Little Potters Pre-school

Little Potters Preschool Potters Green Community Association, Community Centre, Wigston Road, COVENTRY, CV2 2QR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/06/2013 13/01/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 A good settling-in procedure agreed with parents ensures that each child's emotional security is addressed well by staff.  Regular verbal and written communication with parents ensures continuity of care and learning for children.  Staff successfully identify and minimise risks in the premises and they are fully aware of their responsibilities to protect children from harm.  Literacy is developing well. Older children are proud that they can write their names.

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It is not yet good because

 Assessment of children's learning and development is not used with full effect by staff to plan for next steps in learning and ensure that all children make as much progress as they can.  Opportunities for children to explore and investigate are limited because some staff do not promote their sensory development and creativity effectively.  Children's language development is not fully promoted. When staff talk with children their questions are not always open-ended and children are not always given time to consider their responses.  Children's learning about healthy eating is not maximised. They are not consistently asked by staff to talk about what they like to eat, and also identify healthier choices.

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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 all rooms and the outdoor learning environment.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's assessment records and planning, evidence of suitability of staff working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation and a range of other documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Little Potters Pre-school opened in 2010 and is a committee-led group. It is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school operates from a self-contained unit in Potters Green Community Centre in the Potters Green area of Coventry. Access is at ground level. There is an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 55 children on roll and all are in the early years age range. Children attend from the age of two years. The pre-school opens term-time only, Monday to Friday from 9am until 3.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. It provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs nine members of staff and six are present at any one time. The manager holds an early years qualification at level 4, five staff are qualified at level 3 in early years and two staff hold early years qualification at level 2.

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must:

 make sure that assessment of what children know and can do is used consistently and effectively to plan for the next steps in their learning, so that they are helped to make as much progress as they can

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must:

 develop the educational programme for expressive arts and design to enhance children's sensory development and creativity; for example, by supporting children in exploring texture and colour, and talking with them about ways of finding out what they can do with different media.

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

 extend practice for promoting children's language development by asking children open-ended questions and by giving them thinking time and time to put their thoughts into words

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

 extend practice for raising children' awareness that good practice with regard to eating can contribute to their good health.

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who attend

Children are making satisfactory progress. Staff demonstrate a sound awareness of the learning and development requirements and children are appropriately challenged. However, assessment of children's abilities is not used with full effect to plan next steps in their learning across all areas of learning. Consequently, this has an impact upon the progress that children are able to make. Staff work well with parents to ensure that children's care and learning needs are appropriately met. Parents initially provide information on what their child already knows and can do and information on learning is shared by staff regularly, both verbally and in development folders. Staff work satisfactorily with other early years providers in order to ensure continuity of care and learning. They support children sufficiently so that they develop skills in readiness for nursery class and school. Staff are aware of the requirement to provide parents with a

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who attend

progress check at age two and complete these where necessary.

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who attend

Children are settled and secure. Their independence is promoted well because they can choose and select from a sufficient variety of resources in the playroom and in the outdoor play area. However, opportunities for them to explore different media are limited. Resources, such as paint, sand, glue and collage are available to children, but staff do not promote children's creativity and sensory awareness. They do not encourage and support children in adding or mixing media, or exploring colour and texture. Most children speak confidently and children who speak English as an additional language are encouraged to use their home language as well as learn to speak English. However, staff do not promote their learning with full effect. This is because in conversation with children they sometimes ask closed questions and answer their own questions before children have chance to do so. Consequently, opportunities for children to think and extend their vocabulary are not

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who attend

Children's physical development is promoted appropriately by staff. Large physical play equipment is suitably challenging for the children attending. Children's manipulative skills develop well as they practise with a range of safe small toys and tools, including scissors. They mould and make marks in play dough and enjoy drawing and writing. Older children draw carefully with good detail. Some children are able to write their own name without any help and others collect their name cards to copy. Linking sounds and letters is promoted well by staff and children are making good progress. Children play games that promote their mathematical development satisfactorily and staff encourage children to count with one-to-one correspondence. Their learning is promoted well in the outdoor area as they dig in soil and look for worms. They handle the worms gently as they count them and talk about long and short and who is holding the longest. Children enjoy easy

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who attend

access to role play resources and these include ones that reflect diversity in a positive way. They gain an awareness of their similarities and their differences, for example, as they sample different foods and learn about different traditions.

