Bunnies Preschool (Shephall)

Broadhall Bunnies Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY414990 Inspection date 01/02/2011 Inspector Lindsay Hare

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Setting address 1 Featherston Road, STEVENAGE, Hertfordshire, SG2 9PP

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Telephone number 07754305185 Email admin@broadhallbunnies.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 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

Broadhall Bunnies Pre-school re-registered in 2010. It operates from a classroom in Featherston Wood School which is situated in the Shepall area of Stevenage. The setting uses a classroom, kitchen area, toilets and a secure outside area.

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Description of the setting

The setting is open on each weekday during term time from 9am until 12pm and also operates a lunch club from 12pm until 2pm, which nursery children from the school may also attend. The setting supports children with additional learning needs and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language. The provision is registered for 26 children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and is on the Early Years Register only. There are 37 children on roll.

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Description of the setting

There are eight members of staff, five of whom hold childcare qualifications and two of whom are working towards childcare 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

The setting provides a safe and welcoming environment for children, ensuring they are all included and supported. Partnerships with parents are excellent and clear procedures ensure that they are kept well informed, and the children's needs are met. All the required documentation is in place, although some written policies are out of date. Children make good progress in their learning and development and are involved in the planning of activities. The setting seeks feedback from parents and children in order to further identify priorities for improvement and implement changes to improve the quality of the provision and the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that the written policies are up-to-date and contain the correct information (Documentation).

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the early years provision

Children's welfare, care and safety are promoted well. Staff and students have a clear understanding of the procedure to follow if they have a safeguarding concern. Staff have attended safeguarding children training and have designated roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe from harm. There are robust vetting procedures in place to ensure the suitability of staff and good security measures are in place to ensure children are kept safe at all times. Effective risk assessments are carried out as well as daily safety checks to ensure all hazards are minimised. The setting has not been on any outings recently, although they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 understand the requirement to carry out a risk assessment prior to the outing. The necessary documentation is in place, however, some of the written policies have not been updated to reflect the Early Years Foundation Stage and current

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the early years provision

legislation, and therefore provide incorrect information for parents.

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the early years provision

The setting's professional and friendly approach to maintaining effective partnerships with parents ensures that children's care is consistently promoted. Staff are proactive in developing ways to support children with additional needs. Key words, 'picture exchange communication system' cards and photos are used in promoting communication with children with speech and language delay, as well as those who speak English as an additional language. There are excellent systems in place to share information and keep parents informed about their children's care and progress, through daily discussion, newsletters, consultations and sharing of children's learning journeys. Parents are fully encouraged to contribute to their children's learning, for example, completing transition sheets and using curriculum guidance sheets with suggestions for activities to do at home. Detailed information is gathered from parents when they start and initial observations of how children

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the early years provision

settle as well as baseline assessments are used to identify children's starting points and forge positive home/school links. Careful consideration is given to the layout and accessibility of play resources for children to ensure it is inclusive for all, for example a variety of graded puzzles are put out so that less able children are able to achieve and can also be challenged if needed. Children gain an awareness of the wider world through resources reflecting diversity, and exploring different cultural backgrounds and customs; for example, one child brought in African crisps on his birthday for the children to have at snack time. The setting follows guidance from other professionals, for example, the speech therapist, and incorporates this into the planning for individual children.

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the early years provision

Staff attend regular staff and network meetings and are encouraged to attend ongoing training and continue their own professional development. All staff are involved in evaluating the setting, having reflected on their practice through Herts Quality Standards accreditation. There are clearly identified areas for development and action plans are in place to implement these. The children and parents are also meaningfully involved in the evaluation, for example, the setting uses 'children's voice' and 'parents' voice' forms to gain their views and make improvements. The observations are also regularly evaluated to ensure that the activities provided are developmentally appropriate and that they are delivering the intended learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children have access to activities and resources which are stimulating and interesting, such as, the sensory treasure baskets containing items such as lavender and snail shells. Children are able to access these baskets independently, investigating with magnets and different mirrors. The free-flow outside area allows children to access the outdoor environment, for example, growing herbs, using magnifying glasses and clipboards to look for, identify and record the mini beasts they find. Children can play imaginatively outside using role play equipment and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 playing with dinosaurs in the soil. They celebrate various cultures and the events in their calendars, exploring different foods and making special crafts.

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and outcomes for children

The flexible planning ensures all children are involved in learning and taking part in activities of their choice and interest and parents are also able to contribute to the planning of activities. Detailed observation assessment is completed by all staff and evidenced in their learning journeys. The key worker then links this back to the Early Years Foundation Stage to assess how children are progressing and to identify individual next steps as well as the group as a whole. Staff also analyse the overall effectiveness of the provision to ensure children are learning and developing equally over all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This information is used to identify differences in achievements and inform future planning. There are good opportunities for children to develop their independence, particularly in self-care skills. For example, children wipe their noses and dispose of tissues in the bin, wash their hands and clear their plates after snack. They are

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and outcomes for children

learning to show care and concern for others as they help to feed the fish and sweep the sand up.

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and outcomes for children

Children gain an understanding of how things work as they use a camera to take a photograph of another child smiling and inquire about the laptop, asking if the battery is going to run out. The labelled pegs and drawers encourage children to recognise their name and there is a writing area for mark making. One child was observed making marks on a magnetic scribbler and then using the spring loaded handle back to erase the drawing. Children's artwork is displayed around the room and their comments are written next to them. Children participate in action rhymes, such as, 'Head, shoulders, knees and toes', pointing to their body parts and are able to develop physically using the parachute and obstacle course set up. They use the measuring tape outside and discover that the sand in the tray is darker in some places, because it is wet from raindrops.

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and outcomes for children

Gentle reminders and explanations as well as good role models contribute to children's understanding of how to behave well, be polite and use good manners. There are books, such as, 'Why I should eat well' and a large abacus with wooden pieces of fruit and vegetables to encourage children's awareness of healthy eating and staff are keen to develop children's understanding about how sleep promotes health. Children learn to keep themselves safe as they practise the emergency evacuation procedure and are encouraged to think about possible consequences, for example if they run in the setting. Staff regularly use books to support this learning of safety. 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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