The Mousehole Nursery, UCLHOfsted inspection, 17 Oct 2011

The Mousehole Nursery, UCLH Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 135108 Inspection date 17/10/2011 Inspector Caren Carpenter

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Setting address U.C.L.Hospitals Staff Nursery, Lower Ground Floor, 23 Devonshire Street, LONDON, W1G 6PG Telephone number 020 7935 5228 Email Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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

The Mousehole Nursery was registered in 1991. It is owned by the University College of London Hospital Trust (UCLH). It operates from the basement of a block which includes the halls of residence for the UCLH trust and is located within the London Borough of Westminster. The nursery is self-contained and consists of an office, kitchen, toddler's group room, pre-school room and a baby room. There are two enclosed outdoor play areas. Children come from a wide catchment area, as most of their parents travel into the city to work. The nursery provides a service for the staff of the UCLH trust only.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 29 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 24 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 5.50pm all year round, except for two weeks at Christmas. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery supports children with special education needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 10 staff members. Nine staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. One staff hold Early Years Professional Status and the manager and one staff hold the Early Years Foundation Degree.

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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 caring, inclusive and nurturing environment. Effective strategies are in place to ensure that all children are included and have their individual needs supported. Children make good progress in their learning and development, with most systems well established. Outstanding partnerships with parents ensure that children's needs are met effectively. The manager has a clear vision for the continuous development of the nursery and is working effectively with staff and parents to improve standards for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 plan further the daily use of the outdoor environment to offer children freedom to explore, use their senses, and be physically active and energetic  support children's growing independence at meal times by allowing them to serve their own food and pour their own drinks  develop further the use of ongoing observational assessment to inform planning for each child's continuing development. 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 effectively safeguarded due to robust policies and procedures. Thorough recruitment, induction and appraisal systems ensure staff are suitable to work with the children. Staff have good knowledge of safeguarding children and have received child protection training to ensure that they are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities in protecting children from harm. Staff are vigilant in carrying out regular risk assessments and daily safety checks to ensure that children are safe in all areas of the nursery.

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the early years provision

The manager has a clear vision for the future development of the nursery. The continuous review of their practice means that she has a realistic picture of their current strengths and weaknesses and can prioritise changes that improve outcomes for children. For example, the manager is committed and keen to improve daily opportunities for children to use the outdoor environment to explore and to be physically active. Good improvements have been made since the last inspection. For example, medication records are well maintained to promote children's welfare and staff use their knowledge gained from attending the 'Every child a talker' course to create friendly spaces during indoor to further develop children's speaking and listening skills. The nursery is well led and managed. Regular staff meetings ensure that staff are fully informed of any changes and provide staff with opportunities to share good practice. Effective planning ensures

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the early years provision

that staff are suitably deployed and good quality resources are accessible helping children to make independent choices. Comprehensive policies and procedures and all records required for safe and efficient management to meet all children's needs are well maintained and reflect current legislation.

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the early years provision

Inclusive practice is a well promoted within the nursery. Children's understanding of diversity and difference is enhanced as they celebrate festivals from around the world. They access to a selection of resources that reflect positive images of people from different cultures. This ensures that children learn to value aspects of their lives and the diverse society in which they live. Staff understand the importance of developing partnerships with others. They seek appropriate support from a range of professional agencies, such as the Area Special Educational Needs team to develop and review individual education plans to ensure that children with special needs and or disabilities benefit from a positive and rewarding experience.

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the early years provision

Staff have an outstanding partnership with parents. Parents are fully valued as partners and are confident in the ability of staff to meet the individual needs of their children. Excellent opportunities for parents to understand how children thrive and learn are offered during nursery routines and during trips out to various places of interest. The staff are fully committed to promoting an excellent two-way partnership with parents. For example, they use a large white board to keep parents extremely well informed of their children's experiences each day. Staff take time to talk to parents each day about their children and regular meetings, newsletters and informative boards ensures that parents are extremely involved in every aspect of nursery life. Parents are extremely supportive of the setting and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 speak highly of the staff team. They comment on how well their children have

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the early years provision

settled and value the care and education that is offered to them. They say the nursery is fabulous; staff are approachable and show commitment care and consistency in their work. The nursery has established links with a local school and transitional achievements profiles are shared effectively to ensure continued progression of children's care, learning and development and to support children transition to school.

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and outcomes for children

Children have good opportunities to develop a secure sense of belonging at the nursery. This helps them to feel safe and secure, and is fostered by staff's warm and friendly interactions and by the successful partnerships with parents. The nursery's thoughtful procedures help children to feel settled. For example, during the settling in process parents provide initial information on their children's achievements and the continued exchange of information is used to inform planning. Children make good progress in their learning and are supported in achieving because staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They observe children as they play, assessing their progress and using this information to inform the planning of activities, thus supporting children's individual development. However, this is not fully promoted because the assessment and planning procedures do not clearly show how each child's next

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and outcomes for children

developmental steps are consistently fed into the overall planning.Children choose from a range of purposeful activities, very carefully planned for them across all areas of their learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Babies and young children develop confidence and have a keen desire to learn, explore and experiment during various fun and messy play opportunities. For example, babies thoroughly enjoy themselves exploring bubbles and balls during water play activities. They play with a quality range of toys and experiences that promotes the development of their senses. For example, they investigate a range of natural resources responding to what they see, smell, touch and feel.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn how to use numbers through songs, rhymes and number games. They complete jigsaw puzzles, sort, match and compare during many practical activities. They are learning to recognise shapes such as circle, square, oval and rectangle. Children enjoy listening and contributing in story sessions and have good access to a wide range of quality books which they choose independently for pleasure in the cosy book areas. In addition, children choose from a selection of hand and finger puppets which engages and captures their interest, making story times interactive and fun. Children are developing their early writing skills and have good access to a range of writing resources which they select independently. Children have good opportunities to learn about living things as they grow beans in the garden with staff introducing simple information about life cycle and growth. Practical activities are also offered to encourage children to be active learners. For

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and outcomes for children

example, through discussion with the children staff plan a creative activity about modern arts using different techniques to allow children to explore different ways This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 of painting such as, flicking and pouring paint. Staff extended children's learning further by taking children to visit 'Tate Modern' to see examples of different artist work.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing a good understanding of personal hygiene and are encouraged to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Nappy changing procedures are thorough, which helps to reduce the spread of infection. Children enjoy healthy and nutritionally balanced meals and snacks that support their individual dietary needs. For example, they enjoy eating a selection of fresh fruits daily and delicious cooked meals such as, chicken curry, rice and vegetables. However, children's growing independence is not fully supported during meal times. Children have good access to fresh drinking water which they can help themselves to when they are thirsty. Children are encouraged to learn about safety issues and how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff provide first hand experiences for children learn to cross roads safely and they take part in regular fire drills practices. Children are well behaved. They learn to share and take turns

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and outcomes for children

and are considerate of each other as they build friendships with their peers and share warm and caring relationships with staff. Children show kindness and co- operation as they encourage others to join in their play, promoting useful skills for the future. 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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