Springfield Bees Preschool

Springfield Bees Preschool Perryfields Community Hall, Springfield, CHELMSFORD, CM1 7PP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/06/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Observations are not used to identify children's next steps in their learning. This means that the educational programme both indoors and outdoors, does not have sufficient depth and breadth to provide children with challenging and enjoyable experiences that are always appropriate to their needs. As a result, they do not make sufficient progress.  Self-evaluation is not systematic, nor sufficiently rigorous, to identify weaknesses and ensure they are promptly and suitably addressed. As a result, there are significant weaknesses, which have an impact on children's care and learning.  Procedures to help parents understand how strong foundations in their home language supports their child's development of English, are not fully established. As a result, not all children's communication and language development is supported appropriately.  The key person system is ineffective and does not support each child's emotional well-

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This provision is inadequate

being as their individual care needs are not being appropriately met.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff provide a warm, caring welcome for children, which helps them to settle well.

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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 part 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 play area and the playground.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journal records, the pre-school's self- evaluation form, policies and procedures, parent questionnaires and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of several parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Information about the setting

Springfield Bees Preschool was re-opened in 2012 after a name change to the provision. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. It operates from a community association hall in Springfield, Essex and is managed by a committee. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed play area in the school for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday mornings during school term times from 9.15am until 12.15pm every morning and from 12.15pm until 3.15pm on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. The pre-school provides a session for children due to start school on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 12.30pm until 3.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 55 children attending who are within the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3.

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must:

 develop the educational programme by effectively planning the use of resources and the learning environment to reflect and support children's individual learning needs and interests, ensuring that activities and additional resources for outside are included

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must:

 provide challenging and enjoyable experiences for children in all areas of learning and development by: developing knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements; using robust observation and assessment of children's learning to identify their next steps; planning for individual children, taking into account their interests and the next steps in their learning

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must:

 develop the key person system to ensure that care practices are fully tailored to meet children's individual needs.

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

 develop further the programme of support for children who speak English as an additional language, for example, by helping parents to understand how strong foundations in a home language support their children's development of English

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

 implement rigorous and systematic self-evaluation, to ensure that any weaknesses are swiftly identified and promptly and effectively addressed. Use self-evaluation to improve practice and make well targeted plans to improve learning and development opportunities for children.

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who attend

Observations and assessment are ineffective as staff only record what children can do. They are not using this information to identify children's next steps in their learning. As a result, staff do not plan an educational programme of activities that meets children's individual needs, interests and next steps of learning to ensure that they are appropriately supported to make sound, ongoing progress. Staff plan weekly topics and use developmental milestones from guidance documents to plan activities, which includes all seven areas of learning. However, as these are not linked to children's next steps of learning and interests, there are times when children are not engaged or involved with the activities provided, which hinders their learning. This does not ensure that they have a broad enough range of skills to support their future learning. There is also a variance in the quality of teaching and interaction by staff in the setting. Some staff do not make best

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who attend

use of circle time to engage and capture children's interests, as the activity is not appropriate to the age and level of children's understanding. For example, children as young as two-years-old are expected to recite the days of the week and months of the year. As a result, some of the younger children lack enthusiasm for learning.

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who attend

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to make steady progress in their learning and development. This is because the special educational needs coordinator liaises with children's parents and works with other professionals to create individual learning plans. There is a designated staff member who completes a summary of children's progress at age two, which is shared with parents. This can then be used to help identify any additional support which may be needed. Children enjoy outside play; they use the range of large equipment confidently to help promote their physical development well. For example, they climb up onto the balance beams, they jump off and run around freely. However, this is not being used effectively to extend and enhance children's learning further, as specific activities are not planned for when children use the outdoor environment. Staff have developed the book corner to make it more inviting so

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who attend

that children can choose books to look at, to develop an interest in literacy. Staff interact with children, they ask them questions and give them instructions to follow, which helps to promote children's communication and thinking skills. Children have opportunities to paint, colour and draw to develop their pencil control and creativity. Some older children confidently recognise the letters in their names and some are able to write their own names, forming the letters correctly. Older children enjoy accessing the computer room in the school to play games, this helps them to develop good mouse control and their understanding of technology.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are generally sound as they feel that staff provide them with relevant feedback so they are included with what their child has been doing during the session. Children's learning journal progress records are sent home at regular intervals so they can see what their children have achieved and add comments. Through the parents evening they can look at their child's progress records and become involved in their child's early education through speaking with key staff about their child's learning.

