West Town Primary Academy

Jack in the Box Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 140855 Inspection date 16/11/2011 Inspector Aileen Finan

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Setting address Scouts Headquarters, Clay Lane, Wendover, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP22 6NS Telephone number 01296 696404 Email Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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

Jack in the Box opened in 1994. The pre-school operates from the scout hut in Wendover. It is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 30 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9am to 12pm, term time only. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area. The pre-school provides free early education for two-, three- and four- year-olds. There are currently 43 children on roll. Children attend from the local community and surrounding villages. The pre-school employs eight staff. Of these, six staff members hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 and settled and staff take appropriate steps to enhance their safety and well-being. Partnerships with parents and other providers and professional agencies are well established. Staff understand children's needs well and children are able to access a wide range of toys, resources and activities which support most aspects of the learning effectively. The pre-school is aware of their strengths and minor weaknesses and have securely acted on the recommendations set at the last inspection. They evaluate their provision of care well and overall they demonstrate a good understanding of how to ensure further improvement. However, some documentation relating to checks on staff and the committee was not available at the inspection.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure that records are easily accessible and available for inspection with particular reference to the record of Criminal Records Bureau checks (Documentation). 02/12/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 broaden the range of learning experiences delivered through outdoor play to extend the opportunities for children to be active learners.

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the early years provision

Children are kept safe at the pre-school as arrangements for safeguarding children are robust. All staff have completed safeguarding children training and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 policies and procedures have recently been updated. Staff are aware of the procedures for identifying any child at risk and understand how to record and liaise with the appropriate child agencies. Recruitment practice is robust and, therefore, arrangements are effectively established to help ensure the suitability and qualifications of the adults looking after children. Although all necessary checks have been carried out, some of the required records to assess staff suitability were not readily available at inspection. This is because these are held by the Chair of the Committee away from the provision. Therefore, the pre-school was in breach of a legal requirement. The pre-school conducts risk assessments and takes action

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the early years provision

to manage and eliminate any risks. Daily checks on the hall, outdoor area and resources are completed. These help to safeguard and protect children. Parents are aware of the procedures to sign children in and out of the pre-school and this practice is overseen by staff. Accident and medication records are appropriately maintained. Parents are made aware of the role of Ofsted as the regulator.

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the early years provision

Children are provided with a range of resources which is well managed and used well in order to achieve the planned goals in children's learning and development. The pre-school is welcoming to parents and children, and staff are deployed effectively. As a result, the environment is conducive to children's learning and, consequently, children achieve well.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with other providers such as local schools as well as other agencies, for example the local authority, inclusion officers and support staff for speech and language, are well established. Regular communication takes place between other providers, for example childminders who share the care of some children attending. Information is shared with other partners and, consequently, promotes children's achievements and well-being. There are highly positive relationships with parents, who are regularly asked to be involved in decision-making procedures and, therefore, are able to share their views about the provision and children's development.

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the early years provision

The pre-school is aware of their strengths and takes appropriate action to tackle minor weaknesses. They have met the recommendations set at the last inspection. The pre-school staff are enthusiastic and hard working. The vision to tackle key priorities and drive future improvement is secure and realistic. Consequently, the outcomes for children are good.

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the early years provision

Staff actively promote equality and diversity. They understand individual children's backgrounds and needs and provide opportunities for children to extend their knowledge about other people and other societies. Procedures to identify children needing additional support are robust and, therefore, interagency teams ensure that children receive the support they need from an early age.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled at the pre-school. They are motivated and interested in a broad range of activities and take responsibility for choosing what This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 they would like to do. Consequently, children enjoy their learning and achieve well. The pre-school is set up ready for children's arrival. Children can access their resources easily. They happily play in small and larger groups but are equally confident to play independently. Staff are readily available to support the children they care for and happily respond to requests to read a story together, or give help with a puzzle. Other children chat confidently to staff as they paint their elephants. Large group activities enable children to learn about the world and with the help of their globe identify pictures which relate to particular countries. Children confidently call out that the Leaning Tower of Pisa is in Italy, elephants are found

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and outcomes for children

in Africa, dragons represent festivals in China and tulips grow in Holland. Consequently, children are imaginative and curious about the wider world around them.

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with a suitable mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. They have access to an outdoor area which is laid mainly to grass. Children enjoy planting crocus and daffodil bulbs in containers ready for spring, then watering them to help them grow. Other children have fun kicking balls, or playing with hoppers and hoops with their friends. Some children enjoy looking at the Red Kites flying overhead through binoculars. These resources are complemented on other days with remote-controlled cars or stethoscopes in the role play areas. Therefore, children have access to resources which promote children's understanding of everyday technology and develop their skills for the future.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are aware of children's starting points through initial assessments. Children have learning journals and their progress is tracked for all areas of learning. Monitoring sheets provide key person staff with essential information to plan for children's individual next steps and to be aware of any gaps in their learning. All areas of learning are effectively planned for and, therefore, children enjoy and gain from a broad range of learning experiences. However, while some activities are taken outdoors, there are limited opportunities to extend children's interests through a mix of indoor and outdoor play and, therefore, promote new and further experiences. Children's progress is fed back to parents through key person/parent meetings and open days. Transitions to school provide children with opportunities to visit schools and, therefore, children move on feeling more secure

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and outcomes for children

and confident. Children's progress is also shared with schools through a report as children move on. Children's progress in communicating, literacy and numeracy is developing well. They are active learners who demonstrate the ability to solve problems, therefore, developing skills for their futures.

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and outcomes for children

Staff are effective role models. A code of conduct is in place for staff which is adhered to at all times. Very warm relationships exist between the staff and children. Children are valued as individuals and their behaviour is exemplary. As a result, they are very much aware of each other's feelings and respect one another's similarities and differences. Children understand what is expected of them and take responsibility for their own safety, for example through fire drills and understanding the day-to-day routines. Children show a good awareness about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. They understand they need to wash their hands after using the toilet and before snacks. They enjoy healthy snacks and snack time is very sociable, which consequently enhances children's self-esteem This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and confidence as they mix with one another, chatting as they eat their food.

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and outcomes for children

Children take on responsibilities, for example by handing out straws to go with their milk, by carefully carrying over the trays of fruit for their friends to share and by pouring cups of water from jugs. While everyday opportunities for outdoor play are encouraged, in very inclement weather children are provided with games indoors. Therefore, children receive plenty of fresh air and exercise and consequently maintain a healthy lifestyle. 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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