Pippin Pre-School

Pippin Pre School Roecroft Lower School, Church Road, Stotfold, HITCHIN, Hertfordshire, SG5 4NE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/05/2013 12/06/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are motivated to learn because the staff plan activities that prompt them to investigate how, and why, things happen. As a result children make rapid progress in their development.  Children show high levels of security in the setting. They make independent choices about where to play and move freely between the outdoor and indoor areas. Consequently children develop excellent self-esteem and attitudes towards learning.  The partnerships established with other agencies, to support children with specific identified needs, are exemplary and ensure that every child develops to the optimum.  Children's learning and development is closely monitored through precise assessment. As a result the planning is focused, yet flexible, and leads to rapid development for children.  The managers have high expectations for staff practice and engage all staff in regular performance management and professional development. As a result staff are

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This provision is outstanding

motivated and knowledgeable.  Staff ensure that they have an excellent understanding of safeguarding by taking part in regular training and reviewing safeguarding at the monthly staff meetings. As a result children are extremely well protected.

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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 main room, the smaller side room, and the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of documentation provided and displayed by the provision.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager and deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed a selection of children's observation and assessment development files with key persons.

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Information about the setting

Pippin Pre-school opened in 1979 and re-registered in its current setting in 2011. The provision is on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school is run by a management committee and operates from a purpose-built setting in the village of Stotfold, Hertfordshire. The pre-school serves the local community and surrounding areas and has strong links with the local primary schools. The pre-school is accessible to all children and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The provision employs 26 members of childcare staff; of these, 19 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The provision opens Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The sessions include a breakfast, lunch and after school club, as well as two pre-school sessions operating 9am until 12 noon, and 12.45pm until 3.15pm. There is also a holiday club operating from 7.45am to 6pm for three weeks in the summer, and school inset days. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 130 children attending who are in the early years age group. The setting also offers care to children in the older years age group. There are 40 children in this age range on roll. The provision provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 continue to build on self-evaluation by extending further how the views of parents and children are incorporated, to further assist in identifying areas for further improvement.

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who attend

Staff have very high expectations of themselves and children. They have an excellent understanding of how to engage children in playing and exploring. This helps children to be self-motivated and, as a result, make rapid progress in their learning and development given their starting points. Staff organise activities that challenge children to make discoveries and extend activities themselves to continue learning. This ensures that they are extremely well prepared for school. For example, children carry out experiments, such as placing celery stalks into plain water, and water with a red dye, to investigate how a plant takes water in and therefore grows. Later they engage in listening to, and re-telling, the fairy tale about a beanstalk, before going outdoors to their garden area and planting vegetables together. Staff skilfully extend activities to include the practice of writing skills in making labels for the vegetable garden and they support children to make independent

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who attend

decisions about the preparation of the planting area. Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of how to support children's development of the characteristics of learning.

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who attend

Observation and assessment is sharply focused and builds from an initial assessment completed by staff as well as that provided by parents. Ongoing assessment includes full use of the Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance. Individual programmes for each child identify their next steps and their progression is tracked closely. The planning relates closely to the assessment programme and identifies specific activities and targets for children, with challenge and extension identified. Parents are fully involved in the learning of their children and take part in consultations with key persons as well as receiving written summary reports. Parents complete 'at home' observations which are added to the development files and inform the planning and next steps. Daily verbal exchange is a key part of the sharing process and enhances the close monitoring of children's learning and development at home and in the setting. Children with specific

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who attend

identified needs receive extremely detailed and well-planned support to ensure that they make rapid progress given their starting points. The staff work closely with all agencies involved and devise specific programmes, using the advice and guidance provided, to support children to meet next steps and objectives in all areas of learning and development.

