Strawberry Fields Nursery School Limited

Strawberry Fields Nursery School Notting Hill Community Church, Kensington Park Road, LONDON, W11 2ES

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/07/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is exceptional, passionate and enthusiastic staff motivate all children to successfully engage in purposeful learning.  The leadership and management is inspirational, the head teacher has high expectations of the staff and children, which helps to drive improvement.  A highly stimulating environment provides a variety of rich motivating experiences for children to support all areas of their learning.  Partnership with parents is exceptional, staff provide tailor made support for all families, helping to provide consistency and stability for all children.

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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 undertook a joint observation in the classroom with a senior teacher.  The inspector spoke to parents to gain their views.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spent time in all the classrooms observing practice and sampled the additional activities provided.  The inspector met with the head teacher and sampled documentation.

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Information about the setting

Strawberry Fields Nursery School was first established in 1986 and is privately owned. It re-registered in 2006 at the current premises and in 2012 due to a change in the ownership. It is located in Notting Hill in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and operates from a purpose built premises in Notting Hill Community Church. Children have use of four classrooms and a large hall for drama, music, sports, lunch and social functions. There is an enclosed entrance garden for outdoor play and the nursery also has use of a nearby private garden and a playground in the local school. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery is registered to receive funding for three- and four-year-olds. The nursery opens from 9am to 3.45pm each weekday for 38 weeks in the year. Children may attend a morning, afternoon session or a full day. There are currently 114 children on roll

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Information about the setting

all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery employs 12 staff and all have recognised early years qualifications. Of these, five staff, including the manager, hold Qualified Teacher Status, one hold a Level six qualification and six a Level three qualification. In addition, specialist staff lead on dance, science, French, computers and sports.

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

 enhance children's understanding of daily routines, for example, by providing a visual timetable to enable them to understand what will happen next.

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who attend

Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn. They skilfully plan exciting themes which are derived from the children's interests, for example a particular book or an item that sparks children's interest. Detailed planning sets out stimulating activities that cleverly support children's learning in all areas and link to children's individual development and learning styles. For example, children's mathematical skills are supported as they sort different colour dinosaurs into corresponding buckets. They then have fun arranging them in their corresponding house. Methods of assessment are detailed and precise, which enables staff to clearly monitor where children are developmentally, including any gaps in their learning. Staff complete the required progress checks for children aged between two and three years, gain parents' comments and identify the next steps for learning. This also

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who attend

enables the staff to clearly identify any concerns early so the appropriate steps are taken into account to support each child's specific needs. As a result, all children make excellent progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

A key factor for children's exceptional progress is the high-quality teaching, which contributes to the excellent progress children make. Teaching is enthusiastic, imaginative and inspirational. For example, staff skilfully use open ended questions to make children think critically and provide challenges for children. They learn how to make a volcano erupt and squeal in excitement as the pretend lava pours down over the dinosaur figures. Staff provide motivating role play areas which act as an exciting base to extend children's creativity. They enjoy exploring a dinosaur museum and a volcano made from a tepee. They hunt for fossils, skilfully using tweezers to lift the dinosaur bones from the coloured sand. Staff successfully promote children's communication and language skills. They listen to exciting stories about dinosaurs and eagerly answer questions from staff demonstrating the knowledge they have gained throughout the topic, such as the names of different

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who attend

types of dinosaurs and their individual features.

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who attend

The staff provide high level support to families while working with other professionals involved with the children who attend. This enables them to provide consistency and tailor made planning in order to support the individual development of all children.

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

Children form very secure, valuable relationships with their key staff through the genuine care and reassurance provided. Consequently, children feel very secure and become very confident. For example, staff speak very gently to children and offer a nurturing environment particularly during settling in, enabling the chid and their family to form a trusting relationship with their special person. Well-planned activities thoroughly support children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they play the traffic light game where they learn to 'stop when the staff say red' and to go when it's green. Children also learn how to use different tools safely within the nursery, such as scissors to cut paper.

