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Early years · Early years inspection (CIF)

Kelton Nursery and After School

Inspected 29 May 2014 · published 21 Jun 2014 · URN EY372052

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Summary

Requires improvement

Hilary Boyd

What we read, and from where

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  • Inspection datesingle source

    29 May 2014

  • Inspectors verified

    Hilary Boyd

  • Overall effectivenesssingle source

    Requires improvement

  • Postcode verified

    L18 8BT

  • Name on report verified

    Kelton Nursery and After School

  • URN verified

    EY372052

Page 1 of 13
Page 1 of the report

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  • OverallRequires improvement

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+12Mostly positivemore positive than 54% of reports of this type graded Requires improvement
OutstandingGoodMetRINot metInadequate

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Praisepositiveenjoyeffectivelyhappyeffectiveconsistentlyvery wellhigh-quality
Criticisminadequatenot yetfailednot consistentlynot alwayslackconcernsnot met

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FindingsWhat needs to improveAbout the inspection positive critical
  • Findings67w+13
  • What needs to improve3408w+12

Strengths

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Pages
13
Words of findings
3,397
longer than usual (typical 773)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 39, typical 48
Average sentence
20 words
Next steps
8
typical 8
Hedged sentences
5%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 1%What needs to improve 75%About the inspection 23%

Full report text

Kelton Nursery and After School Kelton Nursery, Park Avenue, Mossley Hill, LIVERPOOL, L18 8BT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/05/2014 18/06/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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

 Children make sufficient progress because staff are knowledgeable about the interests and development of the children in their care. They use this knowledge to plan experiences towards supporting their care and learning needs.  Positive partnerships with parents and other professionals help ensure that parents are kept informed about their child's ongoing development and those who require additional support, receive appropriate intervention.  The management demonstrate a commitment in making ongoing improvements to raise the quality of the provision. They have reviewed the safeguarding procedures and ensure that staff has sufficient knowledge to promote children's safety.

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It is not yet good because

 The registered provider has failed to notify Ofsted of all changes made to the committee.  The quality of teaching and learning is variable. As a result, some staff have a tendency to merely react to children's needs rather than effectively challenge their learning.  The organisation of resources to promote imaginary play through role play is not yet consistent across the provision.  Monitoring of practice is not yet focused enough to ensure consistency is maintained across the provision. Therefore, although, children are happy and content, they are not always learning at the highest level.

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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 and staff interaction with children across the provision and the attached outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with a representative of the committee, the manager, the deputy and with staff at appropriate times during the inspection. A joint observation was carried out with the manager during children's free play in the pre-school room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed children's assessment and planning records, regulatory documentation regarding adults' qualifications and suitability checks. She discussed the procedures for safeguarding children and looked at records to reflect risk assessments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account of the views of children, parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Kelton Nursery and After School was registered in 2005 under its current management on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The provision is managed by a committee. It serves the local area and is situated in the Mossley Hill area of Liverpool. It operates from a converted Victorian property over four floors. The provision employs 48 members of childcare staff of these; 45 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above and two members of staff are working towards a qualification. One member of staff has Early Years Professional status. The provision operates Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm and the after school provision from 3pm to 6pm term time and from 8am to 6pm during the holiday play schemes. Children attend for a variety of sessions. It provides an all year round service with the exception of bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Children use 13 rooms for their care

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Information about the setting

and activities. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 186 children attending, 149 of whom are in the early years age group. The provision receives support from the local authority. The provision provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure all staff are effectively supervised and have the necessary support, training and skills to improve personal effectiveness, which is adequately monitored to ensure all children benefit from consistently good quality teaching and learning.

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

 review the arrangements to enhance children's imaginative skills through promoting independent access to stimulating and well-resourced role play areas, which promote purposeful and meaningful play experiences based on good quality interactions and quantity of resources.

