Oakey Dokeys Pre-School Limited

Oakey Dokeys Pre-School All Saints C of E Primary School, Beaumont Road, Great Oakley, HARWICH, Essex, CO12 5BA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/09/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are extremely settled, confident and happy within the pre-school. The exemplary settling-in procedures ensure that every child begins their pre-school life in a positive way. They form strong, close and caring relationships with their key person, who develops a secure knowledge of their individual needs, interests and dislikes.  Children are active, keen and motivated learners, who thoroughly enjoy guiding their own play and learning. They move extremely confidently between the pre-school room and the exciting and stimulating outdoor space. Children make excellent choices about how and where they learn as practitioners follow and facilitate their learning superbly.  Extremely strong partnerships exist between the pre-school, parents, schools, other early years setting and other professionals. This enables practitioners to identify any gaps in children's learning and seek appropriate early interventions to ensure that all

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This provision is outstanding

children receive the support they need to enable them to develop to the best of their ability.  The pre-school building and garden is an extremely enabling environment, full of exciting and interesting spaces, where children can explore, grow and develop. Practitioners actively encourage children to use all of their senses and to follow their individual learning styles and patterns of interest.  Children learn about keeping healthy and safe through lively discussions, exciting activities and a wide range of appropriate resources. Children are encouraged to consider risks as they help committee members to conduct regular risk assessments of the premises.

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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 compulsory 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 pre-school room and garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager, chairperson, practitioners, children and parents at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of records, including children's personal details, information about children's learning, information about the vetting procedures used to assess the suitability of adults caring for children and proof of their suitability. She also saw accident and medication records, written policies, risk assessments and a range of other relevant documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to at the time of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Oakey Dokey Pre-School was first registered in 2006 and registered again in 2013 due to becoming a limited company. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a modular building in the grounds of All Saints C of E Primary School in Great Oakley, Harwich and is managed by a committee. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a purpose-built building and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school is open Monday to Friday mornings, term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am until 11.45am with lunch club from 11.45am until 12.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 30 children attending, who are in the early years age group.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, all five hold appropriate early years qualifications. 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. It has close links with the adjoining school and also with other local schools and a nearby children's centre.

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

 review the range of activities offered to children to encourage their knowledge of growing and planting to enhance the already outstanding experiences they enjoy.

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who attend

Practitioners demonstrate exceptional knowledge of how children learn. They proficiently recognise each child's style of learning and tailor activities to meet each child's needs. Practitioners constantly observe children, both those in their key person groups and generally. They communicate extremely well with each other throughout the pre-school session, ensuring that all practitioners are aware of children's interest, changing moods or ideas. For example, children's discussions during the inspection led to animals and pets. Between the children and the practitioner involved in their discussion, it was agreed that the role play area would be re-invented as a pet shop the following day. Practitioners record their observations proficiently in each child's learning journey. The pre-school's learning journeys provide an excellent story of the children's pre-school life, logging their achievements and progress. Regular and accurate assessments of each child's stage of

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who attend

development are recorded in them and are used to identify children's next steps in learning. Parents are enthusiastically encouraged to share their children's development by viewing the learning journeys, either in the pre-school or by taking them home with them. The key person's comprehensive knowledge of each of the children in their care enables them to secure timely interventions and to provide the support every child needs to enable them to achieve. Evidence in children's learning journeys show that children make extensive progress in all areas of learning during their pre-school life, including those children, who speak English as an additional language and those, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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who attend

Children are extremely keen and active learners. They flourish in the exciting, stimulating and extremely child-focussed environment of the pre-school. Children communicate effectively, holding lengthy discussions with each other about their game. For example, children use the beautifully presented quiet area to sit calmly, to look at books and to share ideas. They talk about a toy cat, naming it and giving it a whole personality and life. Practitioners skilfully intervene in children's quiet times if they feel they can extend the children's thinking, but generally leave them to use the area in whichever way they choose.

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who attend

When playing outdoors, children explore a wide range of materials. They dig in the digging area and use mud to create a range of delicious dishes in the 'mud kitchen'. Many of the children enjoy transporting materials, so the water tray sometimes becomes a tray of muddy, sandy water, which is much more effective for hiding the plastic animals and dinosaurs in. Practitioners are on hand at all times to observe children's play and enthusiastically facilitate their ideas. For example, they provide additional resources or give them suggestions about how they can extend their thinking.

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who attend

Creative children are provided with superb opportunities to express themselves through a wide range of media. They proficiently access a range of different coloured paint from large containers, presented at their height. Children learn that they need to pump the paint out of the large containers into their chosen tray. The extensive selection of different sized brushes and other painting tools enables children to thoroughly explore their ideas. Practitioners supervise, while enabling children to take their creativity in whatever direction they choose. For example, children, who choose to squeeze the paint between their fingers and paint their arms or faces are simply cleaned up once they have finished exploring.

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who attend

Children provide with superb opportunities to develop the skills they require to move on to their next stage of learning, such as 'big school'. Practitioners ensure that planning provides children with challenge and stretches their thinking. They build into the planning opportunities for children to learn about sitting quietly and taking directions. Many of the skills practitioners encourage children to develop by the end of their pre-school life, have come about as a direct result of effective communication with reception class teachers.

