Northend Nursery

Northend Nursery 4a Lincoln Close, Slade Green, Kent, DA8 2EB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 January 2018 9 April 2014

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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

 The manager is an enthusiastic and ambitious leader. She has clear expectations which she effectively shares with the experienced staff team. The manager welcomes feedback from parents, children and other professionals to help her evaluate nursery practice and implement effective changes.  Children form strong bonds with staff from the start. Staff are caring and nurturing. They recognise situations when children may need extra support. Overall, children who are new to the nursery settle quickly as staff are attentive to their needs. Parents comment on the 'wonderful' and 'fantastic' staff team.  The manager works well with the staff team to monitor and track children's progress. They recognise any gaps in children's learning and identify areas where individual children are excelling above set targets. They use this information to provide meaningful learning experiences. Children learn key skills to support their future

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This provision is good

learning.  Staff ensure children's well-being is the priority. They work effectively with other professionals to ensure individual children and their families are well supported. This helps to ensure all children are given the opportunity to develop and progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently make the most of their good relationships with children. Sometimes they miss opportunities to support the youngest children to benefit and learn from their play experiences.  Staff do not always organise group activities well enough to ensure that all children are engaged and their care and learning needs are consistently supported.

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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

 focus more precisely on ensuring staff make the most of their interactions with younger children to further support their development  review the organisation of larger group activities to ensure all children are fully engaged and their learning is effectively supported.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed interactions between the staff and children in the inside space and the outside environment.  The inspector spoke to the manager and special educational needs coordinator at relevant times throughout the day.  The inspector viewed a range of documentation, including staff records and nursery policies.  The inspector gathered the views of parents and children and considered these.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager is well aware of her responsibilities and she works hard to keep children safe. She ensures staff are confident in recognising and recording any concerns. Staff report concerns swiftly and work closely with other professionals to ensure children are well protected. The highly experienced manager works effectively with her deputy to supervise and monitor staff practice. They support staff well to reflect on their skills and consider how these could be further developed. Regular training opportunities help staff to enhance their knowledge and implement positive changes into practice. For example, staff use knowledge gained from training to establish 'forest school' sessions. These opportunities have helped those children who relish outdoor play to learn new skills in a safe and natural outdoor environment.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Overall, staff are good teachers. They use simple techniques to support children's learning. For example, at story time, staff use well-considered questions to encourage children to use their emerging mathematical skills for counting. Children learn to recognise letter sounds to promote their literacy skills and are encouraged to consider where different animals live. Staff are skilled at supporting the differing levels of children's emerging language and communication skills. Staff consistently use pictures to encourage the less able children to communicate their likes and needs. The most able children benefit from staff repeating and extending their words and sentences. This helps children to develop into confident communicators. Staff maintain strong partnerships with parents. They regularly share ongoing information about children's progress. Staff support families to further help develop children's learning at home. For example, they offer well-

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

considered resource packs to share toys and resources with families.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff provide a welcoming and safe environment. From a young age, children learn to be independent and consider how to take care of themselves. For example, the youngest children pretend to wipe their faces and noses during their play and older children talk about washing hands to remove the germs. Children behave well and develop good social skills. They enjoy their time at the nursery and play cooperatively with their friends. For example, when children recognise that their friends do not have drums, they offer to share theirs with them. They agree that they will take turns and they eagerly watch and wait for their turn.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children progress well. They reach and occasionally exceed planned targets. From a young age, children practise life skills through their play. For example, young children use emerging physical skills in their play with sand and water. These developing skills help children to start pouring their own drinks at snack time. Older children use their developing mathematical skills. They count and consider how many pieces of fruit they have eaten at snack time. These skills help to prepare children for the move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY317489 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 1068777 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 1 - 4 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 85 Name of registered person Pre-School Learning Alliance

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 April 2014 Telephone number 01322 331168

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reference number

Northend Nursery registered in 2006. It is run by the Pre-School Learning Alliance. The nursery is situated in Erith, in the London Borough of Bexley. The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm from Monday to Friday for 52 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays and three staff training days. Both full day care and sessional places are available. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 15 members of staff, including a cook, cleaner and administrator. Of these, 10 staff, including the nursery manager, hold recognised childcare 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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