Soho Family Centre Nursery

Soho Family Centre Nursery St James Residences, 23 Brewer Street, London, W1F 0RN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/12/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are settled, happy and warmly welcomed into the welcoming environment by caring staff. Children are enthusiastic learners, and form strong friendships with other children and are eager to help one another.  Children settle securely into the nursery, because there are effective partnerships with their parents, which ensures children receive consistent support.  Staff are knowledgeable about how children learn and how to promote their learning through effective teaching. This supports children as they make good progress in readiness for school.  A strong management team ensures that the environment is safe and there are clear procedures that protect children's safety.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always seize opportunities to promote children's language and communication skills.  Staff do not always promote older children's independence at meal times by encouraging them to serve themselves.

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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 in all the rooms and the outdoor classroom.  The inspector sampled policies and documentation confirming staff qualifications.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector had discussions with the manager.  The inspector gathered views from parents.

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Information about the setting

Soho Family Centre Nursery registered in 2014. It is owned and run by The London Early Years Foundation who supports the delivery of services for families in the Soho area. The premises are arranged over two floors; children use two main rooms and a room for sensory activities. There is an additional outdoor classroom in the lower level for children to use. The nursery is open 51 weeks of the year, from 8am to 6pm. There is also a drop- in facility. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. Currently, there are 30 children on roll in the early years age range.

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

 build on children's growing vocabulary by seizing opportunities to add new words and phrases during everyday activities

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

 consistently promote older children's independence by allowing them to become fully self-supporting at meal times.

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who attend

Children make good progress because staff plan a wide range of varied activities that make sure their learning is well promoted. Staff track children's progress across the seven areas of learning and plan for their further progression by making the most of what they enjoy. Staff observe children and change activities during sessions, so that children's individual learning needs are met. This means that children are continuously stimulated as they learn through play and exploration.

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who attend

Staff promote children's communication and language development well. For example, they provide a range of activities such as singing and musical rhythm sessions, which helps children to learn about sounds and word patterns. Staff encourage the use of colour and number through most everyday activities. For example, staff encourage children to recognise the colour of their plates at snack time.

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who attend

Staff plan and provide a wide and exciting variety of activities in the outdoor classroom. Children show good control and co-ordination as they move confidently in the outdoor area and handle equipment, tools and resources effectively. For example, children are provided with a range of physical apparatus. They climb and balance, challenging themselves to move higher or faster. Children are always well supported by staff, who know when to intervene and when to let children attempt physical challenges independently. As a result, children develop their physical skills and good levels of confidence.

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who attend

Staff provide a wide range of quiet areas, where children can build on their imagination as they create dens with large pieces of material. They devise imaginative scenarios using the playhouse, dressing-up clothes, calculators, pens and play phones. Children extend their communication skills through this activity, using their imaginations to develop stories and creative ideas. They explain to each other what they are doing and readily include each other in their play. Staff plan activities to encourage children to use a variety of writing tools both indoors and outdoors. Consequently, children practise writing their names or painting the walls using large brushes and water. Babies are provided with good opportunities to make marks using natural materials, such as cornflour, rice and dough. A range of multicultural resources positively promote respect for all cultures. Staff display dual-language words on the walls and provide a range of multicultural dolls and resources

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who attend

Staff use daily opportunities to teach children about numbers and counting, as they are encouraged to count during everyday activities. For example, they count the plates and cups as they lay the table for snack. They learn about grouping as they enjoy sorting through socks and hanging them on a washing line arranging these in pairs. Staff encourage the children to solve problems independently as they ask them questions as they build towers with large blocks. However, staff do not take every opportunity to build on language, for example, by describing and naming simple shapes to extend children's vocabulary.

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who attend

Staff use the information gathered from parents on entry to the nursery and continue to do so to plan for children's future learning. Parents are well supported in continuing with their children's learning when they return home. Parents share details of their children's learning with staff and are provided with home activity bags with information regarding which activities their children enjoy. As a result, good relationships with parents are actively contributing to children's learning and progression.

