London Road Nursery

London Road Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number EY296305 Inspection date 19/05/2011 Inspector Katie Dempster

p.1

Setting address Patidar House, 22 London Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 7EX Telephone number 0208 975 1648 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

p.1

you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the setting

London Road Nursery was registered in 2004 and it is run by a private provider. The setting operates from the basement of a community centre in Wembley. There is access to a large main hall, connected baby area and a secure outdoor play area. The nursery provides a service for children from the local community. The setting is open each weekday from 8.00am to 6.00pm all year round except Christmas and bank holidays.

p.4

Description of the setting

It is registered to care for 59 children in the early years age range and there are currently 60 children on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions each week. Systems are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language.

p.4

Description of the setting

The setting employs 10 full-time staff and four part-time members of staff. All members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children have fun in the safe, inclusive and very child-centred environment. They make good progress in all areas of their development as a result of the focus placed on identifying and planning for their individual interests, care and learning needs. Great emphasis is placed on self-evaluation which supports the management and staff team to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Outstanding partnerships with parents has been established, much has been implemented to keep parents informed of their children's time within the setting. Overall, the setting is run with much organisation.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 review the lunch time routine to ensure a calm atmosphere is created and children do not have to wait long periods for food  create an interesting and stimulating outdoor environment to compensate for the lack of space

p.4

the early years provision

Children are safeguarded effectively. Staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures and know how to implement these to protect the children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The manager takes lead responsibility for coordinating the investigation of child protection concerns. She has attended training to support her in this role, and a clear process is in place should it be necessary to make a referral. Risk assessments are undertaken of the premises and all outings in order to identify any potential hazards. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that children are cared for by suitably qualified and fully vetted staff.

p.4

the early years provision

Strong leadership and management in addition to effective team working result in a smoothly run environment. A strong commitment to self-evaluation and ongoing improvement ensures that practices are constantly evolving and improving to reflect the needs of the children and their families. Quality assurance schemes such as Effective Early Learning (EEL) and Make A Big Difference (MABD) shows a dedication to improving practise further. On-going action plans devised by the whole staff team allow the setting to maintain continuous improvement.

p.5

the early years provision

Partnerships with parents is outstanding. The staff team go to great lengths to make parents feel welcome and included in their children's time at the nursery. They receive an extensive range of high quality information and there are many opportunities for parents to be involved in their children's learning. For example, a vast array of information is displayed on the many notice boards, parents can watch videos of children at play on the large screen TV in the foyer, and a 'book of the week' folder gives parents information about what books the children are reading to allow them to talk to their children about it and encourage learning at home. Parents are invited to workshops to give them a greater insight into nursery life. A successful workshop, based on the Early Years Foundation Stage, saw parents actually participating in the nursery's day to day running as children, set up by staff to imitate a typical day. This valuable relationship that has been

p.5

the early years provision

fostered is hugely beneficial for children as continuity of care can be effectively achieved.

p.5

the early years provision

The commitment to promoting an inclusive environment is outlined in the policies provided for parents and carers. Children's individual needs are very well respected and they also take part in activities and discussions which help to extend their knowledge and understanding of diversity. For example, festival celebrations and different skin tone puppets. The nursery works closely with local authority advisors and other professionals to support children with additional needs and effective arrangements are also in place to work with children and families for whom English is an additional language.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children make very good progress in all areas of their development as a result of the broad range of experiences on offer and the effective system in place to observe, assess and plan for their interests and next steps. They benefit from the successful teaching methods and well framed questioning to encourage their thinking and reasoning skills. For example, posing a problem to the children and asking them how they think it can be solved. The learning environment has been This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 incredibly well deployed with resources and the entire setting has been transformed into highly visually stimulating surroundings. Staff are close by for intervention where necessary but also allow children to choose freely from the enormous variety of toys, resources and activities on offer. The environment is set out well to ensure children have freedom of choice and movement. However, this

p.5

and outcomes for children

organisation does not extend to the lunch time routine. The noise levels become very high when preparing children for lunch, thus the atmosphere created can be unsettling. Furthermore, some children have to wait much longer than others when waiting to be called to serve their lunch.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children use their creative skills as they explore paint printing with different objects such as cars and wheels. They have made interesting displays and their work presented all around the environment. Imaginative play is well supported as children have access to many interesting, real life resources to aid their play. They thoroughly enjoy dressing the dolls with a member of staff. They carefully get them dressed and discuss how to treat them with care and love.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children gain wonderful insight into the world around us through meaningful activities which being learning to life. When staff introduce a new fish to the children, they all gather round excitedly. Staff talk to the children about the process of adding a new fish to the water, they all take turns stirring the water and smelling the fish food, one child announces, 'it smells fishy'. Other activities such as henna, a temporary form of skin decoration, offer children wider learning experiences.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children are developing wonderful social skills. They are confident, happy and secure in the setting. They cheerfully speak to visitors, asking their name and what they are doing in the nursery. Their understanding of sustainability is also promoted as they take part in recycling activities and learn about where it comes from during planting and growing of seeds. The support and encouragement that children receive to make choices and decisions, as well as the good progress that they are making in their learning and development, helps to prepare them for the future.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Support for children's understanding of healthy lifestyles is wonderful. They enjoy healthy and nutritious snacks and meals and all dietary requirements are carefully considered. For example, emphasis placed on ensuring all meals appear the same so not to make some children feel segregated from their peers. Drinking water is readily available, with each individual child's cup clearly labelled to avoid spreading germs. Children gain great insight into the benefits of healthy options. They talk about the effects food has on our bodies and know how important it is. For example, some children when asked about the benefits of fruit and vegetables explain how they are good for circulation and building strong muscles. They are also developing excellent personal care routines, washing their hands after using the toilet and before sitting down to eat.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children take part in very regular opportunities to develop their physical skills. The setting has access to the main building's auditorium and dance studios. Here they engage in large scale activities such as tug of war. Although the setting has access to a small outdoor area, this has not been embraced to fulfil its full potential in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 creating an exciting space for children to access.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children are made aware of safety issues in an age and stage appropriate manner. They engage in risk taking activities such as cutting fruit where they have to decide the most appropriate tool to use and under the watchful eye of a member staff, learn how to handle them correctly and safety. Furthermore, road safety role play helps children learn about important safety behaviour in meaningful, appropriate ways. Children behaviour is very good, they are able to take instruction from staff and play well together. Friendships are forming and children show much care and considerable for one another as they cuddle and hold hands. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.8

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

p.8

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.8

Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 1 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

p.8

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

p.8

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 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

p.8

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

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.9