Pinocchio Nursery

Pinocchio Nursery St. Cuthberts Parish Church, Fordwych Road, London, NW2 3TN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/12/2014 23/05/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff develop warm relationships with children. Consequently, children are reasonably happy and feel secure in the nursery.  Staff make use of appropriate strategies to engage parents in children's learning. As a result, parents are suitably informed about their child's learning and development.  Staff have a sound understanding of most safeguarding procedures and policies to promote children's welfare.  Staff develop satisfactory partnerships with local schools. They share relevant information to make sure that children's care and learning needs are adequately met.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not maximise opportunities, during play, to describe and compare size and length. As a result, children's mathematical skills are not fully extended.  Staff's knowledge of how to identify potential risks in the outdoor area is inconsistent and some hazards, such as broken wheeled toys, are not effectively identified or removed.  Staff do not always gather information on home words to encourage children with English as a second language to maximise their communication and language for speaking and understanding.  Staff deployment is not always effective in meeting the needs of children throughout the day. As a result, some activities lack challenge and fail to maintain children's attention.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all the playrooms and the outside play area of the nursery.  The inspector spoke with staff, children and their parents throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a selection of documentation, including evidence of staff suitability checks, and the policies and procedures of the nursery.  The inspector held meetings, and carried out a joint observation, with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Pinocchio Nursery is privately owned and registered in 2006. The nursery operates from St. Cuthberts Parish Church, in West Hampstead, in the London Borough of Camden. Children use a main hall and a smaller hall. An outdoor play area is accessible for children. The nursery primarily serves children from the local community. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. Currently, there are 10 children in the early years age range on roll. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.00am to 6.00pm for 49 weeks of the year. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. The nursery employs two members of staff and a cook. All staff hold early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority early years advisory team.

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must:

 ensure that all staff have an appropriate knowledge of the risk assessment process for the outdoor area, so that they know what needs to be checked, when and by whom it will be checked, and how the risk will be removed or minimised

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must:

 ensure staff deployment meets the needs of the children at all times, in particular younger children during individual or small group activities.

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

 improve the way staff gather words from different home languages, to further support development of English for children's communication and understanding

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

 encourage staff to use descriptive words to compare size and length, to further support children's mathematical development.

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who attend

The nursery staff provide a welcoming and suitable environment for children, which commonly supports development across all areas of learning. Staff mostly spend time with children in large group activities, where they interact with children well. However, at other times, due to there being only two staff at the setting currently, the regular duties and routines of the day take away time available for children to become fully engaged in individual or small group activities. Therefore, staff are not always effective in ensuring that learning experiences consistently promote children's ongoing development.

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who attend

Staff have a reasonable understanding of how children learn best and use suitable teaching skills to support the children as they learn. For example, staff involve themselves in activities, making suggestions and asking appropriate questions to develop and extend learning. However, as a result of low staffing numbers, staff do not always support all children sufficiently to make the most of the activities provided. As a result, some children occasionally become bored or disengaged.

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who attend

In general, children are taught to acquire adequate communication, language and literacy skills. Staff use strategies, such as repetition, to encourage young children to use simple words and form sentences. Older children are provided with opportunities, including circle time, to hold meaningful conversations and to listen attentively to staff and each other. Staff provide children with a suitable selection of resources to encourage them to become aware of early writing skills, such as freely making marks as they play. For example, children write numbers, and letters in their name from their name cards in the creative corner.

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who attend

Young children develop appropriate physical skills and enjoy opportunities to discover and explore. They enjoy experimenting with different textures and materials, including shredded paper, glue and paint. Staff provide appropriate support and encouragement to develop their coordination and mobility. For example, they encourage young children to climb, reach and extend their movements.

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who attend

The nursery is suitably equipped with cosy and comfortable areas for children to share books with their friends. Older children enjoy looking at the books with each other and younger children show enthusiasm for the stories, which staff read to them. Staff make effective use of expression and tone to keep children engaged and to encourage them to join in with their favourite part of the story.

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who attend

Children develop a sufficient understanding of mathematical concepts, such as 'more than', when they build and count bricks as they build towers. Staff use some mathematical language to describe the constructions, such as 'tall' and 'short'. However, they do not maximise learning by comparing the size and heights of the towers they build. Some children develop the skills needed to lead their own play and use their imagination. For example, they pretend to make meals for their friends in the home corner. Consequently, children generally develop an appropriate range of skills in preparation for their future learning.