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

Children are allocated a key person at the start of their care, to help them to settle and feel secure. However, the system for this is ineffective as children's individual care needs are being met by other staff, not their key person who they have developed an attachment with. This does not support children's emotional well-being. Staff prepare the setting each morning and children are provided with a range of resources and activities to support the planned activities. Resources are set out on the floor and low tables, making them accessible to all children. This provides children with a choice of resources that interests them.

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

Children learn about other cultures and beliefs through undertaking a range of activities about different cultural festivals. They have access to some resources to help promote their understanding of people's differences. However, ways to help parents to understand how strong foundations in a home language support their children's development of English, are not in place. For example, there are no key words displayed in their home language so that children are supported to understand the daily routines and are able to join in with the activities available. Staff ask parents about their beliefs so that children are helped to learn about the different customs, beliefs, traditional food and activities. Children have opportunities to taste different foods which also helps them to learn about the wider world. Staff have clear rules in place to help children learn about expected codes of behaviour. Children are supported by staff with learning how to share and take turns

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

with resources and activities. Children learn about how to keep themselves safe as staff use a traffic light system when they walk to the school playground which is accessed through the centre's car park. The children have learnt that 'the red circle means stop and the green circle means it is safe to go'.

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

Children's individual health and dietary needs are noted, and staff ensure that these are respected. Children are learning about promoting their own health as they use anti- bacterial hand gel to clean their hands when they arrive at the setting and before eating. Staff provide children with healthy options at snack time. For example, they have apple, cucumber, and raisins to eat and can help themselves to water whenever they are thirsty. Staff have made contact with some schools children will attend in the area, so that appropriate support can be provided for children as they make the transition to school. Children also regularly access the playground of the school on site, so are becoming familiar with the teachers and layout of the classrooms in readiness for when they start full-time education.

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provision

The manager and committee have worked together to evaluate practice and have put in plans to address the issues identified for improvement. For example, the planning has been reviewed, so that now all staff have input with planning for children's learning. However, the evaluation is not sufficiently rigorous, to identify key weaknesses in practice and any action being taken is ineffective in ensuring that children's learning and development needs are being fully supported and met. Feedback from parents on the pre- school's practice is obtained through questionnaires and they are welcomed to join the committee to support and put across their views regarding the running of the pre-school. This knowledge is then used to implement plans for improvements to develop and improve the pre-school's practice.

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provision

Staff are supported by the committee with completing training for their continued professional development. There are regular staff meetings to discuss practice and the pre-school has clear recruitment and induction procedures in place to ensure that staff are know their roles and responsibilities. All staff and volunteers undergo checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Information for parents to keep them informed about the pre-school's policies and practice is made available. Parents are further informed about any events or changes in the pre-school through the newsletters. Pre- school staff have made good links with the school on site and also has contact with some other settings that children attend, so that information can be discussed and exchanged, to promote continuity.

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provision

Children are appropriately safeguarded as all staff have an understanding of the pre- school's safeguarding children procedures. Staff are aware of the necessary steps to take should they have any concerns about the welfare of a child. The pre-school has clear policies and procedures in place for staff to follow and contact numbers for the relevant authorities are accessible, should a referral need to be made. Staff complete a daily checklist which ensures that children are effectively protected from any potential dangers. The premises are secure which helps to keep children safe and protect them from intruders.

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The Childcare Register

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 EY430190 Local authority Essex Inspection number 810883

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider Springfield Bees Pre-School Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07528 651840

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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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