Castle Day Nursery @ St Edmund's

Castle Day Nursery @ St Edmund's Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY414669 Inspection date 28/02/2011 Inspector Jane Chappell

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Setting address St Edmund's Church, Mitchley Avenue, PURLEY, Surrey, CR2 9HL Telephone number 020 8668 2775 Email chrisbabbsuk@waitrose.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.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as 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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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

Castle Day Nursery is one of two settings run by the registered providers. It opened in 2010 and operates from church facilities which include a large hall and two side rooms. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. They are located in Purley within the London borough of Croydon. The nursery is open Mondays and Fridays from 9.00am to 1.00pm and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9.00am to 3.00pm. Children attend for a variety of hours during the term time only. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 30 children aged from two to five years may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 22 children on roll, all of whom attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

There are 6 members of staff who work directly with the children. All of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority through an Early Years Advisor.

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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 setting successfully promotes all aspects of children's welfare and development so that overall the individual needs of the children are well met. Consequently, children are happy and settled in the welcoming and inclusive environment. Good relationships with parents contribute significantly to ensuring that each child is effectively supported within the setting. There are relevant plans for the future which demonstrates a commitment and vision for continuous improvement, resulting in a service that is responsive to the needs of all its users.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further ways to improve children's independence, such as at snack time, so they can pour their own drinks and help prepare their own snack  encourage children to write their own name on their work and to use writing for different purposes  update policies and procedures in line with current requirements. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are kept safe and protected as there are secure recruitment procedures in place to ensure that children are cared for by vetted staff. All staff have a good understanding of child protection and how to safeguard the children in their care. Children's safety is also promoted as daily safety checks and risk assessments are completed with regard to the indoor and outdoor environment to ensure the facilities are safe and potential hazards to children are minimised. Children practise fire drills regularly, which ensure they are aware of what to do in an emergency situation. All required records are in place for the safe and efficient running of the setting, however, at present these are not recorded with reference to current requirements.

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the early years provision

Staff work well together as a team and have a common sense of purpose to ensure that all children have the opportunity to achieve as well as they can. They plan together to ensure the space and equipment are well organised to help create a welcoming learning environment where children of all ages can easily access play materials independently. The setting is new, although they are already making good use of their self-evaluation to identify any areas for development and improvement and take action to make changes where needed. For instance, they are in the process of setting up one of the smaller rooms to provide a designated book corner and computer area which the children will be able to access freely to ensure that they consistently support children in all areas of learning.

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the early years provision

The setting has a strong and sensitive approach to partnerships with parents. The effective key worker system provides a good system of communication between the setting and parents, which in turn ensures continuity of care and supports staff to meet each child's individual needs. Staff members are available to share information about children's ongoing progress with parents at the beginning and end of each session. There are also more formal avenues for parents to share their views about the setting and their child's learning. Parents make many positive comments about the setting, including the fact that the staff team are very caring, friendly and there is regular and useful feedback about their child's care and learning. The setting has developed links with professional agencies and other settings that the children also attend, ensuring that all children are fully supported within the inclusive environment.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy to come to the setting and show their growing confidence as they separate from parents on arrival and are keen to explore the inviting play environment. The staff team are caring and genuinely enjoy the children's company. They show interest in children's news and ideas and offer them lots of praise and encouragement. As a result, children feel happy and secure at this setting. Children behave well and respond to expectations. They interact with each This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 other, play cooperatively, take turns and share resources. They benefit from a varied routine and take part in a range of activities and experiences throughout the day. However, independence is not fully promoted during everyday routines, for example, opportunities for children to prepare their own snack and pour their drinks. Children are developing an awareness of good hygiene practices as they

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and outcomes for children

wash their hands before snack and after making the play dough. Their health is promoted as they enjoy healthy snacks and experience daily fresh air. Children show they feel safe as they move around confidently both inside and out.

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and outcomes for children

Children's communication and language skills are effectively promoted. As the staff team ask children open-ended questions to extend their thinking, and they positively respond to the children's communication and lively conversation flows. Books and favourite stories are offered to all children as a way of engaging them in early literacy skills. Children know that print carries meaning as they look at books and listen to stories with staff members. However, the older, more able children are not consistently encouraged to write their own name on their work and to use writing for different purposes, such as to self-register for snack time or to write a menu when 'cooking' in the home corner. Children have opportunities to explore different materials as they feel the different textures as they make play dough and explore the soil as they learn about the natural environment as they plant sunflower seeds and discuss that they need water and sunlight to grow. Children

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and outcomes for children

develop skills in using everyday information and communication technology as they complete simple programs on the computer and show their excitement as they use the specially adapted keyboard that consists of tools for building their track on the computer as they bang with the hammer to put the next piece of the bridge into place. Role play equipment used by both boys and girls helps to foster children's imagination as they pretend to wash the clothes and cook fish fingers for lunch. All children, regardless of gender or ability, are included in events and the children begin to learn about festivals that their friends celebrate at home such as Thanksgiving.

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and outcomes for children

The staff team work closely together, sharing responsibilities and knowledge. They monitor children's progress to ensure all children move forward from their starting points. Staff members carry out regular observations and record these in each child's learning journal. They make assessments based on their observations about the children's skills and use these effectively in planning of activities. As a result, children experience relevant learning activities that are stage-appropriate and follow children's individual interests and information obtained from parents. 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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