Dolphins Childcare Centre

Dolphins Childcare Centre North Petherton County Primary School, North Petherton, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 6LU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/01/2014 11/03/2009

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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

 Staff share good information with parents and build strong relationships to enable them to work in partnership, to promote children's learning and care.  An effective key person system ensures children develop secure emotional attachments.  The strong leadership and management team regularly supervises staff and evaluates the provision for continuous improvement.  Staff provide good role models so that children develop good awareness of a safe and healthy lifestyle.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always enable children to extend their own ideas fully, in adult-led activities.

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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 activities in all rooms and the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager and held a meeting with the leadership team.  The inspector checked safeguarding information.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, including policies, procedures, children's development records and planning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents and staff present on the day, and took account of the setting's self-evaluation and parent surveys.

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Information about the setting

Dolphins Childcare Centre is a privately-owned provision based in a separate, single-storey building in the grounds of North Petherton Primary School. Children have use of two main playrooms, each with their own toilet facilities and outside area. Children also have access to the school playing fields. The centre is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 123 children on roll, of whom 108 are in the early years age range. The centre opens from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year. It receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The centre also provides a breakfast club, after school club and holiday play scheme for children attending the primary school. The centre supports children who are learning English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are 17

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Information about the setting

members of staff working with the children. Both managers have childcare qualifications at level 3, plus a Diploma in Play Work. In addition, two members of staff hold qualifications at level 5, two at level 4 and seven at level 3. One member of staff is working towards a childcare qualification at level 2. The two catering staff hold relevant catering qualifications at level 2.

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

 increase staff awareness of using adult-led activities to enable children to extend their own ideas fully.

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who attend

Overall, staff have a good understanding of how children learn and provide good support to promote their development. Staff make good use of the information they gain from parents on children's starting points. For example, they use 'getting to know you' forms and their initial observations to understand children's development and plan for their next stages. They take into consideration children's preferred learning styles, interests and backgrounds when planning. This effectively supports them in motivating children to learn. Staff monitor children's development well, recording good information including the required progress check for two-year-old children. They regularly share information and activity bags with parents, so that they can support their children's learning at home. Staff utilise parents' experiences well to enhance children's learning, inviting a father to bring in his army kit, for example. Staff seek good additional support for children learning English

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who attend

as an additional language or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, all children make good progress from their starting points. Staff provide good support so that children develop well in their prime areas of learning. All staff use visual aids and sign language, so that children understand the routines and develop good language skills. Staff use actions with words and model the use of language. Consequently, young children and those learning English as an additional language begin to understand the meaning of words. Staff encourage children to describe what they want to do and test their ideas through practical experiences. For example, children describe how mixing the red and white paint makes pink. When they ask what red and brown makes, staff suggest having a go at mixing them, in order to find out. Children negotiate space and move around obstacles through playing follow the leader, which promotes their

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who attend

control and coordination. Staff support children well in gaining independence and managing age-appropriate tasks through daily routines and activities. For example, older children take care of their personal hygiene, wipe up spills and pour their own drinks, which prepares them well for school.

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who attend

Most staff follow children's lead and provide additional resources to extend their ideas and learning. For example, babies explore the instruments and staff put on music for them to dance to. They join in with action rhymes, bouncing on their bottom and clapping to show their excitement. Staff encourage children to notice patterns and changes, so children explore and describe textures individually and when mixed together. Staff have introduced group work for the older children, following feedback from the school. However, some staff do not always make full use of the activity for children to explore their own ideas fully. For example, children make models from two pieces of junk that staff have chosen for them. As a result, some children lose interest and do not benefit fully from the activity.

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who attend

Older children learn to write their names and staff support them by linking sounds to letters. Staff provide good support for children's mathematical skills in their games. For example, children count how many skittles they knock down, how many they leave standing and how many turns it takes to knock them all down. Staff ask children about the shapes they need when they decide to construct a quad bike and ask children to find the big, little or medium bear.

