Toddlers at the Bridge

Toddlers at the Bridge Enfield Rangers Boys Club, Carterhatch Lane, ENFIELD, Middlesex, EN1 4LA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/01/2014 10/11/2010

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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

 Children enjoy a variety of play activities. They benefit from the support of staff who engage them in conversation, helping them to become confident talkers.  Children are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles. They enjoy healthy fruits at snack time and regular opportunities for outdoor play.  Staff are attentive to the safeguarding of children. They supervise children closely and respond immediately to any new risks that arise in order to keep children safe.  The manager encourages staff to try out new ideas in teaching and learning. In this way they work towards improving the outcomes for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always make the most of their interactions with children during free play, or plan sufficient adult-led activities for the older children. This means they miss opportunities to further extend children's learning.  The educational programme is not consistently monitored rigorously by the manager so that she is fully aware of how well the observation and assessment systems are working.

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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 children taking part in a variety of activities.  The inspector talked with parents and members of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, in particular that relating to children's progress and safeguarding.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector interviewed the manager.

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Information about the setting

Toddlers at the Bridge pre-school is one of two provisions run by Toddlers Partnership. It registered in 2009 and operates from a football club's hut in Enfield in the London Borough of Enfield. Children have the use of two large halls and a secure outdoor play area. There are a few indoor steps linking the upstairs area, which comprises the hall used by the younger children, the toilets and office area, to the lower hall used by the older children. The pre-school is open every weekday from 9.15am until 4pm during term-time. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. Currently there are 65 children on roll in the early years age group. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. Currently there are eight members of staff employed to work with the children. The majority of staff are suitably

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Information about the setting

qualified and the owner/manager is qualified to degree level.

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

 extend children's learning further by helping staff to interact more effectively with children during their free play and planning more adult-led activities for older children

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

 introduce a little more rigour into the monitoring of the educational programme so that systems are always working effectively to promote children's progress.

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who attend

The staff meet the needs of the children through effectively promoting their learning through play. Therefore, children gain self-confidence and the older ones show much interest in the activities on offer. For example, children spend a long time exploring fresh modelling dough and an attractive 'play village'. They are keen to try out different creative activities. They like to choose and share books or play imaginatively in the 'home corner'. Staff encourage children well, joining in their exploration and enhancing their play. Staff working with the younger children encourage them to explore and investigate in different ways, for example, using different tools to investigate paints or sand. Staff working with older children encourage children to explore further and learn by discovering new things. For instance, children find they can make a rainbow shape when printing with cotton wool balls and paint on paper. These experiences promote their creative skills well.

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who attend

Staff encourage children to use spoken language to communicate when engaging them in conversation during their play. This is particularly helpful for children who are learning to speak English as an additional language. Younger children are supported in learning new words, for example, when staff point out the 'dots' they have made with paint on paper. Older children talk confidently with adults and are keen to join in discussions. Children learn to recognise and use numbers in counting activities. They like to join in songs and rhymes at circle times. These help them to gain an awareness of the rhythm and use of language. Older children are encouraged to talk about their creative work, for example, when showing their paintings at the end of the session. All these activities help children to develop useful skills for future learning. However staff do not make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning further when interacting with them during free

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who attend

play. For example, they do not always increase children's awareness of shape and pattern or support them in learning to use words to make comparisons.

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who attend

There is an effective system of observational assessment in place. Staff create attractive learning journey books for individual children, consisting of various written observations and photographs. These provide good visual records of children's progress and are helpful for parents because staff evaluate their observations and note the learning that has taken place. In addition staff make use of developmental sheets to mark off children's achievements and this helps them to assess children's stage of development. Each week staff focus on particular children in order to observe them individually and work out their individual learning needs. Staff plan a variety of play activities each day for children, taking into account their interests and needs. However they do not always include a wide range of adult-led activities, which offer new or different learning experiences and help children further develop their skills.

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

Staff encourage children to make their own choices of activities by setting out a range of resources around each hall. They make sure that these cover each learning area so that children have the opportunity to play and explore in different play situations. This helps children to become independent and to persevere at their chosen tasks. Children often become absorbed in their exploration, for example, older children enjoy a free creative table where they can draw and stick on coloured shapes to make pictures. Children develop good relationships with others and the older ones make firm friendships, enjoying the company of their friends as they play. Those who stay for lunch have the opportunity to develop good social skills as they sit around a table with members of staff. In this way they are encouraged to eat and share conversation in a calm atmosphere.

