Queen Elizabeth High

St Marys Church of England Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 402085 Inspection date 03/12/2010 Inspector Sandra Daniels

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Setting address St Marys Church Rooms, High Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6QQ Telephone number 0208 5599574 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

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

St Mary's Church of England Nursery opened in 1994. It operates from one large room in the Church Rooms in Chigwell village. The nursery serves the local and wider area. There is a fully enclosed outside play area. The group opens five mornings a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm. The setting is registered to care for a maximum of 27 children in the early years age group and there are currently 37 children on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports a small number of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and has effective systems in place to meet the needs of children who have English as an additional language. There are a total of six members of staff working with the children and, of these, five have Diplomas in Pre-School Practice Level 2 or 3. The setting also has a small bank of staff who can be called upon to cover as necessary. The setting receives support

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Description of the setting

from the local authority and is registered on the Early Years Register.

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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

The nursery meets the needs of all children as the manager and her staff monitor their progress towards the early learning goals. Some systems to support the educational provision are very effective and children are making good progress in their learning and development, although this is not yet systematically recorded. The nursery provides a broad range of activities and opportunities for children and they support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. There is a good capacity to improve as the staff update their training regularly and review policies and procedures to ensure they meet requirements. The staff team evaluate the provision regularly on an informal basis to identify areas where they can make improvements.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve systems for self-evaluation to include the views of parents, carers and children and to set clear targets for improvement  link observations clearly to the areas of learning and develop assessment records to show children's achievements and progress towards the early learning goals.

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded very well. Staff are confident in their knowledge and understanding of how to protect children and what to do if they have any concerns about children in their care. There is a comprehensive safeguarding children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 procedure in place and all staff are aware of this procedure and the need to follow it. Robust risk assessments ensure the necessary precautions are in place to protect children as they play. The security of the premises is good. Staff open the door for parents and remain in the entrance hall until all parents have arrived or left with their children. This ensures no children are able to leave unsupervised and no unauthorised people can enter the building. Fire evacuation procedures are effective and are practised with children regularly. Staff clearly know their key children and their families very well, as they develop strong and effective

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the early years provision

relationships with parents and carers. Parents are well informed about plans for making improvements within the pre-school and about their children's learning and development. There is a good two-way flow of information which is shared in many ways. For example, parents receive regular, informative newsletters and have informal meetings with staff and/or management. Children's parents speak very highly of the staff and nursery provision. They all know their child's key person and talk about how well their children are progressing in their development. There are staff photographs and an informative notice board in the entrance hall where parents can also find the policies, useful leaflets and the complaints procedures. Parents are able to see their child's learning journey book or speak to the staff at any time. All children and parents are welcomed into the nursery and close links with other early years professionals and agencies, including the local

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the early years provision

primary school, ensure staff are able to provide continuity and support children's learning and development effectively. Managers are successful in inspiring the staff team to work towards meeting targets for improvement. They all have high expectations and set high standards in the quality of care they provide. Morale is high in the setting and staff work exceptionally well as a team. However, formal systems for self-evaluation are not yet in place, meaning that clear targets for improvement may not always be identified to ensure that outcomes for children continue to improve. There are plans to further involve parents, carers and children in this process. Regular staff meetings are held, where the provision is evaluated and plans for improvements are made. There are good opportunities for staff to attend training courses to extend their personal and professional development. Staff include all children equally and embrace their differences. They

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the early years provision

are experienced in their knowledge of special educational needs and/or disabilities of children and work closely with parents to ensure the care provided is correct. There are also effective systems in place to meet the individual needs of children who have English as an additional language, for example, a visual timetable. Resources are used effectively, are of high quality and are easily accessible for all children to enjoy making their own choices during the day. Resources reflect the diversity within the community and staff ensure children see positive images through posters and resources.

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and outcomes for children

There is an excellent adult-to-child ratio and the warm relationships, modelled so effectively by staff, ensure that the children greatly enjoy attending the setting. From the start of each placement, staff begin to make good assessments of each child's needs in terms of their welfare and development. Observations are made as children play and participate in the routines of each session. These are recorded in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Learning Journals and, although not recorded, staff identify clear next steps in learning, which help the children to make good progress across all the required areas of learning within the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, systems are not yet fully established for recording this to ensure that children's progress is maximised. Each child is allocated a key person, which ensures that the needs of every child are known and acted upon, their welfare is fully secured and they feel

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and outcomes for children

very safe. The good role models of the staff and the consistently followed routines also contribute to children feeling safe, and support them to behave very well. They learn how to work and play together. For example, children take turns when building a snowman in the garden and when painting and sticking to make Christmas cards to take home. Snack time is another well-organised and beneficial activity. At this time, children show good independence by choosing their own snacks and when to take them, and pouring their own drinks. The children also demonstrate a good understanding of healthy, safe living, remembering themselves, and reminding each other, of the need to wash hands after going to the toilet or before handling food. Children learn and play happily and make good use of the well-equipped facilities, where staff ensure a good balance of activities led by adults and those the children may choose for themselves. At the start of

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and outcomes for children

each session, children look for their names and move them to the 'tree' to register their attendance. Books are freely available and children can often be seen choosing a favourite story to look at or share with a friend or an adult. This supports children's ability to recognise that print carries meaning and encourages the development of language and vocabulary. The learning environment is successfully extended to the outside. Children enjoy digging in designated areas and planting seeds and bulbs. Children feel a strong sense of belonging in the setting. They each have a peg to hang their coats and bags on and enjoy looking at photographs of themselves in albums and on display around the setting. Children's good progress and positive attitudes to learning prepare them well for the next stage of their learning. 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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