Top of the Class Nursery and Pre-School

Top of the Class Nursery and Pre- School 332 Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen, LONDON, SW14 7JR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/01/2013 12/08/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The provider lacks sufficient knowledge of their legal responsibilities and does not monitor the provision to check that children's learning, development and welfare are promoted both indoors and out .  Induction systems are poor. Some staff do not know how to implement the nursery's policies and procedures, including those for safeguarding and behaviour management.  The programme for the staff's professional development is weak. Not all staff know how to support children's progress, particularly in regard to their social and communication and language development.  The provider does not make sure the key person system is implemented promptly in order to support and assess all children as individuals when they first start.

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It has the following strengths

 Generally, children are happy and enjoy some of the play opportunities provided by staff, particularly creative activities.  Staff provide children with healthy, nutritious food.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 spoke with some parents available on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a range of policies and written procedures, and other relevant documents.  The inspector observed play activities across all of the age range.  The inspector had discussions with the registered provider, the manager and staff.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the third in charge of the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Top of the Class Nursery and Pre-School opened in 2010. It is a privately owned nursery run by Rainbow School and Nursery (Richmond) Ltd. It operates from a house in East Sheen, within the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks in the year. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery currently has 140 children on roll aged from 6 months to five years. There are 25 staff employed to work with the children, 23 of whom have an early years qualification. The nursery supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who learn English as an additional language.

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must:

 ensure all staff implement child protection policies and procedures to safeguard children

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must:

 implement a suitable induction system for all new staff so they understand their roles and responsibilities

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must:

 ensure that all staff implement the behaviour management policies and procedures

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must:

 put appropriate arrangements in place for the supervision of staff in order to support their professional development. Monitor the implementation of staff practice following any training undertaken and foster a culture of mutual support through self-evaluation systems that ensure continuous improvement

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must:

 ensure that the key person system is implemented promptly in order to help all children settle quickly and meet their individual needs when first starting in the nursery

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must:

 develop the educational programme so that each area of learning and development is implemented, with particular attention to the programmes for children's social, communication and language development, through planned, purposeful play

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must:

 ensure all staff are able to respond to children's emerging needs and interests, guiding their development through warm, positive interaction

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

 give as much opportunity as possible for children to move freely between indoors and outdoors

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

 develop the use of assessment to include starting points for all children to help shape their learning experiences.

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who attend

Children do not make satisfactory progress. This is due to a lack of support from staff in important areas of learning and development. A principal weakness in children's learning and development lies in their communication and language development. Some staff talk to children and promote their developing vocabularies but this support is not consistent across the varying age ranges. Staff often miss chances to talk to children to help them learn new words and to place importance on learning to listen. The nursery staff have completed a national programme about helping children's language development but there is little evidence of children benefiting from it in this nursery. Some staff do not take opportunities to talk with children and engage them in conversations. Those working with babies sometimes do not support these youngest ones to 'find their voices' by repeating the noises and babble babies make, back to them. Children use books and listen to music

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who attend

playing, often nursery rhymes to support their literacy development

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who attend

Children come in with parents' support and staff greet them warmly. Children play with resources which reflect a home environment, and all ages are encouraged to play with resources. Some of these are readily available in boxes but children appear reluctant to help themselves and be independent learners, lacking a useful skill for their future lives. Children's physical development is encouraged by playing outside in a secure garden area, where staff set up various activities, such as hoops, balls and small bikes. Children's social skills are occasionally encouraged through staff interaction with them but sometimes children are not encouraged to share resources and toys when they should be, and this leads to children playing alone or stopping their play.

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who attend

Children in the older age groups make some progress through planned activities with staff playing alongside them, asking suitable questions and generally encouraging their thinking and their language development. Older children enjoy ballet classes which are provided to encourage their balance, posture and movement. Unfortunately, the way staff organise these sessions means that children who are listening to interesting stories, have them interrupted because they have to leave for the class. Doing so, not only spoils children's enjoyment, but sends a message that paying attention to a story is not really important. This message does not prepare children appropriately for their eventual move to school.

