Playdays Pre-school

Playdays Pre-school Remembrance Road, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 3DG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/06/2013 17/10/2008

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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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 A variety of resources and play experiences are provided, so that children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development.  Children's emotional security is addressed effectively, beginning with a well-planned settling-in procedure, so that children are settled and happy.  Children's good health is protected. Snacks are varied and nutritious and children are involved in planting, growing and harvesting fruit and vegetables in the pre-school garden.

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It is not yet good because

 Children make satisfactory rather than good progress because there are inconsistences with the way that practitioners plan for individual children's next steps in learning.  A daily record of children's hours is not kept.  Children are not always able to choose when they wish to play outside.  There are fewer opportunities for children to select and use technology for particular purposes.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed a variety of activities in the main room used by children and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation and held meetings with the designated deputy and spoke with three other practitioners present.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, development records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and the previous Ofsted inspection report.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of children, parents and carers spoken to on the day and of information included in the self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

Playdays Pre-school opened in 1984 and is registered on the Early Years Register. It operates mainly from one room in Willenhall Free Church, Coventry. There are kitchen and toilet facilities off the main entrance area. There are currently 23 children attending, who are within the early years age range.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is open five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school employs four members of staff, of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 develop the ongoing observation and assessment of children to understand their level of achievement, interests and learning styles and then shape learning experiences for each child reflecting those observations

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must:

 ensure a daily record of children's hours of attendance is kept.

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

 enhance key group times to enable free-flow access to the outdoors for all children

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

 extend opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the world in relation to information communication technology by, for example, providing regular access to a computer or other programmable toys.

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who attend

Educational programmes generally cover the seven areas of learning and provide a range of interesting challenges. However, observations and assessments are not consistent in quality and are not frequent or accurate enough to build on children's progress. Consequently, planning is not fully effective because it does not consistently take account of all children's starting points or their individual next steps. Information is gathered from parents about their child through 'all about me' sheets and children's journals, which regularly go home with parents for them to add their contributions. Parents are welcomed into the pre-school and are able to speak to practitioners at the beginning and end of sessions.

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who attend

Children have opportunities to develop listening and speaking skills, which support their communication skills and their social and emotional development. For example, during story time with small groups of children they are encouraged to predict what might happen next. At other times, practitioners ask questions, which prompt children to think about the past, or what activities they might do next at pre-school. Practitioners sometimes apply open-ended questioning techniques to explore children's understanding with 'why?' and 'how?' to develop early critical thinking. This helps to develop children's skills in readiness for school.

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who attend

Children use their imaginations well during role play. A home corner is complete with cooker, sink, dresser, table and chairs. Various props are accessible by the children to support their development. For example, a child speaks clearly into a play telephone to tell her Daddy that, 'Tea would be ready very soon.' While a computer is positioned in a prime location in the pre-school room, children do not presently have access to it to support their understanding of information communication technology. Children are, however, supported to use cameras appropriately.

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who attend

Children develop their confidence well, as they busily move around their environment while deciding what to do. They show good levels of sustained interest in their chosen play. Children are well behaved and learn about sharing and taking turns and respond well to consistent reminders and directions from the practitioners. Their communication, language and literacy levels are building well. Children develop a keen interest in books because they are made easily accessible. They seek patterns, count, sort and match through using a varied range of construction toys, puzzles and games. Practitioners use the daily routine, such as snack time and children's play to encourage them to count, recognise numerals and consider early calculation.

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who attend

Children's understanding of the world is supported well outdoors as children engage in a variety of good, first-hand experiences in which they learn about their natural environment. For example, they grow potatoes, vegetables, and flowers. In addition, children have access to an enclosed area with a variety of plants and shrubs. This area is known as the children's 'weather wall', where they have good opportunities to observe and predict the weather using a weather chart.

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who attend

Free-flow play between the indoor and outside area enables children to effectively challenge their physical skills and explore things more closely in their own time. For example, they learn to climb safely on the climbing frame and slide. However, free-flow access to the outside area for all children is sometimes restricted when practitioners take their own key groups of children outdoors for adult-led activities. This routine has an impact on some children's ability to freely choose when they want to play outside as they are not allowed to venture outside for this period.

