Pathfield Nursery

Pathfield Nursery 123 Greyhound Lane, Streatham, London, SW16 5NW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/09/2013 26/09/2011

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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 benefit from a well-equipped learning environment where they can be independent and make choices about what they play.  Parents value the care and consideration that staff give to involving them in the life of the nursery. This enables them to build a good partnership.  Leaders and managers have a clear vision for the nursery's development and they support staff well to make improvements.  Children enjoy meeting a wide range of visitors from the parent body and the local community, building their understanding of the world.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is a minor weakness in the way staff develop children's critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

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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 observed children at play in each of the playrooms and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with staff about safety issues and children's learning and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with senior managers to discuss safeguarding and improvement plans.  The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation.

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Information about the setting

Pathfield Nursery has been registered since April 2011 and is privately owned. It is located in a residential road, in the Streatham area of Lambeth. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The provider employs a manager and nine other staff who work directly with children. The manager and eight staff are appropriately qualified. One member of staff is a qualified teacher and one has Early Years Professional status. There is a main playroom, two smaller rooms for children under two years, a pre-school classroom and an enclosed outdoor play area. Currently, there are 70 children on roll between the ages of one year and five years. The nursery is eligible to receive funding for early education for children aged three and four. The nursery supports children with English as an additional language. It is open all year round apart from bank holidays and for one week between Christmas and New Year.

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

 enhance children's critical thinking and problem-solving skills by involving them in decision making and finding solutions.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of how to support children's learning and development. They provide a wide range of good quality activities including regular outings and visitors. Staff know children very well and plan for the children's interests which means that children are independent, active learners. Staff have a strong working knowledge of each child's developmental level, and they tailor their teaching and interaction to meet their next steps. This means that children make good progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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who attend

Staff have good teaching skills. Babies are encouraged to communicate when staff maintain a high level of eye-contact and respond to the babies' babbling and cooing. Staff also use simple sign language with babies to reinforce the verbal communication. Staff working with older children talk constantly as they play which means that children gain a wide vocabulary. Staff are careful to consolidate children's verbal skills by repeating words and making references to previous learning. For example, staff use vocabulary learned from a fire engine visit when children play a game of dinosaurs making fires and putting them out. Many staff and children speak more than one language, and staff learn key words from children's home languages to support them at nursery. Children enjoy looking at books and listen attentively when staff read to them. Babies enjoy making marks with paint, cornflour and dough and older children write their names and other key words on

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who attend

their pictures. Children have good skills in mathematics. They match shapes using three- dimensional blocks, and orient each shape carefully to check that it is an exact match. Children are very familiar with numerals and understand how to count accurately. They benefit from using technological equipment such as smart boards and simple wind-up and push-button toys. Staff are alongside children as they play and are very skilled at following children's ideas and expanding upon them. For example, when a child identifies different shapes as big and little sisters, the member of staff extends her idea by finding other shapes to represent other family members. This extends children's play and builds their concentration span. However, staff do not take opportunities to involve children in problem solving and finding solutions. For example, staff provide quick solutions to issues such as sorting out a dispute over a toy, rather than helping the children find their own

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who attend

Staff gather information from parents about children's starting points and quickly make observations and assessments so that they understand each child's developmental level. Staff track children's development in all areas of learning and use their records skilfully to set children's next steps. Staff meet with parents regularly to make sure that they are identifying these accurately. Parents share their activities from home using the weekly diaries, which builds a strong partnership. Staff carry out the progress check at age two and other summary assessments. These documents give a very rounded picture of the child's individual personality and development.

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

Staff have a very effective key person system. The key person is present all day so that they can provide a personal handover at the beginning and end of the child's day. There are consistent arrangements for the key person's absence and parents are informed in advance when they take annual leave. Staff take great care to settle children in by getting to know their routine and personality very well. As a result, children are soon confident to leave their parents and are secure to explore and play. Staff have created a good learning environment where children can be independent. Children help to plan the activities as staff ask them what they would like out that day. The routine allows children to play for extended periods, which helps them to pursue their own ideas and games. The outdoor area is an extension of the indoor playroom with all areas of learning represented. The pre-school classroom is used for small group lessons and quiet play, which means that

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

children can concentrate on specific tasks for early reading and writing.

