Mouse House Nursery School SW18: The Kindergartens

The Mouse House Nursery School SW18 13-15 Barmouth Road, LONDON, SW18 2DT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/10/2014 09/05/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are highly motivated and very confident learners. Staff build very strong relationships with children and provide an exciting and completely accessible learning environment.  Children make exceptional progress in their learning because staff devise detailed plans which meet the individual needs of children very well.  Staff provide excellent teaching support for children's communication, language and literacy skills by offering highly stimulating and well targeted activities.  Staff follow children's interests with great enthusiasm and this results in children's high levels of engagement in learning.  Management is highly committed and strongly driven to improve the nursery and continually reflects on and evaluates all aspects of the provision.

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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 carried out a joint observation with the manager of an adult-led group activity.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed interaction between staff and children in the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector tracked the progress of several children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation and held a discussion with management.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children and took their views into consideration.

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Information about the setting

Mouse House Nursery School registered in 2010 but was taken over by the new provider in 2011. It is part of a group of 12 early years settings owned and run by the Kindergartens Ltd. It is located in a residential road in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. It is open every weekday during term time only from 9am to 4pm. There are currently 44 children in the early years range on roll. Children attend a variety of sessions. Staff follow the Montessori philosophy of education along with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery employs nine members of staff including the manager, seven of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. One staff member holds a degree in early years; four staff members hold level 4 Montessori qualifications; two staff members hold level 3 qualifications; and two staff members are

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Information about the setting

unqualified. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years.

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

 consider further ways to enhance children's creative experiences by using a wider range of materials.

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who attend

Children make excellent progress in this highly organised nursery. Staff make detailed plans which cover areas of learning in great depth and breadth and reflect children's interests very well. Staff devise individual plans for children which are built upon excellent information from children's regular assessments. This provides highly accurate next steps for learning which meet the needs of children precisely. Staff combine a Montessori approach to teaching children with learning through play. This encourages children's independence as they select resources of their choice to become extremely confident and capable learners. Staff provide excellent structure to children's learning by organising adult-led activities covering different areas of learning. Children's learning is enriched by visits from specialist teachers covering ballet and drama. This provides highly effective support for children's physical coordination skills, and their personal, social, and emotional

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who attend

Staff follow children's interests with great enthusiasm. For example, during the inspection a child arrived wearing a pirate hat so staff decided to create a treasure hunt in the garden. Children drew maps and discussed where the treasure might be hidden. They worked extremely cooperatively as they searched the garden methodically to find the treasure. This provides excellent opportunities for children to use their problem-solving skills. Staff put exceptional emphasis on the development of children's early literacy skills. Children recognise and write their own names. Staff provide a self-registration system using name cards when children arrive at nursery. Staff teach children about letters and sounds through fun activities and games. This results in children's excellent knowledge of initial letter sounds of words and provides very strong support to their early literacy skills. Staff use puppets to create interactive stories using objects that children put next to,

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who attend

under, and above other objects. This teaches children about prepositional language and promotes excellent language development. Children use 'Talking Tins' to record messages for their friends and this provides excellent opportunities to promote children's language development and technology skills. They use the large interactive white board to learn about seasons, colours and numbers. Children touch the screen to select answers and demonstrate excellent skills in using technology. Staff provide stimulating, creative activities for children, enabling them to access a good range of creative materials. They paint leaves and staff encourage children to listen to the sound of the leaves as they scrunch them together. This helps to develop children's listening and language skills very effectively. Children enjoy using the well-equipped role-play area, set up as a post office where they negotiate roles and use their counting skills to pay for items. Children learn

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who attend

excellent skills for later use in school.

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who attend

Staff provide excellent opportunities for children to develop a wide range of physical skills. They provide weekly ballet classes where children learn physical coordination skills. In the outdoor area, children climb across frames, balance along low beams, ride on wheeled- toys, and negotiate space skilfully. Staff also visit the local park where children experience further physical challenges to support their development very effectively. Staff maximise outdoor learning opportunities for children in excellent ways. They teach children to plant and grow seeds to learn about the life cycle of plants, which supports their understanding of the world. This area of learning is further supported by staff who go on bug hunts with the children to learn about mini-beasts. They organise an interactive display table containing natural items and information books to provide excellent consolidation of children's learning. Staff provide regular Forest School sessions for children where they

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who attend

use the outdoor environment to promote critical thinking, relationship building, and problem-solving skills.

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who attend

Staff have excellent links with parents to support children's learning. They offer children a nursery bear to take home and parents help children to record the bear's adventures in a diary. This is shared with other children when the bear returns and supports children's language and literacy skills very well. Parents share their observations of their children's skills and achievements and display this on a 'Proud Tree'. Staff discuss and celebrate this with the children and use the information to influence planning. The staff keep parents very well informed of their children's progress in a variety of ways. Staff complete daily diaries which provides details on children's learning activities, and the staff talk to parents each day as they arrive. Staff hold regular parent meetings to discuss children's progress where they review children's learning journals together. The staff provide parents with

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who attend

detailed, written summaries of progress checks carried out on children aged two years. In this way parents are aware of their child's strengths and any areas where they may need further support in their learning.

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

Children are articulate, highly confident and self-motivated learners. Their confidence comes from the very secure relationships they have with staff who spend a lot of time getting to know children. They learn about each child's personality by talking with parents who fill out detailed forms listing their child's skills, likes and dislikes. Staff use this information very well to provide children with experiences and activities they thoroughly enjoy. Staff greet each child with great warmth as they arrive, which helps children to feel highly valued. Children feel very secure in the nursery because they are clear about the nursery routine. Staff discuss the daily routine each day with children by using picture cards to represent key events in the day. This provides excellent support to children's understanding of the sequence of the day's events. Children are very happy in their surroundings because the nursery is very attractively furnished, colourful and exceptionally

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

well designed. The children have complete access to a wide range of low-level, labelled resources which supports their independence very well.

