Dicky Birds Pre School Nurseries Ltd – St Andrews

Dicky Birds Nurseries Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY431069 Inspection date 30/01/2012 Inspector Elizabeth Mackey

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Setting address St Andrews Hall, Maple Road, SURBITON, Surrey, KT6 4DS

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Telephone number 02089425770 Email claremonthall@dickybirds.co.uk 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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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.

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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

Dicky Birds After School Club, is one of seven childcare provisions owned by Dicky Birds Pre-School Nurseries Limited. It registered in September 2011 and operates from a purpose-built one-storey building within a church hall. It is in a residential area of Surbiton, which is within short commuting distance of Kingston town centre. There is one hall, which has direct access to an outside patio area and a kitchen. Toilets are situated next to the hall in a communal part of the building. The ground floor is accessible to wheelchair users and there are toilet facilities available to meet the needs of disabled users.

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Description of the setting

The after school club is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to provide a maximum of 18 places. There are currently 18 children attending, of whom 9 are in the early years age group. The after school club also offers a service to children over eight years. The setting adopts a Steiner Approach.

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Description of the setting

The provision operates a breakfast club from 8:00am to 8:45am and after school care from 3:15pm to 6:00pm, every weekday, during term time. Children attend from the nearby Maple Infants School, which is within walking distance. There are three members of staff including the manager; two members of staff have a relevant early years qualification.

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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 settle quickly when they arrival after school, in this welcoming, inclusive setting. All aspects of their welfare and development are promoted well. Despite some premises restrictions, staff create a welcoming environment, where children are safe and well cared for. The setting works in partnership with parents and there are good communication systems in place with the local school. Reflective, accurate self-evaluation identifies priorities for future development and highlights the setting's good capacity for ongoing improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend children's experience of outdoor play by increasing the range of activities across the six areas of learning  review and improve the organisation of the setting and resources, to provide a more visually stimulating environment which increases the opportunities to promote child-initiated play. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The staff work well as a team, promoting children's welfare and learning. The setting has a named person for safeguarding, who has attended the relevant training. Safeguarding procedures are robust and made available to parents. All records, policies and procedures required for the safe and efficient management of the setting are in place; they are shared and understood by all. Staff effectively minimise potential hazards by conducting regular and thorough risk assessments, including fire drills and equipment checks. Most staff have relevant early years qualifications and all have attended first aid training. Leaders and managers are good at embedding ambition and driving improvement, and there are good support systems in place for staff. The team demonstrate a strong commitment to future development and improving the outcomes for the children through a robust system of evaluation. Parents and carers are warmly welcomed into the setting and their

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the early years provision

views are sought, and valued. There is a good exchange of information at the end of the session, which includes passing on written messages from the school. Parents report they are very happy with the service provided and are kept up to date with their children's progress. Partnerships with other agencies work well. The setting works very closely with the school and share relevant information. They also work alongside other outside agencies, for example, speech therapy.

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the early years provision

This after school club has a welcoming atmosphere with friendly, approachable managers and staff. They help all children develop confidence and enjoy their time after school. Children contribute their ideas and their individual needs are known and catered for. There is limited storage in the setting which impacts on the amount of resources available to the children at any one time. A good range of good quality resources and activities are set out on the tables and the floor. However there are few opportunities for children to self-select resources, which restrict child-initiated play. The setting are not permitted to put anything on the wall, which means there are very few displays of children's work or visual displays to enhance the learning environment. The management team are striving to address this. The inclusive nature of the setting ensures that it pays good regard to promoting equality and diversity for all children. Staff engage with parents and

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the early years provision

carers to gain information about each child and they recognise and respect each family's cultural and religious background. Staff know the children very well and many of the children previously attended the Dicky Birds day nursery, which share some of the same staff. As a result, children are confident and show good autonomy and a sense of belonging. Staff plan for children's individual needs and develop their plans by monitoring the children's interests and the next identified step in their learning journey.

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and outcomes for children

Staff engage extremely well with the children and they are skilful in helping them to progress in their learning. They naturally ask them questions to promote their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 thinking. Children feel safe and secure, because they have strong, warm relationships with staff. Children say they enjoy coming to the after school club, because they have lots of fun. The children share lovely friendships and they are keen to help one another. Children are motivated and interested in the activities available. Children often share responsibility for decisions about routines, for example, they all help to tidy up and set up for tea-time. They naturally problem solve together, for example, working out how to share a cake for the number of children present. Children demonstrate a willingness to keep themselves and others safe through their good behaviour. For example, they ask to go outside and

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and outcomes for children

use water and brushes to clean the patio. This involves bringing water in jugs from the kitchen to the outside area. The children are aware they must be careful not to spill the water and they relish the challenge. Staff are positive and do not undermine their efforts, because they are confident in the children's ability to meet the task.

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and outcomes for children

Children sit in small groups at tea time and it is a social occasion with lots of interesting conversations. Children show good awareness about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. They demonstrate good table manners and tuck into a healthy snack of hot, home-made soup with brown bread or toast. They politely ask for more as well as helping themselves to water, when they are thirsty. There is a good balance of indoor and outdoor activities and children enjoy playing outside on the patio. The outdoor area is limited in space and resources, therefore staff make sure children also have ample opportunities for outings to the park across the road. Children practice good personal hygiene routines and self-help skills, for example, they wash their hands prior to eating and put their coats on before going outside. Staff interaction with the children is extremely positive and a notable strength of the setting. Children are treated with the utmost respect; they are

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and outcomes for children

listened to and firmly acknowledged. There is a good sense of fun and the children make choices about whether to play with construction toys or choose activities that enhance their creative ability, for example, sewing or making balloon animals. Children use their imagination, enjoying building dens, dressing up and role play. They have good opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. They recently learnt about the celebration of the Chinese New Year. They made fortune cookies and discovered the animal that represented their birth year.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children have a happy and relaxed time at the after school club, they are active learners and show enthusiasm in all they do. They develop very good skills in their numeracy, literacy and understanding of communication technology enabling them to build good skills for their future. 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 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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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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