Busybees at Harlesden

Happy Child Day Nursery 59 Longstone Avenue, Harlesden, London, NW10 3TY

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/10/2013 11/02/2010

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 Staff have insufficient knowledge of their roles in reducing hazards which means that children are not safeguarded appropriately. Security of the premises is not sufficient to prevent unwanted visitors accessing the nursery. Risk assessments are not carried out when an incident has occurred and as a result hazards remain present which compromises babies and children's safety.  The provider has not ensured that staff are consistent in their practice in relation to toileting and medication. As a result, children's welfare needs are not always met adequately.  The partnership with parents and/or carers is weak. Interaction between parents and staff is not consistently effective. Although a key person system is in place, it is not effective as parents are not all informed about the name of their child's special worker.  The role play areas are uninspiring and lack resources that support children's learning

p.1

This provision is inadequate

across all areas of learning. Furthermore there is scope to improve how the resources reflect the diversity of the children who attend. In addition, the opportunities for children to develop their writing skills both indoors and outside are limited.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Children's independence and sense of responsibility is supported as they are able to serve themselves at lunchtime and enjoy being the 'special helper' at meal times.  Children's move between rooms is supported as they are able to visit on a gradual basis to enable them to settle effectively for their next stage in learning.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and routines in the playrooms and the outside areas.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with a senior manager and some staff and children during the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager and undertook a joint observation of a teaching activity and the safety of the under two's garden.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through discussion with them on the day of the inspection and by available documentation.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of available documentation such as observations, the safeguarding policy, the complaints record, nappy changing charts, daily safety check sheets and risk assessments.

p.2

Information about the setting

Happy Child Day Nursery is one of 15 nurseries that are privately owned and managed by Happy Child Limited. It was registered in January 1997 and operates from a purpose built building in Harlesden within the London Borough of Brent. There are four 'base rooms' and the children have access to a sensory room and a room dedicated for physical play. There are two garden spaces for children to take part in outdoor play.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 67 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery gets funding for the provision of free early education to children aged, two, three and four. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery is open each week day from 7.30am to 6:30pm all year round. The nursery employs 13 staff, of these, ten staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications.

p.3

must:

 improve children's safety by removing or making safe the hazards identified at inspection, including small items in the babies' garden area such as screws and pieces of plastic, accessible trailing wires and blind chains in the play areas used by the children

p.4

must:

 ensure the security of the premises in the garden areas are improved and maintained to prevent unauthorised persons entering the premises and children leaving unsupervised

p.4

must:

 improve risk assessments and daily checks to remove hazards and ensure that staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in promoting children's safety

p.4

must:

 promote children's good health by ensuring that they are supported when toileting and an effective medication policy is implemented consistently by making sure that children's names are always included on related documentation

p.4

must:

 strengthen the partnership with parents and/or carers, for example, by ensuring that they are made aware of the name of their key person and their roles

p.4

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

 develop the role play areas to provider resources that support children's learning across all areas of learning and reflect the diversity of the children who attend the setting

p.4

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

 provide more opportunities for children to develop their writing skills both indoors and in the outside areas.

p.4

who attend

Staff's knowledge of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage has developed as a result of the ongoing input they have had from the local authority development workers. Children have access to a varied range of activities and experiences across the seven areas of learning. Overall, children are happy and engaged in purposeful play throughout the inspection. They engage in activities that will prepare them for when they move on to their next stage in learning. Staff seek information from parents at the start of each placement to establish children's interests and abilities. There is a system in place for monitoring and tracking children's progress, though the quality of this is variable. The staff use the information to develop individual planning for the children in their care. Regular written summaries of children's progress are in place which are shared with parents in order for them to

p.4

who attend

contribute and further support their children's learning at home. These include beautiful photographs and some samples of art work accompanying the staff's written observations. A group plan is also in place in each room which links to children's interests although, there are less learning opportunities identified for outdoor play. As well as an environmental plan there are ones for focused activities that include learning objectives for individual children.

p.5

who attend

Babies are able to access an attractive range of resources such as handmade shakers and interesting household objects. They tentatively experiment with foam by pushing it around with spoons. They enthusiastically shake and bang instruments to explore sounds and rhythm. They look at pictures in books and enjoy impromptu singing with the staff which supports their language development. Despite having lots to explore, the babies choose to stay close by to the staff member sitting on the matted area. Toddlers are exploring the items in the sensory room. They lift and move large soft blocks and stack them on top of each other, giggling when they fall. They observe the lights and bubble towers and are drawn to watch them very closely. They enjoy the sensory experience of squeezing and moulding play dough. They access books to look at pictures which supports their early literacy skills. They listen to staff singing as they wait for their snack.

