Stars Day Nurseries Ltd t/a Shooting Stars Pre-School Nursery

Shooting Stars Pre-School Nursery Paston & Gunthorpe Community Centre, Hallfields Lane, PETERBOROUGH, PE4 7YH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/01/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Families speak highly of the care and concern shown for their children and the support they receive, and children settle easily because of the effective partnership between the setting and home.  Children learn about the rhythm of language and develop their vocabulary as they sing well-known nursery rhymes which helps them make progress in their learning.

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It is not yet good because

 Children whose first language is not English are not always sufficiently supported to use their home language during their play, or to see it within the environment.  Behaviour management strategies are not implemented consistently enough and children do not always receive clear explanations to help them understand why certain behaviour is unwanted.  Management oversight of quality implementation of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage is not yet effective in ensuring that children are offered challenge or sufficient breadth and depth in their learning with regard to planning, staff interaction with children during their spontaneous play or chosen activities, and daily routines.

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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 in the pre-school room and outdoor area, including a joint observation with the manager of a flexible snack time activity in the pre- school room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the owner, operations manager and manager of the provision and spoke to children's key persons as appropriate during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation evidence and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of three parents or carers spoken to on the day as well as information included in the setting's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Shooting Stars Pre-school Nursery was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Paston and Gunthorpe Community Centre in Paston, Peterborough. The pre-school 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 pre-school employs three members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, and the manager holds a level 4 qualification.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday each week, during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 12 noon and from 1pm until 4pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 24 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a child who speaks English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 provide opportunities for children whose home language is not English to develop and use their home language in play and learning, thereby supporting their language development at home  improve the range of activities and the quality of the experiences offered to children during outdoor play by; providing them with opportunities to explore and investigate through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities in order to provide them with a challenging and enjoyable experience  shape teaching and learning experiences by; widening reflection and monitoring of children's progress across all seven areas of learning and development; increasing the emphasis on staff interaction given to support children's spontaneous play and chosen activities and by helping children to benefit from routines.

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

 enhance children's understanding of behaviour and the consequences of their actions by encouraging staff to give clear and consistent explanations of why certain actions are not appropriate.

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who attend

Practitioners have undertaken training in the revised Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage which enables them to undertake observations and make assessments of children's learning. Starting points are collected from parents as children begin attending which includes information about their learning to date. Practitioners complete frequent observations to enable to them to complete a baseline assessment by the end of a child's first week at the setting. Children's learning in the home environment and links with parents are supported through use of 'my child surprised me' sheets which parents return. These enable parents to tell practitioners what their child has achieved outside the setting. Books have also been introduced which enable the setting to share with parents suggested activities they can do with their children at home. Practitioners also include their own contributions, which benefits children's learning and development.

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who attend

Most staff show a growing understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Planning is completed on a weekly basis by each key person for their particular group of children. Individual children's next steps in their learning are shown and any new interests are noted. These then inform the following week's plan to ensure that children's play is aligned to what they are most interested in. Practitioners plan a reasonable range of activities that adequately meet children's learning needs. However, some staff lack the confidence and expertise to comprehensively complete planning or to translate observations and assessments into activities that challenge individual children or specifically meet their needs. This means the quality of teaching is variable and children's learning is less effective.

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who attend

Children enjoy using a reasonable range of resources and play equipment. A group of children, aged two years, pretend to make 'tea' for one another in the role play area. They pour the 'tea' into cups from the teapot, until a resourceful child decides to make the experience more real. They fetch water from the mobile sink unit and pour it into their teapot, thus making the experience more realistic. They enjoy sitting or standing round the table together, chatting about their activity. During outdoor play, children run around as a practitioner plays a game of chase with them. They squeal delightedly as they try to reach the balance beam before she 'catches' them. They explore the ball run and test out different sized balls until they find one that fits. Children watch with interest as the balls descend from one level to the next and shout out 'hooray' when the ball drops into the bucket they have placed underneath. A child is supported to learn how to ride a scooter as

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who attend

she is shown by a practitioner how to balance and is then helped to 'scoot' until she gains confidence to try this herself. However, aside of these activities, the outdoor area is underutilised and children are not supported by practitioners to enjoy a stimulating, exciting experience during their play. Children are intrigued by the mud in the raised bed but practitioners do not pick up on this interest and so children mill around it disinterestedly. A practitioner is offered a bag of balls by children which she takes but makes no effort to open. Children watch expectantly and then take the bag back off her when they realise she is not going to help them. They do not always, therefore, learn to associate outdoor play with the concepts of fun and exploration.

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who attend

Children's communication and language is supported adequately because they are offered a daily time to share enjoyable stories and rhymes. Practitioners interact well with them at this time and some children join in with the story, which effectively promotes their confidence and self-esteem. Generally, practitioners engage with children during most activities, talking to them and role modelling language and new words. At other times, when children spontaneously seek out activities, practitioners do not take the opportunity to support or develop their emerging understanding. This does not help children make progress in their learning. For example, children play with the tea leaves and hot chocolate powder in the floor tray. They use small containers to scoop up the leaves and pour them into the pan and taste test both the leaves and dry chocolate granules. However, without any practitioner input, to provide language to describe the experience or

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who attend

offer suggestions to extend the activity, their learning is limited. Children learn to use tools that promote their skills in making marks, such as play knives to cut their pretend pizza and spoons for stirring. Children learn the names of animals as they play with the Noah's Ark, count them and match them into pairs. The practitioner supports their understanding and together they sing songs about the animals they find, such as 'five little monkeys'. Children are, therefore, prepared for the next stage in their learning reasonably well in some areas.

