Early Learning Years Nursery

Early Learning Years Nursery 19 The Grove, Finchley, London, N3 1QN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/06/2013 15/05/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2

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This provision is good

 Children are happy and confident in their surroundings. This is because they form excellent relationships with staff and their friends.  The nursery environment provides an exceptional learning environment particularly in the outdoor area. This supports children physical development very well.  Staff support children language development very well. Staff are good role models they listen to children carefully and ask effective questions to encourage their learning.  Staff and management review their practice regularly in order to make changes that benefit the children who attend the nursery.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to explore and investigate information and communication technology resources are not always planned well by staff.

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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 interactions with staff.  The inspector talked to staff, children, parents and the management team members.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the nursery manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documents including staff and children's records, policies and procedures and other relevant documentation.

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Information about the setting

Early Learning Years Nursery opened and registered in 2002. It is located in a residential area of Finchley. The nursery operates from a self-contained house near the main high road with good access to public transport and local amenities. The nursery operates Monday to Friday from 7.45am to 6.15pm, all year round. There are currently 67 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. Children can attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 12 staff to work with the children, some of whom work on a part-time basis. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ Level 2 or above. The nursery receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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

 develop the use of resources that help children learn about technology by planning activities that use every day information and communication technology equipment and toys.

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who attend

Staff greet children warmly as they arrive and children quickly join in with the good range of activities on offer. Staff know the children in their care very well through careful observations of children's play, and gathering information from their parents as children start the nursery. Children actively explore the nursery environment, which is bright and airy. Pictures of the children having fun and pictures of their own families are on display. This promotes children's strong sense of belonging and enables them to reflect on their past experiences.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of the ways in which children learn. The have all recently attended a training session on the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, they are able to organise and plan an environment that supports children's learning and development needs effectively. Consequently, children benefit from an environment that is overall challenging and interesting and meets their individual needs. Staff keep detailed records of children's interests and achievements and they encourage parents to contribute to these records, which supports children's learning at home. The monitoring of children's achievements in learning and development means staff can quickly identify when a child is requiring some extra support.

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who attend

Staff skilfully extend and develop learning opportunities by joining in enthusiastically with children's play. They ask children questions that encourage children's thinking and problem solving skills. Children have great fun playing in an outdoor sand pit with a member of staff. The children want to make sand castles but the sand is soft and dry. Staff supports the children well, helping them to decide what they need to do to change the sand and if they need equipment to create a castle. Children actively engage in the task and easily access resources they need. Staff skilfully manage a group activity to ensure all the children are included, therefore supporting all of their individual needs. Staff do not always fully consider planning for children's exploration and investigation of information and communication technology toys and resources during activities. This means that children do not fully benefit from opportunities to fully explore technology in

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning and some children make excellent progress. Staff support children very well in developing skills in language and communication. Therefore, some children who are learning English as an additional language make exceptional progress in communication. For example, a child who began attending the nursery with little understanding of English is now fluent and able to translate for staff. This progress to due to the effective support staff provide to develop children's skills and the strong relationships they form with parents.

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who attend

The nursery is well organised to support children to acquire the skills they need for their future learning and the move to school. Staff encourage children to be independent, for example, putting on their own coats and making their own decisions about what to play with. Staff provide ample opportunities for children to practise writing and children have great fun chalking on a shed painted with black board paint. Through the strong and nurturing relationships children form with all the staff in the nursery, they are confident and well equipped to face new challenges.

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

Staff are excellent role models for the children. They are friendly, approachable and welcoming. They encourage children's individuality enthusiastically whilst supporting and nurturing their individual needs. Staff support children exceptionally well to be respectful, polite and play well with their friends. Children in the nursery are highly confident and happy. They behave very well and are caring towards their friends. Older children play exceptionally well together sharing resources and cooperating in an imaginative game putting dolls to bed and pretending to sleep themselves. Staff nurture good behaviour with highly effective systems. They provide stickers as rewards, which children stick on a chart excitedly. Outside babies join the pre-school children in the garden area. The older children are extremely careful and mindful of their younger friends, showing an excellent understanding of how to behave safely. Babies have great fun and confidently explore

