The Howgill Kabin

The Howgill Kabin St. Marys RC Primary School, High Road, WHITEHAVEN, Cumbria, CA28 9PG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31/01/2013 12/05/2009

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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 active learners and develop confidence and self-assurance in an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, well-organised and stimulating.  The excellent partnerships established between the pre-school and parents and carers, means that children receive continuity in their care and learning.  An effective multi-agency team of professionals, plus the links with the Early Years Unit and local primary schools, ensure that children are kept safe, secure and their needs are well met.  Children make good progress, and their emotional well-being is fostered well by highly skilled practitioners.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The monitoring of children's progress across all seven areas of learning, is not yet carried out frequently enough to be fully robust.  Improvement plans are not sufficiently rigorous and precise enough to fully support the drive for raising quality and children's achievements to the highest levels.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed the areas where children play, including the outdoor provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children taking part in activities, and interactions between practitioners and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussion with the supervisors and practitioners, regarding practice, policies and documentation.  The inspector talked with parents and took their views into account.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed documents relating to children, staffing, policies and procedures, and the setting's self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

Howgill Kabin was registered in 2008 on the Early Years Register. It is situated in the grounds of St Mary's R.C. Primary School, adjacent to Kells Primary School in the Kells area of Whitehaven, Cumbria. It is one of several childcare settings managed by the Trustees of the Howgill Family Centre, which is the lead body for Whitehaven Sure Start Children's Centre. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a portable cabin which is accessible to all children and adults. There is a fully enclosed outdoor area and school playground, available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. The Children's Services manager holds Early Years Professional Status. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am until 11.45am and 12.15pm until 3.15pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 37 children on roll. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 improve the frequency in which children's overall progress is monitored so that practioners develop a more precise, accurate and timely view of children's abilities, skills and achievements in all areas of their learning and development

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

 use the self-evaluation process more effectively to strengthen the drive for improvement by clearly prioritising targets for change and enhancing methods for ensuring these are successfully implemented.

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who attend

The supervisor and practitioners have a very good knowledge and understanding of child development, and the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. They demonstrate this by providing a range of activities and experiences that support children in making good progress in preparation for school. Children are observed and assessed within a few weeks of settling into the pre-school, and activities planned to suit their interests and needs. Progress checks completed each term identify how individual children are doing. Individual children are, therefore, seen to make good progress across the seven areas of learning, given their starting points. Very good provision is made for children who may need additional support because of strong links with an effective multi-agency team of professionals. Monitoring of children's communication and language skills takes place regularly. This means that the supervisor and practitioners can immediately identify what

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who attend

stage of development children are at, so that extra support can be sought if necessary. However, monitoring of children's progress in all other areas of learning is not completed as often. This impacts on staffs' ability to gain an up-to-date and precise understanding of all aspects of children's skills and achievements, and there is room to improve this to ensure that children's progress across all areas are identified in a timely fashion.

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who attend

Practitioners skilfully question children, to help them think and develop their range of vocabulary. For example, children sit in small groups, learning the days of the week. They join in with counting the days in the month, and talk about the windy weather. Children's early literacy skills are promoted well, as they look and say, the first letter of different words. They learn early mathematical skills as they count, and the practitioner asks good open questions, so that they begin to understand early concepts regarding the weather. Children's communication and language is promoted well because practitioners encourage children to talk about their experiences and objects that they play with. Quiet areas are available for children to play, and practitioners repeat words and sounds with children; re- enforcing their development of speech and language.

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who attend

Children play well together, for example, two children paint one picture together. They say, 'we're both painting it'. They each point to their names on the painting. Equipment and resources are easily accessible. For example, children are able to reach and put on their own aprons when getting ready for water and craft activities, and boxes of equipment are clearly labelled and easily available, so that children can help themselves to what they want to play with. As a result, children develop independence and a sense of belonging and security, because they know where to source play items of interest.

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who attend

Children are happily engaged in their play. There is a good balance of child-initiated and adult-directed play. This means that children learn to extend their own play and learning, with the assurance that responsive adults are there to support them if necessary. Practitioners support children well in developing a range a different skills at the same time. For example, when children are encouraged to pour water into funnels and containers, staff use this activity to help children develop their coordination, hand control and number skills. Skilful questions, help children to think things through as they talk about simple mathematical concepts, such as counting how many times it take to fill a container and considering when it is half full or full. This learning is further extended by questions, such as 'How many more do you think we need to fill it?'. Children show their enjoyment as they play with play dough. They make large igloos and question why they collapse.

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who attend

Practitioners respond by asking children to think what they might do to make it more stable. Children try different methods and have interesting discussions about the properties of the dough. Children learn to work together, solve problems and develop their communication and language.

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who attend

Parents are made to feel very welcome in the pre-school. They stay on the premises to help settle their children. Practitioners share children's learning experiences and development with all parents and carers, who then contribute by reading the reports and making comments. This means that parents and carers are fully involved in their children's learning.

