Happy House Preschool & Nursery

Happy House Playgroup Spring Meadow, Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 5LX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/10/2013 16/02/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 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

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This provision is good

 Children enjoy their time at this welcoming and friendly playgroup and make good progress. Practitioners give children choices about what they would like to do, listen to their contributions and talk to them about their interests.  Children's language and communication skills are well promoted. Children, who use English as an additional language are supported in developing and extending their vocabulary and in making good progress in their overall development.  Children are able to explore and investigate in a safe and secure environment. The playgroup implements robust procedures, which help to safeguard children.  There are strong partnerships with parents and other professionals involved in the care of the children, which effectively ensures each child's individual needs are known and met.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The organisation of snack time does not enable older children to help prepare the snack or pour their own drinks. As a result, this particular opportunity is not used to support children's rapidly developing self-help skills.

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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 the playroom and in the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke to members of staff, parents and children throughout the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's learning journals, policies and procedures and children and staff records.

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Information about the setting

The Happy House Playgroup was registered in 1992 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Spring Meadow Community Centre, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs five members of childcare staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The manager has a level 6 qualification and is working towards Early Years Professional Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year from 9am until 3pm, apart from bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 36 children attending, who are within the early years age group. The nursery 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.

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

 extend children's very good self-help skills and independence, for example, by reviewing the organisation of snack time to enable children to help to prepare snacks and pour their own drinks.

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who attend

Teaching and learning is good. Staff have a good understanding of the educational programmes and have implemented good systems for observation, assessment and planning. High priority is given to establishing partnership working with parents. They provide information about their child to support initial assessment when they start playgroup, the progress check at age two and their child's ongoing record of learning. Children's learning journal files and the tracking system clearly shows how all children make good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means that children are developing the necessary skills in readiness for school. Staff complete daily diaries for babies and weekly diary sheets for older children. They make good use of daily discussions with parents to talk about children's progress. Staff also provide an extensive range of information about how learning can be supported at home

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who attend

and ask parents to share their own observations of their children's achievements. This means that staff have a complete picture of children's learning both at home and playgroup.

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who attend

Children have lots of opportunities to practise their writing skills. There are a range of writing tools and paper in the mark-making area and in the different play areas. Outside, there is a blackboard and chalks for the children to experiment with shapes and letters in support of their emerging writing skills. Children enjoy stories while sitting closely to staff and listen carefully. Staff encourage children to name the animals and characters in the story, repeat new vocabulary and give young children time to respond. They give children praise as they repeat new words and the children are keen and eager to learn. This is influential in developing the children's communication and language skills and encourages an interest in learning. There is a very good range of resources for imaginative play, such as role play and dressing-up clothes, to develop children's good imagination skills further. For example, children dress-up as 'princesses' and pretend to pour each other tea and

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who attend

serve 'hot food' for lunch in the home corner.

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who attend

Children, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. The playgroup special educational needs coordinator works closely with their parents and with other agencies, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure that they receive a consistent approach. Children, who speak English as an additional language are encouraged to develop their English through joining in with all the activities with their friends. The manager has invested in resources, such as books and posters that show the dual languages, which help children to feel supported and that their home language is valued.

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who attend

Children's physical development is good. There are opportunities for children to use their handling skills creatively and efficiently. For example, children handle different tools to make shape patterns to create their own pictures. They further use their handling skills effectively as they carefully complete jigsaw puzzles and build objects and towers out of the construction toys. Staff support these activities well, encouraging the children to 'have a go' and to find ways to solve the problem. Children use the outside environment to increase their physical development skilfully. They use sit-and-ride toys, balance on wooden bars and enhance their running, jumping and catching skills as they play with hoops and balls. Children learn about the natural world as they plant flowers and learn how to water them to grow effectively. This helps them to learn about growth and change and how to care for things in the environment. Children learn about people, who help us

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who attend

because staff follow their interest and invite firemen into the playgroup to talk about their work. They play with resources, such as small world figures and jigsaw puzzles, that promote positive images of diversity.

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who attend

Children learn mathematical skills through adult-led activities, such as baking and learning about quantities, as they experiment with water, filling and emptying a range of containers. Staff encourage children to count the number of plastic balls as they roll down the guttering in the garden and use mathematical language as they identify which wooden post is the 'big' one or the 'small' one. These skills help the children to prepare for the next stage of their learning, which is usually going to school. Children use information and communication technology skills efficiently. Babies press buttons on cause and effect toys to make music or animal sounds and show their pleasure by waving and giggling. Older children use the computer to play matching games with staff. This effectively promotes children's natural curiosity to experiment and to find out how things happen.

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

Staff provide a warm, friendly and welcoming environment and the effective key person system helps children to settle well. Children are happy, have fun and clearly enjoy the time they spend at playgroup and this is echoed by the views of all parents spoken to on the day of inspection. Staff provide high levels of care and support children's individual needs very well. They are good role models and help children to manage their feelings and behaviour. Children are well behaved because staff have a positive attitude to behaviour management. Consequently, children gain the life skills they require for the future, helping them to prepare for the next stage in their learning and development. Staff encourage children to share and take turns in everyday routines and activities. They play well together and form good relationships with staff and peers.