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who attend

Staff encourage parents to be involved in their children's learning. The nursery cares for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and the staff work with other professionals to create individual learning plans. Staff share these plans with parents. Sometimes, however, when additional support staff work with children, they are unaware of the individual plans, so cannot offer targeted support to ensure consistency. The key person system is not established from the start resulting in some children taking longer to settle.

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

Children in the older age group make some progress in their social and emotional development in a busy environment. They are sometimes challenged in their thinking, and encouraged to think and solve problems during activities. These older children are not encouraged to develop their independence sufficiently. For example, staff pour milk and water for children when they could develop these skills themselves with support.

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

Children benefit from healthy and nutritious meals but staff do not organise meal times adequately. At snack time, for example, the area is crowded with tables with limited space to move. Staff do not encourage social skills sufficiently at meal times, as some younger ones sit away from the main group of children. Staff do not encourage conversations in order to support language development. Once the key person system is implemented younger children develop a bond with their key person who changes their nappies where possible. Children in the toddler age group are adequately supervised but staff do not always interact with them sufficiently and encourage sharing skills and how to play together. This lack of support means toddlers are not being prepared for their move to the next room in the nursery.

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

Children in younger age ranges are making progress in their physical development through crawling and bottom shuffling around the carpet areas. Children enjoy going in the garden and moving freely, although older ones cannot make their own decisions about when to do this. This does not support them in making independent choices about their play. Younger children are encouraged to walk when outside, while the older ones enjoy the bikes. Staff supervise play for the children when outdoors but there is little constructive planning for children's outdoor play, which does not support children who prefer to learn outside.

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provision

The registered provider does not have adequate knowledge of their responsibilities to promote the welfare, learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. In particular, they do not make sure the manager provides a suitable induction procedure that supports staff in knowing what to do if they have concerns about a child's welfare. Despite being in the nursery for some time, probationary staff are unaware of these procedures. This lack of knowledge has the potential to place children at risk. Some staff show an understanding of how to manage children's behaviour but others do not, speaking to children in inappropriate tones. This is due to the lack of effective systems to ensure all staff know, understand and implement the behaviour management policy.

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provision

The manager has an understanding of leading a team and completes appraisals on staff annually to support staff development. These have little impact, however. For example, although staff undertake appropriate training courses, their subsequent practice is not monitored. Additionally, details in the staff handbook about the frequency and availability of staff supervision sessions do not take place in practice. This means that staff practice shows little development, as there is a lack of ongoing support from their manager.

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provision

Observations of children's development are carried out by staff and although not consistent across the age ranges, most children's 'learning journeys' are adequate in showing parents and staff what the child can do and what their next steps for learning are. Most children have starting points recorded which shows what their interests are and their capabilities. This system does not work adequately for all children, however, as sometimes starting points are not completed until well after children have started. This means staff do not plan for children's individual interests and abilities right from the start of their time in nursery, so progress may be delayed and settling in slowed. Additionally, there is no system to share the key person's knowledge of the children for whom they take particular care, in their absence.

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provision

Parents are involved in the nursery and records show that parents are asked what their children can do and about any significant events that happen at home, as children progress through the nursery. Wider partnerships are adequate in getting individual children additional support when required to help progress, although management do not make sure that effective use is made of such support by all concerned with individual children.

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provision

The nursery management regularly asks for parents' views and uses this information to make some nursery improvements. Despite this, the provider's lack of understanding and the shortcomings of the manager in implementing the Early Years Foundation Stage, mean that self-evaluation is inadequate, as there is no systematic way to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery provision in order to plan for improvement.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure all staff implement the written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard children being cared for from abuse or neglect (Arrangements for Safeguarding Children)  ensure that children's behaviour is managed in a suitable manner (How the childcare provision is organised)

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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 action. 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 EY406031 Local authority Richmond upon Thames Inspection number 900904

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 85 Number of children on roll 140 Name of provider Rainbow School and Nursery (Richmond) Ltd Date of previous inspection 12/08/2010 Telephone number 02088765020

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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