Fun HouseOfsted inspection, 15 Jan 2014

Fun House Whitney Road, Daneshill Industrial Estate, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 8NS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/01/2014 07/08/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children of all ages are happy, actively engaged in a wide range of opportunities and generally make good progress in their learning and development.  All staff are skilled and sensitive in helping children form secure emotional attachments in each area of the setting, and give children the confidence to try new activities.  The key person system is effective in supporting children's personal, social, emotional development and working with families on a daily basis.  Each indoor, outdoor and soft play zone is well-maintained and provides a series of exciting areas to explore, be creative and imaginative.

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It is not yet good because

 The ongoing assessment systems are not sufficiently robust to ensure that any identified learning and development needs are always addressed promptly and in partnership with parents and any relevant professionals. To ensure that delays or gaps in children's learning, or the provision of suitably challenging activities, are effectively targeted.  Staff do not always demonstrate the language that children need to use effectively so children's progress in speech development is restricted.  Parents do not have many opportunities to promote their children's learning at home as information about the education programmes that underpin their children's learning and development is not always provided in a clear way.

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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 observed the deployment of staff, activities and care routines in each of the play areas and talked with staff about their practice.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, staff recruitment, behaviour management, and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of records linked to children's learning journals, assessment, planning and attendance.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and reviewed the material available to them.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the owner and the manager and observed or exchanged updates on practice with her throughout the day.

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Information about the setting

Fun House Childcare Centre opened in 2003 and re-registered in 2010 to provide nursery care. It is situated on an industrial estate in Basingstoke. It operates in different designated areas for the nursery and out of school provision, within the same building. The setting has disabled access and toilet facilities on the ground floor and access to an enclosed outside area. The setting opens Monday to Friday 7.30am to 6.30pm all year round. There are currently 100 children on roll who attend the holiday scheme and 66 on roll for the after school club with a further 33 children on roll in the nursery. Of these 50 are in the early years age range. The setting transports children to and from the club from various surrounding schools. The group supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. The setting is in receipt of early education funding for some two-year-olds and all three- and

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Information about the setting

There are currently 12 members of staff working with the children. Of these, one holds Qualified Teacher Status and another 6 hold suitable childcare qualifications to at least level 3. Two members of staff are studying for National Vocational Qualifications at level 3. The setting also employs a cook.

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must:

 implement effective systems of ongoing assessment to ensure that any learning and development needs may be addressed promptly in partnership with parents and any relevant professionals.

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

 extend young children's communication and language by modelling the language they need to use to express their interests

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

 develop a wider range of strategies to engage all parents in their children's learning in the setting and at home.

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who attend

Most children make sound progress in their learning and development in this well resourced and exciting setting. Babies and toddlers share a large, bright, stimulating playroom with an adjacent bedroom and easy access to an enclosed outdoor play area. Babies experiment with different sounds and textures as they enjoy exploring a range of sensory toys. Toddlers investigate sand, water, paints and noisemakers in a variety of forms. They learn to manipulate brushes and spades, activate switches and pour the contents of one container into another of a different size or shape. Pre-school children work together as they play number games, weigh ingredients and learn to make a friend's birthday cake. They enjoy stories, rhymes, mark making, dressing up and imaginative play. Education programmes cover a wide and varied range of activities within each day. Children's thirst and enthusiasm for learning is evident across all areas of development

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who attend

and dedicated staff are quick to facilitate and encourage them. Older children attending the after school club also choose from a wide range of activities that challenge them physically, socially and linguistically. They too have access to age appropriate books, board games, puzzles and computer games. Older children cooperate and challenge each other as they choose between bowling games, tabletop football, craft projects and team games. This is an exciting and well-organised environment with caring staff. Consequently, children of all ages are happy, actively engaged and generally they are making progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

In most areas, the quality of teaching also supports children's progress towards the early learning goals. For example, children construct their own stories and enthusiastically ask their teacher to read them at story-time. Their stories include a medley of characters and actions from traditional stories, mixed with children's own experiences and imaginary antics. Talented teachers deftly add in further detail as one child contributes 'and there was a growling bear'. Older children laugh with delight when the teacher reads that 'the wolf had a sausage to drink'; while younger children have to listen again to appreciate the silliness. Staff help to develop children's creative and critical thinking as children develop their own ideas, link ideas and review strategies in their story telling. Children learn that it is all right to think differently, try out new ideas and not necessarily get things right the

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who attend

first time. They laugh at, and learn from their own mistakes and encourage their friends. Their day is full of spontaneous laughter as they are relaxed enough to share their enjoyment and learning with friends and teachers.

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who attend

A well-organised key person system helps parents share what they know about their child when they join the setting. Parents feel supported by staff and know their children's learning and development is monitored and progressing. However, parents have little information about the educational programmes and individual targets that underpin their children's learning and development. This means they have less opportunity to extend learning at home. Staff prepare termly tracking, progress reports for two-year-old children and final reports. Assessments record that most children are working within the typical range of development expected for their age and make sound progress in their learning. Children learning English as an additional language, or whose starting points are below those of others of a similar age tend to catch up with their peers before school age. However, assessments of children's learning and development are not always precise

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who attend

enough or used well to plan suitably challenging activities or intervention programmes for children. Consequently, staffs' expectations are not as high as they might be and children do not always close gaps in their learning as quickly as they could. It is for this reason that the setting requires further improvement.

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

Staff's skilled and sensitive care helps children of all ages feel happy and at ease. An effective key person system helps to ensure that care is tailored to meet children's individual needs. Each member of staff within the different care teams also knows their children well. Movement of staff between teams helps children make smooth changes from one group to another, both within the setting and between the pre-school and out- of-hours clubs. These good relationships lead children to feel secure and confident in their environment, and ready to explore the new challenges that lie ahead of them.

