Springfields Pre-School Ltd

Springfields Pre-School Ltd Terrapin Hut, Tudor School, Tudor Road, SUDBURY, Suffolk, CO10 1NL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/05/2013 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

 Staff sensitively settle children into the pre-school and build positive relationships with them. Consequently, children are happy, confident and secure in the pre-school. Their transitions on to school are also well-supported.  Children are supported well to develop the foundation skills to learn effectively and to be ready for the next stage in their learning and development.  Staff proactively work with parents and other professionals to support children's individual needs and any additional needs children may have.  Children benefit from a wide range of activities and resources, which support and promote their learning and development, and are making good progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities to promote children's independence and learning are not always fully exploited. For example, at snack time children are not always enabled to access their own plate, pour their own drinks and find their names.  There is scope to extend opportunities for children's exploration, investigation of the natural environment and living things, to ignite their interest and enrich their learning and development.

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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 observed activities in the two main playrooms and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection and discussed activities with them.  The inspector had a discussion with the nursery manager and deputy.  The inspector and deputy manager undertook a joint observation together.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journey development records, planning documentation, the nursery's self-evaluation form and a selection of policies and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and information included in the pre-school's parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Springfields Pre-School was originally established in 1973. It re-opened as a limited company on the Early Years Register in 2012 and is managed by a board of directors. It operates from a dedicated mobile classroom in the grounds of Tudor Primary School, in Sudbury, Suffolk. The pre-school serves the local area and is fully accessible for all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, school term times only. Sessions are from 8.55am until 11.55am and 12.05pm until 3.05pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 67 children, aged from two years to under five years, on roll. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs seven members of staff. Of these, the manager holds a qualification at level 4 and four other staff hold qualifications at level 3. The pre-school is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and receives support from the local authority.

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

 improve the organisation of snack time and increase opportunities to promote children's skills, independence and learning, for example, by enabling children to find their names and pour their own drinks

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

 provide more creative opportunities and experiences for children to explore and investigate the natural world and living things, for example, planting and growing, exploring the environment, discovering mini-beasts and digging, to further enrich their learning and development.

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who attend

When children start at the pre-school, their parents are invited to complete an 'All about me' leaflet detailing their child's abilities, family, likes and dislikes. The child's allocated key person uses this information, plus their own observations, to establish each child's capabilities and starting points. This helps them get to know each child well and enables them to offer activities and support tailored to children's individual needs and stages of development. Staff strongly encourage children's development in the prime areas of communication and language skills, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. This support enables most children to reach the expected development range for their age and significantly reduces any shortfall. It also helps children develop the skills required for the next steps in their learning, across all the areas of learning, and for school.

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who attend

Succinct observations are clearly recorded by key persons in a learning journey development record for each child. Observations are linked to the areas of learning and are sometimes supported by photographs and examples of the children's work. Any next steps in children's learning are noted and used to inform weekly planning. Following comments from parents that their child's progress was not initially clear in the learning journeys, staff responded by including aspects from the document 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage'. This offers a clearer overview of each child's achievements and progression towards the early learning goals. Progress summaries for two year old children are clearly written and highlight children's level of development, and identify any next steps, in each area of learning. They are shared with parents, who have the opportunity to add their own comments or evaluation.

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who attend

Children's learning journeys are available for parents to view at any time. Parent evenings are held for parents of the older children, offering them the opportunity to review their child's learning journey and discuss their child's progress with the key person in more depth. Parents contributions, both verbal and written, regarding their children's progress and achievements at home, are welcomed. A parents' 'wow' board in the pre-school displays pictures, photographs and comments contributed by parents of their children's experiences and play outside of the pre-school.

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who attend

Children relish playing in the recently refurbished outdoor play area. They enjoy the liberty of running freely and are developing physical skills and coordination as they use the see- saw and manoeuvre the ride-on and push along toys. They learn how to climb the slide and negotiate a sloped area safely and some bravely race scooters down the slope. A large group of children are fully engaged and involved with imaginary games of pirates and treasure initiated by one of the pre-school directors. He skilfully prompts children's thinking, ideas and conversation and is attentive to their contributions to the game. They excitedly show a visitor the treasure they have gathered in the boat. Children busily dig in the sand and use different containers and vehicles making tracks and building castles. Children enthusiastically explore a range of different media, for example, sticking and scooping pasta. Two girls enjoy sharing an easel, mixing colours, painting their hands and

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who attend

making handprints on the paper. An appealing selection of books fosters children's appreciation of books. They independently access the book area and tell stories to one another, holding up the books to show the pictures to others. Some older children know the letters in their names. Name cards are sometimes available for children to help them begin to recognise their names and realise that text has meaning. However, opportunities to use these are sometimes missed, for example, at snack time. Children keenly explore a terraced sensory garden, when it is open to them. However, there is scope to increase opportunities for children to explore and investigate the natural environment and living things.

