The Little School at Pooh Corner

The Little School at Pooh Corner The Little School Day Nursery, Unit 5/6, Lockyer Court, Inmans Lane, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 2NA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/06/2013 12/11/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff take very good steps to make sure children are kept safe in all their activities.  Children are extremely happy and settled and show high levels of enthusiasm as they confidently join in activities in small groups and are equally happy to play independently with their chosen resources.  Children are developing excellent independence skills in which they manage tasks and self-care skills themselves in preparation for school.  Children enjoy a very good range of quality experiences indoors and outside, linked directly to their interests and developmental needs. Staff have high expectations of children who thrive in all aspects of their learning.  Excellent relationships are established with parents making a very strong contribution in enabling all children to make excellent progress in relation to their starting points.

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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 children's play and staff interaction, indoors and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with available staff, some parents and held discussions with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation including a representative sample of children's records, policies, staff training records and staff suitability records.  The inspector attended and joined the nursery on two outings to the allotment.

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Information about the setting

The Little School Day Nursery registered in 1990 and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a purpose-built building in the village of Sheet, Hampshire. Children have access to several base rooms. There is no immediate outdoor play area. The nursery visit local parks and have acquired an allotment where children visit every day. There are currently 101 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery is open five days a week from 7am to 7pm, all year round. Children attend a variety of sessions. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language. There are 17 staff members who work with the children, of whom 7 hold a relevant National Vocational Qualification at level

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Information about the setting

3 and 7 hold higher early years qualifications. The nursery has links with the local authority.

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

 enhance existing opportunities for staff to monitor and evaluate their own practice in order to maintain and improve further the outcomes for children.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy attending this nursery which provides them with a welcoming, vibrant and stimulating environment in which to learn through play. They are highly motivated, secure and enthusiastic, which enables them to make rapid progress in their learning and development. Children are able to choose from the extensive range of resources from open shelves or from those set out at low levels. They settle to tasks quickly and with no prompting and immerse themselves drawing, writing, pouring or building. Group activities and free exploration sessions are very well balanced to ensure that children have time and freedom to become deeply involved. For example, children concentrate deeply while they make marks. They draw intricate patterns that represent a number of things that are important to them. They experiment with writing, making clear efforts to write their names legibly. Children lead their own activities as they ask for

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who attend

number and letter games. They involve other children as they count items onto the numbers and look at letters and link the sounds to their own names and those of their peers and staff. Children take great care in looking after the nursery's animals. They have the opportunity to watch, document and monitor the life cycle of them. Children become nature detectives and become thoroughly engrossed in their scientific work. This is typical of the fantastic experiences children are offered and highlights the strong focus staff place on exploring and investigating whilst allowing children to interact and lead their own activity.

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who attend

Children communicate their needs, feelings and ideas extremely clearly to very responsive staff. Babies shriek out, babble and laugh. As they start to use single words, staff repeat again and again to reinforce their understanding. Children enthusiastically join in many discussions and are eager to contribute. They use a large number of reference books to find things out and to illustrate their findings in discussions and experiments. Children are making excellent progress in their physical development. Babies have soft open spaces in which they roll, crawl, balance and walk safely. The local area is used extensively to enable children to explore nature and different features of their environment. Their learning is considerably enhanced by many outdoor activities and the use of natural materials in their play. Although there is not a garden area, all ages go on outings to the parks and to the new allotment frequently throughout the day and in all weathers. Staff

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who attend

consistently use examples of mathematical language during activities so that children learn about space and measure. They help them to count objects and recognise numbers. The effective use of computers and an exciting range of programmable and push-button toys mean that children are developing very good technological skills. Children are thoroughly immersed in the effect that music has on their bodies as they enjoy moving around and dancing along to music.

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who attend

Practitioners have highly comprehensive knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have an excellent understanding of child development and provide wonderful activities to enhance children's learning. Staff encourage them to discuss and think about their learning and key persons fully respect children's individual learning styles. They are taught to be effective communicators, being supported to take turns to speak and give high attention to things that others say. As all children feel able to express their own ideas, they develop their speaking, listening and understanding skills rapidly. Information from parents is used to provide starting points for each child and enables their key person to plan according to their needs and interests, which means they make very good progress. Regular assessments enable staff to build on children's progress and development. Staff plan explicitly for children's individual needs. All

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who attend

key persons share pertinent development information with parents and there are clear logs of discussions about things that children have done in the nursery and at home. As a result, parents feel fully enabled to approach their child's key person or a member of the management team.