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

Children benefit from a healthy lifestyle. They eat a wide range of meals and snacks, providing them with a balanced and nutritious diet. Staff know each child's dietary preferences and any allergies and are vigilant to safeguard children's health. For example, they ensure that meals do not include any known allergens when particular children attend. This helps all children to feel included. Meals are cooked fresh on the premises and children chat about what is good for them with staff. This builds children's knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy. Children have good hygiene routines. Babies have their nappies changed regularly and children who are potty training have good support to manage their personal hygiene. Children enjoy good opportunities to foster their physical development. They enjoy balancing and climbing, learning to throw and catch, digging and exploring. Children also develop their small muscles in painting and other early writing

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

activities. Babies enjoy crawling over the low ramps and steps, which builds their strength for standing and walking. They also handle small items such as building blocks and paint to develop hand-eye coordination. Staff support children to learn about safety and manage risks by giving them firm rules and explanations. For example, they ask children not to run indoors as they may trip and hurt themselves. As a result, children manage their personal safety well.

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

Children are well behaved. They cooperate with their friends when they play together, sharing equipment and taking turns. Children enjoy having responsibility for choosing activities and helping to tidy up; even the babies happily take their tissues to the bin. Children are polite with adults and other children and confident to speak up in a group to share their learning and their ideas. Children learn a great deal about a wide variety of cultures, festivals and languages. This gives them a good insight into people's similarities and differences and the quality of the activities promotes respect. Children gain good skills in managing their self-care such as putting on coats and shoes. This helps them to acquire the skills they need for when they start school.

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provision

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. The safeguarding policies are very comprehensive and staff review them regularly. Managers check staff's understanding of the policies to ensure their knowledge is up to date. This means that staff know what to do should they have concerns about the welfare of a child. Recruitment processes are robust and all staff are checked as to their suitability. Risk assessments are thorough and staff carry out daily checks to maintain their safety standards. The entrances to the building are kept secure so that unauthorised people cannot gain access to the nursery. Children are well supervised at all times.

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provision

Leaders and managers work alongside staff on a regular basis which means they have a good understanding of staff skills and strengths. All staff have a clear shared vision of the nursery aim, which is rooted in meeting children's needs and supporting their learning. This helps to focus their improvement plans. Managers review the children's tracking documents to support staff in identifying and addressing any gaps in children's achievement. They also devise strategies to challenge and stretch children who are gifted and talented. Staff benefit form regular supervision and appraisals which help them to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Staff appreciate the support as it helps them to improve their qualifications and their skills. Leaders and managers involve parents, children and staff in the self-evaluation process and act on the ideas raised. They are considerate about the pace of change, which means that staff have time to establish

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provision

Staff build close partnerships with parents. Parents have a wide range of opportunities to join in with nursery life. For example, they attend informal breakfasts, social events and help organise activities for children using their particular skills. They share their skills in yoga, a variety of languages and aspects of their culture or jobs, such as Australia Day, or the work of a pilot. Parents appreciate the quality of information they receive about their child's daily activities and their learning and development. They particularly value the progress their children make in communication and language skills. Staff work closely with parents to manage the transitions when children move from the baby room to the pre- school, and when they move on to school. This means that the parents and children are both reassured and can make the changes with confidence. Staff build good working relationships with the receiving schools and other professionals. Schools provide positive

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provision

feedback about how well the children settle. Staff seek the appropriate support for any children who may have additional needs in order to promote their consistent care.

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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 EY421057 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 932690

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 1 - 5 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 70 Name of provider Pathfield Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 26/09/2011 Telephone number 02086775747

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Type of provision

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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