Little Deers Day Nursery

Little Deers Pre-school Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 509539 Inspection date 08/03/2011 Inspector Marilyn Joy

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Setting address Deer Hall, Campden Park, Ringwood Road, Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 4BU Telephone number 01425 404167 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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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

Little Deers Pre-school moved to its current premises in 2001. It is a committee- run group and has sole use of a two-roomed hall in Burley. Children attend from the local area, including Ringwood and Bransgore. There are secure outdoor areas for all ages. The pre-school is open for 48 weeks of the year. It closes for two weeks in the summer and two weeks at Christmas. It offers full and part-time sessions between 8.00am and 5.30pm.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school may provide care for no 26 children under eight years; of these, not more than 26 may be in the early years age group, and of these, not more than six may be under two years at any one time. There are currently 17 children on roll in the early years age group. The pre-school recieves funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. There are four staff working with the children, all of whom have early years qualifications.

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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 experience a wide range of activities in the friendly and encouraging atmosphere of the pre-school. There is a good range of indoor and outdoor equipment available and the garden offers an exciting and challenging place to play; however, the pre-school playroom is not always effectively organised. Staff and management are keen to develop the quality of the pre-school and plans for future development are identified in most areas. Strong partnerships are developed with parents, which contribute towards children becoming confident and secure, with their individual needs met.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the organisation of indoor play areas and resources to ensure they are safe and clean, and safety procedures, such as fire drills, are regularly practised  develop clear and consistent routines so that children are encouraged to take care of resources and their environment so they can play safely  develop arrangements for tracking children's progression against the expectations of the early learning goals so that records reflect their achievements and next steps in all aspects. 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 appropriately safeguarded because staff have a secure understanding of child protection issues and know what to do if they have concerns about a child in their care. Robust recruitment and employment procedures ensure adults are appropriately qualified and suitable to work with children. All the required documentation is in place which provides staff with the information they need to meet children?s individual health and welfare needs. Staff are fully aware of procedures evacuating the premises in an emergency, although the frequency of practices does mean that it takes some time for all children to experience the fire drill. Effective risk assessments and daily checks are completed in most areas and help staff ensure the premises are safe and secure. However, there are times when the playroom is not cleaned daily or effectively organised during the session and this impacts on children?s safety and their ability to access

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the early years provision

resources and develop worthwhile activities. The outdoor space is well-organised to provide an all-weather area and a challenging and exciting garden.

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the early years provision

Enthusiastic leadership inspires a strong commitment towards developing the quality of the pre-school. There is a new management team in place and there is a clear drive towards making changes and effectively securing improvement. Staff work well together and regularly attend training to improve their skills which helps to them develop generally positive outcomes for children. Most of the recommendations raised at the last inspection have been addressed and arrangements for monitoring and supporting children?s learning and development are continuing to be developed. Self-evaluation processes are in progress and most areas for development are identified and steps taken to address.

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the early years provision

Successful relationships are established with parents and, as a result, staff get to know children well. Parents are well-informed about the daily operation of the pre- school, the care their child receives and how their learning is being promoted. Daily discussions, monthly newsletters and termly reports help keep them fully up- to-date and involved. Parents comment on how satisfied they are, how much their children enjoy their time at pre-school and the approachability of staff. Suitable procedures are in place to liaise with other agencies in order to successfully support children?s individual needs. Some children attend other settings and some arrangements have been initiated for working in partnerships to promote continuity in their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children experience a wide range of interesting indoor and outdoor activities which overall support their learning in all areas. They investigate what frozen paint feels like and what happens when it melts in their hands. They experiment with mark-making and create different colours when they mixing two together. In small groups, children listen attentively to stories and are beginning to recognise simple This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 rhyming words. Generally, children are engaged in activities and eager to contribute their ideas. Staff are effective practitioners when they are working individually or in small groups with children. They consistently encourage children?s language, communication and numeracy skills. Children learn about the wider world as they engage in cooking and planting activities, hunt for mini-beasts in the garden and make lanterns and try different foods at Chinese New Year.

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and outcomes for children

Children enthusiastically engage in outdoor play and benefit from the challenging and stimulating range of resources available. They practise manoeuvre wheeled toys, develop their climbing skills and experiment with using mud and bricks to build a tower. Creative and role-play resources are available, although they are not always presented attractively to encourage meaningful play.

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and outcomes for children

A continuous curriculum is offered which means that resources are easily accessible and children make choices about what they want to do. Planning focuses on activities to extend and enhance children?s learning and follow-up their next steps. Each child has their own progress folder, however, written observations are minimal which means records do not clearly reflect what children can do. There are plans to implement a system for tracking progression, although these are not yet in place. Currently, staff rely on their knowledge of each child to guide the support they offer. Planned activities are generally presented well to children with clear explanations and encouragement to extend their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop positive relationships with staff and generally they benefit from the support and guidance they provide. However, there are occasions when children are not encouraged through daily routines to take care of resources and their environment. They do not always help to tidy up or put toys away when they have finished with them and, as a result, the floor becomes cluttered which presents a tripping hazard and play areas are not very inviting. Children under two have recently been included within the registration and a comfortable and carefully resourced area has been developed where they can freely explore a range of toys.

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and outcomes for children

Children?s health and well-being is suitably promoted through a good range of physical activities, outdoor play, appropriate hygiene routines and nutritious snacks. Staff have a secure knowledge of individual health and dietary requirements and ensure these are complied with. Most children demonstrate a sense of belonging to setting in the confident and relaxed manner in which they play. Children benefit from the frequent praise and encouragement they receive which boosts their self-esteem and begins to help them understand what is expected of them. All children are valued and, overall, the friendly and relaxed atmosphere of the pre-school promotes a caring and welcoming environment for children. 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 3 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 3 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 3 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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