Longfield Kindergarten

Longfield Kindergarten Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 226436 Inspection date 18/11/2009 Inspector Alison Edwards

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Setting address Longfield House, Kilby Road, Fleckney, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE8 8BQ Telephone number 0116 240 3721 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 . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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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

Longfield Kindergarten registered in 1990. It is a privately-run provision. It operates from a purpose-built extension on a farm near Fleckney in the Market Harborough district of Leicestershire, and serves the surrounding areas. Children are based in a split level playroom, with adjacent cloakroom facilities. They have fully supervised use of a play area in the barn, and of enclosed outdoor play areas. The kindergarten opens each weekday from 9.00am to 3.00pm during school terms. Children attend a variety of sessions. It is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of 20 children from the age of two years to the end of the early years age range at any one time. It receives funding to provide nursery education to three- and four-year-old children. There are currently 30 children in the early years age range on roll, 23 of whom receive nursery education funding. The kindergarten is also registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts

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Description of the setting

of the Childcare Register to provide care for older children. This normally occurs for a week in the summer holidays. There are six regular staff working with children, including the proprietor. Of these, three hold recognised qualifications at Level 3.

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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 extremely settled and confident in this very welcoming kindergarten, where staff have an excellent understanding of their individuality, so ensuring that they feel valued and secure. There are many strengths in the existing arrangements to work in partnership with parents and other professionals to promote arrangements for children's welfare and learning. Children make very good progress in their learning because staff have a very secure understanding of how to implement the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Staff show a high commitment to continuing to build on the existing high standards within the kindergarten. Systems to review current practices are generally very effective, enabling staff identify and implement a number of well-targeted plans to further enhance the effectiveness of the early years provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 review arrangements to constantly reappraise children's environment and make appropriate adjustments to fully minimise risks, with particular regard to children's use of the play barn  establish more systematic arrangements to share children's developmental records with parents so that staff and parents regularly review children's progress together. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Overall, there are effective arrangements to safeguard children from harm. Clear and robust systems are in place to ensure that those caring for children are suitable to do so, and have a thorough understanding of their roles and duties. For example, staff are clear on what abuse and neglect mean, and of how to implement the kindergarten's safeguarding procedure in the event of any concerns about a child, or allegation of abuse against a staff member. Required records of individual children's contact, health and dietary details are methodically and accessibly maintained, so helping to underpin the safe management of any emergency. Children enjoy and benefit from their experience of the farm environment, for example as they show an enthusiastic awareness of wildlife such as rabbits and moles, or as they actively participate in carefully-organised gardening and recycling activities. Play resources and equipment are good quality

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the early years provision

and effectively support children's learning. Staff are consistently vigilant in their supervision of children. They make generally excellent use of comprehensive risk assessments to underpin many practical measures to reduce potential hazards to children. However, current arrangements are occasionally not fully effective in constantly and promptly reviewing changes to the environment, and making the most effective adjustments to fully promote children's safety. This relates in particular to assessing the changing use of the section of the barn adjacent to the area currently used for children's play and the most effective ways of preventing children's access to this area.

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the early years provision

There are excellent arrangements to take account of children's individuality and to help them learn about diversity. For example, children use an extensive range of books and other play resources promoting their recognition and respect for individual and cultural differences. Staff give very high priority to working with other agencies to promote the identification, inclusion and support of any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents and staff work extremely closely together to ensure there is a shared understanding of children's current abilities. Arrangements to involve parents in children's continued learning are already effective and well developed. For example, the kindergarten actively encourages parents to help children make links in their learning through a shared 'book loan' scheme, or by helping children find objects linked to current activities within the kindergarten for shared discussion. Staff and parents have good

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the early years provision

informal arrangements to share ongoing information about children's current interests and abilities, and parents are able to access children's developmental records on request. However, systematic arrangements for parents and staff to regularly review children's progress and the next steps in their learning are not yet fully established.

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the early years provision

The kindergarten has taken effective steps to address the recommendations made at its last inspection. For example, staff now ensure that they have ready access to relevant records of children's contact and care details at all times, so improving arrangements to promptly and effectively manage any emergency. They have developed excellent arrangements to use their own and parents' observations of children's abilities to plan for children's continued progress, so enhancing This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 arrangements for their learning. Staff are involved in ongoing evaluation of the childcare provision, and make continued use of local training opportunities to develop their existing skills. Consequently there is a shared understanding of agreed priorities for further development to further enhance the quality of provision for all children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are eager to attend the kindergarten and develop excellent relationships with staff and peers. They show very high levels of independence, curiosity, imagination and concentration, particularly when using challenging and imaginative resources in their outdoor play. Staff make excellent use of their own and parents' observations of children's current interests and abilities in order to identify and plan for the next steps in each child's learning. Consequently, children are helped to make excellent progress towards the early learning goals, so developing a very secure basis for their future development and skills. For example, children show high levels of attention and interest when listening to well-told stories, readily anticipating what might happen next, or talking about characters' feelings. They show excellent awareness of sounds when predicting rhymes and rhythms, or when enthusiastically talking about the initial sounds of objects which they have

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and outcomes for children

brought from home. Children often have excellent opportunities for purposeful independent writing, for example, within pretend hospital or garage play. Children are very confident in recognising and using numbers accurately, and enjoy a wide range of purposeful activities and first hand experiences helping them to extend their problem solving skills, and their awareness of shape, space and measurement. For example, they carefully and successfully work out how to use planks of wood to make a secure bridge between two slides. Children gain an outstanding awareness of the world around them as they use all their senses to explore the surroundings of the farm. For example, they enthusiastically enjoy the experience of the wind in their faces and hair on a 'windy walk'; they explore the texture of soil and plants as they sow and harvest vegetables to make soup, or as they gather and grind corn to include in bread-making activities. Children gain

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and outcomes for children

confidence and familiarity with everyday technology as they use microphones and tape recorders to record their singing, or as they use resources such as toy mobile phones and tills in pretend play.

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and outcomes for children

Children engage in an excellent range of energetic activities, indoors and out. For example, they confidently balance and clamber on large tyres and on challenging and sturdy fixed climbing equipment. They show excellent coordination skills as they aim and throw balls at targets they have made. Staff give extremely high priority to ensuring that children understand and implement excellent arrangements to promote their health. For example, they carefully help children recognise the differences between different types of hedgerow berries, so identifying those which are safe for adults to pick. They consistently stress and explain the reasons for thorough hand washing after outdoor play and walks, so helping to minimise any risks of infection. Overall, there are many effective arrangements to promote children's safety. Staff are vigilant in their supervision of children, and staffing is organised to ensure consistently good adult:child ratios at

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 all times. Staff often implement innovative ways to promote children's safe independence, for example by fitting a high 'buffer' at the cloakroom door to prevent children locking themselves in whilst still facilitating their independence and privacy in toileting. 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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