St Matthew Academy

Carol Jane Montessori Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 135264 Inspection date 05/05/2011 Inspector Samantha Smith

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Setting address 80 The Ridgeway, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 8JF

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Telephone number 020 8364 4440 Email enquires@caroljanenursery.co.uk 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

Carol Jane Montessori Nursery opened in 1992. It is privately owned and operates from three rooms and an outdoor area of a converted house in the London borough of Enfield. The nursery is open five days a week, 50 weeks a year and sessions are from 8am until 3pm.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register to care for 24 children from two years old. There are currently 36 children on roll. This includes 25 funded three and four year olds. Children attend a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

A total of seven staff work with the children, all staff hold early years qualifications. The setting receives support 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

Overall, the nursery provides effectively for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and outcomes are consistently good. There is an excellent partnership with parents which contributes to the individual needs of children being effectively met. Most of the requirements are being met and the registered provider and staff demonstrate a commitment to continually improving their practice, maximizing opportunities to further improve outcomes for children. However, they are still working towards improving the quality of their observations systems.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure information is obtained about who has legal contact and parental responsibility for all the children (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 27/05/2011

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further?

 improve the record of risk assessment so that it includes information on who conducted it and the date of review (Suitable premises, environment and equipment). 27/05/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 increase further the opportunities for children to develop independence, especially when accessing water to drink  develop further observations and assessments to enable easy identification of children's future learning needs and use these when planning activities to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 meet the needs of every child.

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the early years provision

The setting is effectively led and managed and the provider has a clear ambition and vision for the setting. There are robust procedures in place to ensure that children are well safeguarded while in the setting. For example, clear recruitment and induction procedures are in place, ensuring that staff are suitable, have a clear understanding and have the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles effectively. The building is kept secure and all visitors are required to sign in the visitor's book and include the reason for their visit. Staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures and know exactly what to do if they have concerns about the welfare of children. Thorough risk assessments are carried out in order to minimize any potential hazards to children whilst on the premises. However, records completed are not fully in line with requirements. This is because they do not show when checks have been carried out or by whom.

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the early years provision

Staff support children's individual needs and promote equality and diversity well. Home visits are completed for all children before they begin attending. This provides a good opportunity for staff to get to know each child and work together with parents in identifying starting points. Effective partnerships and strong communication links have been established with both parents and other professionals involved with children, which contribute towards the excellent continuity of care and consistent approach between them. The setting is involved with other Early Years Foundation Stage providers in the borough as they take part in cluster meetings where they share aspects of good practice. Parents speak highly of the setting and state they are happy with the care and learning experiences provided and feel they are fully involved in the setting. They are provided with newsletters, invited to share coffee mornings and attend parent

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the early years provision

training workshops, some take part in the 'mystery visitor', where they come in to tell stories or sing songs with the children. In addition, information is clearly displayed around the setting and relevant information has been obtained for all children, with the exception of who has legal and/or parental responsibility for each child, which is a requirement. This has had minimal impact on the high standard of care and education offered. Information is shared with the school children move on to and some teachers visit children the setting to assist with the transition to school.

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the early years provision

The provider embeds ambition and drives improvement really well, with staff demonstrating a strong commitment to improve standards. They recently won an award for nursery of the year and current plans include an extension of the already excellent provision for the children. Plans are currently underway for the building of a sensory unit to support children's auditory and sensory needs. There is an effective programme of staff development in place and staff are well supported in furthering their qualifications. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and well settled in this stimulating and vibrant setting. They clearly enjoy attending the nursery and are consistently busy. Children show excellent concentration and perseverance skills as they engage in a broad range of activities. They benefit from the positive and secure attachments they have formed with staff, with the key worker system playing a key role.

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and outcomes for children

There are many opportunities for children to explore resources and they benefit from the excellent provision of daily outdoor activities, which enable them to learn through hands-on experiences. In particular, they learn about the forest, which provides them with a captivating and exciting area to explore nature, use natural resources and learn about living things. The forest also provides a great place for children to climb trees and engage in imaginary play as they make camps and learn to build camp fires. The well resourced log cabin with a nature exploration area and various books and materials gives children an exciting place to explore this further. Children enjoy first hand experiences as they learn to care for animals and other living creatures through their interactions with the nursery pets, which include fish, rabbits and the recently adopted.

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and outcomes for children

There is a constant flow of conversation as children engage in regular discussion with their peers and staff whilst engaged in play. Staff enhance every learning experience by engaging children in conversation, helping them to use their imagination and learn new skills. They challenge children to think for themselves, and solve problems, by using open-ended questions. Children freely use sign language to communicate and respond to staff and the nursery is also involved in the 'Every Child's a talker' scheme, run by the local authority.

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and outcomes for children

Collections of photographs and examples of work offer a visual picture of individual children's development over time. Staff use the available Montessori equipment to reinforce children's learning. They organise a range of activities each week using planning sheets to ensure that all learning areas are covered adequately. However, their observations and assessments systems are not yet fully developed. Staff know the children well and are able to move the children forward in their learning and appear to be providing appropriate challenges and activities, but this is not supported by clear documentation. The observations and assessment records are unclear in showing how children make progress and how they plan effectively to meet every child's learning needs.

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and outcomes for children

The setting places a strong emphasis on equality of opportunity; they pay close attention to enhancing their understanding of each child's background and provide a good range of resources, posters and play equipment that reflects cultural diversity.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and well-being is suitably promoted; staff consistently encourage good hygiene practices. For example, they remind children to wash their hands before eating, explaining why this is important. Parents are given advice on the provision of healthy lunches and children are encouraged to help themselves to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 drinks of water when they are thirsty. However, sometimes the water jugs are too heavy for the children which impacts on their independence. 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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