Portico at West End

Portico at West End West End Primary School, Grimshaw Lane, ORMSKIRK, Lancashire, L39 1PA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/01/2013 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 experience a welcoming and bright environment that provides them with opportunities to play, learn and explore.  Parents and staff work very well together to support children's learning and development.  Children are safe because of secure attachments to adults and the surroundings being regularly assessed for risks.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not use questions that allow children the opportunity to show their knowledge in ways that are less direct, especially during adult-led activities.

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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 carried out observations in the setting and of the children playing.  The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including policies and a sample of children's learning records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the provider, manager and staff. Parents and children were also spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Portico at West End was registered in 2012 and is one of six settings owned by a company. It is based in self-contained nursery rooms and the main hall in West End Primary School, which is situated in Ormskirk, Lancashire. It is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

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Information about the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 73 children on roll, 22 children are in the early years age range and attend a variety of sessions. It offers care for older children in the before and after school club.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs five members of staff to work with the children, all of whom hold early years qualifications. It receives support from the local authority early years team and Early Years Professionals from with the company. The setting receives funding for three - and four-year-old children. The setting supports children, who speak English as an additional language.

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

 ensure that staff use questions that allow children the opportunity to show their knowledge in ways that are less direct, especially during adult-led activity.

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who attend

Staff have high expectations of children right from the start. They show that they value information from the parents, using details in the 'all about me' booklet to effectively establish what children can already do when they start. This means that parents are involved in their child's learning and each child is well supported in their development. For example, parents are regularly invited to share information about their child's development with the key person to identify next steps for learning. They have regular input into their child's learning records and on the listening board where they inform staff of the children's interests and achievements.

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who attend

Planning and assessment of children's progress allows staff to plan varied activities and experiences to cover all areas of learning and development. Regular observations and annotated photographs in the children's learning records support this further. This ensures that all children are developing within the expected age band and extra support can be given if required. The two year progress check is in place and carried out by the key person. They share this information with the parents and work together to decide how to put in extra support if required.

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who attend

Children enjoy a well-organised environment where they can find and select resources to support their play. The 'endless possibility' area supports children's imagination as they use a variety of boxes and equipment to make rockets or ships. Children use the home corner to strengthen their understanding of home and act out being unwell. For example, children put the teddy bear to bed, and tell the member of staff 'he has to stay there'. The member of staff skilfully asks the question 'why' and the reply is 'he has to stay in bed with his germs'. This demonstrates how staff extend children's thinking.

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who attend

Children move around the setting with confidence and make choices about what they play with. For example, they learn how simple information and communication technology works as they use the tablet computer. Adults provide free-flow play, so that the children have the opportunity to engage in play inside or outdoors to develop their health and physical skills. They enjoy exploring textures as they play with the foam soap, they learn how to press the trigger to make it come out and watch intently as it makes a long sausage shape. Children invite a member of staff to join in, she enthusiastically makes marks in the foam, and then shows them how if she rubs the foam in her hand it disappears. This supports their understanding of how things can change. Children copy her excitedly as they shout 'it's gone'. Generally, the staff develop children's communication as they follow their lead and help them to extend their language.

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who attend

However, during adult-led activities, some staff tend to direct closed questions towards the children. For example, they ask 'what' rather than use discussion to allow children to show and develop their knowledge and understanding.

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who attend

Children build positive relationships through mutual caring interactions with each other and staff. They act out story time, knowing the roles they have to play. For example, one becomes the 'adult' and asks 'questions about the story ash, they look at the book together. Staff are positive in the way that they encourage children to explore their own learning. For example, a rolling snack time means that children are able to complete play and choose when to have snack. This supports their growing independence and self- confidence.