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who attend

Staff provide stimulating activities that are accessible to all children and they encourage them to make decisions about how to approach a task, solve problems, and reach a goal. For example, following a delivery to the setting, the children decide to make two large boxes into a house for outdoors. They work together and decide to fix the boxes together, paint the outside one day, add windows the next day, and paint the inside on the third day. Children are clearly showing that they can work together to achieve a joint aim showing good social development. Children work together on projects, such as building an extensive railway lay-out. They solve problems, such as making bridges, and, where there are pieces missing, they decide to use a building to wedge the pieces together. Such projects last for long periods of time. Children offer pieces to each other, compare sizes and shapes to make pieces fit, talk about the curves and corners that they need to go

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who attend

around, and predict how many more pieces they need to make their track. Children are using their emergent knowledge within all activities.

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who attend

Children use their imagination and create stories for each other using the puppet theatre. They change their voices to become different characters and tell stories to each other. Children love to dress-up and become their favourite fairy-tale characters. For instance, children dress-up and re-create the story of the girl wearing the red hood themselves. They sit in the extremely inviting book area where they tell each other stories. Children take part in group story sessions with staff members and confidently join in with simple rhymes, finish the endings of sentences and predict what may be going to happen. Children are clearly developing an enjoyment for literacy and are rapidly developing their communication and language skills enhanced by the opportunities to take part in drama and role play. Children use resources for writing throughout the setting and experiment their skills with scissors and creating pictures from a broad range of exciting materials.

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who attend

They have access to computers and a variety of early technology resources, such as magnifying bug-boxes which they use to explore insects and small creatures. Children are extremely confident and independent in all areas. They are well motivated and eager to join in with all activities. For example, when the group meets to sing songs together they sing and carry out associated actions with enthusiasm. Staff are particularly supportive and as a result, the children confidently display their knowledge, solve problems and initiate activities.

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

The strong skills of all key persons and the highly effective deployment of staff ensures that all children form secure emotional attachments. Settling-in procedures are enhanced by the very detailed induction procedures for all new families. All parents are instrumental in providing information that helps staff to establish individual settling-in programmes and quickly establish a clear starting point for learning. As a result, children's learning and development is immediately fostered. Regular meetings take place with parents to review any specific programmes for children with additional needs. This assists staff in making sure that ongoing objectives are reviewed and appropriate, given the external support that is also in place for children. Staff model excellent social behaviour for children and offer them frequent praise throughout sessions. They discuss with them how they might make space for their friends whereupon children are seen to offer a turn to others who are

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

waiting. They demonstrate very good social skills.

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

Children show excellent self-care skills and independently meet their own needs. They develop a very secure understanding of healthy eating. The setting have held an under- fives healthy eating award for the last three years and use this information to offer a healthy snack to children and enhance their understanding. For example, children decide when they are hungry and visit the rolling snack bar, they discuss and try a broad range of fruits and vegetables, and they are helped to pour their own drinks. This is linked to the garden outdoors where they grow foods, such as strawberries, carrots, gooseberries and rhubarb. Children help to recycle some objects and materials and they use a wormery to dispose of discarded waste foods. As a result children learn to appreciate and care for the environment. Children's understanding of safety is promoted at all times. Road safety projects enhance discussions and project works. The completion of emergency evacuation

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

reinforces children's awareness of personal safety. The free-flow outdoor play area, is accessible to children all year round because of the canopies and loggia in place. This means that children benefit from fresh air and large physical play throughout the year. The outdoor area is safe and spacious. There are landscaped hard-standing areas as well as turfed areas. Outdoor learning is an integral part of the planning and builds closely from children's interests. Hence children have excellent opportunities to progress their physical abilities and extend their learning in their chosen manner.

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

Transitions within the setting are managed extremely well and, as a result, children's progression and continuing eagerness to learn is assured. Children gradually take part in more small group works, conducted at a pace that suits their needs, until they are part of the 'superstars' group which is being prepared for transition to their next placement. This is managed easily because all staff work alongside all children during the main part of the session hence children are familiar with them. Challenge is offered to those children preparing for transition to a new school because the staff working with the 'superstars' design activities which are practical in nature and involve children in their own learning. They work to meet the aims of the schools by introducing activities that incorporate the skills desired by the schools for entry. The staff accompany children to visit any new placement and invite those teachers to visit them at the setting; this aids children's feeling

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

of security before any move. All learning and development files are passed to the new setting. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that as much detail as possible is passed to any new setting to aid a smooth move. As a result, the transition process is smooth and children thrive.

