Puddleducks Under Fives

Puddleducks Under Fives Lawley Community Centre,, Lawley Village, TELFORD, Shropshire, TF4 2PR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/05/2014 16/03/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress in their learning and they are keenly interested and fully engaged in their play.  Planning, observation and assessment effectively contribute to the children's successful learning.  Staff make effective use of their knowledge of how children learn to support their good quality teaching. They know when to intervene and when to stand back, ensuring that children are supported to become confident and self-assured critical thinkers.  Leaders and staff show good levels of commitment and enthusiasm. They understand the need to strive for continuous improvement. Consequently, children access a wide range of exciting activities to develop their learning potential.  Strong, trusting relationships are formed between children, and between children and staff. Children are safe and secure in the setting and their welfare is at the heart of the provision.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Some of the more able children who find learning easier are not always sufficiently challenged; and quality assurance monitoring is not consistently well used to drive improvements in the quality of teaching.

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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 the large room used and in the outside area  The inspector conducted two joint observations with the play leader

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager and chair of the committee and spoke to staff throughout the inspection as appropriate

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's record and assessment files, planning documentation and children's records, including the progress tracker

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and a sample of policies and procedures  The inspector spoke to a number of parents and had due regard for their views.

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Information about the setting

Puddleducks Under Fives is a committee run setting which opened in 1994. It operates from a community centre, next to the local primary school in the village of Lawley, Telford, Shropshire and serves the local community. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. Access to the setting is on ground floor level.

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Information about the setting

The group is open on Monday - Friday 08:45 to 14:45 term time only. Puddleducks is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 26 children may attend the group at any one time. There are currently 53 children aged from two to four years on roll, some attend on a part-time basis. Children aged two, three-and four years-of-age in receipt of early education funding attend this setting.

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Information about the setting

The group supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. There are eight members of staff; all of whom hold recognised early years qualifications. The group receives support from the local authority.

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

 further improve the quality of teaching by ensuring: that the quality assurance monitoring process focuses sharply on the quality of teaching and any areas for improvement; that staff provide consistent challenge for the more able children who find learning easy; and that teaching consistently takes into account the different ages and stages of development of individuals and groups of children.

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who attend

Teaching at this setting is predominantly good. Children are active, enthusiastic learners. They take the lead in a wide range of play and learning opportunities and activities, and are well-supported in their learning by knowledgeable and skilled staff. Staff are appropriately qualified and use their knowledge of how children learn to good effect. All children are making progress, including children with disabilities and/or children who have special educational needs. Most children are at, or exceeding, expected levels of development. Those few children who are at risk of falling behind are provided with prompt and effective one-to-one support and consequently they quickly catch up with their peers.

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who attend

Routines and planning are effective and ensure that children's play and learning are prioritised. Most children are becoming fiercely independent and take great pride and enjoyment from their day as they move between indoors and outdoors to extend their learning and imagination. The children love to make sense of their world through re- enacting situations, activities and conversations they see in their lives. Role-play reflects areas of the children’s lives, and staff offer ‘real life’ resources which reflect the child's community. During play, children explore and experiment with what interests them by looking about, listening to and taking in the goings on of their environment and by watching what others are doing. One child was running their own 'café'. The child wrote the menu, took orders from customers, wrote down their orders, and delivered the food and drink. During a particularly busy time in the cafe, the child said, 'I will get your

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who attend

sandwich and burger in a minute'. This clearly exemplifies the high levels of engagement children enjoy in their learning.

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who attend

Staff encourage active learning as they help children to develop concentration and perseverance to enhance their learning. They give children time and space to become involved in their play. Staff try to avoid interrupting children while they are doing an activity. If they come across an obstacle, staff give the children the opportunity to find a solution themselves to help them develop their thought process. For instance, during outdoor play, children built their bus and told staff they were 'going on holiday'. The practitioner listened and observed carefully as the children discussed their holiday plans and worked out how to extend their bus to accommodate other children. Staff provide children with consistent praise when they reach a goal and lots of encouragement when they need to persevere with something. Adult-led activities are well-planned and interesting. The staff skilfully involve boys and

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who attend

girls of different ages in the activities. However, the activities do not consistently provide enough challenge for the most able children and, therefore, their learning is not always fully extended.

