The Little Ark

The Little Ark The John Wesley Church of England Methodist Primary School, Wesley School Road, ASHFORD, Kent, TN23 5LW

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/01/2014 26/02/2010

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 The staff routinely assess children's language development to ensure they quickly identify any areas of concern.  Children's learning and development benefits greatly from the outdoor play experiences.  Target setting for children meets their individual learning needs and encourages parents to support learning at home.  Effective working in partnership with others helps provide very good support for individual children.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 There is a wide range of resources and print displayed around the nursery, but this does not fully reflect all children's cultures and home languages.  The staff are not routinely fully encouraging children to make marks or practise their early writing during a range of different play situations.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playroom and the outside area.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager of the nursery and completed a joint observation in the nursery.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at some children's records, including their learning assessments.  The inspector spoke to some parents during the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of safeguarding practices, staff recruitment, ongoing professional development and self-evaluation processes.

p.2

Information about the setting

The Little Ark nursery registered in 2009 and is run by a management committee of company trustees. It operates from one purpose-built room, attached to the John Wesley Church of England Methodist Primary School in the Singleton area of Ashford. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 3 pm and on Fridays from 8.45 am to 2.45 pm, term time only.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 62 childrenaged from two years on roll and they are all in the early years age range. The nursery supports with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

p.3

Information about the setting

There are 11 members of staff, eight of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least National Vocational Qualification at level 3 and two have level 2. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

p.3

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

 improve the reflection of all children's home languages and culture in the environment to fully promote diversity and help children's awareness of peoples' differences

p.3

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

 strengthen children's use of the materials and tools for writing and making marks during a wider range of play activities and outdoors.

p.3

who attend

Staff get to know the children well and this enables them to promote children's learning and development effectively. A child's key person uses observations made as children play to assess their progress and identify appropriate next steps in their learning. There is specific regard to children's communication and language development. By observing, and talking to parents and children the staff plan activities that reflect children's individual interests. This helps engage and motivate children. The recording systems in place mean that the staff are in a good position to complete the progress check for two-year-old children, providing parents with a copy. These reports include useful detail on children's personal, social, emotional and physical progress, as well as their communication and language development. Parents and carers comment that the staff encourage them to support children's next steps at home and provide some ideas on learning at home. The

p.3

who attend

feedback that staff receive helps contribute to children's assessments. Parents speak very positively of the support they and their child receives, in particular, the support for children who have specific needs.

p.4

who attend

Most children settle extremely well, demonstrating positive emotional security. Good processes are in place to support those children who take a little longer. Children play well with each other and learn the skills they need for going to school. They demonstrate good levels of concentration at adult-led activities, as well as during play of their own choice. They have great fun as they describe features of varied items or note which item the adult hides. This helps support their confidence and pride in their achievements. There are some good writing and mark-making materials indoors but staff are not routinely encouraging the use of these outside or in other activities, such as role play. This reduces positive opportunities for children to freely develop their pre-writing skills, throughout the play environment. Outdoor play is popular and children go out in all weathers. They enjoy jumping in puddles in their wellington boots or digging in the role-play kitchen garden.

p.4

who attend

Children get very involved as they use toy diggers and trucks to move gravel or pour it down the sloping guttering into another tray. This promotes their physical skills and imaginative play. The staff routinely support children's communication and language development well. They ask questions of older children that need them to think of an answer, valuing their ideas and thoughts. Effective assessments of children's language development and involving parents, means that staff help identify any concerns and put strategies in place to promote children's learning. A movement and music activity has all children laughing as they anticipate what comes next. This activity promotes physical skills and encourages children's attention and understanding.

p.4

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

Each child has a named key person who gets to know them well and ably promotes their learning and development. There is effective support in place, including discussions with parents, to help children settle. Children gain confidence and independence skills that help them when they go to school. For example, they access the toilets when they need to, wash up their plate at snack time and put shoes and coats on for outdoor play. Children engage well with the staff and enjoy joining in with the planned activities. They play well with each other, learning to share and take turns. This helps maintain children's emotional well-being. When managing children's behaviour the staff demonstrate that they take children's level of understanding and individual needs into account.

p.4

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

Children gain an understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The nursery provides healthy snacks during the day. Children have packed lunches that they have in the school dining hall so this helps them prepare for this move to school. Toilets are easily accessible to the children and this helps them learn to deal with their own personal care needs or toilet training. Daily use of the outdoor play areas mean that children benefit from physical play in the fresh air. A wide range of resources outside supports children's learning, such as manoeuvring the ride-on toys with skill. The room provides a welcoming and child-centred environment with a wide range of good quality resources. The storage of resources at low-level enables children to make their own play choices. However, the environment does not fully reflect the home languages and the cultural backgrounds of the children that attend, helping all children to understand and value difference. Children

p.4

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

learn to keep themselves safe through good explanations from staff during activities, such as using large pins and hammers. They practise fire evacuations and learn about road safety. Children use tools, such as scissors and a hole punch safely.

p.5

provision

Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the welfare requirements and implement them well. There is a secure knowledge of possible child protection concerns and of the processes to follow within the staff team. All staff attend safeguarding training and there are clear written procedures for staff and parents. The nursery premises are secure and procedures ensure children do not leave without supervision. The staff supervise children well to help keep them safe and deployment is effective, enabling children to make choices of indoor or outdoor play. The required documentation is in place, such as recording systems for accidents and complaints. There are detailed written risk assessments that the manager reviews regularly. These help demonstrate how the staff team consider potential risks to children and minimise these. Staff carry out daily checks to ensure the premises, indoors and out, are safe and suitable for children to use. There is

p.5

provision

a rigorous recruitment process and appropriate checks are in place to help ensure staff suitability.

p.5

provision

Staff have a clear understanding of the learning and development requirements and ably support children's progress. The key persons competently plan to reduce any gaps in a child's learning through observations and by monitoring their key children's learning records. The management have an effective system that enables them to compare groups of children across the areas of learning to ensure progress is positive for all. For example, using the outdoor environment more has proved beneficial to some boys. The manager encourages staff to reflect on their practice, such as during appraisals and supervision sessions. Discussions and questionnaires help gain the views and ideas of parents and children. There have been positive developments since the last inspection with improvements in the observation, assessment and planning systems and engagement with parents. There are clear development plans in place and there is a good capacity to

p.5

provision

There are very positive relationships with parents. Regular discussions with parents ensure that staff are kept up-to-date about changes in children's lives. Parents responded positively to the recent questionnaires and included some useful detail about their child's likes and ideas. Parents can easily see their child's learning records and take it home to share with others, if they wish. There are established partnerships with others, such as social services and other early years settings that help the staff meet children's individual needs well. Communication is a strength of the nursery staff team and this helps support effective partnership working.

p.5

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY391487 Local authority Kent Inspection number 944984 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 62 Name of provider The John Wesley Cemp School Committee Date of previous inspection 26/02/2010 Telephone number 01233 614 660

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

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

p.10