The Playstation Preschool

Playstation Pre-School Hadleigh CP School, Station Road, Hadleigh, IPSWICH, Suffolk, IP7 5HQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/11/2013 14/03/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well, especially in their communication and social skills and as a result, are making good progress.  The successful key person system ensures that the staff know the children and their families well. Close attachments are built which support the children's emotional well- being.  Close partnership working with parents, other settings and professionals ensure a consistent approach to support every child to reach their full potential.  The highly motivated staff team are open to new ideas and keen to increase their knowledge further to improve their provision and benefit the children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to develop the provision of more opportunities for children to experiment with a wider range of media and sensory experiences to further support the otherwise good range of activities offered to children.  Children's independent skills are not enhanced through activities, such as snack time and by fully utilising independent access to the outdoor area and toilets.

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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 the playroom and the outdoor learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision, spoke to staff and interacted with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working within the pre-school, the provider's self- evaluation and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Playstation Pre-School was registered in 2001 on the Early Years Register and is run by a voluntary parent committee. It operates from a refurbished building situated on the site of Hadleigh County Primary School. The pre-school serves the local area. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am until 11.45am and 12.30pm until 3.30pm. A lunch club operates from 11.45am until 12.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 55 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about the setting

The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff, three of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and three at level 2. One member of staff has Early Years Professional Status.

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

 support children's growing independence skills further by offering more opportunities for them to prepare their own snacks and independently access the outdoor area and toilets

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

 provide more opportunities for children to explore and experiment with a range of materials, resources and sensory experiences on a regular basis.

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who attend

Staff understand how to promote children's learning and development and as a result, children are making good progress. They are keen to take part in the activities as they learn the skills needed to enable them to move on to their next stage in learning and their eventual move into school. They independently select the activities from items set out and access additional resources from low-level storage units and trays.

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who attend

Staff work closely with all the parents, including those with children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Individual educational plans are shared and reviewed regularly and staff prioritise supporting communication and social skills in all children. Pictures, signs and gestures are used to accompany spoken language to support children to communicate and to understand the routine. Staff work very closely with other professionals involved with the children. As a result, children receive a consistent approach to their learning and development.

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who attend

Parents are involved in their child's learning within the pre-school and provide valuable information about their child's achievements and interests when they first start. They also provide photographs of their family and these are used to support the children to settle and develop a sense of belonging. For example, children happily access and share their photographs with their key person and the other children. Staff and parents use communication books to record comments about activities they take part in, both at home and at pre-school. They use these books to report on the children's latest interests as well as their achievements. Staff keep detailed developmental records on each of their key children. They assess and evaluate the observations they make on children's play and learning. The assessments are used successfully to track children's progress and to plan effectively for the next steps in their learning and development.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good and staff support children well in their chosen activities. They ask the children questions to encourage them to think, predict and to be inquisitive. They respond quickly to children's interests as they talk about ice in a story book and decide to make their own by putting a tray of water in the freezer. Children of all ages and abilities are developing a love for books and staff read stories and share books frequently with small groups of children. Children look at books themselves and some of the more able children retell favourite stories as they hold books up for their friends to see. Children sort items into colours or different sizes as they thread beads onto strings and follow patterns from cards. They use numbers as they count the pieces of banana at snack time or the items on the page of a counting book. They are beginning to recognise their own names as they select their name card from their peg or the board, to come to the snack

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who attend

table. Children use their imagination in role play as they pretend to cook meals for their friends and the staff. They enjoy expressing themselves through music and beat tambourines, shake bells and maracas as they sing along to rhymes and songs. Children have some opportunities to be creative and to access a range of collage items. Paints are available and they have opportunities to explore a range of media, such as pasta, rice, shaving foam, cornflour, soap flakes, sand and water. However, recently these items have been limited because the painting table has broken and staff report that some very young children do not know how to use the sand safely and so they throw it. Therefore, children have less opportunities to explore a full range of media and sensory experiences and to notice the changes in properties as they mix them together or they become wet.

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

The successful key person system supports children's emotional well-being and the majority of the children settle well. Staff give a lot of time and attention to those that find it more difficult to leave their parents to enable them to make smoother transitions from home into the pre-school. Each key person gets to know their children and their families very well and quickly build trusting relationships. Staff support children to make the transitions into school as seamless as possible. They invite the teachers to meet the children at the pre-school so they can get to know each other in familiar surroundings before they start. Children's developmental records are shared to help teachers to plan appropriate activities for them to support their interests and abilities right from the start.

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

Children are provided with healthy snacks and independently access drinking water throughout the session to ensure they are not thirsty. They learn about personal hygiene through everyday routines, such as toileting and hand-washing. Staff are very aware of children's allergies and food intolerances and ensure that parents preferences are respected and children's individual dietary needs are met. They have daily opportunities to play in the fresh air and develop their physical skills. For example, children enjoy climbing, balancing, running, jumping, peddling, throwing and catching.

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

Children are becoming independent and move freely around the indoor environment accessing activities. They have opportunities to pour their own drinks at snack time and manage hand washing independently. However, there is scope to develop their skills further. For example, children do not prepare their own fruit at snack time or access the toilets independently. In addition, during wet or damp weather, they are not able to choose to access the outdoor area freely. The decking is slippery when wet and staff do not allow them to play on it. Staff are aware of the benefits of the outdoor learning environment so they take the children as a whole group to the back playground for 30 minutes each session. They are raising funds to make the decking safe for children to independently access all year round. However, they have not considered alternative, cheaper solutions to enable children to get the benefit sooner.

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provision

The manager and staff are dedicated, motivated and have a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are protected from abuse and neglect because the staff are secure in their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures. Clear policies support their practice and they have attended recent safeguarding training. Staff recruitment procedures are thorough and checks are carried out to ensure all staff are suitable to work with young children. Robust induction procedures ensure that all staff and students fully understand their roles and responsibilities. The provider understands about informing Ofsted of any significant events which may affect the suitability of any person who cares for, or is in regular contact with children. The premises are safe and secure and unauthorised persons cannot gain access. Risk assessments are conducted and daily

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provision

checks ensure that any hazards are minimised. The staff are deployed effectively and children are supervised at all times.

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provision

The manager and staff work as a close and supportive team and are keen to develop their skills further. They are open to new ideas and welcome new training opportunities. They have a good understanding of how children learn and as a result, support them to make good progress in their learning and development. The manager effectively monitors the provision and involves all the staff, parents and children in the self-evaluation process. Actions and recommendations from their previous inspection have been addressed and there is a clear action plan to ensure continuous improvement. The staff are supported in their personal and professional development through regular supervision sessions, which highlight their strengths and any areas that need developing.

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provision

The pre-school works successfully in partnership with parents. They speak highly of the staff and find them friendly, approachable and are pleased with the progress their children are making. Close links are built with the local schools and other early years settings, such as the children's centre, nurseries and childminders. Developmental records are shared and children benefit from a consistent approach. The staff work closely with the local authority and embrace any ideas, support and training as they improve their good practice further.

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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 EY292798 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 939942

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider The Playstation Pre-School Group Committee Date of previous inspection 14/03/2013 Telephone number 01473 824271

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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