Little Kites Playgroup

Little Kites Pre-School Playgroup Cotgrave Candleby Lane School, Candleby Lane, COTGRAVE, Nottinghamshire, NG12 3JG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/12/2013 17/11/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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

 Practitioners have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and know that children learn best through play and first-hand experiences. Therefore, they plan a wide range of stimulating activities and children are making good progress towards the early learning goals.  The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well because practitioners work in partnership with their parents and other professionals to meet their needs. Consequently, they too are making good progress.  The key person system works well and practitioners know children very well. Consequently, children have warm relationships with practitioners and are happy and settled.  The manager and chair of the committee have a strong commitment to the continued development of the pre-school. Their self-evaluation involves the views of everyone and shows clear targets for improvement.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Sometimes organisation of routines and resources do not take full account of children's developing independence and free choice, or allow them time to become deeply involved in activities.  There is scope to further develop children's physicals skills by allowing them more opportunities to take manageable risks in their play.

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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 children during activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and the providers self-evaluation and improvement plans.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, the chair of the committee, practitioners and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Little Kites Pre-School Playgroup was registered in 2007 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a self- contained unit within Candleby Lane Primary School in the Cotgrave area of Nottinghamshire and is operated by a committee. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play and learning. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The setting employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during school term times from 9am until 3.15pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 82 children attending who are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides free 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 opportunities for children to develop independence and become deeply involved in activities by making resources more readily available and reviewing the impact of routines such as snack time and outdoor play time

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

 develop further children's physical and risk taking skills by showing them how to do something safely instead of doing it for them. For example, by showing them how to climb up and down the playhouse ladder instead of lifting them up.

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who attend

Children are making good progress and are supported well because practitioner's knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. They are challenged effectively to reach the next steps in their learning because practitioners plan first-hand experiences tailored to children's individual needs. Practitioners working with two-year-olds concentrate on planning for their prime areas because they recognise that these are the areas that children need to be secure in first. This means that all children are developing skills in readiness for school. Detailed observations and assessments and the 'progress check at age two' are all completed well. They demonstrate that children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Parents are involved in their children's learning and practitioners provide opportunities for them to extend their children's learning at home. For example, the manager has contributed to the

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who attend

development of a leaflet to share with parents, which contains useful tips to prepare children for their transition to school.

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who attend

Teaching is good; practitioners support children effectively and promote their language and literacy skills very well. Children with English as an additional language have confidence to learn English because they have their own languages valued in the setting. For instance, practitioners use some key words in the children's home languages and written information for parents is translated for them. Children listen to stories with increasing concentration because practitioners read to them using varied tones of voice. They have a wide selection of books and enjoy listening to stories in small and large groups. Practitioners extend children's language and thinking skills by asking them open- ended questions about the stories, for example, 'What do you think has happened?' Children's reading skills are also developing because practitioners point to the text and pictures as they are reading to them. Children practise writing for a purpose as they send

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who attend

letters to 'Father Christmas' telling him what presents they would like him to bring them. They also enjoy putting stamps on the letters and posting them in the letterbox practitioners have made for them. Practitioners specifically praise children's efforts by saying 'that is lovely writing'. During the writing activity practitioners also take the opportunity to develop children's mathematical skills as they discuss folding the letters in half so they are small enough to fit the envelopes. Children's mathematical understanding is developing further because practitioners count with them during activities. For example, they count the days in December on the advent calendar and find out how many days are left until Christmas. Practitioners point to the numerals as the children count them, which also develops their number recognition skills.

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who attend

Children can freely access lots of resources to support their learning, although in some areas they are not routinely available. For example, they are not always provided with scissors during art activities or able to operate simple equipment, such as the CD player because it is out of reach. In addition, routines, such as snack time and outdoor play are carried out with the whole group of children. This means, that sometimes children cannot play and explore as they choose and their engagement in learning is interrupted. Children are developing a good understanding of the natural world because practitioners grow vegetables with them in the outdoor area. For example, they grow potatoes and carrots, which they take home to eat with their families. Children learn about the similarities between themselves and others as they look at photographs of themselves displayed in the room. They also explore a variety of festivals, such as Diwali and Christmas, which

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who attend

supports their understanding of different cultures and beliefs. Children enjoy a wide range of expressive art and design activities, for example, they use glue and glitter to make decorations and explore the texture of dough. Children are developing vivid imaginations because they have a wide range of equipment to support them. For example, they wheel their dolls around in pushchairs outdoors, make 'dinner' in the home corner and ride around on wooden horses saying they are 'taking them to their carriage'. Practitioners develop children's imagination further by joining in and singing songs as they play.

