Busy Hands Pre School

Busy Hands Pre School Village Hall, Ryland Road, Welton, LINCOLN, LN2 3NG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/04/2013 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 are independent, motivated and eager to learn. They make good progress with their learning and development because they are supported extremely well by highly skilled and knowledgeable staff.  Children develop strong bonds with staff and children because the key person system is highly effective and children are secure and confident learners.  Improvements are well targeted and prioritised effectively to enhance the learning and development experiences that children receive to help them make consistently strong progress.  Partnerships with parents, the school, external agencies and specialised professionals are highly effective and fully support all children's needs and making their transition a seamless and positive experience.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance outdoor resources to further develop children's understanding of the different weather conditions.  Children's participation with helping to develop the outdoor area is not maximised by fully encouraging their ideas or fully promoting their practical skills.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour or the premises and spoke with children and staff.  The inspector observed children in the playroom and outdoors.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with parents, looked at children's assessment records and sampled a range of policies, procedures, planning and documentation.

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Information about the setting

Busy Hands Pre School was registered in 2012 and is registered on the Early Years Register. It operates from the Monce Room in Welton village hall, Lincolnshire, and is managed by a private owner. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is an area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff. All staff have appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff is qualified at level 4, one at level 3, two at level 2 and one holds Qualified Teacher Status.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm each day with extended hours on a Monday from 9.15am until 3.15pm for children who are due to start school. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre- school offers 24 places per session and there are currently 28 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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

 enhance outdoor resources to give children more opportunities to investigate the natural world, for example, by providing chimes, streamers, windmills and bubbles to explore the effects of the wind

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

 give children more opportunities to contribute their ideas to the development of the outdoor area by; enabling them to design practical, attractive environments, such as flower beds and help organise the outdoor equipment.

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who attend

Staff are skilful practitioners who have strong knowledge of the seven areas of learning and of how to introduce these to children through fun learning experiences. Staff complete regular observations and assessments of the children and use these to plan purposeful activities around children's next steps in learning. They track children's progress well by effectively linking the areas of learning to the development bands for each age range. They know children very well and fully understand each child's interest and preferred learning styles. Consequently, they provide a wide range of well-prepared activities that fully support and encourage children's learning. There is a positive balance of child- initiated play and adult-planned activities. Children's learning is enhanced by staff who engage well with children as they play by allowing children to take the lead and contribute their own ideas in most cases. This ensures that children have memorable experiences

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who attend

because they learn through things they like and that have meaning to them. However, children's ideas, critical thinking and practical skills are sometimes not extended to the fullest potential. For example, children are not fully involved with helping to develop the outdoor area as they are not provided with maximum opportunities to plan how they think this should be organised.

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who attend

Children are very confident and articulate and have clear ideas about how they wish to spend their time. Those children who have attended the setting for a while have formed very close friendships with other children and invent their own games with leaders and followers. Play is extremely cooperative as children work out who is best suited for which role in their games and they discuss and negotiate the purpose of their game and how this will develop. For example, they invent family games in the role play area, and outdoors, they link together to form a human train. They show good spatial awareness as they negotiate their way around other children and equipment. Children who have not been attending long settle well because staff constantly talk about routines, what happens next and why. New children quickly become confident and enjoy joining in alongside children or playing alone with things they have chosen. At this young age they are starting to want to

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who attend

join in games with groups of children, but still find security in their own imaginary world or lone play. Staff recognise the importance of this as a developmental stage and engage sensitively when appropriate. They keep a mindful eye on new children to ensure they are not looking lost, but do not overwhelm children by taking over and directing their play. This is positive teaching as it enables children to find their way with confidence at their own level.

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who attend

Children demonstrate a positive and keen desire to learn. The environment is set out extremely well each morning to be inviting and interesting to children. As soon as they arrive, children eagerly access their chosen resources and become busy and involved. They use the computer to develop their computer skills and understanding of number, shapes, size and letters. Some children are very capable writers and also show a very good understanding of using numbers in a variety of contexts. Younger children enjoy playing in the water tray exploring how pouring water from a container onto the water wheel makes the wheel go round.

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who attend

Staff prepare children very well before they engage in planned activities. A good example of this is an activity that is planned as part of the spring focus that children are working on. One aspect of this project is learning about life cycles and children are doing this by using a book about the life cycle of a caterpillar. The children have been making a frieze about the caterpillar and during this particular activity are creating the caterpillar to go onto the background. The member of staff shows the children the book and they talk about the story again together. They then discuss the colours that are needed to make the caterpillar. Children know that they need green and quickly mention that there is no green, only yellow and blue, which is not right. The member of staff shows them how to make green paint from these colours and children are completely fascinated. All areas of learning are covered very well during this activity, from colours, numbers, size and

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who attend

shapes, language, literacy and creative expression. Most importantly, children experience awe and wonder as they learn how paint can change colours and become something completely different. This links very well to changes that take place during the caterpillar's journey.

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who attend

Children have daily outdoor play and can go outside whenever they wish. They enjoy gardening and growing activities, although the outdoor area is still being developed to further enhance the improvements that have already been made. Children learn about nature. However, resources to fully promote this are currently limited in some areas, such as those that will help children learn, more fully, about different types of weather. For example, there are no wind chimes, streamers, windmills or bubbles to help the children to learn about the properties of the wind on a windy day. Children use the large apparatus and sit-and-ride toys to develop their muscles and physical skills and also have a large field to run around and get plenty of exercise.

