MW and H Ltd t/a Bluebell Pre-school

Bluebell Pre-School ORPEN MEMORIAL HALL, Lexden Road, Colchester, CO6 3BW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/05/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is exemplary. Practitioners consistently demonstrate an extremely knowledgeable understanding of the seven areas of learning. They use their expertise to provide children with an educational programme that is extremely challenging, exciting and worthy of disseminating to others.  Assessment of children's progress is exceptionally accurate. Practitioners expertly use their observational skills to identify children's development and to track their progress. This enables key persons to keep a sharp focus on every child's development and to recognise gaps in their learning at an early stage.  Procedures to protect children from harm are exceptionally robust. Practitioners demonstrate extensive knowledge of their responsibilities with regards to recognising safeguarding concerns and dealing with them. Policies, such as the use of mobile telephones and cameras within the pre-school are rigorously implemented.

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This provision is outstanding

 Partnerships with parents and others are extremely strong. Parents have superb opportunities to play an active role in their children's pre-school lives. They are encouraged by proficient key persons, who understand the importance of working effectively with parents and others to complement the learning that takes place in all areas of children's lives.  Extremely effective settling-in procedures, which include a home visit by the child's key person and the manager of the provision, ensure that children begin their pre-school life, confident, settled and aware of what to expect within the pre-school.

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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 both of the pre-school halls and the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the registered provider, who is also the pre- school manager, the special educational needs coordinator, practitioners and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation to evidence the checks used to assess the suitability of all practitioners and evidence of the qualifications they hold.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a wide range of records, including children's registration details, information about children's learning and development, records relating to children's progress, accident and medication records, written risk assessments, written policies, the daily attendance register and a selection of other relevant documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to at the time of the inspection and through written comments held within the pre-schools' documentation.

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Information about the setting

Bluebell Pre-School was originally registered in 1969 and re-registered under a new legal status in 2013 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a village hall in the West Bergholt area of Colchester, Essex and is managed by a limited company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from two large halls and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of these, 16 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2, 3 and 6, including one practitioner with Early Years Professional Status. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am until 12.15pm and from 12.15pm until 3.15pm on Tuesday and Thursdays and from 9.15am until 12.15pm and from 12.15 until 3.15pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are

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Information about the setting

currently 120 children attending, who are 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. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 enhance the already excellent practices for children to develop independence skills through everyday routines, such as snack time.

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who attend

Every child is actively engaged in purposeful play and learning throughout their pre-school session. Practitioner's extensive knowledge of each child means they are able to tailor the planning superbly to meet every child's learning needs. Children are extremely keen and motivated to learn. They enjoy participating in both planned and freely chosen play and express their thoughts and ideas proficiently to the adults caring for them. Practitioners expertly expand upon children's ideas and suggestions, facilitating their learning superbly. Practitioners proficiently observe children in their key groups and use their observations to provide regular and accurate assessments of children's development. This includes carrying out the progress check completed between the age of two and three years. Successful identification of children's next steps in learning enables key persons to track their progress efficiently and to plan challenging and stimulating learning experiences to

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who attend

help them to achieve. Observations and photographic evidence of children at play are logged in individual learning journals. These provide children, key persons and parents with a well-documented story of every child's journey through their pre-school life. Evidence regarding children's development shows that all children, including those who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make exceptional progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

Children are excited and enjoy their pre-school session. They move confidently from one activity to another and make excellent use of the indoor and outdoor environments to guide and extend their knowledge. Practitioners are exceptionally skilful at following children's interests and use well-considered questions to extend children's thinking. For example, children see a spider crawling across the pre-school floor. They draw a practitioner's attention to the spider, who quickly and efficiently uses this spontaneous incident as a learning aide. She confidently finds a small pot to contain the spider and asks a child if they would like to find a magnifying glass to explore the spider in more detail. The child quickly returns with a magnifying glass. The practitioner enables the now, larger group of children who have come to see what is happening to view the spider in more detail. This creates a lively discussion about how many legs the spider has, what colour it

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who attend

is and where children think it might live. The discussion concludes with children telling the practitioner that they think the spider should be taken outside and placed on a tree so that it won't be trodden on. The practitioner helps children take it outside and settles it into its new environment. Children excitedly rush back into the room to find the plastic spider living in one of the story/rhyme sacks. They each take it in turns to look at the plastic one and break out into songs about spiders. Throughout this activity, the practitioner's input superbly guides children's thoughts and challenges their thinking, while allowing them ample time to consider their own knowledge.

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who attend

Children are proficient speakers and communicate extremely well with each other and with the adults around them. They are confident about approaching visitors and enjoy conversing with new people. For example, children introduce a favourite book to visitors, informing them that there are some 'tricky words' in it and they might need help to read it. Practitioners enhance children's language skills superbly by using skilful questioning, timely intervention in children's discussions and introducing new words. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring literacy and many children are able to write recognisable letters and even their own names. Children learn to recognise letters and sounds through group circle times, where they sing along to music, repeating the sounds each letter makes. Some older children are beginning to merge sounds to spell simples words. Children are superbly prepared for their journey into school, as every aspect of their pre-

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who attend

school life is based on building firm foundations for learning.

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

Superbly considered settling-in procedures ensure that children begin their pre-school life, confident, comfortable and ready to learn. Key persons, the manager, parents and children all influence the settling-in period and decide between them when the child is ready to begin at pre-school. This effective start ensures that children begin and remain emotionally strong. Children form extremely secure attachments with the practitioners within the pre-school. They know who their key person is, but equally will go to any practitioner for help and support and know that they will respond kindly and proficiently. Children show high levels of self-control as they move confidently around the pre-school environment. They guide their own play and learning by freely accessing the wide range of resources and learning opportunities available to them. Children are extremely well- behaved as practitioners apply the pre-school's clear but simple rules consistently. This

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

results in children understanding the practitioners' expectations of them and following the simple rules to keep themselves safe. For example, they know that when the tidy-up music is played, they begin putting the resources back in their containers and know that this means there will be a change in the routine, for example, for lunch.

