Elephant & Castle Day Nursery

Elephant & Castle Day Nursery 15 Hampton Street, LONDON, SE17 3AN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/12/2013 08/07/2013

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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

 Care is good because staff are very attentive to children's needs and have good awareness of safety.  Teaching is good because staff make good use of assessments to plan for children's learning. As a result, children are making good progress in their learning and development.  Children are supported well in their communication skills and there is good support for children who are learning English as an additional language.  Staff are proactive in getting to know the children in their care well and there is an effective key person system in place. This means that children are able to feel emotionally safe and secure in their care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not consistently teach children the sounds that letters make or make good use of labelling to help children with their early reading skills.  Although there are some opportunities for children to learn how to use technology, children do not have regular access to computers.

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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 involving children and staff.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with one of the nursery managers.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of policies and safety procedures in addition to children's assessment records and planning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents and looked at written feedback to find out their views.  The inspector looked at documentation and advice provided by the local authority.

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Information about the setting

The Elephant and Castle Day Nursery is one of two settings owned by the same provider. The nursery has been running under the same provider for 12 years and was re-registered in 2009 due to a change of company name. It operates from a purpose built unit that is located in a side road near the Elephant and Castle shopping centre in the London Borough of Southwark. Children are cared for in three main areas and they are divided according to age although they play together at the beginning and end of the day. Children have access to three interlinked outdoor play areas. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open every weekday from 8am to 6pm all year round, closing only for Bank Holidays and for one week at Christmas. There are currently 76 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two,

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Information about the setting

three and four year old children. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs 22 childcare staff, of these 21 hold appropriate early years qualifications, including one at level 6 and one with Early Years Professional Status (EYPS).

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

 improve the programme for literacy by regularly teaching children the sounds that letters make and provide more labelling to help children learn that print carries meaning

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

 improve the programme for understanding the world by increasing the use of information technology for older children and the use of natural materials for babies to explore.

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who attend

Staff get to know children well and care for their individual needs effectively. This builds children's confidence and self-esteem. Staff help young children to learn to communicate using stories and puppets, pictures and visual clues. This supports children's developing language skills including those who are learning English. Where possible, children who speak other languages are allocated a key person who speaks that language. This helps new children settle in because they feel secure and comfortable. Babies enjoy close contact with staff who provide a good range of play activities and understand how they learn. They provide interesting materials for babies such as sand, water and flour to explore and learn using their senses. All babies enjoy the music time and explore rhythm and rhyme using musical instruments. This helps them make progress in their personal, social and emotional development.

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who attend

The educational programme is good and all children are making good progress in their learning and development. Staff work with parents when children first start to complete the first part of their child's profile. This means that staff recognise that parents are their child's first educators. Staff follow up this by recording settling in observations so that they can plan for the child's individual learning. This process is on-going and all children have detailed assessments which are used to plan interesting activities to support their next stage. Children enjoy messy activities with good support from staff who understand how they learn. For example, toddlers are very happy to play with messy activities using large trays of flour or water. They develop their small muscles as they use chunky paintbrushes for painting. Staff provide sand and water play indoors and outside, for children to develop their fine motor skills. Children make progress in literacy because they enjoy stories using

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who attend

puppets although staff do not always explain the sounds that letters make. Children practice writing in the role play area to make shopping lists and menus. Each room has an office or role-play area for children to learn to write in their play. They enjoy dressing up as doctors and caring for their dolls because staff become fully involved in their games.

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who attend

Older children enjoy looking at creatures and drawing what they see. This helps them learn that writing is for different purposes. However, areas and toys are not always clearly labelled to help children learn that print carries meaning. Children are making good progress in their mathematical skills. They learn to count with number games and enjoy looking the mini-beasts they are interested in. They use magnifying glasses and weighing scales to look at the creatures. Although there are some programmable toys such as tape recorders and toy computers, children do not have access to computers every day to help them develop their understanding of the technological world around them. However, the good range of planned and child led activities means that children are learning the skills they need in order to prepare them for school.

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

Staff show that they have good understanding of safety because they supervise children and care for them well. Babies show that they are very content and happy with frequent cuddles from attentive staff. Care routines are tailored to meet the individual needs of babies, for example, they follow their own sleep patterns and staff follow dietary and toilet training programmes when children are ready. This means that staff work well in partnership with parents to support and nurture individual children.

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

The nursery chef prepares a good range of healthy meals and snacks for the children. The menu is healthy and well balanced to provide good quality foods some of which children grow in the garden. Children with special diets are cared for because alternative meals are provided and their requirements are made known to staff. The nursery is involved in the prevention of obesity programme with the local authority, so attention to nutrition is good. Children enjoy their meals. Their independence is encouraged as they set the table for snack and serve the fruit to each other. All staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management and deal with children's behaviour well. They take time to remind children of the importance of good manners. This supports children's personal, social and emotional development. Daily access to the outdoor area is managed well because the rooms have direct access to the garden. This means that children have plenty of

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

opportunity to play outside in all weathers. This supports their physical development and long-term health.

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

All staff are involved in checking the areas for safety and risk assessments are used for the building, the equipment and for outings. This helps keep any accidents to a minimum and all staff are trained in first aid to be able to deal with incidents. This keeps ensures that children stay safe. Children also participate in regular fire drills, which help them understand what to do in the event of an emergency.

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provision

The managers are fully aware of their responsibility to meet the requirements the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They ensure that the staff team have a good understanding of child protection and safety through on-going training. There are robust systems in place for checking staff suitability before they start to work in the nursery. Managers know who they should report to if they have any concerns about a child. This means that they know what to do if they suspect a child is at risk from harm. Regular risk assessments also take place to support the children's safety in the nursery and on outings. There is a trained representative for health and safety who ensures that all staff are aware of their responsibilities.

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provision

The management team work with the early years advisors from the local authority to monitor the learning and development requirements. Children's learning profiles are accurate and rigorous and the managers check them regularly. They monitor children's development consistently well to ensure all children make progress. Managers give staff supervision sessions and appraisals to identify and monitor their training. They also observe staff teaching practice and provide written feedback. This ensures that staff are continually updating their knowledge and skills to support good outcomes for children.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and other professionals is good. Staff work with parents to keep them informed and engage them in their child's learning. They work closely with professionals to provide early intervention when required. This helps to close gaps for children who may otherwise be disadvantaged. Self-evaluation systems are used well to plan for improvements. For example, the owner plans to extend the nursery space next year and is fully aware of her responsibility to inform parents before the building works begin and to inform Ofsted. They seek feedback from parents via the nursery website and provide photographs and information about nursery events. This two-way flow of information is also evident in regular meeting with parents to discuss their child's progress. By valuing the views and ideas of parents, they are able to provide continuity of care for children.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY372669 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 942139 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 76 Name of provider Elephant & Castle Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 08/07/2013 Telephone number 02072 774 488

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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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