Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services

Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services Robert Blair Primary School, Brewery Road, London, N7 9QJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 February 2018 8 October 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 children’s centre operates from within a state funded primary school. The deputy head teacher manages the centre and provides strong leadership for the qualified staff team. She has developed effective systems to review the quality of the service and identify areas for further development.  Staff support children to enjoy active and healthy lifestyles. For example, they ensure that outdoor play is an integral part of the daily routine, so that children have plenty of fresh air and exercise.  Parents speak highly of the setting. They appreciate the staffs’ efforts to include them in their children’s learning. For instance, parents borrow from a wide range of storybooks to support their children’s literacy skills at home.  Toddlers enjoy exploring the outdoor environment and learning about the world. For example, a group of children took part in a ‘mini-beast’ hunt. They demonstrated their knowledge of where insects might live as they dug in soil and looked amongst plants.

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This provision is good

They used magnifying glasses well to investigate their discoveries more closely. Inspection report: Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services, 8 February 2018 2 of 6

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff sometimes miss opportunities to promote toddlers’ independence and help them to develop their personal skills.  Staff do not consistently support children’s communication skills as effectively as possible. Inspection report: Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services, 8 February 2018 3 of 6

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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 better use of opportunities to promote toddlers' independence and help them to build on their personal skills even further  enhance the ways that staff support and extend children's communication skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed a range of activities indoors and outdoors. She assessed the quality of teaching and the impact of this on children's learning.  The inspector had a meeting with the head teacher and deputy head teacher. She also explored the views of staff and children at intervals during the inspection.  The inspector had discussions with a number of parents and considered their views, alongside parents' written feedback.  The inspector looked at a sample of documentation, including policies and procedures, details of staff suitability checks and children's learning records.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy head teacher.

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Inspector

Sarah Crawford Inspection report: Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services, 8 February 2018 4 of 6

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The leaders support staff well to develop their professional skills and knowledge. For example, they receive regular supervision and attend a range of training. Staff describe how they have strengthened their understanding of how to identify and plan for children's ongoing progress. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a good knowledge of the signs that may indicate a child is at risk from harm. They are confident about how to record and report any concerns about children's welfare. The leaders have effective recruitment and induction procedures in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and have a secure understanding of their roles.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Leaders and staff have worked hard to create a stimulating learning environment. They give careful thought to the activities and resources they provide for children to support their all-round development. Staff regularly assess children's progress to identify their strengths and use the information well to plan for what they need to learn next. Where children's development is not as it should be, staff provide appropriate interventions to help close any gaps in their learning. Staff work effectively in partnership with parents and other professionals to help children achieve well. Staff support children to understand simple mathematical concepts. For example, they teach toddlers to sort items according to their colour and to count how many of each type they have.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

There is an effective key-person system in place, which supports children's emotional needs well. For example, staff visit children in their homes before they join the setting. This helps to develop a close bond right from the start. Children settle in quickly and enjoy their time at the centre. Babies demonstrate that they feel extremely safe and secure, for example, as they snuggle up with staff for their sociable song and story times. Toddlers confidently make choices about what they wish to play with and enjoy exploring their ideas and interests. Staff give children lots of praise to support their self-esteem and help them understand what they are doing well.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress from their various starting points. This includes children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who receive funding and children who speak English as an additional language. Children develop a good range of skills to support the next stages in their development. Babies learn to control their large and small muscle movements as they begin to crawl, walk and handle a range of objects and materials. Toddlers enjoy imaginative games based upon their experiences, such as pretending to make pancakes from playdough. Children develop good social skills. They learn to play harmoniously together and their behaviour is good. Inspection report: Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services, 8 February 2018 5 of 6

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY333836 Local authority Islington Inspection number 1070777 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 33 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Robert Blair Primary School Governing Body

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 October 2014 Telephone number 02076074115

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reference number

Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services registered in 2006. The provision is open from 8am until 6pm each weekday for most of the year. The setting also provides care before and after school for children attending the school nursery. The provider employs 11 members of staff to work with the children, all of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications. This includes the deputy head teacher, who has qualified teacher status. Other staff are qualified at level 3 and level 2. The provision is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two and three years.

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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. Inspection report: Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services, 8 February 2018 6 of 6

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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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