Little Owls Nursery Swarcliffe

Swarcliffe Children's Centre Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 512403 Inspection date 23/08/2011 Inspector Cathryn Parry

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Setting address Early Years Centre, Langbar Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS14 5ER Telephone number 0113 2144161 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

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

Swarcliffe Children's Centre is one of several childcare provisions owned and managed by Leeds City Council. It was registered in 1993 and operates from a purpose-built building. The setting is situated in the residential area of Swarcliffe in Leeds. Children access four secure enclosed outdoor play areas. In addition to the childcare facilities, it offers the local community a base for other groups to meet and support families. The setting is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm for 52 weeks of the year, excluding Bank Holidays.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered to care for a maximum of 60 children in the early years age group at any one time. Of these, not more than 20 may be aged under two years at any one time. There are currently 92 children on roll, of whom 47 receive funding for the provision of free early education. The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 21 members of staff, including the manager, who work directly with the children. Of these, three hold a relevant qualification at level 6, 12 hold level 3 and six hold 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 satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are happy and settled in a friendly, welcoming environment in which their welfare, learning and development needs are suitably met. Staff demonstrate a positive attitude to providing an inclusive environment. Appropriate levels of support are provided to ensure all children have opportunities to make progress in their learning and development. Systems for monitoring children's achievements are being developed, as are procedures for linking with other practitioners. Some areas of learning are better resourced than others. The new management team have started to reflect on practice with the staff to ensure continuous improvement is satisfactorily maintained.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further systems for summative assessment in order to track children's progress towards the early learning goals  develop systems further to ensure the provision delivered is complementary to the education and care provided in any other setting that children attend, to ensure effective continuity and progression  improve resources and activities to nurture children's understanding of people's different needs This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  develop further opportunities for all children to use information and communication technology to support their learning.

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the early years provision

The premises are secure, with effective procedures being in place for the collection of children, ensuring they are well protected. Staff have attended relevant safeguarding training and demonstrate a suitable understanding of associated issues. All staff are checked with regard to their experience, qualifications and suitability to ensure children's safety. Regular risk assessments, both indoors and out, satisfactorily reduce the chance of accidental injury. Staff have undertaken a range of training to develop their knowledge and enhance the learning and development opportunities they provide. Staff review the layout of their rooms to meet the needs of those attending, and this includes the low-level storage of resources to promote independence.

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the early years provision

Equality and diversity are satisfactorily promoted throughout all aspects of the setting. Friendly relationships have been developed with parents and carers. Information is shared verbally and through written diaries for younger children to ensure continuity of care. These relationships are particularly beneficial to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. Staff demonstrate an appropriate understanding of the importance of partnerships with other professionals to meet children's individual needs. Links with other practitioners where children receive care and education in more than one setting are not fully established. This impacts on the staff's ability to complement and extend activities to ensure effective conintuity and progression.

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the early years provision

The management team are motivated to seek further improvement and are effective in focusing the setting's efforts on priorities. The manager has developed a self-evaluation system to identify most of the setting's strengths and weaknesses to improve outcomes for children. Parental feedback is encouraged to ensure the needs of those currently attending are met. The recommendations raised at the previous inspection have been adequately addressed to satisfactorily enhance the learning and development opportunities provided. The manager is now embedding new systems to raise the quality of the provision as a whole.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have attended training on the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and implement it satisfactorily. They take into account children's interests and capabilities when planning activities. Individual development files have been developed, which include observations and photographs. The summative assessment process has improved since the last inspection. However, it is not fully developed in order to clearly track children's progress towards the early learning goals. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Staff celebrate a range of festivals with children that represent their own and other cultures, such as Christmas and Chinese New Year. This promotes children's understanding of different cultures and traditions. However, there are few resources or activities provided showing positive images of people with disabilities. This has a negative impact on raising children's awareness of people's different

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and outcomes for children

needs. Staff adequately support children as they learn right from wrong and start to take responsibility for their own actions. Their self-esteem and sense of belonging are encouraged as their artwork is widely displayed. Babies' interest is nurtured through a variety of man-made and natural resources. Children have good opportunities to learn about living things as they enjoy a visit from a company who brings insects and reptiles into the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Staff engage children in conversations to promote their communication skills. Counting activities are regularly incorporated into children's everyday experiences, for instance, when counting the cups at lunchtime. A variety of creative experiences, including model making, bubble painting and exploring musical instruments, promote children's self-expression while having fun. Older children have opportunities to use information and communication technology to develop their skills for the future. Examples of this are where they access programmable toys, recording and listening equipment, and an interactive white board. However, there are fewer age-appropriate resources available for children aged under three years to effectively promote their learning in this area.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop and test their physical skills through a variety of daily indoor and outdoor experiences. Their knowledge of personal safety is appropriately encouraged as they enjoy visits from the fire brigade and undertake regular fire evacuations. A varied and imaginative menu encourages children to have a good awareness of healthy meal options and the opportunity to try new foods. They take part in interesting food-related activities, such as growing, nurturing and eating peas. This effectively encourages healthy eating and good lifestyle habits. Children are clearly learning about the importance of good personal hygiene as they participate in activities with the environmental health team and the dental hygienist. 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 2 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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