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who attend

Staff carry out regular observations and use these to effectively plan for the individual child's development needs and their next step in their learning. All children's progress is carefully monitored and tracked by the leaders and child’s key person. Parents play a vital role as contributors to their child's learning journeys and work in close partnership with their child's key person to best support their child's progress. Initial assessments carried out upon starting at the setting are carried out as part of the two-year-old developmental assessment with full consultation and involvement of parents. Most children make good progress during their time in the setting. Children are developing a good knowledge of phonics; letters and the sounds they make as a result of consistent good quality teaching in this subject. There is a small but invaluable outdoor play area where children are encouraged to

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who attend

explore the world around them and monitor the life cycle of frogs, butterflies and plants as part of their experimental learning. Children learn to take risks in a secure and safe environment. This enables them to negotiate the many hazards and obstacles they will encounter as they grow older; for example, using garden tools in the nursery garden and balancing on planks across large wooden blocks.

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

Children consistently behave very well and show consideration and concern for others. For instance, when children were making play dough, one child said; 'I have made a space for (child) to sit'. The children are reminded of the 'Golden rules' every day and children are seen to remind others of them throughout the session. Strong and trusting relationships are forged between key persons and their key children. Practitioners respond promptly to children's needs and spend a good amount of time building up secure bonds with them. For example, children gravitate towards staff who sit at activities and engage positively in play with them particularly in creative role play. All staff know the children well and demonstrate a strong commitment to the child's developmental well-being. Children are well-supported in their good learning by all staff who are very motivated and enthusiastic.

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

Photographs of children are displayed, and staff make good use of labels and print in other languages to show each child's background is valued and celebrated. All of the children have good opportunities to come together during the day. This means children feel part of the larger group and develop a strong sense of belonging. Snack and mealtimes are predominantly child led and children are able to manage their food and drink intake with the support of staff.

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

Transition arrangements are secure and children regularly visit the neighbouring school as part of their preparation and readiness for school. Children are being well-prepared for their next stage of education as most are at expected levels of development. Many already have siblings at the local school and several children at the setting spoke of their excitement at starting school in September. Children of all ages have good opportunities to take part in daily outdoor play, which plays a significant part in keeping them healthy. Children benefit from fresh air and use equipment to develop their physical skills. For instance, they coordinate their movements as they dig in compost and sand with small tools, such as trowels; and build structures using large wooden blocks. Practitioners provide good support and guidance to help children follow good hygiene routines. They make sure children wash their hands before

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

meals and are close by, should children need any help, as they develop their increasing independence in their personal care.

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provision

The manager, committee chairperson and staff have a good understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and are aware of their legal responsibilities to safeguard children and promote their learning and development. The manager is very experienced and confident in her role. She uses her knowledge, experience and skills to lead the staff team well. Consequently, staff are well-motivated and morale is good. There are increasingly effective systems in place to support staff, including regular supervisions and annual appraisals. These ensure good practice is predominantly consistent and staff are encouraged in their professional development. There are systems in place to quality assure the work of staff, including the quality of teaching. However, the emphasis on what staff should do to improve teaching is not consistent. There are robust recruitment and selection procedures in place to ensure that

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provision

staff are suitable to work with children. Staff complete a well-planned induction to ensure they are aware of their roles and responsibilities.

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provision

There is a comprehensive safeguarding policy and procedure in place. Staff are fully aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and know what to do, and who to contact, in the event of a child protection concern. All staff are routinely trained in child protection protocols and procedures and safeguarding is a standard agenda item at all team meetings. Swift and appropriate action is taken, when necessary, to ensure the safety of children. Self-evaluation is predominantly accurate and reflects the views of staff. Leaders are aware of the setting’s strengths and what needs to improve and are keen to implement improvements discussed during the inspection. Leaders at all levels are committed to the setting and effectively plan its future success. They provide informative written policies to support the efficient management of the nursery. Staff are deployed well. They are vigilant and carefully assess risks, taking immediate steps to protect

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provision

Learning journeys provide a wealth of evidence of the range of good quality learning activities provided. The majority of these activities demonstrate hands on, first hand experiences, such as gardening, looking after and exploring bugs, caterpillars, and charting the lifespan from frogspawn to adult frog. These records are routinely shared with children and parents. One child eagerly shared their learning journey and they spoke with confidence about the activities they had enjoyed and the learning they had acquired. Parents are complimentary about the staff and the care and education their children benefit from. Parents are appreciative of the information they receive, through parents' meetings and regular discussions with their child's key person and about their children's development and progress. Parents who expressed a view are fully supportive of the setting and say their children have made significant progress in their confidence, speech and language and overall

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provision

development since attending the setting. Partnerships with parents are a strong aspect of this setting. The effective monitoring of children's progress ensures that children access additional support quickly to help them make good progress overall.

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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 208250 Local authority Telford & Wrekin Inspection number 973224 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 53 Name of provider Puddleducks Under Fives Committee Date of previous inspection 16/03/2010 Telephone number 01952 506767

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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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