King Fishers Place

King Fishers Place The Meeting House, Galpins Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon, CR7 6EL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/11/2012 28/09/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Most staff have insufficient understanding of how to manage children's behaviour and promote positive interactions. As a result, children do not learn how to communicate and share with other children.  Children are not suitably protected from risk because staff allow them to use broken toys and to participate in some unsuitable and unsafe activities outdoors.  Staff have limited understanding of how to implement the learning and development requirements which results in an environment that is not enabling, stimulating or motivating for the children, leading to displays of frustration and conflict.  The 'key person' system is not organised in a way that provides emotional security for the children including those for whom English is an additional language who receive insufficient support.  Staff request insufficient information about children when they start at the nursery and parents do not receive adequate information about what their children need to learn or

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This provision is inadequate

how to support learning at home.  The required staff criminal records checks are not complete, which is a breach of a specific legal requirement.

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It has the following strengths

 The older children enjoy their mealtimes and eat well. Staff and children sit together at lunch time and talk together in a relaxed atmosphere.  Staff engage toddlers during a group time, so all join in and enjoy naming and matching objects.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff interactions, indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group story time with the area manager.  The inspector talked to several parents to gain their views.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a representative sample of policies, planning documents and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to some children and staff, and held discussions with the manager and area manager of the nursery.

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Information about the setting

King Fishers Place registered in 2002 and is one of three nurseries owned and run by private providers. It is situated a residential area of Thornton Heath in the London Borough of Croydon. The nursery operates from a self-contained church hall where children have access to two fully enclosed outdoor play areas, situated at the front and rear of the nursery. The nursery offers day care to children from families in the local community.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 22 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery offers funded early education to children aged three and four years. The nursery is open from 7.30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, with the exception of one week at Christmas and on two staff training days. The nursery cares for children who speak English as an additional language. There are seven staff who work directly with the children; six staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and one member of staff is working towards a qualification.

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must:

 provide opportunities for children whose home language is not English to use their home language in their play and learning, in order to help them feel settled and valued when in the nursery  record information about staff identity checks and vetting procedures that have been completed (including the criminal records disclosure, reference number, the date a disclosure was obtained and the details of who obtained it.  ensure the key person system is organised so that it offers every children a settled relationship and is used effectively to tailor children's care to meet their individual needs  ensure staff consider the individual needs, interests and stages of development of each child in their care, and offer challenging and enjoyable experiences for each child in order to help them make suitable progress in their learning and development  assess the risk to children's safety in relation to 1) use of the outdoor climbing

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must:

equipment and 2) use of broken toys and take action to minimise these  engage and support parents and carers in guiding their child's development at home so that effective and targeted strategies can be put into place that match children's individual needs.  ensure the named practitioner for behaviour management has the necessary skills and knowledge to advise staff of the most effective ways to manage children's behaviour

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 develop the use of self-evaluation and reflective practice to identify and build on strengths, and identify areas for improvement, in order to improve the provision for the children

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 encourage parents to contribute to initial assessments of children's starting points on entry to the nursery.

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who attend

Children can choose from a selection of familiar activities and equipment, which supports some areas of learning and development. However, activities provided by adults do not offer the varied level of challenge needed to interest all the children, which means children become distracted and disinterested. The lack of challenge does not provide for the wide variety of skills and interests of the children attending and, as a result, children lack concentration and are not motivated to learn. Children's behaviour deteriorates because there are insufficient resources to go round, so adults spend a large proportion of the day having to resolve disputes and conflict amongst the children.

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who attend

Most adults do not have a clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to support children's learning and development. This lack of knowledge affects what staff provide for the children. They do not follow children's interests or identify what individual children need to learn next in order to progress suitably from what they can already do. Observations do not accurately record children's achievements and fail to provide sufficient information to identify clear targets. Planning formats have not been updated to reflect the seven required areas of learning and development, making it more difficult to accurately plan meaningful experiences for the children. Staff do not gain all the information they need from parents in order to establish what children know and can do when they start at the nursery.

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who attend

Staff skills are variable. They talk with the children, supporting their communication and language development, but all too often these conversations do not challenge more able children. For example, when children use play dough, staff do not extend play through asking thought provoking questions. During a group time for toddlers, however, they enjoy matching objects, as staff working with them pitch the activity at the right level. As a result, these younger children are engaged and make comments, when asked appropriate questions, and they respond eagerly.

