Chestnut@Gascoigne

Gascoigne Children's Centre Nursery The Coverdales, BARKING, Essex, IG11 7HQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/06/2014 01/07/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 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 well-resourced outside learning environment for all children. Activities successfully cover all areas of learning and children enjoy exploring the environment with a mix of natural and manufactured resources.  Staff demonstrate an extremely good knowledge of how children learn and effectively use this knowledge, in a ways, to support all children's communication development.  Staff are attentive to children's well-being and help children to develop a sense of belonging. Consequently children are happy and feel secure at nursery  Staff are highly proactive in their work with parents and other early years professionals, which help to ensure that staff meet children's individual needs effectively.  There are good monitoring and evaluation procedures in place. These contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of the provision.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always maximise opportunities in adult-led activities to stretch fully the imagination and thinking of more able children.

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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 observed children taking part in a range of indoor and outdoor activities.  The inspector talked with staff and observed their teaching.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled the nursery's documentation, with a particular focus on documents relating to children's progress and safeguarding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with some parents, the local authority advisory teacher and interviewed the manager.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Gascoigne Children's Centre Nursery registered in 2011. The nursery is one of ten early years settings managed by Chestnut Nursery Schools (Newham) Ltd. The nursery is located in Barking, Essex in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham. There are three rooms and all children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 112 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are 14 members of staff, of whom two hold a qualification at level six, one holds Early Years Professional Status, eight hold qualifications at level three and three have qualifications at level six. The nursery receives funding for the provision of early years education for two-, three- and four-year-olds and supports children with special educational needs and disabilities.

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

 review the organisation of adult-led activities to maximise opportunities to challenge the imagination and thinking of more able children even further.

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who attend

Staff are very effective in meeting children's individual needs. Children gain self- confidence as they play and explore in a stimulating environment. Staff set out a wide range of resources and activities. They make good use of the indoor and outdoor play spaces to offer a good balance of learning experiences across all learning areas. Staff focus on developing children's particular interests to extend their learning; they continually look for ways to extend the choices of challenging activities for children. For example, staff provide children with bicycles and create a role-play scenario using traffic signs, road markings and home destinations. As a result, children are highly motivated to develop not only their physical skills, but also their imagination, their understanding of the world and their friendships. This moves them on significantly in their learning.

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who attend

The majority of the staff team have attended a national training programme aimed at supporting young children to develop their communication and language skills. In addition to this staff have a good knowledge of other useful strategies to support non-verbal communication in children. For example, across the nursery, staff use signs and gestures, visual timetables and picture exchange cards when offering children choices and supporting them to make decisions. They use these systems very effectively to teach children good communication and language skills as they explore and learn through play. This helps children to understand and to use words themselves to describe actions. Staff introduce new sounds and words to help children listen more attentively and acquire new vocabulary. Staff are proactive in encouraging children to join in conversation at any time and in any place. Staff consistently talk to babies who are beginning to use one- and two-

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who attend

word sentences to express their thoughts. For example, as babies explore a box of natural resources and label the shapes 'star'. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff are highly effective as they develop children's interest in one of the focus book's to encourage older children to design their own props and dress up so they can become the characters in the story and re-enact the themes. This helps children to develop a strong love of books, stories and supports their developing literacy skills so they are very well prepared for their future learning at school. However, when children are involved in adult-led activities, staff do not always use every opportunity to extend children's thinking as well as they do at other times. This means that they occasionally miss opportunities to fully challenge the thinking of more able children, to maximise their learning at these times.

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who attend

Staff are extremely adept at taking opportunities during free play to respond to children's interests by introducing a new activity. Consequently, there are often spontaneous story groups and music activities taking place around the nursery. Children enjoy the involvement of staff in their role play and appreciate help when needed. Staff promote children's developing information technology skills through providing support and instruction when needed to children using a process-type programme on a computer game. They show they are confidently acquiring and demonstrating good coordination skills and know how things work. Throughout the nursery staff provide an assortment of hands-on exploratory activities where children can investigate different materials, shapes and textures. For example, very young children show a lot of interest in investigating water and sand, whereas older children become absorbed in their investigations of worms

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who attend

they have found in the mud. They become aware of contrasting sizes while using their hands and tools to move and shift the mud to discover more. Staff extend children's awareness of these mathematical concepts in adult-led activities, for example, when providing magnifying glasses to take a closer look at their discoveries staff introduce mathematical vocabulary such as: 'long', 'short', 'enlarge' and 'reduce'.

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who attend

Staff work closely with parents to obtain useful information about children's individual needs. While children are settling in, staff gather information about their starting points so that they are able to effectively build on what children already know and can do. Staff undertake regular observations, which effectively informs planning. They plan daily activities to meet children's individual needs and interests, which supports their learning and development. This system works particularly well for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as it brings together information from staff, parents and other professionals, enabling relevant targets to be set for individual children. Staff also provide good support for children who are learning English as an additional language, through the use of Makaton signing, speaking words in children's home languages and focused talk. These children quickly become confident in their use of English. Consequently, children

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who attend

make good progress in their learning, given their individual starting points.

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

Staff prioritise children's well-being and, consequently, children are very settled and content. Staff are especially attentive to children's individual needs and interests. They promote a relaxed play environment while interacting enthusiastically with children. As a result, children are keen to play and learn. They feel secure in the setting and are well looked after. The children are encouraged to become independent learners and decision- makers. This leads to children gaining confidence and independence in making their own choices. They keep themselves busy, spend time at their chosen activities and respond readily to staff's interaction. This helps them to develop good attitudes towards learning and to further develop their thinking and reasoning skills.

