Soul Nursery

The Family Life Centre Pre-School Heartsease Lane, NORWICH, Norfolk, NR7 9NT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/11/2013 Not Applicable

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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

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This provision is good

 Teaching is good because all practitioners fully understand how to promote children's learning and have high expectations for their achievements and as a result, children's progress is rapid given their starting points and capabilities.  A highly effective key person system enables all children to form very secure emotional attachments with their key person and other staff. Consequently, children are eager to attend the pre-school and approach their learning with good levels of confidence.  Staff work together as a cohesive team. They make good use of self-evaluation and ongoing training to build upon their good practice and ensure that children continue to benefit from improvements made at the pre-school.  Partnerships with parents are a key strength of the setting and staff work hard to ensure there is a joint approach to children's care and learning. Transitions are handled sensitively, enabling children to make successful moves on to school.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further improve the already stimulating outdoor environment, to provide children with resources that stimulate their curiosity to explore the natural world and extend their sensory development.  Although children benefit from the cosy book area, there is capacity to enhance this space further to stimulate children's interest in books and allow them to enjoy rhymes and stories in the listening area.

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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 activities in all areas of the pre-school and the outdoor space.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children during the inspection and carried out observations of the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's progress records and planning documentation, a selection of policies and required documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the providers self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from information included in the pre-school's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

The Family Life Centre Pre-School registered in 2001 and re-registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register. It operates from buildings located on the premises of the Family Life Centre on the outskirts of the city of Norwich. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school serves a wide catchment area and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during school term-times. Sessions are from 9.30am until 4.30pm, except for Mondays when there is no afternoon session. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 26 children attending who are in the early years age group. 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 needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs five members of child care staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above.

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

 enhance the outdoor environment further so this provides everyday opportunities for children to explore the natural world and extend their sensory development, such as, providing places for insects to live, wildlife to feed and growing a variety of plants, particularly those which can be explored using different senses

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

 review the layout and resourcing of the quiet book area to provide a space which attracts children and stimulates their interest in books, stories and rhymes, by including additional resources such as puppets or story tapes for the younger children.

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who attend

The pre-school provides a good start to children's learning and play experiences. The environment is carefully set out to be welcoming and very child-orientated, helping children to settle quickly and become confident and independent. Rich experiences and resources, which cover all seven areas of learning and development are on offer both indoors and outside. Although, children benefit from the good range of activities provided outdoors each day, there is scope to improve the resources which actively encourage children to investigate their natural environment or explore using their senses. Staff compensate for this by taking the children on walks around the nearby field and have made their own nature table within the setting using some natural materials, such as leaves and shells.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. Staff fully understand how young children learn through their play and first-hand experiences and provide an educational programme, which has depth and breadth across all areas of learning. Information gathered by the key person as children settle in to the pre-school, provides a good base for establishing children's starting points in their learning. This enables staff to plan for individual children's progress from their earliest days in pre-school. Regular and insightful observations of children at play, help staff make ongoing assessments of their progress. Learning stories that include photographs, observations and achievable next steps for learning are in place for all children. These highlight the good progress that all children are making. Staff use information gained from their observations to successfully plan a wide variety of interesting and challenging activities that engage children so they actively learn through

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who attend

their play. There are topics, such as fireworks, for the children to discuss and investigate through group activities and independent exploration and children rapidly become enthusiastic and willing learners. For example, staff role model learning through exploration by demonstrating how to draw their interpretation of firework pictures with wax crayons and experimenting with painting over the picture using thin black paint. They encourage children to create their own pictures and observe how the paint does not cover the wax crayon. Children are encouraged to think about why this might happen, supporting them in developing their thinking skills and are given simple explanations to support their learning. Consequently, children happily enjoy a stimulating programme of activities, which support them in making good progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

There is a very good key person system that builds strong working partnerships between the setting and all parents and carers. Staff have daily discussions with parents to provide them with informative feedback about their children's daily activities, learning and progress. They encourage parents to share their comments about their children's learning at home and to view and contribute to their children's assessment records. This approach is successful in engaging parents in their children's early education and ensuring that children are well-assessed, so that staff can easily identify any children falling behind in their learning. Staff successfully implement targeted strategies and interventions if necessary, to support all the children's individual needs, including those who have English as an additional language or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff celebrate diversity and inclusiveness with all children. For example, children choose to

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who attend

count in different languages during group welcome time, respecting the home languages spoken by some of the children and adults in the pre-school.

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who attend

Children express themselves well. They chatter to each other when they are playing, talking about what they are doing or sharing their ideas. They listen well in small groups and understand simple instructions and comments made by staff. Staff model clear language during activities, without discouraging children's efforts as they copy and learn the meaning of new words. For example, when playing a picture card game, children recognise and name familiar foods while learning new ones such as steak, which they later recall when they talk through the items they have on their board. Children are encouraged to bring in objects from home related to the colour of the week, which they share with their peers during 'show and tell' time. This helps to develop children's confidence, language and listening skills well. They thoroughly enjoy rhymes, joining in singing and actions enthusiastically. A quiet, comfy space is provided with a choice of books to

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who attend

promote children's interest in reading for pleasure and purpose. However, this area is not as frequently used by the children as other areas of the pre-school. Additional resources, such as story tapes or puppets to entice younger children, are not always available to support all children's development in early literacy.

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who attend

Children actively follow their own interests, are motivated to learn, interested and engaged in activities. Staff skilfully give young children space and time to explore what they are interested in so that, when older, they concentrate and persevere in their learning. For example, some children work with a friend to create a garage under a table and enjoy their imaginative play with the small cars, while other children explore sand, transferring this between different sized and shaped containers. Consequently, children are learning about capacity and weight, developing their own imaginative ideas, communicating and playing co-operatively with their peers and developing friendships. Furthermore, they are developing the key skills which will help them to prepare for the next stage of learning.

