Hammersmith Day Nursery & Pre-School

Richford Street Day Nursery 50 Richford Gate, 61-69 Richford Street, London, W6 7HZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/05/2013 20/09/2011

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

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This provision is satisfactory

 Positive relationships between children and practitioners support children to feel valued. As a result, children are settled, secure and motivated to learn.  Strong partnerships with parents exist; good information sharing takes place and this contributes significantly to how well staff meet children's individual care needs.  The new manager demonstrates a very strong commitment to further improvement and has implemented many positive changes that have already seen some significant improvement in the outcomes for children's welfare, learning and development.  Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play and develop their physical skills in the secure nursery garden.

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It is not yet good because

 not all recent improvements have had the chance to become fully embedded  although many positive initiatives have been started to support staff development more needs to be done to improve consistency of good practice to support children's learning and development and to drive further improvement  staff do not always acknowledge children's abilities and do not all actively encourage them to develop their independence skills, to solve problems and further support their language and thinking.

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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 talked to staff and parents to seek their views.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the nursery manager and completed a joint observation with her.  The inspector observed some activities both inside and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's records, assessments and curriculum plans.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a wide range of documentation including safety policies and risk assessments.

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Information about the setting

Richford Street Day Nursery is one of four nurseries run by Bringing up Baby Nursery Group. It opened in 1995 and operates from four play rooms in a purpose built building in Hammersmith, in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. Children come from the local and wider community. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 50 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 52 children aged from three months to five years on roll. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year- olds and they receive Early Learning funding for two-year-olds. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language and has systems in place to support children with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery

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Information about the setting

employs nine staff; of these, eight hold appropriate qualifications.

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

 encourage greater teamwork to promote continuous improvement of practice and the provision

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

 develop further the educational programme for personal, social and emotional development, to ensure that all staff have high expectations for children and that children's independence skills are encouraged

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

 improve strategies to support children's problem solving, language and thinking skills, for example, through the consistent use of open-ended questions by all staff in the nursery.

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who attend

Children are happy and settled in this welcoming nursery. Parents value the partnerships that are in place between themselves and the nursery staff. Staff use day to day opportunities, and planned parents' evenings, to share what they know about their key children's care, learning and development. The nursery hosts events, such as, a talk from a Speech and Language therapist, to support parents to help their children learn at home. Prominent wall displays in the baby room help parents to understand the nursery routine, and photographs throughout the nursery show parents how children learn. Links between home and nursery are strengthened because parents can see how children spend their day and talk to their children about their time at nursery.

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who attend

Staff observe their key children and make observation notes about their learning. They plan activities for their key children. These activities match children's interests and support most children's learning. However not all staff have a secure understanding of children's next steps. Across the nursery most staff support children's learning at the appropriate level, however some staff underestimate what children can do and give limited opportunities for children to develop their independence skills. For example, in the two to three-year-old room some staff do not encourage children to get out and clear away activities themselves. This means that children miss out on opportunities to develop negotiating skills as they decide on jobs, and persuade others to tidy away equipment. Also some staff lack confidence to encourage children's thinking and give few opportunities for children to learn to solve problems. As a result of the weaknesses in staff

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who attend

skills children's progress towards the early learning goals is affected.

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who attend

The nursery environment is well resourced and offers children a range of interesting and engaging activities. Children are motivated to learn as real food items and vegetables are added to the role play area in the three to five-year-olds' room. Here they talk about their experiences at home and in restaurants as they prepare elaborate meals within their play. Children are given time to develop their play, and for the most part are given choice to extend activities as they make connections across the seven areas of learning. However not all practitioners fully understand children's need to be independent in play and do not always enable children to add resources of their own choosing. This means that children are not always supported to play through their ideas and to develop their thoughts fully.

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who attend

Adults encourage children's mathematical development as they sing number rhymes and introduce pattern and shape into children's play. Children work with their key person as they compare the sizes of model dinosaurs and then order them according to height, discussing which ones would fit under the trees. However, there are missed opportunities to further develop children's mathematical awareness, for example, as children make 'soup' in the role play area; they cannot take their learning further as they do not have independent access to scales or measures as they prepare their 'soup' and 'risotto'.

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who attend

Children are offered a range of opportunities that promote their language development. The nursery's commitment to the national 'Every Child a Talker Initiative' has improved outcomes for children. Children benefit from planned opportunities to work in small groups and develop their communication skills. Adults frequently read books to children and talk about the importance of writing as they support children to write their own names. Children use electronic notebooks and talk to adults about the pictures they see as they connect letter sounds phonetically to words. However not all adults support children to talk through problems, ideas and solutions. This means that some adults miss opportunities to develop children's spoken language and thinking skills.

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

Staff work with parents to support the transition from home to the nursery. Staff work in partnership with parents to gain good information about children's starting points on entry to the nursery. Parents report they are invited to stay with their child, gradually leaving the room for longer periods of time until their child is comfortable going to nursery. As a result of this well planned transition children separate well from parents and settle quickly. Children build secure relationships with staff and feel confident within the nursery. As children get older transitions to new rooms are planned in consultation with parents. Children make visits to their new rooms with their key person and this gradual change ensures children know new staff well.

