Little Angels' Schoolhouse

Little Angels' Schoolhouse Little Angels' Schoolhouse, 5 Bletchley Street, London, N1 7QG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/06/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 a variety of resources and activities to interest children during free play sessions. Consequently children gain independence and learn to focus on their chosen tasks.  Staff prioritise children's well-being. In particular, they help children to adopt healthy eating habits and lifestyles.  Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to meet children's care and developmental needs.  The manager encourages staff to reflect on their practice and to consider ways to continually improve the provision for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff working with older children do not always make the most of planned group times to engage all children in interesting and beneficial learning experiences.

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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 compulsory part 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 children participating in a variety of play activities.  The inspector talked with staff and observed their teaching.  The inspector interviewed the manager and spoke with some parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled the nursery's documentation, in particular that relating to children's progress and safeguarding.  The inspector offered to carry out a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Little Angels Schoolhouse originally registered in 2005 and re-registered in 2013. The nursery operates from an old school building in Shoreditch in the London Borough of Hackney. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is open every weekday from 7.30am until 6.30pm all year round. The nursery is accessed via a short flight of stairs leading from the outdoor play area. Children have the use of five rooms on the first floor of the building. These are accessed via an internal staircase. Currently there are 80 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery employs 16 members of staff to work with the children. The majority of staff hold relevant early years qualifications. One member of staff has Early Years Professional Status and one has qualified teacher status. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four. The nursery

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Information about the setting

supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language.

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

 enhance the learning experiences available to older children at whole group times through the provision of more interesting and engaging activities.

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who attend

Staff offer a range of interesting activities and actively encourage children to participate. They are effective overall in meeting the needs of children in the nursery. Children enjoy their free choice play and are well supported by staff who join in with them. This helps children to focus and to learn to concentrate on their chosen activities. Children gain the confidence to investigate further and this enables them to learn through their own discoveries. For example, children like to explore modelling dough, linking cubes and wooden shapes. They relish opportunities to be creative using different media and materials, for example, rolling and printing paints.

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who attend

Staff encourage children to talk while they play, thereby helping them to develop good communication skills. Young children respond enthusiastically, using actions and sounds. Older children are confident to talk about themselves and what they are doing. Staff increase children's awareness of mathematical words and concepts during activities. For example, staff comment on size, position and direction when children are making different shapes with modelling dough. Staff offer help and assistance, sometimes demonstrating to children how to make things work. For instance, staff help children to look closely at words and pictures in order to match them. In this way they encourage children to think, act and experiment.

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who attend

Staff help to prepare children for school by supporting them in the development of key skills, particularly in the areas of language, literacy and mathematics. All children enjoy good access to books and often share books individually with a member of staff. Children are encouraged to investigate mark-making tools on paper and this helps them to become aware of shapes and patterns. They learn about numbers and numerical order when they join in with number rhymes. Older children learn about the sounds and shapes of letters of the alphabet. They demonstrate a good level of skill during their free play, for example, children are beginning to draw detailed pictures, write letter shapes and sort objects into number order. However, staff do not always make the best use of whole group times by planning interesting activities to reinforce and extend older children's learning. Consequently older children tend to lose interest in group activities and show signs of

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who attend

Staff make good use of a system of observational assessment to create individual learning journeys for children. These learning files are well maintained and provide attractive visual records of children's progress. They include collections of annotated photographs and clear written observations. Staff encourage parents to view the files regularly and to make their own contributions. Staff plan activities and learning experiences using a given topic and children's next steps of learning. In this way they continually move children on in their learning.

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who attend

Staff offer particularly good support for children who are learning English as an additional language. They use signs and pictures to help children acquire vocabulary and to understand what words and phrases mean. In this way children gain confidence in speaking the language. They are then further supported through small language groups, organised by the special needs coordinator. These groups are well planned and offer set activities that encourage children to listen, respond and talk. This support is enhanced by detailed assessment of children's individual language development.

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

Staff promote children's well-being through their close attention to children's health and safety needs. Children feel safe and secure in the setting. Younger children in particular are well supported by staff, who sit and play with them, helping them to settle happily. Staff introduce babies to different resources and equipment, encouraging them to make connections and use their senses. For example, babies enjoy exploring sand, water and paint. They show interest in different colours and sounds. Toddlers are confident to explore further and enjoy opportunities to investigate independently, for example, when playing with a set of blocks. As a result children gain personal independence and are content.

