Lanterns Arts & Educational Nursery

Lanterns Nursery Unit D,Great Eastern Enterprise Centre, 3 Millharbour, LONDON, E14 9XP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/02/2014 05/08/2013

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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

 Babies and children form strong bonds and emotional attachments with their key persons, which help them gain a positive sense of well-being and belonging.  Resources are easily accessible in all rooms for children to direct their own learning. There are excellent opportunities for children to develop their physical skills in the well- equipped soft playroom.  Staff have effective strategies in place concerning security and safeguarding children, which is of paramount importance.  Partnerships with parents and external agencies are a key strength and highly effective in making sure that appropriate interventions are secured and all children receive the support they need.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Mealtime routines are not flexible enough to allow children to sleep at this time if they need to.  Some limitations are placed on water play that restricts learning at times for some children in this area.

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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 in all areas of the nursery.  The inspector spoke with the manager, coordinator, staff and children.  The inspector took account of parents' views by speaking with them on the day.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the nursery coordinator.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled policies and procedures, staff suitability records, risk assessments, children's development records and other relevant.

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Information about the setting

Lanterns Nursery registered in 1995 and transferred to its new premises in 2008. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is a privately owned nursery and operates from a converted building in the docklands area within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Access to the building is at ground level and children have the use of several rooms on the ground floor, including four large base rooms. The children have access to a dance studio, music room and an arts workshop. Children share access to an indoor soft play area and a secure outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is open from 8am until 6.15pm every weekday for 50 weeks of the year. There are currently 105 children on roll within the early years age range. The nursery provides funded early years education for three year olds.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 35 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The manager has achieved the Early Years Professional Status. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities 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:

 adopt more flexible routines to allow children who need to sleep during the lunch period to eat their meal separately

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

 develop further systems and facilities to allow more children to enjoy water play in the art room.

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who attend

All staff demonstrate a good knowledge of all areas of learning and how children learn through play. They provide a wide variety of activities and experiences to help children make good progress in their learning and development. Children's key persons regularly observe and assess them in order to accurately identify, and plan for, the next steps in their learning. Planning is consistent throughout the nursery and staff incorporate children's interests into planned activities to extend their learning and provide challenge. Parents are fully involved in their children's learning and development as they provide information to help staff identify individual children's starting points on entry to the nursery. Staff seek parents' involvement in the 'progress check at age two', which also feeds into individual children's planning. Staff ensure that parents are kept well informed about their children's progress to help them to continue supporting their children's

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who attend

learning at home. There is a good balance between child-initiated and adult-led activities and experiences and children benefit from a diverse variety of resources and play spaces.

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who attend

Staff support children's physical development very well in the extremely well resourced soft playroom. Children crawl through tunnels, jump into ball pools and balance on beams. They have great fun as they scramble over obstacle courses with their playmates. Staff enable children to express themselves creatively in the purposely designed art room. They make Valentine's Day cards for their parents and learn about the shapes and colours they are using. Staff promote children's physical development further by enabling them to develop strength in their hands and fingers as they manipulate dough and pour or sift sand. They thoroughly enjoy splashing in a water trough which fosters learning in many areas of development. However, staff place limits on the number of children who can participate, in the interests of safety, and this means that on occasion some children miss this valuable opportunity to learn.

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who attend

Children develop good skills in communication and language as staff engage them in conversation and ask open-ended questions. Staff chat to babies constantly, responding to their babbling, and praising them for learning their first words. Staff support children who are learning to speak English as an additional language very well and as a result, they make good progress. Staff ask parents to provide words and phrases from their home languages to aid communication and language development. Children enjoy role play and they learn about the world as they do their shopping in the 'supermarket area' and pretend to cook dinner. The outdoor area of the nursery is small but staff bring the outdoors inside by transforming a corner of one room into a miniature garden, complete with benches and potting area, where children can experience the fascination of planting and growing. Older children are prepared well for the next stages in their learning and

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who attend

school as staff encourage them in their mathematical development. They help them to recognise numerals and sequence as they practise to write them.

