Oxford Brookes University

Bubbles Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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133864 Unique Reference Number 04 December 2007 Inspection date Cordalee Harrison Inspector

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The Community Centre, Holm Square,, Holm Way, Southwold, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 3UU

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E-mail

The Trustees of Bubbles Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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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.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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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.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Bubbles Pre-School was registered in 1990. A committee of volunteers manages the pre-school. It operates from two rooms within a community hall in the Southwold area of Bicester. The premises is comprised of two halls, kitchen toilet and washing facilities. There is a securely fenced out door area for children to use. Children from the local area attend the pre-school.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 67 children from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 38 are in receipt of funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children with learning difficulties and or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group opens five days a week during the Oxfordshire school terms. Sessions are from 09:15 to 11:45 Monday to Friday as well as 12:15 to 14:45 Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting employs seven staff, four of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications, all of the other members of staff are currently on training courses.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Careful planning ensures that the children have many opportunities to promote their physical development as they play outdoors in the fresh air and inside. They make good use of the outdoor space and use it to extend their learning across the Foundation Stage curriculum, for example, in addition, to activities that develop large and fine movements, balance and coordination and provide physical exercise, children extend their creative activities out of doors as they make marks with chalk and do water painting. They develop number recognition as they complete the number puzzle and count their footsteps as they walk across it. Playing outdoors across the seasons help children to develop their self-care skills, they are learning about appropriate clothes to wear depending on the weather conditions. Some children confidently put their coats and hats on, whilst others ask for assistance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The setting works effectively with parents to ensure that there are sufficient fresh fruit and salad vegetables for children’s snacks each day. Children are learning to make healthy choices about snacks, because the staff and their parents ensure that there is ample fresh fruit available for all the children to share and enjoy at snack time, in addition the children drink milk and water. The setting manages children's allergies appropriately; children's allergies are known to staff and they are careful to ensure that children do not have access to any food or substances to which they are intolerant. All areas of the premises are maintained to a good standard of hygiene and cleanliness and the resources that children use are clean. Children are learning to wash their hands after using the toilet and they clean their hands with antibacterial gel before eating. The practice to clean their hands with gel before eating does not reinforce the importance

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Helping children to be healthy

of hand washing before eating for young children.

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Helping children to be healthy

Sufficient staff in the setting are qualified in first aid, the first aid box is appropriately stocked and is readily available. Staff use suitable procedures to manage children's minor accidents. The accident record includes all of the required details. Medication documentation is properly maintained, parents prior written permission is in place, where necessary and the record is completed with all of the required information. In addition, parents written permission is in place to seek emergency medication treatment or advice for children; children's health is properly safeguarded.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The setting provides children space to participate in a wide range of in and outdoor activities. Some brightly coloured posters, which are attractive to children, are displayed in the main hall. The well laid out halls ensures that children are able to move freely between activities. The setting provides ample good quality safe, age and stage appropriate resources for children to use in their learning and development. Children have reasonable access to the available resources, because staff ensure that they are able to select from a wide range of floor based and tabletop activities each session. In addition there is sufficient tables and chairs for children to use in large group activities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Annual risk assessments, daily checks and close supervision of children are some of the effective strategies that the setting uses to create a safe and secure environment for children. Children use the spaces available independently and confidently and carry out many child-initiated

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 activities. Children do not have access to the kitchen or the storage areas, where hazardous substances are stored. The premises are free of slipping and tripping hazardous, because staff are careful to wipe up spillages immediately. Children play safely outside, because staff check outdoor areas including the gates before children are allowed to use it. In addition, children are developing their understanding of personal safety, for example, they remember to push their chairs under the tables when they have finished using them. To help children to learn to evacuate the premises quickly and safely, fire exits are marked and kept clear, in addition, they practise the fire drills regularly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a general awareness of child protection they are clear that they are to act to safeguard children’s welfare. However, they do not all have secure knowledge of child protection issues and the setting’s child protection policy and procedures. Through discussion, the manager demonstrates clear understanding of child protection issues and is clear about the lines of communication of dealing with issues of concern about children's welfare, in the setting, with parents, local children's services and the registering authority. In addition, the setting and the local authority’s child protection policies are readily accessible to parents; this ensures that they are able to act independently to safeguard children’s welfare. Children’s welfare is protected to a satisfactory standard.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enter the setting happily, the well-managed routine at the start of the session provides sufficient support for children, which helps them to separate easily from their parents. They settle very quickly, join their peers in play and initiate they own activities. They are clearly familiar with the daily routine, the well laid out pre-school environment makes it easy for children to become purposefully engaged in age and stage appropriate activities; for example, small group activities, parallel and individual play takes place in close proximity, children do not disrupt each other; they are learning to respect others children’s space. This allows children to develop their own interest, and to become purposefully engaged in activities of their choice.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are making good progress in their learning across the curriculum. Staff plan effectively and promote children's learning well with interesting and stimulating activities that are based on the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage and linked securely to the stepping stones. Children promote their learning consistently across all areas of the curriculum, because learning intentions are clear. Staff carry out regular observations of the children and use the information to inform activity plans. However, individual challenges are not consistently planned for children, because the next step in their learning is not always identified to ensure that each child’s progress is specific to them. Children initiate many activities and some children are beginning to set their challenges, for example some children spend considerable time working at the construction and puzzle tables. Some children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are confident to ask for assistance when necessary to complete their chosen activities, for example, a child asks for assistant to hold the stencil steady and this enables the child to draw around it. Children use resources, such as, picture and posters that are highly visible to consolidate what they know and promote independent learning; for example, children count backwards from 10 to one, as they pretend to blast the rocket in the picture into space.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use number language in their everyday activities and they are beginning to put numbers into context; for example, a child explains that it will take six hours for the food to cook. In

