The Co-operative Childcare Islington

The Co-operative Childcare Islington 10 Galway Street, Islington, London, EC1V 3SW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/06/2014 07/05/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 3 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The provider fails to ensure procedures for safeguarding children are implemented. This compromises children's welfare.  The provider is not doing enough to minimise possible risks to children's health.  Staff do not offer children stimulating play activities and resources throughout the day. The range on offer is limited in all rooms and does not promote children's learning and development.  The deployment of staff of during lunchtimes and staff break periods does not ensure that children receive appropriate levels of staff attention and engagement.  The staff team do not meet the needs of children learning English as an additional language consistently.  Children's individual care needs are not always fully considered when staff plan 'messy play' activities.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff have developed a rapport with parents, to share information about their children both on a daily basis and periodically.  Staff are friendly and caring towards the children; this is particularly evident in the care of babies.

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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 children playing indoors and outdoors and staff interaction.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled risk assessment records, and safeguarding policies and procedures.  The inspector spoke to some of the staff, parents and children.  The inspector sampled systems used by staff to assess children's development.  The inspector invited the management staff to take part in a joint observation.

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Information about the setting

The Co-operative Childcare Islington registered in August 2005, and is managed by Mid Counties Co-operative which operates nurseries nationally. It operates from premises in a housing complex near Old Street Station, in the London Borough of Islington. Children have access to the ground and lower ground floor indoor play areas, associated facilities and an outside play area. The nursery opens five days a week, from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks a year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 64 children on roll in the early years age group, attending either full- or part-time sessions. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. The nursery currently supports children who are learning English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The

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Information about the setting

nursery employs 27 members of staff, including the manager. Of these, all but three hold qualifications from level two and above.

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must:

 ensure all members of the management and staff team are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and make sure that the setting's safeguarding policy and procedures are implemented in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) guidance; this includes notification to relevant safeguarding agencies and Ofsted within the timescale specified

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must:

 ensure that all areas of the premises and equipment accessed by children are safe, clean, hygienic and free of any pests and pest activity

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must:

 review staff roles and deployment to ensure children receive appropriate levels of attention and supervision, particularly during mealtimes and staff breaks

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must:

 improve on the range of play materials and resources on offer for all ages to reflect all seven areas of learning and to provide greater opportunities for variety, choice and challenges.

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

 give more support to children who are learning English as an additional language, for example by staff using key words in children's home languages to aid their communication and acquisition of English

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

 give greater consideration to children's individual care needs when planning activities, for example, by providing appropriate protection for children's hair when they engage in playing with creative, messy and tactile play materials.

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who attend

Staff know the children well and some good interaction is observed between staff and the children. However, not enough is done to make sure that activities and experiences offered over the course of each day are sufficiently varied and challenging. The choice of activities is limited and children, particularly in the pre-school group, become bored. The resources available are also limited in quantity and some are of poor quality. This means that children cannot initiate or extend activities using their own ideas.

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who attend

Staff carry out observations and assessments on children on a regular basis from the time they commence. They identify the next steps for children's individual learning. Staff in each age-group room use the knowledge the key person gains from observations to contribute to the weekly planning. This means that staff are aware of what children need to do next to progress and they offer some interactions that instinctively promote this. However, because of the weaknesses in planning, the educational programme overall does not promote children's all-round learning and development successfully.

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who attend

Young infants attending develop physical, personal, social and emotional and language skills. Staff are very warm, caring and interact with the young babies well to develop a bond and support them to feel safe and secure. The staff help to settle young babies by being responsive to their needs for attention. This supports them to separate from their parents and develop a positive relationship with their key person. Children with additional needs are supported appropriately, with the engagement of parents and other professional agencies.

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who attend

Staff support children to develop their communication and language skills. Young infants enjoy song time, using actions and lots of clapping as they pick up on favourite rhymes being sung by staff. The key persons of young babies talk warmly with them as they cradle them in their arms. The setting uses the bilingual skills of staff to support some children who are learning English as an additional language, as well as asking parents to provide key words in their home language for staff to use with children. Some staff use these words successfully to encourage children to communicate. However, some do not. When staff cannot read or pronounce the words noted by parents they do not seek clarification. This means that some children do not hear their home language and their acquisition of English is hindered. Older children explore alphabet letters on magnetic boards and staff help them to recognise these by name and sound to promote early

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who attend

Older children use their own imagination in role play, as they decide to 'drive to the shop'. However, this cannot be extended as props and resources are poor in range or worn. There are also very few resources to help children gain skills in using information technology, interactive, and cause and effect resources. This limits the acquisition of skills that will help them in future. Children enjoy being both indoors and outdoors. Again, resources are limited outdoors, but older children initiate their own play as they collect water from indoors to wet the sand. There are some resources in the garden to capture young infants' attention, such as bright streamers. Children are regularly taken out to use community facilities such as park equipment. This offers children additional opportunities to promote their physical development. The children are offered a range of messy and creative play experiences. This allows them to explore a range of mediums and tools.

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who attend

Young infants benefit from the key workers' enthusiasm to encourage their exploratory and sensory skills, such as with water play and exploring paint textures. Samples of children's work are displayed throughout the setting, including photographs of the children's engagement in activities. This allows for children to develop self-esteem from the recognition given to their work, and to inform parents of their child's engagement in specific activities.

