Little Elms Daycare Sydenham

Little Elms Daycare Nursery 246 Perry Hill, LONDON, SE6 4HD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/12/2012 02/07/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 2 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Babies are cared for in a well-organised and stimulating room, which caters for their need to be close to their key people.  Staff have a good understanding of preparing older children for the next stage of their learning.  Staff consistently follow safety procedures to ensure that children are kept safe.  The management team have a sound commitment to developing and improving and have a clear vision for the future of the nursery.

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It is not yet good because

 The educational programme is not fully inconsistent. Opportunities for children to make progress in their development are not promoted as well for some age groups.  The system for performance management does not identify the training needs and professional development of staff.  The system of observation and assessment is not yet monitored well enough to ensure that children's skills and progress are consistently and accurately identified.

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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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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in all three nursery rooms and some children outside.  The inspector interviewed the special educational needs co-ordinator.  The inspector met with the management team.  The inspector spoke to experienced staff, trainees and students on placement.  The inspector looked at children's observation and assessment profiles.

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Information about the setting

Little Elms Daycare Nursery and Pre-School registered in January 2012. It operates from a purpose built building in Sydenham in the London Borough of Lewisham and is one of four family run nurseries owned by a private provider. The baby room and toddler room are on the ground floor and the pre-school room is on the first floor. There is an enclosed outdoor play area shared by all children. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am until 6pm, 52 weeks of the year, apart from bank holidays. Children currently attend aged from three months to school age, on a full time, part time or sessional basis. There are currently 140 children on roll. The pre-school receives funding to provide free education for children aged three to five years. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who are learning to speak English as an

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Information about the setting

additional language are supported within the setting. A team of 15 childcare staff work with the children, including the manager of whom 11 are qualified to National Vocational Qualification levels 2 or 3 or are working towards a qualification. The nursery also employs a cook, cleaner and maintenance man.

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must:

 ensure that key persons working with the youngest children give consistent emphasis to the three prime areas so that all children have a sound foundation on which to build their future learning and development  ensure that observations of children's achievements, interests and ideas are carried out consistently and are then used to plan individual learning experiences for each child.

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

 improve the system of staff supervision and appraisal so that staff performance, including that of students, is assessed against the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and training and support needs are accurately identified.

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who attend

Babies crawl and toddle around their room with confidence as they explore the toys, look at books and play peek a boo. The pleasantly arranged room allows children to move freely while at the same time have their key people in sight so that they can go for regular cuddles and reassurance. Staff have a sound knowledge of the needs of babies and they provide a smooth routine so that the needs of individual children are met. They promote active learning by providing natural materials for children to explore using their senses. The physical development of the babies is supported as they climb in and out of the ball pool and learn to stand and balance holding on to the furniture indoors. While regular visits to the outside offers opportunities to push wheeled toys and walk with their key people. Staff are sensitive to the babies' communication intentions and respond by giving words and meaning to their verbal expressions and actions. In this way, the language

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who attend

development of these children is promoted well.

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who attend

The educational programme for children moving from the baby room is limited due to the inconsistency of approach between different rooms. Older children preparing to move onto school are progressing well and they take pride in their personal achievements. They are active in their learning and making choices about what they want to do which enables them to develop motivation and independence. Staff promote literacy through stories, books, writing and information technology. Children develop their critical thinking skills through exploring interesting play topics such as deep sea diving. Likewise, staff will plan to follow a particular child's interest and involve the group in exploring the topic. Consequently, children learn to build relationships and extend their understanding of the way other children think.

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who attend

Children with special educational needs or in need of early intervention to promote learning are given good support from the special educational needs co-ordinator. Partnerships with outside agencies are well-established and appropriate resources are secured for children.

