Bright Horizons at RAF Northolt

Bright Horizons at RAF Northolt Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY422030 Inspection date 02/06/2011 Inspector Christine Bonnett

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Setting address Royal Air Force, Northolt Airfield, West End Road, RUISLIP, Middlesex, HA4 6NG Telephone number 07809657732 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.

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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

Bright Horizons at RAF Northolt is one of 138 nurseries run by Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited. The nursery registered in 2010 and operates from a purpose built, single storey building within the grounds of RAF Northolt, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. A maximum of 74 children may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.00pm for 51 weeks of the year. Children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 62 children aged from five months to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four. It currently supports a number of children 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. It employs 19 staff, of whom 14 hold appropriate early years qualifications, with three staff working towards a qualification.

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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 a safe and fun environment for children. It offers an inclusive service in which all children are respected and valued as unique individuals. Overall, diversity is fostered well. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals and develop good self-confidence and independence. The majority of the required documents are maintained appropriately. The manager is fully committed to the continuous improvement of the nursery for the benefit of the children.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the provision of resources that reflect the diversity of children and adults within and beyond the setting  improve the attendance record for staff and children by entering their full names each day.

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the early years provision

The manager and her staff have thorough knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues. They are fully aware of the indicators of child abuse and the procedure to follow to report concerns. In addition, staff feel secure in the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 knowledge that they would be supported by higher management should they report any concerns about the conduct of their peers in relation to the well-being of children in their care. Parents are made aware of how they can raise complaints, and how they will be managed. The robust recruitment procedure includes checking the suitability of all staff who work with children. As the nursery is located on a military base, strict security measures are in place. Consequently, intruders would not be able to gain access to the children unchallenged, either at the main gate, or the nursery door. The attendance register in each room is checked at

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the early years provision

frequent intervals throughout the day to ensure all the children are accounted for. All the documents and records required for the safe and efficient management of the nursery are in place however, some lack all the necessary detail. Detailed risk assessments of the building are undertaken to ensure all potential hazards to children are identified and minimised effectively. The nursery also uses highly effective methods to encourage children to learn how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they have introduced a toy zebra, that the children named 'Candyfloss', as part of Health and Safety goal training. The aim is to use it to help promote children's awareness of potential risks within their environment and how to eliminate them. Staff use Candyfloss to remind children of basic safety rules, such as sitting properly on their chairs, otherwise they could fall and hurt themselves. However, Candyfloss is used most effectively to help children check

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the early years provision

the garden themselves to ensure it is safe to use. They confidently explain that the gates have to be checked each day in case children are able to leave unsupervised, and that wet paper must be cleared as it could cause them to slip.

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the early years provision

The manager has a clear vision of how she intends to develop the work of the nursery and communicates her ambitions effectively to her motivated staff team. Team meetings are held and suggestions from staff to enhance practice are welcomed. Further professional training to build upon existing skills is encouraged for all staff. Self-evaluation is carried out and changes made to the routine of the nursery to produce better outcomes for children. These include introducing a split lunch time for the babies. Both children and staff benefit from the new routine as lunch time has become a much calmer event for all. Plans for the future include developing the use of the garden to broaden still further the children's play and learning experiences. The nursery has also obtained use of an allotment in order to enable children to learn how to nurture plants as they grow, and appreciate the pleasures of eating home-grown vegetables. The manager has also identified that

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the early years provision

children need to have greater routine access to resources that reflect the diversity of the children within and beyond the nursery in order to embed their understanding of respecting and valuing cultures and beliefs different from their own.

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the early years provision

The nursery successfully establishes effective partnerships with parents. This ensures that the individual needs of each child are shared with their key person so that consistent and appropriate care can be provided. Parent representatives have recently been elected in order to raise any issues on behalf of the parent group. Parent meetings are also held monthly to discuss any topical issues. A 'Weekly Memo' is emailed to all parents to ensure that they are kept up-to-date with new staff members or forthcoming events. The memo is also used to inform parents of the menu for the week. Although staff are already aware of children's individual dietary needs, having this information in advance affords parents the opportunity This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 to up-date them and make useful suggestions. Parents are given a 'Family Guide' pack when their child joins the nursery. This contains the main policies and

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the early years provision

procedures as well as information about the Early Years Foundation Stage. Information is exchanged each day between parents and staff about each child's well-being. Communication forms are also used in the rooms for the younger children. The detailed form includes how long the child has slept, what they have eaten and what they enjoyed doing. During the inspection, parents commented that they liked the nursery very much and had no concerns. They stated that they enjoyed the good level of communication with their child's key worker which includes the developmental progress their child makes. The nursery also liaises closely with other agencies involved with providing care and education to children requiring additional support. Staff are effective in helping the children progress appropriately to achieve the best outcome.

