Early Learning Years Nursery

Early Learning Years Nursery 19 The Grove, Finchley, London, N3 1QN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/12/2014 04/11/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 2 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

 The nursery offers a safe and welcoming environment for children. Children are confident and have warm relationships with the staff who care for them.  Children are making good progress in their learning and development. This is because staff know children well and plan activities that interest and motivate them to learn.  The staff have developed good communication systems to work in partnership with parents. This includes fundraising for charity and sharing their skills in activities during significant cultural events and celebrations.  Children's behaviour is managed positively by staff and children's emotional well-being is fully supported. As a result, children form good relationships with each other and the attentive staff.

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It is not yet good because

 The provider and manager have not fully considered the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage when employing new members of staff to ensure they have achieved the required experience to work with children under two years.  Some resources are stored out of reach of younger children and they are not always presented attractively to inspire or encourage independent play and learning.

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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 activities in the four group rooms and outside play space.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held meetings with the owner and manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager during lunchtime in the toddler and pre-school group rooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, staff suitability records and policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Early Learning Years Nursery registered in 2002. It is located in a residential area of Finchley. The nursery operates from a self-contained house over two floors, with four group rooms and an outside play area. The nursery operates Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm, 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 68 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. Children can attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 15 staff to work with the children, with some staff working on a part-time basis. Over half of the staff have early years qualifications to level 2 or above.

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must:

 ensure that there is at least one member of staff working with children under two who holds a full and relevant level 3 qualification and who must be suitably experienced in working with children under two; and that at least half of all staff working with this age group have received training that specifically addresses the care of babies.

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

 review the organisation of the toys and play equipment in the baby and toddler rooms to enable babies and young children to have easy access to these resources to maximise their opportunities to be independent and make choices.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and are developing clear systems for observation, assessment and planning. They consider the ages and interests of children when they plan activities so that these appeal to individual children. Staff provide an appropriate balance of child-led and adult-led activities. This means that children are happy when they arrive and settle quickly to make the most of their day at nursery. At times, under close staff supervision, older children on the ground floor have the option to move between two group rooms. This includes free-flow play into the garden in the summer months. During outdoor play, some children chose to explore the sand, talking to staff about how it feels as it is cold and wet. Other children chose to play football with an enthusiastic member of staff who included girls and boys in a lively game. During creative play, staff responded with enthusiasm and supported children's decisions to choose the materials

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who attend

they wanted to use as they made decorations for Hanukkah. As a result, children are making independent choices that effectively promote their learning and development. Children mix well and some very good friendships are evident. Staff are sensitive to the children's different abilities and adapt activities well to involve all children. For example, when playing a word game on the magnetic board, staff encouraged older children to think about how to spell words, while encouraging younger children to practise writing the letter shapes. As a result, children are gaining confidence interacting with each other. Staff in the baby and toddler rooms spend some quality time sitting with the babies and provide lots of interaction to support their early communication. Staff are sensitive to children's needs, and are responsive in identifying when young children need nappy changes, want to play or need to have a sleep to meet their individual requirements.

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who attend

Staff understand that working with parents is important. When parents arrive, key members of staff make sure that they speak to them to share important news and information. This includes any changes in routine and plans for special celebration activities, such as the Hanukkah celebration led by one of the parents.

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who attend

Staff share development tracker books with parents to explain and plan for children's progress. They encourage parents to take the tracker books home so they can read and absorb staff comments and make contributions. Parents report that their children are 'very happy at nursery'. One parent commented that she is 'really comforted' that her child confidently waves goodbye to her as she joins her friends and the welcoming staff. Parents comment that they appreciate the flexibility provided by the manager and staff to accommodate their individual needs.

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

Staff are calm and caring with the children. As a result, children listen and behave well. Staff take time to speak with children when they are upset, and help them to develop strategies to work through their emotions. Consequently, children and staff foster positive and trusting relationships. Staff are good role models and join in with the children's activities with enthusiasm. Staff are aware if children do not wish to take part and skilfully encourage them to join in or find an activity that interests them. As a result, children enjoy activities and are having fun. There is a key-person system in place, which enables staff to get to know the children well. As a result, children including those newly settling, develop secure attachments with their key member of staff.

