Snowflakes Day Nursery & Montessori

Snowflakes Day Nursery & Montessori Ltd Grand Union Village, 8 Higham Mews, NORTHOLT, Middlesex, UB5 6FP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/09/2013 05/05/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 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 content at nursery. It is evident that they have established warm and caring relationships with their key person.  Children are developing good independence skills; they confidently explore their stimulating indoor and outdoor learning environments which are always accessible to them.  Staff are focused on encouraging children's speaking and listening skills. This supports the good progress that children are making in this aspect of their learning.  Parents speak very highly of the nursery. They feel well informed about all aspects of their children's care and learning and the partnerships with parents are a strength of the nursery.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Although babies have good opportunities to be independent at lunch time they do not all sit together in a social group to further support their opportunities to make positive relationships with their peers.  Children's personal care routines are not used as opportunities to promote stimulating experiences to support their self-awareness.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play and staff interaction, both indoors and outside in the garden.  The inspector and manager undertook a joint observation of a story time session.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with staff and held meetings with the proprietor and assistant manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation including a representative sample of children's records, risk assessments, safeguarding policies and procedures and staff suitability records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Snowflakes Day Nursery & Montessori Ltd opened in 2007. it is one of two nurseries owned by Snowflakes Day Nursery & Montessori Ltd. The nursery operates from a purpose built building in Northolt, in the London borough of Ealing. Children have access to three large playrooms on the ground floor with all children having direct access to the garden. The nursery serves the local and wider community and is open for 50 weeks of the year, closing for one week during the summer and Christmas holidays. The setting is open Monday to Friday; from 8am until 6pm. Children may attend on a full or part-time basis.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and provides funded early education for two, three and four-year-olds. The nursery follows some aspects of the Montessori teaching ethos There are currently 106 children aged from 9 months to under five years on roll. The nursery currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are 24 members of permanent staff, 20 of whom work directly with the children. The manager holds a Montessori Diploma and a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at Level 3. There are two staff with Early Years Professional Status and one staff member with qualified teacher status. The majority of all remaining staff hold relevant early years qualifications to NVQ Level 3.

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

 enhance the organisation of mealtimes in the baby room to further promote babies' social skills at these times

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

 review the nappy changing environments to further encourage children's self- awareness, for example by providing interesting resources for children to observe, hold and explore.

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who attend

Children are making successful progress across all seven areas of learning. This is due to the staffs' good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and how to promote their learning through play. Staff effectively plan an interesting and challenging range of activities and experiences which acknowledge children's interests. Consequently, children are happy and motivated in their learning. For example, children who have a keen interest in super-heroes are able to choose their favourite dressing up clothes and staff support them in their imaginative role play. Children's interests in mini-beasts have been supported by walks to the local park where they have been able to observe familiar insects. Children are excited to share their knowledge of how bees make honey and how spiders like to make webs to catch flies. Staff are good at extending children's knowledge through everyday routines. For example, children are encouraged to problem solve when

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who attend

they are preparing fruit for snack time. Children demonstrate good counting skills, and with support are able to do simple addition and subtraction.

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who attend

Children are developing competent independence skills. Even the youngest babies are able to make decisions about whether they want to play indoors or outdoors at nursery. Babies enjoy exploring through their senses as they play with natural materials such as sand and water. They have good opportunities to develop their physical skills as they have appropriate climbing apparatus, and resources to encourage them to walk and move in different ways. Older children demonstrate good coordination and balance as they confidently ride bikes, rockers and use climbing equipment imaginatively. Staff compliment children's learning through many stimulating displays in the nursery environment. However, they do not always make the best use of personal care routines such as changing nappies to promote the youngest children's development. Nappy changing areas are not equipped with inspiring resources such as mirrors and mobiles and staff do not

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who attend

provide toys or books for children to hold during changes to talk with babies about what they can see and encourage further their opportunities for self-exploration. Staff do support children to become confident communicators. Staff encourage children to share their ideas during both group and one to one activities. Older children are developing good literacy skills with many children writing their own names independently. All children have opportunities to access a wide range of quality books. Staff are good role models as they discuss and show children how to handle books with respect. Overall, children are developing the skills, attitudes and dispositions to support the next stage of their learning

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who attend

Staff use regular assessments to track children's individual progress. These are effective in identifying children who need support to help them progress towards their milestones. Staff have successfully implemented individual educational learning plans (IEP's) in partnership with outside professionals. This enables all children to make good progress given their starting points. Staff have also implemented the progress check at age two, so that children benefit from this assessment of their development. Staff value the home languages of children who speak English as an additional language, Staff work with parents to record key words in their home language so that these can be used with the children in the nursery. There are strong partnerships with parents as they are actively involved in contributing towards their children's learning and achievements and staff share with them how they can support learning at home. Discussions with many parents

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who attend

demonstrate that they are very happy with the feedback they receive from staff. Parents' comments include; 'the staff are extremely welcoming, they are approachable and always find time to share with me how my child has been during the day,' and 'my child has a fantastic relationship with their key person, I feel blessed that I can go to work knowing that my child is safe and is stimulated.'