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

Staff are good role models as they provide clear guidance for children on what is acceptable or desired behaviour. Pre-school staff foster teamwork and shared enthusiasm for their friend's birthday as they make a surprise cake for him. Children behave well and develop self-control as they play party games. They look out for each other's safety and show concern when a friend catches her finger: Choosing to wait for her to smile again, before resuming their games. Children in the after school and holiday clubs complete a child friendly safety check and risk assessment before they may use the soft play equipment. Staff talk them through the risks and the challenges, the rules and the precautions they must take to help keep themselves and their friends safe. In this way children become more aware of how their actions affect their friends and they take more pride in meeting challenges responsibly.

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

Most children play well and thoroughly enjoy this highly stimulating environment with various slides, ropeways and obstacles. Younger children enjoy the security of a separate play zone. They make up different stories as they move from one playhouse to another, negotiating ball pools and obstacles as they go. Staff are deployed well and are attentive to the children's safety. Several staff have additional training in managing children's behaviour and all are caring and quick to offer alternatives to physical play. The setting includes a series of upstairs rooms fitted out with a wide range of resources for craft, games and calmer pursuits. Children's behaviour shows they feel safe in the setting and relationships with staff are trusting and good.

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

Children are encouraged to follow healthy, active ways of life throughout the setting. Toddlers and pre-school children enjoy a secure and exciting outdoor play area. The area is well designed so while some children develop their skills on tricycles and scooters others play with instruments, garden or enjoy the playhouse. A wealth of resources, provide children with plenty to discover and investigate while they benefit from the fresh air. Delicious smells waft through the setting as the on-site cook prepares homemade dishes for the children's lunches. Meals are nutritionally balanced and staff encourage children to try new flavours and menus. Staff sit with children around the meal table modelling table manners and social interactions. Again, there is a lot of humour and laughter indicating that children are happy and relaxed in the care of attentive staff.

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

Children become increasingly independent in the management of their personal hygiene relative to their ages. They practice buttons and belts, poppers and zips as they prepare to play outside and frequently delve in to the open dressing up wardrobe. Stories, rhymes and songs are woven through the day adding to the happy atmosphere and strengthening children's language and literacy skills. While younger children take an afternoon nap, older children learn a few more words in Spanish. These three- and four-year-olds take great delight in greeting and saying goodbye to staff in Spanish as they move through the setting. Such spontaneous teaching develops children's confidence and helps prepare them for the next steps in their learning.

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provision

This inspection took place following Ofsted investigating concerns that the provider was failing to safeguard children. Ofsted suspended the provider to give them sufficient time to time to investigate and give the provider address the actions raised. The provider responded appropriately and Ofsted lifted the suspension. The setting's owner and manager have worked well together for many years, but a recent period of absence left gaps in their organisation systems. A recent thorough review and updating of all areas of safeguarding and welfare requirements has and addressed and continues to monitor this area. Staff are fully aware of their responsibilities in keeping children safe.They now follow stringent procedures to ensure their safety both within the setting and when supervising children outside the setting. All staff have recently updated their skills in first aid training. There is always a member of staff who has a valid first aid certificate accompanying

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provision

children on outings. All staff attended a full day in-house training session to review their policies and procedures in safeguarding, including what to do if an allegation is made against a member. Some staff have attended independent training in this area and other staff are booked on further child protection training courses.. All staff are aware of the procedures to follow if they have a concern to keep children as safe as possible.

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provision

Every member of staff working directly with children has an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Effective procedures are in place for recruitment and staff supervision, which aim to ensure staff's continued suitability to work with children. Improved systems of induction and risk assessment help staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Clear procedures for registering children's attendance and monitoring staff deployment meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety. Children are adequately supervised both within and outside the setting when records of children, their location and their needs are frequently checked. Leadership and management take reasonable measures to prevent unauthorised access to the setting and have a procedure for checking visitors. The main entrance is kept locked, with a high up push button release for emergency use. The setting is only open to the general public at

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provision

specified times when the pre-school and clubs are not using the facilities. Children from the pre-school enjoy the soft play zone when the public have left and before the after school club children arrive. This means that all groups of children may benefit from this exciting facility in a way that meets their specific needs and older children do not impact on the care younger children receive. Further specific sessions make this a safe and comfortable environment for toddlers and for groups or families who care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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provision

Education programmes across the setting ensure that children access a broad range of experiences for children to make progress in all areas of learning and development. Staff have a secure understanding of how children learn and are skilled in motivating and encouraging them. Assessment and planning ensures that children's progress is monitored and most children do make good progress. Children learning English as an additional language also tend to make good progress towards their early learning goals. However, systems of assessment are not precise enough to ensure that all children make the best possible progress throughout their time at the setting. Some children with delays or gaps in their learning require a more proactive approach to closing those gaps early so they are better prepared for their next stage of development.

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provision

Programmes of professional development are helping staff to improve their knowledge, understanding and practice. Training opportunities not only focus on the immediate need to keep children safe, but also to meet their individual educational needs better. The setting has aims to provide the best possible services to the children in its care and in the local community. Staff forge good partnerships with local schools and charitable organisations. In particular, the soft play zone facilities provide a safe and welcome stimulation for families with children with diverse needs. Parents describe the centre as being an asset to the community and a place their children are excited to attend. Children of all ages enjoy the challenge of the play zone and younger children benefit from the extensive learning opportunities of the pre-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 EY242713 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 950107 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 199 Name of provider Fun House Ltd Date of previous inspection 07/08/2013 Telephone number 01256 471066

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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

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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