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

A well-established key person system helps children form secure attachments and promotes their well-being and independence. Good information is gathered from parents about child's needs to help them settle. Practitioners are very welcoming and children appear relaxed. Consequently, children separate from main carer with support and encouragement. A 'self-registration' system is in place where parents and carers support their children to find their own names on entering the main pre-school room. Children are generally motivated to play and explore through a range of experiences that develop their growing independence and cooperation. Practitioners encourage children to be kind and thoughtful to one another.

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

The main pre-school room is well organised with clearly defined spaces, for example, a home corner, book area, art and craft area and snack bar seating area. Activities are set out on tables and floor mats. They are age appropriate and organised well, which enables children to move around easily and make choices about their play. During the inspection, it was noted that the routines allowed children considerable time for sustained play. Areas are well resourced and the equipment is clearly labelled. The room is organised effectively to allow for quieter play as well as active play.

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

The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles is good. Practitioners use snack times as a learning opportunity to talk to children about healthy food choices. Healthy snacks are widely promoted as parents and carers are encouraged to provide their child with a piece of fruit. Fruit supplied by parents is washed and prepared by a practitioner and placed in the centre of the table for children to share. Children sit and chat with their peers, while sharing and taking turns to select slices of fresh fruit. Fresh drinking water is available and accessible at all times. Children show confidence in asking adults for help for example, to re-fill the water jug.

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

Practitioners help children to follow effective hygiene practices to prevent the spread of infection. A portable washbasin is positioned close to the 'snack bar' to support children's understanding of personal hygiene and they are encouraged to independently wash and dry their hands prior to selecting a snack. Children have access to tissues and dispose of them in the correct way. Practitioners are clear about children's current allergies and food preferences and ensure that their needs are met and respected. Children learn to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the positive benefits that exercise has on the body. They are taught to keep themselves safe as practitioners remind them to use their 'walking legs' indoors because they might fall against the furniture and hurt themselves.

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

Children develop good levels of self-esteem because practitioners are attentive and value their contributions. For example, having asked a child how the salt dough felt, the child replied, 'It feels all gooey.' The practitioner responded by saying, 'Ooh gooey, that's a good word to use.' Children are frequently praised for their efforts and stickers and a 'star of the day' system is in place to reward positive behaviour. Children are prepared for their transition to primary school by sharing stories and inviting teachers from local schools to visit children in the pre-school setting.

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provision

The deputy and practitioners work hard to manage the daily routines of running the pre- school in the manager's absence. Daily safety checks are carried out before the children arrive and regular emergency evacuation drills are practised, so that children and practitioners know what to do in the case of a fire or other emergency. Visitors are asked to sign in the 'visitors' book'. Staff qualifications and ratios meet the welfare requirements, which ensure children are well supported. Effective systems are in place for the recruitment and induction of practitioners to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Checks are completed and suitable procedures are in place to ensure children are not left unsupervised. Children's welfare is safeguarded as practitioners have a good understanding of child protection issues and implement policies and procedures accordingly.

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provision

Practitioners understand their responsibility to ensure the pre-school meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the daily record of the names of children being cared for on the premises does not state children's hours of attendance, which means children's safety in an emergency is not assured. This is a breach of requirements. There is an appropriate system in place to monitor practitioners' performance and development, such as annual appraisals and regular team meetings. Along with self-evaluation this enables the pre-school to secure future improvement to support children's learning needs.

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provision

Links have been made with other external agencies to support children with additional needs and/or disabilities, such as a speech and language therapist. Parents say their children make friends easily at pre-school and they can confidently leave them knowing they will be safe and happy. Parents spoke well of the staff team and stipulated how the sharing of information about their children's care needs have contributed well toward their children settling at pre-school. Furthermore, parents stated that they would discuss issues freely, should they arise.

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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 507693 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 877242

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 23 Name of provider Playdays Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 17/10/2008 Telephone number 02476 307970

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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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