Penny Pot Pre-School and Under 5s Creche

Penny Pot Nursery and Under 5s Creche Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY236204 Inspection date 01/03/2012 Inspector Geoff Dorrity

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Setting address Hildebrand Barracks, Penny Pot Lane, Harrogate, HG3 2SD

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Telephone number 01423 501460 Email snowy477@hotmail.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

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

Penny Pot Nursery and Under 5s Creche is committee run and was established in 1998. It operates from four rooms on the ground floor of the Jubilee Community Centre. It is situated in the rural outskirts of Harrogate and primarily serves army families.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. At any one time, a maximum of 33 children may attend the facility, which opens each weekday from 8.30am to 5.30pm during college term-time. All children share access to a large hall and an enclosed outdoor play area which adjoins the premises. There are currently 29 children aged from three months to under five years on roll. The children attend at various times.

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Description of the setting

The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and English as a second language. It is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four and is accredited by the local authority. The setting employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and seven at level 3 or above.

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Description of the setting

The group receives advisory teacher support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The setting is highly effective. Outcomes are consistently good and exemplary in significant elements. All major aspects of the provision are at least good and excellent in most respects. Overall, partnership between the setting, parents and wider community ensures individual needs are met and that children's protection is assured. Children's behaviour is exemplary and they make significant progress due to the high quality care and learning provided in a stimulating environment. There is a positive attitude towards continual development through training and self- reflection by staff and management to maintain the exceptionally high standards they have set themselves.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 extend children's experiences of their local area, for example by building more partnerships in the wider community. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are kept safe at the setting by staff vigilance. For example, there are comprehensive risk assessments in place that include daily visual checks. All staff and volunteers have been checked to confirm they are suitable to have close contact with children. Camera identification is in place at the entrance and monitored internally, ensuring safety for both children and staff. Highly effective policies and procedures are in place that are regularly reviewed. This supports the smooth operation and management of the provision. All staff know the actions to take if they are concerned about the well-being of a child in their care and have attended safeguarding training. Children show they feel safe and secure at the setting. They are not uncomfortable in the presence of strangers, are confident and eagerly get involved in conversations with them.

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the early years provision

Children benefit greatly by the provision of a stimulating, language-rich environment. The extensive resources both indoors and out successfully support all children's learning and development. Very good attention is given to creating focused areas of learning. For instance, in the baby room, an area is resourced with contrasting colours and textures to stimulate the senses. In the older age room, the creation of distinct areas are resourced to meet learning outcomes. There is a healthy food shop in the role-play area, an office in the writing area and quiet areas where children can relax and read books. Clearly labelled storage units support children's independence, choice and decision-making skills. Natural materials, pictures of positive images, examples of children's work, number lines and alphabet are attractively displayed. Labels are reproduced in other languages to support children who are learning English as a second language. The outdoor

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the early years provision

environment is equally well equipped to cover all areas of learning. Good use is made of recycled materials for imaginative play and is accessible because children can move freely from the indoors to outside.

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the early years provision

The setting works extremely well with partners and parents, with clear channels of communication such as daily diaries, regular meetings, and informal daily exchanges. Staff make less use of opportunities to extend children's experiences of other communities. The nursery has identified the benefits of partnership working, leading to improvements in children's achievements, well-being and development. Staff work closely with the community development officer to enable parents and children to access further activities. They run regular stay-and-play sessions to enable parents to develop a greater understanding of how their children learn and progress. Parents comment positively on the quality and continuity of care provided.

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the early years provision

Since the last inspection, sustained improvement has taken place. All recommendations and actions have been fully addressed. The manager, staff and committee have an ambitious vision and clear priorities for improvement. There is a weekly improvement focus agreed by the staff. There are regular staff appraisals and peer reviews. The nursery works with the consultant teacher to have an independent view of quality and standards. Parents' views feed into the self- evaluation through regular questionnaires, daily diaries, and parental This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 representation on the management committee. The setting displays a commitment to training, with all staff accessing equality and diversity training.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making excellent progress in relation to their starting points. Highly effective planning and a good quality environment cover all areas of learning and the five outcomes. Staff use observation and assessment well to continuously move children on in their learning. They are highly skilled at assessing children's starting points in an environment where there is a high turnover of families. This ensures all children are developing from the outset. Staff have an excellent understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use it well to support children's learning. Children practise early writing skills by making marks in foam, and move on from making shapes to more controlled letter shapes. This learning is reinforced during environmental walks, with children identifying the letters made by plane trails in the sky. They are able to reflect on their learning at circle times. Staff skilfully used open-ended questioning and supported phonic awareness while

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and outcomes for children

describing a daffodil. Children are encouraged to develop their music-making skills; after sharing the toy piano in the hall, they move to the music area to explore the sounds of different instruments. They enjoy the outdoor environment, planting wild-flower seeds to attract the insects they have identified from books in their spring theme.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate that they feel exceptionally safe by their confidence. They understand the importance of established routines, such as when they go out for a walk, or singing the goodbye song whilst waiting for parents. They feel very secure with staff in the presence of other adults and are very willing to discuss what they are doing. Interactive maps of the locality enable children to develop a sense of the geography and the routes they take from home to nursery. There is a family atmosphere, with highly effective interaction between all parents and key workers. High standards of behaviour are made explicit by staff, ensuring children feel safe. Children are taught to use equipment safely, for example, when they carry chairs to set up the dinner tables. The nursery invites in the road safety officer and police to enhance children's understanding of personal safety.

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and outcomes for children

Children are effectively supported to adopt healthy lifestyles. Healthy eating is seen as a priority. There are many stimulating and informative displays. The shop in the imaginative play area is stocked with healthy foods. Children enjoy growing and cooking produce. The potatoes they grow in the outdoor area are made into potato salad and eaten at meal times. Water and fruit are always available. Children set up the breakfast table on arrival and serve themselves. After lunch, they tidy up, replacing lunch boxes independently and disposing of rubbish safely in the bin, without adult intervention. They easily access outdoor play using the climbing frame, slide and tunnel. They go for regular walks and use the playground equipment in the locality. Children are taught independence in toileting, washing hands and disposing of paper towels appropriately. They understand the importance of dressing correctly to keep dry and warm.

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children's ability to make a positive contribution is developing well. Their awareness of other cultures is good. They celebrate festivals from across the world. They learn to respect others' beliefs through play resources, songs and stories, and circle-time discussions. Parents are invited in to share their knowledge and beliefs. Children cooperate well, passing pieces of a puzzle to each other and taking turns in collecting matching animals. Generally, they show awareness of each other's needs, for instance in sharing equipment, and helping each other at lunchtime, although strategies to help them understand the impact their actions have on others are not always effective.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very well supported to develop skills for the future. Overall, their behaviour is excellent. They are very confident and knowledgeable in discussing their learning. They know and follow routines, for example singing a goodbye song while calmly waiting for parents to collect them. They are developing good skills of independence. For instance, when dressing in preparation for an environmental walk, or getting their mats out for circle time. They have access to information technology from the youngest age and enjoy playing games and activities on computer using age-appropriate keyboards. 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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