Little Jax PreSchool

Little Jax Pre-School Headley Drive, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 5RP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/12/2012 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 Children make good progress in their learning from their starting points; they busily initiate their own play as they freely choose from the range of good quality toys and resources.  Staff quickly identify when children need extra support in their development and have good systems in place to seek additional help.  Staff develop positive relationships with parents and they keep parents well informed through daily discussions and meetings to discuss and plan for children's progress.  Staff have a good range of childcare qualifications and work well together to continually improve their practices and children's learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not always access programmable toys and other resources promoting technology.  Children do not see a wide range of displays to remind them of what they have experienced to develop and encourage language and communication skills.

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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 children in the early years age group.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed practice and talked to manager, staff and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents and briefly sampled policies and children's records relating to the Early Years Foundation Stage including children's development records and observations.  The inspector considered parents' views from discussions at inspection.

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Information about the setting

Little Jax Pre-School registered in 2012. It is privately run and operates from a scout hut in Epsom Downs, Surrey. Children have access to a medium sized hall, toilets and a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Children from two years to under eight years may attend. There are currently 24 children on roll in the early years age group. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during term time from 9.15am to 12.15pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The preschool supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who learn English as an additional language. The preschool is in receipt of free early education funding for children aged two, three and four years. There are eight members of staff; of these five hold appropriate level three early years qualification. The manager has an early years degree and has Early

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

 extend opportunities for children to explore and use technology

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

 develop further the programme for communication and language through the provision of displays to remind children of what they have experience.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of how children learn and understand the learning requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They organise the playroom and resources well. This enables children to independently choose from a wide variety of suitable toys and activities that mostly cover all learning areas. Children make good progress overall. Staff find out useful information about children's starting points from parents and use this to inform planning. The key person assesses their assigned children's progress through regular observations and the use of the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance. Staff complete learning journeys for each child, which contain observations and samples of their work and use these to plan for children next steps in learning. Staff effectively implement the required progress checks for children aged two years. Staff summarise children's strength and identify weakness where

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who attend

children are not developing within their expected age range. They rapidly access extra support as needed to close achievement gaps. Staff provide some adult-led activities to support children's learning. Parents are involved in their child's learning and work together on children's individual educational plans. Staff keep parents informed of how their child is progressing by holding parents' meetings. They are available each day to talk with parents about their child.

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who attend

Children enjoy a variety of interesting and challenging play opportunities because staff effectively organise these to meet their needs. They enjoy exploring different materials as they make Christmas stockings and crowns for their party. They make marks in sensory materials, such as shaving foam to develop their early writing skills and enjoy sand and water play. Children develop manipulative and thinking skills as the complete jigsaws of varying complexity. Staff give good support to children and clues so they can be successful and persevere. Staff extend their learning, for example, by discussing the life cycles of butterflies linked to the puzzles. They use every opportunity to support children's counting skills and number recognition. For example, children threads cotton reels and compare sizes with others. They sort out the different jigsaws by looking at the numbers of the back of each piece. Staff give children time to think and respond to questions so

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who attend

that children can develop their language skills. However, children do not see a wide range of displays to remind them of what they have done and to further encourage language and communication skills. Children enjoy books and spontaneously select books to read to each other. They seek adults to read to them and join in well at group story times, which helps them to develop good early reading skills.

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who attend

Children have good opportunities to initiate their own play and adapt resources to meet their needs. They join up with friends to become lions using their party crowns as manes and play with animal finger puppets. Children are inventive when reminded not to run. They turn their excited play into dancing and they hop and skip around the room like ballet dancers. Children have good opportunities to practise mark making through painting and drawing and have daily access to a writing area. Children enjoy using some programmable toys that involve pushing buttons to make them move, and tills in the role play area. However, they do not have daily access to a wider range of resources to develop and explore the use of technology. Children practise a range of physical skills outdoors as they use bats and balls, and wheeled toys knowing what is available in the shed for them to play with. Children are prepared well for their transition to school as staff

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who attend

develop a well planned learning environment. They provide a more structured session for older children. Reception teachers are invited into the pre-school to help familiarise children with new adults who will be caring for them.

