Ofsted Report

Strawberry Fields Day Nursery
Inspection report for early years provision
Unique reference number	EY345328
Inspection date	10/03/2010
Inspector	Sandra Daniels
Setting address	Strawberry Fields Day Nursery, Jenkins Lane, BARKING, Essex, IG11 0AD
Telephone number	0208 5079516
Email
Type of setting	Childcare on non-domestic premises

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) 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 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 rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.
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Introduction This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage. The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable.  The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10). The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B. Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. 
Description of the setting  Strawberry Fields Day Nursery was registered in 2007. It operates from two separate rooms, a baby unit and an open-plan main unit for children over two years. It is situated in a multi-complex area within close proximity of Beckton Triangle, Gallions Reach and Showcase Cinema in the London Borough of Newham. Children come from a wide catchment area, as most of their parents travel into work in surrounding areas.
The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday all year round. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The setting is registered to care for a maximum of 30 children from three months to under five years at any one time. There are currently 26 children on roll. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.
The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 10 members of staff of whom eight, including the manage, hold appropriate early years qualifications. The manager and deputy manager are working towards a related degree level qualification. The nursery receives support from the local authority.   The overall effectiveness of the early years provision  Overall the quality of the provision is good.  Children achieve and progress well in this nursery where the adults caring for them know them very well, meet their individual care and learning needs, and provide a personalised learning and development programme for each child. Effective partnerships with parents and a commitment to working alongside other agencies and professionals contribute to this. Much progress has been made by managers and staff to bring about the improvements required at the last inspection and, indeed, to make further changes which greatly benefit the children. Staff remain highly motivated to maintain this continuous improvement and clearly have the capacity to do so.    What steps need to be taken to improve provision further?  

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:   extend the self-evaluation process so that parents and carers and children are meaningfully involved    extend the systems being used to monitor children's achievements to ensure that children continue to make good progress towards the early learning goals.

       The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision Children are kept safe and protected from harm in the nursery. Most members of staff have attended training in safeguarding issues and are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities in this respect. All adults are suitably checked on a regular basis to ensure they are suitable to work with young children. Children begin to develop the skills and knowledge required to keep themselves safe. For example, they practise emergency evacuations with staff, use realistic resources and real-life opportunities to learn how to cross roads safely, and learn about safe practices such as not running indoors, and using scissors safely. Comprehensive risk assessments are in place, reviewed regularly and effectively minimise or eliminate potential risks to children.
Those in charge are clearly focussed on helping all children to reach their potential. Any children with additional needs are identified at an early stage and extra support is given where necessary to ensure that no child is disadvantaged in any way. The staff team work very well together, having a collaborative approach and working with a common sense of purpose. Effective maintenance of records and implementation of policies and procedures underpin the good practice and contribute towards raised standards.
Much emphasis is placed on building and maintaining highly effective partnerships with parents and carers. There is a good two-way flow of information between staff and parents from the start of each child's placement. Parents are fully informed about what their children are doing at nursery, and the progress they are making. They are encouraged to contribute their views and observations to children's profiles, and to attend informative parent's evenings. The nursery demonstrates a positive approach to developing partnerships in the wider context. They are making links with other providers to share good practice and are working alongside other professionals to achieve the Pathway to Quality Award.
Systems for evaluating the nursery are developing well, and effective actions plans have been devised. However parents, carers and children to not yet fully contribute directly to identify strengths and areas for development. Other forms of evaluation are in place, such as discussions at staff meetings and documents to monitor the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision. The deployment of resources is effective, for example, there are high staff ratios, good quality toys and equipment and great consideration given to use of space and the layout of play areas.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in this nursery. A culturally diverse group of children is reflected in the staff team and children have many opportunities to learn about similarities and differences amongst people. Toys and equipment are freely and safely accessible to all and care is taken to ensure that these resources depict a variety of cultures and abilities.  The quality and standards of the early years provision and outcomes for children Children make good progress towards the early learning goals because they have many opportunities to explore, experiment and investigate as they learn through play. Planning clearly follows children's individual interests and the next steps in their learning which are identified through meaningful observations. This results in children who are motivated, enthusiastic and active learners. All practitioners have a good knowledge and understanding of the EYFS framework and confidently provide opportunities and experiences for children which are challenging and well-matched, covering each of the six areas of learning with equal concern. Systems for monitoring children's progress have been introduced, although they are in their infancy and do not yet provide a consistently clear record of children's achievements. Good emphasis is placed on extending the learning environment to the outside. For example, children use metal detectors to discover buried treasure in the sand. They use a mix of sand and water to make 'concrete' with which they build 'brick' walls using the large wooden blocks. Children ride bikes and cars along a road drawn with chalk, negotiating the road works indicated by cones, piles of sand and wheelbarrows. There are daily opportunities for children to engage in role-play. They pretend to go shopping in the supermarket, write shopping lists and talk about how much things cost. In the 'Strawberry Fields Health Centre', some children wait in the waiting room while others answer the telephone and make appointments. Patients are treated by children dressed as nurses and doctors, using bandages, stethoscopes and writing prescriptions. Children have lots of opportunities to extend their creativity. They freely choose from a broad selection of craft materials to create collages and pictures of their choice. Children learn about similarities and differences as they sit opposite a friend and paint a portrait of what they see. 
Babies and younger children are cared for in a separate unit. Their environment is bright, interesting and welcoming, with lots of photographs, posters and displays of their work on the walls. Staff carefully place these at a level where the babies can see them. Babies' home routines are followed wherever possible and, as with the older children, their activities and experiences are planned based on what they are interested in and the particular skills they may be developing. For example, textured fabrics are fixed to the wall to encourage babies to reach up to them and stand with support. Settling-in procedures are flexible and tailored to meet the needs of the child and family. Practitioners clearly recognise the importance of ensuring that the emotional needs of babies and younger children are recognised and fully met. Strong bonds with their key persons support babies' emotional stability and resilience as they become part of the group.
Children behave well in the nursery. They respond to the positive approach of staff and are able to share and take turns during play. Practitioners give sensible explanations to children about the potential consequences of their behaviour, and older children are supported to negotiate with their peers and resolve their own conflicts. There is a high level of commitment by staff to implement effective strategies to promote all children's welfare needs. Children enjoy healthy and well-balanced meals and snacks, some of which they help to prepare and serve. They learn about the values of maintaining a healthy lifestyle as they talk about what foods are good for you whilst cutting up fruits for the fruit salad. Children of all ages have daily opportunities to play outside and to use the climbing equipment. Children remain safe and secure. 
Annex A: record of inspection judgements 

The key inspection judgements and what they mean  Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

 The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

How well does the setting meet the needs of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?	2
The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement	2

 The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision

How effectively is the Early Years Foundation Stage led and managed?	2
The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement	2
The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources	2
The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity	2
The effectiveness of safeguarding	2
The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement	2
The effectiveness of partnerships	2
The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers	2

 The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage

2

 Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage	2
The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning	2
The extent to which children feel safe	2
The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles	2
The extent to which children make a positive contribution	2
The extent to which children develop skills for the future	2

 

Any complaints about the inspection or report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

 Annex B: the Childcare Register 

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are:

Met

  

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are:

Met