St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale

Matilda Community Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 119588 Inspection date 19/10/2011 Inspector Jennifer Liverpool

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Setting address St Katherines Way, London, E1W 1LQ

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Telephone number 020 7480 6396 Email matildanursery@aol.com 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. 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

Matilda Community Day Nursery was registered in 1992. It operates from two rooms in purpose built premises on a housing estate near St Katherine's Docks in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare register. A maximum 15 children under eight years may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 22 children aged from one to under five years on roll. The nursery receives funding for free education sessions for three-and four-year-olds.

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Description of the setting

There are four members of staff, all of whom hold relevant early years qualifications.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's welfare is appropriately met through staff's caring attitude and their sound knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Children make good progress in their learning and development although there are some inconsistencies in the way staff use their observations to plan for children's next steps and monitor their achievements. Strong partnerships with parents considerably contribute to children's care, learning and development. There are several breaches of welfare requirements which relate to documentation and policy. The manager and staff have a positive attitude towards developing the provision and demonstrate an appropriate capacity to improve the outcome for children.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 develop and implement a procedure to be followed in the event of a parent failing to collect a child at the appointed time (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 26/10/2011

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further?

 improve the record of the risk assessment by clearly stating by who carried it out and the date of review and any action taken following a review (Documentation) 26/10/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  maintain a daily record of the children's hour of attendance (Documentation) (also applies to the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register). 20/10/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 develop more consistency in monitoring children's progress across all areas of learning and analysing the observations to help plan the next steps in children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

Children are appropriately safeguarded as relevant child protection procedures and guidelines are understood and implemented by all staff. There are sound recruitment procedures in place. All staff hold relevant qualifications and are able to attend further relevant childcare training. This means that suitable, experienced and qualified staff look after children. The nursery does not have a procedure to be followed in the event of a child not being collected. This is a breach of requirement and has the potential to put children at risk. Overall, the records in the setting are generally well maintained. However, the system for recording children's attendance is inconsistent since it does not always accurately show children's hours of attendance. This is also a breach of requirement and a potential safeguarding issue.

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the early years provision

Staff make regular risk assessments both indoors and outdoors to minimise hazards and help ensure the safety of children. However, the record of the risk assessment is not maintained to the required standard as it does not show who carried out the risk assessment or provide the date of review. Although this is a breach of requirement it does not impact significantly on children. Staff have a very positive attitude to equality and diversity. They embrace children's differences and promote this by treating each child as an individual and celebrating differences through a varied range of activities. Staff ensure that resources are appropriate, used well and easily accessible to the children. This allows children opportunities to make choices about their own play.

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the early years provision

The nursery has developed good working partnerships with parents. Together they share ideas, exchange views and raise funds to improve the provision for children. Parents receive information about their child's general well-being through daily written reports. They are encouraged to be involved in their child's care and learning. Staff share children's development records with them and parents contribute photographs of children's achievements and adventures outside the nursery. Staff are aware of the benefits to children of developing partnerships with outside agencies and other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. The self-evaluation process is sufficiently detailed. Overall, the manager and staff have a clear understanding of the provision's strengths and they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 are willing to continue to improve the outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Staff create a warm and welcoming environment for children and their families. The welcome board at the entrance of the setting is written in a range of languages to help everyone feel valued. Children's work and their family photographs are attractively displayed and labelled which gives children a sense of belonging. All children take part and enjoy the wide range of activities and play experiences. Staff have a clear understanding of how children learn. They engage well with them and provide activities that are fun and purposeful. They make observations to monitor children's progress although there is some inconsistency in their recording of these. There are also inconsistencies in the use of their observations to identify the next steps in children's learning. This means that there are some gaps in children's records of achievement and that individual learning needs are not always fully planned for.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident speakers. They have lots of opportunities to take part in meaningful conversations. For example, they express their thoughts and ideas about favourite foods. They ask questions and talk about past events. They carry out complex body movements when participating in yoga sessions, demonstrating good coordination and flexibility. They confidently pedal trikes and show good climbing skills. They play freely and enjoy exploring the range of materials available. For example, they experiment with paint, sand and corn flour and discover texture, shape and form. They investigate the environment when digging the mud in the garden to find bugs. They use a magnifying glass to look at insects. Weekly visits to local amenities, such as the parks, river walk, shops and the farm help children to learn about their local environment. An increasing range of programmable toys supports children's understanding of numbers, size and

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and outcomes for children

shapes. Children's behaviour is good overall and their understanding of right from wrong develops as they respond to reminders from staff to care for each other and the resources.

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and outcomes for children

There are good systems in place to promote hygiene. For example, staff wear protective clothing during nappy changing and table tops are cleaned before and after use. From an early age children learn the importance of good personal hygiene and even the younger children are keen to wash their hands at routine times. Children enjoy varied and nutritious foods which meet their dietary requirements. For example, they are offered vegetable curry and rice, courgette fritters and ratatouille with couscous. Fresh drinking water is available at all times and children confidently help themselves. This encourages them to think about their personal needs. Children play outside and extend their physical skills on a daily basis. They are learning about how to keep themselves safe. For example, they take part in regular fire drills to learn how to leave the premises quickly and safely. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 3 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept). 20/10/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept). 20/10/2011

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