Beechwood School Nursery

Beechwood School 55 Leigham Court Road, LONDON, SW16 2NJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/11/2014 21/11/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children settle happily because staff build warm, nurturing relationships with them.  Staff use praise well to motivate children to behave in positive ways.  Staff plan a wide variety of stimulating activities that help children to make good progress.  Staff work well with parents and keep them informed of their children's progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always maximise opportunities for children to observe features of living things, by ensuring that children have the right tools and materials.  Staff do not fully develop children's early writing skills in play situations.

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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 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

Beechwood School registered in 2008 on the Early Years Register and compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is owned by Court Green Investments Ltd, which is also registered with the Independent School Authority. The nursery operates from a four-storey detached Victorian house in Streatham Hill, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Children have access to a spacious enclosed garden. The nursery is open each weekday from 7am to 7pm for 50 weeks of the year, closing for one week at Christmas and one week around the August bank holiday. There are 60 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery receives funding to provide early education for children aged three and four years. There are 15 members of staff, including the manager, who work with the children. All have appropriate early years qualifications: 13 hold qualifications at level 3, and two hold qualifications at level 2.

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

 develop children's understanding of the world further, by providing tools and materials to enable children to observe features of living things

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

 develop children's early writing skills further, by providing more opportunities in play situations.

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who attend

Children make good progress. Staff plan well and cover areas of learning in stimulating ways. They assess children regularly by carrying out regular observations, which they evaluate to decide goals for children. These are included in planning so that children are suitably challenged. Staff provide adult-led activities to offer structure to children's learning. These are balanced by children freely selecting resources, from accessible, labelled, storage units, to create their own play.

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who attend

Staff follow children's interest readily. For example, children notice shape patterns on a floor mat and staff talk to children about the shape names and colours. They ask children questions about which is their favourite shape and why. This supports children's language development. Staff took children on a walk around the garden and encouraged them to find ladybirds and snails. Although they talked to children about some of the features of ladybirds, children were unable to see features, such as ladybird spots, because they did not bring magnifying glasses. Children enjoy browsing through books and finding their favourite story, which is read by staff in lively tones. This supports children's early literacy skills. Children enjoy making leaf prints from leaves collected on their walk, and staff teach them new words, such as 'leaf veins' and 'rough and smooth'. They use crayons skilfully to make relief prints, which supports their small muscle development. Staff teach children to

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who attend

recognise their names on cards and they practise writing their names on their work. Although there are opportunities for children to draw, children do not fully engage with writing tools and materials. These are not routinely included in areas such as role-play, so that children can include early writing in their play. Children enjoy singing nursery rhymes and songs where they learn to follow actions. During group time, children learn to take turns to speak and listen. Overall, children learn good skills for later use in school.

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who attend

Babies and toddlers enjoy scrunching cornflakes and oats in trays and staff talk to children about the sounds made as they play. This helps children's language development. Babies take delight in throwing shredded paper into the air and observe as it floats through the air. This teaches enables babies to explore materials. Toddlers complete simple puzzles with assistance from staff, who name objects in the picture. They operate and learn about simple technology as they press buttons to make sounds on electronic toys.

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who attend

Children take delight in the spacious, attractive, and interestingly designed garden. They go for nature walks to discover mini-beasts and stimulate their senses in the sensory garden. Children practise a range of physical skills as they climb on frames, ride on pushbikes, and negotiate space skilfully as they move in different ways. Staff teach children physical coordination skills by playing throwing and catching games with balls. Staff use the indoor hall for large physical play in very bad weather, which ensures that children always have opportunities to practise their physical skills.

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who attend

Parents support their children's learning well. Staff suggest activities that parents can do with their children at home to support their learning. Staff keep parents informed of their children's progress and hold regular meetings where learning journals can be reviewed. Staff carry out progress checks for children aged two years and provide written reports to parents.

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

Staff greet children warmly and are very attentive to their needs. They spend time getting to know children and talk to parents about children's interests and skills. Staff use this information to provide experiences that children enjoy. This helps children to settle readily. Staff ask parents about babies' care routines, which they incorporate into nursery practice, so routines remain familiar to babies. This enables babies to feel secure. Staff display children's work well, which helps children to feel valued.

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

Children behave well. They behave in positive ways because staff use praise to motivate children. Children are clear about staff expectations, which are reinforced by pictures on display. They manage changes in the nursery routine calmly and orderly by singing songs with the children. This helps children to understand what is happening next and to take part in tidying up. They learn to take responsibility for minor tasks. Staff teach children about cultural and religious diversity by discussing and celebrating special events, such as Eid. Staff are good role models to children on how to be safe. They teach children to hold on to the handrail, and to walk one behind the other, as they travel along the stairs. Children walk when indoors, to avoid accidents. Staff teach children about road safety so that children know how to behave when out on trips.

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

Staff teach children healthy lifestyles. They provide fresh fruit snacks, which the children serve for themselves. Children also pour their own drinks. The nursery has its own cook who provides freshly cooked nutritious meals that cater for special dietary needs. This helps to ensure that children do not eat unsuitable food. Staff take children outdoors for fresh air and physical exercise in the spacious grounds. Staff encourage children's independence. Children put on their outer clothing, with staff providing assistance as needed. They wash their hands independently at appropriate times. Staff change nappies in clean, comfortable areas, which helps to prevent cross infection.

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

Staff help children to prepare for room moves at the nursery by spending time in new rooms, so that children get familiar with staff and routines. Staff help children to settle readily at school. They have good links with local teachers who visit to get to know children before they start school.

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provision

Staff prioritise children's safety. Management helps to keep children protected from harm by carrying out thorough background checks on staff as part of the recruitment process. Over half of the staff team is qualified in first aid and they work in all group rooms, which helps to ensure appropriate support in accident emergencies. Staff help to prevent intruder access by enabling entry through an electronic intercom. Visitors sign a book, which enables staff to monitor who is in the building. This helps to keep children safe. Staff carry out regular fire drills so that children know how to respond in an emergency evacuation, which helps to protect children from harm. The management team has good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and has relevant policies and procedures to protect children from harm. Staff have good knowledge of procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child's welfare, and this helps to

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provision

Staff receive good levels of support. The manager supervises staff regularly, part of which involves regular observation of staff practice and feedback to improve practice. Staff have opportunities to enhance their skills because management identify training needs through yearly appraisals. The manager reviews staff plans on a regular basis and checks children's learning journals, to ensure consistency and quality. Staff support children operating below expected levels because they track children well and identify their developmental levels.

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provision

Staff form effective links with others to support children's learning. They work well with local teachers who they invite into the nursery to get to know children before they start school. This helps children to settle well. Staff have good partnership working with parents, and keep them informed of their children's progress. They offer good ways for parents to take part in children's learning. Parents spoken to at the time of inspection felt that staff were friendly and approachable, and they particularly liked the garden and physical challenges available to children.

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provision

The management team has clear ideas on ways to improve the nursery. It has evaluated all aspects of the provision and set clear priorities for improvement. For instance, management plans to carry out specific parent surveys to find out the best ways to communicate with parents. Previous recommendations have been met, such as staff now keep accurate records of children's hours of attendance. The nursery operates well and has good ability to maintain this in future.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 EY386062 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 996363 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 120 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider Court Green Investments Ltd Date of previous inspection 21/11/2013 Telephone number 02086778778

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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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