Tiny Town Kindergarten

Tiny Town Kindergarten Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 509570 Inspection date 03/02/2010 Inspector Alison Jane Kaplonek

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Setting address 1 Mount Pleasant, Tadley, Hampshire, RG26 4JH

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Telephone number 0118 9814325 Email tinytowntadley@aol.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 0300 123 1231, 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: 0300 123 1231 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

The Tiny Town Kindergarten opened in 2001. It is a privately owned nursery situated in the village of Tadley near Basingstoke in Hampshire. Access to the building is good and toilet facilities are easily accessible. The provider is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The setting serves families from the surrounding areas and has good links with local schools within Tadley.

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Description of the setting

The group is registered to provide care for 26 children under eight years. All of these may be in the early years age group, however only eight may be under two years. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. There are currently 44 children on roll. All of these children are in the early years age group.

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Description of the setting

The setting opens on weekdays all year round from 8am to 6pm.

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Description of the setting

There are six members of staff including the owner/managers who work with the children. Of these, three have a recognised early years qualification. One member of staff is currently attending an early years training programme. The owner/managers are currently studying for a National Vocational Qualification at level 4 and a foundation degree. The setting 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 satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's welfare and learning needs are generally well met and they are settled, happy and enjoy their time at the kindergarten, making sound progress in their learning. They have easy access to a wide range of resources and many are confident and have high self-esteem. Systems to keep children safe are sound, although some documentation required for the safe and efficient management of the setting and to fully meet the needs of the children lacks accurate detail. Good links with parents, the local authority and other agencies enable every child’s needs to be sufficiently well supported. However, not all recommendations for improvement identified at the last inspection have been fully implemented. The systems for evaluating and monitoring the provision and the outcomes for children are not yet robust enough to ensure that all areas for development are identified to enable continuous improvement to take place.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the nutritional content of the children's main meal and ensure they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 can access drinking water at all times.  improve systems to keep children safe; ensure accurate records are kept of times of arrival and departure for children and staff; keep a record of any problems encountered during fire evacuation drills and how they were resolved.  further develop the risk assessment record to include when and how frequently checks are conducted and any action taken following a review or incident.  further develop the self-evaluation system to monitor the provision and outcomes for children. Ensure areas for improvement are easily identified to enable continuous improvement.  further develop systems for observing and assessing babies and younger children's progress and use them to identify learning priorities and plan

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further?

relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child.

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the early years provision

Staff organise the environment to ensure that babies and children can move freely and gain easy access to the good range of resources. Management ensure that children are provided with an inclusive environment and that they learn about valuing each other's differences. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language are well supported.

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the early years provision

Staff and management ensure that access to the premises is very secure and all adults must use the electronic entry system to gain access to the setting. An appropriate range of policies and procedures are in place and some documentation and records are completed to ensure children's health and safety needs are satisfactorily met. However, records of times of arrival and departure for children and staff are not always completed accurately and there is no record of any fire evacuation drills, any problems encountered or how they were resolved. Risk assessments are in place, although they do not include when and how frequently checks are conducted and any action taken following a review or incident.

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the early years provision

Management ensure that staff are appropriately vetted and that induction procedures are in place to ensure all adults working with children are suitable to do so. All staff are encouraged to access suitable training and are aware of their roles and responsibilities each day. The owner/managers have a sound understanding of procedures to safeguard children and have both attended training. They ensure that staff and parents have read the safeguarding policy and that staff know who to contact should they have any concerns about the children in their care. Most staff are trained in first aid and any accidents or administration of medicines is recorded. Documentation is in place which informs staff of any health or dietary issues children may have.

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the early years provision

Parents are kept very well informed about their children's routines and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) via information displayed on notice boards, newsletters and daily discussion with staff. They are encouraged to share This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 information about their children's likes, dislikes and interests and can talk to staff at any time. They have opportunities to participate in their children's learning; they are provided with information about the current topics and can share their children's learning journey folders. Parents are asked for their views on the effectiveness of the setting's practice and any areas they wish to see improved.

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and outcomes for children

Babies and young children are happy, settled and gaining in confidence. They quickly settle to the routines of the day, and independently make choices from the wide range of resources available. Staff organise the learning environment for babies and children into clear learning areas. As a result, the environment is interesting and welcoming for all children and they know exactly which activities are available each day. Children have the use of a sensory room with coloured lights for relaxation. Children happily initiate their own learning as they get out paper and pens or make models with straws and pipe cleaners. Babies enjoy crawling through the tunnel indoors or splashing in the water in the messy play area. There is an acceptable balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities and the children enjoy the support from staff that join in their play. A new assessment and planning system is being implemented and staff are beginning to gain in

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and outcomes for children

confidence as they make observations and identify the areas of learning and next steps for children. However, the systems for observing and assessing babies and some younger children's progress is still to be implemented and used to plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child.

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and outcomes for children

Older children are beginning to learn to share and take turns and some are good at helping to tidy toys away before getting others out. Children behave well and respond to reminders from staff to wash their hands or take turns. Many are beginning to be independent and some take themselves to the toilets or put on their own hats and coats before going outside. Older children enjoy stories in groups and concentrate well, while the babies benefit from sitting with staff individually or in smaller groups where they can reach the board books and point at the pictures. Many older children are beginning to count as they play board games or talk about shape and size as they use construction kits or make models. Many attempt writing for a purpose, making notes in the pretend register or beginning to write the letters in their names. Babies develop their physical skills as they reach for the soft balls or run in the outdoor area. Older children enjoy

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and outcomes for children

playing with the parachute outside or digging in the sand. Some children are able to complete simple programmes on the laptop, using the mouse accurately and confidently.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and safety are satisfactorily promoted. They make a positive contribution to their own care and learning. Older children follow good hygiene routines when visiting the toilets and access tissues to wipe their own noses, carefully putting the tissues in the bin provided. Babies are protected from the spread of infection as staff wear gloves when changing nappies and monitor them as they sleep. All children are provided with snacks and main meals when attending the kindergarten. However, these are sometimes low in nutritional value This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and inappropriate for young children. This was raised at the last inspection and has been raised as a recommendation again. Although children are offered drinks at meal times, they do not have regular access to drinking water at all times. Children learn how to keep themselves safe as they are reminded to be careful as they

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and outcomes for children

manoeuvre around the toilet door and to be careful of other children as they move around the environment. All children and staff take part in fire drills to ensure safe evacuation of the building, although these are not recorded or evaluated. 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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