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

Staff encourage good behaviour. Children share equipment as they learn about turn taking and sharing and staff role model good behaviours at meal times supporting children to be polite and well mannered. Children see and use resources that reflect positive images of different people, which encourages acceptance and inclusion of others. Staff value children's home language and nursery displays give children the chance to see examples of written language from a variety of countries. Children with special needs are well supported. The nursery has systems in place to ensure partnership working with outside agencies, such as speech and language therapists and by working with parents and these professionals staff help to meet children's individual needs and promote their learning.

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

Staff employ safe practices and protect children by minimising the risk of cross-infection. They do this by wearing aprons, gloves and hairnets when preparing and serving food to children. Staff cover, or remove, their outdoor shoes before visiting the baby room so that babies can crawl across safe surfaces. Children are learning personal hygiene practices and independently take part in routine hand washing activities. The majority of staff support children well as they learn to use the toilet and take care of their personal needs. Staff in the baby room encourage toddlers to indicate when they are wet or need changing. Babies smile and babble as they are invited to take part in the changing process holding nappies for their key person. However independence skills are less well supported in the two to three-year-old room where some staff do not encourage children to carry out personal care routines themselves. For example, staff in this room do not encourage

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

children to wipe their own noses, to pour their own drinks or to help clear away following meals and snacks, even when they are keen to do so. Staff in this room do not always talk to children and explain the reason behind decisions and rules. For example staff do not explain why children with allergies are given different food to eat. This means that children are not always given answers to their questions and do not gain sufficient opportunities to explore and celebrate the differences between one another. Drinks of water are accessible throughout the play session and children's dietary needs are catered for. The nursery provides home cooked healthy meals and snacks. However few staff sit with children at meal times to support children's talk and interactions during this social activity. This means that children do not have the opportunity to talk about healthy choices and the food they are eating.

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

The nursery management has improved access to the secure outside area since the last inspection. All children now benefit from daily opportunities for outdoor learning and physical play. Older children bounce balls, pedal tricycles and work together to transport earth as they play with diggers and lorries in the fresh air. Babies crawl through play tunnels and are supported to sit on appropriately sized rocking seesaws as adults sing to them. Children play safely and understand the boundaries for behaviour. As children play they respect each other's space and equipment, for example, a child asks another one if he has finished with the digger before using it in their play. The nursery manager has identified further developments for this outside space. She is committed to developments which will support children's learning.

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provision

The manager of the nursery has a good understanding of the provision. A clear management structure has been developed and strengths and areas for further development have been identified. Although all staff are not yet involved in the formal self-evaluation process, systems are in place to continually review and improve practice. Since taking up her post the manager has improved risk assessments which are now robust, fully documented and cover all of the areas children use. These include outings and trips outside the nursery. The nursery team works together to identify potential hazards and ensure risks are minimised. Staff complete the necessary paperwork to ensure children's safety, such as attendance, medication records, and consents for outings. Staff are vigilant towards risk and protect children with allergies or other medical health care needs. The appointment of a designated person and regular training ensures

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provision

that all staff have up-to-date information on how to safeguard children and know the procedures to follow in the event of any concerns.

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provision

Comprehensive policies and procedures ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the setting. All policies are shared with parents and the manager encourages the views of parents on nursery procedures. Parents report that their views are valued and that they have a good partnership with the nursery. The manager has introduced a parent feedback board and a regular parent questionnaire. She takes positive actions in response to any issues.

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provision

Partnerships with external agencies and others are effective. The manager seeks and secures support that contributes to meeting children's needs. The nursery works closely with several support staff from the local authority to drive improvement and support children with special educational needs.

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provision

The manager regularly monitors practice and is actively involved in the rooms with the children, parents and staff. Areas of development that have been a focus within the nursery, for example partnerships with parents, are now areas of strength. In addition, the manager has made some good improvements to the environment and introduced effective strategies for supporting play and learning outdoors. Parents comment on the, 'great activities that really stimulate the children'. These developments have had a significant impact on outcomes for children. Recruitment and vetting procedures are appropriate and ensure that those working with children are suitable to do so. The manager is aware that systems to assess and plan for children's next steps are not consistently embedded across the whole staff team. She has introduced strategies to support the team, for example training, role modelling and performance management. Staff are monitored and underperformance is tackled. The

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provision

manager is developing staff skills and knowledge through the use of effective training and professional development and improvements in practice are beginning to show. Senior staff are undertaking leadership courses and less confident staff members have been empowered to take on responsibilities and engage with training opportunities. This is having a positive effect on the nursery provision but the manager understands that change takes time.

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provision

The manager ensures that routines are clear and that the setting is well organised and welcoming. Parents are positive about the setting and comment on improvements to the environment that is now 'brighter and more welcoming' and say how happy their children are.

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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 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 143795 Local authority Hammersmith & Fulham Inspection number 814057 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 52 Name of provider Bringing Up Baby Limited Date of previous inspection 20/09/2011 Telephone number 020 8746 1015

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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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