The Alphabet House Nursery Schools

Inspection of The Alphabet House Nursery Schools Alphabet Nursery, 23 Harold Road, Upton Park, LONDON E13 0SQ

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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

Children are greeted warmly by staff from the room which they are based in. As children are signed in, parents share information to support staff with their child's care. Children happily greet familiar staff and children. They chat as they walk to their room. Children share news about their morning. They are excited as they talk about who they are going to see and what they will play with. Children enjoy a mix of self-selected and adult-led activities. Staff respond sensitively to children's questions and requests. They know the children well, which helps them to recognise when to offer support or when to wait to encourage children to have a go by themselves.

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The provision is good

Staff enhance children's knowledge by linking children's current interests to real-life experiences available in the local community. Children enjoy regular planned outings, including trips to the local library to return and choose new books, a ride on a train or a trip on a 'big red bus'. Children spend time every day in the secure garden. Staff complete checks throughout the day to ensure that the area is clean and safe for children's use. Children and families who speak English as an additional language have access to staff who share their cultural heritage and speak an array of languages. Staff request and use key words in children's home languages, which they thread into conversations. As a result, children are well supported and make progress with their understanding and speaking English.

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need to do better?

n Following the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders and managers have adapted the curriculum to meet the needs of children effectively. For example, they provide children with more time to settle when moving into the nursery. Staff focus on promoting children's communication, social and physical skills. As a result, children share ideas, work together on tasks and their behaviour is very good. n Children develop secure relationships with staff. They show curiosity by confidently approaching adults. Young children sit together in small groups to join in singing their favourite songs. Children choose songs by selecting picture cards. Babies and toddlers join in with the actions, smiling proudly as staff clap and give them praise for their participation. n Older children recall familiar stories in detail, such as 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'. They describe how the goats outsmart the troll to get to the 'luscious

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need to do better?

grass in the meadow'. Children choose props and become the characters as they recite the story with their peers. Children explain that the story is a fairy tale because it starts with 'once upon a time' and finishes with 'they lived happily ever after'. n Children's current interests include construction, as there are several building sites in the local area. Children wear hard hats, safety glasses and high-visibility

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need to do better?

24 February 2023 vests as they negotiate how to build a 'stable' structure. They discuss and agree that bricks are 'stronger' than wooden blocks. Children used trowels to add 'cement' to build their wall. Staff remain close by to support children. However, on occasions during discussions, staff do not consistently incorporate mathematical language, such as measurements and shape, to extend children's learning. n Children develop their awareness of how to keep themselves safe. Staff respect children's personal space. For instance, they ask permission when offering physical comfort or contact. Staff actively support children to be independent and confident with their personal care. Children wash their hands, use the bathroom and dress with minimal prompting from staff. n Staff record children's dietary requirements for meals and snacks on individual place mats. Younger children are encouraged to feed themselves. Staff sit with

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need to do better?

children to monitor what they eat. They give children encouragement and discuss children's favourite and less-liked foods. n Parents happily comment how their children have made progress since attending this setting. They receive detailed information about their child's day. Staff use an online app to give parents daily general information about the setting. They share and upload observations, photos and information about children's development. Staff also hold regular parents' evenings. n Staff implement strategies for early intervention to ensure that all children make good progress. They work with a range of professionals to make sure that children have the appropriate support and care plans, which are incorporated into their daily activities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff attend mandatory safeguarding training as part of their induction. Staff are very secure in their knowledge of where to go to seek advice. They know how to make referrals if concerned about a child in their care. Staff have regular discussions during meetings to share information on specific safeguarding topics, such as female genital mutilation and the signs of emotional abuse. The provider makes sure that the building is safe and secure. For example, the electronic gates have recently been refurbished with magnets to make them self-closing. Staff use posters to remind visitors to check the gates have closed behind them. There is closed-circuit television in and around the building to ensure that staff are alerted to visitors. Staff have processes to make sure that there is information on adults collecting children and this is documented.

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should:

24 February 2023 n make better use of opportunities to develop and extend children's mathematical skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 132242 Local authority Newham Inspection number 10276900 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 87 Name of registered person The Alphabet House Nursery Schools Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 020 8548 9466 Date of previous inspection 26 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

The Alphabet House Nursery Schools registered in 1999. It is situated in Upton Park, in the London Borough of Newham. The nursery is open all year round from 8am until 6pm, Monday to Friday. It receives funding to provide early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery employs 11 members of staff, of whom nine hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 3 to level 6.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The inspector viewed the nursery and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The provider and the inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss the learning intentions for children. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n At appropriate times, the inspector spoke to staff during the inspection. n Parents shared their views on the setting with the inspector.

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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

24 February 2023 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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