Hedgehogs Pre-School at Maryhill

Hedgehogs Pre-School at Maryhill Maryhill Children Centre, Gloucester Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST7 4DJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/02/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 are happy and relaxed within this friendly and welcoming pre-school. They form strong attachments with staff, which helps them to settle quickly and enjoy their learning.  Teaching is good because staff fully understand how to promote children's learning. Staff have high expectations for children and support them well. As a result, children make rapid progress.  Children's safety is effectively promoted through the implementation of very good safeguarding and welfare procedures. Children are constantly supervised and cared for by suitable and skilled staff.  Partnerships with parents are excellent. The pre-school fully values the role of parents in their children's learning and development and ensures that they are regularly consulted and kept informed about their children's activities and ongoing progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to improve the communication between the pre-school and one of the local schools to promote even swifter progress for children who attend both settings.  Although children are developing an understanding of how to stay safe there is scope to develop this further by more fully promoting the rules and boundaries of the pre- school and by practising procedures, such as the fire drill on a more regular basis.

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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 compulsory part 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 activities in the playroom and viewed the sensory room and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in the pre-school's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Hedgehogs Pre-School at Maryhill opened in 2013 and is run by a private provider and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from the children's centre at Maryhill, Kidsgrove. The pre-school serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

It is open Monday to Thursday from 12noon to 3pm and from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Friday during school term-times. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 15 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about the setting

There are currently three staff working directly with the children. Two are qualified at level 3 and the third is qualified at level 2 and completing her apprenticeship. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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

 develop further links with the local school so that children's achievements and areas for development are more regularly discussed to promote swifter progress

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

 increase opportunities for children to recognise how to keep themselves safe. For instance, through discussing the rules of the setting and taking part in more regular fire drills.

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who attend

Children are extremely happy and content in this warm and welcoming nursery. They are keen to take part in activities, showing high levels of concentration and engagement as they sing along with gusto during a phonics session and energetically bounce about to a range of active songs. They show their confidence and enthusiasm as they proudly show off their achievements, running across the room to show staff the tower they have built or proudly pointing to their work which is displayed on the walls. All children enjoy a wide range of activities that stimulate and engage them. A range of skills are developed as they celebrate Chinese New Year. They get to taste different foods and improve their dexterity as they practise using chopsticks. They increase their understanding of different cultures as they learn about the year of the horse and how this is celebrated. Creative skills are encouraged as they make horse puppets and Chinese lanterns. Similarly, literacy skills

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who attend

flourish as they use pens and crayons to practise Chinese writing. All activities are well thought out and the wide variety of learning experiences means that children are always interested in what is on offer and, consequently, are willing learners.

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who attend

Teaching skills are good. Staff successfully engage children and help them to make swift progress towards the early learning goals. They help children to learn new skills through a mix of planned and spontaneous activities, based on children's interests and learning needs. A phonics session is enjoyed by all as staff successfully make this fun. Children quickly learn the sound for 'a' as they join in with actions, pretending that they have ants running up their arms. They show that they recognise the letters before they start singing as they identify them in the book held by staff, clearly making the link between the sound and written word. This helps them develop their early reading skills. Staff also interact well with children as they play with favourite resources, such as the toy garage and stacking cups. They ask children about the colours of the cars and encourage them to count the number of cups they have stacked. This promotes their basic mathematical skills. Children

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who attend

also develop key skills for future learning, such as concentration and listening skills as they make Valentine cards. They listen to the staff as they explain what to do and concentrate hard as they cut, stick and decorate their creations.

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who attend

All children are making good progress towards the early learning goals, which also helps to prepare them well for their future learning and the move onto school. Their achievements are recorded and the key person for each child regularly monitors their development to ensure that they are continually making good progress. Staff consult with parents at the start of a placement to determine children's starting points and ensure that parents are kept informed as to their child's progress through regular reviews. Parents also have the opportunity to contribute to their child's individual file and to the staff's understanding of what their child can do. They fill in 'achievement flowers' detailing their child's activities at home, which are then celebrated at the pre-school. The pre-school encourages parents to take an active role in their child's development and the provision of resources, such as phonic books and home activity packs, means that learning also

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

Children are helped to make a smooth transition to the pre-school as they are offered settling-in sessions where their parents can slowly build up the time they leave them. Staff use these sessions to find out about the child's individual personality and any likes and dislikes so that they can provide favourite activities to help children settle to play. Consequently, by the time parents are ready to leave their children, they are usually fully engaged and happy to be left. Information is also collated on registration forms to ensure that staff are aware of any special requirements. Dietary or medical needs are fully discussed and information is shared amongst all staff so that children receive personalised care that is suitable to their needs. Children are kept safe. All exterior doors are kept secure and high level handles ensure that only authorised individuals can admit visitors and children cannot leave unattended.

