Ruskinhouse School

Ruskin House Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 144706 Inspection date 16/05/2012 Inspector Elizabeth Mackey

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Setting address 48 Herne Hill, London, SE24 9QP

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Telephone number 02077374317 Email ruskinhouseschool@hotmail.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

Ruskin House Nursery School is a private nursery situated in a residential area in Herne Hill. All four partners are involved in the overall day-to-day management of the setting. It operates from a double fronted semi-detached house which comprises of a baby unit on the ground floor and four open planned classrooms on the first floor. Each floor has its own toilet and washing facilities. The office and staff room are located on the ground floor. There is a secure outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is registered to care for a maximum of 59 children under eight years, of whom no more than 26 may be under two years. There are currently 47 children aged from seven months to four years on roll. This includes 14 funded three and four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.00am to 7.00pm all year round, excluding bank holidays and one week's closure at Christmas.

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Description of the setting

There are 10 members of staff employed to work with the children and two apprentices. All staff hold a relevant childcare qualification. The nursery receives support from a mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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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

A caring and experienced staff team care for the children and successfully promote their welfare. They provide a welcoming and homely environment, and overall a good range of resources, which reflect children's backgrounds. Staff have good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This enables them to support children's individual needs, across all areas of learning. Excellent communication with parents achieves strong partnerships and consistency of care. A reflective self- evaluation system identifies the setting's key strengths. Ambitious plans for future progression highlight a good capacity for sustainability.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase the visual resources for children who have English as an additional language, extending letters, words and books in their first language. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

All staff understand safeguarding procedures and are aware of the setting's policies and procedures. This helps them to safeguard children effectively. Safeguarding training is available for all. In-house training provides a refresher to ensure key workers are up-to-date with the setting's key policies and procedures. Only adults suitable to come into contact with the children are able to do so, and clear recruitment and vetting procedures are in place. Staff are vigilant and effective risk assessment means that children can play and learn within safe boundaries. The written record of the risk assessment is underpinned by daily premises checks, which help to prevent accidental injury to children. There are exceptionally good standards of hygiene within the setting.

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the early years provision

Equality and diversity issues are embedded into all areas of practice. Staff offer an inclusive setting in partnership with parents. A range of strategies are in place to support children who speak English as an additional language. These include the use of key words from the child's home language, as well as using gestures and visual time lines, while children are supported to develop their language. Within the setting, there are general examples of languages other than English. For example, on welcome posters. The visual displays of dual languages are less specific to reflect the first language of children in the setting. However, children and families who have English as an additional language receive good support. A parent reports that the staff were very supportive to the whole family and work in partnership with them on their child's dual language acquisition.

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the early years provision

There have been some recent manager and key worker changes. However, the team work well together, sharing a common sense of purpose. Key workers receive good support from all managers, who effectively promote team morale to achieve a harmonious environment. The majority of staff hold a paediatric first aid qualification. Nominated persons responsible for safeguarding, behaviour management, and supporting children with special educational needs, have the relevant training and skills to underpin their role. Staff talk respectfully to the children and they know them well. They gently reinforce boundaries, using lots of praise and positive strategies to manage behaviour. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. They know what is expected of them and consequently, behave very well. Children independently self-select from a wide range of good quality resources and materials, both indoors and in the innovative, outdoor area.

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the early years provision

Partnership with parents is excellent. Each child has a key worker who knows the background and needs of each child. They carefully observe, assess and plan to make sure that their input is highly effective and children make good progress. Key workers work closely with the families to plan how best to meet children's individual needs. The success of the engagement with parents is largely due to the extremely effective systems in place to enhance communication. There are termly meetings to discuss development reports, weekly update e-mails, which include the menu and contact books for all children. Parents' views are sought in a variety of ways, including questionnaires and a parent forum, which is held three times a year. Since the last inspection, the office has been moved to the ground floor, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 giving parents more contact with the management team. This has strengthened

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the early years provision

the partnership and provides a more welcoming environment. Key workers carefully observe and track children's progress to ensure they identify and target any gaps in children's development. They write informative reports every term and they provide an accurate picture of children's developmental journey. The reports are shared with parents at the termly meeting, where next steps are discussed and planned for.

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the early years provision

Since the last inspection the team have improved the standards considerably. Reflective self-evaluation by the management team and staff result in much improved outcomes for the children. Priorities for ongoing development are evident. Parents are extremely pleased with the care and education their children receive and they cannot praise the nursery highly enough. Parents comment, 'everyone is very welcoming' 'key workers always encourage my child to develop both languages', 'key workers work closely with me as my child progresses through developmental stages for example, potty training'. 'It is a caring, nurturing homely place'. Wider partnerships support children well, in making the transition to school.

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and outcomes for children

The welcoming, rich environment gives children opportunities to freely access a good range of interesting and challenging play materials. Planning is linked to the six areas of learning and includes children's interests and ideas. It reflects the individual aims for children and highlights the activity learning intentions. Children are able to make choices and instigate play opportunities, developing their autonomy and confidence. Children are making good progress and they demonstrate good self-help skills. They have natural opportunities to develop their numeracy and problem solving skills. For example, they count the number of chairs needed when helping staff set the room for lunch. When playing in the garden, children count the numbers of large bricks as they put one on top of the other. With the support of staff they experiment by adding different shaped items to see if they can make the tower bigger. Staff encourage the children to become

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and outcomes for children

confident communicators by listening to their language and responding and questioning appropriately. Staff are well deployed and they are skilled at promoting positive attitudes to learning, which is a particular strength of the setting. Children have fun with creative activities and they are encouraged to experiment with different materials. For example, when they are playing with foam there is lots of laughter, as children and staff end up with some on their faces. Staff encourage children's language skills, asking them to describe the texture of the foam.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop their knowledge and understanding of the world, through exciting activities and experiential learning. For example, they are delighted to smell the highly fragrant plants in the beautiful sensory garden. They show a sense of pride when checking to see how well their flowers are growing. A good range of cultural experiences are enjoyed by the children where they develop their appreciation of other customs. This is enhanced by the introduction of a scrapbook scheme, which children use to make a record of the things they do at home. They then bring this This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 into the nursery to share. Babies and toddlers are supported by caring adults who work with their parents to follow their routines. They explore their environment with curiosity and interest. They particularly enjoy singing and rhymes and outdoor play, where they excitedly watch the older children at play.

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and outcomes for children

Children have daily opportunities for outdoor play. The setting's commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle is reflected in the innovative outdoor area that has been redesigned to maximize the experiences children have. Children enter the garden enthusiastically and are quickly engaged in one of the many activities on offer. Children show an excellent understanding of healthy eating and they learn about healthy foods through growing them. They have their own drink bottles and cups, which they take outside so they do not become thirsty during physical play. Children's understanding of safety issues is demonstrated as they play. They show a good awareness of other children when they engage in lively team games. Older children enjoy the independence of going to the bathroom unaccompanied to wash their hands and face. They access the soap and hand towels without help, checking their reflection in the mirror. They sing happily away to themselves as

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and outcomes for children

they do so. Staff remind children about the importance of washing their hands; children understand this and say, 'we don't want to get germs do we'. Children also follow good dental hygiene routines and brush their teeth after meals and snacks.

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and outcomes for children

Older children confidently approach adults and ask for what they need. Babies and toddlers enjoy cuddles and reach out to seek reassurance from familiar adults. This reflects the sense of security and well-being that children feel. Children's progress in skills relating to information and communication technology is developing well. They show good levels of engagement, take the initiative and try new challenges. As a result, they are developing very good skills for the future. 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 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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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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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