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

The pre-school environment is extremely well-planned. The two large halls provide base rooms for children and practitioners, where they develop a strong sense of belonging. Each morning, practitioners set out an extensive range of toys and play equipment and ensure that the environment is bright and welcoming through the use of visual aids and posters. Learning is superbly supported through appropriate resources, for example, the role play areas, which is a doctor's surgery and has posters displayed within it which one might find at a real doctors surgery. Children have free access to a large, enclosed outdoor area which is part grassed and part hard surface. This provides excellent opportunities for children to explore all seven areas of learning, as practitioners plan effectively for the outdoor provision to create a stimulating learning environment. Children are expertly prepared for any changes or transitions in their life as key persons work

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

extremely closely with parents to establish a good knowledge of these changes. They provide additional resources if necessary and take time to carefully consider how best to manage each child's transition.

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

Children develop an excellent understanding about keeping themselves healthy and safe through the practitioner's clear instructions. They understand the importance of good hygiene practices, such as hand washing after using the toilet and use anti-bacterial gel to clean their hands before touching food. Lively discussions are heard throughout the day between practitioners and children about foods which are good for them and which foods they like and dislike. Snack and mealtimes provide excellent opportunities for children to develop independence skills. For example, they collect their own cups and plates and serve their snacks and drinks themselves. There is, however, scope to further develop this by enabling children to make choices over the range of snack foods. Also, to be more consistently involved in preparing it, for example, by cutting their own bread and chopping vegetables. Children experience fresh air and exercise daily when they access the pre-

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

school garden, but also when they go for regular walks in the local environment. Practitioners expertly enhance children's learning experiences by making good use of the local environment. The trips also provide good opportunities for children to consider risk and develop good safety rules. For example, they consider the best time to cross roads and talk about where is the safest place, drawing children's attention to road safety.

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provision

Children's safety is treated with paramount importance within this pre-school. Every practitioner is knowledgeable about how to protect children and continuously updates their understanding of safeguarding procedures through appropriate training. Designated safeguarding officers demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of their role and how to ensure that they protect children proficiently. Extremely rigorous monitoring of visitors within the pre-school ensures that children are never left unsupervised with adults who are not familiar to them. Every practitioner takes responsibility for implementing and following through the pre-school's written policies on safeguarding children. For example, they ask all visitors to remove their mobile telephones for the duration of their visit and place these in a box in the kitchen. The identity of visitors is checked rigorously before any visitor is allowed entry to the pre-school. The doors are locked as soon as the majority of

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provision

children have been dropped off in the mornings. During the dropping off and collection times, a practitioner proficiently supervises the door, ensuring that no child leaves the premises without an adult. Robust procedures for risk assessing the premises indoors and outdoors are followed to ensure that children always play in a safe and secure environment. When accessing the local environment for walks and trips, the pre-school use two 'turtle buses' to transport children safely. These are large carriages on wheels which can seat six children.

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provision

The practitioner's knowledge of how children learn and how to deliver an effective educational programme is exemplary. This results in children benefitting from extremely effective planning, which is tailored to meet their individual learning requirements. The registered person, who is also the pre-school manager, oversees the day-to-day organisation, however, has appointed a room leader for each of the two rooms. The room leaders work with their designated team within each room to ensure that planning is rigorous and meticulously covers all seven areas of learning. Practitioners are encouraged to give each other feedback on their practice through a peer on peer observations system. The system enables practitioners to observe each other in their working environment and use their observations constructively to improve practice. The weekly planning is effectively evaluated to ensure that the activities and freely chosen learning have

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provision

benefitted all children. It is effectively reviewed to see whether anything can be done better or re-introduced if it was successful. Practitioners use reflective practice to learn from their actions and to guide improvements within the pre-school. Practitioners are constantly improving their already exemplary practice through regular training and in- house seminars. The manager keeps a sharp focus on her team's professional development and training needs through high-quality supervision.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and others are excellent. Parents are extremely involved in their child's pre-school life, as the pre-school embraces the whole family, providing care and support wherever it is required. Every child's pre-school life begins with a home visit from the pre-school manager and the person who will become the child's key person. This provides excellent opportunities for the key person to get to know the child and their family in a safe and familiar environment. While the key person spends this valuable time playing with the child and learning about their family members, likes and dislikes, the manager builds a rapport with parents. This provides them with superb opportunities to talk about the pre-school policies and what they can expect from their child's time at pre- school. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection comment on how useful this process is and how they and their children felt completely comfortable about entering the

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provision

pre-school. Parents also comment on the effective learning that takes place. Many feel that their children have made exceptional progress because key persons have monitored their children's progress so effectively. Partnerships with other early years settings, which children attend, are exceptional. The pre-school visits key persons within their setting and invites them to come into this pre-school to discuss the learning needs of children attending both settings. This effective communication provides superb opportunities for both provisions to work together and to complement the learning that takes place across all areas of children's lives. The pre-school has an excellent relationship with the local primary school, where most children attend. The head teacher visits in the term before children leave to go to school, to read stories to them and to get to know them. Regular visits from the reception class teacher also aide a smooth transition for children leaving

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provision

this pre-school and beginning the next stage of their learning.

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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 EY472841 Local authority Essex Inspection number 948240 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 120 Name of provider MW and H Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01206 241677

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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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