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

Children have excellent awareness of safety and behave in safe ways. They remind each other of the importance of sitting still on a chair while eating, stating that 'otherwise you'll fall off and bump your head'. They handle scissors carefully and know how to hold them safely as they move around the nursery. Staff teach children about road safety so children know how to walk, look and listen when they go out on trips with staff. Staff teach children how to leave the nursery safely and efficiently in an emergency because they have regular fire drills. This provides a very good way for children to learn how to be safe. While outdoor in the garden, children use space carefully and considerately to avoid colliding with others.

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

Children's behaviour is very good. Staff pay great attention to children's efforts and achievements by offering praise. This motivates children highly to behave in positive ways. Staff manage changes throughout the day in a very clear and methodical way which results in children behaving in calm and orderly ways. Staff use children who behave positively as good role models for others. This provides an excellent way to teach children to listen quietly and to take turns during group discussion times. Staff share ground rules with the children and this provides excellent reinforcement of expected ways to behave. Staff teach children to take responsibility for small tasks, such as helping to prepare for snack time. They line up sensibly and move around the nursery in orderly ways. Staff teach children about differences in society by talking about and celebrating special cultural or religious events, such as Eid.

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

Children are highly independent. They remove their shoes and socks for ballet classes and put them back on when finished. Staff enable children to be fully independent at snack times. Children select healthy fruit snacks themselves, pour their own drinks and mop up any spills themselves. Staff use meal and snack times to remind children of the need to say 'please and thank you' appropriately. Children use knives and forks very skilfully to eat their meals independently. Staff cater for special dietary needs which helps to ensure that children eat suitable food. Children have excellent self-care skills. They use the bathroom independently to thoroughly wash their hands and have very good awareness of how germs are washed away by doing so. Staff promote healthy lifestyle habits very well. They take children outdoors for fresh air each day and for physical exercise either in the very well-resourced garden or the local park. Staff place great emphasis on children's comfort

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

and hygiene when changing nappies and this helps to prevent cross infection.

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

Staff prepare children for the move to school in exceptional ways. They provide school uniforms in the dressing-up box so that children get used to dressing themselves and wearing uniform. Staff have excellent links with local schools where teachers come in to the nursery to get to know children before they start school. This provides children with opportunities to build relationships with teachers so that they settle very well at school. Staff share information with teachers about children's skills and personalities which supports continuity of care and learning very well. They provide excellent support to children who move group rooms at the nursery. Staff complete transition reports so that new group room staff have comprehensive information on children's development. Staff spend time with children in new group rooms to enable them to get used to staff and new environments which helps them to settle well.

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provision

Management has excellent knowledge of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage which is reflected in a strong portfolio of policies and procedures to keep children safe. For instance, staff have excellent knowledge of a robust safeguarding policy and know procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child's welfare. There are four staff qualified in paediatric first aid who are deployed very effectively to ensure they are available if needed. This helps to keep children safe. Management carries out thorough checks on staff to assess suitability for their roles and this provides excellent further protection of children. Staff keep children safe from intruders because there is an electronic intercom entry system and a visitors' book. Staff thoroughly risk assess all aspects of the nursery which helps them to provide robust protection for children.

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provision

Management is very highly committed to staff development to enhance outcomes for children. The management team uses highly effective ways to check, review and evaluate staff performance. The team carries out learning walks where they walk around the nursery to check different aspects of the provision. The manager carries out lesson observations to observe all elements of staff practice and provides detailed feedback to foster improvement. Management checks the quality of planning and children's assessment on a regular basis and this helps to identify any inconsistencies so that appropriate action is taken. Staff have excellent opportunities for confidential discussion of work issues. This is because management ensures regular comprehensive staff supervision which is recorded, targets are set and suitable support is offered, as required. Management is very strongly committed to staff development to enhance outcomes for

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provision

children. The manager provides staff with access to a wide range of courses to meet their professional needs. She carries out regular staff appraisals to accurately identify their training needs. For instance, staff attended a course on letters and sounds which led to a diverse range of ways to support children's literacy skills. Staff have accurate information on children's operating levels because they carry out detailed tracking of their progress. This enables staff to put highly effective individual plans in place for children requiring support.

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provision

Staff have a wide variety of excellent partnerships with others to support children's learning very effectively. Staff and children have strong, effective links with local charities where they make craft items to raise funds for their work. This provides children with very good opportunities to learn about and develop links with the local community. Staff work exceptionally well with parents and provide excellent opportunities for parents to contribute to their children's learning. They ensure that parents are kept up to date on their children's progress by using flexible and effective approaches.

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provision

Management has precise insight into the nursery's strengths and weaknesses. This is achieved through comprehensive regular evaluation and clear, highly relevant goals. Management works methodically to achieve set goals which has resulted in well met targets and clear improvements to the nursery. For instance, management has improved children's experiences of technology through investment in an interactive white board. Previous recommendations have been fully met, such as improvement to the book corners which are now very attractively furnished and greatly stocked with books. The nursery has excellent capacity to improve future outcomes for children.

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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 EY420821 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 816527 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider The Kindergartens Ltd Date of previous inspection 09/05/2011 Telephone number 01622 833331

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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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