Academy 4 Kids

Academy 4 Kids 209 Friern Barnet Lane, Whetstone, London, N20 0NG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/04/2013 30/09/2010

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early years provision

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

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children experience learning through first hand experiences across all areas and all children benefit for outdoor play each day.  The nursery is safe and welcoming to children and they are happy and contented overall.  Children are learning the importance of healthy lifestyles through their daily practices.  Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and staff monitor their progress closely to help them progress.

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It is not yet good because

 There are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. Consequently, not all children are making good or better process in all areas of learning, such as communication and language.  Some staff do not use open-ended questions to help children think for themselves and solve problems.  There are some inconsistencies in the implementation of the key person system so it is not fully effective for every child from the start.

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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 activities in all areas of the nursery including, out doors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector tracked children in the nursery, looked at assessment records and activity plans.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed qualification, recruitments and suitability information with the manager.  The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager and room leaders.  The inspector spoke to children and parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documentation, discussed self-evaluation plans with manager and the registered individual.

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Information about the setting

Academy 4 Kids registered since 2003. It operates from a purpose built building with outside play areas and some woodlands in Whetstone in the London Borough of Barnet. The nursery is privately owned and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Opening times are 7.30am to 6.30pm. Currently, there are 121 children on roll; they are all in the early years age group. The setting supports children with special educational needs and or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery receives funding for free early education for children aged, three and four. Twenty five staff works directly with the children. The manager holds Early Years Professional Status and the preschool leader holds Qualified Teacher Status. Additionally, 15 staff hold qualification at level 3 or above in childcare and

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Information about the setting

education. The nursery provider is supporting staff to gain and improve on childcare and education qualification.

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must:

 develop the educational programme for communication and language by helping all children to initiate discussions from shared experiences and have conversations with each other

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must:

 improve the quality of teaching to ensure a consistent approach to children's learning and development by providing more effective supervision for staff to provide support, coaching and training for the practitioner

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must:

 strengthen the key person system to make sure that it is effective for every child from the start and builds a closer relationship with their parents.

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

 improve staff's ability to engage children with open and challenging questions to encourage children to test their ideas.

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who attend

Children throughout the nursery experience play that suitably promotes all areas of learning each day. There are new systems in place to plan and assess children's progress, although these are still in their early stages. There are some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. Some staff interact well with children and extend their learning effectively. Others are less skilled and do not engage sufficiently with children to help them make good, or better progress. For example, some children in the pre-school age range are beginning to write recognisable letters and enjoy writing for a purpose. A group of children listen intently to a well-read story and participate with enthusiasm. However, some children in the same group are less confident to initiate conversations with larger groups of children. Although, this has been identified as an area to work on, staff have not yet implemented plans to help them progress. As a result, these children maintain very

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who attend

Staff provide children with appropriate outdoor learning opportunities. Older children learn about space, shapes and measurements as they use large construction resources. Toddlers' physical development is promoted as they kick the football and use other sports equipment. Staff encourage the youngest children to use their senses as they engage with the bubble blowing activity. Children experience expressive arts and design in ways that are appealing for them. For example, the babies show delight as they experience the texture of shredded paper and show increasing control and mobility as they move to music, shuffle and crawl to explore the bright and attractive resources in their reach.

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who attend

Children develop some understanding of the world as they begin to plant vegetables, and learn across different areas with sand, water and the resources that introduce them to technology, including computers, responsive toys and pop-up books. Children move easily between activities and make choices in their play. However, while some staff engage in children's activities well, using open-ended questions, others do not. The quality of teaching and learning for children is inconsistent. Some staff do not sufficiently challenge children or enable them to think for themselves. Consequently, while many children are well prepared for moving to school, some are less secure.

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who attend

Children experience a number of large group activities, such as story times and sharing meals together. Children show consideration for others, most of them are able to listen and pay attention in expectation to their stage of development. There are opportunities for children to be physically active as they use large equipment outdoors and enjoy play in the woodland area of the nursery. These activities provide suitable opportunities for children to develop better understanding of the natural environment and the changing seasons.