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who attend

Staff use an appropriate system to regularly observe and assess children's development as they play, including the completion of the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. This means that they have a sufficient understanding of children's abilities. When children first start at the nursery, staff gather basic information from parents about their child's likes and dislikes. However, they do not always include home languages for children with English as a second language. Staff appropriately plan activities for their initial sessions, which interest the children. This, along with an assessment of the child's capabilities, generally provides key persons with reasonable knowledge of each child's starting points. Staff use relevant ongoing observation and assessment of children's abilities to identify next steps in development. Flexible planning across all age groups provides a satisfactory range of activities which

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who attend

suitably promote the all-round development of the children. Weekly planning is suitably tailored to the interests of the children, such as holidays, which helps to motivate and engage them in activities. Planning is generally focused on individual next steps in learning to support children to make reasonable progress. Staff share sufficient information with parents about their child's learning and development on a daily basis. In addition, written assessments and 'Wow sheets' are regularly shared with parents. Therefore, parents have some involvement in their child's progress and development to promote a continuity of learning at home.

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

Children benefit from the warm relationships that they develop with staff because they generally feel secure and enjoy their time at the nursery. Staff make use of flexible settling-in procedures to allow time for children to become familiar with their key person. Staff also have links with the local schools, where they encourage children to develop relationships with their new teachers and other children. The small staff team is caring and warm towards the children. Young children enjoy cuddles, smiling affectionately at their key person, and older children talk confidently as they play playing alongside staff. As a result, children are reasonably emotionally prepared when they move on to school.

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

Older children develop close friendships with each other. Children are typically happy and enjoy their time at the nursery. Staff are polite and respectful. They use appropriate strategies to support behaviour. For example, staff use positive language to promote good behaviour, such as acknowledging children's good listening and praising children's achievements appropriately throughout the day. This helps the children to develop generally good self-esteem, and they play cooperatively together.

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

The indoor environment is arranged suitably to enable children to move safely and confidently. An adequate range of developmentally-appropriate resources are stored at children's height, which allows them to make choices as they play. This means that children become reasonably confident learners. The outdoor area is spacious and staff provide adequate opportunities for children to gain an understanding of risk. For example, they are encouraged to climb on large equipment. Additionally, the children participate in fire drills and are reminded how walk safely. However, on occasions, possible risks in the garden, such as broken wheeled toys ,are not always removed in order for children to carry out their play in entire safety.

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

Children's understanding of good health is suitably promoted throughout the nursery. For example, children wash their hands prior to eating and after messy play activities. The nursery provides the children with a healthy range of snacks and meals, which are freshly prepared each day. Children can help themselves to fresh water throughout the session and develop an understanding of healthy diets through discussions, such as why they eat certain foods. Staff give older children opportunities to serve their own food. Staff use this time to discuss portion sizes and encourage children to try new foods. Therefore, children are developing an understanding of how to keep themselves healthy.

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

Children develop appropriate self-care skills. Older children use toilet facilities by themselves and put on their own coats and shoes. This adequately helps to promote their well-being and prepares them for their next stage in learning. Children are provided with sufficient opportunities to move and play, both indoors and outside, and in all weathers, which helps to promote their physical skills.

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provision

The small staff team has a reasonable understanding of their responsibilities under the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means that, in general, children's welfare is suitably promoted within the nursery. The manager effectively implements appropriate recruitment policies and procedures into her practice. This helps to keep the children safe. All staff are subject to appropriate vetting checks prior to employment and have attended training to develop their understanding of how to keep children safe from harm. Consequently, staff have a sufficient understanding of child protection procedures and who to report any concerns to, in order to keep children safe.

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provision

Relevant policies and procedures are in place to support the running of the nursery, which the staff implement effectively through their daily working practices. However, staff's insufficient knowledge of how to identify potential risks in the garden means that hazards, such as broken wheeled toys, are not always identified, minimised or reduced.

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provision

The manager and staff have a suitable understanding of their role in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The staff use adequate systems for the assessment and observation of children, which help to ensure that next stages in development are suitably identified. The lack of staff does not allow staff to be deployed to spend quality time with children when they are in small group activities. As a result, children's learning is disrupted due to daily responsibilities and other routines. Consequently, children cannot make good progress.

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provision

The manager has provided a programme of professional development. This includes a basic induction plan and procedures to monitor staff practice appropriately through supervision, discussions and annual appraisals conducted by the manager. Regular opportunities are provided for staff to attend training to extend their knowledge, understanding and skills. Low numbers of staff, result in partly ineffective deployment during some parts of the day. This means that some children are not effectively supported to make the most of the activities provided.

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provision

The manager is seeking to improve the quality of the nursery. She has highlighted some areas for improvement and reasonable action plans are in place to support the setting to move forwards. For example, the manager has plans to recruit more permanent staff. However, these have not yet been implemented over sufficient time to have had an impact on raising the quality of the provision.

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provision

The nursery team has a sound knowledge and understanding of working in partnership with parents. Parents are generally happy with the care their children receive and comment positively about the nursery and staff. They state that their children enjoy coming and that the staff are caring and supportive. Staff are clear about the importance of working with other professionals and have sound relationships with outside agencies, including the local advisory teacher. This means that the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well met throughout the nursery.

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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 EY342154 Local authority Camden Inspection number 815248 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 10 Name of provider Katarzyna Monika Idasiak Date of previous inspection 23/05/2011 Telephone number 07957 966139

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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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