Devonshire Day Nursery

Devonshire Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY100091 Inspection date 10/06/2010 Inspector Jane Nelson / Seema Parmar

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Setting address Bennett Street, Chiswick, London, W4 2AH

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Telephone number 0208 995 9538 Email Devonshire.nursery@childbase.com 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

Devonshire Day Nursery was registered in 2001 and is part of the nursery chain Child Base Limited. It operates from a converted, detached building situated in Chiswick in the London Borough of Hounslow.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered to provide care for a maximum of 88 children, all of whom may be in the early years age range, at any one time. The nursery is also registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open each weekday from 07:30am to 6:30pm, throughout the year. All children share access to a secure, enclosed, outdoor play area. There are currently 124 children aged from birth to under eight years on roll. Of these, 38 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend from the local area. The nursery is able to support children with special educational needs and or disabilities and also children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs a team of 30 staff including the cook. Of these, 18 staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications and two staff are working towards a qualification.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's individual needs are recognised and staff observe and plan accordingly, which helps children progress. The staff are affectionate, caring and generally support children well in their learning and development. The systems in place to monitor and promote consistency among the staff team's implementation of the curriculum and organisation of the daily routine are not fully effective. Self- evaluation is used to identify where improvements have been made. The acting manager and the company demonstrate a commitment to ongoing improvement and targeting identified areas.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the organisation of large group times to ensure each child's individual needs are catered for  ensure there is consistency among the staff team in the implementation and delivery of the early years foundation stage curriculum to ensure every child receives an enjoyable and challenging learning and development experience  make sure the practical organisation of the daily routine does not impact on children's play and learning experiences  ensure that staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities regarding the monitoring of safety issues and supervision of children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The nursery has a welcoming, friendly atmosphere and the premises are safe, secure and well maintained. Extensive risk assessments are in place, the required records are maintained, and generally, used effectively to monitor safety. However, on occasion lack of consistent staff awareness results in safety issues not being immediately noticed or addressed. Staff have a clear understanding of child protection issues and are aware of their own and the manager's responsibilities, and the procedures to follow, should concerns arise.

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the early years provision

A new manager for the nursery is currently being recruited. The acting manager, who was the deputy, is effectively supported by the company's Area Manager. The corporate organisation and systems in place, provide a comprehensive framework for the acting manager and staff team. This results in well organised documentation and requirements being met. Children's individual development is monitored through regular observations, and their next developmental steps identified.

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the early years provision

The staff team are affectionate, friendly and caring with children. They plan and provide a varied range of interesting activities and experiences to encourage children's learning and development. Staff generally support children well and some staff demonstrate sound knowledge of their key children and how they plan to meet children's individual needs. However, the level of staff interaction and engagement with children is not consistent throughout the nursery. This results in children not being consistently challenged and supported in their play and learning. On occasion, the level of emphasis placed on the daily routine impacts on children's play opportunities and behaviour. For example, some children become bored as they wait to use the bathroom before lunch and small disputes arise. These are unnoticed and appropriate intervention, such as distracting children's attention, is not immediate. The organisation of large group activities, such as

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the early years provision

story times, do not fully cater for all children's needs. This results in some children not being able to hear and losing interest.

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the early years provision

The nursery is well resourced with a good range of quality play equipment and resources. A commitment to ongoing improvement is demonstrated. For example, improvements have been made to the outdoor play area, such as the fitting of a safety surface and the provision of a planting and digging area, since the last inspection. Staff have access to ongoing training provided 'in house' by the company and through the local authority. Self-evaluation is used to identify where improvements have been made and identify some areas for future development but not always how these will be achieved.

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the early years provision

Partnership with parents is a strength of the setting. Great emphasis is put on providing opportunities to involve parents and children's extended families, such as grandparents, in events. General information for parents and carers about the nursery and curriculum is attractively displayed and supplemented with photographs and video displays. Parents comment that they are happy with the nursery and that their children enjoy coming. Feedback and views are sought This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 through elected parent representatives and questionnaires which are circulated at parents evenings. Responses are generally very positive and praise the staff and the nursery. Detailed information is available for parents on the nursery's website. The nursery works in partnership with other professionals involved in children's care.

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and outcomes for children

Children are generally happy, secure and enjoy their time at nursery. They have access to a range of activities and play experiences that promote their learning and development and are helping them develop skills for the future. Children enjoy play sessions in the nursery garden, running, using equipment, such as rocking toys and bikes, and having fun digging in the sand tray and in the fresh soil in the planting area.

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and outcomes for children

Babies are cared for in a calm environment where their individual care needs are met successfully by staff. Individual sleep patterns are respected and sleeping babies are frequently checked. They investigate and explore their environment, examining the sounds and textures of various objects in a treasure basket. Staff sit close to babies on the floor, providing physical reassurance and encouragement as they play. Babies smile and vocalise as they feel the different textures and are excited when they catch sight of themselves in the wall mounted baby height mirror. Toddlers enjoy exploring play dough, they watch an adult mix flour and water to make the dough. Then when given a piece each, feel the dough, squeeze it, press it and pinch small pieces of dough between their fingers.

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and outcomes for children

Children have access to a good range of books which they use independently, sitting on a cushion in the book area to look at a book and sitting comfortably on a member of staff's lap while she talks about the pictures with them. Older children are increasing in confidence and enjoy socialising with their friends and staff. They concentrate and persist at activities, such as, selecting toy money to use with the cash register, operating the numbers keys on the till and trying to open the cash drawer. A member of staff shows them how it is done and they then sort the coins and weigh them using the weighing scales, before transferring them to the cash drawer. Children confidently use equipment, such as, telephones and a disconnected fax machine. They spend time having conversations, and operating buttons on the machine. Children use numbers confidently in their play, counting how many times they have rocked on the see saw. They are learning to take turns

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and outcomes for children

and consider each other. For example, children use the egg timer to take turns on the computer, and refer to it being their turn when the sand has run out. They notice when a familiar member of staff is absent and ask if she is feeling better when she returns. Children see the world around them reflected in the resources they use and photographs displayed through the nursery and outdoor area. Experiences, such as, a Holi painting afternoon to mark the festival of colours, help children's understanding of the wider world.

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and outcomes for children

Children generally receive caring and affectionate interaction from staff, however, the level of support and staff engagement with children is not implemented This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 consistently throughout the nursery. For example, the organisation of a large group of children at the end of the morning for younger children does not meet all the children's needs. The large group results in some children finding it difficult to see the creative story props being used to tell the story of 'The Hungry Caterpillar'. Children then lose interest and become distracted. An interesting activity, such as linking sounds to letters on corresponding labelled boxes and discovering the object inside the box, does not interest and engage all the children. They cannot hear what the member of staff is saying, or find it difficult to wait for their turn to hold and feel the object, so become disinterested. On occasion, the balance

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and outcomes for children

between child initiated play and adult led activities is not effective and results in children wandering around with little direction. Staff do not consistently notice and address this by engaging children, or offering suggestions.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning about their own safety as they play, move around the nursery and use the stairs safely. They receive reminders to be careful in their play from staff, however, on occasion these reminders occur after the event rather than staff predicting where possible issues may arise. Children enjoy a healthy diet. Older children choose when to have their snack time, moving to the snack table for breadsticks, hummus and a drink when they feel hungry. They enjoy their lunch of chicken curry and rice. Children learn about their own hygiene, through practices that are part of the daily routine, such as, hand washing before meals. However, the organization of these routines, results in children waiting in a line to use the bathroom, and minor disputes occur as they wait, rather than continuing with activities or play until their turn. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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