TODDLE IN GROUP

TODDLE IN GROUP Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 509008 Inspection date 05/04/2011 Inspector Christine Bonnett

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Setting address 4th Harrow Scout Hall, Kenmore Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 8LU Telephone number 02089099202 Email enquiries@toddleingroup.plus.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

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

Toddle In Group is a privately owned nursery. It registered in 1995 and operates from three rooms within a scout hall in Kenton, in the London Borough of Harrow. There is a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. A maximum of 58 children aged from one year to under eight years may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open from 8:00am to 6:00pm each week day for 49 weeks of the year. Full day care and sessional care are available. There are currently 58 children on roll.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four. The setting currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register, compulsory part of the Childcare Register and voluntary part of the Childcare Register. The nursery employs 14 staff, of whom 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 provides an inclusive service in which all children are valued and respected. The knowledgeable staff team support children's learning and enable them to make good progress towards the early learning goals. The nursery is generally clean, and children's health promoted. Children's independence is generally well developed in order to promote confidence and good self-esteem. The management team are fully committed to providing good quality childcare for children by continuously developing their practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 reorganise the lunch time routine to avoid delays in serving the food and to promote children's independence by supporting them to serve themselves.  improve hygiene standards in relation to the cleanliness of floors, carpets and rugs in order to minimise the health hazard to 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 management team and staff have a good understanding of the importance of safeguarding the children in their care. The provider/manager has recently attended further training in safeguarding to ensure she is has up-date knowledge. All staff are aware of the indicators of child abuse, and fully understand their role in passing on concerns. The rigorous recruitment process ensures that suitability checks are carried out on all adults having unsupervised contact with the children. The security measures in place on the premises ensure that intruders cannot gain access to the children unchallenged, and children are unable to leave unsupervised. Risk assessments carried out on the premises effectively minimise all potential hazards in order to further safeguard the children's well-being. In addition, children learn to take responsibility for helping to keep themselves and others safe as they enjoy conducting their own risk assessments on the garden.

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the early years provision

Each morning children take turns to inspect the garden for potential hazards, such as slippery leaves or gates left open. They also participate in routine emergency evacuation drills and have demonstrations from the Traffic Club about how to cross roads safely. All documents and records required for the efficient management of the nursery, and to meet the needs of the children, are maintained.

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the early years provision

The management team is enthusiastic and committed to providing high quality childcare. They successfully communicate their ideas and initiatives to their motivated staff team. The professional development of all staff is given high importance as it is viewed as being integral to ensuring best practice is achieved. Since the last inspection two staff members have successfully completed relevant degree courses and others are studying either for Early Years Professional Status, or a higher level of a National Vocational Qualification. The application of new knowledge and skills within the nursery will continue to have a positive impact upon the children's well-being. A further development since the last inspection is the construction of an awning in the garden. This enables children to benefit from outdoor activities in all weathers.

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the early years provision

Although management are restricted by the terms of their lease as to how much they can up-grade the building, their future plans include some refurbishment of the 'Ladybird' room in order to create a more conducive environment for children's learning. Parents' contributions are always welcomed to feed into the process of self-evaluation. Exit questionnaires are completed by parents when their children leave and provide frank and honest information for the nursery to consider. The management team also welcomes input from the local authority development workers to enhance practice, and formulates action plans to clarify their ideas and timescales for change.

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the early years provision

The wide variety of play materials and resources along with the effective support from staff enable children to learn through play. Resources are displayed attractively for children to enjoy, and their art work and displays on the walls help to create a pleasant environment. Staff are well deployed to monitor the safety of children at all times, and to support their learning and development. The furniture and equipment is clean and fit for purpose. However, the flooring in the children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 rooms, particularly the carpets and rugs are soiled with ground-in dirt and the remains of previous activities, such as glitter, dough and glue. This is potentially a health hazard to children, particularly the younger babies crawling on the floor.