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

There is an effective key person system in the pre-school, which means that children have strong attachments with practitioners and a good sense of well-being. Children, particularly funded two-year-olds who are a little anxious about separating from their parents, are supported well by practitioners. This is because they acknowledge their feelings and reassure them with cuddles. Practitioners find out about children's preferences from their parents before they start. This also helps promote children's sense of emotional security as they make the transition between their home and the pre-school. Children play well together and have good behaviour because practitioners have consistent boundaries in place. Practitioners also use different approaches for younger children, for example, they sometimes provide additional resources to avoid unnecessary conflict. Children learn to keep themselves safe because practitioners remind them not to

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

run around inside and ask them to move toys from the floor. However, sometimes practitioners are over cautious outside and lift children onto and off the raised playhouse instead of supporting them to do it safely themselves. Therefore, opportunities are occasionally not exploited for children to extend their physical development and take manageable risks in order to learn new skills.

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

Children are learning to be active and understand the benefits of physical activity because they spend time in the well-resourced outdoor space every day, where they benefit from fresh air and practise their physical skills. However, they are only outside for a set period during the session and this means that they cannot always become deeply involved in activities of their choice. Children are learning to be independent because they wash their own hands before lunch and collect their own drinks and plates. They also access their coats independently and practitioners give them time and support to put them on before they go outside. Children are provided with healthy snacks and meals, and parents are encouraged to bring in healthy packed lunches. Therefore, children are learning about the importance of a healthy diet. Many of the children move up to the school on site and visit it regularly to help them become familiar before they move. The manager also liaises

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

effectively with other settings that children attend or are moving to, which ensures continuity in their learning. For example, she attends 'Enjoy and Achieve' meetings at the local children's centre and visits other schools to share information about the children.

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provision

Children are safeguarded well in the pre-school because practitioners have a good understanding of the safeguarding procedures and have all received appropriate child protection training. Good recruitment and induction procedures mean all practitioners are suitable to work with children and understand their role in the pre-school as soon as they start. Children's safety is given high priority because thorough risk assessment processes are in place and practitioners carry out daily checks on the environment. In addition, all visitors are asked to sign the visitor's book when they arrive and leave the setting. For children's added safety the pre-school only use the door on to the school playground to welcome children and parents into the nursery. If practitioners use the other door during session times they take care to make sure it is locked behind them. Practitioners are well deployed and good adult to child ratios ensure children are well supervised to ensure their

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provision

Practitioners have a secure knowledge of how children learn so they plan stimulating and challenging experiences for their key children. They record observations of children's progress in their individual development folders. The manager has a good overview of children's learning and development because she uses a tracking system developed by the local authority. This means she can see that all children are making good progress and can target intervention if necessary. In addition, she monitors the curriculum well and makes sure all groups of children progress across all areas of learning. For example, she recently noticed that boys were not accessing expressive art and design activities so she planned activities to stimulate their interest, such as making planets to hang from the ceiling. However, she does not regularly monitor the overall organisation of the resources in the room and routines during the day. This means that opportunities to develop

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provision

children's independence and fully challenge them in their learning are not fully maximised. All practitioners have regular supervision and work with the manager and chair of the committee to review their own practice and identify any training needs.

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provision

Partnership with parents is effective because practitioners establish effective relationships with them from the start. Parents speak highly of the pre-school and say that the practitioners are 'amazing' and are constantly making improvements for the benefit of their children. The pre-school works very well with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They access additional funding to provide one-to-one support and the manager takes a lead role on the Common Assessment Framework process to bring agencies together and target support for individual children. Consequently, all children make good progress in their learning and development. The manager works well with other providers that children attend to ensure continuity in children's learning. For example, she has regular meetings with teachers and attends local networks for providers. The manager and chair of the committee work hard

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provision

to gain the views of parents, practitioners and children, and use them to complete a thorough evaluation of the pre-school. For example, children have taken photographs of their favourite things, and parents have filled in questionnaires about the pre-school's strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, their plans for improvement of are clear and well focused.

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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 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 EY366149 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 946057

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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 82 Name of provider Little Kites Pre-School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 17/11/2011 Telephone number 0115 989 1917

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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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