Ghanshyam Nursery School

Ghanshyam Nursery School S K S S Temple, Westfield Lane, HARROW, Middlesex, HA3 9EA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/05/2014 19/08/2013

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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

 Staff provide enabling interactions and a wide variety of learning experiences. Therefore, children show good levels of involvement and make good progress in their learning.  Staff are good role models who are kind and gentle and treat children with respect. As a result, children are polite and behave very well.  Staff support children's language development well. Effective systems for observation assessment and planning mean that children access timely support and gaps in learning are closing.  The nursery uses consistent and proactive self-evaluation procedures which include contributions for parents and children to regularly reflect upon, and improve practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always use effective questioning techniques fully in group activities to target specific children's needs and allow children time to think and respond.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises currently used by the nursery.  The inspector took account of the views of the parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and discussed the nursery's safeguarding and welfare policies and procedures as well as sampling a range of documentation.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector observed children's play and accompanied the children on an outing.

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Information about the setting

Ghanshyam Nursery School is owned by a private provider. It registered in 2010 under the existing management, although it has been in operation since 2003. It operates from a purpose-built building within the grounds of the Swaminarayan Temple, Kenton, in the London Borough of Harrow. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 63 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 5pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. It provides funded early education for two-, three-, and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 16 staff including the manager and 14 of them hold relevant early years qualifications. The nursery also employs a cook.

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

 enhance questioning techniques used in group activities to ensure they target specific needs and give children time to think and respond.

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who attend

Staff provide a wide range of experiences across the seven areas of learning and effective opportunities for enabling interactions. For example, children learn about the natural world as they observe and discuss how snails are able to balance themselves upside down on surfaces. Staff use open questions and encourage children to ask questions too. This is particularly effective in helping children extend their learning and use thinking skills. Therefore, children become active learners, show good levels of involvement and make good progress in their learning based on their starting points.

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who attend

Children develop independence as they have free-flow access to the well-resourced outdoor areas, which encourages them to be active and enjoy the fresh air. The outside space provides a good range of varied and enjoyable challenges for children. Equipment includes a variety of physical equipment, as well as construction, creative and writing materials. Children thoroughly enjoy making sand cakes in the make-believe play kitchen. They talk to staff about the ingredients and measurements they use to make the cake. This promotes their creativity and use of mathematical concepts.

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who attend

Staff have strong knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop. They use a range of strategies such as the use of visual aids, repetition and questioning and provide children with first-hand experiences, which further their development of language. For example, as part of a cooking experience younger children go to the shop to buy the ingredients to make a salad and later on have the opportunity to taste and use all their senses to explore. This is particularly effective in supporting children with special educational needs and those children who speak English as an additional language. However, there were a few occasions during group activities where staff ask too many questions which has an impact on children's communication and language skills. As a result, some children's specific language needs do not receive good support, some children occasionally lose interest and do not have time to think and respond.

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who attend

Staff carry out regular careful observations of the children and listen to their views. They use this information effectively to assess their progress and inform their planning. Staff work closely with parents and encourage their involvement in children's initial and ongoing assessments. This includes gathering information about children's interest as they settle into the nursery, and having ongoing communication with the key person. Children's achievements are recorded in their learning journeys and these books provide parents with an insight into what their children are achieving alongside documenting their developmental milestones. A mix of photographs, artwork and observations provides a good reminder of children's early years at the nursery. Parents and carers are encouraged to contribute to the learning journeys and to take them home to share with others. Additionally, staff complete summary assessments and progress checks for two-year-old

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who attend

children, which helps identify and address areas where children may be falling behind in their learning. As a result, children's individual needs are being met and children with additional needs access timely support from other professionals. Therefore, achievement gaps are closing.

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who attend

Staff focus support for children over three years on school readiness; they communicate with local schools and access information of what they can do to best prepare children. As a result, the staff make sure their planning promotes children's independence and self- help skills, as well as providing opportunities for the development of their early writing skills and phonics.

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

The key-person system is effective in helping children build secure attachments through the settling-in process. Staff organise home visits and provide many opportunities for children to visit and become familiar with the nursery, the staff and the new environment. Children form strong bonds with their key person, who ensures there is a sensitive approach to the care needs of the individual children, which includes working closely with parents. As a result, children develop confidence and feel safe and secure in their care. Children know their routine and listen to the staff who are gentle with the children and kind mannered. Staff are good role models; they are polite and treat children with respect, therefore, children respond positively to them. For example, they use polite words at lunchtime such as 'Thank you for my salad' they say as the salad is being passed around. Behaviour is very good throughout the nursery. Staff maximise opportunities to help

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

children develop independence and self-help skills through their daily routines or planned activities. For example, children learn to use cutlery, eat independently and serve themselves food at lunchtime. They participate in making tea and cutting fruit for snack too. Children also learn to manage their own needs as they use the toilet and take their coats and shoes off. This has a positive impact in their self-confidence and self-esteem and prepares children emotionally to deal with change and moving to school.

