The Alphabet House Nursery Schools

The Alphabet House Nursery School Canberra Road, London, E6 2RW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 November 2015 10 July 2013

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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

 Teaching is not consistent. Some adults help children learn when working with them individually but others are not sure how to move children on to their next stage of learning.  Assessment systems do not provide an accurate view of the progress of individual and different groups of children well enough to help all children make consistently good progress.  Adults do not provide suitably challenging activities to help all children sustain interest and learn through their play.

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It has the following strengths

 Leaders and managers have an accurate view of current teaching practice. There is an action plan in place and they are working closely with the early years development team to improve the quality of teaching.  Adults use a range of strategies to help children manage their own feelings and behaviour. They provide calm and gentle support. This helps children to behave well and prepares them for school.  Support for the youngest children attending is good. Babies settle easily with their carers during activities and adults help them prepare for their next stage of learning.

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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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Due Date

 improve teaching skills so that staff provide suitably challenging activities both indoors and outside, ensuring that all children make good progress in their learning and development. 31/03/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that assessment systems provide an accurate view of the progress that individual and specific groups of children are making and use this information to provide experiences that challenge children's abilities. 31/03/2016

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed practice in all playrooms and in the outdoor area.  The inspector carried out two joint observations with the nursery manager.  The inspector met with the nursery manager and the nursery provider during the day.  The inspector spoke with parents and took account of their views.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning, evidence of suitability and staff qualifications, as well as a range of other documentation including risk assessments and the safeguarding policy.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Leaders and managers have sufficient understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, as well as other government requirements. Leaders and managers have appropriate early years qualifications and they are using their knowledge to bring about improvements. They have reviewed the systems of assessment and the curriculum. They are starting to monitor the progress of different groups of children. Systems in place for staff supervision to improve the quality of teaching have been put into place. This is helping to close the gap for children who may have different starting points to others. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have clear understanding of how to keep children safe and protect them from harm or abuse. Partnerships with parents and the local authority are strengthening. Parents spoken with during the inspection feel that their children are happy at the nursery.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Children are able to make choices about their play and access resources easily but teaching is variable. Although adults complete observations and link these to areas of learning, they do not check the progress children are making well enough to help them make consistently good progress. Activities are set out for children using a provision plan but there is not enough focus on what children are expected to gain from the activities. This means that some adults miss opportunities to extend the learning, especially when children play in the outside area. Children enjoy choosing what they want to do, for example, pretend play in the outdoor kitchen using real vegetables. However, adults do not always engage children in conversations or consistently provide sufficient challenges to extend children's learning through their play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Adults provide good care for babies who show they are happy and confident. They are making good progress in their personal development and early language skills. Older children learn to behave well because adults have good systems to show them the golden rules of the nursery and offer meaningful praise for children's achievements. Adults give children cuddles to reassure them when they are unsettled. New children are encouraged to bring in favourite toys and pictures from home to raise their self-esteem. Older children are familiar with the routines and independently put their coats on ready for outdoor play. This helps prepare them for the move to school. Children are eager to learn and enjoy make-believe play, painting and drawing with their friends. Adults take care to keep children safe. They use daily check lists and risk assessments to check the environment. Older children serve their own snacks and drinks and have access to the garden most of

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

the day for fresh air and physical play.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children enjoy their time at the nursery and are making good progress in their social and emotional development. They do not make consistently good progress in other areas of learning due to the variability in the quality of teaching.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY281129 Local authority Newham Inspection number 1022348 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 47 Number of children on roll 70 Name of provider The Alphabet House Nursery Schools Limited Date of previous inspection 10 July 2013 Telephone number 020 8552 0078

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Setting details

Alphabet House Nursery School (Canberra Road) is one of five nurseries that is privately owned and is part of a children's centre. It registered in 2004. It operates from three rooms in a purpose-built building shared with Early Start Vicarage. It is situated in a residential area of East Ham. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early years education to children aged two, three and four years. There are currently ten members of staff, including the manager. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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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