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who attend

Staff have a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding of how to meet the learning and developments requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They demonstrate through discussion the importance of observing children, in order to understand their individual level of achievement, interests and characteristics of learning. Close partnership with parents means that staff involve parents in sharing key information about their children, in order to support smooth transitions throughout the provision. For example, when children start or move rooms, key information about their likes, interests and individual abilities across the areas of learning are sought from parents. This information, alongside observations carried out by staff during the initial weeks of attendance, contributes to the completion of children's initial assessment of development. Staff regularly complete the assessment record, which enables them to monitor the ongoing

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who attend

progress individual children make during their time in the provision. The progress check for children between the ages of two and three years is completed. Staff link closely with parents to consider the best time to carry this out and clear information about the purpose of this check is provided to parents. As a result, parents are informed of their child's development and any additional support that staff may take to ensure children make progress. This exchange of information gives parents the opportunity to discuss their child's development, therefore, involving them in their child's learning. Partnerships with parents are promoted further as parents' evenings are held twice a year and formal records are shared, which record the development their children make. Furthermore, staff send home formal sheets requesting information about children's current interests, which help staff to gather further information about their key children. Informal discussions help

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who attend

to keep parents aware of their child's involvement in daily play experiences. Staff who work with babies and the youngest children complete daily diaries, which provide a brief summary of the experiences carried out by children. Parents' comment how beneficial both exchanges of information are, as they are then able to use this information to participate in conversation with their child about their day at the provision.

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who attend

Across the provision, staff use their sound understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage to plan different activities, which help to support children's individual development. Staff use observations of their key children to plan regular activities and complete evaluations to reflect any progress they make. Children usually enjoy their time at the provision and are occupied, although, activities sometimes lack a sufficient level of challenge. For example, children initiate their own play based on the range of resources available, such as sand or water play, but these often lack a good level of challenge to enhance children's learning. Furthermore, staff do not consistently provoke challenge during their interactions with children during child-initiated play. Children generally work comfortably within their typical range of development expected for their age. Those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have sufficient support, which ensures

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who attend

that children who are, or could possibly fall below their expected levels of development receive tailored support. Links are made with other professionals, in order to gather information, which contributes to the implementation of appropriate targets detailed within children's individual play plans. Children with English as an additional language are supported to ensure they make suitable progress according to their ability. Before children start, staff gather pertinent information about the range of languages used by them and in collaboration with parents, staff build up a bank of meaningful words used by children. This helps staff to understand the language used and therefore, support children's early communication skills. Young babies and toddlers enjoy listening to stories read by staff. They repeat words and copy sounds made by staff, which encourages their communication skills. Older children gather together in groups and participate in activities,

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who attend

such as circle time where they sit and listen attentively to staff as they carry out daily discussions about aspects of the routines, for example, days of the week and who is present. In addition, children are supported to use basic sign language and informative displays help raise staff's knowledge in using sign when appropriate. Furthermore, older children learn to communicate in more than one language as they speak Spanish with a visiting Spanish teacher. As a result, children are developing a good level of communication and language skills and participating in experiences, which promote their personal, social and emotional development. This helps to ensure that they are developing the necessary skills needed to support them in the next stage in their learning, such as moving onto school.

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who attend

The provision provides a number of playrooms that are pleasantly presented and inviting to all children. Staff organise learning environments where children confidently choose what to play with from a range of accessible toys, which are suitable for their age and stage of development. The wide range of toys provides children with sufficient opportunities, which promote all areas of learning and development. Babies and toddlers participate in a range of experiences, which promote development through the senses. They enjoy exploring various textured resources. They make noises as they bang musical instruments together and smile with delight as staff interact with them using their favourite resources. Children draw, paint, cut and glue to extend their creativity. Toddlers and older children have access to writing materials and use technology to play interactive games, which promote early mathematical skills, such as playing matching games. While

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who attend

older children who attend the holiday club provision use the laptops to select their favourite song, which they enjoy singing along to. However, the presentation and organisation of resources available to promote imaginary and pretend play across the provision are not yet sufficient. As a result, children loose interest in this area and move onto choose something else to sustain their interest. For example, a group of young children enjoy playing shops as they push their buggies and act out imaginative play using the limited range of resources available. Although, staff interact and respond to children's requests or gestures during their play, some staff merely react to children's play experiences rather than purposefully challenge their learning and development through critical thinking and problem solving. As a result, the quality of teaching across the provision varies throughout the day, which means that high-quality learning is not

