Joeys Pre-School

Joeys Pre-School Furnace Community Centre, Ashburnham Road, CRAWLEY, West Sussex, RH10 6QZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/11/2013 16/01/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children lead their own play experiences, which enables them to follow their own interests and desires.  Children thoroughly enjoy their interactions with staff and activities they undertake; this helps them to make sufficient progress in their learning.  Children develop close bonds with staff, supporting their sense of belonging.  Children develop good levels of independence through daily routines and activities, which support them as they move onto the next stage in their learning.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not always support children to develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.  There are occasional lapses when staff do not give children explanations as to why their behaviour may not be acceptable. This does not fully support children's developing understanding of how to manage their own behaviour.  The system for staff to gather information from parents regarding their child's starting points is variable. This does not fully support children's learning and development from the outset.  Staff have begun to use posters and labelling in the environment; however, they have not extended this to clearly label resource storage systems. This does not fully support children's early literacy 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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Inspection activities

 The inspectors made observations of staff interactions with children.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled and examined the nursery's policies and procedures, children's records, staff suitability records and other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of the parents that she spoke with on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Joeys Pre-School registered in 2012 and operates from a community building in Crawley, West Sussex. Children have use of a large hall and a smaller room, as well as an enclosed outside play area. The pre-school is open from 9am to 3pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, during school term time. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 21 children on roll. The pre-school is in receipt of funding to provide early education to children aged three and four years. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The manager holds an appropriate level 5 qualification and five staff members, including the provider, hold a relevant early years qualification.

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

 provide more opportunities for children to develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things

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

 develop a consistent approach to managing children's behaviour, so that all staff offer clear explanations to children as to why their behaviour may not be appropriate

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

 develop systems to consistently gather information from parents as to their child's starting points prior to their attendance

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

 develop the use of labelling on the storage systems in both the indoor and outdoor areas to support children's early literacy skills.

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who attend

Staff have a sound understanding of the learning and development requirements and have systems in place to observe, assess and plan for children's next steps in their learning. These systems are in their infancy and as such are not fully embedded. Staff assess children's starting points through information they gain from parents as they complete an 'All about me' form. However, this system does not always consistently encourage all parents to share initial information. This does not assist staff to plan fully for children's individual likes, dislikes and individual needs from the outset. Staff observe children during their play and then use this information to assess their current level of development. They then use this information to plan for children's next steps and this is then added to the setting's planning system. This sufficiently supports children as they move on to the next steps in their learning. The staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the requirement for a

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who attend

progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. They have devised an information sheet for parents, to make them aware of why they are carrying out the check and what it involves. Staff state that they also communicate with other early years settings that children attend, as to who will complete the check and how they can take part by sharing their observational evidence. All of these elements enable them to accurately assess two-year-old children's development and provide relevant information to aid their progress.

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who attend

Children have good opportunities to use their imagination and to take the lead in their play and learning experiences. For example, they make a variety of items from the recyclable materials, including binoculars and a rocket. Staff support children's communication skills during activities, and children respond well and become involved in worthwhile discussions. However, staff do not always support children to think through how to resolve problems for themselves, which does not fully support their critical thinking skills. Children bring things in to the setting, which they are able to share with the group. They beam with delight as they sing a song and receive praise and encouragement from staff. This supports children's communication and literacy skills, as well as developing their self- esteem and confidence. Children show delight as they make and explore salt dough. They help to measure out the ingredients and talk about mathematical concepts such as light

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who attend

and heavy. Children make hand print Christmas tree decorations and other shapes including pizzas from the dough. They engage in conversation about what they are making and baking, which sufficiently supports their communication skills.

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who attend

Children demonstrate a sound understanding of their own personal needs and have good levels of independence. For example, they take themselves to the toilet and wash their hands. They are able to locate their coats and wellington boots when getting ready for outside play; older children can dress themselves independently and younger children receive encouragement and support from staff. Children access a sufficient variety of technological equipment including a remote control bug, voice recorders, torches, sound mats and books. This adequately supports their awareness of technological resources and equipment, and how things work. Children enjoy outdoor play, where they splash in puddles and ride their trikes around with increasing skill as their friends use the road signs to direct them. They plant, tend and harvest their own vegetables; for example they make tomato soup to enjoy at snack time. Children dig and explore in the sensory part of the

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who attend

garden and can sit quietly in the play house to look at books. Staff organise trips in their local community. For instance, they take the bus to the local park and farm, which develops children's awareness of the world around them.

