Town Tots Pre School

Town Tots Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY419842 Inspection date 03/10/2011 Inspector Andrea Snowden

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Setting address North Walsham Junior School, Manor Road, North Walsham, Norfolk, NR28 9LH Telephone number 01692407012 Email teresa.turner@benjaminfoundation.co.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.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as 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

Town Tots Pre School is a well-established group which registered again in 2010 in new premises. The setting is managed by the Benjamin Foundation, a charitable organisation supporting children and young people across Norfolk. The pre-school operates from a building within the grounds of North Walsham Junior School, and children have access to two playrooms and an enclosed garden. Children attending are from the local town and surrounding rural villages.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm during school term time only. Children may attend for a variety of sessions during the week. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of 24 children under the age of eight at any one time. There are currently 34 children on roll, some of whom receive funding for early education. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are seven members of staff who work with the children on a part-time basis. The manager is qualified at level 4 and the deputies at level 3. All other staff hold appropriate childcare qualifications at level 2 or above. 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 mostly making good progress in their learning and development and are well provided for within the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are safe and secure and enjoy their time in this setting. Good partnerships have been fostered with parents and other providers, professionals and agencies to ensure children's needs are met effectively. The pre-school has used self-evaluation well to bring about improvements in the outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 use the observations to identify priorities for children's learning and plan relevant motivating experiences for each individual child  review the organisation of story time to ensure the needs of very young children are appropriately met.

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the early years provision

Children are well cared for in this setting where staff are appropriately qualified and are able to promote children's health and safety. Staff have a good This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 understanding of procedures in order to protect children from abuse. Adults with unsupervised access to children have been vetted and are suitable to work with young children. Policies and procedures are robust, ensure the smooth running of the setting and support staff well in caring for children. Thorough risk assessments are in place to ensure hazards are minimised, both on the premises and when on outings, and as a result children can play and learn in safety. Resources are clean and well maintained. They are organised to encourage children in free choice and independence.

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the early years provision

Staff support children with specific needs effectively and have developed secure and trusting relationships with them and their parents. As a result, children are making progress in their development according to their individual needs and pace of learning. Specific equipment has been provided by the setting to promote the needs of children, and through working closely with other professionals, children's needs are assessed and met. The playgroup uses some resources and engages in activities and discussions to help children understand the wider world. Through positive role modelling, staff have successfully improved children's understanding of similarities and differences. Parents have cooked foods for children from their home countries, offering them the opportunity to try different dishes. Craft activities help children to explore the meaning behind some festivals, such as Diwali.

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the early years provision

Parents comment that they receive good information when joining the setting and find home visits invaluable in settling their children at the pre-school. They say that they feel well informed with regard to their children's progress. They are offered opportunities to discuss their child's learning journey at open mornings, and are encouraged to contribute information about what they do with their children via the 'good news tree' in the entrance hall. Relationships with other settings attended by the children are fostered so that children benefit from continuity between settings.

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the early years provision

The manager and staff are actively involved in the self-evaluation process. Improvements already made have significantly enhanced the learning opportunities for children when outdoors, and completed training has improved staff's ability to manage unacceptable behaviour more positively, helping children to learn right from wrong. Parents' and children's views are sought with regard to the running of the pre-school and their comments are acted on to bring about changes, valuing the views of all users.

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and outcomes for children

Staff support children in their learning appropriately. They are encouraging and offer examples of how to manage an activity to help children enjoy success. They ask children questions to promote problem solving skills and talk to them about what they are thinking and doing. Children take part in a very good range of activities which contribute to their learning in all areas of the curriculum and help them gain the skills to support their future learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children count to ten as they lay the play figures in the bed and use laces to thread beads, counting and talking about their colour. Children recognise and match shapes when using the computer and learn about subtraction when singing number songs. Children handle books well, pretending to read them to younger children as though they are the adults, pointing out pictures and talking to the

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and outcomes for children

younger children about what they see. Children explore new words from books with adult support. Children select from the freely available resources to practice their emergent writing. Children use small tools well, for example, knives to cut the play dough, and the computer mouse is used with dexterity by older children. Their gross motor skills are promoted as they jump, climb, slide, scoot and pedal in the garden. Children climb the tree, attempt to use a hula hoop and race around demonstrating a real enthusiasm for the outdoors. They grow and harvest a good selection of fresh fruits and vegetables and learn that the weather impacts on what they are doing. They explore as they float boats in the water canal and show interest in how the lava lamp and the bubble tube work. They enjoy a range of art materials to create pictures and models, and experiment with natural materials, such as acorns and sticks in paint

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and outcomes for children

Staff make regular observations of children while they are learning, but do not always use this information to effectively plan for individual children. As a result, planning is sometimes aimed at groups of children rather than differentiating for individual children's needs and style and pace of learning. Additionally, the organisation of story time, while appealing greatly to older children, results in very young children becoming disengaged and wandering away from the group, rather than meeting their needs for shorter stories and more simple songs.

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and outcomes for children

Children are helped to feel secure and confident in the group as the bond between child and key worker becomes strong. Older children are able to voice their views in confidence, knowing that staff will listen. They are reminded about acting safely around the smaller children and take part in activities to raise their understanding of personal safety. Children have very good opportunities to learn about healthy eating. They comment that they have big muscles because they ate all their snack and staff remind them that drinking their milk makes their teeth big and strong

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is good. Older children play together, sharing and taking turns, while younger children are still developing relationships and learning about playing cooperatively. Children's self-esteem is promoted effectively by staff, who praise their achievements with positive body language and comments, and use positive re-direction for unacceptable behaviour. As a result, children respond to the expectations of staff. 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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