Blenheim Children's Centre Nursery

Blenheim Children's Centre Nursery Blenheim Road, Orpington, Kent, BR6 9BH

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/06/2014 18/11/2010

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 The key-person system is well embedded, which supports children's well-being.  Staff use assessment and planning effectively to help all children, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, to make good progress in their learning and development.  Overall, the quality of teaching is good and staff demonstrate they know the children well and help them to learn, develop and achieve.  Staff work collaboratively with children to define acceptable behaviour and, consequently, children behave well.  The leadership and management team form strong relationships with parents and external agencies to ensure that children's needs are met.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasion, staff do not always make the most of props, creative resources and books to reinforce children's understanding of stories and the world around them.  Staff do not always ask children questions, during their play, that encourage them to think what might happen and, therefore, extend their learning further.

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 children participating in play and activities in the two rooms and outdoor area.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with children, parents, staff, management and the local authority early years team.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at assessment and planning documentation to check children's progress against their starting points, and the early learning goals.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed policies, risk assessments, self-evaluation processes and staff training and recruitment documentation.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

p.2

Information about the setting

Blenheim Children's Centre Nursery was registered in 2007. It operates from a purpose built premises on the site of Blenheim Infant School, in the London Borough of Bromley. The nursery serves the local community, and is operated by Bromley Early Years and Childcare Services. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 54 children are on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery cares for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. They are grouped by age, in two rooms, with accessible toilets and nappy changing facilities. The nursery also has exclusive access to an enclosed outdoor play area, and shared use of a garden area and a playground. The nursery opens

p.3

Information about the setting

weekdays from 8am to 6pm, with the exceptions of bank holidays and staff training days. Children may attend any number of sessions, but must complete one full day or two half days, as a minimum, each week. A team of ten staff work with the children, including the manager, a special needs coordinator and a deputy manager. Of these eight staff hold recognised early years qualifications.

p.3

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

 strengthen the use of staff questioning to maximise children's learning and further develop their thinking and problem solving skills

p.3

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

 extend children's enjoyment of stories and their awareness of the wider world, for example, by using available resources to create props to support story telling.

p.3

who attend

Staff effectively observe, plan and monitor children's learning and development and, therefore, children are making good progress given their starting points. Staff create detailed assessments, including identifying children's next steps in learning to enable them to meet children's individual needs. Staff implement an the fully established key-person system and this helps them to know their key children well. Staff talk to children in a friendly and gentle manner, which helps children to feel confident. Staff ensure that all areas of learning are covered. They model positive play to the children and ensure that the range of activities and resources they provide engage and foster children's independence. For example, when children are riding tricycles outdoors they joyfully participate in a traffic light game with staff. When staff move onto other activities children lead the play and take turns to control the traffic. This means that children are actively

p.3

who attend

engaged in their own learning. This is because, overall, the quality of teaching is good and staff recognise how to balance child-initiated and adult-led activities to help children make good progress in their learning.

p.4

who attend

The nursery provides an inclusive and motivating learning environment for all children, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. The leadership and management team are dedicated to creating an environment that supports children's communication skills. For example, staff identify and implement appropriate early interventions for children with speech and language delays. Staff use sign language in group time and throughout the day. There are also picture symbols to help reinforce good behaviour. This shows that staff cater to all children's individual needs to help them all make good progress against their starting points.

p.4

who attend

Children engage in stimulating tasks and play with a variety of interesting resources. For example, in the baby room, babies enjoy playing with sand, dancing and reading books with staff. Large silver baubles hanging in the baby room provide an interesting feature for babies to fix on. In addition, black and white printed wall displays show that staff have a good knowledge of how young babies develop their vision and how to engage their attention. In the toddler and preschool room children happily mix paints together to make new colours. However, at times, staff questioning does not consistently stretch children's learning. For example, when staff talk about mixing paint with children they do not always ask them what they think happens when two colours mix together. Therefore, they do not always make the most of activities to extend children's learning further and encourage their thinking skills. Children enjoy making marks and counting both indoors and outdoors

p.4

who attend

this helps them to develop their pre-writing and maths skills in readiness for school. The environment is clean, inviting and welcoming. Although the quality of teaching overall is good, on occasion, staff do not always make the most of creative resources and props to deepen children's understanding of the world around them. For example, when children are learning about life jackets worn by lifeguards there are no visual supports to reinforce their learning and extend their understanding of why these are needed.