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

Children eagerly learn how to follow a healthy lifestyle. They are provided with a range of healthy snacks, skilfully chop fruit and make smoothes as part of planed activities. The nursery provides parent's with suggestions of a healthy lunchbox and implement policies in place to support individual children's dietary needs and allergies. As a result children's wellbeing is protected. They enjoy a visit from the dentist when they talk about how to care for their teeth; they explore a wide range of fruits and talk about why they are good for you. Children have many exciting opportunities to take part in exercise they climb over soft play, jump in and out of hoops and use their bodies to slitter like a snake. They use the local playground of an adjoining school where they enjoy running around in the large open space and watching the fish in the pond.

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

Children's behaviour is excellent; this contributes well to children's high-quality learning. Staff manage any minor issues skilfully and support children in understanding how to react to situations in a positive manner. Children use good manners, they say 'excuse me' when they want to pass to someone; they are very good at sharing and taking turns due to the variety of group activities they take part in. Children are encouraged to take care of their environment, they help to tidy up and put back their toys in the correct place. Staff act as very positive role models, they speak to children affectionately and use good manners.

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

A highly stimulating, well-resourced environment with good quality resources that are set out attractively, provides an exciting learning space. Younger children make independent choices about which activity they would like to try from the photos displayed on the white board. However, staff do not always use pictorial prompts to support children's understanding when the routine changes from one activity to another, to allow them to predict what is coming next. Children use a variety of different areas during the day including a large spacious hall for activities such as dance, movement and physical sports and games. They also take part in a wide range of offsite activities and use local outdoor spaces. As a result of the many exciting learning opportunities which helps children to prepare and swiftly gain all of the skills they need for moving on to school. As a result, children are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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provision

The leadership and management of the nursery is inspirational, the head teacher has high expectations of both staff and children which are monitored through the successful systems in place. Consequently children make excellent progress in their learning. Vetting procedures are robust to make sure staff are suitable to work with children. Successful procedures enable the management team to consistently monitor new staff and there are highly effective systems in place for on-going supervision and appraisals. These help to highlight areas for professional development. There are regular opportunities for staff to promote their skills and development through the excellent opportunities within the nursery. For example, supervisors take responsibility for monitoring the staff team working on their floor. Staff consistently have opportunities to attend team training days and those provided by the local authority. The staff inspire each other and some have gone on to

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provision

further their professional development by gaining a higher level qualification. Staff deployment and supervision are highly effective in helping to keep children safe throughout the day. All staff are trained and confident in their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures, which helps to effectively protect children and keep them safe. Robust risk assessments for the premises and outings highlight any hazards, which enable the staff to put preventative measures in place to promote children's welfare and safety. There are effective systems in place to deal with complaints; the head teacher is always available on arrival and departure for parents to speak to her.

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provision

The provider has highly reflective systems in place that help staff to evaluate their practice and identify areas for further development. As a result, action plans are developed and the nursery continues to review and reflect priorities for improvement. A well established parent's committee; provides a successful channel for gaining parents views along with daily discussions and feedback from parent's evenings. In addition children's views are gained through the use of a simple questionnaire with pictorial prompts. The nursery strives to maintain their very high standards through the dedication of the staff team, who are united in driving improvement. Consequently, this has a positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning for all children.

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provision

Partnership with parents is exemplary, highly positive relationships with parents enable staff to give children the specific care and education each individual requires. Staff provide workshops for parents with specific focus on how and why they do things in the nursery and the resources that will support them. This enables parents to consolidate at home what children have learnt during the day.

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provision

A regular newsletter and activity plan is shared with parents enabling them to be kept fully informed of what their child will learn from the planned activities. There are examples of children's work displayed around the nursery, this along with the work children take home enables parents to share in the variety of activities their children take part in. The parents committee enable those who are new to become part of the school community and feel welcome through attendance at many social occasions and fund raising events. Parents report that they think the nursery is 'special and very child focused', they like the way the staff enable parents to be involved and understand how they can support their children to learn in a fun way. Many of the families have been attending for a number of years and all their children have attended the nursery.

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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 EY456623 Local authority Kensington & Chelsea Inspection number 895937 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 114 Name of provider Strawberry Fields Nursery School Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 02077278363

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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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