Manor Hill First School

Busy Bee Pre-school Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 146918 Inspection date 18/11/2010 Inspector Jane Davenport

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Setting address 20 Bailey Close, Chingford, London, E4 9HG

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Telephone number 020 8559 4473 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

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

Busy Bees Pre-School was registered in 1993 and is run by a parents' management committee. It operates from a Scout hut porta-cabin, which is situated in Chingford in the London borough of Waltham Forest. All children share access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area. Access to the premises is via a buzzer at the side door and a step.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is open each weekday during term time from 09:00 to 16:00. The holiday play scheme operates each weekday from 10:00 to 15:00 during the school holidays. The pre-school is registered to provide care for 40 children under the age of eight, of whom no more than eight may be under three years of age and none may be under two years of age at any one time. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 54 children in the early years age range on roll. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are five members of staff, including the manager, all of whom hold an appropriate childcare qualification. The setting is registered with the QUILT quality assurance scheme and receives support from the local authority development worker.

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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

Staff create a welcoming and secure environment for the children. They have a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and work together well to implement this, which results in children making good progress towards the early learning goals. Effective procedures and sensitive implementation of these by staff, ensure inclusive care is provided at all times and this, together with the positive contribution of the children, is a real strength of the setting. The staff build trusting relationships with parents and carers and keep them well informed about their child's development and the day-to-day running of the setting. Partnerships with other agencies involved in the care of children are excellent. Management makes good use of self-evaluation and this, together with a shared dedication to driving improvement, ensures continuous development and good outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 keep a consistent daily record of the names of the 06/12/2010 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children looked after on the premises, their hours of attendance and the names of the children's key workers (Documentation) (Also applies to the Childcare Register)

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further?

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

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further?

 liaise with parents to encourage them to review the health content of children's packed lunches  ensure that there is sufficient space to use and store any specialist equipment needed, for example, by disabled children

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the early years provision

Staff safeguard children well. A comprehensive and clear safeguarding policy ensures that all adults are well aware of their individual and collective roles and responsibilities. Staff are vigilant with regards to identifying and minimising potential risks to children and risk assessment records contain required detail. Robust vetting procedures ensure that all adults working with children are suitable to do so, security of the premises is good and visitors to the setting are asked to identify themselves and sign the visitors' book, further securing children's safety. Accidents and the administrating of medication are dealt with and recorded appropriately, and written consent for emergency medical treatment is in place. Documentation is generally maintained well and written policies reflect staff practice and the setting's everyday procedures. The current system for recording children's hours of attendance is usually effective. However, there have been some

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the early years provision

occasions recently when they are not signed out with their time of departure. This results in a breach of the specific legal requirement to maintain a complete record of children's hours of attendance.

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the early years provision

Promoting inclusive practice and encouraging children to make a positive contribution is a real strength of the setting. All children play together and alongside one another, naturally accepting and respecting differences. Staff know the children and meet their needs very well, and every child is recognised and valued for their individuality. Staff work closely with the parents to ensure that they are aware of each child's background, needs and home language. For example, staff ask parents for familiar words in children's home languages and use these to help the children settle and feel secure. Staff demonstrate a clear commitment to working in partnership with parents and others. Appropriate information is exchanged with other settings and agencies and this ensures that children's individual needs are known and any necessary advice or support is obtained and promptly acted upon. Consequently, children's transition between

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the early years provision

settings is effectively supported and consistency of care assured. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are particularly well supported at this setting and staff do their best to provide any additional care and equipment recommended by specialist agencies. The layout of the premises, however, and specifically in relation to storage facilities, does not currently lend itself to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 supporting staff in this area.

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate a good capacity for improvement, and recommendations raised at the setting's last Ofsted inspection have generally been addressed. Staff have attended several relevant training courses to help improve outcomes for children and regular staff meetings enable them to cascade their learning amongst the team and share examples of good practice. The manager uses the Ofsted self- evaluation form as a tool to assist with reflective practice and also welcomes the input from the local authority quality assurance scheme. Staff routinely review the effectiveness of activity plans and the environment. Some of the weaknesses highlighted within the self-evaluation form have already been tackled and plans are in place to address the remaining aspects. For example, most staff have attended refresher training in child protection and the setting has successfully applied for a capital grant to help improve resources and the premises.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled in this very friendly and inclusive pre-school. Staff use their good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and the Early Years Foundation Stage to provide a well balanced programme of adult-led and child-initiated activities, which incorporates free play and work on topical themes. Consequently, children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Ongoing observational assessments are good and show children's progress from when they start at the setting. They include written observations and assessments, photographs and examples of children's achievements, which are linked to the six areas of learning and include plans for how to encourage children to achieve the next step in their learning journey. Transition assessments are taken a step further by also using the Leuven involvement scale which monitors children's well-being and involvement on a scale of one to five. This is a very good tool for monitoring

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and outcomes for children

Children's personal, social and emotional development is fostered in a number of ways. For example, at circle time the children all sit together with the staff. They sing the 'Busy Bees' song and respond when their name is called out by saying 'Good morning', all of which helps them to gain a sense of belonging to the group. Children behave well as they share, take turns and are generally very kind to one another. Their developing grasp of language is encouraged as they respond to open-ended questions and participate in activities that link sounds to letters. For example, when throwing the ball to each other in a circle, they sound out phonetically the initial letters of one another's names. They recognise written words as they find their name cards to self register and practise mark making at the writing table and as they draw in the sand with the tools provided. Children learn to solve simple problems for themselves by completing jigsaw puzzles and

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and outcomes for children

simple colouring by numbers pictures. They are grasping mathematical concepts based on shape, numbers and time. For example, when an hour glass is used in an activity, children say 'It looks like a timer' and 'let's see how long the sand takes to go down the mountain'. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children's creativity and imagination is encouraged as they participate in role play, dressing up, making collage pictures, sand and water play. They enjoy physical play in the large hall and also in the outdoor play area, which they access in all weathers. They negotiate different levels in the garden and develop their muscles as they run, jump, climb, pedal on pedal rollers and ride their bikes. They use small tools, such as pencils, spatulas and scissors with growing skill. Appropriate scissors are provided to support children who are still experimenting with whether

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and outcomes for children

they are right or left handed. Children learn about the world around them as they discuss the weather, the seasons and excitedly watch as the wind blows away their bubbles in the garden. They find out about other cultures, religions and beliefs during activities which celebrate Eid and Black History month.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and well-being is generally supported well. Good hygiene routines are followed and children know that they need to wash their hands after using the toilet and before they eat. Staff gain details from parents and record and cater for any special dietary requirements. A snack table is set up during the session and children sit down, three or four at a time, with a member of staff and select from the variety of fresh fruit on offer. They are encouraged to be independent and confidently pour their drinks, cut up their apples and peel their own tangerines. Staff talk to them about which foods are healthy and the dentist visits once a year to talk to the children about looking after their teeth. The children bring a packed lunch with them to the setting and these are stored appropriately to maintain freshness. Children have some healthy options provided in their packed lunches, but many of them include sugar-laden drinks and snacks, which is not in line with

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and outcomes for children

the setting's healthy eating policy. 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 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 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 1 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 (Records to be kept) 06/12/2010

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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 (Records to be kept) 06/12/2010

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