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

Children sit together and enjoy the experience of eating their snack with their friends and staff. They learn the importance of food for their bodies and eating healthily through discussion about the different food choices that are available. For example, staff encourage them to choose what they would like for snack, giving them a choice of healthy cereals, toast or fruit. However, staff prepare and serve the toast and pour drinks when children are sat at the tables. Consequently, practical routines are not always used to help promote older children's very good self-help skills, such as helping to prepare for snack time or pouring their own drinks.

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

The learning environment is very stimulating and the resources are of a high quality. They are appropriate for the ages and development of the children and cover all areas of learning. These are arranged in low-level storage units containing labelled baskets and clear containers. The resources are easily accessible, so that children make their own choices and decisions about their play. Children are accommodated in a clean, comfortable environment that is well maintained. Staff put a lot of effort into the presentation of their room, resulting in interesting, attractive and child-friendly surroundings.

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

Children benefit from fresh air and exercise on a daily basis. As soon as the door is opened, the children disappear outside into the garden, demonstrating their preference for outdoor play and learning. Older children walk along the balancing logs and manoeuvre wheeled toys, avoiding obstacles and other children. Babies show great concentration as they walk around and investigate the stimulating and attractive resources. This supports their understanding of the importance of regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Children learn how to keep themselves safe with the support of staff. They regularly take part in fire drills and staff intervene as necessary to remind children of safe practices as they play, for example, not to stand on the chairs.

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

Good settling-in arrangements are in place and both children and parents are well supported when children start at playgroup. Children attend for settling-in visits to suit their needs and staff complete good quality documentation to ensure continuity in children's learning and development and welfare needs. Children are equally well supported when they leave the playgroup. Relationships with local schools are strong and a number of measures are in place to help children when they transfer to the next stage in their learning. For example, teachers make visits to meet the children, who are moving on to school. Staff provide parents with good information to support their children and ease the transition process.

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provision

The manager and staff have a secure understanding of the Statutory framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn best. They understand their responsibility to meet the learning and development requirements by providing good care and a range of activities that support children's learning well. The manager works alongside her qualified staff, gaining first-hand knowledge of what is working well and identifying areas for improvement. As a result, a good balance of activities is provided that are a mix of adult-initiated and child-led. Observation and planning effectively supports children's next steps in their learning. Staff know the children well and meet their needs effectively in activities and their play. They have team meetings and supervision and appraisals are completed annually, this means that professional development is supported well and children benefit from trained and motivated staff.

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provision

Safeguarding is good as the manager has a good understanding of child protection. Staff also know what to do if they are worried about a child and would inform the manager or deputy manager to take this forward. Managers inform parents that any incidents are recorded and they make them aware of their safeguarding procedure when a child takes up a place. The safeguarding policy has relevant contact numbers and details of what to do and who to contact if they have concerns about a child's care or welfare. Updated policies on the use of cameras and mobile telephones are adhered to by staff, which further protects children and helps to keep them safe. Effective risk assessment processes are in place, which staff use to minimise potential hazards to children. There are robust recruitment procedures identified, which helps to ensure that adults caring for children are suitable to do so. Consequently, children are safe and their welfare promoted. The

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provision

recommendation from the previous inspection has been effectively addressed, which has improved safety procedures when medication forms are completed.

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provision

Where children are identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities, there are effective procedures for ensuring equality of opportunity, so that all children are supported in making good progress. All staff monitor children's development closely and are aware of the action to take if they have any concerns. Parents' views are always sought before any support or intervention takes place. For example, the special educational needs coordinator has a very good understanding of her role and works closely with other professionals to devise targeted learning plans for children. This includes attending 'team around the child' meetings, for example, to ensure that professionals working with the children are fully aware of their individual needs. This ensures an inclusive environment and a consistent approach for children, so that they feel secure. The partnership with parents is good. Parents discuss their children's progress with the

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provision

key person on a daily basis, through the daily or weekly diary and access to the learning journal files. Other information is displayed on the notice boards and in newsletters, so parents receive regular up-to-date information about the activities and learning taking place. Evaluations from parents provide more detailed feedback. This enables the manager to use these comments as part of the development plan. Parents are encouraged to share information about their home languages and key words with staff. They are unanimous in their positive feedback about the nursery. For example, some parents state that they contribute their child's learning and progress to the staff at the playgroup. Parents are 'delighted' with the care and support their children receive and the 'superb' range of activities provided. They comment on how welcoming and helpful staff are and how their children speak very fondly of them.

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provision

The playgroup has established robust partnerships with other early years providers and the local schools. Joint visits and the sharing of information promote a positive approach for the children to be well prepared for their transition into school.

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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 309328 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 938387

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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 36 Name of provider Jennifer McMahon Date of previous inspection 16/02/2010 Telephone number 01772 462 420

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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

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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