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

Children arrive happy and enjoy their time participating in the range of both child-initiated and adult-led play experiences across the provision. Each room operates a key-person approach, which is effectively promoted through the use of displays that include information detailing the role of the key person. A number of staff have currently moved rooms and therefore, the allocation of key children has recently changed. However, displays are being updated and information sent home to parents help to keep them informed of any changes made to the allocation of their child's key person. Furthermore, staff met together before any changes occurred and this provided them with an opportunity to share information about their new key children. Those who attend the out of school provision are also allocated a key person, which helps to promote their sense of belonging across the provision. The implementation of a buddy system further promotes

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

the personal, social and emotional development of the youngest children who attend the out of school provision. Babies and toddlers appear to have formed positive and warm relationships with staff. They receive positive interaction as staff show care and attention through responsive and supportive interactions. This helps the youngest children to develop a sense of emotional well-being and security in the provision. Older children are also developing some levels of social skills as they interact together and learn to take turns during experiences, such as circle time and playing on the computer. Older children are developing a level of independence as they are able to carry out their own personal care routines throughout the day. For example, they are encouraged to take off their coats and swap their wellington boots and shoes. Furthermore, they develop good self- help skills because they are encouraged to serve themselves lunch and pour their own

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

drinks of water. Children of all ages are developing an understanding of what is expected of them through participation in discussions and daily routines. This is because staff explain how children can show kindness and consideration to one another using developmentally appropriate language and staff act as positive role models. Staff recognise children's contributions in their play and praise them for their achievements and positive behaviour. This effectively promotes their self-esteem and confidence.

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

The numerous playrooms across the provision are well laid out to be safe and welcoming. Generally, staff use the resources and space well, to provide a suitable range of play experiences for children, both indoors and outdoors. Children eat healthy snacks and meals made on the premises from fresh ingredients. Weekly menus are shared with parents to help keep them informed of the food provided. Children who attend the holiday club provision bring their own packed lunch, which is stored appropriately. Staff and children routinely follow appropriate hygiene and safety practices, which gives them a basic understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Children's physical development is reasonably well promoted. Indoors, children develop their skill and ability in using hand-to-eye coordination through handling tools and resources, such as a good range of manipulative resources, which they use to create different shapes. The youngest

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

toddlers are supported to take their first steps and pull themselves up using appropriate resources, which act as support. Children develop their senses as they explore the accessible resources in the sensory room, such as ball pool, textured fabrics and different cause and effect resources. Outdoors, the older children learn to ride the trikes and negotiate along the paths pretending to crash as they manoeuvre around the space. Other children enjoy interacting with staff as they carefully move the sand using the range of resources provided. Children are beginning to learn about the wider community through organised trips out and about and through organised events carried out within the nursery. For example, children learn about the characteristics of different animals following visits from an animal handling company and a local farm. Consequently, children are developing an understanding of aspects of the natural world.

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

Children are developing their understanding and awareness of other cultures as they enjoy a range of activities planned by staff related to some festivals and celebrations. For example, staff use their knowledge of the individual children in their care, to plan celebrations, such as Australian day, Greek festivals and Brazilian day. Positive images and posters on display reflect positive images of culture to help promote and value children's awareness of similarities and differences. Staff promote the use of visual images to support their understanding of cultures and languages used by children. The use of daily diaries and images displayed in numerous scrapbooks help to promote an exchange of information between children, their families and staff. As a result, staff positively promote inclusive practice through close relationships with parents and the organisation of displays across the provision. Transition procedures are carried out where children go to a number

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

of visits to the next room before they make the transition to the next age group. This enables children to gradually become familiar with the new environment and routines. Parents and staff complete an 'All about me' record together as children move throughout the provision. This helps staff to familiarise themselves with children's individual care and learning needs. Staff help to prepare children for moving onto school through organised trips to the local schools and by gathering together collections of school uniforms, which are added to the role play area so children can use these in their play.

