Little Buds Pre-School

Little Buds Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 251681 Inspection date 23/11/2010 Inspector Deborah Kerry

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Setting address Brickfields Avenue, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 7RX

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Telephone number 01638 665219 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 assesses 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.

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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

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 Buds Pre School is run by a voluntary management committee made up of parents of children at the pre-school. It opened in 1990 as Studlands Playgroup and changed to its current name in 2002. It operates from a community centre on the outskirts of Newmarket. All children share access to a public playground which is secure and fully enclosed. The premises are fully accessible.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 24 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 9.00am until 12.00pm, 1.00pm until 4.00pm, with an optional lunch club from 12.00pm until 1.00pm during term times only. There are currently 37 children aged from two to five years on roll. Of these 24 children receive funding for early education. Children come from the local area. This provider is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs six staff; of these, five work directly with children, and of these, three, including both the managers, hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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's welfare, learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage is fully supported by staff, who have many experiences of working with children. The staff know the children's individual needs well and undertake regular observations. Children's next steps in their learning are clearly identified and used to inform planning. The pre-school has good relationships with parents and seek support and advice from other professionals and settings involved with the children to ensure that their individual needs can be met well. The pre-school has established clear procedures to evaluate and monitor their good practice and have identified areas for improvement to benefit children's continued learning and development.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve hand washing procedures to prevent the spread of infection  develop clear procedures for induction to ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is fully supported as all staff have completed training on safeguarding children. All new staff undergo checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. They are all fully aware of the necessary steps to take should they have any concerns about the welfare of a child. The pre-school have clear policies and procedures in place for staff to follow, with local contact numbers being fully accessible. There are clear written risk assessments in place on all areas and equipment within the setting to ensure that children are effectively protected from any potential dangers. Staff complete risk assessments for any outings to ensure that children remain safe when away from the setting. Children learn about how to keep themselves safe through regular practises of the fire evacuation procedures.

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the early years provision

Parents are kept fully informed about their child's learning and development through daily verbal feedback. Children's learning journey records are available for parents to view at any time. Parents regularly add comments about their child's interests and learning at home to their learning journeys and to the 'WOW board'. This ensures that they are fully involved with their child's learning. Parents are kept informed about the provision through the notice board in the entrance, which displays the pre-schools policies and procedures. Parents help with fundraising and are invited to join the committee. The pre-school holds parent's evenings so they can come in to view their child's learning journey and talk to staff about their child's progress. The committee enables parents to support, and put across their views regarding the running of the pre-school. The pre-school has established good links with other settings within the local area that children attend.

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the early years provision

There are good links with the primary school; they make regular visits with children, and teachers come to meet the children to help them get used to school in readiness for their transition.

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the early years provision

All staff have undertaken Early Year Foundation Stage training and are involved with planning activities each week around the individual needs of their key children. The staff are fully supported by the committee in attending further training for their continued professional development. This ensures that outcomes for children continue to remain positive and helps to extend their knowledge. All staff members are included in reviewing and evaluating the pre-school's practice through regular staff meetings. Areas for improvement have been identified to benefit children's learning and development and to further improve the staffs' current good practice. The pre-school has in place a range of policies and procedures to support their good practice, which are reviewed annually at the AGM with the committee. Although procedures for staff induction are not clear enough to ensure any new staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. Parents

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the early years provision

are provided with questionnaires to gain their feedback on the pre-school's practice and procedures. This knowledge is then used to make positive changes and to develop and improve staff practice and outcomes for children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with a variety of different foods for snacks which effectively promotes their healthy development. Children's independence is promoted as snack is on a rolling plan, children select their food, pour their drinks and clear away their own plates. This allows children to make choices about what and when they eat to meet their own needs. All children are supported in developing a good understanding around personal hygiene, as they all know that they need to wash their hands before eating. However, children share the same water when hand washing which could pose a risk of cross infection. Children have access to the outside play area at each session to help them to develop a good understanding on how to keep themselves healthy through regular exercise and fresh air. Children access a secure enclosed play park next to the centre; they use a climbing frame, hoops, balls and bean bags to promote their physical development well.

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and outcomes for children

They are provided with a range of other resources to support their progress in all areas of their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Staff undertake regular observations on children's individual interests and the next steps in their learning have been clearly identified. Children's individual interests and learning needs are incorporated into the weekly plans to ensure that they are able to make progress in their learning. Plans show both adult and child-initiated activities; these are evaluated to ensure that the learning outcomes have been achieved and include areas for next steps to support children's continued progress. Children's learning journey records link the observation undertaken by staff to the six areas of learning to show that children are receiving a broad and balanced curriculum.

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and outcomes for children

Children play games on the computer and use the mouse with skill and confidence. This promotes their understanding of technology and their hand-eye coordination. Children self-register on arrival; they find their own name card and enjoy listening to stories read to them by staff. This supports their early reading skills and develops their understanding of literacy. There is a wide range of resources in place to help children learn about diversity and the beliefs of others. Children also participate in a range of activities around different cultural festivals throughout the year. This helps them to develop a positive understanding on people's differences, other cultures and their beliefs. Children are able to confidently recognise and count numbers up to 15. This shows that they have high levels of understanding around numbers and counting. Children are provided with a range of resources for mark making and all children are encouraged to write their own names on their

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and outcomes for children

work which helps support their early writing skills. Children use wheeled toys dipped in paint to make patterns on paper, and use pads to paint paper green, ready to create a Christmas tree. 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

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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