Buttercups at Acton

Buttercups at Acton Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY428492 Inspection date 30/11/2011 Inspector Julie Biddle

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Setting address Buttercups Day Nursery, 27 Old Oak Road, LONDON, W3 7HN Telephone number 0208 749 9459 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. 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

Buttercups at Acton first opened in 1999 and re-registered in 2011. It is one of a group of nurseries privately owned by Buttercups Nursery Limited. It operates from six rooms within the Old Vicarage in Acton in the London borough of Ealing. A maximum of 41 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 40 children on roll in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for early education. Children come from the local and wider community. The nursery employs eight staff who work with the children; all staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. In addition, the nursery employs support staff. The nursery is affiliated to the Pre-school Learning Alliance. The nursery practises the High Scope approach to learning and play.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The staff team are highly skilled in recognising the uniqueness of each child and providing for their individual needs and interests. The partnerships between the key workers, the children and their parents are highly effective. Consequently the outcomes for all children are outstanding. Overall partnerships with others are effective. The management team and the staff have very clear visions for the future. They demonstrate an excellent capacity for continuous improvement to enhance the service for all of the children.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 initiating new ideas to develop partnerships with schools to aid the transition process for children.

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate a very high level of commitment to protecting children at all times. This helps to ensure children are safeguarded. Comprehensive policies and procedures are consistently implemented to make certain any concerns are prioritised and dealt with effectively. In addition, robust recruitment procedures are in place to help ensure all adults working with the children are suitable to do so. Extremely effective staff deployment contributes to children's feelings of safety and confidence. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The environment is inspiring; staff offer a range of activities that encourage children's interest and curiosity. High quality resources are available to all children and they are given time and space to concentrate on their activities and develop their own interests. Comprehensive observations and assessments are carried out

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the early years provision

to monitor and ascertain each child's achievements and next steps within the learning areas. Each child has a detailed learning journey containing examples of their work, photographs of them at play, and their observations. These clearly demonstrate the outstanding progress they make.

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the early years provision

Engagement with parents is exemplary. There is a daily two-way exchange of information to identify and support each child's needs. Parents come into the setting to share in special events such as Pancake Day, breakfast in the garden and creating Diwali lanterns. These events occur at differing times to suit the needs of the parents. Parents are unanimous in their praise of the setting. In particular they mention the warm caring environment, the compassionate staff and they all state 'our children are happy'. The staff have a superb understanding and strong commitment to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. Close and highly effective partnerships with other professionals supports this work to promote inclusion for all children. Links with schools that children attend are extremely good though a little less successful to support their transitions.

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the early years provision

The management team are inspiring, highly motivated and reflect fully on their practice. They share their enthusiasm and ambition with their extremely committed staff to continuously build on the work of the setting. Training opportunities mean staff remain inspired and challenged in their work. Morale is very high and the well-established team have a strong belief in the setting and supporting children. There are extensive self-evaluation systems in place which include high input from the management, staff and parents and identify areas of strength and for improvement. Targets set are realistic and achievable and support the continuous improvement of the setting. A quality assurance officer works very closely with staff, offering support, ideas and training opportunities to enhance the already exemplary practice and, in turn, benefit all the children.

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and outcomes for children

The staff make excellent use of all indoor and outdoor space and resources to provide an interesting, stimulating and challenging environment for the children. Children's current and ever changing interests are fully included in the planning. They play a dynamic role in the setting and are encouraged by the enthusiastic staff to feel confident about the own abilities. Children persist at their chosen activities. They have high levels of concentration, for example, building a tower ever so carefully, trying again and again until the tower is bigger than them. The staff use this opportunity to discuss concepts of height and they challenge the children to consider 'is the tower taller than you?'. Children are delighted when staff take a picture of the tower and praise them for the effort. The environment is This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 rich in examples of creative work, encouraging children's self-expression. Creative

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and outcomes for children

resources are fully available to children throughout the day. They confidently use their imaginations as they play in the home corner, cooking carrots bought at the market stall. Children have created their own cave area that they are using to display their creative work. Staff fully embrace and extend children's early writing skills, encouraging children to write their own names.

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and outcomes for children

Staff enthusiastically help children to gain a very high level of understanding about personal safety and of others around them. The staff also remind children to be careful as they climb stairs and move around the garden. Children have wonderful opportunities to enjoy the outdoor environment in all weathers. The inspiring and well-resourced outdoor area provides equipment that stimulates and excites the children. Consequently, they have a wonderful time as they ride scooters, climb and slide. They make extremely good use of a ramp area rolling hoops and chasing them and are particularly delighted to speed down the ramp on their cars and push-along toys. These rich and varied opportunities allow children to understand about safe risks and how to keep themselves healthy.

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and outcomes for children

The children explore their environment, identifying features and noticing the natural world. They have a superb time investigating with a magnifying glass and worms, looking at them 'wiggling' in the soil. They have planted vegetables and fruit, learning how to care for growing things. The children consistently learn about a healthy lifestyle through practical activities such as hand washing. They very ably describe the proper way to wash hands to stop 'germs', remembering that they 'can make our tummy poorly'. They are provided with an extensive menu of food that is freshly cooked on site. Children's individual dietary requirements are fully acknowledged and very well catered for by the nursery cook.

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and outcomes for children

Children have an extremely high regard for one another and the staff. They show they have an extremely good sense of feeling safe in their environment as they confidently seek out assistance or comfort when they need it. The children's sense of belonging is fostered exceptionally well as their photographs, paintings and collage work are displayed all around the environment. Babies receive high levels of comfort and support as they play and explore. Their expressive body language reflects their high levels of security. Staff strongly encourage babies to develop their confidence as they investigate and tentatively take their first steps.

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and outcomes for children

The children show extremely high levels of interest as they develop skills for the future. They enjoy using an extensive range of programs on the computers, which support their problem solving skills. Music is effectively used across the setting; children enthusiastically join in with familiar songs, such as Incy Wincy Spider. They are excited by the use of a props box during their singing session, as they all laugh when they are sprayed with water as the rain washes the spider out. Singing sessions are enhanced by staff using community languages when they sing. Staff also use songs to support children's understanding of calculation as they count the currant buns in the shop. Story-telling is vibrant and exciting for children because staff use story sacks to add new dimensions to the story. In addition, children are delighted when parents take part in reading stories to the group. Children delight in laminating examples of shapes they have drawn. This activity leads to wonderful

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and outcomes for children

conversations about how the laminator works, how the paper 'feeds' it, how to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 avoid bubbles in the plastic, and how the finished product feels. Children are further delighted as they choose where to hang their pictures.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to have an enriched understanding about people who have different needs, views, cultures and beliefs. They play with a broad range of toys and resources that reflect positive images of diversity. They also explore a broad and extremely good range of festivals around the calendar year through practical activities and special events.

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and outcomes for children

Children flourish in this happy stimulating environment. Staff support new children and parents exceptionally well, by providing a successful settling in period to meet the needs of each child and family. Children enjoy very high levels of interaction with staff who are kind and encourage them to feel safe. Children understand behaviour expectations at the setting and receive significant levels of praise for achievement and effort. Consequently, their behaviour is excellent; they develop a strong sense of belonging and high levels of self-esteem. 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 1 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 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 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 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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