has improved outcomes for children. Written and visual prompts on the walls of the bathroom for staff and children to

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the early years provision

see ensure good hygiene procedures are followed. The safeguarding policy now has a procedure to follow in the event of an allegation being made against staff. Fire drills are conducted and recorded regularly and the nursery has improved the planning of activities for children. However, some written observations still do not link to the planning of activities and are not always meaningful in content.

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and outcomes for children

Children play at activity tables, on the floor and have free flow into the garden where kind, caring staff are on hand to support children. Staff praise children's efforts and achievements and as a result children are well behaved and cooperative. Each child is allocated a key person when they first join the nursery and as they progress through rooms the key person changes. Prior to this happening a short report indicating children's starting points is handed over to enable the new key person to build on what children already know and can do. Use of planning, observation and assessment is in place and designed to make sure children's next steps are noted and built into the planning activities for individual children. Although this is working for some children, it is not consistent for all.

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and outcomes for children

Children initiate their own play as they have access to plenty of resources at child height. Adult led activities are incorporated alongside child led activities. For This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 example, children sit in a group after washing their hands prior to lunch and choose songs to sing together with staff taking the lead. Other children choose to look at their learning journeys enjoying the photos within and pointing things out to staff as they remember the activity. Pre-school children free flow into the outside area where they have access to water, sand, painting activities, balancing beams and growing areas. The baby room has their own small garden and they play outside several times a day enjoying the equipment provided and the fresh air. The play areas at the front of the nursery are enjoyed by all and are well equipped stimulating places for children to play. Children learn about technology

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and outcomes for children

whilst playing at the nursery. They freely access a computer and design pictures using colours and their own imagination. Other programmable toys are in place in all rooms to help children learn about technology as they progress through the nursery. Diverse resources are available as part of children integral play. Books accessed by children reflect all kinds of differences such as gender, culture, race and disability and some books are dual language. Home corner items like cooking implements and role play and small world items like dolls and dressing up clothes, also reflect diversity. Planning shows children celebrate the festivals of others and parents from different cultures are involved in supporting these by contributing information and items from home.

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and outcomes for children

The nursery is well maintained and children are learning good hygiene procedures by being encouraged to wash their hands prior to eating, after using the toilet and after playing in the garden. They are also gaining an early understanding about what contributes to being healthy through daily exercise and eating food that is healthy and nutritious. Children are learning to stay safe in the nursery as staff remind children of the consequences of running indoors. Children help staff tidy away toys before snacks and meals, accompanied by a tidy up song they all join in with. 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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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

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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