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

Children's emotional security is initially addressed well because a settling-in period is agreed with parents. They are happy and confident as they develop a secure attachment with their key person and other staff. Children are well-prepared for their transition into other early years settings and reception class in school. This is because they meet school staff when visits are arranged to the reception class in the local school, and teachers from other schools visit children in the pre-school. Children gain an awareness of behaviour boundaries. Strategies for managing children's behaviour include explanation and consistency, and staff use positive reinforcement in order to address children's confidence and self-esteem. Children's independence is promoted well. For example, they choose and easily select resources for themselves and develop an ability to attend to their self-care needs. Resources are safe and meet children's learning and development needs

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

Staff create a welcoming environment for children and their parents. Admission information obtained from parents enables them to address children's individual care needs effectively. Information on practice in the pre-school with regard to safety, illness and accidents is shared with parents. Children's good health is protected sufficiently because staff encourage them to be physically active. They gain confidence and physical skills with use of large physical play equipment. Staff are aware of their responsibilities to protect children's health through the implementation of good food hygiene practice and snacks provided for children are healthy. However, some foods in packed lunch boxes are not beneficial to children's health and staff do not maximise children's learning by encouraging them to recognise the healthier foods. Children's welfare is addressed effectively because staff ensure that the environment is safe. Children learn how to keep

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

themselves safe. For example, they regularly practise the fire drill.

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provision

The manager and staff make sure that the pre-school is safe and secure. Children's welfare needs are addressed well because requirements for staff to child ratios are being met. The manager ensures that all staff have up-to-date knowledge on their responsibilities to protect children from abuse and neglect. A safeguarding policy is accessible to staff and parents and is in line with the Coventry Safeguarding Children Board procedures. Children are safeguarded because recruitment and selection procedures are robust. Staff are not allowed unsupervised access to children until all checks are completed. The manager and committee are clear about informing Ofsted of any changes. Required documentation and records are kept up-to-date and in good order.

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provision

The manager was appointed in November 2012 and is monitoring the educational programmes satisfactorily to ensure that children make progress in their learning. At the time of the last inspection three recommendations were raised and the measures put in place to address two of these are not fully effective in promoting children's learning. The provider was asked to improve planning for individual children's learning by using the information gained from discussions with parents and from talking to and observing children. Some measures have been put in place to address this recommendation, but planning for children's next steps in their learning is still not fully effective in ensuring that children make as much progress as they can. The provider was asked to review adult-led activities so that children are able to express and communicate their own ideas. This is addressed by some staff members while they support children's play. However, some staff

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provision

do not encourage children to talk about ways of finding out what they can do with different media and encourage them to explore and investigate. In order to review and improve practice the manager welcomes advice offered by local authority development workers. She is currently completing the Ofsted self-evaluation form. Her current priority for improvement is to ensure that recently reviewed practice for observation and assessment is used effectively by all staff. Also to encourage staff to develop their knowledge and skills by attending training courses. Resources meet children's needs sufficiently. Required documentation is kept up-to-date.

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provision

An effective partnership with parents promotes children's care and learning needs appropriately. Staff are aware of the importance of obtaining as much information as possible about each child's individual care needs from parents and agreeing with them how they can work together to meet these needs. A range of written policies are provided for parents and these appropriately reflect the ethos of the pre-school. Parents' views on the provision are welcomed and are obtained verbally and with the implementation of a questionnaire. Staff are aware of the importance of establishing links with other early years providers to ensure continuity of care and learning.

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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 EY347590 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 900312

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider Potters Green Community Association Committee Date of previous inspection 13/01/2011 Telephone number 02476 614619

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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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