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

The nursery provides vegetarian food, reflecting the cultural background of the local area. The nursery has an onsite cook and all meals are prepared fresh daily to support children's good health. Staff go through children's dietary requirements when they start nursery and these are reviewed regularly to update any changes to meet their needs. Lunchtime is a social experience where children sit in small groups with a member of staff and engage in conversation about their meal and the importance of being healthy. The staff also talk to the children and question them about the morning's activities. This helps promote their awareness of a healthy lifestyle and to recall what they have done so far at nursery. Staff provide plenty of planned and spontaneous opportunities for children to develop physical skills and understanding of the importance of exercise as part of being healthy. For example, children practise coordination, movement and balance as they copy the staff

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

swirling a hula-hoop around their waist. They also play jumping and hopping games with the hoops.

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

Staff help children learn how to keep themselves safe. Careful risk assessments and logging of accidents help staff to promote a safe environment. Staff are trained in first aid and designated people are on-site to ensure children's welfare is paramount during the sessions. Staff regularly carry out fire evacuation practises so that children know what is expected of them in a real emergency. Staff deployment and good supervision helps them to ensure they maintain good safety of the environment for children. For example, staff organise for two members of staff to monitor children's sleep times to help them keep safe.

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

Despite the fact that the nursery environment is under a temporary arrangement while the new nursery is being built, staff provide a rich environment for children to play and learn. The environment is organised well to give children space to move freely between the indoor and outdoor spaces and there is a good range of resources, which support children's learning and development. For instance, young children have easy access to activities and resources, which are placed at their level. Staff value the views of the children and complete surveys with them to ask what new toys and equipment they would like in the new nursery building, showing their views are important to them.

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provision

The manager and the staff are vigilant and prioritise the welfare of the children; they have a good understanding of the safeguarding requirements and know what to do and procedures to follow in the event of any concerns about a child. The manager has put in place a flow chart to ensure that staff are clear about who they can share any safeguarding concerns with if the manager is not available. The recruitment, induction and supervision procedures are strong in ensuring the ongoing suitability of the staff team. Disclosure and Barring service checks are obtained for every new member of staff to make sure they are suitable to work with children. Additionally, regular feedbacks and a supportive atmosphere mean staff are aware of the policies and how they should be implemented within the nursery to protect children's welfare. Staff work together to keep children safe, they operate within the nursery's policies and procedures and know what is

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provision

expected from them. Furthermore, the manager works in partnership with the local authority safeguarding teams to ensure they access support and training for all staff.

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provision

The manager has a very good understanding of the learning and development requirements and oversees the practice effectively. She is very organised and ensures there are robust systems in place to monitor and support children's progress. There are good systems for tracking children's learning, which allows them to identify the needs of groups or individual children and establish good early intervention processes to promote inclusion. The manager is very positive, dedicated and committed to providing a good service. Systems are in place for the nursery to effectively reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. The use of focussed assessments of the different areas of the setting allows the manager to identify any areas of weakness and address these promptly. Realistic targets are set within appropriate time scales and an action plan helps drive forward improvement in the quality of the provision and outcomes for children.

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provision

Effective self-evaluation includes contributions from parents and children, meaning that partnership working with families and with other providers, is recognised as essential to consistency in care and learning. This has been evident as the manager has taken on board previous recommendations and has strengthened the communication flow with the parents regarding changes to the premises. Furthermore, the management of the nursery promote professional development and support staff as they complete their training and acquire new qualifications. Additionally, all new staff access core training to ensure their knowledge of key areas of care and education are up to date.

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provision

Partnerships with parents, external agencies and other providers make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. For instance, the nursery has close links with the nearby children's centre, teachers at the schools and other agencies, such as speech and language therapists. This helps to form effective working relationships to provide support and early intervention that may be necessary for some children to ensure they receive the additional help they need to make good progress.

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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 EY408297 Local authority Harrow Inspection number 965640 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 63 Name of provider Ghanshyam Education Trust Date of previous inspection 19/08/2013 Telephone number 02089099389

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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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