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who attend

Opportunities for children in the toddler room to develop a curiosity and enthusiasm for learning are often missed. This is because the children have to wait for long periods of time to move onto the next activity. The routine means that children spend more time in large group activities such as circle time and less time being able to follow their own interests and move freely. As a result, children are less able to develop their language as effectively by learning new vocabulary based on what is of interest to them. In addition, the physical skills children of this age develop indoors such as negotiating the shared space is limited and they have less time to play alongside each other and build relationships.

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who attend

Staff operate an observation and assessment system for identifying children's developmental progress and their next steps for learning. The system uses a good guidance source to help some staff make accurate and precise assessment of children's progress and plan suitable challenging activities for future learning. However, due to the variable experience and knowledge of staff the effectiveness of the system on planning appropriate activities for individual children and groups of children is not always clearly applied. This means observations are not consistently used to plan individual learning experiences for every child.

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

Staff have a sound understanding of keeping children safe, they carry out daily health and safety checks and maintain a safe learning environment throughout the day. Good hygiene is promoted and children are supported to wash their hands regularly and independently according to their ability. Children with specific health needs are well cared for because staff work with parents and health professionals to ensure they understand the individual needs of the child Children show by their behaviour towards one another that they understand what is acceptable. Staff ensure that children are supervised at all times to ensure children's feelings of safety. In addition, staff are good role models in the way that they talk to each other respectfully and work as a team to support each other. As a result, older children show that they care about each other and play together well. Older children are also gaining an understanding of risk through play and by making their own choices. However,

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

some toddlers are presented with challenges that are not developmentally appropriate and as a result the support given to promote their self esteem and growing independence is limited

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

The key person system throughout the nursery is well established and there are clear communication displays identifying key groups to all staff and parents. Key people are responsible for ensuing that their children's individual dietary and sleep requirements are known to other staff within the room. They also plan for their children's individual learning needs. Children in the baby room show that they benefit form the key person system in the way that they both explore and move closer to their key person when they are in need of reassurance. Children in the toddler room have less opportunity to build strong attachments with their key person due to the inflexibility of their routine

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provision

The new management team understand their responsibilities to keep children safe and have clear policies and procedures in place to follow. Staff ratios are maintained and there are safe recruitment practices to ensure staff are suitable. Staff are given a basic induction to introduce them to the security and safety procedures and a structured probationary period. The management place a high priority on security, the building is safe, and each room monitored on screen by the manager. In addition, the management has translated the overall risk assessment of the nursery provision into daily procedures and checks, which staff follow well. A good proportion of staff hold current paediatric first aid certificates.

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provision

Systems for staff management are satisfactory and meet the welfare requirements of the statutory framework. There is a system in place for ongoing staff supervision and appraisal. All staff meet once a month and each staff member is given supervision by the manager to discuss individual needs. However, staff performance is not measured in accordance with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and therefore the impact of staff performance on children's progress is not assessed. Consequently, staff training and their professional development needs are not accurately identified.

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provision

The new management have already introduced improvements to the nursery and there is a new and comprehensive system to document each child's learning journey and progress. Children are observed and their learning and development is assessed against established guidance. This system, as it currently operates, provides staff and all parents with basic information about their children. Monitoring of the system, to ensure that all staff understand how to use it, is required to ensure the information it provides is detailed and effective for all children.

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provision

Children benefit from the welcome given to all families and their ethnic and cultural identity is supported through books and resources that promote diversity. The well- established links with outside agencies means that children with special educational needs or in need of early intervention are supported by other appropriate professionals. Partnership with parents is developing and forging positive partnerships with parents is a priority and central to the nursery's improvement plan. Currently, parents are informed about nursery life through regular newsletters and well kept information boards. Children's individual wellbeing is shared with parents on a daily basis and there is an annual parents meeting. A parent reports that she appreciates the clean and pleasant environment and the availability of the management team.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 EY440075 Local authority Lewisham Inspection number 894148 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 41 Number of children on roll 140 Name of provider Little Elms Daycare Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 02/07/2012 Telephone number 02086584282

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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. 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.

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Type of provision

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 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,

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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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