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

All staff welcome children warmly, as well as making sure that their families are fully welcomed into the nursery. The excellent key person system means that a strong bond is formed with children and their families. It provides a familiar point of contact for both children and parents to facilitate the sharing of information, ensuring that all needs are met. Secure bonds are seen throughout the nursery due to the excellent interactions between adults and children. In the baby room, even the youngest of children communicates intently with their key person. Babies fixate on the practitioner's face as she uses lots of eye contact and facial expression while talking. Children are happy, calm and settled as the staff are very caring and give high priority to all children's needs and opinions. Staff provide an exceptionally inclusive environment, allowing children to play on the floor, stand or sit at tables or lay on large soft cushions. These provide for individual

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

preferences and they support children to become active learners who make rapid progress. Children all show exceptional patience and thoroughly respect the efforts and achievements of their peers. All children show very high levels of self esteem because staff have taught them to respect everyone in the nursery and are very well behaved in relation to their ages and stages of development.

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

Balanced and nutritious meals and snacks are provided by the nursery. Children take great pride when choosing different fruits at snack time, serving themselves and pouring their own drinks. These skills support children's next stage in their learning, preparing them for their moves both within the nursery and on to other settings and school. Children learn about making healthy choices in their food through discussions at mealtimes and the activities provided. They wash their hands at appropriate times and there are very good hygiene practices throughout the nursery. Staff include problem solving skills in all areas of activity. For example, one child always helps to set out plates and cups for lunch time. It is the responsibility of the child to work out how many cups and plates are needed and to set these out for each child. Children are all responsible for clearing up after their snack and lunches. This means that children are superbly independent and that they have a

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

great respect for their environment. This also enables them to develop a full range of skills to support them in future learning, for example, cooperation and independent personal care.

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

Children enjoy a wealth of activities in their new garden, including physical play equipment, games, obstacle courses and gardening. They also benefit from weekly sports training sessions and 'sing and dance' sessions. Children's understanding of staying safe is exemplary. They are actively involved in risk assessments and safety checks when on outings. They also contribute to safety discussions, such as how to respond in the event of a fire, and join in a wealth of activities to further prepare them for keeping safe. Children's understanding of safety is enhanced further still through visits from the fire service. Children are very well prepared for their move to other rooms within the nursery and there are close links with local primary schools. Staff form very successful links with other practitioners who are also involved in children's care and learning. This ensures consistency of care and a very smooth transition between the settings.

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provision

The management and staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children's well-being is strongly safeguarded as the provider gives safeguarding a very high priority and makes sure all staff working in the nursery, are fully aware of their responsibilities. She has robust procedures for recruitment, vetting and induction to assess the suitability of staff working with children in line with the safer recruitment guidance. Excellent risk assessment processes are in place and management are proactive in taking appropriate action to minimise potential hazards to children, for example when walking to the allotment. Thorough and recently updated safeguarding policies and procedures are known by staff and underpin the very good practice.

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provision

The enthusiasm of the provider and manager is communicated to all staff, resulting in a dynamic and vibrant learning environment in which all children are thriving. Partnerships with parents are exemplary as they are also involved in this process. Parents are fully involved with all aspects of their child's learning and care as their comments and suggestions are actively sought and acted upon. Their views are sought through discussions and involvement in children's records of learning and questionnaires. Information on their progress is shared regularly with them and they may see and contribute to their 'learning journeys' through adding comments and photographs about children's activities or progress. Parents continue some activities at home, which means they are fully involved in their children's learning. Parents benefit from an extensive array of information displayed on the parent's notice board and regular updates in newsletters.

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provision

Close links with other professionals and agencies ensure that any additional needs are identified and all children are fully supported.

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provision

The management and staff all have a very good knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff are involved in planning and assessing their key children's learning. As a result, accurate records are being developed and meaningful experiences planned to meet each child's needs. Children's opinions are also valued and their comments on activities recorded. These exemplary practices ensure that the Early Years Foundation Stage is delivered in an innovative, varied and imaginative way by highly motivated staff. Staff are highly skilled and continue to develop as they are encouraged to gain further qualifications and extend their knowledge, improving outcomes for children. They work extremely well together as a team to evaluate provision and make improvements where necessary. In-house training is also used to enhance practice. However, there is scope to enhance this further, for

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provision

example, through the use of peer observations to ensure that exemplary outcomes for children are maintained and built upon. The staff team have an accurate view of their nursery. They are able to identify their key strengths and recognise how further development will enhance their already high quality service.

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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 EY301520 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 921305

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 101 Name of provider Patricia Lynne Matthews Date of previous inspection 12/11/2008 Telephone number 01730 268 764

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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

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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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