Madingley Pre-Preparatory School

Beckett House Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 131668 Inspection date 26/03/2012 Inspector Catherine Greene

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Setting address 98 Richmond Avenue, Islington, London, N1 0LL

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Telephone number 020 7278-8824 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 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

Beckett House Montessori Nursery School is run by a limited company. It is situated in the London borough of Islington. It opened in 1996 and operates from one large room with a separate office and kitchen in a converted building. All children share access to a small secure and enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of 20 children at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.30am to 5.30pm for 46 weeks of the year. There are currently 46 children aged from two to under five years on roll. The nursery receives funding for free education sessions. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs eight members of staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery follows Montessori teaching methods.

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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

This is an inclusive setting in which children settle and feel extremely secure. Overall, children progress well in their learning and development, as the staff make mostly good use of partnerships, resources and detailed assessment. Children's welfare is successfully promoted because the designated person with responsibility follows effective health and safeguarding procedures. Staff are well organised and documentation is reviewed to share current information with families. The setting is supported by an outstanding partnership with parents. There is a strong commitment to continuous improvement supported by professional self-evaluation and driven by a highly motivated staff team.

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further?

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

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further?

 strengthen practice to support children's transitions within and beyond the setting, particularly as children reach four or five years of age.

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the early years provision

Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities with regards to safeguarding children and understand the procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child. Adults working in the setting are all securely vetted. Daily checks and detailed risk assessments are carried out and effective measures are taken to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 reduce any possible hazards. The wide range of policies and procedures given to parents underpin the setting's good practice. These are reviewed, detailed and up to date. All the required records and parental consents are in place to promote children's good health and welfare.

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the early years provision

The staff work consistently as a team providing support for each other. They devote their time to focus on the children so that their needs are well acknowledged and met. The environment is very clean and well organised, giving children plenty of space to play and explore in and out of doors. Good use is made of the local environment to enhance children's learning by providing real experiences. Using a local green space with no play equipment for example, encourages children to explore and use their imaginations to create dens and search for mini beasts.

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the early years provision

Equality and diversity are promoted well by the staff. Children develop a strong awareness of diversity as they meaningfully explore celebrations through crafts, food, books and dressing up clothes. Parents join celebrations such as Australia Day with A nzac biscuits and Chinese New Year when children make lanterns and discuss traditions. The staff are knowledgeable about children's family backgrounds and this helps them to effectively support children's individual needs. Greeting displays in other languages shows children and their families they are very welcome.

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the early years provision

Children with additional needs have extensive support provided by the experienced staff team. The staffs good knowledge and close partnership working with parents enable them to be very clear regarding effective support. Strong partnerships are forged with parents from the outset, including regular discussions and information sharing, so that children settle very well. Parents are kept well informed of what their children do each day and of the progress that they make. They have good opportunities to contribute and help plan for children's next steps in their learning and development.

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the early years provision

The staff reflect on their practice during weekly meetings, which enable them to identify strengths and areas for development in the setting. They actively seek comments from the local authority and feedback from parents and children to help evaluate their practice. The staff have a clear vision of how they intend to continue to improve outcomes for children. The nursery is highly committed to working in partnership with other agencies involved with individual children to ensure continuity of learning and development. Transition support and links with schools that children will move on to are not yet firmly embedded in order to support families at this very important time. The staff demonstrate a strong commitment to continually evaluating and improving the provision for children's care and learning. 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 confident and learning valuable social and independence skills. They form close friendships with the staff and each other and play together extremely well. They are making good progress in all areas of their learning. Children are highly motivated to learn and persist with activities until they have completed them. This gives them a sense of achievement and successfully promotes their skills for the future. Key staff make good use of information from the responses made by children. They carefully observe children to ensure that they are individually considered. Staff have a detailed and accurate understanding of children's starting points and interests. From this point, they plan for resources and a range of activities to promote children's learning in an enjoyable and fun way. They maintain really well presented records to demonstrate the progress that is made by individual children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are interested and keen to learn, demonstrating good levels of concentration and a strong sense of personal pride in their achievements. Activities, such as painting, drawing and pattern-making with a range of media, help children to make marks and practice their emergent writing skills in enjoyable ways. Children concentrate on books, individually and with the staff during circle time. Staff engage the children through their imaginative style when reading to them; they cleverly ask interesting questions to extend children's thinking and enjoyment of the story.

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and outcomes for children

During the creative dance session children learn to move with confidence, imagination and safety, with an awareness of space, themselves and others. They really enjoy performing as they respond to the very engaging dance teacher. They benefit from the chance to express themselves in a really fun session. During this time staff are able to sit and reflect giving them an ideal opportunity to observe the children across all areas of learning.

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and outcomes for children

Good use of the outdoor environment and outings to local parks enable children to explore the natural world and their local community. Children eagerly take part in ''mini beast hunts'', searching using pictorial clues and magnifying glasses. Indoor access to natural materials to arrange, compare and order are well developed. Children are absorbed in role play, as they confidently copy what adults do, and express their creativity through varied craft activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a good understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Good hygiene practices, such as effective hand-washing procedures, are taught and children routinely walk to nursery and to the local park.

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and outcomes for children

Children show an extremely strong sense of security and belonging. They are confident, fully supported to settle and develop excellent relationships with adults and their peers. Young children display extremely high levels of confidence and self-esteem. They play exceptionally well independently and alongside their peers to develop really good cooperation skills. Their behaviour is exemplary for their age. Young children show an excellent awareness of politeness and of taking This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 responsibility as they tidy away toys before going outdoors. 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 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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