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the early years provision

The nursery establishes positive relationships with parents and carers. At the inspection, parents and carers commented that they receive good information from their child's key person about their learning and development. They stated that their children were happy at the nursery and looked forward to attending. They also stated that they were satisfied with the security of the building and the quality of the meals. Parents are able to see their children's progress files routinely. A summary of children's progress is written-up each term and shared with parents, and meetings are held to plan the timescale for children moving into different rooms. Parents are invited to share their particular skills and talents with the nursery to support children's learning. For example, an orthodontist spoke to the children about the importance of oral hygiene and demonstrated, using enlarged models, how to brush teeth effectively. The nursery also liaises effectively with

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the early years provision

other agencies providing additional support to children and with other settings delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage that the children attend. All relevant information is shared to ensure each child's needs are identified and met appropriately. This ensures that there is consistency in their care and learning.

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the early years provision

The acquisition of an allotment has had a significant and positive impact upon the children in several areas. Their understanding of caring and nurturing plants has increased as well as their understanding that vegetables are grown and not simply obtained from the supermarket. It has also promoted a deeper understanding of healthy eating and enjoying home-grown produce. The parents are also involved in providing seeds to grow, and the children learn about the local community and people who help, such as the allotment keeper. The nursery makes the most of the rich diversity of the cultural backgrounds of the children and staff by acknowledging major world faith festivals, such as Christmas and Diwali. Parents and staff relate stories about the customs and traditions associated with the occasions. This gives children the opportunity to learn about the wider world.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their nursery day. They become active and curious learners as they engage enthusiastically with the activities and resources available for them to enjoy. They also make good progress in developing personal qualities that enable them to take responsibility for small tasks. For example, as well as carrying out risk assessments, older children are often requested to volunteer to 'buddy' a new child to the room. They are asked to play with the new child and help them to become familiar with the routine. Staff report that this system enables new children to settle quickly, and promotes the self-esteem and confidence of the 'buddy'.

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and outcomes for children

Each child has a learning journey file containing detailed observations of them as they play. The observations are used to assess their level of achievement in each of the six areas of learning. The next learning priority is then identified and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 incorporated in the play plans in order to ensure that each child makes steady progress towards the early learning goals at a pace that is appropriate for them. Children enjoy routine opportunities to develop pre-writing skills through drawing and painting, and develop communication and language skills as they look at books and listen to stories. Children further develop the skills they will need in the future as they make very good use of the computer. A group of children gather around the terminal as one or two of them operate appropriate programs with skill. They wait patiently to take their turn to control the game and show excitement as

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and outcomes for children

they watch the characters make progress on the screen. Younger children enjoy tactile experiences, such as dabbling in a tray of wet corn flour. They also benefit from the close interaction with staff as they sit contentedly with them and learn to recognise colours and shapes.

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and outcomes for children

The importance of adopting healthy lifestyles is well promoted. As well as having access to the garden in all weathers for physical exercise, an indoor area is also available. Obstacle courses are set up and parachute games played. Fresh fruit is provided at snack times, with older children being supported by staff to slice their portion themselves. Children are reminded to be thoughtful, and make sure they leave sufficient amounts for their friends. The lunch menu includes jacket potatoes, macaroni cheese and chicken. Children become familiar with the routine of washing their hands before they eat, and the older ones explain that germs have to be washed away. Staff take steps to make lunch time an enjoyable and social occasion for the children. This often includes seating all the children around small group tables in one room in order that siblings can eat together. However, although children can help themselves to some dishes, such as salad, staff serve

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and outcomes for children

the main elements of the meal from a separate table and hand the plates out to the children. Consequently, this is a lengthy process and although they sit patiently, children become bored and tired waiting for their meal to arrive. In addition, the system does not foster children's independence sufficiently as they are limited to what they can serve themselves, including pouring their own water.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a sense of belonging at the nursery because they become familiar with the routine, and the boundaries for acceptable behaviour. They play well together in small groups, or happily on their own. All children enjoy positive interaction with their key person and other staff members. This creates a friendly and calm atmosphere in which children are relaxed and content. Older children demonstrate that they feel safe in the nursery as they confidently move from activity to activity. Younger children receive and give good eye contact with the staff and enjoy being picked up and cuddled. 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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