Mini Treasures Day Nursery

Mini Treasures Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY423126 Inspection date 01/09/2011 Inspector Lindsay Farenden

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Setting address 21 Morden Hall Road, MORDEN, Surrey, SM4 5JD

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Telephone number 07814 557542 Email minitreasures_nursery@yahoo.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

Mini Treasures Day Nursery registered in 2008 and is one of two nurseries run by the proprietor. It operates from ground floor detached premises. There are four play rooms, toilets, office and a kitchen. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. There is suitable disabled access to the premises. The nursery is in Morden Hall Park in the London borough of Merton. It is open each weekday from 8.00am to 6.00pm for 51 weeks a year.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 32 children in the early years age group may attend the nursery at any one time. There are 24 children on roll. Children attend a variety of sessions. The nursery provides funded early education for three-and four-year olds. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. There is a total of five staff including the manager. Two staff have a degree in early years and other staff hold early years qualifications to level 2 and level 3.

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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 staff create a very welcoming child-centred environment. A wide range of stimulating activities and outings are provided, which ensures children are engaged in many fruitful learning and play experiences. Staff work closely with parents, which leads to effective continuity of care. Staff are keen to further involve parents in their child's continuous learning and development. Staff are committed to working with other agencies so children are able to get all the support they need. Links with schools are starting to be established. Overall children's individuality is valued and is nurtured by the staff who have a very good knowledge of each child's individual needs, interests and abilities. The provider and staff team are committed to continually improving the outcomes for children through monitoring the provision and through the use of evaluation.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop opportunities for parents to contribute to their child learning journals. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are exceptionally well safeguarded. All staff attend in house child protection training and have a very clear understanding of the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child. Comprehensive polices are consistently applied to promote children's safety and welfare. The premises, garden and each individual outing are subject to extremely thorough risk assessments. Children are actively involved in doing the risk assessments in the garden with the staff; thus they learn about potential dangers and how these can be minimized to keep themselves safe. Fire fighting equipment is in place and regular fire drills ensure staff are familiar with the procedures to evacuate children quickly and safely in an emergency. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures ensure staff are suitable and enjoy working with children.

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the early years provision

The nursery is bright and attractive with photographs, children's work and posters displayed throughout. The play rooms are very well resourced with a simulating range of toys, natural resources, equipment and books to which children have easy access. All staff have an early years childcare qualification and a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The provider is very motivated and has clear vision of what she wants to achieve and ably supports the development of the staff team. Action plans are in place for continuous improvement in the setting. For example, to develop the garden area in order to further enhance children's learning during outside play and liaise more closely with schools which children move onto and other settings they may attend.

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the early years provision

Staff have built a strong relationships with parents because they are open, friendly and approachable. Right from the start, staff find out about children's skills, interests and needs and use this information effectively to help children to settle and achieve further. Parents receive information about all aspects of the setting through notice boards and a detailed brochure, which includes the nursery policies and the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Daily written and verbal feed back each day provides parents with good information on their child's care routine and the play activities they have enjoyed taking part in. Parents and carers speak highly about the staff and the nursery provision. Parents receive a detailed report of their child's progress when they leave. A copy is also passed on to the school they are moving onto, so they are fully aware of the child's skills.

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the early years provision

Staff provide a fully inclusive service for all children. They work closely with parents and approach other professionals to ensure children get all the support they need. Children with English as an additional language are making good progress as staff learn key words in their child's own language and use picture cards to aid communication. Children learn to value and respect people's differences through taking part in activities relating to different festivals, such as Easter and Eid. 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 very relaxed in the homely environment that the nursery provides. They build good relationships with the staff and have very strong sense of belonging. This shows that children feel extremely safe, secure and confident within the environment. Babies are very content as staff endeavour to spend time with them on a one to one basis, talking and playing with them. Children respond readily to staff's realistic, calmly expressed expectations of good behaviour. Staff are respectful and reassuring to children, recognizing the importance of children knowing what is happening next and being constantly praised for their efforts.

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and outcomes for children

Children are busy and active learners. Creativity is strongly encouraged through painting in various ways, sticking activities, different types of textured materials, sand, water and cooking activities. They use a wide range of resources to sort by size, colour and dimension to raise their awareness of colour shape and form. Babies and children readily represent their ideas through mark making using various drawing materials. Some more able children recognise their name and are beginning to write recognizable letters. Children show an avid interest in books and enjoy having stories read to them. During circle time children play musical instruments and sing songs with great gusto. Early communication skills are extremely well supported through high quality adult-child interactions. Children access in every day play an excellent range of toys and books which reflect diversity, providing them with positive images of themselves and others. Children

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and outcomes for children

regularly access the garden which is set up with resources to promote children's learning during outside play. Children pedal bikes with enthusiasm and skill. They enjoy looking at bugs and admiring the huge sunflowers they have grown. They have great fun playing in the large sand pit, pretending they are at the seaside. Children thoroughly enjoy a wealth of outings which develops their appreciation of the diversity of locations visited. These outings provide children with real life learning experiences. For example, they learn about road safety as they walk to the bus stop, enjoy bus rides to local amenities, go for walks in national trust countryside, visit farms and buy fish from an aquarium for the nursery.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in their learning and development in relation to their starting point. The established key person system means that children's progress is regularly and methodically observed and recorded. These are then used in planning in response to children's interests and identified next steps of learning. Each child has their own learning journey book which tracks their progress, using observations and photographs. These are a memorable record of their time at the nursery and are shared with parents, although parents are not encouraged to contribute to them. Staff spend the majority of time interacting with the children and are skilled at asking questions to develop children's thinking and to consolidate their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyle. Children relish playing in garden whatever the weather. They are taken on regular walks and visit soft play centres. Babies and children receive very nutritious meals and snacks. Meal times are relaxed and pleasurable occasions. Children's dietary This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 requirements are taken into full account. They are also offered alternative foods if they do not like what is offered on the menu of the day. Children play in very clean premises in which high priority is given to hygiene procedures. Children know they need to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. A suitable first aid box is in place and a number of staff are trained in first aid, so any accidents can be responded to immediately. 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 1 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 1 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

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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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