Bargates Children's Centre

Bargates Children's Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 223498 Inspection date 16/05/2011 Inspector Becky Johnson

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Setting address The Bargates, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 8QS

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Telephone number 01568 610400 Email bargateschildrenscentre@btconnect.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. 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

Bargates Children's Centre opened in 1997. It operates from eight rooms in a converted school building situated in the town of Leominster in Herefordshire. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 111 children within the early years age range may attend at any one time. There are currently 146 children on roll. Older children also attend after school and during school holidays. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.00am to 6.00pm all year round. Children attend for a variety of different sessions. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The Children's Centre employs 17 staff including the provider who work directly with the children. Of these 16 hold a current child care qualification. A chef is also employed.

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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 make good progress in their learning and development as the majority of staff within the setting plan a range of activities to help children achieve. Premises are well laid out to provide a welcoming environment for children. Effective partnerships with parents and other agencies involved with the children contribute significantly to ensuring children are safeguarded and their individual needs met. An excellent management system and regular monitoring and self-evaluation ensure that any priorities for future development are promptly identified and acted on.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that the way that the identified next steps used to inform planning and the opportunities for children to develop their own play experiences are consistently applied throughout the setting  consider further the development of the outdoor play area to provide children with varied opportunities and activities which promote all aspects of children's development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are fully safeguarded and staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities in protecting the children in their care. Child protection procedures are clearly understood and rigorously applied. Robust recruitment and induction procedures ensure that all staff working with the children are suitable and well qualified. Staff are encouraged to attend additional training to further develop their knowledge and expertise and the training manager is active in supporting staff to reach their full potential. This raises standards throughout the setting and improves the outcomes for children. The premises are welcoming and brightly decorated with children's work and photographs. Risk assessments, which cover all areas, equipment and outings, enable children to safely participate in activities whilst developing their knowledge of how to keep themselves safe. All required documentation is in place and policies and procedures are shared with parents.

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the early years provision

The provider and management team are committed to making improvements and demonstrate a capacity to reflect on and improve the service they provide. Staff are well deployed and an effective key person system ensures that children are supervised and supported at all times. Resources are plentiful, well maintained and stored to enable children to safely and independently select activities for themselves. Equality and diversity is promoted exceptionally well within the setting. This helps children to develop an awareness of the society they live in and learn to respect differences.

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the early years provision

The setting is pro-active in fostering strong partnerships with parents and carers. They are encouraged to be fully involved in their child's learning and development. They are invited to attend parent's days where they take part in activities and are given resources to take home and share with their children, for example, ingredients to make playdough. Parents are encouraged to share their expertise with the children. For example, a dental hygienist talks to children about keeping teeth clean and other parents regularly come into the setting to share story times. Parent's views are sought and acted upon both with regard to current practise and ideas for the future. Parent's comments are positive. They are very happy with the setting and are especially pleased with communication and feedback. They say that all staff including the provider and manager know the children well. Links with other settings and professionals have been developed in order to maintain a

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the early years provision

consistent approach in meeting children's needs. Staff have forged good relationships with the local schools to ensure that the transition from nursery to school is a positive experience for the children. Close working relationships with other professionals such as, the Speech and Language therapist and physiotherapist ensures that children's individual needs are fully met at all times. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The setting is child orientated and staff endeavour to ensure that children have fun and enjoy all aspects of their time here. Children are making good progress in all areas of learning and development. They benefit from the support of knowledgeable and capable staff who organise varied and adaptable activities to foster children's curiosity and motivation. Children are actively involved in planning and their ideas, choices and interests are fully encouraged. Observation and assessment is in place. However, although in most areas these are used to identify children's next steps and inform planning this is not consistently maintained through the setting. As a result it is not clearly identified how children of all ages will continue to make good progress in all areas of learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and motivated to join in with experiences and activities both familiar and new. Younger children enjoy heuristic play as they explore treasure baskets filled with wooden and metal objects such as spoons, colanders and baking tins. Older children learn about living creatures such as spiders and frogs and staff in the Pre-school room are adept at extending activities from children's ideas and questions. For example, an activity evolved after a child brought in a book about a spider and then staff found a spider in the Pre-school room. This led to children learning what a spider eats, where they live and how many legs they have. Children develop confidence through the use of resources such as persona dolls and 'beat babies' which come 'alive' when children sing to them. Children then share news about what they have done at the weekend and talk confidently in a group situation. Most staff are able to extend activities to further develop and

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and outcomes for children

enrich children's learning experiences, however, in some areas this is more prevalent that others.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is very well promoted. They enjoy time outdoors every day and access resources such as tyres, bikes and balls to develop their physical well being and skills. They also plant fruit and vegetables such as lettuces and tomatoes which they make into sandwich fillings. However, the outdoor area is not always fully utilised to provide children with varied opportunities and activities which promote all aspects of children's development. Older children learn about their bodies and how they work. They know that skin covers our bones and muscles, that we have joints so that we can bend and our bones are very hard because they protect important things inside us. Younger children feel their hearts before and after exercise to see if they are beating fast or slow. Children enjoy healthy home cooked meals and the setting has received a 5 star healthy eating award from Environmental Health. An excellent system has been implemented to ensure that

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and outcomes for children

any dietary requirements and allergies are immediately recognised and adhered to. Meals and snack times are sociable occasions when children sit round the table together and chat about their day. Children obviously understand the practises around mealtimes as they confidently tell visitors that they cannot eat food unless they are wearing an apron.

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and outcomes for children

Children's experiences of their local community are developed as they regularly walk to nearby bookshops and the library. They visit an elderly person's care home This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 where they sing songs and dance for the residents, an experience which is much enjoyed by everyone. The setting is wholly inclusive and children with special educational needs or those who speak English as an additional language are valued and made to feel welcome. The SENCO is very experienced and knowledgeable. She is diligent in her role and works extremely closely with staff, parents and other professionals to ensure that children are effectively supported. Children's behaviour throughout the setting is good and supported through clear and concise behaviour management strategies. Staff act as positive role models. They foster children's self esteem and offer praise and encouragement at all times

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and outcomes for children

as they sensitively remind children to share with their friends, to be polite and to be kind and helpful. Children are beginning to understand about staying safe as they practise evacuation procedures and learn how to use equipment safely. They learn skills that will support their future learning and experience activities to help them to develop their knowledge of the wider world. 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 1 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 1 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: 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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