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who attend

Children whose home language is not English are provided with sensitive support and care. Practitioners provide them with opportunities to improve their English that are suited to their individual needs and positive images of diversity are displayed around the setting and through resources. However, they are less successful in helping children use their home language during their play, and labelling in the environment does not show children's first language. This does not help them feel valued or help them to develop a sense of belonging. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good as the manager has prior experience in this area. She ensures that any necessary training is undertaken to enable practitioners to meet individual children's needs. The setting operate in an area where they are part of a pilot for extended two-year-old funding and the majority of children attending fall into this age group. The manager is aware of

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who attend

the need to, therefore, prioritise children's learning in the prime areas and this is evident through the planning.

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

The key person system effectively ensures children settle easily and feel safe. Children and parents are offered individual settling-in arrangements suited to their specific needs. Most children have clearly formed secure attachments and the majority of staff show warm affection for them. Children show care and concern for one another, for example, when a child is coughing and becomes upset, other children gather round to provide comfort. Most children behave well and enjoy their time at the setting. However, children's unwanted behaviour is not always managed effectively as practitioners do not routinely explain to them how to rectify their behaviour or why it is unwanted. Consequently, children do not learn what is acceptable behaviour. Children learn about the importance of physical exercise through free-flow outdoor play and explanations about the effect of exercise on their bodies. They ride trikes and scooters which promotes their physical skills

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

moderately well. Children cooperate in their play as they help one another complete jigsaws and stack squares, triangles and circles onto the shape sorters. They sit together to eat and share their snack, such as toast, fruit and breadsticks. Snacks are rotated on a four week cycle and the setting respond to parental suggestions for different foods children could try. For example, a parent suggests they make simple pizzas with the children and cook them to eat for snack and this is incorporated into the planning. Practitioners sit with children as they eat their snacks, helping these very young children learn that mealtimes are social occasions.

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

Practitioners are deployed effectively ensuring that children are supervised and can play and learn safely. Children are reminded about risk in age-appropriate ways. For example, practitioners teach children how to negotiate the three steps up to the outdoor play area to help them manage this unavoidable hazard. A child says 'I am coming down the steps carefully so that I don't fall and hurt myself'. Children know not to run inside and are reminded to ride trikes away from the top of the steps. Healthy practices are being established and children are reminded to wash their hands after playing outside or following a visit to the toilet. Children's health is promoted adequately because, for example, there are appropriate arrangements for nappy changes. Practitioners undertake training to meet the health needs of children and ensure they are well cared for while at the pre-school.

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

Partnerships with local early years settings and schools are not yet in place, although the manager has plans to meet with them this term. Contact has been established with the local children's centre. As none of the children attending also attend another setting and are aged two years, this has a minimal effect on them. Transitions will be considered so that children are supported when they do move onto another setting or up to school.

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provision

The manager understands that she holds responsibility for meeting the learning and development requirements of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. However, organisational arrangements do not fully support her to monitor the planning and delivery of the educational programmes successfully. This does not enable the setting to offer children depth and breadth across all areas of learning, support children in learning routines or guide practitioners to more effective interaction with children. Regular supervision, team meetings and annual appraisals provide practitioners with support to discuss and share good practice and findings inform a routine programme of professional development. This benefits children as practitioners feel valued and improve their practical knowledge and skills.

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provision

The safeguarding and welfare requirements are suitably implemented and the manager is clear about her responsibility which ensures that children are protected. Arrangements for safeguarding children are clear and practitioners display a good understanding of the procedure to follow should they have any concerns about a child in their care. Recruitment procedures are thorough and new practitioners follow an induction programme. Checks ensure that practitioners are suitable to work with children.

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provision

A regular programme of training for practitioners ensures that core courses are routinely renewed to enable practice to remain up-to-date and children are offered appropriate care and protection. Risk assessments are completed each day, as the setting is opened and when it closes. The manager is passionate about ensuring children are safe and, before any outings are taken, the local area is risk assessed. The room is regularly re-assessed to ensure that the space is used efficiently to enable children to get the most out of activities on offer.

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provision

Policies, procedures and other documentation suitably promote children's health, safety and welfare. Medical information, to ensure children can be well cared for, is gathered from parents. Accidents and incidents are monitored to identify any possible areas for concern. The manager has prior knowledge and experience of supporting vulnerable families and can provide useful advice to parents about agencies that help support children. Partnership working with other agencies, such as speech and language therapists, and the local authority are in place to enable the setting to ensure children's well-being. This enables the setting to offer support to children with additional needs.

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provision

The setting is reasonably well equipped with accessible resources that offer children the opportunity to make choices. Within the confines of operating out of a community centre the setting is welcoming and has a few displays. Children's emerging independence is encouraged appropriately as they tidy away their own cups and plates after snack time. However, the routines of the day are not clearly delineated for children and this does not help them anticipate what is happening next. For example, at 'tidy-up time' some children help tidy up, some go and sit on the mat ready for their story and others continue to play as no announcement is made to enable all children to join in. Consequently, some children act without purpose.

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provision

Partnership working with parents and carers is good and suitably promotes children's well- being. Practitioners take time to talk with them at the beginning or end of sessions and will be holding the first parent consultations in a month's time. Parents speak highly of the setting and practitioners. They comment that they like the small number of children and feel their child is valued. The capacity for sustained improvement at the setting is satisfactory.

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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 EY452131 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 809901

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider Stars Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01733 578215

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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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