The Play Pit

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Play Pit Day Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 251782 Inspection date 09/02/2009 Inspector Moira Oliver

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Setting address 9 Brownlow Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk, IP11 7EX

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Telephone number 01394 276005 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises 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. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Play Pit Day Nursery, known as Holly Lodge, is one of two nurseries run by Play Pit Day Nursery and opened in 1990. It operates from eight rooms in a detached house in Felixstowe. The nursery serves the local area.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 54 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play and garden area. There are four steps into the nursery, however, level access can be arranged with the use of an alternative entrance. The baby and toddler rooms are on the first floor.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 187 children on roll, 175 of whom are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The setting receives funding for nursery education. The setting is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 14 staff to work with the children. Ten of the staff and the managers hold appropriate early years qualifications. Currently, three staff are working towards a recognised early year’s qualification. The pre-school receives support from Early Years Consultants from the local authority.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The setting provides well for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and staff promote all areas of children's welfare and learning with success. Children are safe, secure and supervised at all times. The provision promotes inclusive practice and works in partnership with parents and other agencies, however, there is not an effective system in place for sharing children's developmental records. Self- evaluation and reflective practice is developing and plans for future improvements are in place as the managers and staff strive to extend their good practice further.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop partnership working to provide opportunities for parents to share in their children's learning and consider ways of continuing to liaise with schools to ensure progression and continuity of care for all children including out of school care  evaluate continuous play provision to ensure it is always inviting and stimulating  ensure that the key person role offers each child a settled and close relationship and a link for the parent  develop the risk assessment to include the maintenance of all windows and gates. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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provision

Documentation is in place to ensure the smooth running of the setting. The managers know the staff well and treat them as individuals, acknowledging their strengths and supporting them to develop. The staff work as an effective team and regular staff meetings ensure they are all involved, informed and can share their skills and practice. They are motivated to provide the best care they can for the children. The setting has begun to self-evaluate and invited outside advice and support to help them to be more effective. Adult-led activities are evaluated supporting staff to plan effectively. However, continuous play provision such as the role-play area, writing area and painting areas are not consistently inviting and therefore do not always stimulate the children's interests.

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provision

The managers and staff work closely with the parents and other agencies such as doctors, health visitors and inclusion officers to support them to meet individual children's needs. For example, they provide some specialist equipment for children and ramps are available for access. Parents are very happy with the care and education their children receive and report that their children are very happy and love attending the nursery. Staff share information about the children's learning and development through daily diaries with the younger children and daily conversations as parents arrive and collect their children. Opportunities have been made for parents to share the children's developmental records with their child's key person. However, this is not effective as many parents state they would welcome this opportunity but are unaware that the staff keep these records.

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provision

Good links are built between the nursery and other settings that work with the Early Years Foundation Stage that the children also attend. However, developmental records are not consistently shared and no longer used by the nursery once the children start attending school, even though they still attend the nurseries out of school club.

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provision

There is a key person system in place to support the children to become familiar with the provision and to feel confident and safe within it. Due to the organisation of the staff, the key person does not always work with the child and may not see the child's parents regularly to form a bond. They strive to overcome this by ensuring that the key person informs the staff working with the child of their needs and their next steps in their learning and development.

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provision

Children are protected because staff understand their roles in safeguarding children and are confident to put procedures into practice when necessary. A recent training audit identified that many staff would benefit from some safeguarding training. Managers are in the process of organising it to ensure all staff increase their knowledge and understanding in this area. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children's welfare is promoted well and they are happy, relaxed and confident within the nursery. Relationships between the staff and children are very good. Children behave well, they know what is expected of them and staff are good role- models to help them to learn about respect and caring for others. The staff focus on individual children and record children's interests and achievements daily to support them to identify the children's next steps. They have worked hard to incorporate this new planning and assessment model and are now seeing the benefits as the children show progression.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Older children are confident and use the areas with purpose. For example, they move around the art room accessing paint, sand, water, construction toys as well as the planned activity for the session. Younger children also get lots of opportunities to access their craft room as well as the activities and resources in the main rooms. All children are developing very well in their language and communication skills. Babies receive lots of attention, staff talk to them, smile, sing and play games such as 'Peek-a-bo' and bouncing up and down. They encourage children's first sounds and provide new words and phrases. Older children involve the staff in their play, chatting freely to them, asking questions and enjoy stories and rhymes. Children learn how to use books and role-play reading to their friends, recalling as much as they can about the story as they turn the pages one at a time. Numeracy skills are developing well and staff use computer programs to help

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

children with number recognition and simple calculation.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children enjoy physical activities as they play outdoors, they have opportunities to ride in cars, on bikes, balance, run, jump, throw and catch balls and dig in the sand or the soil. Babies have equipment to support them to crawl, pull themselves up and push or pull. They enjoy tearing newspaper and play 'rough and tumble' on the cushions. Children enjoy nature as they find pictures of birds and insects, use binoculars and check lists to mark off when they have seen a particular bird. They have many opportunities to explore their local environment as they visit the beach, the park and go on a train ride to their other nursery. They use their first-hand experiences of outings to inspire creativity and make pictures and models of trains, tracks, cars and horses.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children are healthy and enjoy the freshly cooked meals and snacks. They receive a balanced and healthy diet throughout the day and are encouraged to try new tastes and textures. Children's individual dietary needs are met as staff work very closely with the parents to ensure their requests and respected. The premises are safe and secure. A very effective door monitoring system ensures that only a member of staff can open the front door and children cannot leave unattended. Risk assessments are in place and staff carryout daily visual checks to ensure hazards to the children are minimised. However, some parts of the premises are in need of repair, for example, the sleep-room window frame and the garden gate.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children who attend the out of school club access the art room and the outdoors. They are provided with a variety of activities including making pasta shakers, decorating tiles, use the keyboard, computer and regularly visit the park or the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 beach. They are taken and collected from local schools in vehicles with appropriate seatbelts and seats, ensuring their 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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of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 2 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

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Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 3

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 3 How well are children helped to be healthy? 2 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 2 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

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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