p.5

who attend

Children are confident in chatting to visitors. They transport items around the garden and happily show visitors what they have hidden in their bags. When working out how best to put the items back into the bag they find it is 'a bit of a squeeze'. They explore nature by using crunchy leaves for a sticking activity. They dip the spatulas into the glue and watch the substance drip off the end. They create patterns on the paper before pressing the leaves down firmly. Children fill different size containers with sand to learn about measuring and capacity. Children share their ideas by engaging others in their role play. They push a truck around the floor and pretend this is an ice-cream van. They sell visitors a pretend vanilla ice-cream which costs two pounds and change is dutifully given. Although children enjoy pretend play, the role play areas in the nursery are not richly resourced with materials that support development across all areas of learning, for

p.5

who attend

example, mathematics and literacy. Furthermore, they have limited items that reflect the diversity of the children attending the setting.

p.5

who attend

Older children use name cards to show that they are present at the nursery. This helps them to recognise their own names and those of their friends. Specific activities are planned by staff to enable children to practice writing their names which supports their readiness for school. Many children are skilled at this and their efforts are on display. However, staff do not encourage them to write their names for a purpose, for example, by labelling their own pictures. Furthermore, there are limited opportunities for writing and making marks around the nursery to develop children's literacy skills. The children are able to take books home in their own book bags, which encourages them to explore the pleasure of reading. In addition, this encourages parents to be involved and extend their children's learning at home. Children adore displacing water in a puddle in the garden. They consider how to make this bigger and are supported by a senior manager in

p.5

who attend

exploring ways to make the puddle larger. They practice putting up their umbrellas and walk around the garden with them up. There are opportunities for children to access a computer to develop their knowledge of technology.

p.6

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

Children's well-being is not effectively met because of the hazards present in the environment. in addition, children are not always supported in developing good hygiene practices after toileting. This increases the risk of cross-infection and has the potential to compromise children's health. Nappy changing is carried out routinely, as well as when required. A daily record is kept of this and is available to parents. Children's health is compromised as the record keeping regarding medication is not carefully maintained. Because staff are not vigilant, children's names are not always included on required documentation and as a result medication may not be administered appropriately to the right child.

p.6

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

The nursery is bright and clean and some areas are well resourced and attractive, such as the baby room. The management team has indentified that there is scope for improvement to develop the learning environment across the nursery to improve outcomes for children, for example, by increasing the toys and equipment. There are a range of physical activities both indoors and outside which encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy climbing up and whizzing down the slide. They zoom around on tricycles and carefully balance on logs and over wooden bridges. Their ability to move freely between the indoor and outdoor spaces enables them to benefit from fresh air as well as exercise. The staff have provided children with boots to enable them to use the garden whatever the weather.

p.6

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

Food is freshly cooked on the premises each day and staff are aware of the specific dietary needs of the children. Menus are on a rolling programme over a number of weeks. This is on display throughout the nursery, although it is not always updated for parents. Babies are afforded time to explore the texture of their food at lunch time. They feel the jelly as it oozes between their fingers and as it is 'so delicious' they decide to feed their toys too. 'Special helpers' in the rooms for children over two enjoy the responsibility of wearing their green overalls to identify their important role. They ensure that visitors are aware of their special job. This helps them learn about responsibility as they set out the table for their friends. Children are able to develop their independence skills as they served themselves their cottage pie and vegetables. Morning snack time is not well organised for toddlers during inspection, as a number of children are upset and are ready

p.6

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

for a nap. Nevertheless, staff use impromptu singing to distract and engage the children.

p.6

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

Overall, children are eager to engage in activities and they behave appropriately. Staff give the children choices and remind them to say please and thank you. Young children using the soft play room find the bubble towers fascinating and climb on the base to get a closer look. The manager reports that this can tip, but rather than looking at ways to make this secure, staff remind children again and again not to climb on the low base when they return to it to get closer to the irresistible bubbles.

p.6

provision

The nursery is not meeting a number of specific legal requirements of both the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Childcare Register. This inspection took place as a result of a concern raised to Ofsted relating to the safety of the children and their health and hygiene needs not being met. Evidence gathered at inspection found that the children's safety is not assured and that their health needs are not always met effectively.