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

Babies and older children form close and trusting relationships with their key persons and other staff. They feel safe and secure as staff use sensitive methods to help settle children into nursery life. Staff give new children individual attention and support to help them feel at home in the nursery. For example, new children who feel unsettled are distracted by experienced and caring staff who show them toys that make them feel at home and less anxious. Babies are cared for very well in the nursery. They receive lots of praise and encouragement to try new things. They learn to feed themselves and share toys with their friends. Nursery staff are kind and sensitive to children's individual needs. Babies' nappies are changed frequently, discreetly and hygienically and parents are informed of their personal care routines through regular daily communication. The nursery environment is well resourced, stimulating and welcoming, both indoors and outdoors.

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

Children are confident and friendly. They learn to be independent as they manage their own personal care needs. They learn to wash their hands after using the toilet, after play and before eating. Staff provide a healthy diet for the children and discuss with them the food they are eating. They have systems in place to ensure the safety of those with medical or dietary needs. The nursery cook prepares meals separately for children who need to avoid certain foods and a food chart is kept everyday by key staff who monitor what children can or cannot eat. Occasionally, insufficient consideration is given those who need a sleep at lunch time. Instead of gently transferring a child who falls asleep into a cot, and saving a meal for them to eat later, staff wake them and they are too tired to eat. Children learn to keep themselves safe as staff remind them to be careful of their eyes when playing with sand. Children behave well in the nursery because staff are consistent

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

in their expectations. They use frequent praise and encouragement to raise children's self- esteem and encourage positive behaviour Staff work closely with parents of children with special educational needs and other professionals to ensure they meet these children's needs and they make good progress.

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

Children's safety is of paramount importance to the managers and staff. Closed circuit television scans the perimeter of the building. External doors are kept locked and visitors need to pass through a reception area and must sign in before gaining entry to the rooms. Secure systems are in place to ensure that children only leave with their known adults. Children are well supervised as staff interact with children at all times. The management team ensure that adult to child ratios are maintained at all times. Staff work well together as a team and there is a friendly and happy atmosphere throughout the nursery. Regular fire drills are carried out to ensure that all children and adults know what to do should an emergency occur. When the time comes for children to move on to school, staff ensure they understand the social skills of turn taking and sharing. They have high expectations of children to be confident, capable, independent and emotionally ready for the next stage

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provision

Staff have a clear understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff are suitably qualified and are skilled in producing good outcomes for children. All the necessary documentation for the safe and efficient management of the nursery is in place. Staff carry out robust risk assessments, indoors and outdoors, to minimise hazards and make sure the children's environment is safe and secure. As a result, children can play and learn in safety. There is a clear safeguarding policy, including a strict policy to restrict the use of mobile telephones and cameras, which is reinforced by notices and signs, to ensure children are protected. Children are effectively safeguarded because the staff undertake relevant training. They have a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures and know what to do if they have concerns about a child's well-being. Staff record and investigate any accidents

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provision

appropriately to improve children's safety and well-being.

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provision

Recruitment procedures are robust and new staff receive a full and rigorous induction and are supervised throughout their probationary period. All adults working with children are subject to appropriate background checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Effective monitoring of the educational programmes and successful tracking of individual children's development enables staff to identify any gaps in their learning, and to seek appropriate intervention and professional advice. The management team effectively observe staff and appraise their professional development. Snapshot and focused observations take place in all rooms at least once a week and staff received detailed feedback to enhance their practice. This results in a strong motivated staff team, who are committed to providing high quality educational programmes for all children. Staff are supported to seek regular training to ensure their knowledge is up to date.

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provision

Self-evaluation of the nursery is effective because parents, staff and children are encouraged to voice their views regularly. Parents can make their views known in a number of ways including anonymously through a box provided for the purpose. The manager demonstrates a clear drive for improvement and has secure plans in place for the continued development of the nursery environment. Staff have addressed all actions and recommendations from previous inspections to improve outcomes for children. The manager welcomes all feedback and quickly responds by making the improvements suggested. Partnerships with parents and other professionals are strong. Parents speak highly of the staff and say their children enjoy their time at nursery and are making good progress. Some parents have more than one child attending and say they recommend it to others. They comment on the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. They think the

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provision

structure and routines of the nursery prepare children well for the next stage of their learning and school.

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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 EY372099 Local authority Tower Hamlets Inspection number 950890 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 105 Number of children on roll 78 Name of provider Lanterns Schools Limited Date of previous inspection 05/08/2013 Telephone number 02073 630951

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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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