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

Every child is allocated a key person and over time children in the nursery develop secure attachments with them and other staff. For example, the youngest children clearly look to their key person for reassurance. However, the arrangement is not as secure throughout the nursery. All staff gain good quality information about children's likes, dislikes, comforters and starting points, so they can meet their needs. However, some staff do not develop a close partnership with parents from the outset, so children and parents can feel reassured as they see the developing relationship.

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

Parents provide detailed information about children's individual health, care and cultural needs. Where children are identified with special educational needs and/or disabilities the nursery staff work very closely with parents, the local authority's inclusion officer and other education and health professionals. Together they develop, implement and review clear individual education plans for these children. These children get the support they need to keep them moving forward and to close gaps in their learning and development over time.

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

Parents value the information from daily diaries and the feedback about children's activities. Most parents state that the good quality feedback that they receive helps them to provide continuity of care for children. Staff welcome parents and children from all backgrounds and they are clear that they do not treat any child or their family more or less favourably than another. Staff follow parents' guidance and wishes and meet children's cultural needs. A culturally mixed staff team is a good resource for children. For example, where children are learning English, some members of staff are bilingual and support their learning while valuing their home language. Overall, there is a suitable range of toys and resources and this allows all children to make some meaningful choices.

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

Staff effectively promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. They take good care of children's personal hygiene needs and maintain high standards of hygiene and cleanliness across the nursery. This helps to promote children's good health. Children are learning how to care for themselves. For example, they help themselves to water and older children are learning to dress themselves. For example, they put on their shoes before going outside and all children are learning the importance of applying sun block in hot weather. Children eat balanced and nutritious food and learn to make healthy choices about their snacks. Children are learning how to keep themselves safe. They know how to use the climbing frame and large equipment safely. They understand they must tidy their toys away after use so no-one trips over them. Children are also learning that their good behaviour and following the staff's guidance helps to keep them safe. Staff demonstrate

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

consistent practice with regard to assessing risks to children. They maintain safe and secure environments for children and this helps to promote children's independence. Children move round freely to make use of all the available resources.

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provision

Overall, the leadership and management team makes appropriate arrangements for learning, development, safeguarding and welfare. However, the systems to achieve good or better outcomes for children are not fully developed. This is due to the varying quality of teaching. In general staff have a secure knowledge of the areas of learning, however until very recently management of the nursery has been inconsistent which has affected the planning, assessment and review cycle. New management has developed improved systems which are in the early stages. For example, staff have started to use guidance such as 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage' to help them make secure assessments about children's development. The new manager recognises the need to supervise staff to address any training needs and in order to securely monitor the educational programme more effectively. However, this has yet to be fully implemented.

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provision

Robust recruitment procedures help to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Staff have a sound understanding of how to safeguard children. Across the nursery staff know what to do if concerns arise about children's well-being. They know the designated safeguarding officers. As well as the nursery's safeguarding policy, relevant information is displayed prominently in every area; this helps staff to keep safeguarding matter at the forefront of their practice. Staff work effectively to supervise children, together they create and maintain a safe and secure environment for all children. This sets a good example to help children learn about the importance of safety. The provider maintains the required adult to child ratio, and high of number of qualified staff work directly with children. However, there are times when staff give more attention to supervising than positive engagement with children.

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provision

The new manager has started to review the nursery's practices through evaluation and is taking steps to involve, staff, parents and children. The management team identifies priorities, such as the supervision of staff and monitoring the learning and development. This includes a proposed upgrade of resources.

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provision

Staff are beginning to implement the required progress reports for children aged two years. Staff provide parents with general information about children's learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. This helps them to consolidate children's learning at home. Parents welcome the organised parents evenings and they know that their children's development records are available at any time. Staff share information with other providers as necessary and they produce reports about children's progress when they move through the nursery or on to school. There are useful links with the local authority's early development workers and the nursery. The manager values their engagement with the staff, to drive improvement for children.

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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 EY260044 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 909263 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 85 Number of children on roll 121 Name of provider AB Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 30/09/2010 Telephone number 020 8446 9988

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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

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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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