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

Effective risk assessments ensure that all areas and equipment are fit for use. Children are also beginning to learn how to keep themselves safe. Fire drills are practised on occasion and children are told not to run in the rooms or to climb on furniture. However, there is room to develop their understanding further by discussing rules and safety procedures more regularly. Currently, children are only reminded of the dangers if they act unsafely and fire drills are not frequent. Children's behaviour is good. Children play together cooperatively and help to tidy up at the end of the session. They receive encouragement and praise from staff throughout the day, which effectively builds self-esteem and promotes emotional security. Any unwanted actions are dealt with calmly.

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

Children's good health is well-promoted through sensible routines and a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Active play is effectively encouraged both indoors and out, as children enjoy dancing to music and moving imaginatively indoors as well as having regular access to the outdoor area. They pedal tricycles and play on the climbing equipment, developing their coordination and balancing skills. Children are provided with a range of nutritious snacks, which are all prepared on the premises. They tuck in enthusiastically to slices of pear, grapes and kiwi. The pre-school varies the snacks regularly and parents comment that they are pleased with the new healthy foods that their children will now eat. Children bring their own lunches from home, which are stored appropriately. The pre-school provides water and milk for both snack and lunchtime to ensure that healthy drinks are always available.

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provision

Staff are all checked to ensure they are suitable to work with children. They are required to hold a current Disclosure and Barring Service check and references are taken up from previous employers prior to their employment commencing at the pre-school. Staff are also encouraged to build on their existing skills. They attend regular training and are required to complete key courses, such as first aid. They are enthusiastic about new training and children benefit as new ideas and techniques are brought into the pre-school for their benefit. Safeguarding procedures are fully understood by all staff. They recognise the signs and symptoms that may indicate abuse and are clear about how to follow any concerns up promptly. Their practice is underpinned by a full written policy, which also covers the use of mobile phones in the pre-school. All staff benefit from a full induction, which ensures they are quickly aware of the routines, policies and procedures that apply

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provision

to the pre-school. As a result, even more junior members of staff are aware of how to respond to situations like an emergency evacuation.

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provision

The owner of the pre-school has the welfare of children at the heart of her provision and is keen to ensure that children receive high standards of learning and care. She is continually seeking to improve the pre-school for the benefit of children and all plans for the future are prioritised with this is mind. For example, funding is being investigated to develop the outside area so that children have their own planting and digging area to enhance their outdoor play. The staff team are also extremely dedicated to their roles. They are open to new ideas and enthusiastic about developing their own skills to provide children with the best possible experience. As such, there is a very positive atmosphere and energy at the pre-school. There are good systems in place to monitor the progress of all children and to ensure that staff are accurately assessing each child and providing appropriate activities. Children's individual files are regularly reviewed. This ensures that

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provision

any gaps in development are promptly followed up.

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provision

The nursery seeks to build good links with other providers. They make contact with local reception classes in the area to support children who are about to move to school and readily share their assessments so that teachers are informed as to each child's individual abilities. However, there is scope to improve the communication between the pre-school and one local school, so that children's development is more regularly discussed and activities can be fully coordinated to help children make even swifter progress. Staff build excellent relationships with parents and chat to them on a daily basis about their child's achievements and well-being. Parents comment that they get 'lots of information' and that they staff are 'fantastic', offering support and advice when needed. They cannot praise the pre-school enough and report that they are hoping to increase the number of days that they send their children as they are so impressed with the progress their children have

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provision

made since attending. They state that their children are very happy and 'want to come every day'. Key policies and procedures are shared with parents, ensuring that they are aware of the standards to which the setting operates and providing details of how to make a complaint if they need to.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY468901 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 935006 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 15 Name of provider Gemma Jayne Rochelle Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07812183939

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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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