Alpha Day Nursery

Alpha Day Nursery St Johns Congregational Church Hall, Bensham Manor Road, THORNTON HEATH, Surrey, CR7 7AG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 May 2017 6 May 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress from their starting points. The staff team takes action to narrow any identified gaps in children's achievements. For example, children who speak English as an additional language are steadily developing their spoken English.  Staff provide a range of opportunities for children to learn about how to care for living things. For example, children pay close attention to how the snail lives outdoors. They identify and talk about other animals, such as birds and spiders, linking them to familiar rhymes.  Staff support older children well to build on their thinking skills, for example, they learn to count their friends and share plates out at mealtimes. Children observe where there is one less and one more plate.  Staff skilfully promote children's emotional well-being. For example, they praise and encourage children to help them to be confident and have good self-esteem.  Staff develop strong partnerships with parents. Parents describe staff as approachable

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This provision is good

and dedicated. They comment on how well their children settle.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Occasionally, staff miss opportunities to extend children's communication and language skills further.  Staff do not consistently provide younger children with clear expectations about the need to keep themselves and others safe from harm.

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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 opportunities to extend children's communication and language skills further  provide younger children with clear expectations about the need to keep themselves and others safe.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching and learning during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. She spoke to children and staff at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector spent time looking at the provider's system for monitoring children's progress.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the provider's policies and procedures and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. She also discussed the self-evaluation process.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. There are arrangements to help ensure the ongoing suitability of staff, such as through effective supervisory sessions. Staff are knowledgeable and confident about their responsibility to keep children safe and protect their welfare. For example, staff complete regular risk assessments of the equipment and premises to minimize hazards to children's safety. There are consistent practices to monitor and help ensure that children are making good progress, which helps to identify concerns about their learning. The key-person system works well to engage parents in their children's learning. Management accurately leads self-assessment to contribute to effective performance and professional development. It monitors staff practice regularly and identifies suitable training, for example, to help support children's behaviour, communication and language skills. Management completes a self-evaluation process to

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

celebrate the provision's strengths and identify key areas for improvement.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The environment is stimulating and welcoming. The manager and staff work with parents to assess children's starting points, which staff use alongside their assessments to inform their planning. Staff share information about children's development to enable parents to support their learning at home. Staff use knowledge and skills appropriately to provide opportunities for children to learn. For example, staff skilfully teach children about the life of a snail outdoors. This builds on children's understanding of the world. Staff plan opportunities for children to learn about different cultures; for example, through international days which involve parents. This helps to build on children's awareness of people's differences, for example, types of music, languages and foods.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children practise keeping safe. For example, fire drills are carried out with children and they are taught how to keep safe in an emergency situation. Staff are deployed well during activities to help children during their play. Since the last inspection, staff have carefully planned group times to ensure children do not lose concentration. For example, they spread group times throughout the day so that they are given in shorter bursts.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are confident and take great delight in their play and learning. They engage in exciting activities and display good levels of curiosity and imagination. Children are making good rates of progress in relation to their starting points and are making typical progress towards the next stages in their learning. They are well prepared for school. For instance, older children build on their mathematical skills and younger children are learning to behave well and play cooperatively.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY224877 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 1091391 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person Yetunde Adedotun Osonaike

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 6 May 2015 Telephone number 020 8689 9990

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reference number

Alpha Day Nursery registered in July 2001. It operates from a church hall in Thornton Heath, in the London Borough of Croydon. The nursery is open daily, from 7.30am to 6pm, for 49 weeks of the year, closing at Christmas and for one week during the summer and Easter holidays. There are five staff working with the children, including a chef. The owner has early years professional status and all other staff hold appropriate childcare qualifications to level 2 and above.

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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.

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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.

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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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

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