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

Children settle easily into the nursery as staff spend time with their parents learning about their child's individual needs and their stage of development. This information sharing enables key persons to plan for children's individual progress as soon as they start attending. Staff are sensitive to the needs of the new children. They offer them comfort and reassurance, and actively encourage them to become involved in activities they enjoy. Younger children approach staff for a cuddle if they are feeling tired, demonstrating their strong attachments to the adults who care for them.

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

Good standards of hygiene ensure that children's health and well-being are protected. Children enjoy varied and nutritious meals that meet their dietary requirements. Meals are carefully planned to ensure that a wide range of fruit and vegetables are included to promote children's understanding of healthy eating. Children eat their meals in a positive social setting. In the main, children serve themselves and help clear away after their meal has finished, which promotes their independence. However, on the day of the inspection, staff poured drinks for older, more able children during snack time. As a result, staff do not maximise opportunities for older children to be fully self-sufficient. Cooking activities further promote children's understanding of how food is made and encourages children to enjoy their meals.

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

A well-resourced and very attractive outdoor classroom ensures that children have regular fresh air and plenty of challenge. For example, children explore and investigate by adding water to soil in the mud kitchen. Children thoroughly enjoy taking responsibility in the nursery and take pride in watering the garden. Regular outdoor activities ensure that children get plenty of physical exercise and learn how to promote their own safety and manage risks. Effective supervision of the children by staff ensures that children are safe at all times. Children sleep safely as staff stay with them in the rooms monitoring their sleep and ensure they are comfortable and well rested.

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

Staff are calm, polite and respectful to all children and are good role models. Consequently, children behave very well and show concern for their friends when they are sad or upset. This demonstrates they are emotionally well prepared for their next stage in learning.

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provision

Children are well safeguarded as the management team and staff have a thorough understanding of what would cause them concern about a child. All staff have attended safeguarding training. The comprehensive induction for new staff ensures they have a good awareness of all policies and procedures before they commence employment. The comprehensive mobile phone policy is implemented throughout the working day and ensures that phones are not used in the proximity of the children. Safeguarding issues are regularly discussed by the staff during meetings and supervision sessions. Through these discussions, the manager ensures that all staff have a clear understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard the children in their care.

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provision

Regular appraisals and staff supervision ensures that professional development is monitored and any performance issues are managed effectively. Staff are encouraged to attend training provided by the local authority, and have access to development programmes at the LEYF Academy. Staff share knowledge and information with each other after training sessions. The manager has links with head office, other providers and the local authority who support staff as a means of updating practice and driving forward improvements in the provision. For example, the staff are all trained on promoting communication and language skills with a new incentive. This focusses on extending children's language and listening and parents can become more involved with their child's learning at home.

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provision

All staff are suitable for their role because the manager follows robust recruitment procedures. The staff team are well qualified and this results in good teaching and successful learning experiences for the children. Staff meet regularly as a team to discuss proposed developments in the nursery. This enables improvements to be carefully informed by staff's knowledge of children's emerging needs.

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provision

There are comprehensive policies and procedures in the nursery to underpin the effective management of the provision. The required adult-to-child ratios are maintained at all times, and all of the required records are kept to ensure children remain safe. Thorough risk assessment completed by the staff results in a safe and secure environment where children can play and learn.

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provision

Partnership with others involved in the children's development is strong. Interventions are sought at the early stages to identify any group falling below their expected levels of achievement. This means that children's needs are met effectively and relevant support services are involved, as necessary. Staff work very closely with the Children Centre staff who work in the nursery offices, and with local schools, which means that children are very well prepared for their move to school.

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provision

Partnership with parents is effective in promoting children's well-being and progress. Staff communicate with parents using a range of methods including notice boards, newsletters and social media. Parents speak highly about the nursery and the staff team and feel thoroughly involved in their children's learning and development.

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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 EY473676 Local authority Westminster Inspection number 955255 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider The London Early Years Foundation Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 02074391578

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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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