Strong Tower Day Nursery

Strong Tower Day Nursery 26 Admiralty Close, Lewisham, LONDON, SE8 4SS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 January 2015 17 July 2014

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Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Requires improvement The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Staff working with the youngest children do not always use their knowledge of what children can already do to plan appropriately for the next steps in learning. For example, targets are set too high for children’s age and abilities.  Risk assessments are not thorough enough. Potential risks in areas of the nursery children access when usually accompanied by an adult are not effectively minimised.  Methods of self-evaluation are at an early stage and are not rigorous enough to effectively identify weaknesses, plan improvements and acknowledge all strengths.  Daily routines sometimes interrupt children’s learning as staff do not always say when an activity is about to end. This does not give children time to finish what they are doing.

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It has the following strengths

 Babies settle well and feel safe because they have built a secure attachment with their key person. Children play well together, building friendships with each other and firm relationships with staff.  Children enjoy an appropriate range of activities across the seven areas of learning. Staff provide a balance of learning opportunities including adult-led and child-led activities and indoor and outdoor play.  Staff have developed their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding processes and know what to do if there was a concern about a child’s welfare.  Parents involvement in their children’s learning has improved as information about children’s progress and the nursery activities are shared effectively.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure staff working with the youngest children plan appropriate learning experiences that match the expectations of children’s age and abilities to promote effective learning  develop staff knowledge and understanding of risk assessments so that steps are taken to minimise all risks to children, including in areas of the nursery that they do not usually use independently.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 implement a rigorous system of self-evaluation to ensure any weaknesses or inconsistencies in staff practice are tackled effectively and improvements are sustained  review the organisation of daily routine times so that they do not impact on children’s engagement in play and learning.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure all necessary measures are taken to minimise any risks to the health or safety of the children and staff (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure all necessary measures are taken to minimise any risks to the health or safety of the children and staff (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all three group rooms  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy  The inspector spoke to staff and children during the inspection and held a meeting with the owner/manager and deputy.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection to seek their views about the nursery.  The inspector looked at children’s records, assessments and planning documents, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the provision and samples of documents the provider is required to keep.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Staff have attended training to improve how they observe, assess and plan children’s learning. This is working well in the pre-school and toddler rooms where staff plan a range of activities that stem from children’s learning needs and interests. For example, older children who are interested in writing enjoy the introduction of the post box and imitate writing letters and posting them. Staff in the toddler room use activities to develop children’s language skills. They ask children to name parts of their body as they paint, bath the dolls and sing songs. Children in the baby room enjoy an appropriate range of activities and staff make assessments of their progress over time. However, the next learning steps identified for some children do not match the expectations for their age or abilities, limiting the effectiveness of the assessment cycle. Staff share information about children’s progress with parents during parents evenings and the two year progress check.

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requires improvement

The range of toys and equipment has been extended to support children’s learning needs in each group room. Children choose toys and follow their interests during play, developing their independent learning skills. Staff show an increased awareness of children’s home languages and have obtained some books written in dual languages to support children’s language and communication skills. Children are well behaved and settle easily at activities with their friends. However, at times their engagement in learning is interrupted as staff initiate the daily routines, such as meal times or cleaning up, without giving children any warning that the activity will change. Children enjoy relaxed and sociable mealtimes as they sit together with staff and talk about the foods they like to eat. Staff help children develop their personal independence well in preparation for the move to school. Children benefit from a balanced diet of freshly cooked meals and enjoy regular

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requires improvement

outdoor play, effectively promoting healthy lifestyles and physical development.

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provision requires improvement

The setting has benefitted from monitoring visits by Ofsted and support from the local authority to help them make improvements and meet the actions raised at the last inspection. Methods of self-evaluation, including monitoring the educational programmes, are not fully embedded into staff practice to ensure continuous improvement is sustained and accurately identify areas for improvement. Staff complete daily safety checks but do not identify or minimise all risks to children’s safety. Staff in the group rooms work well together and implement a range of policies and procedures to promote children’s welfare. Staff ensure all required records are maintained and shared with parents. The key person system is embedding well and staff gain information about children’s individual needs when they start at the setting. Staff work with parents and other agencies to ensure children who have additional needs gain appropriate support.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY463095 Local authority Lewisham Inspection number 998783 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 40 Name of provider Taiwo Omotola Bamgbele Date of previous inspection 17 July 2014 Telephone number 0208 691 9135 or 07535706323

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Setting details

Strong Tower Day Nursery registered in 2013. It is privately owned and operates from the ground floor of a building in a housing estate in the Deptford area of the London Borough of Lewisham. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open each weekday from 7am to 7pm all year round, apart from bank holidays. The nursery also offers out-of- school care to older children before and after school times. There are currently 40 children on roll, including 32 children in the early years age range. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery is not currently in receipt of early education funding for children. There are 15 members of staff, 12 of whom hold qualifications in early years education.

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Setting details

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

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Setting details

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Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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