The Hospital Day Nursery

Inspection of The Hospital Day Nursery Queen Mary's Hospital, Frognal Avenue, Sidcup, Kent DA14 6LT

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Staff meet children at the door and give them a warm welcome as they settle into the calm nursery and move on to eagerly choose activities. Children form strong relationships with the staff team and show that they feel safe and secure by actively looking for familiar staff to give them support when needed. Staff have high expectations of children, but balance this well with support and encouragement. For example, when children learn to balance along a beam, they start by holding hands with an adult. They quickly progress to walking next to the adult, who offers a steady hand, ready if needed. Children's smile shows that they are proud of their achievement. This helps them to develop their confidence as well as their physical skills.

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The provision is good

Children behave well and follow the rules of the nursery. Older children talk to their friends and sort out minor disputes. When staff become involved, they calmly encourage children to sort out problems for themselves and ask children for suggestions to solve problems. Staff and children treat each other with respect. This support and guidance enables children to develop valuable social skills for their future.

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The provision is good

Older children develop their physical skills as they manoeuvre bikes around the garden. They communicate clearly with their friends to work out the best direction to travel. The youngest children show delight, smiling and clapping, as different sensory objects are pulled out of a box for them to explore with awe and wonder. They then pass them along to other children and learn about sharing. Toddlers carefully match coloured pom-pom buttons onto gingerbread men, counting how many they have and how many more they need.

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need to do better?

n The curriculum for communication and language is strong. Staff have meaningful conversations with children while they complete activities and during lunch. As a result, children talk confidently about their own experiences and ask questions to find out more about their own interests. Children talk about dinosaurs while they complete puzzles, they discuss what dinosaurs eat and how they hatch from their eggs. Younger children learn new words and listen to the clear communication from staff as they follow instructions to 'shake' and 'squeeze' objects. n Children show increasing levels of independence. At lunchtime, younger children try to feed themselves, with well-placed support available when they need it. Older children confidently serve their own lunch from platters on the table, asking staff politely before they do so. n Staff are well deployed to ensure that they can give care and attention to

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need to do better?

15 September 2021 children who need it. They support children who are preparing to move on to a new room, and those with additional needs very well. As a result, children settle quickly into new rooms and become settled within new routines. n The nursery remained open during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic for vulnerable children and children of key workers to attend. Staff set up an outdoor classroom to enable more children to return. They focussed on providing targeted support for children who were preparing for the transition to school. This support enabled a smoother transition to primary school. n Parents speak very highly of the nursery and praise the communication from staff and managers. Staff use electronic communication to share information about activities and the progress children are making with parents and carers. As a result, parents said that they feel included in their child's early education.

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need to do better?

n Staff regularly assess how children progress to ensure that any child who is falling behind is given the support they need to catch up. They plan activities to support the next steps of the children. However, there are occasions when some staff are unclear what they want children to learn. During some activities, the aim becomes lost because staff focus on a theme rather than the learning intention. n Children are at the heart of the nursery. Staff work well with families and professionals to support children's development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. For example, staff use visual aids effectively to support children with communication difficulties. n Managers provide staff with regular training and opportunities to evaluate their practice. Managers identify strengths and areas for improvement. However, they do not always monitor and review staff practice. For example, they do not

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need to do better?

consistently ask staff working with younger children why they have planned some group activities, or what it is they want the children to learn from them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff understand their role in keeping children safe. Staff follow clear written guidelines if they are worried about a child in their care. These are displayed around the nursery to ensure staff have access to the information they need. Staff recruitment is robust. All staff receive child protection training as part of their induction. This is then followed up with regular training and information sharing during staff meetings, sometimes in the form of a scenario to discuss. As a result, staff demonstrate a solid understanding of the process to follow if they are concerned about a child.

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should:

15 September 2021 n focus consistently on what children need to know at each stage so that all activities support their learning fully, particularly with the youngest children n improve the arrangements for supporting staff to improve and evaluate how they implement the curriculum.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY286427 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 10204891 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 105 Name of registered person Drunel Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 0208 300 9453 Date of previous inspection 10 February 2017

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Information about this early years setting

The Hospital Day Nursery registered in 2004 and is situated in the grounds of Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, Kent. The nursery opens Monday to Friday throughout the year. Sessions are from 6.50am until 7pm. The nursery employs 28 members of staff. Of these 24 hold appropriate childcare qualifications. The nursery provides funded early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and took that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The deputy manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and spoke about the curriculum intentions for children both inside and outside. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation to review the quality of education. n The inspector spoke to parents about their experiences of care, education and involvement at the nursery. n The inspector spoke to managers and staff to assess the effectiveness of safeguarding processes, self-evaluation, staff supervision and training. n The inspector reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

15 September 2021 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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