Little Bear's 2

Little Bear's Nursery School Limited Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY430360 Inspection date 16/04/2012 Inspector Jill Nugent

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Setting address 14 Seagry Road, LONDON, E11 2NG

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Telephone number Email laura@littlebearsnursery.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. 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

Little Bears Nursery School registered in 2011 and is one of two privately owned nurseries. It operates from a converted private nursing home in Wanstead in the London Borough of Redbridge. Access to the building is at ground level. Children have the use of four indoor playrooms, two of which are on the ground floor and two on the first floor. Access to the upstairs rooms is via an internal staircase. Children also share access to a secure outdoor play area. The nursery is open from 8.00 am until 6.00 pm every weekday 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 part of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 96 children under the age of eight may attend the setting at any one time. Of these 36 children may be under two years of age. Currently there are 36 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. At present the nursery employs eight staff to work with the children. All staff hold relevant early years qualifications. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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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 offers a welcoming and inclusive play environment for children. Staff prioritise children's well-being and are attentive to their individual care needs. Children participate in a wide range of learning experiences that engage their interests overall, and help them make good progress. A key strength of the nursery is its partnership with parents, which actively encourages parents to become involved in their children's learning. Staff maintain a good capacity to improve through continually monitoring the quality of their provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 review group activities so they absorb and interest all children.

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the early years provision

The nursery's documentation is very well organised. The systems and procedures work effectively to promote the safeguarding of all children in the nursery. The manager has robust procedures in place to help ensure that all staff employed in the setting are suitable to work with children. Staff are vigilant concerning children's safety. They act as good role models in promoting a calm and respectful This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 approach to others. All staff know what to do if they have any concerns relating to child protection. Regular risk assessments and safety checks are carried out on the premises so that potential hazards are minimised and children keep safe. Staff are consistent in their upkeep of all records relating to children's health and safety.

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the early years provision

The indoor and outdoor areas are spacious and offer a variety of interesting play places for children to explore. The resources are of good quality and suitable for children of differing ages and abilities. Staff are particularly adept at organising the indoor play rooms so that children have a wide choice of easily-accessible play activities. In this way they create an environment that is conducive to learning in encouraging children to explore and investigate. Staff are well deployed throughout the nursery and make good use of their time to interact with children and promote learning in all areas. Staff are inclusive in their approach and make sure that all children have the opportunity to participate in the activities on offer. There is an effective system of observational assessment in place which enables staff to work towards closing any identifiable gaps in achievement.

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the early years provision

The nursery offers an excellent combination of relevant information and individual support to help parents as they settle children in. The manager organises special events and activities to promote a close link between home and nursery. For example, she asks parents to create interest boxes using familiar items from home or invites them to special breakfasts. Parents are kept extremely well informed about their children's progress. Staff offer feedback on a daily basis, termly reports and consultations, which offer parents the opportunity to be involved in setting future targets. Parents are very pleased with the provision for their children. The nursery has also established effective links with other professionals. This enables staff to work in partnership with others, when necessary, to help ensure continuity of care and learning for individual children.

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the early years provision

The owner and manager promote a culture of reflective practice amongst the staff. Since registering the nursery their main focus has been on building new staff teams. They are confident about what the nursery needs to do to continually improve outcomes for children. Staff have good opportunities to access training which contributes to their own professional development. They are involved in discussion and evaluation of their practice so that they can contribute to the further development of the nursery. The manager is keen to transfer good ideas from the nearby sister nursery to encourage staff to develop and diversify their practice. She makes use of monitoring and assessment to gauge quality and set realistic targets for the future, ensuring that staff can consolidate any new practices before moving on.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy at nursery and move around confidently making their choices. They quickly develop a sense of belonging and are encouraged to make friends. Staff support children well, helping them to follow up their individual interests as they engage them in conversation. Children's behaviour is good and they play This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 harmoniously alongside others. They show an awareness of their boundaries, being reminded about the rules when necessary. Children show interest in the activities on offer. They enjoy trying out different learning experiences indoors. For example they investigate mark-making, sand, blocks and toy vehicles. Outdoors children enjoy playing in the fresh air, for instance using balls and hoops, digging in the soil and exploring how sand flows down tubes.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop useful skills for the future. Babies are encouraged to actively explore their surroundings and to learn through their play. Staff support children in developing good communication skills as they talk with them and ask questions. They use a phonics scheme and sometimes use circle games to help children extend their use of language in the key areas of literacy and numeracy. However, some group activities are not creative in absorbing and interesting children, for example, looking at flashcards. Children are gaining a knowledge and understanding of the world, for example, as they find out how to grow plants. There are good opportunities for children to explore creatively in imaginative play or arts and crafts. Staff regularly observe children's learning and create attractive visual records of children's progress. They help children to move on in their learning by planning experiences based on their needs and interests.

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and outcomes for children

Children feel safe and secure in the setting. The daily routines are well organised so that young children feel emotionally secure and gain self-confidence. Older children become confident in making choices and requests. Children learn how to behave responsibly so that they keep themselves and others safe. They are encouraged to recognise, and talk about, different emotions and feelings. In this way they learn about developing meaningful relationships. Children are encouraged to adopt good hygiene practices and understand the importance of healthy eating. They are offered a variety of well-balanced and nutritious meals. The menu includes various fresh fruits and vegetables. Children talk about different foods when taking part in cooking activities, for example making pizzas. The nursery cook takes care to incorporate all children's individual dietary needs into the menu so that children keep fit and healthy.

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and outcomes for children

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 exceptiona lly 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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