Mary Poppins Day Nursery

Mary Poppins Day Nursery 162 Crow Lane, Romford, Essex, RM7 0ES

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/09/2013 08/04/2011

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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

 There is an effective system of observational assessment, which enables staff to move children on in their learning according to their individual needs.  Staff liaise closely with parents to provide strong care for children. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging.  Staff encourage children's personal independence. Children gain self-confidence in looking after themselves, for example, at mealtimes.  Children particularly enjoy taking part in a range of creative activities. These encourage children to use their imagination and express their ideas.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always plan the most effective balance of child-initiated and adult led activities to make the most of opportunities to fully challenge and extend children in all aspects of their learning.

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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 the children taking part in a variety of activities.  The inspector spoke with staff and parents.  The inspector interviewed the proprietor and manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled the documentation, in particular that relating to children's progress and safeguarding.  The inspector took part in a joint observation with the proprietor.

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Information about the setting

Mary Poppins Day Nursery registered in 2000 and operates from purpose built premises in Romford in the London Borough of Havering. It is registered on the Early Years register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open every weekday from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm for 51 weeks of the year. Children have the use of three play rooms and an outdoor play area. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four. There are currently 57 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery employs six members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are also several students assigned to the nursery for training purposes. The nursery manager has early years professional status. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs and/or difficulties and those who speak English as an additional language.

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

 enhance the balance of adult led and child initiated activities, to provide further challenges to all children throughout the day.

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who attend

Staff are effective in meeting the needs of children and consequently children make good progress in their learning given their starting points. During free play sessions children are well supported by staff, and students, who join children in their chosen activities. Staff follow up children's interests, for example, by encouraging very young children to explore early-writing with pencils and crayons on paper. Older children are encouraged to talk about the pictures they draw and to explore different techniques for picture making. Staff take opportunities to raise children's awareness of mathematical language, for instance, using language to compare shapes.

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who attend

Staff use their key person roles to get to know children well. They observe children regularly and collate their written observations into individual learning files which clearly show children's progress. Children's next steps in learning are highlighted so that staff can interact with them to move them on in their learning. In addition staff plan adult-led activities to help focus children and challenge them in their learning. However, they do not always balance these most effectively with child initiated play, and this means that children, especially older ones, sometimes miss out on extra opportunities to fully extend their learning.

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who attend

Children are encouraged to use the computer to practise and gain new skills. This supports their learning in the areas of literacy and numeracy, helping them to prepare for more learning in the future. At large group times staff actively involve children in discussion. They ask questions that encourage children to think, for example, about a particular story being read to them. They include reference to numbers so that children can practise and acquire mathematical skills. Children learn about the wider world through taking part in activities planned around special events, such as festivals. Staff provide extra learning opportunities for children who have special educational needs. These activities build on children's interests and address their needs well. This means that any gaps in their learning are closing well. Therefore all children are well prepared for further learning at school.

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who attend

Children especially enjoy the many creative and messy activities on offer. For example, they delight in exploring shaving foam, sand and water. They find out about the movement of water as they pour it into guttering and watch where it goes. They make choices from collage collections to create pictures, thinking about position and colour as they do so. The outdoor areas are well equipped with a variety of interesting physical equipment to attract children. For example, children like to use the small trampoline, tricycles and hoops. They practise climbing and jumping as they travel over a set of blocks. These activities help children to gain control and coordination as they use their bodies in different ways.

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

Staff encourage children to make choices independently so that they gain confidence in making decisions. They develop close relationships with children and often talk with them about things they have been doing at home. Children benefit from coming together in groups at the beginning of the day. They enjoy listening to stories and joining in songs or action rhymes. These activities help children to make friends and feel a part of a group. They quickly gain confidence and have fun playing with others. Older children approach adults with confidence and are keen to join in conversations.