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

The key-person system is implemented and appears to work well overall. Each child has an allocated buddy key person. This ensures there is a consistent carer for the child to address staff shifts and holiday periods. Babies are held warmly and cuddled. Staff are attentive to their needs, such as when they are tired or want attention. Individual routines for young babies are followed to allow them to settle into the nursery routine at their own pace.

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

Children generally behave well, as staff deployment during the main part of the day ensures that any negative behaviour is redirected. However, staff deployment at lunchtime and staff break times is poorly organised. This means children receive inappropriate levels of attention to ensure they are occupied appropriately or supervised as required. This sometimes leads to poor behaviour. Staff use praise and recognition well, supporting children to learn right from wrong from an early age. There are good safety measures in place to protect children from unvetted individuals. For example there is secure entrance to the premises, closed-circuit cameras are in use throughout the setting, visitors must sign in/out of each room, and staff/visitors are not allowed to use mobile phones/cameras on the premises.

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

Staff provide children with healthy options at snack and mealtimes. The menu is varied depending on seasonal produce, as well as to provide food from other cultures. Children tuck into the food provided, such as mutton burgers and potato wedges, and natural yoghurt and fruit for dessert. The key person works closely with the cook to discuss the weaning of young babies, to ensure they are fed with the right consistency of food. Although staff are very supportive to promote good eating habits and encouraging children to eat well, it was observed that staff do not eat with the children to support good eating habits.

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

Children become familiar with the routines for hand washing and developing an understanding of personal hygiene. They receive reminders and guidance from staff to carry out these tasks. However, personal care is not actively promoted when children engage in messy play such as with sand or dry cereal. Parents and children have raised concerns about it getting stuck in their hair. For children with particular hair types it can be difficult to remove and causes discomfort. Hair protection is not generally offered, although on one occasion a child was given a shoe cover to use. The premises are well maintained and are clean on the whole. However, the setting has a long-term issue of mouse infestation. Although the setting maintains daily cleaning routines and risk assessments are used with some success to minimise the risk, together with regular input from a pest control agency, this is still an ongoing issue. This does not support the health

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

and well-being of children attending, especially in the under two's areas.

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

Children who attend this nursery move on to the other schools in or out of the local borough. There are some links established with local schools to support transition and pass on assessments of children's learning and development as required. Key persons and the setting's special educational needs coordinator work well to act on any concerns about a child's development, and support parents in working with professional agencies. Individual care plans are implemented by staff as part of ongoing planning to meet children's individual needs.

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provision

The inspection took place after information was received that raised concerns about health and safety regarding the premises. The concerns were in relation to possible mouse infestation of the premises and droppings observed in the children's play areas. We needed to check to see if the provider was meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements relating to safety, premises, and risk assessment.

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provision

The inspection found that there was mouse infestation, which has been an issue for a number of years. The management of the setting has sought the services of a pest control agency that completes regular visits and installs bait boxes where safe to do so. Staff implement some suitable risk assessment measures and follow a daily cleaning routine. However, the action taken has not been effective in eradicating the problem and mouse droppings were still evident in one of the playrooms. The inspection identified a number of breaches of legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. For example, management does not demonstrate a good understanding of how to implement the safeguarding policy and procedures as required. In addition, the management has failed to meet the requirement to inform Ofsted of relevant incidents within the specified period. Risk assessments undertaken provide children with a safe environment to play in but not

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provision

one that is sufficiently hygienic and safe. This is due to the mouse infestation and droppings left behind. Consequently, actions have been raised.

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provision

There is a new manager since the last inspection. She and the deputy are supernumerary and work to support room leaders. They provide regular team meetings and staff appraisals. Staff training is explored via the local authority and the organisation. The setting has several staff with valid first-aid training to support children's well-being should the need arise. All required documentation is in place and maintained in the office in a confidential manner. This includes details of staff suitability checks and qualifications. The majority of staff are suitably qualified, and the manager ensures that staff-to-child ratios are met overall. The deployment of staff is not good enough over lunchtimes and during staff breaks.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are sound. Staff engage parents in their children's learning. Parents are encouraged to share their children's achievements at home with staff, and invited to attend periodic assessment review meetings. In addition, the setting provides a parent handbook, access to the setting's policies and procedures, a verbal exchange of information, parent notice boards, daily diary accounts, an informative website, and periodic open days. This helps the parents to find out how their children have been during the day and how the setting operates. Parents comment positively on the development of their children's language and good steps for helping children to make moves from room to room. They praise staff for being friendly and promoting children's independence. However, other feedback available shows concerns about children, stating they are bored at nursery. There have been requests to have information about the children's day shared

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provision

The new manager has updated the Ofsted self-evaluation form since coming into post, as part of identifying the setting's strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the manager receives input from the local authority to monitor progress and provide support and training if required. Parents' views are gathered by using questionnaires twice a year. Through self-evaluation, the management agreed an action plan to improve the outdoor play areas, introduce a new system of gathering more detailed information on children's starting points, and to purchase touch-screen computer systems. However, not all actions raised at the last inspection have been met. This is because there continues to be a lack of play resources and equipment so as to ensure children have greater variety, choice and challenges to help them to make progress in all areas of their learning.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 implement a written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard children being cared for from any form of abuse or neglect (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the premises and equipment used for childcare are safe and suitable for children's use (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  implement a written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard children being cared for from any form of abuse or neglect (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the premises and equipment used for childcare are safe and suitable for children's use (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY311534 Local authority Islington Inspection number 977652 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 96 Number of children on roll 64 Name of provider Places For Children Ltd Date of previous inspection 07/05/2013 Telephone number 020 7 2513475

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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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