Westgate Whirlybirds

Westgate Whirlybirds and Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 251714 Inspection date 09/06/2011 Inspector Janet Keeling

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Setting address Brooklands Close, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3JX

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Telephone number 01284 754014 Email admin@westgatewhirlybirds.org.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

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

Westgate Whirlybirds and Phoenix Pre-school opened in 1999 and is a committee run setting. It operates from a mobile classroom within the grounds of Westgate County Primary School in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The setting provides pre- school sessions, before and after school care and a holiday club. Children have access to an enclosed, outdoor play area. The setting serves children and families from the local and surrounding areas.

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Description of the setting

Before and after school club sessions run Monday to Friday from 8am to 9am and from 3.15pm to 6pm, during term times only. Pre-school sessions run Monday to Friday from 9am to 3.30pm during term time. A lunch club runs from 12noon to 12.30pm each weekday. The holiday club opens Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm during school holidays. A maximum of 26 children from two to eight years may attend the setting at any one time. Currently there are 111 children on roll, of whom 54 are within the early years age group. The setting is in receipt of funding for early education places. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are seven members of staff who work directly with the children. Of these, three hold National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at level 4, one holds an NVQ at level 3 and one holds an NVQ at level 2. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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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 are happy, confident and eager to learn at this very welcoming setting. Staff are motivated, work well as a team and strive to offer an inclusive service where all children are valued as individuals. Staff provide a range of enjoyable activities which take account of children's interests and learning needs and, as a result, they make good progress in their learning and development. Largely effective partnerships with parents and good links with other agencies have been established, ensuring children's needs are well supported. All staff demonstrate a positive commitment towards the sustained and continuous improvement of the setting.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the two way flow of information with parents, this specifically refers to updating the setting's welcome pack to include more information on the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Early Years Foundation Stage and further involving parents in their child's learning journeys.

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the early years provision

Priority is given to safeguarding and protecting children. All staff have a good understanding of safeguarding issues and are fully aware of the procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child in their care. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures are in place, together with detailed induction procedures for new staff. Risk assessments are completed and reviewed yearly. Daily safety checks are implemented and cover all aspects of the environment and, as a result, hazards to children are fully minimised. Staff routinely verify the identity of all visitors and have robust procedures in place for the safe arrival and collection of children. The learning environment is well organised, allowing children to move freely and independently around the designated learning areas. Resources are accessible and well maintained. Staff are deployed effectively both indoors and outdoors, ensuring that children are supervised safely at all times.

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the early years provision

Staff are motivated, work well together as a team and have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff warmly interact with children during play and respond to their individual needs. Consequently, children feel safe and secure. Methods to promote equality and diversity thread through the setting. This is successfully achieved through planned activities, role play equipment and through open discussion with staff and children. The setting's self-evaluation system, together with parent questionnaires and feedback from children, help staff to identify the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. All recommendations from the previous inspection have been successfully met and have had a positive impact on outcomes for children. All staff have access to ongoing training to ensure their knowledge and skills are regularly updated. Consequently, children's care and well-being are further supported. Regular staff meetings provide good

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the early years provision

opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice, evaluate activities and share their ideas.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are good. Children benefit from the warm and relaxed relationships that have been established between their parents and the staff. The effective key person system ensures that information is shared and that children's individual needs are consistently met. Parents speak highly of the setting's approach to meeting their child's individual needs and comment that their children are happy, settled and enjoy the range of activities that are provided. Parents receive a welcome pack prior to their child starting at the setting, which contains relevant information about the running of the setting. However, it does not contain good quality information about the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. A parents' notice board in the reception area ensures that parents and carers have access to ongoing information about the running of the group. For example, their registration certificate and their public liability insurance are displayed. The

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the early years provision

manager and staff work successfully in partnership with other early years professionals at the host school, ensuring children have a smooth transition into This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their new learning environment.

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and outcomes for children

The learning environment is bright, welcoming and child-friendly, affording children plenty of space to explore. Children are motivated and eager to learn. They are encouraged to make choices about their own play and learning and can easily access a wide variety of resources and equipment. All children are valued and treated with equal concern, with any specific requirements being met sensitively through discussion with parents and other professionals. On admission to the setting staff effectively acquire detailed information about each child's interests and learning needs. This enables staff to value and build upon children's existing skills. Staff observe children and record information on a daily basis. Information gathered is used effectively to inform future planning. All children have learning journey folders, which contain both photographic and written information of children's learning, achievements and records of children's own work. However,

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and outcomes for children

staff do not fully maximise opportunities for parents to contribute to their child's learning folders. These folders are shared with parents during meetings.

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and outcomes for children

Staff plan purposeful activities that cover children's interests, their individual learning needs and all areas of learning. Children benefit from a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities that result in them being active learners. For example, children excitedly explore coloured blocks of ice. They eagerly talk about how the ice feels and watch in amazement as it melts in their hands. They are developing a love for books as they thoroughly enjoy story time and freely access a range of books, which they share with their friends in the welcoming book area. They are beginning to learn that print carries meaning as they self-register on arrival and use their name card to register themselves at snack time. They enjoy music and movement as they join in with a range of songs and action rhymes. Children's creativity is fully supported through good access to a range of role play equipment, construction toys, chalks, paint, sand, water and dough. There is great

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and outcomes for children

excitement as children play at the sand pit. They talk happily together as they hunt for the hidden treasure buried in the sand, and when they find a piece of gold they shout with joy. Their understanding of numbers, size and shapes is developing well through everyday activities. For example, they count how many cotton reels they have threaded onto their rope, competently recognise shapes, such as squares, triangles and circles, and talk about the 'big' and 'small' pieces of fruit.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy being in the fresh air and relish the outdoor play opportunities. They plant tomatoes, peas and cucumbers, help to water them each day and when they are harvested they eat them at snack time. Outdoors, children explore the grass bank. They laugh with excitement as they roll themselves down the hill and quickly run back up. Children competently ride bikes and enjoy the challenges of the fixed play equipment in the school grounds. In addition, staff make good use of incidental opportunities to enrich children's natural curiosity. For example, as children play on the covered outdoor area they stop what they are doing to listen to the pattering of rain on the roof. They then listen to the sounds the rain makes This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 as it splashes into saucepans. Children attending the out of school sessions and holiday club also enjoy a wide range of activities, such as cooking, team games,

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and outcomes for children

table tennis and puppet making. They also relish visits to the cinema, bowling alley and Abbey Gardens.

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour in the group is good. They behave in a manner that is supportive of their learning. Children develop confidence and self-esteem because staff give regular praise, encouragement and support. They have developed meaningful relationships with both their peers and staff. Children have a good awareness of the wider world through access to resources that are representative of diversity and by celebrating cultural festivals throughout the year. They understand how to stay safe as staff use everyday opportunities to reinforce their knowledge and understanding. For example, staff remind children to use equipment safely and support them as they engage in regular emergency evacuation drills. They have a good understanding of personal hygiene and develop good habits, such as hand washing before snacks. Healthy eating is promoted well as children access healthy snacks each day, such as watermelon,

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and outcomes for children

apples and peppers. They also enjoy making fruit kebabs and talk about why five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is good for them. Drinking water is also readily available, ensuring they remain hydrated. 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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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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