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who attend

Staff support children, who speak English as an additional language. They develop their understanding and language by commenting on their actions and provide a model of language at just the right level. Working with parents, they learn key words to support their understanding. Children learn about the wider world as they celebrate a range of festivals and cultures. They try a variety of different foods and learn to write their names in various languages, for example, Chinese. These are displayed with photographs of the children to support their understanding and encourage them to make links with different forms of writing. Staff are attentive of individual children's needs. They respond positively using appropriate approaches to support their learning. For example, they show children how to use the tongs at snack time to pick up the pieces of fruit. They encourage the children to try for themselves. This helps children to develop their understanding of using

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

Children's behaviour is good as they copy the adult's considerate, polite and caring approach to them. Staff consistently and calmly remind the children of the rules, for example, to share with others and wait for their turn. Staff also offer lots of praise, respond positively and show encouragement, which supports and motivates the children.

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

Staff have a good understanding and give a high priority to the safety of children. They are closely supervised at all times, for example, when sleeping or when outside playing. Children develop a good understanding of how to keep safe through a range of experiences. For example, a visit from the 'lollypop' lady helps them to understand road safety. They talk about and practise crossing the road on the nursery's zebra crossing. The children are developing an understanding of a healthy lifestyle as they regularly access outdoors where they have the opportunity to practise their physical skills. They run, climb and use wheeled toys. The conservation area attached to the school extends this further as they explore the natural world. They learn to take safe risks when they run up and down the slope between the trees and step on and off the low wooden logs. A range of nutritious meals and snacks provided by staff helps the children to make healthy choices,

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

such as a variety of fruit and staff encourage them to try new food.

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

The successful key person arrangement means that each child and family has someone, who they develop a special attachment with and who supports them. This helps to promote children's well-being and independence. A gradual settling-in process helps children to feel secure. Parents are encouraged to stay until they feel happy and their child is settled. Staff give cuddles and reassurance to children, who need it, especially those who are new into the setting. This promotes their emotional well-being and confidence. Relationships at all levels are strong and children are learning to respect and tolerate each other's differences. They make play dough cakes together and sing 'happy birthday' to a member of staff, offering everyone a piece of cake.

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

Children are well prepared for the next stages in their learning because staff provide appropriate support to prepare them for their transitions to school. For example, staff encourage and support the children as they develop their self-help skills, such as toileting and putting on their own coats. They also have the opportunity to access the school hall, which helps them to become used to the school environment.

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provision

All staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Robust recruitment arrangements are in place ensuring that all staff are suitable to work with children. A comprehensive induction helps new staff to understand their individual roles and responsibilities. Staff are well informed about safeguarding concerns, have a thorough and up-to-date understanding of procedures to follow should any concern arise with regard to children's welfare. They remain vigilant at all times for children's safety. Complete risk assessments means that children play in safety.

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provision

Partnerships with parents, external agencies and other providers strongly contribute to meeting children's needs and securing the support that they need. Staff make positive links with professionals from other agencies, such as speech and language therapists, who effectively help children needing extra support. Parents talk highly of the setting and staff with comments, such as 'they are very supportive, really caring' and they enjoy open lines of communication with their child's key person. Further support is given through the parent board. This gives them information about local activities and external agencies. It also helps them to understand about what their child is learning. The setting maintains children's records and shares information with other providers when required and with parents' consent. These records help to support children's transitions and ensure continuity of learning.

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provision

The manager has support from an Early Years Professional from one of the other settings within the group to monitor the planning and assessment. This ensures that staff display an accurate understanding of children's interests, skills and progress. The manager and staff are committed to offering a high quality of care to the children and their families. The manager continually ensures that policies and procedures are current to effectively support the setting and drive improvement. The self-evaluation takes into account the views of parents, staff and other professionals, such as the local authority adviser to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The resulting action plan is used as an ongoing document, which continues to enhance the provision for children.

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provision

Staff are fully committed to their work. The team are very caring and supportive to everyone, who is involved. Regular team meetings, supervision and a strong commitment to staff training and development means the setting is driving improvement.

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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 EY446381 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 808346

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 11 Total number of places 0 Number of children on roll 73 Name of provider Portico Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07747 105644

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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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