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

The pre-school is very well-organised, safe and secure, and with clearly defined areas for children to play in. Children show they feel happy and secure as they freely move around the setting, choosing activities and toys that suit their needs and interests. Practitioners are warm and welcoming to children and parents as they arrive, and children are supported well in settling in. Consequently, children become interested, and remain motivated to explore the activities and resources on offer.

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

Children develop secure attachments with their key person, which helps them to develop a sense of well-being and self-assurance. This fosters self-confidence, and enables higher levels of learning to take place. Practitioners give children time and space to explore the environment freely and make their own choices. Children, therefore, learn to manage their feelings, remain focussed and develop good concentration skills. Practitioners are positive role models, and are highly skilled in managing children's behaviour; praising and encouraging children, and giving clear guidance and support. The calm and enabling environment is conducive to supporting positive behaviour, and practitioners skilfully observe children as they play. Quiet areas are furnished so that children can relax, make friends, and manage their feelings.

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

Children learn about health and hygiene practices because they are supported in managing their personal hygiene. They wash their hands before snack and after visiting the toilet. Children have healthy snacks, for example, breadsticks, cheese, fresh fruit and vegetables and eat according to their dietary needs because practitioners can easily make reference to children's food intolerances. Children go outside on a daily basis, unless severe weather conditions prevent it. The outside area is safe and secure with an outlook over the sea. Children play on the climbing frame, hide under the willow trees and look for insects and spiders under the stones. The outside area is open to the elements however, which means sensory equipment, such as wind socks, ribbons and wind chimes, are difficult to maintain. Practitioners and children initiate creative ways of overcoming these problems however. For example, a box of ribbons, scarves and sensory wrist bands are

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

taken onto the school playing field, where children can run, play games and experience the effects of the wind and rain, whilst benefiting from fresh air, exercise and sensory stimulation.

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

Children are well prepared for their next stage in learning because of the strong links between the pre-school and the local Early Years Unit and primary school. There are exchange visits for both staff and children between the two settings as part of the transition process. This helps children to settle more easily, because they have some familiarity of their new surroundings.

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provision

The management and supervisors of the pre-school fully understand the requirements of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. The supervisor monitors the planning and assessment of the educational programme effectively, and monitors children's individual progress checks; discussing these with the child's key person, parents and carers. This ensures that any gaps in children's learning are identified, and parents are kept fully informed and involved. Overall summative assessments on children's progress are completed regularly in the areas of communication and language. However, this has not yet been extended to cover monitoring of all the other areas of learning and development, and there is room to extend the frequency of these so that staff can respond more precisely and quickly when needed. The pre-school management and practitioners work extremely well with a multi-agency team of professionals. Good relationships have been

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provision

established between the supervisor and members from the multi-agency team, meaning that communication is effective and children's needs are supported well.

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provision

Safeguarding in the pre-school is very good. Vigilant practitioners keep children safe at all times. Registers are completed accurately. The outdoor area, rooms and equipment are checked daily to ensure hazards are kept to a minimum. There is a robust recruitment procedure in place and all supervisors and practitioners are fully trained in child protection procedures. This means they have a high level of awareness of how to ensure children are safe and protected at all times. Visitors to the pre-school are monitored closely, and records kept of who has visited. Comprehensive policies and procedures are clear and understood by practitioners and parents. This ensures the safe and effective management of the pre-school protects children's welfare.

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provision

The management and supervisors regularly reflect on the quality of the pre-school. Self- evaluation identifies strengths and areas to develop within the provision, such as the outdoor area and the decoration of children's care rooms. For example, changes have been made to the interior decoration to specifically support children's emotional well- being, through the use of calm colours and minimalistic displays. Parents are invited to complete questionnaires, which help inform the pre-school of parents' views and opinions about the quality of the setting. Plans are made to address the areas of the pre-school that need developing, but these are not specifically prioritised and linked to secure improvement plans to ensure any identified changes are sucessfully implemented and their impact reviewed. As a result, self-evaluation is not yet secure enough to help the pre- school strenthen and enhance the drive for maintaining the highest levels of quality.

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provision

Performance management is very good throughout the pre-school. Practitioners are highly skilled and any training that they attend is disseminated to colleagues. This ensures that practitioners' knowledge and understanding of contemporary issues remains high. Managers ensure appraisals are completed, and the supervisor monitors staff on a daily basis. More formal supervisions are planned with documentation in place to support this.

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provision

Partnership with parents and carers is strong. The practitioners ensure all parents are made to feel welcome and are invited to discuss issues at any time. Parents are kept well- informed about their children's learning and development and information available is clear, displayed well, informative and inclusive. As a result, families feel part of the pre- school community and develop more confidence in sharing in their children's experiences, learning and development.

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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 EY377422 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 873817

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 15 Number of children on roll 37 Name of provider Howgill Family Centre Date of previous inspection 12/05/2009 Telephone number 01946 592551

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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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