Downside First School

Catherine House Day Nursery School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 129017 Inspection date 09/06/2011 Inspector Lorraine Sparey

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Setting address 71 Tressillian Road, Brockley, London, SE4 1YA

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Telephone number 0208 692 5015 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

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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

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

Catherine House Day Nursery School was registered in 1998 and is part of a chain of privately-owned nurseries. It operates from a large, double-fronted, three-storey Victorian house, with gardens. It is located in a residential area within the Borough of Lewisham. The nursery serves the local area and is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery is registered to provide full day care for 70 children from three months to under five years and eight children from four to eight years after school. There are currently 110 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The setting receives funding for three and four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who learn English as an additional language. There is a team of 37 staff working with the children which includes specialist teachers, a cook and admin staff. Of these, 22 have early years

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Description of the setting

qualifications to level 2 or 3. The nursery has regular support from an area special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). Staff have access to training courses and support services run by the Lewisham Early Years Advice and Resource Network (LEARN).

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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 enjoy their time in the nursery and are motivated in their learning. Staff provide a generally broad range of activities and play opportunities enabling children throughout the nursery to make good progress in their learning and development. Most aspects of the nursery are well organised. Staff create a generally inclusive environment where children's individual needs are well supported. There are effective procedures in place to ensure that parents, children, staff and management are involved in decision-making. This enables them to make continuous progress and provide positive outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the organisation and routines to ensure that all children's individual needs are met  review planned activities with the younger children to ensure that they are age-appropriate. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children. All staff have attended child protection training and know procedures to follow in the event of a concern with regard to children's welfare. Risk assessments and daily safety checks enable staff to provide a safe and welcoming environment. Rigorous and robust recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Regular review meetings and appraisals provide good opportunities to review staff's roles and responsibilities. Good training opportunities are available both in house and externally and there is strong leadership from the manager and the area managers.

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the early years provision

Effective monitoring and evaluation systems are in place to enable staff to reflect on their practice. The views of parents and children are sought through discussion and parental questionnaires. As a result of feedback the nursery reviewed and increased outings with the three-year-old children, increasing their opportunities to visit the library and other places of interest. Management and staff complete the Ofsted self-evaluation providing opportunities for them to consider all aspects of the provision to provide positive outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

Resources are generally well deployed throughout the nursery. Each room is well equipped to provide good quality play and learning opportunities. Some resources are provided for specific age groups, such as a visiting dance teacher for the three- year-olds. Older children benefit from observing chicks hatching, learning about life cycles. Throughout the week all babies and toddlers have opportunities to visit the park. However, at times the organisation of the outings means that children are waiting. For example, on the day of the inspection it took 25 minutes to complete the forms and get the children settled in the buggy and wagon. Generally throughout the nursery staff interact well with children using effective questioning to extend their learning. Overall, there is a good range of resources to support older children's understanding of the wider world. Children with additional needs are well supported.

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the early years provision

Highly-effective partnerships with parents and carers are developed enabling them to be fully involved in their child's learning and time at the nursery. There are parent representatives who work closely with staff and management enabling them to share the parents' views and opinions. Excellent information is provided through newsletters specific to individual rooms, notice boards and the nursery's open door policy. Parents state their children 'love coming to nursery', and the staff are 'always happy and approachable'. Extremely positive relationships are developed with other early years professionals and settings to enable children to reach their full potential. The nursery visits the local school on a regular basis enabling children to become familiar with the different environment. Regular liaison with teachers allows a consistent approach to children's learning. Staff work hard to create positive relationships with the local community.

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the early years provision

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 motivated and interested in the variety of activities and play opportunities available. Generally throughout the nursery they are age appropriate and provide effective challenges. Older children enjoy following different life cycles with the living chicks program, tadpoles and caterpillars. They have created a bug area in the garden to further support their interest. Children listen to well-read stories and are provided with puppets to increase their enjoyment. They confidently predict the next part of the story saying the familiar phrases before the member of staff. Younger children explore a wide variety of materials, such as mashed potato using wooden spoons, sand and paint. They use their bodies to explore the different textures. Children throughout the nursery have opportunities to play in the outdoor area at different times throughout the day. Toddlers have their own smaller area enabling them to move freely between the indoor and

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and outcomes for children

outdoor environment. The outside area is well resourced to provide good learning opportunities for children. Several older children choose to make a castle using the large blocks. Staff use this opportunity to talk about the different shaped pieces and promote children's awareness of safety while they are building. Children are very engaged and spend considerable time making it to their satisfaction. They cooperate well with each other and staff. Other children delight in using paint brushes and water. A child passes a paintbrush to another and they begin flicking the water. A member of staff suggests they see how far they flick the water. This results in them laughing with delight.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a good awareness of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. They ensure that activities are linked to children's individual interests. They have recently implemented new observation, assessment and planning systems to enable staff to focus on children's individual learning pathways. There are inconsistencies in the content of children's learning journeys. Some have several observations linked to a specific area, such as creative development, but are lacking in observations of physical development. This is something management have recognised and are working to ensure improvements are made. Staff know children's individual needs well and, as a result, they are making good progress in their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children have good opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. They complete physical activities, such as dance and sport on the field and in the garden area. Children generally follow good hygiene routines throughout the nursery. They benefit from healthy and nutritious snacks and meals which are freshly prepared by the cook. Children learn about safety because staff are positive role models and give good explanations to enable children to understand the consequences of their actions. For example, several children use bikes on the raised wooden blocks and member of staff immediately asks what may happen. A child says we may fall off and hurt ourselves. The member of staff praises them and suggests they use a different area if they wish to use the bikes. Regular fire evacuation drills enable children to become familiar with what to do in an emergency. Children's behaviour is good given their age and stage of development. Staff are positive role models

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and outcomes for children

and frequently praise their achievements to develop children's understanding of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the boundaries and expectations. Children have good opportunities to learn about the wider world. Excellent displays in the communal areas of the nursery provide positive images and good quality information to enable children to value differences. The children have opportunities to visit in the local community developing their sense of belonging. 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 1 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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