Scallywags (Medway) Limited

Scallywags (Medway) Limited Playfootball.Net, London Road, Rainham, GILLINGHAM, Kent, ME8 7RJ

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/10/2013 Not Applicable

p.1

early years provision

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

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff support children well as they settle into the nursery, they know their key children well, resulting intrusting and secure relationships.  Partnerships are well-developed between the parents, staff and outside agencies to meet the individual needs of the children.  Children enjoy using a good range of resources and toys, which provide support for the seven areas of learning.  Children learn about a healthy lifestyle through the provision of healthy meals, snacks and plenty of fresh air and exercise.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Monitoring systems for new, less experienced staff, are still being embedded into practice and therefore are not yet fully effective.  Staff promote children's personal, social and emotional skills well, alongside their physical skills. However, staff do not consistently take all opportunities to fully support children's communication and language.

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 the interactions between staff and children in the three playrooms for the majority of the inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager and the deputy.  The inspector held discussions with parents.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, including the safeguarding procedures. sample of documents relating to children's progress.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager and the director of the setting regarding leadership and management.

p.2

Information about the setting

Scallywags (Medway) Ltd registered in 2013. It is privately owned by Scallywags (Medway) Ltd. The provision operates from a purpose built building in Rainham, Kent. It is situated next door to Playfootball.net and can be accessed via their entrance. Children play in three rooms according to their age and stage of development. Upstairs there is additional play space for the out of school provision. There is a secure, outdoor play space. The provision is open from 7.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, all year round. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery provides funded early education for two, three and four year olds. There are currently 67 children on roll in the early years age range. The provision has 16 members of staff of whom, nine hold a relevant early years qualification to National Vocational Qualification at level three, with four staff holding a

p.3

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

 extend opportunities to consistently support children's communication and language skills during play; introducing new words and using open-ended questioning

p.3

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

 develop the monitoring of each staff member to provide consistent and sharply focused evaluations of the impact of staff's practice across the provision.

p.3

who attend

Children make consistently good progress in this welcoming nursery. All staff show an effective understanding of the seven areas of learning and provide resources and activities to offer children a good variety of learning experiences. Each staff member records observations of the children's learning and this is put into the child's learning journal to enable children's progress to be monitored. Each key person then provides a summative assessment at the end of every three months linking the observations to the areas of learning. This system of monitoring also provides information for the parents for their child's two year progress check, to share with health professionals. Consequently, good procedures are in place to track each child's level of progress and share information with parents. All children enjoy musical activities, from the youngest children beginning to learn some basic rhymes with actions, to the older children singing songs from memory. These

p.3

who attend

experiences help children to make good progress in their language and communication skills. Overall, most staff become involved in children's play and support them through discussions. However, some of the less experienced staff do not take all opportunities to extend children's learning through questioning or interaction. As a result, children's vocabulary and communication skills are not always fully extended in child-initiated play. Nevertheless, staff promote children's listening skills through group story sessions and activities in addition to following instructions. As a result, children develop good relationships and can follow rules. They are already beginning to recognise their name and have activities to promote their early literacy skills in addition to recognition of numerals. Consequently, children are able to confidently count in sequence, recognise numerals and identify their names. Therefore, they develop valuable skills in preparation for starting

p.4

who attend

Staff encourage daily outdoor play, encouraging children to develop both their fine and large physical skills both indoors and outside. For example, the pre-school children had the opportunity to plant lettuces from seeds and flowers; developing physical skills and their understanding of the natural world. Staff provide the youngest children with support to enable them to learn to sit and then use walkers as they become more mobile. All children have opportunities to make marks, promoting hand and eye coordination together with developing physical skills. For example, toddlers enjoy using the spherical crayons and the large wax crayons with the pre-school children showing a more defined skill, using pencils to trace pictures.

p.4

who attend

Children express themselves using a variety of arts and crafts. They enjoy role-play opportunities, enabling them to act out familiar roles from home, such as ironing and feeding the baby dolls. Staff sit alongside children providing them with additional resources or help in dressing up.

p.4

who attend

Staff monitor children's progress and have an effective system in place if they have concerns about any child's progress. Staff keep parents informed about their child's day on a daily basis, through contact books and daily conversations. They encourage parents to contribute entries to both the contact books and the learning journals, with some parents also providing photographs. This good two-way sharing of information enables parents to be kept well informed and for any concerns to be recognised and addressed through outside agencies if applicable. Therefore, the nursery has good systems in place to enhance continuity in children's progress and learning.