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

Staff encourage children to be aware of good hygiene practices and to adopt healthy lifestyles. The cook provides a variety of healthy and nutritious meals, with plenty of fresh fruit. She liaises closely with staff and children, taking into account their requests and ideas. This results in an interesting menu and increases children's awareness of different foods. Children are able to use the outdoor play area on a rota system, which means that they have regular opportunities for outdoor play. They especially enjoy playing on the different wheeled toys. They also like to investigate special equipment that helps them learn more about sounds and water flow. Older children learn about plants and how they grow, for example, when planting beans and tending them as they grow.

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

Staff make use of appropriate behaviour management strategies to help children learn to behave responsibly. They explain to children why they need to sit attentively at group times and intervene quickly to help sort out disputes during free play. They encourage older children to negotiate so that they learn to respect others and their needs. Older children have opportunities to talk about their differing feelings and emotions. They learn about keeping themselves safe around the premises and on outings. Staff organise activities that increase children's awareness of different cultures and religions. Older children are given many opportunities to find out about different people and places on outings in the city. For example, children have been to Downing Street and the Science Museum. These outings also provide extra beneficial learning experiences to support their learning in the nursery.

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provision

The manager is well-established and effective in her role. She has put in place very good procedures to promote the safeguarding of children in the setting. She ensures that all members of staff undergo the necessary checks regarding their suitability to work with children. She carries out detailed risk assessments of the premises, as well as assessing activities and outings. Her written risk assessments are reviewed when necessary and therefore contribute effectively to keeping children safe. Staff are vigilant regarding safety issues. They carry out daily safety checks and supervise children closely when using the toilet area or going downstairs to the outdoor play area.

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provision

The manager has strict guidelines in place for dealing with any complaints or concerns. All concerns raised are documented neatly and dealt with appropriately, for example, through the use of disciplinary procedures. All staff are trained in safeguarding issues and know what to do if they have any concerns relating to child protection. They are efficient in maintaining all records relating to children's health and safety. They are attentive to good hygiene and keep the play rooms clean and tidy. They maintain good hygiene practices at mealtimes and when changing children's nappies. In addition the nursery employs a cleaner, who works every day in all areas of the building to ensure a good standard of cleanliness.

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provision

The manager has developed a strong partnership with parents and this contributes to children feeling secure and content. New parents receive a welcome pack with useful information about the provision for children. They are well informed about the nursery's policies regarding children's welfare and safeguarding. The manager has created informative displays to interest parents, for example, she has displayed posters about the educational programme, details of forthcoming events and photographs of children on outings. Parents appreciate the high level of communication within the nursery. They comment positively on the settling in process and the flexible arrangements for viewing their children's learning journeys. They receive helpful daily feedback and are invited to workshops and consultations. As a result parents are encouraged, and able, to become fully involved in their children's learning and development.

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provision

The manager works alongside her special needs coordinator to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. They observe staff and make checks on children's learning journeys to ensure that the system of observation and planning is meeting children's individual needs. The special needs coordinator is particularly efficient in assessing the progress of children who have special educational needs or who are learning English as an additional language. She works closely in partnership with other professionals, such as speech therapists, in order to offer the best support possible for these children. In addition she interviews parents about children's health backgrounds so that she can put in place individual care plans when required. Consequently these children make significant progress given their individual starting points.

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provision

The manager uses a process of self-evaluation particularly well to highlight aspects of staff's practice that need further improvement. She takes into account the views of staff, children and parents when formulating future development plans. She organises regular appraisals for staff and encourages staff to attend training to further their own professional development. For example, staff have recently attended training in signing, developing literacy skills and behaviour management. The manager sets relevant targets for the future to enhance and improve the outcomes for children. For example, staff are at present working on ideas for extending the range of activities on offer in the outdoor play area. They are also reviewing the organisation of the indoor play spaces to ensure that all children continue to have a wide choice of play activities.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY472619 Local authority Hackney Inspection number 972781 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 65 Number of children on roll 80 Name of provider Little Angels Schoolhouse (London) Daycare Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 02073368833

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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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