Magic Roundabout Nurseries Ltd

Magic Roundabout Nursery Ltd Roberts Hall, 161 Wadham Road, London, E17 4HU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/02/2013 16/03/2011

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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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children are happy, keen to learn and growing in self-assurance because of the secure relationships with staff and the interesting experiences provided for them. All children are making good progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities.  The indoor environment and quality of planning and assessment provides interesting activities that engage children and build and on their interests.  Regular performance management ensures that staff are listened to and offered mutual support and individual training that supports their professional development.  The staff value and support partnership with parents and outside professionals to ensure they meet all children's needs.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not consistently use open-ended questions that challenge children's thinking and extend their ideas.  Staff do not always make the most of the opportunities for children to make marks, and practise early writing skills. Equipment provided for younger children outside is not always suitable.

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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.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and manager undertook joint observations of the babies, toddler and pre-school rooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with some of the staff from each room, held discussions with the manager and questioned the nominated person about his roles and responsibilities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed practice, including mealtimes and spoke with a selection of parents about their child's progress.

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Information about the setting

Magic Roundabout Day Nursery registered in 1995 and is situated in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The nursery operates from a purpose-built building, which is situated behind a row of shops in a busy semi-residential area on the Walthamstow and Chingford border. They are registered on the Early Years Register, as well as the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery opens each weekday from 7.30am to 7pm for 52 weeks of the year. Children attend a variety of sessions. There are currently 77 children on roll aged between three months to five years. The provision is in receipt of funding for free early education for three- and four-year-old children. The provision currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery supports children who are learning English as an additional language. The nursery employs 18 members of staff who work directly with the children. Of these, 14 hold

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Information about the setting

appropriate early years professional qualifications at level 2 to level 6. One member of staff is working towards a qualification at level 4. A chef and cleaner are also on site.

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must:

 ensure there is a named deputy who, in the provider's judgement, is capable and qualified to take charge of the nursery in the manager's absence

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

 extend the use of open-ended questions to help children solve problems and think for themselves.

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

 strengthen opportunities for children to experiment with writing and to write their own names.

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

 offer appropriate sized outdoor play equipment to develop babies walking and crawling, ensuring that they are safe at all times, while not restricting their exploration.

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who attend

The bright airy atmosphere of the nursery is welcoming and inviting. Caring staff use good teaching skills that motivate and foster learning. These have a positive impact upon children's development, so that children make good progress in their learning. Children enjoy learning through play. They enter the nursery eagerly choosing what they want to play with from the variety of interesting resources. Staff plan children's experiences to cover the seven areas of learning, indoors and outdoors, with planned documents detailing a broad programme of activities. Staff support and enrich children's learning in all rooms, providing individual attention. However they do not always use open-ended questions to help children solve problems and clarify thinking.

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who attend

Staff support children's play and learning with sensitive interactions, especially those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, visual timetables provide picture images that help children follow the daily routine and staff use sign language to communicate effectively and purposefully with children. The nursery provides separate rooms for each age group, offering age appropriate resources and activities that stimulate babies and young children's involvement. For example, the spacious and inviting soft play room provides opportunities for babies to practice balancing, climbing and stepping using large wooden equipment and soft play equipment. Staff position themselves around each of the playrooms, working well together to support children's play experiences. Planning is adapted to respond to children's individual interests, determined by both discussion with parents and useful observations of children's play. Staff establish

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who attend

what children can do when they first start through talking to parents, and completion of a profile assessment prior to children's entry to the nursery. Regular and informative assessments of children by the key person are shared with the management during weekly meetings that help staff evaluate how to plan for children's future learning.

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who attend

Staff motivate children to engage in activities through trial and error, allowing them to explore freely and without interruption. For example, children eagerly gather around a table displaying a small selection of red resources, which stimulate investigation and discussion.

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who attend

Children practice gaining good hand and finger control during craft and writing activities. They use scissors competently and safely. They pick up pencils using a tripod grip to practice writing into individual letter books. A freely accessible 'special moment book' offers children opportunities to make marks, draw, write or colour the pages with any marking tools they choose. Children take pride in showing these books to staff and sharing their ideas and markings. However, staff do not encourage older children to write their name on pictures, to further their understanding that writing carries meaning. Nevertheless, children recognise their names at self-registration time when encouraged to find their name and post it on a board at arrival and going home time. Additionally children visit the book corner independently, choosing books and browsing through them happily. They handle books well, starting at the beginning and discussing the pictures with

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who attend

others. They enjoy undertaking small tasks happily, such as putting away toys, and are rewarded with 'helper of day' badges for their efforts that supports their development of self-esteem and self-awareness.

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who attend

The low level floor play areas offer babies opportunities to sit, rest or play with a range of natural resources that help them make sense of how things work. The spacious rooms provide opportunities for babies to use push along toys that help develop their walking, and coordination. The uncluttered room's help children focus on one thing at a time and discourage sensory overload. The calm atmosphere contributes to the rich exploratory play children take part in. Children are given time to explore, and freedom to move around to find out what they can do in order to make discoveries of their own.

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who attend

Children enjoy using a camera to take pictures of numbers in their environment that help them recognise and remember them. Shopping games provide mathematical problems that help children learn quantities and size.

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who attend

Children delight in using the outdoor areas, which help them extend their physical skills, such as climbing and ball control. Children who prefer to learn outdoors do so daily. Babies do not benefit from a separate play area, so do not have exclusive use of appropriate sized equipment to support their physical development and independence.