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

Children feel safe and secure in the setting. The younger children are content throughout the session and interested in exploring new resources, especially when encouraged by staff. For example, they have a go at painting with brushes and sponges on paper or pluck up confidence to feel the texture of sand. Staff make use of a safety gate to keep the hall secure for the younger children. Key persons help children to develop close relationships by promoting a calm atmosphere and gently encouraging them to explore. The hall used by older children is securely locked and children move confidently around making their choices. They use the toilets independently, although help is offered if they would like it. This helps to increase their personal independence in readiness for starting school. When taking part in physical activities indoors children are well supervised so that they learn to use the equipment in a safe way.

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

Children are aware of their boundaries at pre-school and are well-behaved. Staff encourage children to negotiate with each other if becoming involved in a dispute. In this way they learn to respect others who are playing alongside them and to share fairly. At circle times children learn to take turns, for example, when joining in number rhymes they take it in turn to remove a 'currant bun' from the line before counting those left. Children learn about different cultures when finding out about their differing backgrounds and taking part in activities based on special events. Staff are beginning to organise visits to places of interest in the local community to extend children's understanding of their local environment.

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

Staff encourage children to adopt healthy eating habits by providing a nutritious snack every day. Children choose from a selection of healthy foods, such as fresh fruits. All children are able to bring in a drink bottle if they wish, although staff ensure that drinking water is always readily available. Children have the opportunity for outdoor play every day, weather permitting. They are able to choose from a variety of resources which is set out in the play area. This is a large space and encourages children to travel in different ways, developing their coordination and control as they use the different equipment. Staff also offer indoor physical activities that help children to move in different ways, for example, children climb and crawl using a step set, or balance along a pathway and explore large hoops.

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provision

The pre-school has a set of written policies, which provide a good foundation for its childcare practice and promote a good partnership with parents. There are effective procedures for safeguarding children. The manager makes sure that all staff have the necessary checks to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Staff are well trained in safeguarding and know what to do if they have any concerns relating to child protection. There is clear information on display in both halls to help staff seek advice if necessary.

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provision

Staff are vigilant about children's safety. They keep a check on children during free play, especially in the large downstairs hall where children can be spread around a big space. They have strict safety guidelines in place for taking children to the outdoor play area. The manager reviews the overall risk assessment of the premises each year. Staff carry out daily safety checks to make sure that potential risks continue to be minimised appropriately. They respond immediately to any new risks that arise. They talk through safety issues when introducing new or special activities to make sure that these are adequately supervised. Staff follow a set procedure in the event of an accident. These are recorded and parents informed accordingly. Staff are well deployed across the pre-school so that good adult child ratios are maintained in each hall. The manager makes herself available to all staff so that they can

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provision

benefit from opportunities to talk with her whenever they wish. She carries out regular supervisions, and appraisals, of individual staff and encourages them to further their own professional development by attending training events. All staff are required to attend a certain number of training courses each year to ensure they keep up to date with any changes or new ideas. The manager makes some regular checks on children's learning journeys and assessment records to help her monitor the quality of the educational programme. However she is not always rigorous in her monitoring, which means that at times she is not fully informed about the effectiveness of the systems in place.

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provision

Parents receive helpful information about the provision in a welcome pack. They are well informed about the Early Years Foundation Stage and are able to view posters in the halls that explain how children learn through different play experiences. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning through the system of 'focus children', when staff plan for particular children each week. Parents are asked to contribute observations from home to help staff plan for their children's learning and then set targets to move them on. Staff meet regularly with parents to exchange information about their children's progress. These systems work well in supporting children's continuous development. If staff have any concerns about children's development these are referred to the manager. She liaises with other professionals, attending regular meetings with them, so that children who have special educational needs and/or

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provision

disabilities receive the necessary extra support.. The manager also has close links with local schools, which provides additional support for children when moving on from pre- school.

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provision

The manager leads staff in a process of continual self-evaluation so that they reflect on their practice at regular intervals. She takes into account the views of parents, making changes to systems or procedures if these are of benefit to children. She seeks advice and support from the local authority's early years team. Staff are well motivated and always happy to try out new ideas. For example, they are at present working towards establishing a system of 'spontaneous planning', which has been introduced as an alternative way of helping children to learn. The manager is supportive of staff and flexible in her approach, for instance, she is currently seeking extra training for staff and considering the re- introduction of some focused adult-led activities in response to staff's thoughts on the new planning system. In this way she ensures that the pre-school maintains a good capacity for further improvement overall.

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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 EY401993 Local authority Enfield Inspection number 948648

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 65 Name of provider Toddlers Partnership Date of previous inspection 10/11/2010 Telephone number 07956 601592

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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

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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