Grace Neighbourhood NurseryOfsted inspection, 22 Mar 2012

Grace Neighbourhood Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY303169 Inspection date 22/03/2012 Inspector Fiona Robinson

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Setting address Mulberry Park Childrens Centre, Boxgrove School, Boxgrove Road, London, SE2 9JP Telephone number 0208 310 0040 Email info@gracenursery.co.uk 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

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

Grace Neighbourhood Nursery was registered in 2005. It operates from a purpose- built building, which is shared with the Sure Start Children's Centre, in the grounds of Boxgrove School in Abbeywood, in the London Borough of Greenwich. There is disability access to the building. The nursery consists of a baby room and a large group room for children from two to five years. All children have access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area and have the use of the school hall. The nursery provides support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. The nursery may care for no more than 50 children in the early years age group. Of these, not more than 30 may be under three years at any one time, and of these, not more than 10 may be under two years at any one time. There are currently 81 children, aged from three months to under five years

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Description of the setting

on roll. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two, three and four-year-olds. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year. Children come from the local and surrounding areas and attend for a variety of the sessions on offer. There are 21 members of staff who work with the children. Of these, three hold Early Years Practitioner Status; one is studying for a Masters Degree in Psychology and Education; one holds a degree in Education and is a qualified teacher; one is working towards a degree in Early Years; five hold a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at Level 4 or above; 14 hold NVQs at Level 3 or the equivalent; four have NVQs at Level 2 and are working towards Level 3 and one is working towards a NVQ at Level 2. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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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

This is an outstanding setting. Children achieve very well overall, in a bright, stimulating indoor and outdoor environment because they are fully included in a very good range of activities, although their use of technology is underdeveloped. They behave extremely well and staff are highly skilled at increasing their understanding of making healthy and safe choices. There are outstanding links with parents and carers, the host school, Children's Centre and outside agencies, and information and support is shared very effectively. The manager, leadership team and staff have a very clear knowledge of the nursery's strengths and areas for improvement and demonstrate an excellent capacity for future development.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  develop further the range and use of technology to support children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

Children's safety is promoted exceptionally well because staff have an outstanding knowledge of safeguarding and child protection issues. Security within the nursery is given a high priority and rigorous daily risk assessments ensure the environment is kept safe. Comprehensive policies and procedures are implemented fully to ensure children are safeguarded from harm and neglect. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that staff and adults working with, or having contact with the children, are highly suitable. Staff are deployed very effectively to ensure children are supervised at all times. Fire evacuation procedures are practised regularly to familiarise staff and children with the routine. Staff and parents and carers have a secure knowledge of the rigorous procedures in place for the collection of children. Resources are maintained to a high standard and tidily stored. The manager, leadership team and staff have excellent drive and ambition.

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the early years provision

The nursery is exceptionally well-led and managed because there are outstanding self-evaluation systems in place which ensure that improvements have a significant impact on children's experiences and achievement. Managers and staff have high levels of dedication and commitment. Outstanding vision, excellent teamwork, planning and assessment significantly benefit the children's learning and development. Staff are very successful in bringing innovation to the curriculum, such as the development of excellent forest school provision in the outdoor area. Outstanding progress has been made in building on children's strengths and interests and staff rigorously monitor activities and set challenging targets. Staff promote equality and diversity to an exemplary level and ensure children are integrated fully in activities. 'Black History Month' is celebrated annually, with a focus on traditional dance, stories, food, music, singing in different languages and

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the early years provision

displays. Parents and carers are actively involved in storytelling and talking about cultural experiences. This encourages all children to value diversity and excellent support is provided for children who speak English as an additional language. Staff make very effective use of an excellent range of resources, such as the forest school area, to meet the needs of the children. They have a very clear idea of areas for development, such as increasing resources in technology. Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. They consider that staff are very caring and approachable and their children enjoy a wide range of fun-filled activities. Staff keep them fully informed about their child's day, achievements and progress so they can build on these at home. Parents and carers value the children's learning journey records shared at consultation meetings and become familiar with the children's progress over time. They are kept fully informed of special events and

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the early years provision

activities through informal discussions, the parents' and carers' notice board and comprehensive newsletters. Parents and carers are very supportive of festivals, the nativity play and trips to the major landmarks, a toy museum and park. Staff have established excellent links with the host school and feeder schools to ensure that children experience a smooth transition into full-time education. There are outstanding links with the Children's Centre and outside agencies, who help staff to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from extremely well-organised, purposeful play and make outstanding progress in all areas. Staff value the children's ideas and include these in their planning and organisation of activities. Topics, such as 'People Who Help Us', 'Spring' and 'The Jungle' enhance their experiences. Staff regularly monitor the children's achievements and progress and use the information very effectively to develop their skills. Children are extremely confident and well-motivated because staff are excellent role models. They behave very well at the nursery because staff have a consistent approach to managing behaviour. They have high self-esteem because they receive praise and encouragement from staff. They share resources very sensibly as they search for insects and build dens in the forest area. Children respect the rules and boundaries which they have helped to compile. Festivals, such as Harvest, Eid, Diwali and 'Christmas Around the World' are celebrated and

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and outcomes for children

give the children an outstanding appreciation of other cultures and customs. As part of their Chinese New Year celebrations, children have fun practising their Chinese writing, tasting food in their Chinese restaurant and performing a dragon dance. Children develop an excellent understanding of keeping healthy and safe. They learn how to make healthy choices at snack time and lunch time. They enjoy growing vegetables and making soup. Children ride their bicycles and pedalled vehicles with control and are keen to crawl through tunnels. They very skilfully climb and balance and take turns to go down the slide. Children learn to use equipment safely as they prepare fruit salads, fruit kebabs and pizzas with healthy toppings. They benefit from talks on safety from the police and fire services during safety week, and practise their road safety skills as they walk to the park and shops. Toddlers and children are encouraged to explore and take risks and feel

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and outcomes for children

very safe and secure in their environment. Children experience an excellent range of stimulating activities and achieve exceptionally well. Their communication, language and literacy skills are developed very effectively through listening to the fairytale about the 'Three Little Pigs' and taking turns to act out the story. Children of all ages, including babies and toddlers, play very well together. Through play, they demonstrate their ability to problem-solve, count and reason. They recognise most two-dimensional shapes and some three-dimensional shapes in their environment. Most count numbers up to twenty and beyond and enjoy singing 'Ten Fat Sausages' to consolidate their counting skills. Their creative skills are developed very well as they print colourful patterns with fruit and vegetables. Children cooperate very well as they create a colourful collage of the jungle. They confidently use the computer to complete simple programs. However, they do not

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and outcomes for children

make full use of the digital camera and other technology resources to share their experiences with others. Most of the pre-school children write their own names and are proud of the 'Tell Me a Story' book they helped to write. Children are prepared extremely well for their next stage in learning. 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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