Buddies Bungalow

Buddies Bungalow C/O Glen Park Primary School, Glen Road, Plympton, PLYMOUTH, PL7 2DE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/05/2014 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

 The environment is welcoming, with a good range of resources, which the children can access for themselves, encouraging independence and exploration.  The pre-school successfully engages all parents in contributing to the children's developmental records, which enhances children's learning and development.  There are strong links with the school which supports children's transition into their next stage of learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The number of children joining group time activities is sometimes large, hindering some children's full engagement at this time.  Targeted learning for the older children is not always well organised.

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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 took into account the views of parents, staff and children.  The inspector observed activities indoors and outside.  The inspector sampled relevant documents including some policies and procedures.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records.

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Information about the setting

Buddies and Little Buddies is a committee run group. It opened originally in 2004 and re- registered after becoming a Community Interest Company, building new premises for a breakfast and after school club in 2011. It operates from a purpose built building and designated classrooms in the grounds of Glen Park Primary School in the town of Plympton on the outskirts of Plymouth in Devon. A secure area is used for outdoor play activities. The setting is open each weekday from 8.00am until 6.00pm all year round There are 67 children on roll, including those attending the out of school club for 32 children aged from three to under eight years. The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The Manager holds EYP status and all staff hold appropriate early years qualifications to National Vocational Qualification at level 3.

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

 review the numbers of children in group activities to enable all children to engage effectively

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

 develop practice in order to further challenge and extend children's learning during activities, particularly as they become ready to go to school.

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who attend

Staff plan activities according to the interests of children, and ensure that all areas of learning are covered effectively. They have a good knowledge of child development and how children learn. Overall, staff interact well with children during activities, extending skills in various areas of learning. For example, during circle time staff appoint a special helper who helps to count the children present and put the number on the wall, enhancing skills in mathematical development. After circle time children split into smaller groups for targeted activities to develop skills identified in observations made by staff. For example, a group of children play shape lotto and staff are skilled in encouraging them to identify shapes and colours. The group is large, however, and at times children become restless as they wait a long time for their turn.

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who attend

Staff meet regularly to plan activities and discuss how they can meet the needs of individual children. Children with additional needs are identified promptly and supported appropriately. The pre-school Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator liaises with staff and supports them with developing Individual Education Plans for children needing support. Children are supported through small group activities and interventions. For example, a group of children who are identified as needing support with communication and language skills are supported in a group using positive role models, following advice from an advisory teacher. This ensures that all children make progress towards the early learning goals.

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who attend

The prime areas of learning; physical development, communication and language and personal, social and emotional development are a priority, and children develop well in these areas. Staff are trained in supporting children using the 'I Can' materials to support communication and language, enhancing their learning in this area. The outdoor environment is spacious and there are lots of opportunities for physical development. It is rich with exciting, open-ended resources, encouraging exploration and problem solving. Children have lots of opportunity to explore nature. For example, children are excited to take tadpoles, which have hatched from frogspawn in a tank, to the pond area, so that they can watch them develop.

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who attend

Staff have close relationships with the children, and parents are involved in contributing to children's initial records and learning journeys through the 'wow' sheets. Consequently, staff are able to tailor planning to individual children's needs, and children develop confidence and self esteem. On the day of inspection a parent commented that after just a short time at the pre-school, the staff really knew her child and his precise stage of development.

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who attend

Staff make regular observations, which are linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage and which identify the next steps in learning for children. They regularly make incidental observations to chart children's achievements. These together with more comprehensive and tracking observations help staff to make sure children are making progress and engaging in all areas of learning. Assessment recorded in children's learning journeys is precise and the termly assessments show clearly the next steps for development. Some children also attend the breakfast and after school club, which has strong links with the pre-school and the school. Key workers liaise with the after-school club staff to ensure learning is continuous and that activities at the club compliments what children have learned at the pre-school. Staff at the after- school club also work in the school children progress to, and have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. The after

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who attend

school club is based in purpose built premises, with a good range of resources which children can access easily, encouraging independence. Children also have access to spacious outdoor areas, enabling them to enjoy fresh air, explore and develop physical skills.