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

Children move around each play room happily and safely in the uncluttered space. All rooms are clean and well presented with thorough risk assessments in place that identify faulty or damaged equipment. Strict cleaning regimes are in place to minimise the spread of infection. These revised systems show improvement since the previous inspection and demonstrates the managers high priority on protecting children's welfare and safety. The close circuit television system in each room is monitored by the manager and offers added security to ensure the safety of children, staff and parents.

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

Staff have developed a good relationship with the children and families. The key person forms a strong bond with the children for whom they take special responsibility. The effective key person system ensures all staff use targeted strategies and interventions to support learning that match most children's individual needs. Clear notices displayed outside each room shows the names, photographs and roles of all staff in order to support partnerships with parents. Daily diaries provide essential feedback to parents about their child's daily routines, enabling parents to respond and comment at collection time. Staff help children learn about their emotions through 'emotion bubbles' that are discussed in small groups. They help children understand through daily discussions about whether they feel 'happy' or 'sad'.

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

Staff take a consistent approach in expectations for children behaviour, so that children learn what is acceptable. Children who are familiar with the nursery play alongside others well and share toys appropriately. Newer children are offered support from older children in routines and staff intervene quickly to resolve issues amicably. Children understand they must wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet, they manage their own personal needs by accessing the toilet independently. Visual symbols on the bathroom walls provide helpful prompts to remind children of what to do. Baby changing routines are carefully monitored and recorded, individual baskets provide personalised changing garments and nappies.

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

Children help prepare areas for meal times, placing cups and placemats on tables. Fresh drinking water is available at all times at a 'drink station'. Children access the area independently pouring their own drinks. An effective system of using different coloured placemats identifies those children who have allergies and food preferences. All children enjoy hot meals each day, that are freshly prepared by the nursery cook with no added salt or sugar. All meat is supplied by a local butcher. Children talk about healthy foods and visit the local supermarket that helps children understand what different foods look like. Cooking activities provide opportunities for children to talk about different food types and taste different foods. A planting area outside provides children with opportunities to grow vegetables, look after them and eat them. Menu sheets are devised in collaboration with families and reviewed regularly. They take into consideration individual preferences and

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

Children's understanding of safety is threaded through the daily routines. They learn that some resources, such as scissors, must be used with care and not to run inside. Children and staff take part in monthly fire drills that help children to understand the dangers of fire and how to safely leave the building. These self-care skills mean that children enjoy their nursery experiences and gain good skills in readiness for their move to school.

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provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children's well-being are well established and generally effective. The manager and owner work well together using robust procedures to appoint staff who are suitable to work with children. However, there are gaps in the owner's implementation of responsibilities for implementing the welfare and safeguarding requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is no deputy in place, as required. Ofsted has not been informed of the change of manager, as required. Although no child has come to harm as a result of these oversights, Ofsted intends to issue a warning letter. The manager's ongoing suitability is checked during appraisal by the company's business manager. The manager places high priority on protecting children's welfare and follows proper procedures to work with outside bank staff agencies when needed. Staff have regular safeguarding and first aid training. They

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provision

understand their individual responsibilities and the need to provide safe play environments for children.

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provision

The manager works closely with several support staff from the local authority, actively seeking advice and acting on it to improve the provision and support for children, especially those children with special educational needs. The management assess what they offer children and their families through parent questionnaires, parents evening discussions, and staff meetings to accurately identify areas for improvement. The management understand the importance of offering better play facilities for babies. This resulted in extensive refurbishment of the indoor play areas and providing more natural play resources.

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provision

Close attention to staff development by the management results in regular supervision and staff meetings that identify training needs and personal support. The manager seeks to raise the standards amongst staff and has employed higher qualified staff to improve practice. She provides a positive role model to staff; she is also aiming for further professional development by studying for a foundation degree.

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provision

Since the previous inspection the management have worked hard to address the weaknesses, leading to much improved risk assessment procedures that ensure trip hazards are identified immediately in order to minimise risk to adults and children. Close monitoring of registers is maintained by the manager twice a day, which ensures the staff's compliance in their completion. The nursery has received a 'very good' rating from the National Day Nurseries Association for its hygiene.

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provision

Parents express their thanks for the support they receive from staff in helping their child settle into the nursery. Parents provide useful information about their child before they start that helps the key person settle their child into nursery. Staff work closely with parents in such things as dietary needs and use of dummies, so everyone takes a consistent approach.

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provision

The management monitor planning and evaluation in collaboration with the planning co- ordinator who helps target gaps in children's learning and has led the implementation of the changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

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provision

The self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff and parents. As a result the manager has identified significant areas for improvement in regard to play provision and partnerships. These include developing the outside play area to include a garden and to develop stronger links with schools and other local setting to support children's transition. In addition the owner proposes the introduction of a 'staff of the month' award and 'room of the month' award to boost staff moral and empower staff and management.

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provision

In preparation for transition to school, the manager visits local schools to gather information on daily routines and takes photographs to share with children in group discussions and with families during parent's evenings. Before the child leaves the manager provides the schools with progress reports that identify the child's achieved levels of development.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Not Met

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

 ensure that Ofsted is informed of a change of manager (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that Ofsted is informed of a change of manager (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)

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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 156213 Local authority Waltham Forest Inspection number 896868 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 160 Number of children on roll 85 Name of provider Magic Roundabout Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 16/03/2011 Telephone number 0208 523 5551

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Setting details

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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