A two-minute from walk from Leytonstone underground station in the London borough of Waltham Forest brings the visitor to the two large Victorian houses which have been combined to accommodate the Little Green Man Day Nursery and Kids Club.
It is an intriguing premises, arranged on three floors and occupying no less than 5,000 square feet. Upstairs the rooms have high ceilings and large bay windows, while in the basement a warren of smaller rooms lead on to an outdoor area divided into three separate gardens.
With its many staircases and brightly painted walls depicting scenes and characters from Peter Pan, the Never-Never Land theme seems entirely fitting. Like any old building, it is inevitably 'an ongoing project', as owner Jan Bloomfield puts it. However, the setting as a whole clearly delighted the inspector who arrived unannounced in July and devoted two days to a thorough inspection that resulted in an overall 'outstanding' rating.
According to its report, the nursery provides 'a vibrant and stimulating environment in which children thrive. Staff are enthusiastic in promoting and extending children's learning through a wide range of interesting play activities.'
It was also noted that 'staff are professional and inclusive in their approach, working closely with parents to ensure that they are involved and their children's individual needs are met'.
Little Green Man operates a breakfast and after-school club and currently has 143 children on roll, including 132 children from birth to five years old. At least 100 children are catered for in the nursery each day. There is currently a staff team of 36, including room leaders and nursery nurses, and a management team of five, including nursery manager Lisa Hattam, operations officer Emma Chapman and owner Jan Bloomfield.
'We knew the inspection was coming up and we'd booked a mock inspection with our local council to get our staff used to the idea,' says Ms Bloomfield. 'As it turned out, the real thing happened before we had this. However, we were well prepared, and the experience was an enjoyable one. The inspector was able to put everyone at their ease, and for a lot of the time we left her to her own devices so that she could investigate our practice on her own.'
Ms Bloomfield believes that having the SEF was a positive factor. 'It really has made us reflect and collaborate with our two other nurseries in Essex, and we have used it alongside the QUILT quality assurance scheme which was rolled out in Waltham Forest in 2005, following its success in Brighton and Hove. We believe this enables us to reach the highest standards in all areas of practice, including learning and teaching strategies, equal opportunities, planning, assessment and record keeping. It was something the inspector very much took on board.'
The inspector also noted that children benefit from the staff's strong working partnership with parents. The report highlighted how new parents receive very useful information about the nursery's policies and procedures, and its educational programme, enabling a strong level of engagement right from the start.
'We have an open house policy,' says Ms Bloomfield. 'No parent has to make an appointment if they want to come in and talk to a member of staff. We take pride in the communication skills of all our staff, and rotas are arranged with time built in to spend with parents. Our multicultural staff reflects the diversity of the children we have here, with speakers of French, Hindi, Arabic, Gujarati, Italian and Spanish.'
Ms Bloomfield says she was particularly pleased that the inspector praised how the rooms had been made attractive and conducive to learning, and how staff worked in a spontaneous way with children.
'We have had to adapt to the building, but we like the space we have here. The atmosphere is cosy but there is plenty of challenge as well.'
LISA HATTAM, MANAGER
Ms Hattam was praised by the inspector for being 'forward-thinking in highlighting aspects of the nursery for further development in order to improve the outcomes for all children. She has high expectations for her staff and consequently, morale among staff is exceptionally high'.
Ms Hattam says, 'Everyone is in the process of improving their skills levels. Most of our staff are at Level 3 and are looking towards further professional development or going on to foundation degrees. Our pre-school room leader, Kelly Hackwell, has just achieved a degree and is going on to Early Years Professional Status. I am planning to undertake EYPS in the near future.
'I have been the manager here for 11 years and in that time, a very positive culture has developed. The nursery's ethos is quite simple - that "we care" - and this extends to the staff as well as the children and parents. I make sure that I listen to all staff points of view and encourage them to be reflective about their practice.
'We have a very low turnover and our team works well together. Because we are a large nursery which is constantly evolving, there are plenty of opportunities for staff to build their careers without moving to another employer.'
SNAPSHOT
- - Little Green Man Nursery was launched in 1996. There are two other nurseries in the group, based in Harlow and Great Dunmow, in Essex.
- - It has a staff team of 41, including an operations officer who moves between the three sites. All of the nursery practitioners except two are qualified to Level 3 or above.
- - The nursery offers wraparound care including breakfast, tea-time and holiday clubs. It is open from 7am to 7pm all year round.
- - It was part of the pilot to introduce the QUILT quality assurance scheme in the borough and became accredited in 2008.
- - Snacks are prepared on site and hot lunches are delivered by caterers who also deliver to local schools.
- - Little Green Man is currently developing a new outdoor area which is partly under cover of the basement. Funding has been gained by a parent, who nominated the nursery as a community project for his employer.