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who attend

Parents are fully involved in their child's learning as staff work closely with them to ensure that they can continue their child's learning at home. Key staff complete the progress check at age two and fully involve parents in this process. This helps to identify, at an early stage, if a child may benefit from specialised support, particularly with their language skills. Parents also contribute to the initial assessment of children's starting points on entry to provide a baseline from which to monitor their progress. Parents have access to their children's learning journal at any time and contribute observations from home. This allows staff to take account of a wider range of experiences each child has outside of the setting. This helps children to feel valued and secure as staff talk to them about their family, their pets and things that they have done on holiday and at the weekend. The strong involvement of parents and the skilful teaching of the staff helps children to make good

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who attend

progress and prepares them very well for their transition to school.

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

The successful implementation of the key person system and effective deployment of staff ensure that all children develop secure attachments. Staff focus extremely well on helping new children to settle and place significant focus on the three prime areas of learning to achieve this. This contributes to the children's sense of well-being and their ability to form positive relationships with their key person, staff and children. Staff gather comprehensive information from parents about their child's routines and individual needs when they first start. They use this information well to support children with the transition from home to the pre-school. Children settle quickly and happily explore their environment knowing that staff are close by. As they become more confident, they form friendships with other children and become more self-assured with leading their own play and inventing games with others. The staff are good role models and use positive techniques for managing

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

children's behaviour. This impacts well on helping children to develop their cooperation during play by recognising the importance of sharing and taking turns. It helps promote children's independence and builds their self-esteem and confidence. Consequently, children behave extremely well and are very helpful, kind and caring.

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

Children are encouraged to explore risk as they use the large apparatus outdoors and tools, such as knives at snack time and scissors, hole punches and staplers for their creative work. They are confident to have a go and persevere with things until they succeed, for example, buttering their own crackers at snack time. Children show a good awareness of safety, including how to keep their toys and environment safe by helping to tidy away. Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles through the provision of healthy snacks and daily opportunities to access the outdoor environment. They develop self-care skills as they help prepare the snacks, cutting up the fruit and making the toast. They become increasing responsible as they decide when they wish to have their snack and by working out if there is a space for them. Children are responsible for setting out their own plates, cups and cutlery and for clearing these away when they have

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

finished eating and drinking. Children use the bathroom independently when they feel able to do this or staff support them by taking them and helping them with their clothing and hand washing when they are young. The setting is well resourced, provides a welcoming environment for children, both indoors and outside, and supports their all-round development. Children have access to the continuous provision of resources so they make decisions about their play and become active in their learning. Children are successfully developing the emotional security and confidence for their future transitions.

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provision

Children are effectively safeguarded because staff attend relevant training and demonstrate a clear understanding of the symptoms of abuse and the procedures for reporting concerns. The pre-school has the full range of policies and procedures needed to organise the setting effectively and to keep children safe. These have been fully updated and are reviewed at least annually to ensure they are current. Staff prioritise the safety of the environment each day by completing thorough safety checks and making sure the equipment is safely set out. The risk assessments, monitoring of visitors to the setting and good security of the premises ensure that risks to children are effectively minimised. Robust recruitment, induction and vetting procedures ensure the suitability of adults employed. In addition, the provision of regular appraisals, staff meetings and ongoing training supports the development of effective team working. The manager has a good

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provision

overview of the quality of educational programme through monitoring the documented observations staff complete. Observations and assessment are purposeful and clearly show how staff link the areas of learning to the development bands to raise next steps and plan effectively for individual children. This is a small pre-school and all staff work extremely well together to ensure that they have a shared understanding of each child's needs and deliver learning through consistently effective teaching.

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provision

The manager and staff work well together and have high ambitions for quality. Systems for self-evaluation are reflective and raise precise targets for driving improvements. In the short time the pre-school has been operational under the new owner, many changes have been made to the environment and practice to enhance the experiences children have. For example, a variety of further training has been completed or is booked to complete, which provides diversity of skills and knowledge within the team. Significant changes have been made to the indoor and outdoor environment and further developments are planned to take pace with the full support of parents. For example, the outdoor area is having more growing areas made and many of the parents are helping with this and contributing bedding plants for the children to plant. The most impressive development is the commitment the staff have shown with regard to strengthening the partnership with the

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provision

local school children attend when they leave. Children now attend the school each Tuesday to have a session in the reception class. This has a very beneficial impact on their future transition as it is a seamless experience when the time comes. All parents spoken to comment on how excited their children are about going to school, and when they pass the school how their children tell them, 'I'm going to big school soon'.

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provision

Parents are fully included in the setting and support improvements well by making good use of the, newly implemented, online feedback service the pre-school provides. The effective partnership with parents ensures they are involved in their children's learning and development and are kept well-informed through daily chats and consultation days. There is a wealth of information on display so that parents are fully informed about the Early Years Foundation Stage and the organisation of the setting. They are also invited to 'play- and-stay' sessions so they can apply this in practice with the support of the staff. Parents also receive a welcome pack that makes them aware of the pre-school practices, policies and procedures. Parents interviewed during the inspection provided very positive feedback regarding the pre-school and the changes that have taken place. They feel happy with how well their children settle, the good progress they make and how warm and welcoming

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provision

the staff are. They feel they are kept well informed and that staff are very approachable and helpful. Partnerships with external agencies and other providers are also well established and further support staff with successfully meeting the needs of all children to help them make good progress.

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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 EY452793 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 889352

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 28 Name of provider Jo-Anne Elizabeth Carrick Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07947 130948

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Type of provision

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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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