Panda Pre-School

Panda Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY339662 Inspection date 03/12/2010 Inspector Shirley Monks-Meagher

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Setting address Christ Church Community Rooms, Block Lane, Chadderton, Oldham, OL9 7QB Telephone number 07928149269 Email wfcdp@hotmail.com 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.

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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.

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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

Panda Pre-School was re-registered in 2006 when it moved to its current premises. It is owned and managed by Werneth and Freehold Community Development Project. The group operates from three community rooms in the Christ Church building in Chadderton, Oldham. A secure area in the grounds is available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The group is registered on the Early Years Register to provide care for a maximum of 41 children at any one time. All these children can be in the early years age group but none can be under two years. There are currently 39 children on roll between the ages of two and four years. This includes 24 children in receipt of the nursery education grant. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and a large number of its users speak English as an additional language. The group serves the local community. There is easy access to the premises.

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Description of the setting

The group operates during term time only. It offers morning sessions between 9.15am and 11.45am, Monday to Friday. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays the group stays open all day from 9.15am to 2.45pm. There are seven members of staff who work directly with the children, all of whom 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

Panda Pre-School provides children with a wide variety of opportunities and experiences in a warm and welcoming environment enabling them to develop confidence, have fun and make very good progress in their learning and development. Their welfare needs and well-being is generally well met. Children are valued as unique individuals in a positive and inclusive atmosphere where the strong relationships forged with their parents, carers and other professionals involved in their life underpins the consistency of their experiences and their emotional security. Successful steps are taken to self-evaluate the provision, make continuous improvement and improve outcomes for children who attend.

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further?

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

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further?

 obtain information about who has legal contact with the child; and who has parental responsibility for the child (Safeguarding and welfare) 17/12/2010

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  consider giving parents a stronger voice in the self-evaluation processes to increase their opportunities to influence future development.

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the early years provision

The manager and her staff keep children safe and secure through the implementation of rigorous safeguarding procedures. The whole team have a clear understanding of child protection issues, the safeguarding procedures and their role and responsibilities when such concerns arise. Robust recruitment procedures ensure children are only cared for by suitable persons and their ongoing suitability is monitored through formal one to one supervision sessions and appraisal. Legally required documentation and records generally protect children. However, they have not established parental responsibility for all of the children in their care which is a breach or legal requirements. Policies and procedures which underpin the smooth running of the group are regularly reviewed and made available to parents. Policy of the month work helps to embed any changes made at review. Comprehensive risk assessment, daily visual checks and vigilant monitoring of

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the early years provision

entry to the setting ensures hazards to children are effectively minimised, which enhances their safety. The deployment of staff ensures children are well supervised indoors and outdoors.

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the early years provision

A well-established and stable staff team have a common sense of purpose and work effectively together to continually improve their practice and provide consistent opportunities for children to achieve and maximise their individual potential. Professional development of staff is well supported and its value can be seen in many aspects of the groups practice. For example, the understanding of 'every child a talker' training and the significant improvement in children's communication skills, in particular for those who have English as an additional language. Assessing and reflecting on their practice is becoming routine to the staff team. They seek additional information from parents, children and other professionals to ensure they have a realistic view of their provision. The manager and her staff identify and prioritise areas for future development. However, parents have less of a voice in this part of the process. Recommendations from

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the early years provision

their last inspection have been robustly addressed, enabling children to develop their understanding that print has meaning, become aware of information and communication technology and enjoy a better sense of consistency between home and the group.

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the early years provision

The group establishes positive working relationships with parents and other adults involved with the children. The shared sense of purpose between parents and staff facilitates the excellent understanding key workers have of the needs of the children in their care, their backgrounds and their learning and development. Information sought from parents swiftly establishes starting points for children. Parents are kept well informed of their children's efforts, achievements and progress through a number of effective systems. For example, verbally, pictorially, learning journeys and summary reports. They are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning. Parents value the setting and its importance in their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 community and are keen to improve its facilities. For example, parents physically helped with the recent refurbishment of the outdoor area by providing digging

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the early years provision

equipment and building the decking area. The refurbishment of this outdoor area has enabled children to enjoy free flow play between indoors and outdoors. This has significantly impacted on their progress towards the early learning goals, particularly for some male children, who demonstrate increased engagement and an upswing in their skills. The well established working relationships with the local schools ensures children are well prepared to make the transition to school.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very well settled in the group and spend their time engaged in interesting and meaningful play activities. Children are well supported by staff who have a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Observation and assessment is integral to their practice. This knowledge is utilised effectively to track children's progress from their starting points towards the early learning goals and to tailor the planning for individual learning by building on their achievements. As a result, children are making very good progress in their learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are well behaved. They are forming warm and trusting relationships with the staff and their peers. They confidently seek out staff when they need some help or are feeling tired or anxious and are quickly reassured by their kind manner, actions and explanations. Staff engage effectively with the children. They skilfully support and extend learning and development by actively listening, joining in their play and intervening where appropriate. Children play alone, alongside their peers and in small groups. They are becoming aware of each others needs and are learning to share resources and take turns fairly supporting the development of skills they will need for the future. They recognise some of their own needs. They take themselves to the toilet and access the help yourself snack area when they are hungry. Children are becoming increasingly aware of a healthy diet. They understand the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables through activities linked to

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and outcomes for children

the '5-a-day' message and the healthy options offered at snack times. They are developing good hygiene routines and in music and movement activities, are learning about the effects exercise has on their bodies.

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and outcomes for children

Activities, such as, role play and dressing-up, handling and exploring oats, mark making with chalks and building large three dimensional structures with wooden construction pieces capture the children's interest and promote their learning effectively. Staff recognise and value each child's individuality; they use some appropriate words in their home language, read stories and look at books in different languages and make good use of puppets and sign language to help every child participate. Children show an interest in numbers and counting. They devise repeating patterns using coloured pegs and explore weight and volume in sand and water activities. Children are developing good hand-eye coordination. They create interesting pictures using small hammers, pins and an assortment of shaped pieces, deftly fitting the pins through the holes, then carefully and precisely hammering them into the felt frameworks.

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Well organised indoor and outdoor environments, routines and opportunities for children to initiate their own play enables the children to explore and discover for themselves and follow their interests with confidence as they know where to find resources and what to expect next. Children are becoming safety conscious. They learn the importance of car seats and seat belts when travelling in cars and open and close drawers and doors safely so they do not trap their fingers. Even when the children are having great fun in the snow they are careful when aiming their snowballs to ensure their friends do not get hurt. 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 1 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 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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