About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Ladybird Nursery School originally opened in 1975 and was registered in 2001. It operates from two large classrooms on the lower ground floor of a church located in South Kensington. A maximum of 37 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 09.30 to 12.30. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, optional afternoon clubs are run which extends the day until 14.45. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

There are currently 37 children aged from three to under five years on roll. Of these, 35 receive funding for early education. Children come from a wide geographical area. The nursery is able to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

The nursery employs eight members of staff. Of these, seven hold qualified teacher status or appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISION

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children stay healthy because staff mostly follow generally effective health and hygiene policies and procedures. Sick children are excluded from the provision to minimise the spread of infection and the premises are maintained in a properly clean state. Dishcloths are colour-coded to prevent cross contamination and supplies of soap and paper towels are provided. Children learn about germs and healthy living through the daily routines because staff remember to promote discussion about the reasons for hand washing and there are pictorial signs to remind and guide children through the correct hand washing process. For example, children know that they must wash their hands after handling Merlin, the nursery pet dog, after visiting the toilet and before food is served.

Children receive appropriate treatment in a medical emergency because all staff hold suitable first aid qualifications and the first aid boxes are clearly accessible. However, some dressings exceed the use by date and may no longer be sterile, presenting the potential for cross-contamination. Staff conscientiously record all accidents and include the relevant details to protect children's welfare. Practice does not match with the written medication policy. Staff give highly conscientious care to children who require medication during the sessions, and record the administration of medication in a personal book for parents' information to prevent the danger of overdose. However, they do not keep a central record of medication administered and do not gain a parental signature to acknowledge the entry in accordance with requirements.

Children benefit from healthy drinks and snacks. The nursery supply water or milk and raisins or other fruit snacks mid-morning. Parents and carers may choose to provide a packed lunch from home if they require their child to stay for the optional recreational afternoon sessions. Lunch is unpacked onto paper plates and eaten as a social meal. Staff ensure that parents do not provide foods containing nuts or strawberries to protect children with allergies to such items. Children do not become thirsty whilst playing because they can ask for a drink at any time and can help themselves to a drink from an easily accessible tray of named cups.

All the children enjoy daily indoor and outdoor activities which enables them to develop control of their bodies and improve their physical skills through a generally appropriate level of challenge. Children play in a large enclosed private garden surrounding the church in this London square. Staff bring out large and small apparatus and resources to promote climbing, balancing and co-ordination through a combination of recreational play and planned activities. Each week children have opportunities to participate in a dance and mime lesson with a trained teacher and pianist.

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Staff give high priority to the security of the premises and are vigilant in their control of the entrance doors. Notices remind staff to check the identity of callers before admitting them and to record their visit in the visitors book. A wipe clean board beside the entrance doors is used to immediately record children's arrival on the premises and notes collection arrangements which differ from the usual. These measures help to secure children's safety. Generous staffing levels ensure conscientious supervision of the children at all times and the owner supplements staff cover when required. Staff record fire evacuation procedures and carry out drills with suitable frequency to ensure the safety of the children. Relevant risk assessments are completed on a daily, weekly, termly and annual basis. Children learn to keep themselves safe in the setting because staff give good explanations as to how, for example, to carry a chair safely when clearing the classroom spaces in preparation for the play rehearsal.

Children are warmly welcomed and well cared for in a pleasant, suitably safe and secure indoor and outdoor environment. The staff have put up posters and pictures to make the rooms attractive for children and there are some displays of children's work which enhance the environment. Information for parents is conveniently displayed and located in the entrance hallway and widespread display of children's work and visual aids to learning also brighten the premises. Equipment and resources are safely stored and increasingly arranged so that children and staff can access them easily. This ensures that children's individual needs are met and that children can make choices and extend their play. Staff thoughtfully set out the equipment to facilitate children's choice and developing independence and ensure that a wide range of activities relating to the six areas of learning are available inside and out.

Children's welfare is properly safeguarded because they are protected by vigilant and caring, informed adults who understand current child protection policies and procedures in line with those of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Most staff have received suitable training in this field and relevant reference information is readily accessible.

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children bounce through the door each morning, keen and eager to play and learn. Staff place importance on building children's confidence and establishing solid foundations for learning. The staff have a competent knowledge of the Foundation Stage and deliver a varied programme of play-based activities which provide an overall balance across all six areas of learning. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals given their ages and starting points. Children are happy and settle quickly in the safe, gentle and nurturing environment. They generally display high levels of involvement and gain a sense of achievement, self-confidence and self-esteem through planned and spontaneously chosen activities. The children are divided into two class groupings called 'Little guys' and 'Big guys', according to age and stage of development, which enables staff to direct learning appropriately. Staff work together as a very effective and committed team deploying themselves to support children's learning with sensitivity and respect.

Planning builds appropriately on the Foundation Stage guidance. Parents and carers are asked to complete a 'Look what I can do' booklet to help staff identify a baseline from which to measure children's progress. Staff identify suitable topics and weave activities into a term plan, based upon children's first hand knowledge and experiences. A coding system efficiently ensures that activities are regularly planned and provided to cover every area of learning. Staff knowledge of the children as individuals ensures that prior learning is taken into account and that planned activities build constructively on children's interests. Staff use the stepping stones guide for the identification of learning intentions for all activities. In this way, they secure and progress the learning of most children in a consistent manner.

