Robins Childcare

Robins Childcare Capel St. Mary School, The Street, Capel St. Mary, IPSWICH, IP9 2EG

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/06/2013 02/11/2009

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff have high expectations of all children based on accurate assessments of children's interests and achievements and provide a stimulating and challenging environment.  Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and are skilled in supporting and extending children's play as they encourage them to think for themselves and work out problems.  Children show high levels of confidence and independence as they freely explore their environment, access the resources, serve themselves and clear their plates at snack and meal times.  The highly motivated staff team are inspired by the passion and commitment of the manager, they regularly reflect on their practice and share ideas as they embrace new initiatives in their chosen areas of interest.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Not all children are supported fully to make smooth transitions into school as partnerships with some schools are not well established.  There is scope to enhance arrangements for encouraging more opportunities to discuss and share information about children's progress with parents.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all the play rooms and the outdoor learning environments.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision, spoke to staff and interacted with the children.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation and a range of other documentation.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of inspection and information included in the self-evaluation documents.

p.2

Information about the setting

Robins Childcare has been established since 2006 and was registered in new premises in 2010. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from purpose designed and built premises in the grounds of Capel St Mary Primary School, Suffolk. The children have access to two secure outdoor play areas.

p.3

Information about the setting

The setting employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, two members of staff hold early years qualification to level 5, one at level 4 and seven hold early years qualification to level 3. Two members of staff are currently working towards higher qualifications. The nursery also employs a cook and an administrator.

p.3

Information about the setting

The setting is open each weekday from 7.45am to 6pm, 51 weeks of the year. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 144 children attending, 98 of whom are in the early years age group. Care is also provided for children aged over five years before and after school and during school holidays. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

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

 refine ways of sharing information with parents to encourage more opportunities for parents to discuss and provide feedback about their child's progress

p.3

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

 extend arrangements for partnership working with some schools to ensure a consistent approach for all children to enable smooth transitions into school.

p.3

who attend

Children show enthusiasm for learning because staff are involved in their play as they engage and capture the children's interests. For example, for children who love cars, staff introduce vehicles into the paints and children make patterns with the wheels as they push them around the paper. Staff are skilled in identifying areas where they can extend the children's learning further. For example, when children want to include their friends in hiding in a large box, staff suggest ideas and provide additional resources. Children help to build a den to provide larger areas for them all to hide, they help staff find a large piece of material and torches to play with in the 'den'. The children work together, deciding where the 'den' will be and how to secure the material as they learn to cooperate and negotiate.

p.3

who attend

Staff follow the children's interests and know when to join in with their play and when to observe from a distance. For example, staff watch as children learn about size and capacity as they work out for themselves the size of the bucket they need to pour the wet mud from the mud kitchen. Children develop a range of skills across all areas of learning as they happily involve the staff in making cakes at the play dough table. As the play evolves into a 'birthday party' the staff member supports the children as they lead the play. They access pencils and paper to write out invitations, make candles for the cakes, wrap up presents and organise how many cakes they need to feed everyone. The wide range of activities help children to enjoy their learning and to build the necessary skills needed for the next steps in their development and their eventual move to school.

p.4

who attend

Children's interests are taken into account when designing the rooms and as a result, in the pre-school room, they have extended the role-play area to make a large area for the dolls. Children show great interest in dressing them, changing nappies and putting them to bed as they play out what they have seen with younger brothers and sisters at home. Children dress up as builders, securing the builders belt around their waist and putting on hard hats. They conscientiously use toy drills, hammers and screw drivers to mend the storage units and to build with milk crates.

p.4

who attend

All children, including babies and very young children have many opportunities daily to explore a range of textures and to get messy. They mix mud and water outside and babies delight in feeling paint on their hands, arms and feet as they make hand and foot prints, use brushes and enjoy making patterns. They happily explore the outdoors and those that are not yet walking shuffle up and down the ramp and use wheeled toys to push and walk behind. Older children learn to climb and balance on logs and balancing beams and staff support them to set them out to provide more challenge. Children enjoy stories and songs and staff use books and rhymes with repartition to encourage language and communication. Staff use signing, gestures and pictures to support communication further to ensure that even the youngest children can express their needs. Photographs of places in the local community encourage conversations as children tell others where they

p.4

who attend

Children in the after school club use a range of materials for sticking and concentrate as they make intricate patterns and pictures. They enjoy the outdoors competing with each other to score the most goals in the basketball hoop. The games console is very popular and staff help them to work out turn taking to ensure turns are fair. Younger children have opportunities to use technology and play with a compact disc player and radio and also enjoy computer games using their favourite characters from television programs.

p.4

who attend

The staff have high expectations of themselves and the children, they also have a clear understanding of how children learn. They use research on schemas, repetitive patterns in play, to connect with the children and to support their interests further. Parents are included in this project and leaflets have been made available to them to enable them to be involved and work with their child at home. Staff make regular observations of children's play. The observations are assessed and children's next steps in their learning and development are recorded and used to inform the planning. As a result, planning follows the children's interests and supports them to make good progress. Staff have begun to carry out progress checks for two-year-olds to identify each child's strengths and areas where progress is less than expected. These are added to the children's progress records and parents are encouraged to take them home every term. Parent's evenings

p.4

who attend

have been introduced to encourage opportunities to discuss and share information about their child's progress. However, comments from parents are not consistently encouraged or used to ensure parents are fully involved in their child's learning and development in the setting.

