Stepping Stones Pre-School (Harrow)

Stepping Stones Pre-School (Harrow) 17 Harrow Scout Group Roxborough Park, Headquarters Rear of Catholic Church, Roxborough Park, Harrow-on-Hill, Middlesex, HA1 3BA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/02/2014 15/06/2011

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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 show high levels of involvement and motivation to learn because they access a rich and stimulating range of daily activities. These skills prepare children well for their future education.  Partnership with parents and other professionals are strong which results in a united approach to meet children's individual needs and in helping them make good progress.  Children form good relationships with their key person and other adults caring for them. As a result they settle well and are happy.  The leadership and management of the pre-school have a strong drive for improvement. Staff work well together and the pre-school is run effectively.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Resources that promotechildren's understanding of technology are notalways readily available,in orderfor themtoleadtheir own play independently.

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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 had a tour of the setting with the manager.  The inspector observed children's play indoors and outside.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector sampled children's profiles and planning of activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and members of the committee to discuss the leadership and management of the setting.

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Information about the setting

Stepping Stones Pre-School is a committee run group and opened in 2004. The group operates from within the scout headquarters in Roxborough Park in the Borough of Harrow. Children have use of two different rooms and access to an outside play area. The pre-school serves the local community. It is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 12.15 pm during the school term only. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 29 children within the early years age group on roll. The pre-school receives funding for nursery education for three and four year olds. It also supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language. The committee employs a qualified manager to be responsible for the day to day running of the group. There are seven staff members who work directly with the children; of these,

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Information about the setting

five hold early years qualifications and two are unqualified. The setting is a member of the Harrow Integrated Early Years and Community Partnership.

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

 ensure that the existing range of technological resources are easily accessible to children.

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who attend

Enthusiastic staff enhance children's learning and development because they are intuitive to their needs. The organisation of the educational programmes provides an exciting environment for children to learn. Staff carefully plan activities across the areas of learning that encourage exploration and meaningful interaction. These experiences effectively interest and challenge children's thinking and creative skills. As a result, children settle well into their daily routines and develop positive attitudes to learning. For example, children talk about their pre-school experiences at home and sometimes they show their parents what they do. Children have good access to a variety of activities, which promote physical exercise and challenge their physical skills. Staff prepare a special activity for children every day, which include a weekly yoga and dance session. Children greatly enjoy their access to play in the garden outside.

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who attend

Staff guide and extend children's developing skills well. For example, during a free-flow activity staff motivate children by providing an extensive range of materials that they can be creative with. Children confidently use their imagination to create; they excitedly use junk modelling materials and enjoy adding sparkles to their rocket creations. However, though the setting has a wide variety of resources, including a laptop and other electronic toys, children have limited access to information technology resources. This is because staff do not consistently make them available for children to play and explore with.

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who attend

Staff support children's language development well. Children enjoy listening to stories and singing different types of songs. For example, some are quiet and calming, some are very active and some are in different languages. Staff are good role models. They speak gently to the children and engage skilfully with them during their play. Consequently, children are developing good language skills, including those whose first language is not English. This helps them to prepare them well for the next steps in their learning.

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who attend

There are good systems for observation, assessment and planning in place. This means staff have a secure understanding of how children learn and develop, and effectively identify children's interests and needs. They completethorough progresschecks for two year old children. This effectively helps, toidentifychildren'sstrengthsandareas wheretheymakelessthan the expected progress. Staff successfully involve parents in gathering key information about their children and in making initial assessments. They respond quickly to the needs of all children, including those who have special educational needs, by putting strategies in place and involving other professionals. As a result, children make good progress from their individual starting points.

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who attend

Staff effectively prepare children their future educational phases because they build good connections with local schools. Staff place a strong focus on considering children's emotional well-being when they plan activities. These strategies enable children to make successful moves between settings and school. During discussions, parents speak positively about the pre-school. The staff successfully engage all parents in children's learning, including those who may be have been reluctant at first. They work effectively in partnership to support children's overall development. As a result, children benefit from the united support of those responsible for their care.

