Mini Monsters Preschool Ltd

Mini Monsters Preschool Limited Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY431118 Inspection date 19/10/2011 Inspector Glenda Pownall

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Setting address Sports Pavilion, Pascal Drive, Medbourne, MILTON KEYNES, MK5 6LS Telephone number 07505962114 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

Mini Monsters Preschool Limited is privately owned. It registered in 2011. It operates from one room in the Medbourne Community Sports Pavilion in the Medbourne area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. A maximum of 30 children in the early years age group may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre- school is open each weekday from 9am to 12 noon during term time only. There is an extended session on Wednesdays until 3pm. Children have access to the adjoining field for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 13 children aged from two to the end of the early years age group on roll. The setting provides free early education to children aged three and four years. The pre-school currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs three staff. The manager and all staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. There is one member of staff working towards a qualification.

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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

Systems for monitoring practice in the pre-school adequately support continual improvement. Overall staff safeguard children appropriately, but recruitment procedures are not always rigorous, risk assessments are not fully recorded and evacuation procedures are not practised or logged. Activities support children's steady progress in all areas of learning, although independence skills, safe behaviour and aspects of diversity are less effectively promoted. Staff provide a welcoming environment where some children are beginning to develop a strong sense of belonging. Positive relationships with parents help to ensure that staff are able to meet children's individual needs.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that people whose suitability has not been checked do not have unsupervised contact with children who are being cared for (Suitable people) 20/10/2011

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further?

 identify aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis, maintain a record of these particular aspects and when and by whom they have been checked. Determine the regularity of these 20/10/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 checks according to the assessment of the significance of individual risks. (Suitable premises, environment and equipment)

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further?

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

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further?

 carry out regular evacuation drills and record details in a fire logbook of any problems encountered and how they were resolved  support the development of independence skills by helping children to select and use activities and resources independently  promote safe behaviour by raising children's awareness that some actions can hurt or harm themselves or others  provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in their play and learning.

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the early years provision

Most required documentation to support the safe running of the pre-school is in place and appropriately maintained. Overall, all staff have a good knowledge of the safeguarding policy and their responsibility to protect children. This helps to safeguard children. However, there are breaches of some requirements. There are generally appropriate systems in place for recruiting and checking the suitability of staff. However, management are not aware of guidance regarding assessing the risk of using existing Criminal Record Bureau disclosures. As a result, a new check has not been sought, in line with this guidance, for one member of staff who works alone with children. During the inspection, management took steps to prevent this happening again. In addition, management have good knowledge of the staff member's existing Criminal Record Bureau check as they instigated it at an unrelated setting. Therefore, the risk to children's safety is negligible. Staff

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the early years provision

regularly undertake risk assessments and safety checks to ensure children play in a safe environment. However, the risk assessment does not identify the need to regularly check a hall occasionally used by the children, and there is no record to show when and by whom this check is carried out. There is an appropriate fire plan in place but a fire drill has not been conducted. This does not help ensure that children know what to do in the event of an emergency evacuation.

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the early years provision

There are appropriate procedures in place to liaise with other settings or professionals involved in children's lives when the need arises. A welcome pack provides parents with relevant information about the routines and policies of the pre-school. The pre-school operates an open door policy where parents can stay for a session to find out what their children are learning. Staff verbally exchange information with parents about children's routines and activities at either end of sessions. This helps to keep parents suitably informed about their children's achievements and progress. Parents are happy with the care and education their children receive. They particularly like the friendly staff team.

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the early years provision

There is an adequate range of suitable resources to support children's learning and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 development. Staff are generally well deployed at activities. However, staff intervention and the organisation of resources do not always promote children's independence skills. Children begin to develop awareness of looking after the environment as they reuse boxes and other materials in their craft activities and imaginary play.

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the early years provision

Staff obtain useful information from parents about children's individual needs. This helps staff to provide appropriate support to children from the outset. Some resources reflect positive images of different cultures. Outings in the local community develop children's awareness of diversity. Children do not have the opportunity to use their home language in their play and learning, to further promote respect for each child's cultural background. The pre-school is beginning to monitor practice. There are daily meetings for all staff to contribute their views of areas for development. Management identify increasing the quantity of resources, particularly those reflecting diversity, and staff training as priorities to improve practice in order to improve outcomes for children. This reflects sufficient capacity for maintaining the development of the pre-school.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a sound knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They generally provide effective support to children although at times they do tasks for children rather than letting them try for themselves. This does not help children fully develop independence skills. There is an appropriate range of resources that supports progress in all areas of learning. Children develop suitable skills for their future lives. The records of learning are in the early stages of development. Since opening staff have undertaken some observations of children at play and use this information to plan for children's next steps in learning.

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and outcomes for children

Overall children enjoy their learning. They have fun burying each other under piles of shredded paper, laughing as their friends disappear and reappear. Children design and construct, selecting and rejecting building blocks until the desired outcome is reached. They match different coloured counters to corresponding coloured plates and staff refresh children's knowledge of the colours they cannot name. Most children enthusiastically join in with action songs singing about the jelly man and sleeping bunnies. Children choose books for staff to read and generally sit and listen attentively to the story. Children enjoy creating collages with the leaves they collect on the field and explore colour as they mix different paints together. Children do not have the chance to attempt to write their name as staff write it for them on their art work. Children are not able to choose resources such as scissors for themselves and staff do not give them the opportunity to use

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and outcomes for children

them independently. For example, when staff leave the table to fetch another pair of scissors they take the scissors children are using out of their hands. Staff are distracted with another activity and children lose interest in the cutting activity.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to show understanding of healthy lifestyles. They have daily This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 access to the outside environment to engage in physical activities. During warmer weather, a paved area is fenced off so that children can freely move between the indoor and outdoor environments. On cooler days, children get out of puff as they run across the field and laugh as staff encourage them to hop back to the pre- school. Children go for a walk through the woods each week. They increase their knowledge of the world around them as staff talk about the colours of the changing leaves and the plants they see. Children enjoy listening to music tapes and spontaneously follow instructions to raise their arms, walk backwards and gallop. Children enjoy healthy snacks of chopped fruit. However, staff chop the fruit and pour children drinks of water or milk. This does not provide opportunities

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and outcomes for children

for children to practise self-care skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children approach staff readily for help and support indicating trusting relationships. Some children demonstrate knowledge of thinking about the safety of others. For example, they are careful not to jump in the shredded paper where another child is hiding. Children are told what they should or should not do to promote their safety or the safety of others. For example, to sit and not stand on the chair and not to throw toys. However, staff do not explain to children why they should or should not do something to help them think about safety and to develop understanding that actions have consequences. Overall, children appear secure in the pre-school environment. Most leave their parents with ease and settle straight into activities. Children display confidence as they move around the room to participate in different activities. Children cooperate as they respond positively to requests from staff to help tidy away activities. Overall, children behave well.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about the local community through visits to the park and shop. They begin to gain understanding of celebrations linked to their own culture and those of others through planned creative activities. 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 3 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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