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

Practitioners are highly skilled and experienced at helping children to form caring and secure relationships with their key person and other adults. Extremely well-established settling-in procedures aid a smooth transition between home and the children's first experiences of pre-school life. The manager and key persons consistently offer new families home visits. This enables them to develop a close and informed knowledge of the children, their family set up, pets and siblings. An effective 'buddy' key person system ensures that every child has more than one special person within the pre-school to use as a secure base. Children are extremely self-confident and independent. The pre-school ethos actively promotes children's self-confidence and creates extensive opportunities for children to develop independence skills and to make secure decisions. They proficiently learn to take risks as practitioners provide them with a safe and secure environment in

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

which to explore. Children learn to assess possible risk to themselves and others as they help risk assess the premises. They understand the importance of taking turns, for example, they wait patiently on one side of a large piece of climbing equipment, until the practitioner supervising informs them that it is clear for them to use.

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

Children behave exceptionally well. They are respectful of each other and considerate of their friend's needs. Practitioners act as secure role models, speaking to each other and to children in a kind and caring way and using clear and positive language when addressing another person. The pre-school environment enhances all areas of children's learning. It is bright and attractive as practitioners give extremely careful consideration to how they position furniture and present wall displays. The garden provides children with superb opportunities to explore all seven areas of learning. They develop a secure knowledge of the natural world through mini-beast hotels, bird feeders and exploratory play with mud. Children have opportunities to learn about growing and planting, however, this has not been hugely successful. The setting's rural location results in much of the produce they grow being eaten by wild animals. They are aware that further review of this area of

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

learning is required and are considering this through their self-evaluation process.

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

Children develop an acute awareness of how to keep healthy as the pre-school actively promotes their well-being. They enjoy an exciting range of nutritious foods and drinks at snack time and enter into lively discussions about which foods are good for them and those which are not so good. Children keep fit and active as they make excellent use of the large outdoor area. Practitioners also take children on regular walks in the local area and make use of the school grounds for more active physical activities. Children understand the importance of effective hygiene practices and know that they need to wash their hands before eating and when they have used the toilet. They are also clear about the hand-washing procedures when they have fed or petted the pre-school's pets.

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

Children are superbly prepared for their next stages of learning through every aspect of the pre-school's day. Practitioners create highly independent children, who relish in meeting new people and sharing their thoughts and ideas.

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provision

The Oakey Dokey Pre-school is led and managed by a committee, who support a manager and team of four other practitioners. The quality of teaching and delivery of all aspects of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are exemplary. Leadership is dynamic and inspirational, which results in a highly motivated workforce of dedicated and knowledgeable early educators. Systems for monitoring the educational programme, planning and assessment are meticulous. The manager works alongside practitioners on a day-to-day basis and is actively involved in the planning process. She monitors and reviews every child's learning by working closely with their key person. She evaluates each practitioner's understanding of the children in their key worker groups and ensures that activities are highly innovative and provide optimum challenge for all children. All children make exceptional progress in relation to their starting points as practitioners demonstrate

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provision

an acute knowledge of their individual stages of development and use rigorous systems to assess their progress.

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provision

Children are superbly safeguarded as all practitioners regularly update their knowledge of safeguarding procedures. They attend regular training, discuss scenarios in team meetings and keep abreast of changes to guidance or legislation. The designated person ensures that appropriate systems are followed to protect all children. Effective recruitment and robust ongoing employment procedures ensure that all adults working with children are suitable and qualified for their role. Children play and learn in an exceptionally safe environment as practitioners rigorously risk assess the environment indoors and outdoors. Thorough risk assessment procedures are used to assess all aspects of safety, for example, practitioners conduct individual risk assessments for all children, risk assessments for practitioners returning from sick leave and for children's access to pets.

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provision

A highly-professional system for supervision ensures that practitioners meet regularly with the manager to discuss their professional development. The supervision meetings are also used to review the learning needs of each of the children in the practitioner's key person group. This ensures that the manager holds a secure knowledge of all of the children attending and what interventions may be required to reduce gaps in their learning. Practitioners actively participate and attend a wide range of training, based on the needs of the pre-school and on their individual interests and specialisms. The sharply focused programme of professional development ensures practitioners consistently enhance their already first-rate knowledge. Rigorous self-evaluation and procedures for reflective practice provide the pre-school with a clear understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Parents, children and other professionals are encouraged to actively

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provision

contribute towards the self-evaluation process.

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provision

The partnership with parents and others is exemplary. Parents are provided with systematically clear information about the pre-school and its ethos. They are valued and respected and provided with excellent opportunities to play an active role in their children's pre-school experiences. For example, key persons encourage parents to share progress and achievements from home, which they use to guide further learning or enhance the children's experiences. The pre-school has exceptional links with other local settings and works effectively in partnership to complement the learning that takes place in both provisions. Partnerships with the local schools are superb. The manager and key persons regularly liaise with reception class teacher in the lead up to children transitioning from pre-school to school. They follow up on the children's progress with ongoing discussions during the children's first month in 'big school'. This ensures that the reception

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provision

class teacher is provided with extensive knowledge about the children and children and parents are well supported through this transition.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY462559 Local authority Essex Inspection number 914340 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider Oakey Dokeys Pre-School Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01255 880880

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Setting details

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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