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provision

The managers have very high expectations for the quality of care that is offered to children. Regular reviews of all paperwork and procedures take place to ensure that all requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are met. Staff are fully involved in this process and the reflective practice of the setting. All staff have safeguarding training and this is reviewed at each team meeting. Staff show an excellent understanding of their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and demonstrate that they can implement the detailed procedures to protect children at all times. As part of the safeguarding procedures there are extremely thorough recruitment and suitability checks which include a detailed induction and probationary period for new staff. New staff take part in a review at three months, and targets are set and monitored closely by the manager. Arrangements for safeguarding children's welfare within the

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provision

setting are excellent. Children are allowed to explore their surroundings and are appropriately physically challenged. The inspection took place following information received regarding an accident to a child and the structural posts in the outdoor area. The inspection found that the outdoor area is subject to comprehensive assessments of risk and the managers are vigilant in monitoring the deployment of staff to ensure children's safety. All staff review the risk assessments and ensure that they are fully aware of how to promote children's safety when engaged in active physical play. The manager implemented a further improvement to the assessments of risk; the padded post protectors which are in place. Consequently, children learn to take risks in a safe environment when they use this extremely well-equipped area.

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provision

Staff create an environment, within this specifically designed and built setting, that is stimulating where children engage in self-chosen, active learning. The environment is especially secure with admittance gained only by internal release doors and where all internal doors require an identity badge with electronic fob to be opened. The arrival and departure of children is managed extremely well and ensures that children cannot exit the building alone. These measures demonstrate the high regard that the setting has for the safety of children. Staff complete detailed risk assessments for all areas of the setting and all activities. Each day, clear records are made of the number of children present. Staff deployment is managed carefully, and monitored closely by the manager, in order to meet the required ratios and support all children. The manager has a clear overview of what is taking place, at all times, through constant monitoring throughout the day. Hence,

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provision

children's welfare and well-being is shown to be of the utmost priority.

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provision

High quality professional development is in place to promote continued improvement. This starts with the peer observations that take place by the manager and her deputy. Immediate feedback helps staff to reflect on their practice and strive for continually high standards. All staff take part in progress meetings and an annual appraisal which all form part of the personal development plans for training and targets to meet. Training plans are designed to ensure that the staff group is highly skilled and equipped to meet the needs of every child attending. Consistent monitoring of the children's development files, and their progress towards the early learning goals, takes place by the 'little stars' co- ordinator. This ensures that all children receive the same high quality assessment and support to reach their potential.

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provision

Parents are involved in the practice of the setting. They receive regular newsletters, have access to an informative website, take part in the progress check at age two, and attend open evenings. An extremely active committee raises funds, receives a manager's report as part of the reflective practice, and feeds back any views of parents given to them. The setting continues to find methods to demonstrate how they use the views of parents, and children, to assist them in identifying further areas for improvement. Constant reflective practice takes place each day. Managers and staff evaluate every activity and session, and make clear action plans for improvement showing that they are working to ensure progression. They have made clear and measurable improvements based on the recommendations of their last inspection, and continue to strive towards further improvements. The dedication seen in reflecting on good practice and continuing to

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provision

improve all aspects of the setting shows that there is a strong drive to maintain the high levels of achievement. Children are very happy, thoroughly enjoy their play and learning, and are self-assured. Consequently, they embark on their learning career ready and equipped with the skills they need.

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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 EY437997 Local authority Central Bedfordshire Inspection number 910851

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 170 Name of provider Pippin Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 12/06/2012 Telephone number 01462 834897

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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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