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

Staff provide good role models and as a result, children behave well. Staff encourage children to be polite and to understand about sharing. They shake a tambourine to gain children's attention and as a result, all children help to tidy up, demonstrating their understanding of expectations. The sensitive settling-in process enables staff to spend time gaining as much information as possible from parents. This ensures they can emotionally support children and meet their care needs. Each child's key person works with a buddy so the children always have a special person who knows them well. For example, when a key person goes for lunch, they ensure that their buddy knows exactly what care children have had and what they need next. The key person reassures babies so that they are then confident to explore their surroundings. Children take part in activities in their key family group, so they develop strong attachments and friendships.

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

They celebrate each other's languages, cultures, family backgrounds and experiences. As a result, children gain a good sense of belonging and value. Staff gradually introduce children to their new room with their key person until they feel secure. They work closely with parents and the primary school, attending school entry meetings to support children in preparation for moving on to school. Parents comment on how useful this is in supporting their children in being excited and not worried to go to school.

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

Overall, children use a good range of resources in all areas and make independent choices during free play. They can also request additional resources, using the choice board and photograph book of activities. Staff provide good resources inside and outdoors to support children's physical development, for example wheeled toys and climbing equipment. Staff provide good role models so that children understand about safe behaviour and healthy practices. For example, through good staff interaction, children suggest ways of building up their muscles, such as jumping to strengthen their legs and lifting weights to strengthen their arms. They talk about healthy foods and use play food in their role play to demonstrate their understanding of healthy eating. Parents comment positively on the good information they receive on supporting healthy eating at home. They particularly mention how staff identify and meet their child's dietary requirements. Children wipe their

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

nose, dispose of the tissue and wash their hands. Older children learn to use tools safely under supervision, for example knives to cut fruit and scissors for card. Children wear hard hats, safety goggles and gloves as they use a hammer to knock in a nail. Babies explore their surroundings, pulling themselves up on furniture and learning to walk or climb under the watchful eye of the staff.

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provision

The inspection was brought forward following a notification from the provider regarding an allegation concerning a member of staff. The inspection found that the provider notified Ofsted by telephone within 14 days of the incident.

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provision

The leadership and management team has a good understanding of its responsibilities in meeting the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All staff receive training in safeguarding children, which the senior staff embed during the staff induction programme and during supervision. The designated person for safeguarding has a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, including informing Ofsted of any allegations or significant events. Robust recruitment procedures, induction and ongoing checks help to ensure staff suitability. The leadership team uses an external agency to provide advice and carry out professional health and safety checks. Staff also use good risk assessments throughout the premises to help keep children safe on a daily basis. Room leaders deploy their staff effectively for the care and supervision of children; consequently they work well as a team. All required documentation is in place, including

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provision

records of any incidents. The manager monitors tracking of children's development to ensure consistency among staff and to ensure children receive any additional support.

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provision

The leadership and management team has good systems to evaluate the provision and ensure continuous improvement. It takes note of parents' feedback and implements ideas to meet their needs. For example, they now have photographic displays of children involved in activities including Forest School and the celebration of festivals. The room supervisor supports their staff in taking ownership of their practice. They regularly evaluate the activities and planning, which feeds into the centre's improvement plan. Staff actively listen to children and observe them to include their 'voice' in the planning. Along with feedback from outside agencies, the management team uses all of these systems to evaluate the practice and identify actions for improvement. For example, staff have been on training to introduce observations on each other, so that they can discuss and evaluate good practice. The management team has been on training to monitor children's language

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provision

and development effectively. It evaluate gender differences and implement good actions to ensure all children have equal opportunities to develop fully.

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provision

Staff have strong partnerships with parents. Parents receive extensive information on the provision and their children's development. The centre now holds a parents' evening once a year to show parents how they deliver the learning and development requirements. Staff use parent partnership forms to seek parents' contributions to the planning. They then have regular review meetings to go through children's individual plans. Staff meet with providers from other settings children attend to discuss children's specific care and learning requirements. They work closely with outside agencies, so that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive effective support. Parents comment very positively on the provision. They particularly mention their children's rapid development, the good information they receive and how much their children enjoy coming to the centre.

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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 EY300144 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 950630 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 123 Name of provider Dolphins Childcare Centre Partnership Date of previous inspection 11/03/2009 Telephone number 01278661333

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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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