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

The nursery provides a welcoming and nurturing environment for children. This is evidenced in the strong relationships and in particular the trusting bonds observed between the staff and their key children. Staff confidently talk about their key children and their individual achievements. Babies enjoy cuddles and warm interactions; they show their appreciation through lots of smiles and babbles with their key person. Staff focus on supporting children's independence and self-care skills. Older children confidently help to prepare healthy snacks, pour their own drinks and serve their own food at lunch times. Babies are beginning to feed themselves and enjoy the praise they receive from staff. Children enjoy freshly cooked meals and learn about the importance of eating healthily. Mealtimes are generally relaxed social occasions where children chat amongst themselves and with staff. However, the management of babies lunch time routines do not fully

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

promote their ability to socialise. For example, some babies sit in small chairs at the table while others sit in low-level chairs away from the table and others sit in high chairs. This does not allow all babies to see one another and to enjoy making relationships during this important social occasion.

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

Children behave very well. They are polite and respectful of their friends and know how to take turns and share resources. Staff are well deployed; they act as good role models to children as they consistently praise them for being kind or helpful. Unwanted behaviour is tackled positively as staff discuss with children the implications their behaviour may have on others. Children's home backgrounds and cultures are positively valued in the setting through the celebration of festivals and through positive resources. The nursery provides a well resourced and attractive learning environment which contributes towards the children's ability to achieve in all areas of their development. They are able to access good quality resources both inside and out in the garden area. Safety is prioritised by staff; they complete daily risk assessments of the premises and involve children in these processes. Children's understanding of personal safety is further supported through topics around

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

people who help us which include visits to the local police station. Children follow good personal hygiene practices throughout the day. They know why they must wash their hands before eating and after visiting the bathroom. The nursery prepares children very well for their next stage in learning; for example, there are good moves for children moving into new classrooms within the nursery and there are good links with the local schools that children move onto.

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provision

The provider has a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has robust recruitment and vetting procedures in place, consequently she has an experienced and qualified team working with children. Staff are confident to discuss their responsibilities to safeguard children and are clear of the procedures to follow should they be worried about the welfare of a child. All staff play a part in assessing and minimising any potential risks to children and this is recorded on the detailed risk assessments put into place. This fully contributes to the children being cared for in safe and welcoming environment. Staff have good opportunities to continue in their professional development as the provider ensures that a rolling programme of training opportunities are available to staff. The impact is that staff demonstrate a commitment to their roles and carry out their

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provision

The provider and her team demonstrate a good understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and their responsibility to promote the learning and development of all children. There are successful procedures in place to monitor the quality of learning within the provision. For example, the provider and manager regularly observe practice within the nursery and provide opportunities for staff to reflect and improve the experiences they offer to children. Staff are supported with their planning and assessment responsibilities as these are regularly reviewed by management who work towards promoting a consistent approach throughout the nursery. Staff express that they enjoy working in the nursery, and value the opportunities to work with the different age groups of children. They value regular supervision meetings with the manager and feel involved in the continuous improvement of practice within the nursery as their suggestions

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provision

are listened too. Consequently self-evaluation is a team effort in the strive to improve quality in the nursery provision.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are a clear strength of the provision. Parents speak very highly of the care and learning opportunities available to their children. Parents inform me that their children are always happy to attend and have established warm bonds with the staff who they say meet their individual needs very well. Parents comments also include, 'I chose this nursery because it is very friendly the staff are brilliant in welcoming the children in the morning and making them feel special' and 'my child has made amazing progress at nursery they have become confident in themselves and are extremely independent, overall it has given them a fantastic start in their learning.' Parents have regular opportunities to meet with their child's key person to discuss their individual progress. Parents receive regular updates via newsletters. Staff have established professional partnerships with outside agencies to support children with special

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provision

educational needs and/or disabilities. Therefore early intervention effectively supports children in getting the help they need to progress. The positive partnerships established with local schools also contribute to children's ability to have smooth moves to school. This includes effective systems in place to share children's early learning profiles which adds to a continuous approach towards their learning.

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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 EY394004 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 929038 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 73 Number of children on roll 106 Name of provider Snowflakes Day Nursery & Montessori Ltd Date of previous inspection 05/05/2010 Telephone number 02088 458998

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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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