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 addition, they are becoming confident in their recognition of shapes and use their knowledge in practical ways, for example they use the shapes on the tables as a guide to where they are to sit at snack time. Children are learning how to structure stories; they use their imagination to create their own story and entertain themselves and their peers in large group activities. Children listen well, contribute ideas and use props to illustrate their stories. Easy access to many mark making implements enable and encourages children to begin to write independently and for different purposes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Activities, which are well planned and resourced introduces interesting topics, which help children to develop their understanding and progress their learning towards the early learning goals; for example, they extend their knowledge and understanding of the world and gain first hand, experiences as they, study topics, such as, people who help us, they develop their confidence and learn about personal safety as they interact with the police officers, deepen their understanding and enjoyment, as they explore the police vehicle. They further extend their learning as they recreate the police station in their artwork. They equip the station with modern technology, such as, phones, computers, and torches and extend the topic with stories and role-play activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The setting gains sufficient good quality information from parents, they work together and complete children's profile records. This enables staff to meet children’s individual care, health welfare and learning needs well. Children learn to value their culture and that of others as they study topics such as, 'all about me', they use resources that reflect the wider society including cultural diversity and disability. To further extend children's learning they acknowledge many cultural festivals and bring these topics to life with authentic resources, such as, Chinese dancers performing the Dragon dance, and traditional stories. Children practise the nativity play and learn about the birth of Jesus, they deepen their understanding as they perform the nativity play. Through topics, such as, people who help us, children develop good understanding of the wider community and the different work that people do, they regularly fund raise to help

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Helping children make a positive contribution

charities in their local area. The local toddler group and the local food bank benefit from their fund raising activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The setting is experienced at providing for children with learning difficulties and or disabilities. The inclusion Officer is well trained and experienced at working with parents, health and education professionals to develop children’s individual education plans. Staff know their key children well, they are experience at supporting children to work towards the targets, which are set. Children with learning difficulties and or disabilities make good progress in there learning and development, because the setting plans and prepares well for them, which ensures that the correct strategies and resources are in place to create an inclusive environment for all the children; for example, children with disabilities are able to move around the room easily because it is very well organised.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The atmosphere in the setting is calm and purposeful, because children behave well; this creates an environment where children develop good listening skills. Staff are good role models for the children, they are calm and responsive to children, they remind children to say please and thank you and to learn to share. The effective use of the setting’s behaviour policy in daily practice creates consistency in behaviour management

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Helping children make a positive contribution

for all children. Spiritual, cultural, social and moral development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Partnership with parents is good. Parents are actively involved in their children’s learning, for example, they are aware of the topics the children are studying and feel encouraged to provide resources to support the topics. In addition, parents are aware of the letter and number of the week and children regularly bring reading books home to share with their families. The good quality information that the setting provides for parents enables them to extend children's learning away from the setting. In addition, the setting's parents leaflet is clear and informative, it provides good guidance for parents about how the setting operates. Parents state that they are well informed, they are fully involved in their children’s care and learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children progress their learning and development well because they use ample good quality, safe, age and stage appropriate resources. They enjoy many activities, which provide first hand experiences and opportunities for them to explore and experiment, as they learn through play. In addition, children are grouped properly and sufficient staff who are appropriately qualified works directly with them and supervise their activities. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

The setting's recruitment procedure is sound; to safeguard children’s welfare only staff who are properly vetted are alone with children. The induction procedure includes all of the necessary elements, staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities to the children; they carry out their duties in a calm and confident manner. All of the records required to safeguard children's welfare is in place, for example, the attendance records of children, staff and visitors are accurate and up to date. A number of informative policies support practice in the setting and most are familiar to the staff who use them for the benefit of the children. For example, staff are familiar with the behaviour management policy and the uncollected child policy is linked to the child protection policy. In addition, the setting's policies are readily available to parents in the setting.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are good. The leadership and management team works closely with the setting's supervisor and provides regular and on going training for staff. They ensure that there are ample resources to deliver the nursery education in the setting. Sufficient staff are deployed and they support children's learning effectively. Staff are confident in their knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum, they carry out regular observations of children, which provides good quality information to inform activity plans overall. However, the system for observation is not sufficiently developed to always include the next step for individual children's learning and there is no system in place to evaluate the setting's overall provision to ensure that children’s learning is consistently maximised.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last Children Act inspection, the provider was asked to make proper arrangements for children to be transported on outings and to ensure that the child protection policy include all of the required information. The provider was also asked to make sure that documentation required to safeguard children’s welfare include all of the necessary information.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There are now suitable arrangements in place when the setting transports children, for example, only suitable hired vehicles are use, which are driven by professional drivers. The setting’s child protection policy contains all of the required information; however, it is currently not familiar to all staff. Documentation required to safeguard children’s welfare is accurate and up to date, including records of attendance for children, staff and visitors to the setting.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 At the last nursery education inspection, there were no significant weaknesses to report, however, the setting was asked to consider improving the opportunities for parents to share their children’s achievement records. There is now good systems in place for parents to share their children’s achievement records, for example, all parents know their children’s key workers, they work with staff to complete their children’s profile records and they are warmly invited to an open mornings, where the sole aim of the session is for parents and staff to discuss children’s progress.

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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.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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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): • develop staff's knowledge of child protection and make sure that all staff are familiar with the setting's child protection policy.

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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): • continue to develop children's achievement records to include the next step in their achievements and put in place a system to evaluate the setting's overall performance (also applies to care)

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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