Lakenheath Little Fishes

Little Fishes Lakenheath Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 251561 Inspection date 20/10/2009 Inspector Gill Thornton

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Setting address Cricket Club, Eriswell Road, Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 9AF Telephone number 01842 861471 mobile 07544579001 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises 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 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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).

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Introduction

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

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Description of the setting

Little Fishes pre-school is managed by a voluntary management committee, made up of parents of children at the pre-school and members of the local community. It opened in 1989 and moved to its present location in Lakenheath Cricket Pavilion in 1999. It is open each weekday during term time only, from 9.00am to 12.00noon and from 12.15pm to 2.45pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 9.00am to 1.00pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 35 children aged from two to under five years on roll. The setting is in receipt of funding for nursery education.

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Description of the setting

There are six members of staff. Four of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are working towards an appropriate qualification. The pre- school receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The motivated and committed leadership has a clear vision of providing a high quality service which meet the needs of the families and children within the local area. The dedicated staff team use their in-depth knowledge and understanding of each child's interests and capabilities to ensure children are motivated to learn and enjoy their time at the pre-school. Strong partnerships with parents and the local school lead to effective continuity of care and learning, enabling all children to make good progress. Most operational policies and procedures are effective in ensuring children's safety and welfare. Self-evaluation is effective and takes account of the views of staff, parents and children to ensure priorities for development are accurately targeted.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the safeguarding children policy is in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) guidance and procedures  enhance the two-way flow of information with parents to make clear who has legal contact with the child; and who has parental responsibility  reflect and consider on the information gained from observation and assessment to ensure that all opportunities to extend children's learning are fully explored. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff generally demonstrate an appropriate understanding of their legal duties and responsibilities regarding child protection issues and most of them have attended safeguarding children training. Safeguarding regulations are met and arrangements and polices for safeguarding children are systematically reviewed. However, the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff lack clarity, as a result staff could fail to effectively follow the LSCB guidance and procedures. Successful partnerships with parents and the sharing of relevant information promotes children's safety and welfare. Staff have an overview of who has legal contact and who has parental responsibility, but this is not generally recorded in documentation. Clear recruitment and vetting procedures ensure all staff working with children are suitable to do so. Staff supervise children closely, especially at times of arrival and

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the early years provision

departure to ensure their safety. The indoor and outdoor environment is subject to thorough risk assessments to identify potential hazards and ensure effective steps are taken to minimise risks to children.

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the early years provision

The pre-school is managed by a motivated and long- serving manager who leads a committed staff team. They share a common purpose and work together effectively to ensure all groups of children have the opportunity to achieve as well as they can in relation to their starting points and capabilities. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development. They reflect upon their practice to identify priorities for development to improve outcomes for children effectively. The pre-school is responsive to the views of parents, for example, providing a lunch club in response to parents' concerns about children lacking the experience of coping on their own at school lunch times. The pre-school makes effective use of available space and resources to provide a welcoming and stimulating environment which successfully promotes children's wellbeing, learning and development.

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the early years provision

The staff team provide a service which is inclusive for all children and their families and ensures their beliefs and values are respected and included within the day to day running of the group. As a result children learn about, and understand, the society in which they live as well as the diversity of the wider world. Partnerships with the local school are well-established to support children's transition. The pre- school works closely with parents and carers to ensure all children are included and their individual needs well met. Parents value their children's learning journeys and the progress made in the family atmosphere created by the caring and approachable staff. Termly newsletters keep parents informed about topics and ways of supporting their children's learning. Termly open days and interviews with the manager to discuss their children's learning and development further promote children's wellbeing and progress.

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the early years provision

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

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and successfully reflect the principles of the framework in their practice. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals given their capabilities and starting points. The well-organised and stimulating learning environment and thoughtfully organised storage facilities provide children with excellent opportunities to follow their own interests and make connections in their learning. For example, small world toys are supported by attractively displayed books on the same subject such as dragons and dinosaurs. The continuous provision effectively reflects children's current interests and abilities and provides an appropriate balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities to provide challenge and enjoyment.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and well-settled and display a strong sense of belonging and security in the group. They display good levels of self-esteem and work well independently as well as collaborating and cooperating with their peers during their play. Children behave well and are learning to take account of the views and feelings of others. They clearly understand the simple rules within the settling, for example, confidently using egg-timers to share popular resources such as the computer or the interesting range of ride-on toys. Planning is of good quality, using observations, feedback from children and information from parents about their children's interests and starting points. A systematic approach is used to make observations of the children as they play which are used to identify simple next steps in learning and development. However, staff do not always fully consider the 'effective practice' sections of the areas of Learning and Development

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and outcomes for children

in the Practice Guidance for the EYFS when planning for children's next steps towards the early learning goals. Staff are adept at modifying and adapting their interactions to take account of children differing abilities and interests.

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and outcomes for children

The well-equipped and welcoming environment successfully reflects most children's backgrounds and the wider community. The good use of print and labelling promotes children's interest in the written word. Staff are particularly skilled at supporting children's interest in communication, language and literacy, and problem solving, reasoning and numeracy. Books are well displayed in different areas of the provision to support children's learning. Staff make good use of open- ended questions to extend children's thinking, for example encouraging them to describe what happens when they look through the binoculars.

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and outcomes for children

Well-organised routines help children become confident and secure in the familiar environment. They form close relationships with staff and each other and confidently share their ideas and remind each other of the rules of the setting, such as to line up before they go outside. Children know what is expected of them and are developing a sense of how to keep themselves safe. They have daily opportunities for outdoor play and engage in a wide range of a physical activities both indoors and outside. Consequently increasing their understanding about the importance of regular exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. Children independently follow good hygiene routines and understand the importance of covering their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 mouth when they cough so as "not to spread germs". They enjoy healthy options at snack time and describe how drinking milk will "make me grow into a giant".

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and outcomes for children

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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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

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

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Stage

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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