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

Children's behaviour is generally good, although some children's behaviour can be variable. Staff do not always offer children explanations as to why their behaviour may not be acceptable. For example, they do not discuss the impact of children's actions on others, such as when they throw objects. This does not enable children to develop a thorough understanding of how to manage their own behaviour. Children develop good friendship bonds as they interact with each other and staff. For example, children approach staff for reassurance and cuddles. This demonstrates that they feel secure at the setting. Staff talk through the good behaviour guide that the children have devised; for instance they discuss using 'kind hands'. Therefore, staff use and children hear positive language in relation to behaviour.

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

Snack time is a social occasion where staff sit with children and support them as they prepare their own food. They have fresh fruit and savoury options such as bread sticks and crumpets and pour their own choice of drink. Children also help to clear away after themselves by washing up their plates and cups. This supports children to develop their independence and skills for the future. All staff hold a valid first aid certificate and fully understand the requirement to record accidents or injuries. This helps to ensure that children are cared for appropriately in the event of an accidental injury. The staff undertake written risk assessments of the environment and outings, which are clearly documented and adapted as required. Children are able to take risks in safe surroundings. For example, they use scissors with great skill and demonstrate a clear understanding of how to use them safely. The setting has a fire evacuation procedure, which staff practise

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

regularly with the children. This enables children to learn the skills to keep themselves safe in the event of a fire or the need to evacuate the premises.

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

Staff set out the learning environment well, which supports children's independence and enables them to select where they would like to play. The staff have begun to provide some labelling around the setting although they have not labelled the boxes within the storage units. This does not fully support children's developing literacy skills or help them to easily find the resources that they want to play with. Children have access to the outdoor area on a daily basis, which provides them with ample room to run around and plenty of opportunities for fresh air and physical play. They access a good range of toys and resources that reflect diversity, to support their developing understanding of differing cultures and disabilities. The setting provides an inclusive practice for all children as staff recognise and acknowledge them as individuals, which enhances their sense of belonging and self-esteem.

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provision

The staff have a sound understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. The provider and manager have updated their written policy since the last inspection to ensure that it meets the requirements. They have included a statement to be followed in the event of an allegation being made about a member of staff. The procedures in place help to enable the setting to keep children safe and well supervised. The provider demonstrates a clear awareness of appropriate recruitment procedures. This helps to ensure that children are cared for by staff who have the required skills, enabling them to feel secure and happy to learn and develop. Staff receive appraisals with the manager and from this they integrate training needs into the setting's plan, to ensure that all staff update and expand their knowledge base. Management has begun to assess the impact of each training course on staff, children and the setting, which aids in making

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provision

improvements. The provider, manager and staffing team demonstrate a good capacity to drive improvement. They are currently working very closely with their local authority and are undertaking its assessment scheme as part of their self-evaluation system. They use this well to tackle key areas of weakness and build on areas of strength. The setting has an ongoing development plan and a process in place to achieve future targets.

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provision

Staff strive to develop relationships with parents. They endeavour to engage them initially during settling-in sessions and by requesting information about their child's current stages of development and interests. However, this is variable and does not enable staff to plan consistently for all children's individual needs from the outset. Staff provide monthly newsletters to inform parents of topics and how they can get involved in their children's learning. Some parents provide updated information for staff following their return after the six-week summer holiday. This includes up-to-date information about their current interests and developmental changes. They also use another form to provide observations about learning from home. Parents express positive comments about the pre-school, particularly about how quickly their children have settled and how happy their children are to come to the setting. Staff exchange information verbally and also with a communication

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provision

book, which helps to promote consistency in children's learning and well-being. The setting has established systems to develop communication links where children attend other early years settings. Staff share information such as learning journals to support two-way working. This enables children to receive a consistent approach to their learning and development, and highlights any concerns as required.

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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 EY440736 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 939750

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 21 Name of provider Joeys-Preschool Limited Date of previous inspection 16/01/2013 Telephone number 07826692264

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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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