The Co-operative Childcare Islington

Places for Children 10 Galway Street, Islington, London, EC1V 3SW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/05/2013 06/01/2009

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early years provision

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

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children have plenty of room to play and learn in rooms which are spacious and bright.  Healthy menus support children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. The pre-school children can watch staff prepare and cook meals giving them a better understanding of how meals are prepared.  Children enjoy outdoor play which supports their physical development.

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It is not yet good because

 Planning does not cover all areas of learning equally or provide sufficient challenge for children.  Some resources are not inviting or well maintained.  Staff do not always respond as quickly as they should to babies needs.

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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's play and staff interaction, indoors and outside  The inspector and manager undertook a joint observation of a teaching activity.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation including a representative sample of children's records, development plans and staff suitability records.

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Information about the setting

Places for Children Ltd Nursery registered in August 2005 and is one of 12 nurseries run across the country by the Mid Counties Co-operative. It operates from ground floor premises in a housing complex near Old Street station, in the London Borough of Islington. Children have access to the ground and lower ground floor indoor play areas, toilets and an enclosed outside play area. The nursery opens five days a week, from 8.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks a year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 58 children on roll in the early year's age group. The nursery is registered to receive government funding for early education. The nursery employs 20 members of staff, including the manager all of whom hold qualifications to level 2 and above.

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must:

 improve planning to ensure children enjoy purposeful play through a mix of adult- led and child-initiated activity, covering all areas of learning equally, and reflecting children's individual interests.

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must:

 create a more enabling learning environment that motivates children to explore and investigate, for example by providing a better range of inviting resources.

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

 tune in sensitively to babies and respond more quickly to their needs.

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who attend

Staff plan for children's play and learning adequately. They notice what activities are popular and build on these to help children learn through play. However, planning does not cover all areas of learning equally, and staff miss opportunities to provide activities that capture children's interest and challenge them to make better progress. Adequate observations and assessments show children's starting points and steady progress. Parents are invited to contribute to initial assessments through writing about their child's progress and backgrounds when they start. Children explore the soil and mud activity and learn about volume through water play. Staff promote children's communication and language development as they read book that children enjoy. They sit closely to the member of staff, listening intently and joining in with familiar parts of the story. Children make friends easily and settle in well, they enjoy

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who attend

playing with the various resources. Children are confident as they play outside in the garden; they enjoy the fresh air and daily exercise. They negotiate space successfully as they play running and chasing games. Children move freely and with pleasure and confidence in a range of ways such as walking, running and skipping.

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who attend

Children enjoy singing songs and nursery rhymes as they wait for lunch to arrive, they sit quietly and play well as staff sit with them. Staff promote children's early writing skills as they handle and use pencils, paint brushes and make marks in the sand and cornflour. Staff enable children to develop an interest in early mathematics as they count during number songs and count at snack time. Children begin to understand the world as they talk freely about each other's families and important people to them. They express their ideas through paint, role play and art activities. Consequently, staff provide some activities that help prepare children for their next stage of learning and their eventual move to school.

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who attend

Babies confidently explore their playroom. Staff sit with them on the carpet as they arrive, looking at 'lift the flap' books, encouraging language skills as they read the story and look at the pictures. Staff make eye contact with babies as they talk to them sensitively. Staff help them develop their fine physical skills as they make models using small construction bricks. However, the range of resources is limited. Some books are torn and pages are missing. The role play area has basic range of resources but is not inviting enough to encourage babies to be curious and interested in their play and learning.

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who attend

Children with additional needs are supported and staff have made links with specialist external agencies to help them make progress in line with their starting points.

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

The sound key person system helps children feel secure and promotes independence. In the main, staff are caring and help babies feel secure. However, they do not always respond as promptly as they could when a baby needs attention. For example, one baby pulls the hat of another over their eyes. Staff respond sensitively to the child's tears, but only after a few minutes has elapsed.

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

Staff are suitable role models they are respectful towards each other, children and parents. Children behave well; they understand appropriate boundaries of behaviour. Children learn about safety through playing safely inside and outside in the garden. Staff help them learn about road safety through discussion and relevant activities. For example, children learn to use the green cross code. They understand to wait at the zebra crossing until it is safe to cross. Children learn to take turns, not bump into each other and use wheeled toys safely in the garden. Staff help children learn about healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy eating nutritious meals and are able to watch staff in the kitchen prepare and cook food. The pre-school room is next to the kitchen, which has an open window area for children to view food being cooked. Children exercise daily in the garden and enjoy the fresh air. Children follow

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

sound hygiene routines and attend to their own needs washing their hands before meals and after using the toilet.

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

The environment is safe and suitable, children have plenty of clear space to play and the playrooms are bright. Most areas are resourced appropriately, but some toys are not inviting. Staff provide some resources that provide positive images of diversity. This helps children learn to respect differences and enables them to celebrate various cultural festivals throughout the year with staff.

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provision

Management and staff have a good understanding of how to safeguard children. They have taken steps to help ensure that the premises are secure and staff are deployed to supervise children. Accidents and incidents are recorded and the details shared with parents. Staff are trained in child protection issues, they know how to identify any concerns and follow procedures. Risk assessments are completed, implemented and reviewed to enable staff to provide a safe and secure environment where children can play and learn. Suitable procedures are in place to promote children's health, including administration of medication. Information is obtained about a child's needs for medicines and for keeping medicines up-to-date. All medicines are administered if prescribed only by a child's doctor, written permission is sought from the parents and a written record of each time medication is administered.

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provision

Children make steady progress in the areas of learning and development, observations and assessments show their progress. Staff are supported in their professional development, regular supervisions and appraisals are carried out by management. Partnership with parents is building steadily, the nursery now has a parent's forum and parents are invited to parent's evenings. Senior staff inform parents regularly of any issues that arise so parents are fully informed. The new manager is working hard to improve links with parents because of the many recent changes in management, so that parents feel secure with the running of the nursery. Links with outside agencies support meeting the needs of children with additional needs. Developing systems for self-evaluation has helped the nursery make improvements. For example, staff have completed further training and take part in regular staff meetings. This helps the staff to understand their

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provision

roles and responsibilities and support children better.

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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 EY311534 Local authority Islington Inspection number 917655

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 96 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider Places For Children Ltd Date of previous inspection 06/01/2009 Telephone number 020 7 2513475

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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