Blue Skies Nursery

Blue Skies Nursery 194 Broadfields Avenue, EDGWARE, Middlesex, HA8 8TF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/06/2013 14/02/2013

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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 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children feel safe and secure because they play in a welcoming and friendly environment, and form secure attachments with their keyperson.  Children are motivated and keen to learn because they have access to a variety of fun and stimulating resources.  Children are well support by staff to develop a secure understanding of the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle.  Staff establish effective partnerships with parents and encourage them to support the children's learning at home.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not carry out a specific review of the children's progress at age two, with a written summary focusing on children's development in the three prime areas, in order to inform parents of any areas where progress is less than expected.  Children's over enthusiasm in group sessions often leads them to become distracted and not get the full benefit of the activity. This is not always managed effectively by staff.  Children lack the opportunity to develop independence by serving themselves at meal times.

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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 activities in the hall and garden.  The inspector had discussions with parents and staff.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range documentation including children's records and safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at and discussed the risk assessments for the building and for outings.

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Information about the setting

Blue Skies Nursery registered in 2010 and is managed by a private provider. The nursery operates from Open Heavens Church Hall in Edgware, in the London Borough of Barnet. Children have access to one main room. There is a secure garden for outdoor play. The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday during term time. There are currently 21 children in the early years age group on roll, aged from two to under five years. The nursery supports children learning English as an additional language. It receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and the voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are four members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate professional early years qualifications.

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must:

 review children's progress between two and three years of age and prepare a written summary for parents on their child's progress in the three prime areas. Identify the child's strengths and any areas where the child's progress is less than expected.

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

 develop strategies to encourage children to pay attention and listen in group sessions, in order for them to fully benefit from the activity

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

 provide children with increased opportunities to develop their independence, for example at meal times.

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who attend

Children enjoy playing and learning in the friendly and welcoming nursery. They make sound progress in their learning because they have the opportunity to engage in a variety of fun experiences and activities. The staff have recently developed an effective system of observation and assessment. This ensures that children's learning is regularly monitored and the next step in their learning journey is identified and included in the play planning. Parents regularly discuss with staff the progress the children make towards the early learning goals. However, staff do not carry out specific progress checks for children between two and three years of age, including a short written report prepared for parents, for potential use at their child's health check. This is a breach of requirements. However, information relating to the children's stage of development is recorded elsewhere and is used to identify any gaps in their learning.

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who attend

Staff have recently introduced a phonics programme to support children's communication and emerging literacy. Children have fun recognising their names by the sound of the first letter, and singing songs with repetitive rhymes. Staff also extend language and thinking skills by asking questions about what they are doing, such as 'is it tall; how tall is it?' Staff make learning fun. For example, they bury models of insects in the sand tray for the children to discover as they dig, prompting children to exclaim with pleasure 'I've found treasure!' Children are keen to learn and generally engage well in the activities. However, their enthusiasm often leads them to forget about the importance of taking turns and listening and paying attention when their friends are having their turn. Staff do not always use effective teaching strategies to encourage children to learn these skills.

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who attend

Children feel relaxed and settled at the nursery. They happily play by themselves or with their friends. Children spend time sitting on the carpet, contentedly picking out the shiny black pebbles from the treasure basket. Older children confidently form friendships by inviting others to join them in building a house using toolkits and blocks.

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who attend

Staff support children learning English as an additional language. They find out key words and phrases in the child's home language and use these to help children settle and grow in confidence. The book loan scheme enables parents to borrow books from the nursery to read with the children at home and further support their communication and literacy.

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

The keyperson system is effective in helping children to settle and develop a sense of security and belonging. Because children feel safe and secure, their behaviour is generally good, although they are not always fully encouraged by staff to share resources, and listen and pay attention to their friends. Overall staff manage any squabbles appropriately by explaining and talking to the children about what has happened.

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

Children learn the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. They explain that eating fruit 'makes you strong'. Children also learn how to wash their hands effectively before eating and why it is necessary. The garden is well equipped with resources that encourage physical exertion. For example, children haul themselves up ropes onto the climbing frame, enjoy playing ball with staff and have great fun attempting to use hula hoops.

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

Meal times are calm, social occasions where all the children sit together with staff. However, the meals are served in the kitchen, meaning that children's independence is not promoted because they do not have the opportunity to serve themselves. The nursery is well equipped with resources that are generally used well by staff to promote learning in all areas. Many items are stored on open fronted shelving to enable children to self-select resources of their choice. Staff sit with the children and extend their play by talking to them and suggesting ideas for using the equipment.

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

Overall staff support children to move successfully to school. They prepare reports for local schools that the children move to, so that teachers will know the progress of each child and how they like to learn before they start. Nursery staff encourage children to master skills such as being able to dress themselves and use the toilet independently so that they have some opportunities to look after their own physical needs.

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provision

Staff understand the importance of safeguarding the children. The designated safeguarding staff member has attended relevant training and is due to attend further training to update her knowledge and skills. The recruitment procedure is robust and ensures that all staff undergo appropriate suitability checks before working with the children. Risk assessments of the building effectively identify and minimise potential hazards to children's safety. Ofsted recently issued a notice to improve which asked the provider to ensure children are kept safe while on outings. Although the children have not recently left the premises for any type of outing, detailed risk assessments and procedures are in place for outings. These will be used in order to keep children safe at all times, should a trip be planned in the future. The manager has forms to use to obtain consent from parents to take their children out of the nursery.

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provision

Since the last inspection the provider/manager has initiated several positive changes in the staff's practice. These new initiatives now ensure that overall the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are implemented to enable children's progress to be monitored and assessed accurately in order to plan for their future learning. The garden has been enhanced and now provides richer learning experiences for children. However, the provider/manager's knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements is not yet fully secure as staff do not carry out specific progress checks for two-year-old children.

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provision

The provider/manager understands the value of continuously evaluating practice to bring about positive change. One of the ways this is achieved is by inviting parents to monitor a session and feedback any ideas or suggestions for change. One recent initiative suggested by a parent was obtaining lists of words in other languages in order to support children's whose first language is not English.

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provision

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. The provider/manger uses these opportunities to address any underperformance and assess training needs to enhance the staff's skills. At the inspection, parents commented that their children are happy at the nursery and they have seen progress in their learning. They also confirmed that they have regular meetings with staff to discuss the children's learning and any other relevant issues.

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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 EY395150 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 894360 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 21 Name of provider Linda Olayinka Date of previous inspection 14/02/2013 Telephone number 02089581408

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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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