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

Children have suitable opportunities to play outside and be active. They dress in appropriate clothing, such as warm coats and hats, as they go outside to play in all weathers. Children use the outdoor play equipment with confidence to practise their coordination and balancing skills. These activities contribute to the children having healthy lifestyles and understanding the importance of being active and fit. However, some equipment and resources inside, particularly for the younger children, are worn and in need of replacement. There is a home corner for imaginary play and staff rotate resources to make this area interesting. However, staff do not present this important resource attractively to encourage children in imaginary play. Older children downstairs enjoy choosing their own resources from the jars of creative materials stored at their level. This builds their confidence and enhances their learning opportunities. However, resources are

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

less readily available for the younger children and babies as these are mostly stored out of reach. This prevents children from independently accessing them.

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

Staff are aware of the children's dietary needs; they have recently adapted the vegetarian menu to provide more variety and healthier meals. Children have fresh fruit for snack and water is available for them to help themselves. Staff organise activities with parents, such as making latkes for Hanukkah, where children can learn about, and make, healthy foods to eat at times of celebration. Children respond well to the enthusiastic staff who help them to create these latkes to take home and share with their parents. Children learn to wash their hands when appropriate and blow their noses using tissues that they throw in the bin. Consequently, they have a good understanding of how to manage their personal hygiene and stay healthy.

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

Staff are deployed effectively throughout the different areas to maintain suitable supervision. The majority of staff are trained in first aid, so any accidents children have can be attended to quickly and appropriately. Entrance to the nursery is through the main door, which can only be opened by staff to keep children secure. Staff assess areas for risks using a daily checklist, helping them to keep children safe at all times. Staff have a clear understanding that children can only be released to known adults. Fire evacuation procedures are practised regularly with children so that the premises can be evacuated quickly. This helps children learn how to respond in an emergency.

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provision

The nursery manager and staff have made many improvements since their last inspection. This includes seeking guidance from other professionals about the way they organise the movement of children. They have considered how they supervise children moving between the downstairs group rooms and outdoor space to make this safer for children. This has been positively accepted by the staff team and has enhanced the outcomes for children attending.

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provision

The provider and manager follow the requirement to notify Ofsted of significant events. All accidents and incidents are recorded appropriately and staff monitor the accident records to identify and address any potential risks. Children are well supervised and there are sufficient and qualified staff working across the nursery. However, the provider and owner have employed a member of staff with supervisory responsibilities who, at the time of employment, did not have the appropriate experience for the role of specifically working with children under two. This is a breach of requirements. However, the impact of this on children is minimal as, during the inspection, the younger children were observed to be happy, content and well cared for. The manager has carried out appraisals and this staff member and other members of staff new to the baby room are closely supported and monitored. However, only one member of staff caring for the youngest children has

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provision

attended training specific to the care of children under two, which does not meet requirements.

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provision

Regular staff meetings are held where staff input is welcomed. Any significant events are included on the agenda, and this enables the staff team to discuss and review their practices to help them safeguard children. The provider and manager ensure that all staff complete appropriate suitability checks. Staff who are awaiting suitability checks are not left unsupervised with children. In addition, all staff have induction training, including specific training on health and safety procedures. The provider makes effective use of a supportive maintenance person to promptly deal with any repairs and ensures regular fire- drill practices take place to support all staff to help keep children safe. Staff hold paediatric first-aid certificates and have a sufficient understanding of their responsibilities for safeguarding children. They know the signs and symptoms that may cause concern, and know who to contact should the need arise. The nursery has a safeguarding policy

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provision

that includes details of the professionals who can advise and support staff if necessary. The nursery has a number of group rooms over two floors; each room has a telephone where staff can summon assistance from other members of the team in an emergency. These procedures help staff promote children's overall safety.

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provision

Staff provide parents with a range of information to ensure they are informed about how the nursery operates. They keep parents informed about their child's progress, achievements and daily experiences. Parents are welcomed into the nursery and have a number of opportunities to get involved in nursery activities. They contribute for special events with their children and share their knowledge and skills at celebratory times. The staff have built relationships with local schools and other professionals. This benefits the children to ensure they have a smooth transfer when leaving or moving on to school.

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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 Met

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

 secure the provision of any training which is necessary to ensure that all staff have suitable skills and experience to care for children (compulsory part of the Childcare Register only).

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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 EY153081 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 1000772 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 80 Name of provider Early Learning Years Nursery Partnership Date of previous inspection 04/11/2013 Telephone number 0208 349 3492

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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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