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

Children are cared for in a calm and caring atmosphere, which creates a positive learning environment for all. Toys and resources are presented attractively, children's artwork and photographs are beautifully displayed around many of the walls and there is space for the children's belongings. When children start the pre-school, the key person spends a great deal of time sensitively talking to parents, inviting them to share what they know about their children as they start so that children's routines and individual needs are clearly known and met. Staff are extremely receptive to the children's physical, social and emotional needs. They quickly establish strong bonds with their key children, which forms a secure base for children to develop confidence and become independent and motivated learners. Where children are less confident, their key person supports them in separating from parents, but maintains close contact with parents regarding children's emotions.

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

Therefore, parents manage their children's settling-in alongside the staff.

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

Children are confident to form peer friendships and happily play with their friends. They are well-behaved, demonstrating their understanding of the clear boundaries and high expectations of the staff. Children are kind, offering to share and take turns with resources, with little or no prompting. Staff act as positive role models, speaking kindly to children and gently reminding them to say 'please' and 'thank you' when appropriate. Children learn about the needs and feelings of others through everyday activities. They are swiftly praised and rewarded for being helpful, as their name is recorded on a heart shaped sticker and added to the 'rosy glow' tree displayed on the wall of the main playroom. This approach of regular praise and encouragement from staff, helps to develop children's self-esteem and sense of achievement. Consequently, children enjoy their experiences in the pre-school and learn good skills that support future learning. The pre-

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

school works in partnership with local schools to promote a positive transition for the children moving on, by having resources such as school books available in the setting. Staff also sensitively prepare the younger children who will be staying in pre-school for another year, to become positive role models for new starters at the beginning of term.

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

Staff consistently give priority to children's welfare and give them appropriate tools to help them understand how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Children are actively encouraged to learn the importance of basic personal hygiene and ensure that their hands are clean and free of germs before eating. Photographs of the children, showing different stages of good hand-washing techniques, provide a visual reminder for the children when they visit the bathroom. Children choose when to have their snack and sit in a small group with a member of staff, so mealtimes are social occasions. They serve themselves from bowls of freshly prepared food, such as chopped fruit and vegetables and children with specific dietary needs are always considered. Children who stay all day bring their lunchbox and guidance is provided as to what these should contain, in order to meet the pre-school's healthy eating policy. Quiet space is provided for those children who need to

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

rest or sleep after lunch and children happily settle into small beds with their cuddly. Children enjoy energetic and active play in the garden and spend a great deal of time outdoors, benefiting from the fresh air. Their large muscles are developed as they climb, balance, swing, run and jump with increasing control and coordination. Children are learning to take managed risks in their play, for example, as they climb increasingly challenging pieces of equipment. Staff provide gentle reminders to be careful of others and children adhere to the simple instructions and explanations from staff as to how to use pieces of equipment safely. For example, they know to go feet first down the slide and to take extra care when climbing after rain.

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provision

The manager provides effective leadership, setting high aspirations for quality. She shares her vision with staff, which means they all work well together as a cohesive team. There is a shared understanding of the responsibilities the pre-school has to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Effective recruitment practices ensure that all staff are suitably qualified and vetted and staff are required to sign ongoing declarations of suitability annually during their appraisals. Thorough induction procedures for new staff and any students are followed, to ensure that all staff working with children clearly understand their duties and responsibilities. The pre-school has robust safeguarding procedures that are fully understood by all staff and any students or volunteers. The risk assessment demonstrates how safety is prioritised and staff check the premises and equipment thoroughly each day before children arrive, to ensure any hazards are

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provision

identified and minimised. High adult to child ratios, close levels of staff supervision and vigilance as children play and explore, further promotes children's safety. Clear policies and procedures, which are accessible to parents, support the good care and learning practices within the pre-school. Records are well-maintained and stored confidentially, although parents are able to access their children's records at any time. Effective systems are in place to regularly monitor practice and the educational programmes provided. The staff team is well-qualified and experienced and, as a result, the quality of the learning environment and planned activities are well matched to each child's age and stage of development. Therefore, children are supported effectively to make good progress in their learning and development. Staff attend training to update their knowledge, enhance best practice and support their ongoing professional

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provision

development. They take part in new initiatives and projects, bringing back ideas to share with their staff team, so that these can be implemented within the pre-school and consequently promote better outcomes for the children. Appraisals and staff supervision are used to consistently monitor staff performance. The manager and staff team demonstrate a strong commitment to ongoing development for the whole provision. Self- evaluation is effective in highlighting successes. Regular staff meetings are used to reflect on practice, discuss and devise clear action plans to prioritise and target areas for development. Parents and children are fully involved in this process so that their views are taken into account.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are a key strength of the pre-school. Parents warmly praise the 'caring and friendly' staff team and comment positively on the progress their children are making. They receive high quality information about their child, both verbally and in writing and are actively encouraged to be involved in their progress. Parents regularly take their children's learning story books home to view with their children and other family members. Formal parents evenings and 'stay and play' sessions are regularly organised so that parents have opportunities to discuss their children's progress and learn how to support their progress at home. Furthermore, strong connections are forged with local families as the pre-school runs alongside a parent and toddler facility. Thereby, parents and children become familiar with the pre-school building and some of the staff, which supports transitions as children become pre-school age. The pre-school has

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provision

established good relationships with the local schools. Communication between the schools and pre-school supports the children in making a smooth transition as they become school age. The pre-school has also developed strong partnerships with other professionals that are involved with the children. This close working ensures that children's needs are identified early and that all children are supported to make good progress.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY461424 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 918175 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 26 Name of provider Norwich Family Life Church Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01603 439586

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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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