Crowgate Child Centre

Crowgate Child Centre Oak Meadow, BISHOPS CASTLE, Shropshire, SY9 5PA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/12/2012 05/05/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 are motivated and very keen to learn in the stimulating environment where they show good levels of curiosity and interest.  Children are particularly well supported by staff to develop their ability to reason and solve problems. This results in the effective development of personal, social and emotional skills, such as sharing ideas, listening to others and taking turns.  Staff plan activities which are securely based on children's individual interests. Children contribute to the provision and develop independence by making selections about their own play and learning.  An effective key person system ensures that children are well supported and their needs are met. Relationships are secure and parents and carers have a high level of trust in the staff.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for involving families more actively to enhance children's experiences of diversity in the wider world are not fully explored.

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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 activities and interaction in all of the care bases and during outdoor activity.  The inspector spoke with the manager/nominated person from the organisation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views and comments from some parents spoken to during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a range of documentation including records to assess staff suitability and qualifications, children's records, policies and procedures and children's developmental records.

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Information about the setting

Crowgate Child Centre opened in 1995 and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose- built demountable premises adjacent to the primary school in Bishop's Castle, Shropshire. It is managed by a workers' cooperative. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs five members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least level 3. The manager and deputy both hold Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all-year-round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 32 children attending who are within the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

 strengthen the programme of activities that further supports children's developing awareness of diversity in the wider world, for example, by encouraging parents to share their home languages, social and cultural backgrounds and customs.

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who attend

A wide variety of educational activities are planned and delivered by staff to enable children to make good progress in all areas of learning. Consequently, children are highly motivated and interested in their play and activity. Staff use information from parents and carers to establish starting points in order to ensure that individual needs are known and planned for. Children contribute actively to the planning process. They sit at the start of each session and consider what they would like to do that day, recording their thoughts in their individual planning books. Staff discuss these choices with the children and annotate the drawings and comments, valuing children's choices and ideas. Staff also use these documents as key evidence when planning for each child's individual interests. This ensures that assessment is sharp and focused and that the next steps in each child's development are appropriately planned for. For example, where a child is extremely

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who attend

articulate and confident, planning shows how staff work to extend the child's ability to concentrate for longer at a more structured activity. This also encourages children's ability to sustain attention and prepare for school routines.

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who attend

Communication between children and staff is purposeful. Staff use lots of effective questioning to extend children's thinking and reasoning skills. A child informs a member of staff about a much-loved, but torn book and locates some sticky tape to repair it. The child is supported by the member of staff to consider the use of masking tape or clear tape, deciding how the words could be read on the page if masking tape is used. Other children use their verbal skills to great effect. The 'rules' of the role-play library are reinforced by a child who reminds children about being quiet in the library so that people can 'concentrate' on their reading. Another child makes links in her learning as she acts out a current theme of toilet training; dolls are asked if they need to go to the toilet and informed about telling the 'ladies' if they do need to go.

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who attend

Children develop their expressive and creative ideas indoors and outside. They eagerly participate in the rehearsal for their forthcoming concert, taking pride in remembering their lines and actions. Outside, children go in search of suitable twigs and branches to make reindeer sculptures and staff encourage them to consider how to secure the twigs and discuss what sort of twigs to look for when making the antlers. Group activities are very well-paced and managed. Staff know the children well and encourage them to take turns in conversation, listen to others' ideas and to help each other. For example, when tidying away, an older child holds the basket for the younger child to collect the farm animals and shows her where to store the basket.

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who attend

Children gain a strong sense of the community in which they live. This is reflected in their play and conversation as they talk about the farm animals and vehicles seen in the rural area. Children are not so aware of diversity in the wider world and how others live. The cultural backgrounds of some families are not fully reflected within the setting and there are fewer activities planned by staff to encourage children's awareness of other languages and customs.

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

Children are confident, articulate and self-assured as a result of the bonds they develop with their key persons. They seek out staff, confident in the response and support they will receive. Some older children are replicating this support as they help their younger peers. For example, a younger child is shown to the toilet by an older child who reminds them about washing hands afterwards, reinforcing the effective personal hygiene routines in place to promote a healthy lifestyle. This demonstrates how staff's conduct provides children with positive role models. Children bring their own packed lunches for their main meals and healthy options are discussed with parents. Children freely access fresh drinking water throughout the day, developing independence and an awareness of how to tend to their own needs.

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

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They show a clear awareness of the expectations of their behaviour and consider the impact of their actions on others. Where children require additional support in their development and learning, staff work openly and professionally with parents and other agencies to ensure a consistent approach is achieved. Quieter children are sensitively supported by staff as they become more familiar with routines and activities. Developmental records show how such children gradually become active members of the group.

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

Children are fully involved in assessing their own safety. They use tools and implements, such as scissors and knives, with skill and dexterity, particularly when they engage in the 'forest school' activities. They understand how to stay safe when near the fire pit and that the surface of the wooden bridge is slippery due to the weather. Indoors, a child applies more masking tape to the outline on the carpet that defines the stage for the concert. Staff trust the child to use the sharper scissors as the child knows how to carry them with care and ensures that they are closed. They are then placed safely while he bangs the tape down to make sure it is stuck. The member of staff praises the child for repairing the outline, valuing the child's ability to consider the required action to take to solve the problem.

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provision

Leadership and management of the centre is strong, driving improvement effectively. The management team has established effective self-evaluation procedures and all staff contribute to the process through ongoing discussions and sharing ideas. Staff constantly review their practice, for instance, making changes to the layout of the room to enable them to support younger children more effectively. Members of the staff team offer a wealth of qualifications, experience and skills which they draw upon to enhance children's early learning and development experiences. Rigorous systems are in place for the recruitment and selection of staff. This reassures parents of staff's suitability and skills.

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provision

The manager and all of the staff have a very good understanding of how to protect the children in their care. They are well aware of the child protection procedures and know who to report concerns to. All areas used by the children, indoors and outside, are maintained well to ensure that children can move around safely and freely.

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provision

Effective links have been established with other agencies, the children's centre and local schools. For example, to promote smooth transitions between settings children visit the adjacent school to share activities, such as 'forest school', view some concerts and visit the reception class. Teachers and children from the school also visit the nursery promoting children's awareness of moving onto school. Children walk with staff up to the school to collect some older children who attend after school sessions in the nursery, developing familiarity with routines.

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provision

Parents and carers express their deep satisfaction with the provision. They comment on how supportive and sensitive staff are in helping the whole family as well as individual children. They speak confidently about the programme of activities and contribute to children's summary assessments regularly. This develops the true partnership between the setting and home that promotes children's all-round learning and development.

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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 EY386783 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 896655

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 32 Name of provider Crowgate Childcare Centre Ltd Date of previous inspection 05/05/2009 Telephone number 01588 630133

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Type of provision

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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