Akhter Early Learning Centre Nursery and Preschool

Akhter Early Learning Centre Nursery and Preschool Akhter Early Learning Centre, 11 Perry Road, HARLOW, Essex, CM18 7NS

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 September 2016 Not applicable

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 The provider and manager encourage the already well-qualified staff team to continue their career development. Staff undertake further qualifications and room leaders enrol on leadership and management courses to help them to lead and mentor their staff teams.  Children make good progress. Staff help children to learn about numbers and shapes. Children are encouraged to count how many pretend biscuits they make from dough. Staff introduce the names of new shapes, such as telling children that the egg they have made is an oval.  Staff help children to quickly settle into the nursery. They meet with parents and carefully plan settling-in visits around children's individual routines. Key persons support children well as they move between rooms. They provide detailed summaries of children's learning so that the next key person understands the child's starting points.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Information gained from the tracking of children's progress is not always specific enough to give all staff the most precise understanding of where all children are in their learning and development.  Some pre-school children are not always encouraged to handle books carefully. They are also not able to develop an understanding of how stories are structured as the books that are available to them are torn and have pages missing.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 embed the tracking system to help staff get a precise and more specific overview of where individual and groups of children are at in their learning  encourage children to handle books carefully and provide them with more opportunities to become aware of how stories are structured.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities both indoors and outside.  The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times during the day and held a meeting with the manager and deputy manager.  The inspector carried out two joint observations with the manager.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, information about the nursery's self-evaluation, evidence of the suitability of staff and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of those parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have a secure understanding of how to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse. They understand the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child. Self-evaluation is effectively used to drive continuous improvements. Clear actions are set and staff are proactive in reflecting on most areas of their rooms and identifying training opportunities. For example, the baby room staff are seeking training on sign language as they feel it aids young children's communication and language skills. Recruitment and vetting procedures are robust. New staff are supported well through their induction and quickly gain a good understanding of their role and responsibilities. The staff benefit from regular supervision meetings, where the needs of their key children and their own professional development are given high priority.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff teach children well through adult-led activities and daily routines. As toddlers make dough, members of staff help them to learn new descriptive words, such as smooth and crumbly. Children enjoy repeating the words as they explore the different ingredients. Older children are given opportunities to use tools for a purpose as they chop their own fruit at snack time and use scissors during craft activities. Babies have a wealth of natural objects to explore as they choose. They look and listen carefully as they push trucks on top of low units and then on artificial grass, exploring the differences. Staff encourage parents to play an active part in their children's learning. Parents proactively add photographs and observations to the nursery's online system. This gives staff a good understanding of how children learn at home and they take this into account in their assessments of children's learning.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children enjoy playing and learning outdoors. They have many opportunities to be active. They ride bikes and make obstacle courses with tyres and planks of wood. Staff are currently developing a natural garden. This gives children further opportunities to explore and look for mini-beasts. Babies benefit from consistent care. They have secure routines, including sleeping when they need to. Staff are skilled in knowing how to settle children who are upset. As they spontaneously sing and use quiet shakers, children quickly smile and clap their hands. Staff provide a healthy, balanced diet for each child, taking their individual needs into account. They talk to children about the importance of eating healthy food, such as vegetables. Children understand the importance of regular handwashing as staff talk to them about how dirt and germs gather as they play.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Considering their starting points, all children make good progress. They are gaining skills they need to be ready to move to the next room or on to school. Staff support pre-school children to complete letter puzzles. Children show their developing understanding as they easily find letters that are familiar to them. Younger children enjoy mathematical activities, such as matching objects by colour. Staff extend their learning as they count how many objects of each colour they have.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY491074 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1035023 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 128 Number of children on roll 103 Name of registered person ABI Nurseries Limited

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01279 927020

p.4

reference number

Akhter Early Learning Centre Nursery and Preschool was registered in 2015. The nursery and pre-school employs 21 members of childcare staff. Of these, 19 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The nursery and pre-school opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 6.30pm, all year round. The nursery and pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.4

reference number

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.

p.4

reference number

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.

p.4

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

reference number

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

p.5