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the early years provision

Although it is recognised that the nursery needs more resources that reflect diversity, staff find out about the cultural background of all the children, and what is important to them and their family. A variety of world faith and cultural festivals, such as a popular Italian festival, Chinese New Year and Easter are acknowledged with appropriate foods and other traditions. The nursery environment is conducive to children's learning. Each room provides children with ample space to enjoy the play equipment in comfort and safety. The nursery has a wide variety of resources that are fun, stimulating for children and help them make progress towards the early learning goals. The nursery is also maintained to a high standard of cleanliness to foster the good health of children. The baby room is a designated 'no shoe' area. This means that the carpet remains relatively clean throughout the day to enable young babies to lie and crawl on the floor with no obvious risk to

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the early years provision

their health. Staff monitor the children at all times round the rooms and garden to ensure their safety, and to provide appropriate support.

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy their play at the nursery. They become active and curious learners because staff have a good understanding of the six areas of learning and how to enable them to progress in each area in a fun and stimulating way. They are encouraged to make good use of the resources by accessing them independently and creating their own learning experiences. For example, confidently asking staff for cloths and filling up buckets of water from the bathroom in order to wash away the chalk drawings they made on the garden fence. Mark making is promoted in exciting ways for the children, such as providing them with clip boards of paper, or individual pads and felt tip pens to make lists or write down their choice of play activities for the morning. The 'malleable table' is a favourite with the children and enables them to develop their skills in each area of learning at the same time. The table contains a variety of

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and outcomes for children

ingredients needed to make dough, gloop (corn flour paste) or cakes. Children measure out flour, water, oil and colourings and use their imaginations to create a malleable substance to enjoy rolling, cutting and squashing. A favourite is chocolate dough. Staff use this session to help children learn to share and take This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 turns as well as to develop their numeracy skills. Each child has until the count of 10 to stir the mixture before it is passed on to the next child. Children benefit from routine access to a computer. They quickly learn how to operate simple counting programs and some older children are able to type their name. This activity equips them well with the skills they will need to operate information and communication technology in the future. Children in the baby room enjoy feeling the variety of textures in the treasure basket, such as wood and metal implements and being

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and outcomes for children

read stories while cuddling up to staff. Observations are carried out on the children as they play to assess their stage of development within the learning areas. The next step in their individual learning journey is identified and incorporated into the play plans. Each child's progress is reviewed and summarised every three months. The records clearly demonstrate the progress that each child is making. Parents are welcome to view their child's file at any time.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn the importance to their health of adopting good personal hygiene skills. They relate with conviction what germs will do if you do not wash them away before eating. All children have plenty of opportunity to benefit from physical exercise in the garden. The garden has lots of equipment for physical play, including a large climbing frame. Children also enjoy placing hoops on the floor and counting each one as they jump in the middle of them. The food provided is all home made on the premises. Menus are planned to take account of children's specific dietary needs and to ensure that a balanced and healthy meal is provided. On the day of inspection, lamb lasagne with vegetables was served, with apple and cherry crumble and ice cream for dessert. The snack menu includes fresh fruit, raw salad vegetables and crackers. Fresh drinking water is available at all times. Older children help to serve their meal, thereby further promoting their independence.

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is very good because each one is purposefully engaged in meaningful activities throughout the day. Children know what is expected of them, and help to write the rules for acceptable behaviour. These include treating each other with kindness and treating toys with respect. Having these consistent boundaries in place helps children develop a sense of belonging and security. Babies are nurtured warmly by caring staff. Staff hold them in their arms to bottle feed them and give them plenty of eye contact. Consequently, they settle quickly and become relaxed and content. Older children do not hesitate to express their needs to staff, such as wanting additional resources or to join in with a particular activity. This demonstrates that they too feel valued and safe, which in turn promotes their self-esteem and general well-being. 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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