Following professional advice, staff have recently been implementing a new system of documenting children's achievements. Conscientiously kept assessment folders are based upon dated observations, arranged under the six areas of learning and parents and carers are able to make their own contributions. Photographs and examples of work are dated and provide useful evidence for assessment. However, staff do not always base their observations on children's achievement measured against the identified stepping stones in the plans. Much information about children's achievements is remembered by staff rather than documented by tracking children's progress through the stepping stones. Therefore, assessment is not yet fully effective in securing children's progression in learning and informing the next steps in the learning programme. The potential impact of weaknesses in the assessment system on the children is currently minimised by the efficient and professional teaching skills exhibited by the staff team.

At the end of every term, the nursery puts on an event, which all the children work towards and participate in. These events provide excellent support for children's personal, social and emotional development. During the inspection, the children rehearse for their 'Theatrical extravaganza', a production of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. Staff have appropriately high expectations of children and give clear explanations of what will happen next which supports children's sense of security and well-being. For example, staff tell the children that they will put up the scenery and get the props ready whilst they are playing in the garden. Children develop their confidence and learn to work together, because staff provide sensitive support through modelling their lines, praising their achievements and sharing the fun. They learn to be courteous to their fellow actors, to listen, to praise and applaud and to concentrate on the task of telling the tale.

Appropriate emphasis is given to the development of children's speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. The children learn to recognise letters through the use of a well-known phonics programme linked to the letter of the week. When children are ready to do so, staff introduce simple word building exercises and reading books. Children learn to recognise their name and write clearly with well formed letters. Children share books with staff and their comments and observations are valued and purposefully extended. For example, staff read stories whilst the children wait for their turn in the play. Staff ask questions to involve the children and to make them think. Staff pause at opportune times during the story, to allow the children to join in and anticipate what comes next. For example, children count the frogs in the picture and offer suggestions and relevant comments, such as 'tadpoles turn into frogs'. A member of staff gives an excellent explanation of an 'oak leaf floor' and asks where the oak leaves come from. Children learn to listen for rhyme and become aware of alliteration. For example, children comment upon the words 'hive' and 'five' and this leads to a discussion about where honey comes from.

Children learn about numbers, use mathematical language and solve simple problems. Children learn about the life cycles of small creatures through weekly nature topics. For example, children know that rabbits live in burrows and that chicks hatch from eggs. A wide range of construction toys enables children to build and fix pieces together, improving manual dexterity. Children enjoy a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities to promote physical development. Once a week, each class has a dance and mime lesson with a trained teacher and pianist. They explore paint and print, using their own ideas to create their own pictures and freely access musical instruments. Children begin to use imagination playing alongside others in role play situations.

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children and their family members are warmly welcomed and included in all activities. Children develop their understanding and appreciation of others through simple activities that promote a greater awareness of the wider world. Plans show that children participate in activities connected with familiar festivals such as Easter and learn about other cultures, customs and traditions.

Children who have varying needs receive excellent support. Children's individual needs are discussed with parents in detail. Any special requirements or information are discussed and consistent communication and information exchange takes place. Children's learning difficulties and disabilities are recognised and met sensitively. Children who may have learning difficulties receive appropriate intervention and referrals to suitable professionals outside the provision.

Staff provide excellent role models for children by being calm and polite. Staff praise children freely, ensuring that they develop confidence and self-esteem and understand when they have done well. Ladybird stickers are awarded for individual achievement. Children are well behaved in response to the consistent expectations of caring staff. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

Staff work really hard to develop a positive partnership with parents to support children’s progress in learning. Extensive information is available for parents on a daily basis. Staff try to encourage a two-way flow of information, knowledge and expertise. There is a wealth of information available which is easily accessible for parents because it is located near the main entrance. Procedures are in place for recording any complaints from parents and a suitable complaints record is maintained. Parents are warmly welcomed into the provision and are actively encouraged to chat with staff on the delivery and collection of their children. Parents and carers are encouraged to attend the end of term events to see what their children have been learning. Staff encourage parents to share information about their children and they are able to see their child's records and regularly contribute to them if they wish. When working well, this arrangement of two-way sharing benefits the child and enhances their learning. This underpins their progress in the nursery and consequently their ability to fully contribute to the provision. The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is good.

Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the nursery education is good. The staff team are well supported by the owner who oversees the management of the nursery and this safeguards and promotes children’s care and welfare. The owner works alongside her staff team as required and therefore has a 'hands on approach' to every aspect of the nursery operation. The mature and stable staff team are well-qualified and dedicated to the concept of quality childcare and education. They are actively involved in planning and decision making and contribute to the continuous monitoring of the setting through self-evaluation and reflection in line with 'Every Child Matters'. Registration systems generally protect children's welfare but do not currently record the hours of attendance of staff.

Staff follow children to the activities which engage their interest and provide effective support to draw the learning from play. This promotes highly positive outcomes for children. Staff demonstrate a genuine affinity with children; they respect children's feelings, value their comments and clearly enjoy their company. Documentation is mostly clear and generally accessible. Staff clearly and confidently speak about their procedures to follow in the event of a range of scenarios. Planning and assessment systems continue to evolve, and increasingly secure and progress children's learning. Overall, children's needs are met.

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection of day care, the setting was required to ensure that parents are made aware of the contact details of Ofsted on the complaints policy. The nursery has devised a new policy and procedure relating to complaints and displays a laminated copy in the entrance foyer for parents and carers to refer to at any time. The action taken has improved the quality of information for parents and carers.

This is the first inspection of nursery education.

Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk