The Scott Centre Pre School and Schools Out

The Scott Centre Pre School and Schools Out The Scott Centre, Mead Hedges, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 2LB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/01/2013 31/03/2010

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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

 Staff and management have clear plans for improvement with well-targeted actions to benefit children.  Enthusiastic and capable staff encourage children be motivated in their learning, explore and solve problems independently through practical play.  Staff know children well, monitor their progress accurately and plan carefully to follow children's interests and ensure all make good progress.  Children are encouraged to become highly independent as they make choices about what they do and manage their personal care very well.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 systems to encourage parents to contribute regularly to their children's' developmental records and be involved with their learning at home, are not consistent.  children have fewer opportunities to develop early writing skills in meaningful ways through everyday play.

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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 activities in the main playroom and the sports hall and inspected the outdoor play area. The inspector was also present for a short period of the out of school club.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager of the pre-school provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the overall manager, the pre-school manager and the out of school club manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including planning and children's assessments records, records of CRB clearance for all staff, policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and their views included in the setting's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

The Scott Centre Pre-School, and Schools Out after school and holiday club, opened in 2012. It is managed by a registered charity, Youth Options. The setting operates from the Scott Centre in a residential area of Andover, Hampshire. children have access to different playrooms and a sports hall. There is a secure outdoor play area and the children use the adjacent playing field. The setting serves the local community and the out-of-school club provides a collection service from schools in the Andover area. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Currently there are 69 children on roll, of these, 24 are in the early years age range. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The club welcomes children that have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who are learning English as an additional language. The setting operates Monday to Friday from 8.30am until 6pm. The

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Information about the setting

pre-school operates from 9am until 12.30pm but from February 2013, it will offer afternoon sessions from 12 noon to 3pm. The after-school club operates from 3pm until 6pm term time and then 8.30am to 6pm during the holidays. There are eleven full or part time staff working with the children; of these, six hold relevant qualifications at level 3 or 4. Two staff hold level 2 qualifications. Three members of the staff team work full time with the pre-school children. The pre-school manager holds a level 3 qualification with other staff working towards level 3.

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

 encourage parents to be involved further in their children's learning by contributing more regularly to their developmental records and sharing ideas for learning at home

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

 extend children's early writing skills by encouraging them to 'write' for a purpose. For example, provide writing materials in the home corner and encourage children to write their names on pieces of art.

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who attend

Children enjoy attending as staff plan a wide range of interesting and often exciting activities that challenge children and help all make good progress. The skilled staff have a secure understanding of how to help children learn through active play. They have a thorough understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They encourage children to develop their own ideas. For example, staff display model bugs and magnifiers to spark children's interest. They encourage children to think about where they might look for more creatures, and provide opportunities for children to go outside for a bug hunt. In the holiday club, children explore the theme of native Americans. They use problem-solving skills and teamwork effectively to make tepees. Staff give them some shorter poles so that the youngest children can participate fully. Cooking over a fire pit adds to their enjoyment and helps staff reinforce safety messages about the dangers of

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who attend

Staff talk with parents and carers to find out what children can do, and what interests them, before they start at the setting. Staff regularly assess and discuss children's achievements and make very effective use of this to plan activities tailored to challenge each child. For example, staff notice that a group of children enjoy making pretend food with play dough. Staff therefore plan to help them make real pizzas. They use this practical activity to develop children's mathematical understanding as they weigh, count and cut ingredients.

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who attend

Staff are aware of the new requirement to review children's progress between the age of two and three years. They are in the process of providing parents with written summaries of their children's development at this age. Parents of all pre-school children are well informed of their progress through daily discussions with their child's allocated key person. They are invited to take their children's written developmental records home twice each year. Parents are not consistently encouraged to contribute to children's records on a more regular basis to continue their learning at home.

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who attend

Children learn to speak and communicate effectively, including children with specific problems and those who are learning English as an additional language. Staff and children learn and use simple sign language and visual timetables help everyone to understand and express themselves. Staff have created an environment that encourages children to talk. For example, canopies and cushions create cosy spaces where children chat to friends or enjoy sharing books. Staff make good use of puppets and other props to engage children in story telling and role-play. Children needing extra support with speech are given time in small groups in a quieter room, where they can hear and be heard more clearly. The wide range of activities, gives children plenty to talk about and enables them to develop a rich vocabulary. This helps children prepare for the next stage of their learning and readiness for school.

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who attend

Children can choose to play inside or in the garden, which especially benefits those who learn better outside. Staff have carefully organised the garden to make sure that all areas of learning are included. For example, children can practise writing on large boards or making patterns in sand. They explore and find out how things work, for example, as they pour water down pipes and care for growing plants. They also make good use of the large hall, where there is plenty of room to use 'ride on' toys and for the older children to play ball games after school. Staff support children's learning effectively. They know when to guide children's play sensitively, and when to leave them to explore ideas by themselves. This makes children independent learners, who like to explore and find things out for themselves. For example, different sized sand timers fascinate a child. He spends a long time experimenting with these, gently encouraged by a member of staff, who notes how

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who attend

they might extend this in a future activity.

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

The successful key person system helps children form secure relationships so they become happy and confident individuals. Staff know each child very well and they provide very good support, especially to the youngest and those needing extra help. Children from all backgrounds are valued and different cultures, languages and ways of life are celebrated. For example, words in children's home languages are displayed to make parents feel welcome. Staff make great efforts to learn important words in relevant languages and pronounce them correctly. Parents are encouraged to share cultural festivities, for example, by bringing in special foods. Children learn about their own community, through visitors to the group and outings to the supermarket bakery or a children's farm.

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

Children behave extremely well and learn to play cooperatively. This is because staff are good role models and give children clear guidance about expected behaviour. They encourage children to talk about their feelings, and how to manage emotions, such as anger and frustration. Staff work closely with school and parents, by using a communication book, to make sure that children receive consistent learning opportunities. Because of these strong relationships and good behaviour, staff confidently organise frequent outings, especially for the holiday and out of school club. Children go ice-skating, or to a theatre workshop. This helps them develop social skills and gain confidence in new environments, which will benefit them in their future learning. Children learn to keep themselves safe and this is reinforced by a visit from the community police officer.

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

Children develop a good understanding of why it is important to eat a healthy diet and be physically active. They serve themselves from a choice of nutritious snacks and drinks, and parents are encouraged to provide healthy options for those who stay for lunch. Staff display a menu for parents so they know what their child will be offered each day. Staff sit with children while they eat, and use the opportunity to reinforce healthy messages and chat about the day in a small, relaxed group. Children learn more about healthy eating as they grow and harvest their own vegetables. They become highly independent as they manage their personal care. They clear away dirty plates, know when to wash their hands, often without needing reminding, wipe their own noses and put dirty tissues in the bin. Staff check and change children's nappies regularly so they are comfortable and well supported as they begin toilet training. There is a wide range of physical activities inside

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

and out so that everyone enjoys being active every day.

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provision

Although this setting has operated as an out of school club for a number of years, it has only provided pre-school care since last year. The early years and childcare coordinator for the setting provides strong leadership so that both parts of the provision have largely experienced well-qualified and enthusiastic staff. In the pre-school, the same staff work each day, which helps children feel secure. Staff ratios are maintained at all times, to help ensure that children are well supervised and supported. Staff from the after school team, who are familiar to the children, cover any absences to minimise disruption.

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provision

Both parts of the provision have an appropriately qualified manager and together with the coordinator, they systematically monitor the quality of what they provide. Staff receive regular feedback and discuss their development and training needs, and these are acted on. The views of staff, parents and children are taken into account to help set challenging targets for improvement. For example, the garden has been renovated to provide a safe and stimulating place for children to play. Future plans include putting children's developmental records onto a database, which will improve monitoring of both the curriculum and children's progress. This should help identify individual and groups of children's needs more quickly so that action can be taken very promptly to close gaps in learning.

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provision

The management team have a clear understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. They prioritise children's safety and have robust arrangements in place to recruit and check staff's suitability. All staff receive child protection training and senior staff have advanced training in this area so that any concerns can be swiftly acted upon. Risk assessments are used effectively to identify possible hazards to children and action is taken to minimise these, including taking children on outings.

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provision

Partnerships with other providers of childcare, schools and external agencies are well developed and this contributes to the good quality of care and learning that is provided and ensures children's individual needs are met. They are currently coordinating a network of other providers in the area to exchange ideas, share good practice and arrange joint training events. This ongoing commitment to development helps to ensure the continuing improvement for all children.

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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 110156 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 901680

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 55 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Youth Options Date of previous inspection 31/03/2010 Telephone number 01264 332188

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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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