p.5

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

Children form secure and trusting attachments with the staff, especially with their key person and show a strong sense of belonging within the setting. They are confident and happily explore their environment, independently accessing the resources and activities. Staff provide additional support to those that find it difficult to leave their parents. Trial sessions with their parents help them to become familiar with the play areas, resources, staff and routines. Staff are very supportive, they take time to get to know the children and ensure they provide activities that they are interested in. They offer cuddles and reassurance to ensure transitions from home to the setting are as smooth as possible. There are good procedures for supporting children when they move up to the next room. They have several trial visits with their key person who introduces them to their new key person and ensures that all information is discussed and passed on. Babies emotional and

p.5

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

physical well-being is promoted well, they sleep, eat and play according to their home routines, ensuring that they feel safe and settle easily.

p.5

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

Children are very independent and take responsibility for themselves from a very early age. They collect their cutlery and crockery at meal times, serve themselves and scrap the plates and stack them when they have finished. Children access their own coats when they go outside and put on boots if they want to splash in puddles or play in the mud. They access drinking water throughout the session, either from their own cup or bottle or the spare cups which children use if they have forgotten their own. Even the very youngest children pour from the water jugs available in each room and staff support where necessary. The babies know which cup is theirs and who the other cups and bottles belong to and staff regularly encourage all the children to drink to ensure they are hydrated.

p.5

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

The setting effectively promotes diversity and values all children who attend by getting to know the children and their families well. Children learn about and celebrate a range of festivals throughout the year and resources, posters and photographs reflect a diverse society and encourage understanding and acceptance. Children who need additional help are accurately identified and systems are in place to support them fully and to work closely with parents and other agencies involved. Children benefit because the nursery cook is highly committed and provides meals and snacks that are balanced, healthy and nutritious. Menus are designed to ensure that children have a range of textures and tastes that promote healthy eating throughout the day. Individual dietary needs are recorded and respected to ensure children are cared for appropriately. Parent's and children's suggestions for meals and snacks are encouraged

p.5

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

ensuring that they are involved in the menu choices. All children and babies take part in good hand washing routines to ensure their hands are clean before eating. Nappy changing systems are robust and each change is recorded. All areas are clean and hygienic. Resources are well maintained and toys, shelving and boxes are cleaned regularly to limit the spread of infection.

p.6

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

Children learn to keep themselves safe as they take part in road safety projects and in regular fire drills. Drills are organised for busy days to ensure that they are effective in evacuating all children and staff efficiently. Older children understand the drill and any additional staff come through to help in the baby room and ensure all babies are carried safety to a secure location. Staff provide good role models for behaviour. They are calm, relaxed and encourage the children to be kind to each other. The staff treat all the children with respect, valuing their individual personalities and speaking to them with kindness. They learn to take turns and to share the equipment and to work together. Children help each other and give their friends cuddles when they are upset and are learning effective strategies to manage their own behaviour.

p.6

provision

The devoted staff team work very well under the strong leadership of the manager. They are passionate about providing the very best they can for all children in a safe and secure environment. The manager skilfully recognises each staff member's individual strengths and encourages their interests. As a result, they are motivated and keen to develop their skills further and to share them with the rest of the staff. They feedback ideas from their recent training during staff meetings. For example, they discuss and explore the ways in which children learn and the characteristics of effective learning. This helps the staff to observe children more closely and to plan the environment and activities to ensure children make the best progress possible.

p.6

provision

The staff clearly understand their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements. They work hard to provide a stimulating, welcoming and inviting environment for the children and take pride in their individual rooms and areas. Resources throughout the nursery are clearly labelled and accessible for children to access independently. Mobiles, drapes and photographs add additional stimuli and children's work is valued and displayed at their level. The outdoor environments are extremely well designed providing valuable play experiences covering all areas of learning.

p.6

provision

Staff are involved in the self-evaluation process as they are encouraged to constantly reflect on their practice. Parents are also asked to provide suggestions and comments and children make decisions about the resources they would like and where they should go. This ensures that everyone is fully involved in making improvements and shaping the provision and there are clear targets for development.

p.6

provision

The manager and staff understand and meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Children are protected from abuse and neglect because the staff are secure in their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures. Clear policies support their practice and the majority have attended safeguarding training. Staff recruitment is robust and induction procedures followed to ensure all staff understand their roles and the setting's policies. Children are supervised by qualified and experienced staff at all times and ratios are adhered to, ensuring children are cared for appropriately. Risk assessments are carried out regularly and daily checks ensure that any hazards are minimised. The premises are secure and children cannot leave unsupervised and unauthorised persons cannot gain access.

p.7

provision

Staff work very closely with parents providing them with information in a variety of ways to ensure they can all access it. For example, staff are available every day for discussions, parents evenings are organised, a notice board and a wealth of displays in the entrance provides information about the setting and the Early Years Foundation Stage. A comprehensive website is available and they also use a social network site. Parents report that they are extremely happy with the provision and the progress their children are making. They value the staff commitment and the fact that they go on workshops and training to increased their knowledge in order to help them to support all children effectively. They find the staff friendly, approachable and supportive. The setting works closely with the local authority and builds good links with several schools that the children will attend. However, links with some schools are not as well established and therefore do

p.7

provision

not provide a consistent approach to support all children to make smooth transitions into school.

p.7

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

p.7

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY395784 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 918431

p.9

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 144 Name of provider Victoria Jane Dean Date of previous inspection 02/11/2009 Telephone number 01473 310767

p.9

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

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,

p.10

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’.

p.11

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.11