Childcare on Domestic Premises, Sessional day care in Kensington and ChelseaOfsted inspection, 4 May 2012

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY431892 Inspection date 04/05/2012 Inspector Martha Darkwah

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Type of setting Childcare - 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

Lexham Gardens Playhouse registered in 2011. The owner lives on site with her husband and daughter in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Children use the whole of the ground floor and the upstairs sitting room, and there is a safe outside area and a private garden for outdoor play .

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Description of the setting

The setting is open from 9am to 1pm during term time. A holiday scheme runs from 9.15am to 12.15pm for one week in the Christmas and Easter holidays.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 15 children in the early years age group may attend at any one time; of these, none may under two years. There are currently 15 children in the early years age range on roll.

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Description of the setting

Five staff members are employed to work with the children. Of these, four hold early years qualifications and one has a Masters degree in Early Years education.

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Description of the setting

The setting is an approved member of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Children Come First Network.

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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

Children are cared for in a warm, welcoming environment. They are making good progress in their learning and, overall, staff use effective systems to monitor their progress. Excellent partnerships with parents are a key strength and are significant in making sure that staff support the individual needs of all children. Ongoing self- evaluation by the whole staff team identifies priorities for improvement. The enthusiasm and dedication of the owner and staff is reflected in their efforts to achieve continuous improvement in all areas.

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further?

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

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further?

 build on existing systems for monitoring children's progress, for example, by improving consistency when identifying the next steps in children's learning.

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the early years provision

The owner and staff conduct daily checks of the premises and private communal garden to help ensure that children play in a safe environment. Staff make This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 comprehensive risk assessments for outings to identify and minimise any potential hazards. Children participate in regular fire drills and demonstrate good awareness of how to leave the premises quickly and safely. Parents receive copies of the clear policies and procedures, which underpin staff practice. The provider and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of their role in relation to child protection matters. All documentation is maintained to a high standard for the safe and efficient management of the service.

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the early years provision

The owner and staff reflect on their practice to evaluate areas for further development. They are keen to improve outcomes for children. They embrace parents' views as part of the evaluation of the provision. The provider has a clear commitment to her professional development and regularly updates her skills through training.

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the early years provision

Extensive information is readily available to parents through the setting's well- presented portfolio. Children benefit from the highly positive and excellent partnerships established with parents. Parents report that they are extremely happy with the care. They notice improvements in their children's development in a short space of time. They appreciate receiving 'helpful feedback on a daily basis' and find it reassuring and interesting to know what different activities their children engage in. Parents attend regular meetings with their child's key worker to discuss ways to work together to enhance children's learning. They are involved in the evaluation of the service through questionnaires and a 'parents' testimony' suggestion box. Good partnerships are established with other agencies which enable the setting to work alongside other professionals in order to promote continuity and support children's individual needs.

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the early years provision

The promotion of equality and diversity is exemplary. Integral to children's play is a broad range of resources that positively promote diversity. Children listen with great interest to stories about other people, share books and play with dolls and small world figures that reflect diversity, including people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are able to explain the significance of valuing and respecting others in a way young children can understand. They deploy resources exceptionally well in baskets and open-fronted shelves and cabinets which enables children to make choices about what they want to play with. The learning environment is highly conducive to learning and plays a key part in helping the staff to support children's learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, secure and settled. They benefit from the welcoming and child-centred environment where they enjoy the activities on offer. Staff provide a broad range of experiences and learning opportunities, which generally stimulate and challenge children's knowledge and understanding. Systems to observe and assess children's progress work generally well to identify learning priorities and assist the staff in planning relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child. Although staff are clear about how to help children make good progress This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 towards the early learning goals they do not consistently identify their individual next steps. This leads to some minor inconsistencies in planning.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop the skills that they need for future learning. They think critically, solve problems as they complete simple puzzles and explore numbers and shapes. They play with mobile phones and use toy cash tills and calculators, which help them develop mathematical ideas. Children love to investigate. They use a digital camera to take photographs of activities during the day, working out that one action has an effect on others. They develop their early writing skills, using mark- making equipment such as pencils, crayons, chalk and paint with increasing confidence. They enjoy using smart boards which help them develop concentration skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children's communication, language and literacy skills are improving as they develop a healthy interest in books. Staff sit with the children and share books with them. They take the children to parks, museums and libraries. As a result, children develop confidence and social skills. Children also use an excellent range of indoor and outdoor play resources. They recognise numbers from one to 10, identify shapes, and use mathematical language. They measure how tall they are and record this on a displayed height chart. They engage in sand play, exploring volume as they fill buckets and moulds using spades.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well. In the rare event of any unacceptable behaviour, staff use management techniques that are suitable for the age and stage of children's development. For example, they use distraction and explain clearly to children why their behaviour is not acceptable. Children benefit from plenty of praise and encouragement which develops their self-esteem and confidence. They show a good understanding of how to keep safe and use equipment, such as scissors, safely. Children enjoy healthy and well-balanced meals and take plenty of exercise each day. They also show an exceptional understanding of the importance of following excellent personal hygiene routines. Children are extremely content because the staff meets their individual health, physical and dietary needs to an exceptional standard. They show an excellent understanding of healthy eating and the benefits of fresh air and exercise. 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 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 1 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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