Stars Day Nurseries Ltd t/a Stars Pre-School Westwood/Ravensthorpe

Stars Pre School Westwood Westwood and Ravensthorpe Children's Centre, Brigstock Court, Ravensthorpe, Peterborough, PE3 7NB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/03/2013 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 very much enjoy their time at the pre-school and are eager to learn. They make good progress because staff have good teaching skills, underpinned by a good awareness of the characteristics of effective learning.  Children achieve because of the effective way staff use observations and assessments to plan for the next steps in their learning and development.  Children are valued as individuals by staff who work closely with parents and other professionals to plan to meet their needs and to ensure any additional support is accessed. As a result, children with difficulties in the learning and development are well supported.  The leadership and management of the provision is strong. The manager and the deputy act as very good role models to staff who are well motivated and keen to learn. This creates a very positive learning environment for the children, based upon strong and positive values.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to extend the opportunities for children to make marks for a purpose and to understand that print has a meaning.  There is currently no system to reflect upon children's progress across the areas of learning as a group in order for staff to be able to identify any gaps in their planning.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 main playroom and in the outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the registered provider, area manager and the manager of the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with staff and the Special Educational Needs Co- ordinator.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at planning documentation, policies and procedures, evidence of suitability of practitioners working at the setting and a sample of children's records and learning profiles.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day and took into account the pre-school's self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

Stars Pre-school Westwood is an established setting that changed ownership in 2012 and is owned by a private provider. It operates from Westwood and Ravensthorpe Children's Centre in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school has the use of one main room and toilet facilities and there is a fully enclosed outside play area. The pre-school is accessed via their own door, which is separate to the children's centre entrance.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is open each weekday and offers morning sessions from 8.45am until 11.45am and afternoon sessions from 12.15pm until 3.15pm, during school term times. There are currently 43 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and supports children who have English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are eight members of staff who work with the children, all of whom hold a recognised childcare qualification either at level 2 or 3. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance opportunities for children to ascribe meaning to the marks that they make, for example, within the role play area

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

 improve monitoring of the educational programme by introducing a system to track children's progress as a group within the areas of learning in order to enable staff to identify any gaps in planning.

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who attend

Staff have a good knowledge of the seven areas of learning and of the characteristics of effective learning, which form a secure basis to their planning. This means children develop good skills to support their future learning and are well prepared for school. Staff complete regular and knowledgeable observations and assessments that enable them to identify children's interests, learning styles and the next steps in their learning and development. This ensures children are continually challenged and means staff plan opportunities for children to achieve through activities that they enjoy. Learning is very much child-led, and children choose freely from a variety of well-planned activities. Resources meet a range of needs and stages of development to stimulate children's interests. Staff are friendly and approachable and involve parents in children's learning by regularly sharing information regarding their progress, and by recommending

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who attend

opportunities to extend children's learning at home if parents wish.

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who attend

Staff communicate effectively and regularly with other settings that children attend in order for all those involved in planned for children's progress to do so with good continuity. Staff work effectively with parents and other professionals to monitor the progress of children who have any difficulties with their learning. They complete the progress check at age two years to make sure any development delays are identified at any early stage in order for any additional support to be instigated. Staff bring a variety of languages into the setting's displays, routines and labelling. This is to value all children who attend with English as an additional language, whose progress is closely monitored to ensure there are no gaps in their achievement.

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who attend

Staff skilfully encourage children's learning by engaging in shared play and ideas to extend children's language for thinking and their imagination. Staff develop children's play and learning by modelling different ways of doing things, to give children new ideas and opportunities to learn new skills. For example, children enjoy exploring with shaving foam and they concentrate well as they explore the texture. A staff member extends children's opportunities by bringing a car into the activity and showing how she can make tracks and patterns with the car. This is a good opportunity for children to make marks and patterns as they develop their finer physical control, while they have fun and use their imagination. Children choose from a wide range of books and reading material. There is print and labelling, supported by pictures in their environment to encourage them to understand print has a meaning. Children also select different tools to make marks in the early writing

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who attend

area. However, there is scope to improve on opportunities for them to make marks for a purpose to develop their early literacy skills. For example, if children need to write a shopping list or a menu as they play in the imaginative play area, tools are not routinely available unless they visit the separate area designed purposefully to develop their early writing skills.