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

The pre-school's good settling in procedures provides good support for each child. There is a well established key person system in place. Children's individual welfare needs and family backgrounds are well known and the caring staff help children feel secure. Children independently and confidently play and explore the resources and adapt them for their own play purposes. For example, crowns they make for the end of term party become lion's manes which results in loud roars. Children develop firm friendships and seek out their friends to join their games. Staff organise the large play room well to include activities and toys that mostly over all learning areas. This enables children to freely initiate their own learning and they are all busily occupied. Staff observe the children and move to support play as needed though there are some defined daily roles such as to cover outside, the snack table and planned adult led activities. The move to new premises

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

has enabled children to choose to play inside or out. Staff make good provision for outdoor play, which is still being developed. Staff complete regular observations which they use well to plan for each child's learning and development. They quickly indentify when children's progress in not as expected and make arrangements for additional support from outside agencies, such as speech therapists. There is good support for children who learn English as additional languages. Staff learn important words so they can respond to the children's needs. Children play with a good range of resources that promote their awareness of diversity and staff display a welcome poster in several languages to promote inclusion.

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

The caring approachable staff ably support the children's emotional well-being and overall development. Children confidently approach staff to read a story or help with toileting and staff are responsive and reassuring. Children mostly behave well and play happily overall. They sometimes receive gentle reminders not to run indoors though this is not consistently applied. They are beginning to understand how to share and take turns when playing together and help each other complete jigsaws. Children are cooperative at changes in the routines and sit well for story and singing as a whole group at the end of the session. They wait patiently for places at the caf style snack table so they can sit together with their friends.

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

Children develop healthy eating habits as they bring a snack of fruit or yoghurt each day and staff offer breadsticks or crackers to supplement children's snacks. Children choose milk or water to drink, and often are able to pour this themselves. Children choose when to have their snack. This is a social occasion where children happily chatter to the staff member and their friends. Children drink plenty and have free access to a water jug and cups; they help themselves or ask for help as needed. Staff follow procedures that effectively promote children's health and well-being and children adopt good hygiene habits and know why to wash their hands after using the toilet and before snack. Children use the outside play areas daily where they enjoy the freedom to run and play in the fresh air.

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provision

Children's welfare is promoted effectively and they stay safe as staff closely supervise them. Staff have a clear understanding of procedures for safeguarding children and who to contact if they have any concerns. The manager makes sure all staff are vetted and suitable to work with children. There are good risk assessment procedures in place and staff check the premises daily to ensure all is safe. Security is good both inside and out so children cannot leave the premises unnoticed. The provider has a comprehensive range of policies in place, including safeguarding and complaints. These are reviewed and updated to meet new requirements, such as in the use of mobile phones. Staff share all documentation with parents so they are well informed and are aware of the pre-school's responsibilities.

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provision

Staff form good partnerships with parents which enables them to have a good understanding of the children and families' needs. Comments from parents indicate they are happy with the caring approachable staff and their children's progress. They feel well informed from daily discussions and the notice boards which include photographs of children and their key person. They value the expertise of staff in identifying children's specific learning needs and how to seek additional support from outside professionals. The pre-school staff work closely with other professionals to support children's learning. They successfully assess and monitor children's learning using the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance. They implement progress checks for children aged two years which enables them to seek additional support as needed. This helps ensure achievement gaps are narrowing.

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provision

The experienced manager is keen to update her knowledge. She has recently completed an early years degree and obtained early years professional status. She encourages staff to undertake training to update their knowledge and skills including regular safeguarding and first aid training. Staff feel valued and well supported and they work well as a team to support children's learning. Appraisal systems are in place and staff meet regularly to plan for children's learning, share ideas and identify areas for improvement. Self-evaluation is effective in identifying and addressing areas for improvement and staff training needs. Staff have prioritised development of the outdoor play facilities following a recent move of premises so children can choose where to play. The provider works well with the scout hall committee to secure improvements that benefit the children, such as to the heating and storage facilities.

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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 EY445850 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 806707 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider Jacqueline Constance Jackson Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07788 805766

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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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