Kindergarten in the Wood

Kindergarten in the Wood 37-41 Grove End Road, London, NW8 9NG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 December 2017 8 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 Outstanding 1

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This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is good. The staff team is well qualified and knows how children learn and develop. The manager and staff work well with parents and outside professionals to ensure that children who require extra support get the help they need.  There is a good range of interesting, age-appropriate resources and activities to promote children's learning. Children move around the setting with confidence and access the equipment they need independently. They are well prepared for the next stages in their learning, including the move on to school.  The key-person system works exceptionally well to help children feel emotionally secure and to build relationships with parents. As a result, children settle in quickly and parents feel fully informed about their child's progress.  The manager is ambitious for the setting. Staff feel fully supported and speak positively of the culture of mutual support and professional coaching. They benefit from

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This provision is good

opportunities to discuss issues concerning children's development or well-being, individually and as a team. Staff fully understand their responsibilities to safeguard children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Professional knowledge is not always shared with parents to enable them to support children's learning at home.  The systems to track the progress of the different groups of children are in their infancy and are not focused enough to identify less obvious gaps in children's learning.

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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

 build on the existing good partnerships with parents, sharing professional knowledge that supports children's home learning  use the existing monitoring systems to check the progress of the different groups of children, to quickly identify any less obvious gaps in their learning and to tailor planning to help them catch up if needed.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all parts of the nursery, including the outdoor provision.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held meetings with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection and reviewed parents' written comments and suggestions.  The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation and the nursery's policies and procedures, including those related to the suitability of staff.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding role and responsibility towards protecting children. The manager ensures that all staff are kept up to date with any developments in safeguarding and uses thorough systems to check that staff remain suitable to work with children. Management and staff show a strong commitment to their professional development and to making continuous improvements to their practice. For example, they implement the ideas they learn from training to enrich the range of learning experiences for children. The manager closely monitors the quality of the curriculum and maintains an overview of children's progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff know the children well. They carefully monitor children's individual progress and collate information to plan for their development. Children settle very quickly into their chosen activities and enjoy the well-planned learning opportunities that the staff provide. For example, children are enthusiastic to explore the paints and make shapes from dough. Children use their mathematical learning to count the number of days of a festival that they celebrate. They enjoy making marks on large boards, inside and outside. Staff skilfully support younger children and those who are learning English as an additional language. They make good use of a wide range of teaching and learning opportunities that promotes children's communication and language development and provides the foundation for early literacy.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The highly effective key-person system ensures that children's well-being is fostered very effectively. Staff successfully promote children's sense of belonging in the nursery. Children demonstrate healthy attachments and quickly feel sufficiently secure to explore and learn. Staff help children to gain a sense of their own community. They engage children in play to help them to understand about how others feel. For example, they talk about turn taking when playing in the 'Chanukah shop'. Children learn to take care of others, for example, they cut up fruit for their friends. The environment is calm, with all children concentrating and highly absorbed with their activities. Staff provide children with an excellent range of opportunities that helps to develop their understanding of communities beyond their own. Children learn to manage risks safely through planned activities, for instance, by taking turns to light candles on a Friday to celebrate the Jewish

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in their learning. They develop a good understanding of familiar languages. For example, they sing songs in both English and Hebrew. They manage to put on their own aprons and coats. Older children are self-assured and ready for starting school. They are confident to talk to an unfamiliar adult and to share their ideas in a small group of their peers. For example, during the inspection, they confidently explained to the inspector how to hold a pen correctly.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 135095 Local authority Westminster Inspection number 1089510 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 3 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 11 Name of registered person United Synagogue

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 May 2015 Telephone number 020 7286 3859

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reference number

Kindergarten in the Wood registered in 1992. The premises are situated on the second floor of a synagogue in St Johns Wood in the London Borough of Westminster. The nursery opens during school term times on Monday to Thursday from 8.45am to 3pm and on Friday from 8.45am to midday. There are five members of staff including the manager, all of whom hold qualifications at level 3 or 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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