Bears Den

Bears Den Pre-School Ministry of Defence, Donnington, TELFORD, Shropshire, TF2 8JT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/05/2014 26/03/2009

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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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 All staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures. Consequently, systems are in place to ensure that children are sufficiently safeguarded.  Secure attachments with key persons and staff ensure children's emotional well-being is met. As a result, there is sound partnership working with parents and the transition from home to pre-school is positive.  The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Children benefit from a stimulating and well- resourced environment both inside and outside, which helps provide them with a suitable range of experiences.

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It is not yet good because

 Systems to assess, observe and monitor children's development are not wholly effective. Staff fail to link children's learning to the stages in the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means that children's learning and development is not always accurately recorded to inform parents of their progress.  Children are not always engaged in their learning because large group activities and routines are not planned well enough by staff to provide children with appropriate challenge and interest.  Staff do not always organise effectively or exploit opportunities at snack times to fully support development and promote children's independence skills.

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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 play and learning activities and spoke to staff and children in the indoor and outdoor environment.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's assessment files and progress tracking information and spoke to the key persons.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a meeting with management and looked at and discussed a range of policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Bears Den Pre-School originally opened in 1994 and newly registered in 2008. It is managed by a partnership. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a demountable building on the Ministry of Defence site in Donnington, Telford and serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The pre-school opens five days a week during school term time from 9am to 1pm and includes a lunch club. Children attend for a variety of sessions and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 53 children on roll in the early years age range. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language. There are currently 10 staff working directly

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Information about the setting

with the children, most of whom have an appropriate early years qualification. Of these, four have a qualification at level 3, five at level 2 and one is an apprentice. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 provide parents with regular information about their child's progress across all seven areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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must:

 develop a robust system to ensure all assessments and observations are monitored to; ensure management regularly review the quality and content, so that they are confident that staff are knowledgeable and understand the process

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must:

 improve the effectiveness of observation and assessment by; developing staff knowledge of how to complete observations of children and use these consistently to identify children's stages of development and target their next steps, so they make good progress in every area of learning.

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

 improve the quality of teaching by reviewing group sizes during circle time and snack times to ensure that all children can advance in their learning and development

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

 improve the organisation of snack time routines so that they promote a calm and relaxed atmosphere where all children are supported in their personal, social and emotional development and they have opportunities to further develop their self- help skills and independence.

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who attend

Staff have an appropriate understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use this knowledge to provide children with a stimulating and well-resourced environment, which has a wealth of resources, that children can freely access. Children make sound use of space outside as they explore and have opportunities to be creative. They experience a wide range of resources and benefit from activities, which have no adult defined objective. For example, they play with sand and shaving foam and have great fun filling containers and making patterns, they dig in the sand using small tools and talk to their friends about the texture. This provides opportunities for children to experiment with mathematical concepts, strengthen their physical skills, advance their social and emotional skills and enhance language development. Staff support children's learning through open-ended questions to

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who attend

encourage children to think critically and engage in characteristics of effective learning. Consequently, children are acquiring skills that prepare them for the next steps in their learning. Staff have a clear understanding of the prime and specific areas of learning and organise the environment suitably to support children's learning in all areas. As a result, children make satisfactory progress in their development. However, some aspects of learning are less organised. For example, large group times and daily routines do not always keep younger children fully focused and they quickly lose interest. This was evident during the joint observation and when children join for circle time activities. Consequently, the quality of teaching varies throughout the pre-school.

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who attend

Staff compile individual folders for children which contain artwork and comments regarding their daily activities. Observations of children's learning are carried out on a regular basis. However, observations do not capture children's holistic development across all seven areas of learning and mainly focuses on one area of learning at a time. Staff do not use their knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage to link observations and assessments of children's learning to the appropriate stages of development. This means that staff are not always aware of any gaps in children's development and are not able to accurately inform parents of their child's progress. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for whom English is an additional language are supported well with appropriate intervention. This helps to ensure they reach their expected levels of development. Staff have a suitable understanding of the requirements of the progress

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who attend

check for children between the ages two and three years, to ensure that they and other professionals have the necessary information to arrange appropriate support if necessary.