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

encouraged by older children whilst staff keep a watchful eye on them. The 'key person' approach plays a significant role in supporting children to feel safe and secure in the nursery environment. Staff build excellent relationships with parents. They keep parents well informed of their child's time at nursery and invite parents to events throughout the year. The nursery hold a breakfast club regularly where parents can join their child and staff for breakfast at the nursery. The excellent relationship staff have with parents means that staff know the children in their care very well. This relationship enhances and supports children's overall sense of well-being effectively. Parents' speak very highly of the nursery and comment on how approachable all of the staff are. They feel their children are extremely well looked after and that they can communicate with all staff freely.

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

Staff consistently give a high priority to the safety of children. They are highly knowledgeable and have all received recent training on how to create an environment that is safe for children to play in. Staff carry out regular thorough risk assessment and have excellent systems in place to identify hazards such as broken toys, which staff quickly remove or mend. Therefore, children can move around the nursery freely and confidently. Staff encourage them to choose independently where they would like to play and the toys they would like to play with.

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

The nursery has an effective range of resources that overall are used to provide an accessible and stimulating environment for children to actively explore and learn in. The outside area is particularly impressive. Children can access the outside area at all times regardless of the weather. Children comment on how much the enjoy playing outside remarking 'I like to be in the garden, look at me on the slide'. The outside provides extensive experiences for children, for example, to balance on logs, climb on frames and make music on hanging household items that are ready to bang. Inside the environment is equally rich in its resources. Babies are well settled and highly confident in exploring their surroundings. They crawl up slopes and staff support them to navigate steps thus challenging their current level of development. Staff place a high emphasis on physical play both inside and outside therefore children enjoy and participate in activities that

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

A nursery cook prepares meals for the nursery daily, which the children thoroughly enjoy. Staff sit with the children and the children eat well. The mealtime is fabulous social occasion, where children laugh and joke together with staff, such as about how carrots will make you see in the dark. Children serve themselves at meal times and play an active role in clearing the table afterwards. This enables children to develop their independent skills and promotes their sense of responsibility. Staff actively and skilfully support children to become independent, therefore equipping them with the skills for school and further learning.

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provision

The management and staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation stage. Staff regularly review policies and procedures that protect the well-being of children and implement them consistently. The management monitor staff training effectively, therefore all staff receive regular training in safeguarding, First Aid and the preparation of food. The management keep good records and follow robust procedures when employing new members of staff. They carry out all the required checks to establish the suitability of staff. A well-documented induction procedure mentors and supports staff in their new role. The management supports staff well and carry out regular one-to-one supervision sessions with them. Staff feel that the management listen to them and support them to develop professionally. The management give training a high priority and staff attend regular training sessions. This commitment to

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provision

training has a positive impact on the nursery's ability to improve its provision.

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provision

The management play an active role in the nursery and often work alongside staff to monitor staff practice. Regular staff meetings are used to produce focused improvement plans for the future. Regular meetings with the staff and monitoring of children's records means the manager has a good overview how staff are managing children's learning and development. The manager also takes time to observe staff and children play. The management use this information to make positive changes in the nursery. They have a strong understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements, the manager's active role in the nursery promotes a consistent approach to planning and assessment throughout the nursery. This consistency means that staff quickly identify children requiring extra support and meet the child's individual needs through the good strategies in place.

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provision

Parents' speak highly of the nursery and feel that the management give their opinions and views thorough consideration. They feel involved in their child's learning and supported to be part of the nursery community. Parents have actively been involved in designing the nursery menu and regularly support the celebrating of cultural festivals for the children.

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provision

There are good systems in place to gather the views of other agencies to contribute to improvement action plans. There has been regular support to the nursery from the local authority. Staff have implemented enthusiastically suggestions from the advisory teacher, such as making cosy places for children to hide and talk in. The management demonstrate a strong drive for improvement, implementing all recommendations from previous inspections thoroughly.

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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 EY153081 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 843372 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 37 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Early Learning Years Nursery Partnership Date of previous inspection 15/05/2009 Telephone number 0208 349 3492

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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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