Treetops Kilburn

Happy Child Day Nursery 2 Victoria Road, Kilburn, London, NW6 6QG

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/02/2014 26/04/2013

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

p.1

This provision requires improvement

 Staff regularly observe and assess children playing, which helps to plan relevant next steps to help ensure they make consistent progress in relation to their starting points.  Staff work closely with parents and professionals to promote the two-way flow of information to support children's individual dietary, medical and educational programmes.  Staff working with the older children successfully build on their interests. As a result, children enjoy learning through play.

p.1

It is not yet good because

 Risk assessments do not indentify and minimise all hazards to children, especially outside.  Staff working with the younger children do not plan and provide exciting and sufficient resources to encourage children's imaginative skills through play.  Some staff are not as confident in using questions to extend children's thinking and communication and language development.

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 compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children playing indoors and outside.  The inspector sampled safeguarding policies, procedures and risk assessments.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked children's records, accident and incident records and procedures for meeting children's individual dietary requirements.  The inspector spoke to some children, staff and the management.  The inspector looked at children's observation, assessment and planning records.

p.2

Information about the setting

Happy Child Day Nursery registered in 1999. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is one of 15 nurseries and four pre-paratory schools that are privately owned by the same company. The nursery operates from seven rooms in a purpose built building in Kilburn in the London Borough of Brent. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play.

p.3

Information about the setting

There are currently 56 children attending who are in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged three and four years. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm throughout the year. The nursery employs 17 staff members. 13 of whom hold relevant early years qualifications, including two members of staff who old Qualified Teacher Status and one who has attained Early Years Professional Status.

p.3

must:

 ensure that risk assessments identify and minimise all hazards to children, with particular regard to the garden

p.3

must:

 ensure that activities for children are exciting, well resourced and encourage children's imaginative play, with particular regard to the youngest children

p.3

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

 further develop staff's confidence and consistent use of questions to extend children's learning.

p.3

who attend

Overall, staff have an appropriate understanding of how to meet the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff regularly observe children to find out their current interests and what they can do. These observations feed into the weekly planning, which helps staff to provide relevant and interesting activities and experiences for the children. Information which parents provide at the start of each new care arrangement means that staff can monitor children's progress in relation to their starting points. This helps staff to plan activities which provide suitable challenges for children and will interest them. Staff use their observations and assessments to complete the progress check for two-year-old children and share these with the parents. Consequently, parents are able to see the progress their children are making and work alongside staff to support their children at home.

p.3

who attend

Staff working with the younger children generally plan appropriate activities and ensure that there are resources within children's reach. This helps to support children's independence through offering choices. However, the staff do not set up sufficient resources to make activities look inviting to children, thus encouraging them to explore and play with them. For example, staff do not set out the home corner with a range of relevant resources. Consequently, children do not use this area and miss out on opportunities to develop their social and imaginative skills. In addition, staff put out some coloured bricks, but do not add any further resources to extend or support children's interests or learning. In contrast, staff working with the older children provides stimulating and interesting challenges and activities for them. Children learn about the solar system and the planets which orbit around the earth. They confidently talk about the

p.4

who attend

characteristics of the planets, eagerly telling staff that Saturn has the rings around it. They go over to a poster on the wall to check to see if they are right and happily return to tell staff about their accomplishment.

p.4

who attend

All the children across the age groups enjoy listening to stories read to them by staff. Younger children look through the book unit, pulling out books about their favourite television characters. They sit themselves down on the bench and flick through the pages, narrating their own story using the pictures. This helps children to learn that information is held in print and pictures. Some children take books to the staff who sit down on the floor and read to the children. Children snuggle into staff's laps as they read to them, which helps to support children's personal, social and emotional development. Staff working with the older children provide a good range of books, both factual and fictional. For example, children look at books about the planets and solar system and compare the pictures in the book with their own display and the poster. This helps children to learn that books are good sources of information.

p.4

who attend

Staff working with the older children use appropriate questioning techniques to support children's learning. For example, while children are playing with small building bricks, staff talk to the children about what they are doing. This helps children to think through their ideas and solve problems as they arise. For example, when one brick does not fit on the model, staff ask children why they think it will not fit. Children think about this for a minute and then tell staff that they need to get a bigger brick. This appropriate use of questioning helps children to extend their ideas. However, staff working with the younger children are not as confident or consistent when asking children questions. For example, when sitting with children as they use glue and paper to create pictures, staff do not always ask children what colours they are using or what they are making. This means that sometimes staff miss opportunities to extend children's learning through making

p.4

who attend

connections between different parts of their life experiences.

p.4

who attend

Staff support and care for a number of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They liaise with external professionals to implement care and individual educational plans. Regular consultations with parents and professionals means that plans for children's learning and development are regularly checked. This means that as children progress, plans are adjusted to meet their changing needs and achievements. Staff support a number of children who learn English as an additional language. They work with parents to find out key words in children's home languages. This helps them to communicate and reassure children as they settle into the nursery. Dual language books and visual signs around the nursery further help children to settle and begin to learn English words and understand instructions. Consequently, children are making consistent progress in relation to their starting points.

p.4

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

Staff work closely with the parents to help children to settle in to their new surroundings. Parents spend time with their children in the nursery, which enables children to explore their new environment and build relationships with their key person. Consequently, children are happy to leave their parents and are ready to learn through play. Key persons are attentive to children's individual needs. Staff working with the younger children provide cuddles and reassurance when children feel uncertain or tired. They snuggle into their special person, enjoying the closeness and warmth. Older children have similarly close relationships with their key persons. Children approach staff to talk to them or simply just to enjoy a quiet moment with their key person. Consequently, children's personal, social and emotional development is well supported.

