Sticklebricks Pre-School

Sticklebricks Pre-School 1 & 2 Woodville, Crosslands, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 2HJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/10/2012 19/07/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staff are confident and enthusiastic practitioners who work well as a team. They are committed to improving their professional qualifications and use their knowledge to improve the quality of the provision.  Children are happy and confident. They explore their surroundings and are keen to have a go and try new things. They are well supported in their learning by staff who understand how children learn.  Good partnerships with parents and the local school provide continuity and support for children's wellbeing and learning.  Children learn to love books and listening to stories, which provides excellent support for their communication and language skills.  The indoor environment is well-planned and inviting for children. They can access resources easily and there is good support for them to develop skills to support their independence.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff regularly reflect on practice and continue to move the provision forward. However, the methods for evaluating the quality of the provision is not systematic, to clearly identify areas for development and monitor the impact of changes on outcomes for children.  The outdoor play area still has plenty of scope for development. For example, although there is a lot of outdoor equipment, there are few movable structures to promote children's imagination and physical and investigation skills.  Insert Strengths text here

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed pre-school and after school club activities in the indoor and outdoor environments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childcare manager of an activity in the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the registered person / manager and the childcare manager.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Sticklebricks Pre-school is privately owned and has been registered since 2000. It operates from detached ground floor premises next door to Sticklepath Primary School, on the outskirts of Barnstaple. Children have access to a secure outdoor play area. The pre- school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register, There are currently 86 children attending at various times, 35 of whom are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years. Out of school care is provided for children up to the age of 11 years. The pre-school is open from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday and is closed on bank holidays and for a week at Christmas. There are five members of staff working with children, all of whom are qualified to level 3 or above. The childcare manager is currently working towards Early Years Professional Status.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 promote further children's physical development and imagination by developing the outdoor area, for example by providing large portable equipment that children can move about safely and cooperatively to create their own structures, such as milk crates, tyres, large cardboard tubes.1

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance systems for self-evaluation and monitoring of the quality of provision in order to further inform priorities and set challenging targets for improvement in children's learning experiences.

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who attend

Staff provide a very good range of activities that are adapted to children's needs and abilities. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development. The pre-school currently has a high number of younger children attending, and staff have made changes to ensure that the needs of both the younger and older children are met. Planning clearly shows how activities can be adapted for all abilities. Regular assessment ensures children's individual needs and interests are very effectively fed into the planning. This enable children to be engaged and interested and receive appropriate challenge for the next steps in their learning. Arrangements are in place for two-year-old progress checks to be carried out in order to support the identification of any additional needs. There are many ways in which parents and carers are involved in their children's learning. For example, parents are encouraged to stay with their children until they are settled and

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who attend

Children are clearly confident in their surroundings, with plenty of interesting activities that encourage them to explore and try things out. For example, they were fascinated by a new toy cooker. Boys and girls alike enjoyed putting things in the oven and listening to the sounds when they turned on the switch. They were thrilled by the 'bubble machine' and enjoyed exploring the texture of the soapy bubbles and making patterns on the table. Children learn to mix different colours as they make handprints and explore the qualities of paint. Staff support children well, encouraging their language and extending their learning in a gentle and sensitive manner.

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who attend

Children learn about the local community and the world around them as they hunt for spiders on a walk to the school library. They learn to love books as they choose their favourites to take back to pre-school. Children regularly take part in activities to support their communication and listening skills. They listen to stories and confidently anticipate what comes next, finding rhyming words. They join in action rhymes that help them develop their understanding of number. Children develop their balancing skills using the large wooden blocks. A two-year-old crawled confidently along the blocks, carefully pushing a fire engine. Outdoors, children play with a range of equipment that supports their physical skills. However, there are few resources that enable children to create their own structures and experiment. Children enjoy racing each other as they pedal on scooters. Staff extend their learning as they provide cones for them to steer around.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The key person system is very effective in ensuring children's wellbeing. Key persons spend time with their children supporting them in small group or one-to-one activities and as a result they get to know them very well. Overall, children benefit from a good balance of child-led and adult-initiated activities. They develop their independence as they pour their own drinks, clear away their cups and plates and help themselves to tissues when needed. Staff encourage them to put on their own coats and fetch their things from their tray when it is time to go home. The interesting range of activities and gentle guidance from staff results in a generally good level of behaviour and consideration for others. Children come confidently in to the pre-school and separate easily from carers as they are greeted individually by staff. Staff regularly praise the children and share achievements with parents, which promotes children's self-esteem.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children learn to take risks and challenge themselves, for example as they balance on the wooden blocks or see how high they can build a tower of small bricks. Staff support them to learn how to keep themselves safe, holding hands as they walk to the school library. They learn about healthy lifestyles by taking part in physical activities outdoors; they help themselves to fresh fruit and healthy foods at snack times. They plant and grow pumpkins and beans in the garden, which helps them learn about where their food comes from. Staff encourage children to follow good hygiene practices. They provide the appropriate level of support for children's personal needs, such as hand washing before eating. Resources are well organised and accessible, which encourages children to make choices. Children help tidy up and are familiar with the routines of the day. There are appropriate facilities for children to rest or play quietly when they are tired.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are very well prepared for transition to school through regular visits to the school premises, such as the library visits. Younger children also accompany staff to collect children from school and all the children play together in the school playground before returning to the pre-school. Staff support children to settle in to school when necessary by accompanying them. Parents and carers of younger children receive daily written reports detailing important information about their child's day. Whereas, the use of home communication books enables sharing of this information for the older children.

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provision

The joint managers have a very good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the requirements to support children's wellbeing, learning and development. Since the last inspection they have reviewed many policies and procedures and made sure that staff have up-to-date knowledge in all areas. The childcare manager has completed training in safer recruitment in addition to a child protection training course. Managers ensure all staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, including procedures to follow should they have concerns about an adult working in the setting. Information about safeguarding procedures is shared with parents and carers and displayed in the foyer so that everybody is aware of the policies. There are robust systems in place to ensure the suitability of adults working with children, including Criminal Record Bureau checks and thorough induction procedures. Regular staff supervision and appraisals ensure that staff

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provision

are effectively monitored and supported. Staff are encouraged to undertake further training and professional development opportunities and all have a current first aid certificate.

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provision

The pre-school works well with parents and external agencies to support the children. Staff are in the process of setting up a parent committee to act in an advisory capacity to the pre-school. Staff act on advice from local authority advisors to improve quality. For example, they have obtained additional shelves and trays to enable each child to have their own space. They are also enthused by courses they attend and bring back ideas they feel could make a difference. Staff are aware of the importance of working with other agencies to support children in need of specialist support, when required. This contributes to all children making good progress according to their starting points. Staff reflect on practice and monitor the quality of the educational programme. They discuss changes at staff meetings. Progress made since the last inspection demonstrates a good capacity to continue to improve. However, the systems in place for self-evaluation

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provision

are sporadic and do not review the impact of any changes to see how they make a difference to children. Overall, the passion and enthusiasm of managers and staff enable children to make good progress.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 106379 Local authority Devon Inspection number 813285 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 0 Number of children on roll 86 Name of provider Sharlene Adell Jones Date of previous inspection 19/07/2010 Telephone number 07789 890693

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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