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

Staff work closely with parents during the settling-in process, helping both parents and children to become familiar with the environment and routines. Staff place much emphasis on supporting children through transitions so that children move easily from one room to another. They are particularly supportive of children while toilet training and ensure that all adults in the nursery are aware of each child's stage of training so that children receive the appropriate support.

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

Staff are well deployed both indoors and outdoors to ensure children's safety and well- being. Children take part in daily outdoor play to promote their learning. Staff ensure children are supervised while playing on large equipment to enable them to take safe risks. For example, babies grow in confidence as staff provide positive encouragement and stand nearby them so that they attempt to master their early walking in a spacious, obstruction-free room. Staff enable children to make choices about their play, as they provide for children to play inside or outdoors throughout the day. Children have access to a good range of outdoor toys to support a varied range of movements, coordination and negotiation skills. This is because children benefit from playing on ride-on toys, stepping stones, hoops and balls.

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

Children's independent skills are promoted well through practical routines, such as mealtimes. Children are supported to wash their own hands, prepare the tables and cutlery, serve themselves and tidy away when they have finished eating. An established continuous snack system is in place so that children can help themselves to a wide range of fruits during the day. Additionally, it helps children make healthy choices and gain a good understanding of developing good habits to promote a healthy lifestyle. For example, children are aware why they should wash their hands before mealtimes, 'because of germs'. Staff ensure information about any changes to children's individual needs are shared with parents verbally at the end of the day and via daily feedback sheets.

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

Children come from a wide variety of backgrounds and therefore have the opportunity to learn about many different cultures and equal opportunities. Staff collect information about children's home languages and display key words in different languages. In this way, they are able to offer good support for children who are learning English as an additional language. Staff plan activities around a wide range of festivals and celebratory events. For example, staff recently organised a Mothers' Day and a Fathers' Day celebration. As a result, they help children to increase their awareness of different communities and cultures in a wider world.

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provision

The nursery manager is new to her post, having been appointed since the previous inspection. Consequently, the manager has focused on building an effective staff team during the last few months. She ensures that staff receive the necessary checks regarding their suitability to work with children. The provider has carried out risk assessments of the premises as well as the activities in which children participate. The written risk assessments are reviewed regularly to ensure that potential risks continue to be minimised effectively. Staff are well deployed both indoors and outdoors to promote children's well- being, and the adult to child ratio is maintained at all times. Staff receive training to support their professional development, and demonstrate good understanding of managing children's behaviour according to their age and level of understanding. There are robust risk assessments in place to minimise potential hazards. Additionally, minor

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provision

accidents are recorded and shared with parents to promote children's welfare. Children are well supervised at all times.

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provision

Staff demonstrate an extremely good understanding of their role in safeguarding children to promote their welfare. Staff are highly organised and ensure relevant documentation is well maintained and where required, shared with parents to promote children's well-being. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the learning and development and safeguarding requirements. They work very closely with professionals involved in children's care so that their individual needs are met. From the outset, useful information is obtained so that they are able support children and parents, which effectively promotes inclusion. The established special educational needs coordinator ensures there is a good exchange of communication with parents and others. Improvements made since the last inspection mean that staff encourage children to make marks for a purpose, including attempting to write their name on their artwork. This promotes good outcomes for

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provision

The management team supports staff through a series of inductions, supervisions and appraisals. Senior staff monitor the quality of teaching and learning in the nursery through observation and discussion. In this way, they are able to highlight aspects of staff's practice that need further improvement. Staff are encouraged to attend training courses and are offered additional in-house training events. Staff also receive regular support and advice from an advisory teacher. The manager monitors staff's use of the system of observational assessment and planning well. She has plans in place to strengthen further the system for tracking children's overall progress in each learning area. This monitoring enables her to spot any areas in which children are making less progress than others, and to link these to staff's teaching practice.

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provision

The management team is effective in their use of self-evaluation to continually improve the provision and outcomes for children. The manager seeks the views of staff and parents so that they are fully involved in the process. The leadership team reflect, with staff, on the quality of teaching and learning. This has led to improvements such as the reorganisation of the times children could attend, to support children to develop bonds with staff and ensure consistency needed for their learning and development. The manager has also ensured staff are all trained and kept abreast on the welfare and safeguarding requirements. This means that staff follow good procedures to keep children safe, such as recording any accidents and sharing information effectively. They have a secure understanding of the action they need to take should they have any concerns about a child's welfare.

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provision

The manager has exciting plans for the future, including the development of a sensory room for babies and children with special educational needs and developing the supervision of staff to enhance further the quality of teaching.

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provision

Staff are proactive in building good relationships with parents and other professionals such as children's centre staff; this is a key strength of their provision. The nursery is co-located within the children's centre and the central welcoming area is particularly well used as an information and gathering point for parents, staff and children. Parents can view information about learning in the early years, read about any recent changes in the provision and also view plans for future developments. Parents are highly satisfied with the provision for their children. They particularly value the opportunities to talk with staff on a daily basis and more formally at regular planned consultations. Staff work closely in partnership with early years professionals in the children's centre and other organisations. This contributes to the effective support provided for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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 EY436365 Local authority Barking & Dagenham Inspection number 963451 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 66 Number of children on roll 112 Name of provider Chestnut Nursery Schools Limited Date of previous inspection 01/07/2013 Telephone number 02087241539

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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

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’.

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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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