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

Staff form close and secure relationships with children, which enables children to feel happy and safe, allowing them to become independent. They manage children's behavior well and act as good role models, encouraging them to think about how their actions may affect others. Children consistently behave well, sharing and co-operating with the encouragement and praise of staff. For example, they co-operate well with each other to build a structure of tunnels for cars to roll down, taking turns to push the cars along to the end.

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

The environment is welcoming, with a good range of resources, which the children can access for themselves, encouraging independence and exploration.. They encourage children to be safe, but allow them to develop their own sense of risk when exploring, ensuring that they develop personal, social and emotional skills.

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

Staff support children well when they enter the pre-school, working with parents to ensure that they settle happily. They encourage parents to visit and to stay to support children as they settle. The care routines have been considered so that they contribute well to learning and development. As children arrive they find their own pegs, and self register, finding their names, which are colour coded according to their key worker. Staff greet children warmly, and children are given time to explore before gathering together for circle time. There are good hygiene practices in place and children develop social skills at snack and lunch times because staff sit with them and support them. Although the majority of children attending are in the older age range, the younger children are sensitively supported, and age appropriate resources are provided.

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

Children are very well prepared for school, and transition arrangements are carefully considered. There is good liaison with other settings and schools. The relationship between the school and the pre-school is a particular strength. The environment has been skillfully organized so that children and staff in both settings are very familiar with each other, easing the transition from pre-school to school. The manager meets with the foundation stage teacher to develop plans for partnership working and visits, and children are organized into friendship groups when they first move into school. The pre-school Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator also attends transition meetings for children with additional needs, ensuring that they are supported well in this important stage in their development.

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provision

Leaders demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the welfare and safeguarding and learning and development requirements. Staff are fully aware of their responsibilities for keeping children safe. They know the safeguarding procedures and have a good knowledge of child protection issues, including knowing how to act if such issues arise. Staff ensure the environment is safe for children to explore by regularly assessing risk and this means children's safety is given priority. The head teacher at the school is chair of the pre-school committee and there is a close working relationship with the manager and staff of the pre-school, which benefits both the school and the pre- school children. Developing good transitions from the pre-school to the school is a priority, and they are focusing on this with the foundation stage teacher. There are clear lines of communication and the manager of the pre-school is also on the governing body of the

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provision

school. At present the pre-school share access to an outdoor area with the school. The chair is committed to developing a new outdoor space to enable the children to have constant access to the outdoors at all times. There are regular management meetings where priorities are discussed and interim meetings to review policies and procedures.

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provision

Good practice is shared between the pre-school and the school. For example, the pre- school have developed a forest school, and the school are able to share the training and experience for the children. This model of working together is valued by the head teacher, as it develops skills and relationships for all staff and consequently, children make good progress.

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provision

The manager and staff have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. Staff are monitored regularly to ensure consistency and the sharing of good practice. They take part in peer observations, which has resulted in some staff becoming more confident in particular areas of practice, for example, sharing stories with groups of children. The manager has a system for staff deployment so that they all support all areas of learning, which develops their skills and confidence. She has an overview of planning and assessment, ensuring that children's individual needs are met. Staff meet weekly and work together to plan as a team. They make incidental observations and are given time to complete longer, more detailed observations which are used for assessment and to inform planning. This means that the next steps in learning for the children are very well targeted and planned.

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provision

Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and for each specific role there is a deputy, so that staff are able to support each other. There is a key worker family system so that children and parents are not affected by staff absences, and there is continuous, appropriate support.

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provision

The manager seeks help and advice from outside agencies when necessary and children receive help promptly and effectively. For example, the speech and language therapist supports children with communication and language difficulties and they work together to develop children's skills and provide information for parents. There are robust recruitment and induction procedures in place for staff, and staff are supported through effective supervision and training.

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provision

Parents talked about how much they valued their very good relationships with the staff and they feel that their contributions towards children's learning and development are valued. The manager has been successful in engaging all parents in the learning and development through the use of 'wow' moments, which are recorded at home and celebrated in the pre-school. This makes a strong contribution to meeting the children's needs.

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provision

The manager is very reflective of her practice and monitors and evaluates the pre-school so that it can improve and move forward. Staff work well as a team and regularly update their knowledge through an effective system of professional development. This ensures children learn and develop, supported by staff, who know how to help them make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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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 EY427105 Local authority Plymouth Inspection number 766023 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Buddies Childcare CIC Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01752336556

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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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