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provision

The registered provider has met the recommendations and actions set at the last inspection. The management team have strengthened their procedures to safeguard children and understand fully the importance in carrying out appropriate recruitment procedures when appointing new staff. They implement the suitability checks before staff commence employment at the provision. On occasions, when staff are waiting for their suitability check, they are not left unsupervised at anytime. The management team have established systems to ensure that ongoing suitability of staff is maintained. However, the registered provider has failed to notify Ofsted of all changes recently made to the committee, which is an offence under the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The manager and deputy manager, who act as the safeguarding officers for the provision, are confident in their knowledge and understanding of the possible signs and

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provision

symptoms of abuse. They are able to demonstrate through discussion, their understanding of the appropriate procedures to follow should any child protection concerns arise, including the effective management in the event of an allegation being made against staff. A detailed safeguarding policy and procedure reflects the recent changes made to the names of the designated officers and reflects the procedures set by the Local Safeguarding Children Board. The manager's commitment in raising staff's awareness and understanding of the appropriate safeguarding procedures to follow, is demonstrated through the review of the induction procedure and discussions held during team meetings. Detailed information on safeguarding procedures, including the safeguarding policy and relevant contact details are consistently displayed across the provision. As a result, staff are able to demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of their safeguarding

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provision

responsibilities. They are aware of the typical signs and symptoms of abuse and are able to follow their safeguarding procedure, should any child protection concerns arise. Following a recent visit by Ofsted, the registered provided was sent a notice to improve asking them to ensure that appropriate checks are completed for the minibus and accurate records are maintained detailing the names and numbers of children being cared for. Appropriate action has been taken to address these actions to promote children's safety and welfare.

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provision

The committee take an active role in supporting the management team and staff of the provision. They hold regular meetings together as a committee, which are also represented by members of the management team. As a direct response from the last inspection, they have sought regular advice from an external consultant, in order to help make improvements to the provision. For example, they held additional meetings, in order to address the actions raised following the previous inspection. Staff are also involved in the evaluation of practice as they contribute their views to focused improvement plans, which are in place for each room across the provision. Furthermore, children who attend the holiday club and out of school provision are actively encouraged to add their views and contributions to suggested activities for forthcoming play schemes. The changes made to the management team since the last inspection has had a positive impact on the

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provision

organisation and management of the provision. They have made changes to the deployment of staff across the provision and further plans are in place to continue to develop practice further. Arrangements are in place that provides some support to staff, which include the reorganisation of room supervisors and regular meetings are held that help to promote discussion about practice. However, current arrangements for the effective supervision of staff are not yet used consistently to ensure that staff engage themselves fully in children's learning. As a result, the quality of teaching is inconsistent and potential learning opportunities are sometimes missed. The management team and staff have sufficient knowledge and understanding of children's abilities and demonstrate through discussion how to support their learning. However, monitoring of general practice and the quality of teaching and learning is not yet focused enough to ensure consistency

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provision

is maintained across the provision. Therefore, although, children are happy and content, they are not always learning at the highest level because some staff do not consistently ensure they stimulate and challenge them, in particular during child-initiated play experiences.

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provision

The provision is committed to working in close partnership with parents and other professionals as necessary, in order to support children the best that they can. Staff provide parents with information about their children's learning and development through informal discussions, formal records and parents' evenings. Since the last inspection, the management team have reviewed the documents used to gather relevant information about children's individual needs, which now include details of languages used, religious and cultural needs. This information supports staff in considering how they ensure each child's learning and care are tailored to meet their individual needs. Parents are very complimentary of the management team and staff and they express how happy they are with the support and care provided to their children. Staff work closely with other professionals, to ensure they are able to support children through the implementation and

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provision

ongoing review of individual play plans. For example, staff use guidance and support from speech and language therapists when supporting individual children. Furthermore, the provision has two Special Educational Needs Coordinators who actively support staff and closely monitor the effective implementation of children's individual play plans. Good partnership between the provision and schools where children attend or plan to attend as they start formal education ensure that children's continuity in care is promoted. Staff from the out of school gather information on planning and staff from pre-school invite local school staff into the provision, to discuss children's individual care and learning needs. Consequently, effective partnership working with parents and other professionals helps to promote continuity of care and prepare them for the next stage in 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 EY372052 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 926779

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 156 Number of children on roll 186 Name of provider Kelton Day Nursery Committee Date of previous inspection 18/06/2013 Telephone number 01517 245 802

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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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