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

Children are attentive to adults and very well behaved. They respond positively to instructions and wait patiently when necessary. Lunchtimes are well organised with children sitting in small groups so that they benefit from social interaction with other children and adults. Staff make good use of this time to teach children to be independent. Children take it in turns to go and select foods of their choice, carefully carrying their plates back to the tables. Staff encourage children's awareness of good hygiene practices well, such as washing hands.

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

The manager is keen to promote healthy eating at all times. Consequently the weekly menus are well balanced and include a range of healthy foods. When new children are settling in they are allowed to bring healthy alternatives from home, to help them get used to eating meals at nursery. This works well in encouraging children to eat food provided by the nursery and results in children really enjoying their meals. Children know that they can have a drink at any time during the day. Older children have water bottles within easy reach so that they can drink whenever they feel the need and avoid becoming dehydrated.

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

Children feel safe at nursery. The premises are secure and all children are signed in and out by parents or carers. Children are always well supervised, whether playing or resting. Very young children feel secure because staff are attentive to their care needs. For example, children's nappies are changed routinely and there is flexibility in the arrangements for sleeping so that children do not become overtired. Staff allow babies plenty of time to explore freely so that they feel comfortable in their play environment. They encourage all children to spend time playing outdoors in the fresh air. Staff increase children's awareness of personal safety by alerting them to potential dangers, for example, when using outdoor equipment.

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provision

The nursery has clear policies and procedures, which provide a good foundation for staff's practice. The proprietor ensures that all staff and students working with children have undergone the necessary checks to ensure they are suitable to do so. The policy for safeguarding children includes all the necessary information, set out in a reader-friendly manner. Consequently staff are fully aware of what they need to do if they have any concerns relating to child protection. The premises are risk assessed annually by a professional organisation to make sure that all potential risks are, and continue to be, minimised. Staff are attentive to the maintenance of all records relating to children's health and safety.

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provision

Staff are well deployed around the nursery. They are thoughtful in their use of the students, allocating them to different rooms and activities so that they can support children in their play and learning. Staff set out the play areas with a variety of resources, making sure to offer a range of creative activities in the 'messy' rooms. In addition they encourage children to use the outdoor play areas every day so that overall they have plenty of choice. The system of observational assessment has been adapted to enable staff to make the best use of it to assess children's progress. The system is monitored closely by the manager, in liaison with the local authority, to check that children are progressing as well as expected in all learning areas.

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provision

The nursery has a good working partnership with parents and carers. Staff provide information about each planned topic, with ideas for different activities children might take part in at home. In this way they encourage parents to become involved in their children's learning. Parents are well informed about the settling in process. Staff take account of parents' wishes, as well as children's needs, when deciding on their individual care arrangements. Staff feed back to parents when collecting children so that they are well informed about each day's events. The manager ensures that staff work strictly to the nursery's policies so that children's well-being is always promoted well. This results in an inclusive environment where children feel valued as individuals. The nursery's prospectus has clear information about the educational programme as well as daily routines, the key person system and the assessment of children's learning.

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provision

Parents are invited to regular consultations with staff to exchange information about their children's progress. They also receive copies of the twice-yearly written reports regarding children's progress and, when appropriate, children's two-year-old checks. In these ways staff keep parents up to date with their children's progress at nursery and are able to better support those children who are identified as having special educational needs. The nursery's special needs coordinator liaises closely with other early years professionals when setting up individual education programmes for these children so that they receive appropriate, well-targeted support.

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provision

The proprietor and manager lead their team of staff in a continual process of self- evaluation. They take into account the views of parents and feedback from the local authority. They then use their reflections to highlight points for further development. This works effectively in promoting improvement in areas where it is most needed. For example, the outdoor area was redeveloped when staff realised that children required more opportunities to develop their physical skills. The management team encourage staff to attend training towards their own professional development. Consequently staff are well trained in many aspects of childcare and development. Staff also continually work on developing the partnership with parents to try to involve them even more in the life of the nursery. This means that they are well placed to provide strong continuity in children's care and learning.

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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 118620 Local authority Havering Inspection number 934083 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 57 Name of provider Mary Poppins Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 08/04/2011 Telephone number 01708 722800

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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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