Alphabet Nursery School

Alphabet Nursery School Chatham Hall, 152 Northcote Road, Battersea, SW11 6RD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 October 2015 21 September 2011

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff meet children's needs exceptionally well. They carry out thorough assessments of children's progress and use these to plan highly challenging activities.  Children learn to cooperate with each other and staff promote their personal development extremely well. Children are able to follow instructions well, for example, as they take part in music and movement sessions. They engage highly in the session and learn new words as they move in different ways.  Staff are extremely skilled at teaching children about people in the wider world. For instance, the nursery has links with a charity in Tanzania and receives photos and stories of people who live there. Children are strongly motivated because staff use different ways to encourage them. For example, they build on children's interests to fully engage them in activities.  Staff are highly responsive to parents' needs and work in excellent partnership with

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This provision is outstanding

them. For example, the manager provides parents with valuable tips to extend their children's learning and development at home.  The manager carries out a thorough evaluation of the nursery and has clear goals for improvement. For instance, she plans to continue to promote professional development opportunities for staff to enhance their skills.

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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

 Make the most of all learning environments to continue to promote the already excellent early mathematical skills of children

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager of a group activity.  The inspector observed interaction between staff and children, indoors and outdoors.  The inspector tracked the progress of several children.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation and held a discussion with the manager.  The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children and considered their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. The manager has an excellent understanding of her role in relation to regulatory requirements. There are robust recruitment procedures to assess staff suitability, which helps to protect children from harm. All staff have excellent knowledge of procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child's welfare. The manager provides staff with guidance through regular supervisions and appraisals, and identifies areas for ongoing support. For instance, staff training has led to improved ways of managing children's behaviour. The manager monitors the nursery robustly, observes staff and provides feedback to improve practice. She comprehensively checks planning and assessment records to ensure they meet the needs of children well. Staff have excellent links with local schools to support children as they move to school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Overall, the quality of teaching is excellent. Staff promote children's understanding of the natural world through activities such as studying the life cycle of plants as they water plants and discuss seed growth. Staff are skilled at promoting children's language and early literacy. Children concentrate very well and take turns to speak and listen, for example, as they take part in group story time. Staff ask questions about the story, which encourages full responses from children. Children learn to write their names independently and staff extend their learning by teaching them the initial letter sounds of their names. Children receive some excellent support to develop early mathematics skills; however, mathematics is not promoted quite as well as other areas of learning throughout the nursery. Children enjoy a wide range of physical challenges that promotes their physical skills well, such as balancing, throwing and catching, and jumping.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are highly confident, keen learners. Staff take time to get to know children and promote their self-esteem very well. For example, they visit them at home before they start at the nursery and greet them individually on arrival. Staff manage children's behaviour very well, using praise and clear expectations to promote positive behaviour. Children are exceptionally independent and are encouraged to complete simple tasks, such as helping to prepare fruit snacks, serving themselves and cleaning tables. Staff teach children excellent dietary habits and offer nutritious snacks that meet their dietary needs. Staff teach children about the benefits of physical exercise. Children learn to manage risks for themselves through experiences such as deciding how high to climb a tree.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make excellent progress. Staff promote their learning in exceptional ways, which results in children being very well prepared for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 123053 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 836125 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Allison Jane McKenzie-Lewis Date of previous inspection 21 September 2011 Telephone number 02079242678

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Setting details

Alphabet Nursery School registered in 1990. It is situated in Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The nursery is open during term time only from 9am to 12 noon on Monday to Friday and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm from Monday to Thursday. The nursery employs six staff, including the manager. Three staff hold Qualified Teacher Status and three hold relevant qualifications at level 6. The nursery receives funding for free early education for children aged three and four years.

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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

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Setting details

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