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

Children are happy and enjoy making friendships at the pre-school. Staff have a high commitment towards ensuring that children feel safe and secure in their care. Children display great interest in learning and being imaginative in play. The organisation and range of resources within the pre-school are good. Staff have high expectations of all children. They provide quiet spaces for children to relax, which effectively helps to support their social interactions. At the same time, they allow time for children to explore independently. As a result, children engage confidently in purposeful play and behave well. There is a fun but relaxing atmosphere across the pre-school.

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

The key person system supports children well during times of change. For example, when they start at the pre-school, a key person is assigned to each child based on their individual needs. This enables children to build strong bonds and prepares them well emotionally to manage new situations. Staff show genuine interest in the children and tailor their practice to meet their individual needs. Parents feel this is a particular strength of the pre-school and speak highly of the care and support their children receive from the staff. Children benefit fromclear boundaries aswell as frequentpraiseand encouragement. Staffhelp childrento cooperate with others, share andtaketurns during their play activities. They give children clear explanations to help them understand. This helps to promote children's self esteem and confidence. Children who speak English as an additional language enjoy sharing what is important to them with their peers during a

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

show and tell session. Consequently, staff effectively promote children's feelings of well- being.

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

Staff are vigilant and supervise children are well at all times. They prioritise the safety of the children and at the same time teach them how to stay safe. For example, children participate in regular fire drills, which helps them to learn about what to do in case of an emergency. Furthermore, children learn about being healthy during their daily routines. Staff promote healthy eating understanding well and children have plenty opportunities for physical exercise and physical activity. Staff help children learn how to take care of their own personal needs well. They support children's increasing independence by encouraging them to cut their own fruit for snack and teaching about hand washing routines. As a result, children are safe in the care of the pre-school staff and they learn key skills for the future.

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provision

The leadership and management of the pre-school have a thorough understanding of the requirements for learning and development. There are robust systems in place to monitor children's progress. Staff are confident in following effective procedures to ensure children have the best opportunities to learn and develop. The assessment systems work effectively because staff work closely with parents in continuous collaboration. As a result, staff are able to make accurate assessments about children's starting points. Staff are proactive in building links with other professionals in order to ensure continuous provision for children and narrow any emerging gaps in their learning.

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provision

Self-evaluation of practice is ongoing and the whole staff team contributes to this. Staff discuss the development plan on a weekly basis at their staff meetings. The manager makes effective use of these contributions, alongside feedback from parents' surveys and their suggestions, to inform improvement plans for the pre-school. For example, the recent installation of decking within the outdoor space provides a spacious area for children to safely play on. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the pre-school' ability to prioritise areas for improvement to ensure good quality provision for the children who attend. The manager values her staff team highly. She positively encourages the continuous professional development of the staff. The manager carries out regular supervision meetings, which help to identify further training needs and ensure good quality practice.

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provision

The manager and the staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, all legally required documents, policies and procedures are in place. This contributes significantly to the safety and welfare of the children. All staff receive training in safeguarding children and through discussion, demonstrate a clear understanding of the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child in their care. Recruitment and induction procedures are robust and ensure that staff have suitable qualifications and experience to care for children. Staff complete good quality risk assessments for the premises, to help monitor and maintain children's safety.

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provision

Staff work well in partnership with other specialists, such as early years' consultants and speech and language therapists. In addition, there are strong links with the local schools that the children go on to attend. Staff invite the teaching staff into the setting and organise events together, such as a picnic in the school premises. This helps to ensure that children are familiar with the new environment and enable their smooth transfers to school.

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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 EY277182 Local authority Harrow Inspection number 814660 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 29 Name of provider Stepping Stones Pre-School (Harrow) Committee Date of previous inspection 15/06/2011 Telephone number 07952 204022

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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.

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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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