Little Angels Pre-School Ltd Swadlincote

Little Angels Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY363515 Inspection date 19/11/2009 Inspector Linda Gail Moore

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Setting address The Old Post Centre, High Street, Newhall, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 0HX Telephone number 07725 571 368 Email admin@oldpostcentre.co.uk 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

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.

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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 Angels Pre-School opened in 2007. It operates from The Old Post Centre in Newhall, Derbyshire. All children share access to an outdoor play area. The pre- school serves the local area and adjoining villages. A maximum of 24 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 34 children aged from two to three years on roll. Of these, 11 children receive funding for early education. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 12:00pm and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00pm to 3:30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs three members of staff. Of these, two hold an appropriate early years qualification and one is working towards a qualification. Of the two qualified staff members, one is working towards a higher level early years qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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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

Children are well cared for in this welcoming and inclusive setting. Staff are fully aware of children's interests and capabilities and have a secure knowledge of how to support their learning and development. A vibrant and stimulating environment is created through the provision of an extensive range of activities and experiences. Close working relationships with parents and outside agencies ensure children are given the help they need. The setting has a strong capacity to improve as staff reflect on their practice and have a clear understanding of areas to improve.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure a written record is kept of all complaints and their outcome (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 03/12/2009

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure there are adequate hand washing facilities, in relation to the provision of water at a suitable temperature. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The manager and staff work effectively together to provide a warm and welcoming service for children and parents. They help protect children from harm and neglect as they have a strong knowledge of safeguarding procedures and a clear understanding of how to report any concerns. Appropriate vetting and induction systems are in place to ensure all staff working with children are suitable to do so. Suitable procedures are in place for the arrival and collection of children and effective measures are taken to ensure the premises are secure. Comprehensive and detailed risk assessments are carried out for all areas used by children and any outings they undertake. These measures ensure children are kept safe. Parents are provided with good quality information about the Early Year's provision through written information and the numerous displays throughout the setting. Policies and procedures are well maintained and used effectively to promote positive outcomes

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the early years provision

for children. However, not all complaints are entered in the complaints log, this means parents are not fully informed.

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the early years provision

Staff take positive steps to promote children's health and wellbeing. Procedures are in place to ensure the premises and equipment are kept clean to minimise cross infection. However, a health issue remains in respect of the hand washing facilities. For children's safety they use cold water to wash their hands as the hot water can become very hot. This is not comfortable for children and does not ensure bacteria are removed properly. Children have excellent opportunities for physical activity as the routine incorporates a free flow between inside and outside and dance and exercise sessions are organised indoors. Staff talk to children abut the effect of exercise on the body and encourage them to notice changes to their heartbeat and breathing. Children begin to understand how exercise and a healthy diet are important to remain fit and well. During each session staff provide nutritious hot and cold snacks to ensure children's hunger is satisfied. Snack times

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the early years provision

are organised to encourage children's self help and decision making skills as they can help themselves when they are ready. At the request of parents the setting recently introduced a 'lunchtime' session for those children preparing to start school. Parents help staff to supervise over this lunchtime period and are encouraged to become involved in the setting in other ways, such as joining in with activities.

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the early years provision

An inclusive environment is provided for all children who attend the setting. Good relationships are established with parents and outside agencies to ensure each child's needs are identified and met. Effective systems are in place to include parents in children's learning and development. When children start an initial discussion and assessment takes place to obtain information about their child's interests and ability in order to determine their 'starting points'. Parents receive verbal information about their child's progress on a regular basis. Parents evenings are arranged each term to view their child's developmental record and find out about their learning in more depth. Staff are very skilled at managing children's behaviour. They offer good explanation and alternative ideas to encourage positive behaviour. Children's effort and achievement is acknowledged and praised, star charts are used as positive reinforcement. As a result children develop good social

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 skills and a sense of self worth. For instance, two children happily share the white board and are able to negotiate and agree an area of space each can write on. Another child puts jigsaw pieces together as a younger child watches. The younger child has the last jigsaw piece in his hand and the older child kindly allows him to place this piece into finish the jigsaw. Staff meet regularly to discuss and reflect on their practice. A self evaluation system is used to identify strengths and areas for development, this takes parents views into account. Improvements are appropriately targeted. All of the recommendations from the last inspection have been completed effectively.

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and outcomes for children

The setting is decorated with many examples of children's art work and posters and this creates a bright and cheerful environment. Play areas are very well organised and equipped to offer a wide range of exciting and stimulating activities. A buzz is generated in the room as children play, as there is so much going on for them to do and enjoy. Staff are caring, considerate and sensitive to children's needs. An effective key worker system is in place and this enables children to develop warm and trusting relationships. Staff effectively support children's progress and as a result they flourish in the setting. Their interaction with children is extremely positive, as they show high levels of enthusiasm and interest in what children say and do. They build on children's ideas to extend play. They offer children good explanation and further challenge their thinking by asking open ended questions. This helps to promote their learning effectively.

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and outcomes for children

Staff observe children as they play and this information is used to determine what developmental level they are at using the early years assessment scale. Some observations are recorded on post it notes and these are shared with the child. Staff read to them what they have written to show how well they are doing, they then take their note and post it in the observation bag. The child feels part of the learning process as their efforts are acknowledged. This information is evaluated to identify children's next steps in learning and to inform activity plans to promote these skills. A wide variety of activities are provided at each session, these are extremely well organised to offer a balance of adult led and child initiated play. During free play children are able to access resources independently, for instance, mark making materials are freely available on tables and in role play areas. The environment is rich in print, such as signs and labels, so children can learn about

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and outcomes for children

words. Children are beginning to form recognisable letters as they write their name on paintings. They enjoy daily opportunities to be creative with art and craft resources such as drawing, painting and sticking. They explore colour and begin to differentiate between colours, for example, one child shows his drawing and is keen to demonstrate he knows the colours by naming them all. They can categorise objects according to shape and size, as they sort and match different sized teddy bear figures and line them up in order of size.

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and outcomes for children

Children handle tools, objects and construction materials safely and with increasing control. At the woodwork bench they use hammers and nails and manage the small nails well. On the next table there is a magnet activity, the children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 experiment by using the magnets to pick up the nails. Staff skilfully build on the interest shown by the children to further extend their learning. They suggest that they get the large magnet box out. Children go onto try different activities such as moving magnetic fibres with a magnet or picking up metal balls from the floor. Children express their thoughts, ideas and feelings in a variety of ways. For instance, through role play and music sessions. Outside in the garden they use a child size cement mix, where they put in the sand and add water to see what happens, adding more sand afterwards to compare. Children express their

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and outcomes for children

thoughts and ideas well and use good descriptive words like 'watery' to describe what they see. Activities are used to enhance children's awareness of the wider world. A child shows real interest in a book about the 'icy world', staff get the globe of the world out to show them where it is. The children and staff talk about the Artic and Antarctic. They describe the weather and discuss how sledges are needed to get around and special clothing to keep warm. They look at animal figures such as polar bears and seals and talk about how they have blubber and fur to keep warm. Children are making good progress as a result of these activities and the effective support they receive from adults. 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 2 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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 Take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Procedures for dealing with complaints). 03/12/2009

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 Take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Procedures for dealing with complaints). 03/12/2009

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