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

Staff work closely with parents, gently settling children in, to ensure each child's transition from home into the pre-school is a smooth and positive experience. Each child is allocated a key person to support them and liaise with parents. Parents complete an 'All about me' leaflet and have discussions with their child's key person. This helps staff to understand and meet children's individual needs. Staff are caring and attentive towards the children and get to know them very well as individuals. Consequently, children settle well and form strong bonds with their key person. Children develop trusting relationships with staff and know them by name. Children clearly feel safe and secure with staff, freely and confidently approaching them with their comments and requests.

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

The pre-school is well-resourced and offers children a broad range of play and learning experiences, indoors and outdoors. Resources are readily accessible, enabling children to make their own choices and selections, which promotes their independence. Staff are positive role models of behaviour and treat children with kindness and respect. They are skilled at supporting children to learn how to manage their own behaviour and emotions. This is helped by a calm approach and clear explanations and reminders from staff to enforce reasonable boundaries, for example, not climbing on the ramp wall. Children are generally well-behaved. They are learning social skills and how to manage their own behaviour, for example, sharing toys or waiting their turn. Children understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, they hold onto the handrail as they negotiate the steps into the garden and know how to behave on the climbing frame.

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

A healthy lifestyle is promoted as children have daily opportunities for fresh air, daylight and exercise in the outdoor area. Snacks are varied, healthy and nutritious, encouraging children to make positive food choices. Children are offered a variety of tastes and textures, for example, apple, banana, cereal, cucumber and raisins. Staff remain acutely mindful of any dietary needs. Parents provide children's packed lunches but healthy foods are promoted by the pre-school and children are encouraged to eat the healthier items first. Children manage their personal needs well, according to their age. They learn good hygiene habits through regular routines and reminders, for example, washing their hands after toileting and before eating. However, some opportunities are missed to develop children's skills and independence, for example, pouring their own drinks and selecting their own plate and cup.

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

Children are well-prepared for their future transitions to school. The pre-school staff liaise closely with teachers, who are invited in to meet the children. Children also benefit from regular visits to the adjacent school. For example, once a week, they join the older children in the playground, enabling them to mix with older children, see their siblings and become familiar with the large play area.

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provision

The leadership and management at the pre-school have a strong commitment to develop and improve quality of care and learning for all the children. Ongoing reflection supports self-evaluation and ensures any aspects requiring improvement are promptly identified and effectively addressed. Children's opinions and requests are valued and used to guide future resources and activities. Parents' views and suggestions are welcomed, both verbally and through questionnaires, and are used to help inform self-evaluation and areas for development at the pre-school.

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provision

The leadership and the staff have a good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They regularly review their planning and evaluate activities, to ensure they effectively meet children's needs. Monitoring of the educational programmes is overseen by the manager and deputy. They regularly review children's learning journey development records to ensure each child's progress is being appropriately promoted and planned for, according to their individual needs and abilities. Staff undertake peer observations of one another's practice. This helps with affirmation and sharing of good practice and highlights any aspects for development. Regular staff meetings and annual appraisals also promote personal and professional development and improve daily practice with the children. Staff's individual strengths and skills are valued and acknowledged and any areas for improvement or training are promptly recognised and addressed.

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provision

All staff have attended safeguarding training and keenly understand their role and responsibility to protect children from harm. Safeguarding policies and procedures are understood and implemented to protect children. Staff are very well-deployed and are vigilant regarding safety and security, enabling children to play freely. The emergency evacuation procedure is regularly practised to ensure it is effective and that children are familiar with the procedure, without being fearful.

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provision

Staff strive to develop positive partnerships with parents. They encourage close discussions with parents when a child starts at the setting. Ongoing communication is promoted by a two-way daily diary for children under three years old, and parents are encouraged to speak with their child's key person at any time. Staff are proactive to work with parents, seeking advice and support from other early years professionals if appropriate, to ensure children receive any additional support required at an early stage. Close links and effective partnerships are well-established with the adjacent school, the nearby children's centre and other agencies and carers to ensure a cohesive approach to support and meet children's individual needs.

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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 EY456088 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 895334 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Springfields Pre-School Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01787 311320

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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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