Badgers Pre-School

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Badgers Preschool Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 507949 Inspection date 30/03/2009 Inspector Una Stevens

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Setting address c/o Holbrook Primary School, Wych Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 0JN Telephone number 01329 286011 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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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.

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Introduction

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). This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Badgers Preschool is a committee run group, which opened in 1996. It is situated in Holbrook primary school, which is set in the established residential area of Bridgemary on the outskirts of Gosport. Accommodation includes two large classrooms connected with a sliding door, toilet facilities, welcome and reception area and an enclosed outside play area, which the children can access easily. The pre-school have use of the school hall and school playground on a regular basis. The Preschool is registered to care for 32 children in the early years age group. There are currently 58 children from two and a half years to five years on roll. This includes 50 children who are in receipt of nursery government funding. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The group offers sessions from 09:00 to 11:55 Monday to Friday, and 12:30 to 15:00 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday during school term time. In addition to the

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Description of the setting

manager, there are five staff who work with the children. Of these two hold a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) childcare qualification at level 3, one is awaiting level 3 accreditation, one has just completed her level 2 training and one is working towards NVQ at level 2. The staff team all attend a wide variety of training courses and workshops. The setting receives support from the Early Years and Childcare Partnership and liaises very closely with the primary school in which it is based. The group is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. The setting needs deregistering from the compulsory and voluntary childcare registers.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the quality of the provision is satisfactory. Caring staff ensure that all children are looked after in a clean, safe and appealing environment. Children enjoy coming to the setting. It has well maintained resources to ensure that a good variety of activities are available to the children, indoors and out. The manager has built a supportive staff team, whose professional development is effectively promoted. She recognises the importance of continuously improving the practice of the setting. She has sought advice from outside agencies, encouraging her to evaluate practice and to identify areas for improvement, which will extend children’s learning further.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 fine tune processes of planning and monitoring so that the next steps in children’s learning are clearly identified by key workers, to ensure that rates of progress are accelerated and achievement enhanced  continue to develop systems to share children’s progress with parents to ensure that all are involved and contribute to the children’s learning and development This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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provision

Caring and committed staff create a welcoming and attractive environment for children. They are having a high quality impact on promoting the children’s understanding of a healthy life style, staying safe and making a good positive contribution to the community. Whilst no written setting self-evaluation was in place at the time of the inspection, informal self-evaluation and a regular staff meeting to address planning mean that this crucial area is being satisfactorily addressed. For example, they are aware that they are not using information about children’s progress sufficiently incisively to meet learning needs fully. As a result, they have recently introduced a new planning aid to accelerate progress, particularly in terms of communication, language and literacy, as children enter the setting with particularly low levels in this area.

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provision

The manager and her staff promote good relationships with parents which enhance the children’s learning and development through good links with home. There are currently four volunteer parents helping in the setting and those parents met during the inspection were very loyal and supportive. Parents are kept informed of their children’s progress on a regular basis, but there is further scope to share next steps in learning with parents in a more formalised reporting system.

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provision

Robust arrangements are in place to ensure that children’s needs are safeguarded, including thorough checks on staff, volunteer parents and members of the committee. Fire drills take place half-termly to further promote children’s safety, risk assessments are detailed and effective steps are taken to protect children from potentially harmful equipment.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The preschool is a bright, spacious environment. There is a highly imaginative outdoor area, Badgers’ Den, complete with a boat, castle and large sandy area. Children enter the setting eagerly and quickly select activities from the wide variety of resources available to them, which are well distributed throughout the setting. Staff enjoy very good relationships with the children, with whom they interact well, giving ample praise and encouragement, so that the children make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. They behave well, take turns and are prepared to share. They cooperate well with their peers and staff alike, particularly in role play. They join in readily with activities initiated by another child, for example, in acting out nursery rhymes. They make friends rapidly, respect the needs of others and children with learning difficulties and disadvantages are well integrated.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Staff have good knowledge of the six areas of learning. Key workers observe their children carefully and record those observations. Although they are monitoring the children in this way, they are not checking rates of progress sufficiently rigorously in order to identify the next steps in the children’s learning to accelerate progress, which is currently satisfactory. Children are encouraged to be active and independent learners, as the staff focus well on child initiated learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The outdoor environment is a real asset to the setting. There is good free-flow between the indoor and outdoor areas, which the children clearly enjoy. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is strongly promoted in the outdoor environment, for example when they enthusiastically observe nature and identify the birds they have seen in books. Changes in the weather are seized upon to

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

promote learning, as during the recent snow and the fun children had flying kites on a windy day last week. The water and sand areas are well equipped to allow children to develop mathematical ideas, although skilful adult questioning could enhance learning further.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Good numbers of staff enable children to have regular opportunities to talk to an adult, often informally. However, more detailed analysis of children’s rate of progress in the various areas of Communication, language and literacy is crucial, as a means of promoting greater confidence, given that the children enter the preschool with very low levels of speech and communication. For example, aiding in putting on outdoor clothing, rather than gently encouraging independence.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children have an excellent understanding of being healthy and safe. The setting has splendid displays linked to welfare and visits from local professionals, such as a dentist and a policewoman, which further promotes health and safety. The toilets are immaculate, with pictorial reminders of the need to wash hands for those who cannot read the instructions. Most children can use the toilet unaided. They feel safe because the premises are so secure and because they totally trust the adults who care for them. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

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

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of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 3 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

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Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 2

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 1 How well are children helped to be healthy? 1 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 3 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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