p.5

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

The nursery caters for a number of children with allergies and specific dietary requirements. Staff gather information which parents provide on child record forms onto detailed lists, which are in the kitchen and in each of the base rooms. This means that all staff are aware of what every children can eat. Staff provide healthy, balanced and nutritious meals for the children. All meals and snacks are freshly prepared by the nursery's cook. Children enjoy a range of fruit for snacks and have meals, such as baked potatoes, beans and cheese for their lunches. Staff support the older children to learn some of the skills they will need when they go to school. For example, staff encourage the children to cut their own food and scrape their plates when they finish. Suitable size water jugs means that children can pour their own drinks.

p.5

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

Children behave well at the nursery, as staff teach children to share and take turns when playing. Staff model appropriate social manners when talking to each other and to the children, which children copy. For example, children say 'thank you' when staff give them toys or their food. In addition, consistent praise from staff builds children's self-confidence and self-esteem and helps to ensure children learn how to manage their own behaviour.

p.5

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

Children enjoy playing outside in the nursery's large outdoor play area. This has artificial turf, which means that children can play outside all year round. Staff take children out every day and encourage children to move about when it is cold by playing games with them. Children enjoy jumping and waving their arms about, copying the actions of the staff. This helps to develop children's physical skills and benefits them from being outside in the fresh air. There are links with the local schools. Staff share information with teachers and encourage them to come and meet their new children. Books, role play and discussions also help children to begin to learn what going to school will be like. Therefore, children are able to move smoothly from nursery into the next stage of their education.

p.5

provision

The manager notified Ofsted of an incident where a child was given food to which he was allergic. Since then, the manager and staff have strengthened the ways in which information about children's allergies is taken from child records forms and passed onto staff and the cook. Consequently, this has resulted in more robust measures being implemented which help to ensure that children only have foods which are safe for them to eat. Staff collate all information about children's individual dietary needs onto lists in every room and the kitchen. Children with specific allergies have their pictures alongside dietary requirements. This enables staff to easily identify children who have allergies and ensures that they are not given any food known to cause allergic reactions. In addition, the cook completes forms for every meal which details every ingredient in children's meals. This is double checked by staff prior to serving children their meals. Consequently,

p.6

provision

staff are able to check that every child's meal is suitable for them to eat, prior to serving their food. For example, the documentation shows that flour is added to sauces, which means that children with gluten allergies should not be given the sauce.

p.6

provision

The manager has a suitable understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff have undergone safeguarding training. Therefore, they are able to demonstrate an appropriate understanding of what steps they should take if they have any concerns about children in their care. Staff carry out risk assessments and daily visual checks on the indoor and outside environments. Overall, these daily checks work effectively to ensure that most hazards to children are identified and minimised. However, on closer examination of the outdoor play area, a number of potential hazards to children are not sufficiently checked been missed. For example, there were some cigarette ends thrown into the nursery's garden which staff had not picked up. This demonstrates daily visual checks are not always thorough enough to ensure that all hazards to children are identified and removed.

p.6

provision

The manager has robust recruitment procedures. This means that new staff undergoe all the necessary checks to ensure their suitability to be working with children. The manager requests at least two references, one of which is from the previous employer. The manager also ensures that new staff provide proof of their qualifications and identity. All staff are checked through the Disclosure and Barring Service, which ensures they are suitable to work with children. A rigorous induction programme helps staff to become familiar with the nursery's policies and procedures, including health and safety and safeguarding. Ongoing meetings through the probation period support staff as they learn their individual roles and responsibilities. The manager completes regular supervisions and yearly appraisals of staff. Supervisions monitor staff's performance and provide opportunities for them to discuss any concerns they may have about children in their care

p.6

provision

or their own practices. Annual appraisals by the manager enable staff to further their professional development by identifying additional training opportunities. These are sourced through the local borough or in-house training which head office provides. Consequently, staff enjoy their roles and are keen to further develop the educational programmes they provide.

p.7

provision

The manager and deputy manager regularly check staff's observations, assessments and planning for the children they care for. This helps to recognise any staff who need support to identify and support children's current stages of learning and development. Consequently, children are making consistent progress in relation to their starting points. Parents have opportunities to see their children's learning journals and discuss with key persons the progress their children are making. Regular parent evenings and daily verbal discussions further supports the two-way flow of information. Parents are able to find out what they can do at home to support their children's learning. In addition, parents share information about what they have seen their children do at home, which helps staff to plan activities according to current interests. Parents are also kept up to date with what their children are learning through parent information boards.

p.7

provision

The manager uses self-evaluation to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the educational programmes and environments children play in. The views of the parents and staff are requested verbally. Children's views are gathered through talking to those who are older and observing the younger children at play. This helps to put in place plans to support the continuous development of the nursery and promote positive outcomes for children. Current plans are to provide further opportunities for outdoor learning to enhance children's awareness of the world around them.

p.7

provision

External partnerships with professionals, such as doctors, speech and language therapists and special educational needs co-ordinators, work well to support children's individual needs. The staff work closely with health care professionals to support the dietary and medical needs of children who attend. Other partnerships help to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Therefore, children make consistent progress and are ready for the next stage in their learning.

p.7

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

p.7

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

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks to children

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

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.9

Setting details

Unique reference number 137799 Local authority Brent Inspection number 954519 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 56 Name of provider Happy Child Limited Date of previous inspection 26/04/2013 Telephone number 020 7328 8791

p.9

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.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.9

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.9

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.10

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.10

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.11

Type of provision

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

p.11