The Ark Day Care Nursery

Inspection of The Ark Day Care Nursery 48 Grosvenor Road, DAGENHAM, Essex RM8 1NL

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Staff warmly greet children and parents as they arrive, which helps children to feel welcome and settle quickly. Children are very self-assured and separate from their parents with ease. Staff encourage children to be independent at various times throughout the day. For example, they take off their coats and know where to hang them. They confidently serve themselves at mealtimes and have plenty of opportunities to choose what they want to play with. Children demonstrate that they feel emotionally safe and secure.

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The provision is good

The manager and staff have an ambitious curriculum in place to support all children's learning. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works effectively in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support. This positively impacts children's learning and the quality of education provided. For example, the manager ensures that children are in small groups with their key person throughout their session. They ensure that one-to-one support is provided for children who need it the most, which highly benefits their learning.

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The provision is good

The interactions between staff and children are positive. Children know their key person well and develop strong bonds. Staff are calm and polite in their interactions with the children, who, in turn, demonstrate politeness. Children are happy and eagerly participate in activities. They learn how to behave and treat each other with respect.

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need to do better?

n Since the last inspection, the provider has taken appropriate steps to ensure improvement has been made. Leadership and management of the provision is effective. The new manager has worked hard to develop the team and worked with the local authority early years team to support staff training. These changes have enhanced the quality of teaching and learning for all children. n The manager is passionate about her role. She ensures that the SENCo attends training to develop their knowledge and skills. This helps to ensure that staff working with the children are effectively supported to enhance children's progress. For example, the SENCo supports staff to meet with parents and professionals. Staff gather and share in-depth information to ensure swift intervention to help close any gaps in children's learning. n Partnerships with parents are strong. The key-person system is now effective and all parents know who their child's key person is. Parents talk about the daily

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need to do better?

conversations and regular meetings they have with their child's key person. This effectively enhances the two-way flow of information between staff and parents. Parents speak highly of the staff team and the level of support provided to them

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need to do better?

15 February 2024 and their children. They comment positively on the progress their children make. n Staff help children to develop good speech. For example, they introduce new words during activities. They use lots of singing and discussions to support language skills. However, staff do not consistently use systems that are already in place to enhance the understanding of children who are learning English as an additional language. Children are, at times, unsure what is expected of them and what is going to happen next. As a result, changes between activities are not always as smooth as possible. n Staff use their observations and assessments of children well. They identify what children can do, what they already know, what they enjoy doing and need to learn next. Staff use this information along with what they have learned from parents to accurately identify children's curriculum focus. They then tailor

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need to do better?

children's next steps according to their individual needs. However, during some group times, such as story time, staff do not always adjust their teaching to suit children of varied abilities and needs. n Staff teach children the importance of a healthy lifestyle. For instance, they learn how to care for their teeth and eat well through activities about food and at mealtimes. Children engage in physical exercise outdoors. They explore a good range of interesting activities, such as climbing, riding bicycles and engaging in games that encourage them to move about and promote their good health. They learn about keeping themselves and others safe as they play. Children's behaviour is good. n Staff say that they enjoy working at the setting. They have regular supervisions with the manager and receive feedback on their practice. They are effectively supported through training and continuous professional development. Together,

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need to do better?

they review and evaluate what they do. This helps to ensure that they can continually improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n support staff to consistently implement systems to help children who are not yet fluent in English, or have communication difficulties, to fully understand what is going to happen next, to promote a smooth change in activities n help staff to consistently differentiate their teaching during group activities, such as story time, with children of varied needs and abilities to support their learning further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY450091 Local authority Barking and Dagenham Inspection number 10286151 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 59 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person THE ARK DAYCARE NURSERIES LIMITED

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reference number

Telephone number 0208 984 1691 Date of previous inspection 22 March 2023

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Information about this early years setting

The Ark Day Care Nursery registered in 2012. It is situated in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The nursery operates Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, term time only. The nursery employs seven members of staff, including the manager and two volunteers. The manager has a level 5 qualification, while three staff are qualified at level 3 and one has an early years qualification at level 2. The nursery receives funding to provide early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the curriculum focus for children. n The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation and assessed the quality of education provided. n Parents spoke to the inspector about their experiences of having children in the nursery. n The inspector spoke with staff and children at convenient times during the inspection.

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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 February 2024 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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