Early Learners Day Nursery

Early Learners 2 Rear of 62 High Street, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 1NA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/04/2013 07/09/2010

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early years provision

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

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This provision is good

 Children benefit from a welcoming, inclusive setting. Children of all ages show good levels of confidence and independence and are motivated to learn.  Staff work closely with parents and keep them well informed about children's progress and achievements.  Children take part in a wide range of interesting activities and experiences that match their interests and needs. They make good progress in their learning in relation to their age, starting points and capabilities.  The management team are very committed to continually developing the provision. They monitor the setting closely and take well-targeted steps to address any areas they identify for improvement.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Spportunities for children to self-select books and share stories are not maximised as books are not organised effectively.  Spportunities are not fully promoted in the outdoor area for children to investigate the natural world.

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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 voluntary and compulsory parts 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 taking part in indoor and outdoor activities and during mealtimes and care routines.  The inspector had discussions with the management team and staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled records including children's files, planning, improvement plans and staff suitability records.  The inspector looked around the premises and outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents at the setting and also took account of their views from parent questionnaires and comments on children's files.

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Information about the setting

Early Learners 2 registered in 1995. It is a private nursery owned by Headstart Nursery Ltd. The nursery is situated in a converted two-storey building close to Croydon town centre, in the London Borough of Croydon. The nursery is registered on the on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The first floor of the premises is accessed via stairs. Children are grouped in three playrooms according to age. There is an enclosed outside play space.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open from 7.45am to 6.15pm from Monday to Friday all year round. There are currently 69 children on roll, who attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years old. It supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are 13 staff who work at the nursery, including the manager. Of these, 10 have relevant childcare qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority through an early years advisor.

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

 increase the use of outdoor experiences to provide opportunities for children to make investigations of the natural world

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

 review the organisation of the nursery to create more stimulating and attractive book areas where children can easily select and share books and stories.

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who attend

Staff plan and provide an interesting, varied curriculum that ensures that children of all ages take part in a well-balanced range of activities and experiences. Staff gather comprehensive information about children's background, needs and starting points before they begin at nursery. For instance, they ask parents to fill out detailed registration and settling in forms. This ensures staff can meet children's individual needs well and provide all the support they require. Staff make regular observations of children's achievements and use these effectively to create individual activity plans that build on their knowledge and skills. Consequently, children make good progress in their learning. Staff keep parents well informed about children's progress through daily feedback sheets and regular discussions. They invite them to parents' meetings every four months, which helps ensure they are up-to-date with their child's next steps and can support their learning at home.

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who attend

Babies explore their environment happily, investigating resources in a basket or finding their way into a cosy corner. Staff promote children's early communication skills well when they talk to them as they play, repeat words and sing songs and rhymes. Toddlers and preschool children learn useful skills and attitudes that prepare them well for the next stage of learning and for school. For example, children speak confidently and listen attentively to staff at circle time. Staff support children's language development skilfully when they ask questions to extend conversations and encourage children to express their ideas. Older children recognise simple words and write their name. They are keen to make their own 'photo book' with pictures drawn by their friends. Children throughout the nursery show an interest in stories. However, staff do not always organise and display books attractively or encourage children to access them independently.

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who attend

Staff make good use of daily activities and routines to develop children's understanding of number and solve simple problems. They sing number songs with babies and toddlers, encouraging them to use their fingers to count how many are left when one is taken away. Staff ask preschool children to work out how many more children can play at the water tray, and children carefully count to find out if there are too many. Staff successfully support children's skills in using everyday technology, showing them how to complete simple programmes on the computer. Children in the toddler room confidently use the mouse, clicking on colours and creating a picture using an art program. Preschool children and toddlers enjoy playing outside, using the space to build a castle on a large scale with giant bricks. They grow daffodils in pots in the Spring, but staff do not yet make full use of the outdoor area to encourage children to investigate the natural world. For instance, by

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who attend

providing areas for digging and planting, exploring particular features of the environment or investigating the effects of wind. Staff encourage children of all ages to express their creativity. Babies explore paint when making potato prints and preschool children enjoy painting at the easel. Toddlers and preschool children use their imaginations when they play together in the role play area, dressing up or acting out a trip to the shops. Children of all ages respond to songs and music with enthusiasm, moving their bodies to the rhythm and joining in with familiar words.

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

Children throughout the nursery make good relationships with staff and each other. An effective key person system ensures that babies benefit from consistent carers. Staff follow children's familiar home routines, which help them settle quickly and feel secure. This promotes children's emotional and physical well-being. Toddlers and preschool children quickly grow in independence. They confidently select their own resources, pour their drink and serve themselves from big bowls at lunch time. Children are familiar with the routines and expectations of the setting and respond well to the clear guidance of staff, which helps them learn to behave well.

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

The setting is welcoming and well organised, with a wide variety of good quality, age- appropriate resources available for children to choose from both indoors and outside. Staff are vigilant in promoting children's safety. They check the premises and outdoor area for hazards on a daily basis and supervise children closely at all times. Toddlers gain an understanding of risks and how to keep themselves safe when they hold on to the banister carefully as they go down the stairs to the garden. Preschool children remember that if they run inside they may fall over. They learn about road safety through project work and know that they must hold hands when they cross the road. Children of all ages take part in regular fire drills so that everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

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

Children's good health is effectively promoted. Children learn to manage their own personal needs when they wash their hands before they eat and clean their face afterwards. Staff follow careful procedures for changing nappies, such as wearing aprons and gloves, which help minimise the risk of cross-contamination. Children benefit from well-balanced meals that are freshly prepared on the premises and enjoy their favourite spaghetti bolognaise for lunch. Children play outside every day as part of a healthy lifestyle. They have fun practising their physical skills on the climbing frame and balance along the beam carefully, using their arms to steady themselves.

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provision

Effective arrangements are in place to safeguard children's welfare. Staff are appropriately vetted and suitable to work with children due to robust recruitment procedures. All staff attend child protection training. This ensures that they understand their responsibilities towards the children in the nursery and know what steps to take if they have concerns about a child. There are clear systems for induction so that staff are familiar with policies and procedures and they work well in practice. All required documentation is in place and records are comprehensive, well organised and up to date. The management team monitor staff performance through regular supervision and appraisals and clear staff development plans are in place. This results in a well-trained and supported staff group.

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provision

The management team are very committed to continually developing the nursery and providing a good quality service. They have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements. They involve staff in the monitoring and review of the nursery and each room has an improvement plan based on staff evaluation. Staff take well- targeted steps to improve outcomes for children. For instance, systems for assessment and planning have recently been reviewed and updated. As a result, staff now monitor children's progress more closely and provide clearer information about their development to parents. In addition, the use of the outdoor area has been developed and new equipment obtained, and consequently staff now support children's outdoor learning well in most areas.

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provision

Staff work closely with parents and value their contributions and suggestions highly. For instance, they regularly ask them for feedback through questionnaires. Parents find staff at the nursery friendly and approachable and are happy with the care provided. Parents have access to comprehensive policies and procedures and are kept well informed about the day-to-day provision through the prospectus, newsletters and notice boards. Staff also build effective links with other settings that children attend and work in partnership with other professionals where necessary. This ensures children experience a consistent approach to their care and learning.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary 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 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 124937 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 910021

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Headstart Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 07/09/2010 Telephone number 020 8688 2161

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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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