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who attend

Staff strive to form effective partnerships with parents. For example, they discuss care arrangements and future settling-in procedures with parents. This promotes children's move from home as staff gather information from parents about their children's individual needs. Staff obtain information about children on entry which provides staff with personal details about children and their families. This is used by staff to plan activities which are of interest to children. Parents are kept informed of children's daily activities through detailed conversations with staff. This helps parents to be involved in some aspects of their children's learning. The reception area has a wealth of information to support parents in their child's care and development.

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

Children are provided with a warm and welcoming environment. This helps them to develop positive relationships with staff and their key person. As a result, children settle quickly and feel a sense of belonging. Effective settling-in procedures for children are in place and visits are negotiated between parents and staff to meet individual family needs. An effective key-person system is in place to ensure that children's needs are met even when their consistent key person is not available to care for them. This fully supports children's emotional well-being. Parents know who to approach if they have a concern about their children. They are complimentary about the 'warm and friendly staff' and say their children are 'very happy in the pre-school'. Staff know children well and children feel safe and secure spending time with them. Younger children feel a strong sense of security, evidenced by their close interactions with staff.

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

Staff remind children to use good manners and to be kind and considerate to each other. They encourage children to say please and thank you at meal times and ensure children understand the rules for being together, such as turn taking. Consequently, children are courteous and well behaved. Staff praise children's efforts and ensure children are given clear boundaries and as a result, children understand what is expected of them. Children play very well together and share toys and the varied range of resources. Older children show concern for younger children when they have fallen over and they are keen to help them. This shows they are developing attitudes to prepare them for their future learning. Staff teach children to manage their own safety, for instance, as they remind children to be careful when climbing up tall apparatus.

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

The outdoor area and facilities provide regular opportunities for children to access fresh air and physical exercise on a daily basis. This helps to promote children's physical well- being. Children are supported in keeping themselves healthy by learning to address their own personal needs. For example, children have access to fresh drinking water while outside and they are encouraged to dispense with used cups in a washing bowl. They are encouraged to use toilets and wash their hands independently. This promotes their well- being and introduces them to concepts of a healthy lifestyle. Snack times are very busy and children become loud and animated as they speak over each other. This results in some children being unable to communicate with their peers. Children benefit from nutritious snacks, such as, apple, cucumber and cereals. They are encouraged to hand out cups and plates to promote their independence. However, staff do not exploit

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

opportunities to further this independence as they do not include children in the preparation of the fruit or the serving of the drinks or cereal. This is because group sizes are too large and the routine is not organised well. For example, for a large group of pre- school children, there are only two jugs available to pour drinks and these are more suited to adult use. As a result, staff hurriedly offer drinks to the children as they are conscious of the time it takes to ensure all children have consumed their snack. This organisation of routines does not fully support children's self-care skills, independence or social skills.

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provision

The pre-school is led by two managers who demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures. Management and staff know the process to follow in the event of a concern about a child in their care and what to do if an allegation is made against a member of staff. Staff restrict the use of mobile phones and cameras in the pre-school, to further protect children. They seek visitor identification and record this in the pre-school's visitor's book. All required policies and procedures are in place and readily available to parents so they understand how the pre-school operates. Suitable recruitment and vetting procedures ensure staff are safe and suitable to work with children. Risk assessments cover all areas of the pre-school and any potential hazards are minimised. For example, there is a designated member of staff responsible for closely supervising children when they use the pre-school's trampoline. This ensures that

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provision

children's safety is effectively promoted. Systems for performance management are in place and staff regularly attend courses to improve their practice. Staff appraisals are carried out and the manager conducts peer observations to evaluate the quality of practice. This shows that management are keen to improve the quality of practice in the pre-school. However, management have failed to recognise that group sizes and routines do not effectively promote all children's learning and development. Consequently, performance management is not sufficiently focused on improving the quality of teaching. Although management have been monitoring staff's practice, areas for improvement, such as linking children's development to stages of learning has not been identified. As a result, the monitoring of staff's practice is not fully effective.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are generally good because parents receive lots of verbal information about their child's day. However, the information about children's development is not consistently accurate to inform parents of their child's progress. Parents are given questionnaires to complete and staff use this to help evaluate the provision. Staff actively seek the help of outside agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language. Relationships with local primary schools are promoted well. Teachers from local schools are invited into the pre-school and information is shared regarding children's learning and progress to support children's future learning at 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 EY381013 Local authority Telford & Wrekin Inspection number 858642

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 53 Name of provider Bears Den Pre-School Partnership Date of previous inspection 26/03/2009 Telephone number 01952672506

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Type of provision

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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