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who attend

In the area for the young babies, they can freely explore the selection of soft toys, rattles and activity toys set out for them. Babies can also access additional materials and equipment placed in low-level containers on the carpet area. This layout helps to create an environment that encourages them to be curious and explore. Despite this suitable arrangement the babies do not gain any pleasure from the equipment on offer because they are either tired or hungry. Babies' personal routines are not met as they have to conform to those of the nursery; hence, they get little from the experiences offered. As a consequence of the staff team's weak practice as a whole, children are not gaining the attitudes, skills and dispositions they need to equip them for their future lives.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The key person system is ineffective in meeting the welfare needs of all children, as well as their learning and development because of the organisation of both the environment and adult responsibilities. The toddlers and older children share the same area of the nursery, but adults have 'key person' responsibilities for either the toddlers or older children, resulting in a change of key person for the children, even though they are all still in the same area. This affects development of secure attachments for some of the children. Despite this, babies benefit from being part of a smaller group with consistent carers, enabling the development of some close relationships.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Adults do not manage the behaviour of the older children effectively. The lack of challenge, interesting activities and equipment in the environment means that the children quickly and frequently become distracted and less tolerant. Behaviour becomes unpredictable and adults are often distracted from supporting children's learning and development to resolve disputes and conflicts among the children. Adults do not have strategies to promote positive behaviours and prevent situations escalating. Children do not readily share and often resort to snatching toys from one another and crying. Children do not have the necessary support to develop the skills to share and negotiate when someone else wants something they have. For example, the lack of sand in the sand tray means disputes erupt as children are competing for the same resources. Additionally, behaviour is not managed consistently and, on a number of occasions, two or three adults

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

become involved in resolving the same situation. Adults do not explain why something is unacceptable or give reasons so that children can learn from their experiences or become more aware of the consequences of their own behaviour. Children's feelings are not acknowledged and they do not have the opportunity to develop an understanding of their own emotions.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

At lunch time, the children wash their hands, find their own table mat and sit in small groups with an adult. Adults make the table look attractive with artificial flowers and colourful table clothes. The children have the opportunity to be independent by pouring their own drinks and feeding themselves while engaging in relaxed conversations with the adult and other children at their table. Adults encourage children to try different foods. Following lunch, however, all children have a rest regardless of age or need, which fails to prepare the older children for the transition to school. The lunch time routine does not meet the needs of some of the babies who were eating their meal while falling asleep. The lack of personalised routines for the babies means that their individual needs are not being met.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The adults' lack of organisation of some aspects of outdoor provision affects children's safety and well-being. Staff are not vigilant in ensuring children's safety and as a result, more than one child at the top of the slide poses a risk to children's safety. The lack of room means they push against each other and risk falling. Objects hanging from the outdoor structure cause a hazard to children who could become entangled. Indoors, toys and equipment are not sufficiently monitored to ensure they are safe for the children to use.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children benefit from some aspects of the outdoor environment, such as using other physical skills, and experiencing the changing seasons. Children enjoy trips to the local park, library and day trips to the seaside, investigating the world around them and developing more healthy lifestyles by being outside in the fresh air

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provision

The nursery's leadership and management are not effective in ensuring that staff implement the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Poor understanding and weak monitoring of children's progress and the provision prevents children from making suitable progress and gaining the motivation to learn what they need for their eventual move to school.

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provision

Provision for child protection is given appropriate priority and staff are clear about their roles and the procedure to follow if they have concerns about a child's welfare. Most required documentation is in place; however, although procedures have been followed to check the suitability of staff, not all forms contain the required dates or signatures necessary to ensure the system is robust. Staff do not supervise children sufficiently when using outdoor climbing equipment and monitoring systems do not ensure that children use safe environments.

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provision

While staff have some access to training for example, to support the new framework systems for ensuring this knowledge is embedded into practice are inadequate. Staff appraisal and supervision systems are not adequate and are not effective at developing the staff team's practice to improve provision for children. This impacts on children's safety, behaviour and progress in their learning.

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provision

The use of self-evaluation is ineffective and weaknesses in the nursery have not been identified that could promote satisfactory outcomes for children if addressed, such as evaluating identified targets, prioritising areas for improvement and updating the self- evaluation form. As the manager works directly with the babies, this limits the time available to develop provision in the nursery. This system also results in frequent disruptions to baby routines as the manager is called to deal with other situations, such as answering the door and managing older children's behaviour. The manager has support from the provider's area manager and may seek the advice of a new advisor from the local authority, in order to make improvements.

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provision

Although parents spoken to expressed satisfaction with the nursery provision, the staff do not do all that is necessary to work with parents to make all children feel emotionally secure, such as using words from children's home languages when their first language is not English. Parents are given written information about the nursery, in the form of a booklet and information displayed on a notice board in the hallway, including a Parents' Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. In addition, parents receive daily reports from staff about how their child has been during the day. Parents are offered the opportunity to attend two meetings a year to hear about their child's progress but some are unclear about what their children need to learn next or how to support their child's learning and development at home.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY227192 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 814431 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 19 Number of children on roll 22 Name of provider Cynthia Wilson Date of previous inspection 28/09/2010 Telephone number 0208 683 0092

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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

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Type of provision

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.

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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