Fledglings Pre-School

Fledglings Pre-School Upshire Primary Foundation School, Upshire Road, WALTHAM ABBEY, Essex, EN9 3PX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/05/2013 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

 The indoor and outdoor learning environments provide interesting and imaginative activities that engage children to support their learning and development. Children benefit from a wide range of resources that build on their interests and stimulate their curiosity.  Children are happy and settled as they develop very warm and trusting relationships with their key person and other pre-school staff.  Children enjoy their time at the pre-school. They become engrossed in their play and direct their own learning while exploring activities and resources that support their interests and abilities. As a result, children are motivated and eager to learn.  Children's behaviour is good as they are continuously engaged in enjoyable and stimulating activities. This supports them to develop positive attitudes to school and future learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Sufficient opportunities are not regularly provided for parents to have more detailed meetings with their children's key persons. They are, therefore, not fully supported to ensure their children's learning and development are consolidated and extended effectively.

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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 playroom and the garden.  The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of parents' views by speaking to them on the day and reading questionnaires.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at policies and procedures, self-evaluation form, risk assessments, children's development records and all relevant documentation.

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Information about the setting

Fledglings Pre-school was first registered in 2003 and re-opened in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in an annexe building in the grounds of Upshire Primary Foundation School in Waltham Abbey in Essex and is managed by a committee consisting of school governors and pre-school staff. The pre-school serves the local area and has strong links with local schools. The pre-school is accessible to all, including wheelchair users and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs five childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am to 11.45am and 12pm to 3pm. Children can stay all day and bring a packed lunch. A breakfast club operates from 7.55am to 8.45am and an afterschool club operates from 3.15pm to 5.45pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 57 children attending who are in the early years age group. The pre-school is funded to provide free early education for children aged three- and four-years-old. It supports children with special needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school is supported by the local authority and the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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

 extend partnership with parents, for example, by providing more regular opportunities for parents to meet with staff to enable them to further support and extend their children's learning and development.

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who attend

Children make good progress at the pre-school because staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of how to promote their learning and development. Staff work well together as a team and have a good understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff ensure that parents contribute to the assessments of children's starting points on entry to the pre-school through the completion of detailed questionnaires. This enables staff to accurately track children's progress from the beginning. Staff engage with parents face-to-face on a daily basis to briefly discuss children's progress. Learning journals are produced for each individual child and contain observations, photographs, assessments and plans for next steps, which are linked to all areas of learning. Parents are welcomed into the nursery at any time and some take the opportunity to 'stay and play'. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging as they

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who attend

show their parents all the things they like to do and encourages parents to try activities at home.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good as the staff team are skilled in capturing children's imagination. For example, children are excited to look for hidden treasure in the soil in the garden, and they count the gold coins they find which supports mathematical development. They show they are learning to share and care about others when they say they want to bury the treasure again 'for the afternoon children' to find. Children's personal, social and emotional development is well-supported in the pre-school. Children can display their work on their own display wall, where they can show their achievements to others. Show and tell sessions give children the opportunity to tell others about special events or objects they have brought from home. Their understanding of the world is promoted by the provision of a variety of activities in the well-kept garden. For example, children are fascinated to watch tadpoles swimming in the shallow pond, as they peer

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who attend

through the fence with magnifying glasses to find out if they have grown any legs. They dig for earthworms and staff ask questions, such as 'which end do you think is the head?' They hold out the worms on open hands for the children to see and touch. The activity is extended with a story book about worms and how they live underground, which also promotes communication and language. Children confidently show visitors their photographs of chicks they hatched from eggs and they gently hold leaves in their cupped hands to represent the chicks as they act out past events.

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who attend

Children's physical development is well-supported indoors and outdoors. They roll marbles into a chalk circle drawn on the carpet and have continual access to drawing and painting resources. Children learning to use scissors are supported to find the right pair to meet their needs as they concentrate, open-mouthed, as they snip and learn to cut out a whole shape for the first time. They dance around with joy and run around showing their achievements to all the staff who offer praise and congratulations. Outside children climb on the pirate's ship and act out a story about a bear hunt, searching for the bear previously hidden by staff. Staff help them in their search, while relating the story and providing resources to go over, under and through, introducing mathematical concepts, communication and language and physical development. Children squeal with delight as they chase the child who finds the bear and catch him.

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who attend

The well-embedded key person system ensures that all staff use effective, targeted strategies and interventions to support learning that meet the children's individual needs. Staff are skilled in identifying where interventions are needed and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well-supported. They provide appropriate resources to stimulate and engage children to support them in specific areas of their development. Staff liaise with parents and other professionals, such as, speech therapists, educational psychologists and health visitors, to ensure that children's needs are appropriately and successfully met. Children who speak English as an additional language are well-supported by staff who understand how to promote a variety of languages, including Makaton sign language. They explore children's skills in their home language with their parents and learn words, phrases and songs which they teach to all of the

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who attend

children so that no child feels isolated. Planning for children's progress is regularly discussed at staff meetings to incorporate the needs of all children. Planning also takes account of individual children's interests. For example, when children express an interest in volcanoes, staff set up an experiment using bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to create a volcano of their own. This supports children's growing enthusiasm for learning, stimulates their imagination and encourages them to become active learners. Staff of the pre-school support transitions through their 'school readiness projects' where children learn about school and practice the pre-writing and pre-maths skills they will need for the future.

