Seedlings Preschool Ltd

Seedlings Limited Dunstone Primary School, Shortwood Crescent, PLYMOUTH, PL9 8TQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/03/2013 10/05/2012

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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 happy, safe and secure and supported well by caring staff.  Children enjoy a wide range of activities and choose from a good range of resources that help them to make good progress and support their individual interests.  The setting has good partnerships with the parents and links with outside agencies and the school. With good procedures in place to support children with a smooth transition when starting school.  Children behave well and respond positively, doing what is asked of them and developing their ability to share and take turns.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Overall, the sessions are planned well and run smoothly. However, the organisation for lunch time could be disconcerting for some children as they try to find a friend or place to sit.

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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 and manager undertook a joint observation of activities in both classrooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play and staff interaction, in both classrooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled relevant documentation, including some policies and procedures.  The inspector talked with staff and children.

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Information about the setting

Seedlings Limited was registered in 2004 and operates from a classroom in Dunstone Primary School. It is situated in a residential area of Plymstock, on the outskirts of Plymouth, Devon. It is run as a community business venture and is managed by a committee of local people, including staff, and parents. In April 2011 the nursery moved from its existing classroom in the main school building, to a purposefully redeveloped external classroom. This consists of two rooms with a covered deck area and steps down to a patio and grassed area. The classroom is accessible via a ramp. The host school use the premises outside of the nursery's operating hours. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is open on weekdays during school term times, between 9am and 3pm. There are currently 64 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding

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Information about the setting

for the provision of free early education for two, three and four-year-old children. An administrator and 13 staff work at the nursery, all of whom hold appropriate childcare qualifications. The nursery has close links with the host school and children's centre situated on the same site.

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

 review the organisation of lunch time to ensure children can easily find a place to sit and that children have support to engage in purposeful play when they have finished.

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who attend

Children are happy and secure. They are well supported by caring and enthusiastic staff that use good teaching techniques to support children in their learning and development. There are good systems in place when children first start by the child's key person talking to parents and completing relevant documentation. This supports them to know the child's likes, and dislikes. This helps children to feel safe, secure and settle quickly. The key person makes purposeful observations and assessments of the children and uses these effectively to support children in their steps of learning. Children enjoy free flow play between the two classrooms and the well-equipped outside play areas. The staff are well deployed to support children as they play. They interact in their games and ask open- ended questions to extend their thinking and are confident to give children time to answer. Children are keen to learn and concentrate well at their chosen tasks. They have

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who attend

a good range of toys and resources to choose from that are easily accessible. Children value the resources and actively help at tidy up time putting toys away carefully.

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who attend

Children enjoy craft activities and have the opportunity to choose from a good range of resources including paints and glitter. They use scissors carefully and talk about what they are doing with their friends. They use their own ideas as they make cards and pictures and take great pride in their achievements. They are keen to show what they have made. Children are encouraged to write their names on their work. This helps to gain an understanding that print carries meaning.

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who attend

Children enjoy group stories which are organised well with the children split in to age groups to enable the more able children to concentrate for a longer period. Children are keen to tell the story they have been hearing and to predict the outcome. Children extend the story they have heard in their games and during role-play and what they are making. Such as a child saying she has made a moon on her picture and a child making a box to wear and saying 'I am a space man'. They interact in each other's play such as a child following the child wearing the box saying 'I am controlling you'. Children handle books well, starting at the beginning and turning the pages carefully. Books are readily available for children to choose and they enjoy selecting a book and sitting and telling each other the story and will ask staff to read to them.

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

Children confidently choose where they wish to play and benefit from being able to play outside in al weathers. This helps children extend their physical skills and to explore nature and supports children who prefer to learn outdoors. Children are encouraged to make marks as they play such as shopping lists during role-play and to write in the sand and in the mud. They have access to a wood for Forest School activities. Children confidently get themselves ready to go outside to play and are familiar with the routine to find a pair of boots to wear.

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

Children behave well and listen well to instructions, such as not to run indoors. The staff is consistent with managing behaviour and promotes positive behaviour well giving children plenty of praise and encouragement. Children learn to share and take turns and will use a sand timer, if they wish to tell a friend they want to share a favourite toy. Children count in naturally occurring situations as they play and at circle time counting how many girls and how many boys are present. They learn problem solving skills as they make puzzles and playing games with staff. This supports children in their mathematical thinking. They talk about volume and size such as when playing with play dough and comment that it feels sticky on their hands. Children's language is encouraged very well and they are skilful communicators. They are confident to introduce themselves and share their home news and significant events in their lives.

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

Children enjoy a cafe style snack time being reminded when it is open and due to close. Children are able to have a cooked meal provided by the school or bring a packed lunch. Those that have a cooked meal are encouraged to help themselves and children that have a packed lunch know to eat their sandwiches first. Meal times are very social occasions with the staff sitting with the children and children learning good social skills. Children are given plenty of time to enjoy their lunch. However, the children at times are unsure where to sit if they cannot find their friend or a seat and those that finish first leave to play and the room is not fully set up with activities.

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

Children are learning good skills. They have well planned activities and celebrate festivals to enable them to learn about the wider world. They are learning good skills in a happy and caring environment. This supports them to be confident in making new friends, and to be independent in their own self-care. They learn the importance to share and take turns. This helps them in readiness for starting school.

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provision

The staff present as positive role models to the children and are well supported by the manager. They demonstrate a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to support children learn through play. There are good systems in place for the induction of new staff and students on placements to ensure they are familiar with procedures. Regular supervision and appraisals are undertaken with staff and these are used to identify training needs. They have regular staff meetings to share good practice and the importance to ensure children are safeguarded. Risk assessments are completed and regularly reviewed. The staff have completed safeguarding training and there are secure systems in place in the event of a concern about a child's welfare. Safety in the setting is good and the children are supervised well at all times. Good arrangements are in place to ensure children are safe during arrivals and departures and visitors to the setting

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provision

are recorded. Regular fire drills are conducted with the school so children are clear of the procedure to follow in the event of an emergency.

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provision

Since the last inspection the setting have improved their partnership with parents to provide a shared approach to children's learning and development. They seek parent's views through questionnaires and have daily discussions with parents to keep them well- informed of how their child's day has been. The setting has a good partnership with the school. The children have the opportunity to interact with the school children each week and become familiar with the reception classroom and teacher. This supports children with a smooth transition when leaving the nursery. They have a good partnership with outside agencies to be able to seek advice and support for children's individual needs.

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provision

Effective systems are in place for staff to complete their planning and use this to support children's individual interests. Staff meetings are held each day before the session starts to discuss the routine for the day. Although they have not recently up-dated their own written self-evaluation. They are very pro-active in monitoring and evaluating the provision each day and to plan for continuous improvement. They have identified additional equipment they are providing to enhance the learning environment for children such as improving the resources to support children's understanding of technology.

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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 EY279371 Local authority Plymouth Inspection number 906968 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 39 Number of children on roll 64 Name of provider Seedlings PLC Date of previous inspection 10/05/2012 Telephone number 01752 491547

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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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