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

Children form close attachments with staff and the key person system is effectively designed to support this and to develop good relationships with parents. Staff carry out home visits as children start at the setting. They work closely with parents to get to know the children and their home life and they complete very detailed observations and assessments during the settling-in period. This enables children to settle well and to make good progress from the onset. Children develop good self-care skills throughout familiar routines that help them to feel secure. They demonstrate their feelings of security and contentment as they express themselves confidently, chat happily and sing as they play and learn. Children show their independence as staff encourage them to pour their own drinks, prepare their own snacks and to wash up after themselves. Children learn to be responsible and to keep themselves safe and healthy. This is because of staff's good role

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

modelling and discussions that help them to make the right choices by considering the consequences of their actions.

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

Children develop healthy habits and positive attitudes towards outdoor play and learning as they routinely choose from a variety of fun activities out of doors. They use a variety of large play equipment to challenge their physical skills, strength and control within the outdoor play area and as they visit the school next door to use the adventure playground. This is a very inclusive provision where children are very much valued and included as individuals by staff who successfully prioritise the prime areas of the learning to ensure their well-being. Staff work cooperatively with other professionals in order to ensure children are prepared for any transitions between settings and onto school.

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

Children behave well because they clearly feel secure and because they are purposefully occupied. They are well supervised and supported by caring staff who promote positive behaviours as they listen to children carefully and as they support and encourage them. Each key person knows the needs and stages of the development of the children in their key group and clearly understands their individual needs well. This enables support and effective planning for individual children. Children form good friendships amongst themselves and several examples of the older children choosing to complete tasks and activities together were observed during the inspection. Older children show good consideration for others as they plan together and share and take turns. This is a good opportunity for children to learn from each other and to grow in confidence.

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provision

There is a strong management structure supporting this setting. Managers transmit clear aims and values to staff, parents and children which creates a very friendly and positive setting. The registered provider has a clear understanding of his accountability and responsibilities to meet the welfare and the learning and development requirements. A variety of monitoring systems are used to inform the self-evaluation used to reflect upon the quality of the provision for children and to plan to improve. Action plans and targets to improvement are met because they are closely monitored and continually reviewed. Improvements in the provision are secured because all staff are involved in planning and are well motivated to learn and improve in order to do their best for the children. There is scope to further improve the monitoring of the educational programme for children. This is to be sure that staff can be confident that they are planning fully effectively for children's

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provision

progress across each of the seven areas of learning as a group.

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provision

Staff develop friendly and supportive relationships with parents who clearly value the care and learning opportunities that their children receive highly. For example, parents state that staff are 'caring and take care as children's time at the setting is special'. Staff establish good working relationships and links with professionals that visit the setting to support children, and with professionals that work with children in the local area. There is therefore, good opportunity to share experiences and ideas and to access any additional support needed for children within the local area. Effective vetting procedures ensure staff are suitable to work with the children. Staff appraisals monitor their continued suitability and enable staff to develop and to take on new responsibilities, to remain motivated. Staff talk enthusiastically about their training experiences and how this has helped to improve their planning for the children. Robust

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provision

safeguarding policies and procedures understood by staff make sure children are protected from abuse and neglect. Records are well maintained to promote children's welfare and to ensure the requirements are met. Staff carry out ongoing risk assessments of indoor and outdoor areas to make sure the premises are always safe for children to access. Children use suitable and good quality toys and equipment to keep them safe and to promote their independent learning. Information regarding how to raise any concerns is clearly displayed for parents in order to promote a safe and transparent provision for parents and 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 action. 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 EY455306 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 886006 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider Stars Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01733 330345

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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