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

Children enjoy their time at the pre-school. They confidently move around the free flow indoor and outdoor spaces and select from a wide variety of accessible activities that meet all the areas of learning. Children understand the routines of the pre-school and respond willingly to signals to indicate carpet time. Children know they must wash their hands after visiting the toilet and before eating developing good hygiene practices. They collect their photographs and present to staff during snack time where fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and water are available as children sit down in small groups at a time. This ensures that every child has the benefit of learning about eating a healthy snack. Parents are encouraged to make healthy choices when preparing children's lunch boxes for those who stay the whole day. Children tend an allotment in a fenced off part of the garden, where they grow and harvest vegetables to eat at snack time. Children learn to be independent as they manage

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

their own personal care needs and put on their own coats as they move from inside to outside. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise outdoors in all weathers as there is a large covered area containing a welcoming array of resources and activities.

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

Children behave well in the pre-school which demonstrates that they feel safe and are fully engaged in their learning. Safety is a high priority and staff ensure that all external doors and gates are securely locked at all times when the children are present. A safety gate prevents children's access to the kitchen so they learn about not accessing dangerous areas. Children have free access to all other parts of the pre-school including the office, where there is a work station set up for key persons to work with individual children. Risk assessments are carried out on all parts of the pre-school on a daily basis and fire evacuation procedures are practised regularly. Role play sessions are themed to include subjects, such as, road safety and holiday dangers. Children are well-supervised in the pre-school and staff join-in with children's play and support them in developing their chosen activities. Children are closely observed, for example, when climbing on the pirate

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

ship and staff remind them to use the steps for climbing. Staff allow children to take supervised risks in their play, which gives them confidence and an understanding of how to keep themselves safe to prepare them for future challenges.

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

Children form secure attachments to their key persons and other staff and children feel safe and comforted in their care. For example, as they are helped with the buttons on their coats, they say 'teacher, I love you!' and receive a warm response in return. Staff know the children well; they know their likes and dislikes and understand their needs. Parents feel encouraged as they can see their children are happy and well-cared for. They are particularly happy with the close proximity it has with the school as younger children can see older children in their uniforms playing in the playground. This supports young children to understand transitions and the next stages in their learning.

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provision

Safeguarding procedures are good because all staff have undertaken appropriate training and understand how to identify and report concerns. The manager and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of their individual responsibilities and staff are supported through regular team meetings and individual supervision. The pre-school has very strong links with the adjoining school. School governors and staff form the committee to provide effective leadership and management. Recruitment procedures are robust and protect children well because all staff are thoroughly vetted before they start work. The management team ensure that all staff are appropriately qualified and work in partnership with the school to ensure there are always enough qualified staff on duty to meet the requirements and to properly supervise the children. Students are welcomed and supported in the pre-school. They are mentored by senior staff and are not left alone with

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provision

Self-evaluation is effective because the management team accurately identify the strengths of the pre-school and have a clear vision of the improvements they want to make. For example, the manager wants to make some improvements to the way that mathematics is presented in the pre-school and she wants to introduce a wormery to the garden area. Staff are continuously reviewing the way their resources are presented, both inside and outside, to best meet the needs of the children. Self-evaluation takes into account the views of parents through questionnaires and verbal feedback, staff contribute their views at team meetings and children are continually asked what they like and dislike about the pre-school. The local authority development team have expressed very positive views about the pre-school and the pre-school staff are working towards an accreditation scheme with the Pre-school Learning Alliance. The manager monitors the educational

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provision

programme and ensures the quality of teaching and learning is good. The staff know the children well and carry out frequent observations and accurately assess their development. They use 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage' to track children's progress and produce learning journals that show children's progress over time and their next steps in learning.

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provision

The pre-school works in partnership with parents and specialist professionals to support individual education plans. Consequently, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress, given their starting points. Parents speak well of the pre- school and say that their children are very happy there. However, parent questionnaires show that some parents would value a consultation evening where they could discuss their children's progress with staff more fully, therefore, further improving partnership with parents. Children are well-supported in their transitions to school as staff have strong links with local schools, and children visit the adjacent school once a week to use the computers. The pre-school has links with the local children's centre, speech therapists, health visitors and pre-schools.

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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 EY456189 Local authority Essex Inspection number 895158 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 64 Number of children on roll 57 Name of provider Fledglings Committee Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01992715567

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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

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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