p.7

provision

There is a detailed written risk assessment in place however, this does not effectively inform staff practice. The provider has failed to review their risk assessment following concerns raised to them about a choking hazard incident. Because they did not review the environment effectively a number of hazards have remained. Therefore, staff have not taken reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children. Throughout the nursery staff have recorded that they have carried out daily safety checks on the premises. This is not robust because, despite a check being carried out a number of small items on the ground in the babies' garden remain. For example, a metal screw and a small piece of plastic, which are choking hazards. In addition, the gate to the baby garden is not locked and can be pulled open. As a result it does not prevent unauthorised persons being able to access the premises. Therefore children's safety is not assured. Furthermore, there is a fence panel

p.7

provision

missing in the garden for children aged two and over. As a result children may be able to leave unaccompanied and this compromises their safety. This safety issue was raised at the last inspection and therefore the provider has not demonstrated that they have addressed the actions required. However, when this hazard was highlight to the management at inspection the maintenance department addressed this straight away. There are trailing wires and accessible blind chains within the nursery which pose a strangulation hazard to children. This shows that staff are not demonstrating a sufficient understanding of the purpose of the daily safety check or the importance of identifying, removing or minimising hazards to protect children.

p.7

provision

The organisation has suitable recruitment and vetting procedures in place which includes an induction process. There are systems in place to supervise and appraise staff. In addition there systems to monitor staff and address issues as they arise in order to improve their personal effectiveness. There are opportunities for staff to attend a range of training courses. There is an organisational safeguarding policy in place which includes the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting. Staff are aware of how to identify any concerns and proceed appropriately in order to safeguard children. Staff are deployed effectively in order to supervise children appropriately and there are strategies in place to ensure that ratios are met.

p.7

provision

The manager is in the process of completing a self-evaluation. She has been focusing on developing and building up her staff team. She is aware of areas for development within the setting, but had not identified and addressed requirements that are not being met. Senior managers within the organisation carry out regular audits and earlier in the year they had identified areas of concern. As a result they have made links with the local authority development workers who have visited on a regular basis and have worked with the staff to raise the learning and development standards. This support is continuing, as there is further scope for improvement. There are a number of staff members who hold a first aid certificate to enable them to treat children appropriately in the event of an accident. Accident records are in place as required. However, procedures to administer medicines are not robust because of gaps in record keeping.

p.7

provision

The partnership with parents and/or carers is weak. Communication and interaction between parents and staff is not consistently effective. Although there is a key person system in place, parents are not notified of the name of the key person and their roles within the nursery as required when a child starts attending a setting. For example, parents of babies new to the setting believe that the nursery wait to see who their children bond with before the decision is made. This does not give parents key person support when settling. Senior managers report that this practice is not in line with their nursery's policy.

p.8

provision

There is a written procedure in place for dealing with concerns and complaints from parents and/or carers. The provider has kept a written record of the complaints that they have received and have recorded their outcome. They meet with parents and overall they demonstrate that they act upon concerns in order to improve the well-being of children. However, they have not used information from complaints to instigate a review of their risk assessment process to reduce the hazards for children. Nevertheless, parents and carers, who were spoken to at the time of inspection, report that they are happy with the service they receive. They like the amount of space and the cleanliness of the environment. They are positive about the food given to their children and feel that the staff support children well as they move from one room to the next. Regular information is given to them via a newsletter and children have a weekly diary with information about

p.8

provision

their time at the nursery. The manager has begun to forge links with local schools in order to support children in moving on to their next stage of learning. They work in partnership with other agencies to meet the needs of the children, for example, to support their speech and language needs.

p.8

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

p.8

actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

p.8

To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that the premises are safe and suitable and children are kept safe from harm by removing hazards (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children are unable to leave the premises unsupervised and no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the premises (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment immediately where the need for an assessment arises and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  keep comprehensive records of medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the premises are safe and suitable and children are kept safe from harm by removing hazards (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children are unable to leave the premises unsupervised and no one can

p.9

To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the premises (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment immediately where the need for an assessment arises and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  keep comprehensive records of medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)

p.9

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.11

Setting details

Unique reference number 137800 Local authority Brent Inspection number 934687 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 66 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Happy Child Limited Date of previous inspection 11/02/2010 Telephone number 020 8961 3485

p.11

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.

p.11

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.12

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,

p.12

Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.13

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.13