p.4

who attend

Parents feel that they are a part of the nursery team and are positive about their children's progression since starting the nursery. Parents feedback that they are happy with the way the nursery shares information with them about their children's learning, development and care needs. This helps promote a cohesive approach to children's learning and development both in the nursery and at home.

p.4

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

The key-person system is well embedded. Staff know children well and develop caring and friendly relationships with them, which means effective bonds and positive relationships are formed between staff and children. This helps children to be confident, relaxed and engaged during their time at nursery. Staff praise children when they succeed at tasks. For example, staff help children to persevere as they try to cut pieces of fruit for themselves and say 'well done' when children succeed. This boosts children's self-esteem and helps develop their independence skills. Staff work with parents to gain basic words in children's home languages and use these to help children with English as an additional language to quickly settle into nursery. This helps children to feel accepted and for all children to learn about different cultures.

p.4

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

Staff meet children's care needs well. They record babies' nappy changes, feeding times and sleep in contact books to share with parents. Staff have good relationships with parents and feedback daily on children's well-being. Children are encouraged to care about their environment and they work together with staff to tidy toys away. They happily sing 'what works', 'team works' as they do this.

p.5

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

Staff complete daily risk assessments and maintain accurate accident and medical records for children. This helps children to be safe and adheres to the welfare requirements of the Early years Foundation Stage. Children play and learn in a clean, safe and comfortable environment. For example, the babies sleeping room is free from potential hazards and calm, cosy, and quiet. This ensures that the babies rest well which helps them to play and learn positively. The outdoor space is well-resourced, large and inviting for children. Children enjoy moving freely between the indoor and outdoor learning environments. This means that they have choices and make their own decisions about their play. Children's independence and choice is similarly supported at meal times as they have the opportunity to serve for themselves the cold food on offer. Children select food from a choice of healthy options including fruit at snack time and vegetables at lunch time. This promotes

p.5

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

children's physical development and personal independence skills.

p.5

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

Children are well-behaved in the nursery and staff have high expectations of them. For example, staff and children have worked together to create a visual behaviour management policy. This helps children to be responsible for their own actions. Children confidently manage their own hygiene as they wash their hands before and after meal and snack times. This helps children develop their skills in readiness for school. Staff sensitively and effectively manage children's needs as they move into school or between rooms within the nursery.

p.5

provision

The leadership and management team are committed to ensuring that staff understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard and protect children. Staff attend regular safeguarding training and this helps them to improve their knowledge. Therefore, staff demonstrate they are aware of what to do if they are worried about a child's welfare. The safeguarding policy is regularly updated and contains the details of what staff should do if an allegation is made against a member of staff. This means that children's safety and protection are prioritised. Children are appropriately supervised as staff ratios are kept throughout the nursery. Recruitment, induction and appraisal processes are robust and all staff are vetted through the Disclosure and Barring Service checks before working with children. The management team work well with staff to identify training needs and improve staff performance and knowledge. Therefore, all staff have completed suitability

p.5

provision

checks and undertake regular training to ensure they are suitable to work with children.

p.6

provision

The quality of teaching is good. The manager regularly monitors staff practice and provides supports to staff through supervision sessions. The manager also reviews staff performance by sampling children's assessment files and walking through the rooms. For example, the manager recounts an occasion where she extended the resources for making marks outside to engage boys who were previously not showing an interest in developing their pre-writing skills. This shows that the quality of teaching is well-monitored to ensure that children continue to make progress in their learning and development. Self-evaluation is good. Staff meet and discuss issues effecting the nursery, reflecting on their practice and provision. The management and staff are working towards implementing the local authority quality improvement plan to enhance their self-evaluation process. The manager continuously improves her knowledge by attending training and multi-agency meetings to

p.6

provision

sharpen practice and strengthen partnerships. For example, the manager has attended a 'Supporting literacy' course to enhance literacy learning in the nursery and at children's homes.

p.6

provision

Staff develop strong partnerships with parents. Feedback from parents states that they find the staff friendly and always good to the children. Parents are positively engaged as they help in the community garden, receive termly newsletters and are signposted to courses within the children's centre. Teenage parents in particular are happy and motivated as staff work closely with them to support their children. Staff, parents, carers and external agencies work together to effectively help children when they move up to school.

p.6

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

p.6

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.7

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.7

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.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY344258 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 835068 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 33 Number of children on roll 54 Name of provider London Borough of Bromley Date of previous inspection 18/11/2010 Telephone number 01689 831193

p.8

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.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.8

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.8

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.9

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.9

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.10

Type of provision

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

p.10