Edgbaston KindergartenOfsted inspection, 19 Apr 2011

Edgbaston Kindergarten Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 227164 Inspection date 19/04/2011 Inspector Patricia Webb

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Setting address 413-415 Gillott Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, B16 9LL Telephone number 01297 33841 01214550883 Email anna.l.jacobs@btinternet.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

Edgbaston Kindergarten has been registered since 1994 and follows a Montessori ethos. It is sited in converted premises in Edgbaston, Birmingham. The whole of the ground floor of the property is used for the childcare with staff accessing the upper floor. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play. The kindergarten is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm all year round.

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Description of the setting

The kindergarten is registered to care for a maximum of 40 children under eight years, all of whom may be in the early years age range. There are currently 56 children on roll in the early years age group. The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The kindergarten supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children from families where English is an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are two managers employed who are both supernumerary, one of whom is the owner and holds Early Years Professional status (EYPS). In addition, there are 12 members of staff, most of whom hold relevant early years qualifications to Level 3. Other staff are working towards a qualification. Additional housekeeping and maintenance staff are also employed. The kindergarten is a member of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and holds a quality assurance award from the local authority.

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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 very strong progress in many aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Each child receives high levels of attention and acknowledgement of the individual needs, developing an inclusive approach within the setting. The management team and the staff work collaboratively to strive for on-going improvement, targeting key aspects of the provision to bring about positive impact on children's enjoyment and achievement. This is reflected in the self-evaluation process which engages the views and opinions of the children, parents and carers and staff.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the system for recording the times and days of children's attendance on a daily basis to ensure it is an accurate record  review the procedure for the administration of liquid painkiller medication to ensure that parents provide the medication labelled for their own child. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff have a good level of understanding of child protection issues for safeguarding children. They regularly familiarise themselves with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures to ensure that any concerns would be managed in the best interests of the child. Staff recruitment procedures are rigorous and robust, assuring parents of the setting's commitment to employing suitably qualified and experienced staff. Full vetting procedures are undertaken for all staff to ensure children's welfare is safeguarded. All staff take collective responsibility for ongoing risk assessment with key staff taking a lead role to identify potential hazards both on and off the premises. Where risks are noted, action plans are set to ensure that work is attended to swiftly. Security on the premises is sound and reduces the risk of unauthorised entry or exit. The setting has systems in place to record the daily attendance of children on the premises. However, at times this is not accurately

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the early years provision

maintained and does not always reflect the children actually on the premises. Minor accidents are managed efficiently with suitable records maintained to keep parents informed. The current procedure for administering painkiller medication refers to the nursery providing its own supply of the medicine rather than requesting that parents provide this for their own children. Although, the parents are consulted about their child's condition prior to any medication being given, this approach means that the medication has not been specifically recommended for the child.

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the early years provision

The owner and the senior staff consider inclusive practice as inherent in the provision. The nursery serves a very diverse community and the staff team reflects many facets of this effectively. Some staff have linguistic skills and knowledge of different cultures and family backgrounds ensuring that children receive positive experiences as they consider the differences in society. Children's linguistic skills are also acknowledged and staff are in the process of developing this aspect further in order to extend their opportunities for seeing different languages and scripts around the setting. Intuitive attention is given to acknowledging children's emotional development and ensuring they develop skills for the future as they take time to reflect on their activities and how their day has progressed.

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the early years provision

There is a strong drive towards ongoing improvement. There has recently been significant improvement made to the outside play area. Much thought and consideration has been given to designing an exciting and beautiful area for children to access freely in their day. Covered areas enable children to access the outdoor learning environment in all weathers. The owner and managers take time to monitor practice in the setting promoting consistency and acknowledging effective interaction from the staff. Respectful partnerships are fostered with parents and carers who express much satisfaction with the provision. They cite the stable and familiar staff group as strength, having developed mutual trust so that children's needs are discussed and addressed together. Partnerships with other professionals and agencies involved in children's development and learning are effective in developing consistency and bringing about the best outcomes for

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the early years provision

individual children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy and achieve very strongly benefiting from the well-planned experiences that are offered daily. Staff interact intuitively, supporting each child in their differing abilities and stages of development. Older children respond very well to the Montessori principles that guide the planning of the Early Years Foundation Stage with an effective balance of adult-led and child-initiated activity driving their learning. Some children are achieving above the expected levels, writing labels and signs around the setting and counting with confidence in their everyday activities. For example, a toddler counts out the breadsticks, ascribing a number correctly to each item, one, two, three. The observations and assessments are used well by staff to plot children's ongoing progress and indicating next steps in their development. A summary of their overall progress is shared with parents at regular intervals so that parents can contribute children's achievements from home to the

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and outcomes for children

records. This develops children's attainment as a true partnership between the nursery and their home.

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and outcomes for children

Striding out into the sunshine, children explore and investigate their surroundings. They have enthused over finding a frog in the garden and are now able to spot the various birds, insects and creatures that may visit their garden, referring to the beautiful paintings of such animals on display. They are eagerly awaiting the opening of the wooden maze that is being prepared and older children watch the proceedings with interest. All children are able to access all of the care areas inside and outside using ramps, wooden bridges and grassed areas for variety. Babies and toddlers enjoy walks and visits in the local area, feeding ducks on the nearby reservoir and extending physical skills and prowess on play equipment in the nearby park. Resources and equipment in each area is plentiful and suitable for the ages and stages of the children. Babies use the well-positioned hand rail to pull to standing and discover their reflections in the safety mirror. Language skills are

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and outcomes for children

promoted particularly focusing on phonics and sounds as some children show keen awareness of this aspect. Staff are skilful in their questioning enabling children to develop critical thinking and work out problems for themselves. At snack time, a child has the responsibility of recording what each child chooses to eat. Calculating the amounts is linked to the current focus on looking at adding, working out who has more or less of certain items and working out the totals.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy healthy and well-balanced meals and snacks, with full adherence to any specific dietary or religious requirements. Babies and toddlers are supported by key staff in developing independence in their feeding and older children enjoy the social interaction round the table. They follow well-practised routines for their own personal hygiene. They understand why hand washing is important to keep themselves healthy and help themselves to drinking water through the day. The opportunities for children to reflect on their day enables them to consider their behaviour and how they have interacted with their peers. This encourages a sense of awareness of developing relationships and considering the needs of others as well as their own. Consequently, children's behaviour overall is good, as they follow the positive role models offered by the friendly and enthusiastic staff. 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 1 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 1

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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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