p.4

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

The effective key person system enables the good relationships between the children and the staff to develop well. Staff place emphasis on the importance of settling the children into the nursery and provide several sessions for the parent and child to feel comfortable. They offer home visits, to provide additional support to help develop good relationships with the children and families. Children generally settle well and hold onto their comforters for reassurance until they feel more confident. Staff offer lots of comfort and support, sitting alongside the children and offering cuddles, enabling children to feel safe and secure. As a result, children are able to gain in confidence and become independent, making choices about what to play and where. Younger children demonstrate a feeling of security as they happily go to their key person for a cuddle or approach them for support. The oldest children refer to the staff confidently by name, reflecting their confidence and

p.4

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

Staff encourage all children to be independent according to their age. For example, the youngest children learn to feed themselves, using their fingers and then progress to a spoon. The oldest children fill the jug with water from the tap and successfully carry it to the table to fill their cup. Children behave well and receive guidance from the staff who offer lots of praise and encouragement as children play. Therefore, enabling children to understand what behaviour is good. Children begin to understand about turn taking and sharing the toys with support from the staff.

p.5

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

Staff promote a healthy lifestyle for children through a balanced diet and regular exercise. Children enjoy a variety of healthy snacks to eat, such as a range of fresh fruits and access to drinks throughout the day. The menus for the meals are provided by an external catering company, taking into account children's individual catering and dietary needs. The good hygiene procedures implemented by staff ensures processes are in place to prevent cross infection through individual hand towels and the wearing of gloves and aprons for nappy changing. Staff support children's understanding about the importance of washing their hands before eating, with the older children explaining 'it washes germs away'. In addition, daily walks or opportunities to play in the garden provide children with the necessary fresh air and exercise to support their physical development.

p.5

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

Children play in a safe environment because staff are vigilant about keeping children safe and checking the premises on a daily basis. Children are encouraged to challenge themselves, learning how to keep themselves safe with support from the staff. For example, they learn to balance on the tyres and are reminded they need to keep their hands free to balance. Children dig in the dirt and learn about washing their hands when they have finished. Large play equipment is not yet accessible but staff provide obstacle courses and visits to a local park to provide more stimulating activities for the older children.

p.5

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

Children have access to a good range of interesting toys and resources that are suitable for their age and stage of development. Resources are stored at child-height on low shelving or storage containers, enabling children to self-select and transport around the room. Each room has resources to meet the needs of the age and stage of the children attending. Staff constantly review their environment, moving furniture around or changing resources to maintain a stimulating environment for the children. In addition, displays are created using children's work and are often labelled with their photograph so children can value their own creations.

p.5

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

This is a new setting and has only had one child move on to school in the short time they have been operating. However, staff constantly develop systems to support and prepare children for school. The pre-school room has developed a box which contains information about the move to school and what children might expect to see or do.

p.5

provision

The leadership and management team are committed to providing an effective, well- resourced environment for children to play in. They are constantly looking of ways to improve and develop through monitoring, tracking and observations. They lead by example and provide a supportive role for all the staff. However, systems for staff monitoring are still being implemented and therefore not yet fully effective in regards to newly employed staff.. The director is responsible for implementing the rigorous recruitment procedures to ensure all new employees are suitable for their role. All the appropriate checks are taken up along with a thorough induction programme. Annual appraisals are in place and regular training ensures staff remain suitable and have up to date knowledge.

p.6

provision

Safeguarding is given high importance within the setting with all staff receiving in-house training. The named designated person ensures they receive the appropriate training and support to implement the well-written safeguarding policy. Staff demonstrate a consistent approach to keeping children safe and understand the procedures to follow should they have any concerns. Systems to keep children safe, such as the monitoring of visitors and the implementation of risk assessments, allows children to play in a safe environment. In addition, measures such as finger guards are installed to minimise hazards to the children.

p.6

provision

The leadership team have undertaken a self-evaluation using information from the parents and the staff, to identify the strengths within the setting and the areas to further develop. They are extremely passionate about the nursery and have high expectations of themselves and what they deliver. They have action plans and development plans in place that are discussed at team meetings to enable all staff to take on responsibility for raising standards.

p.6

provision

Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents spoken to during the inspection are very happy with the care their children receive within the nursery setting and feel it provides a homely environment.

p.6

provision

The director of the setting is enthusiastic and has built good relationships with local agencies and other professionals to support outcomes for children. For example, teachers from the local schools are invited into the setting to meet the children before they start school. They are in the process of establishing a network of providers who keep in contact and share best practise to provide development opportunities for the nursery and others.

p.6

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.6

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 EY459674 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 908480 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 84 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Scallywags (Medway) Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07801357892

p.9

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.

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