Shama Women's Centre

Shama Women's Centre Shama Womens Centre, 39-45 Sparkenhoe Street, LEICESTER, LE2 0TD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/06/2014 17/06/2013

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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

 All staff are aware of safeguarding procedures and understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe.  Staff have positive relationships with the children and their families, promoting a welcoming, friendly and caring environment.  Children confidently make independent choices from equipment and resources available. This is because staff organise the learning environment appropriately.

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It is not yet good because

 The procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning are not sufficiently robust. As a result, children make satisfactory rather than good progress in their learning and development.  Successful partnerships with children's future providers and other settings where children attend are not established. Consequently, children are not effectively prepared for the move to school and do not receive continuity in their care and learning.  Some staff miss opportunities to promote children's independence and extend their learning through everyday routines.

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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 two playrooms and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the nursery, spoke to staff and interacted with the children  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessments records and planning documentation. She checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the nursery elf-evaluation form and improvement plan.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through written comments.

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Information about the setting

Shama Women's Centre was registered in 2012 and is managed by a committee. It operates from a community centre in the City of Leicester. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens five days a week from 9.30am until 4pm all year round. The nursery also has two evening sessions a week on a Wednesday and Thursday, from 5pm until 7pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children are cared for in two play rooms and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.There are currently 35 children in the early years age range. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children for whom English is an additional language. There are currently six staff working directly with the children, all of whom have an appropriate early years qualification. The nursery receives support from the local authority. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and

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Information about the setting

the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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must:

 improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that robust arrangements are in place to successfully address underperformance through effective training and mentoring

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must:

 establish effective partnerships with other early years providers to ensure the continuity of care and learning for children that attend more than one setting and to prepare older children with the move to school.

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

 ensure that all staff seize every opportunity to extend children's learning during every-day routines, such as snack times, by ensuring children are given time to talk, listen and do things for themselves.

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who attend

Children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development. Staff generally have a suitable knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the educational programme covers all areas of learning. Staff observe children as they play and make adequate assessments of children's development, including progress checks for children between the ages of two and three years. This enables staff to identify when children do not make progress as expected and enables them to seek additional support from other professionals to help meet children's needs. Parents are warmly welcomed into the nursery and are encouraged to share information about their children's starting points and interests when the placement begins. They are kept appropriately informed about their children's ongoing progress. For example, during daily discussion and attendance at regular 'coffee mornings' where they can look and talk through their child's records. In

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who attend

addition, parents are invited to attend 'play and stay' workshops where they can join their children in the various activities and become more aware of their learning through play. The regular feedback provided to each parent, helps them to feel included in their child's learning and on the whole supports children well.

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who attend

Staff offer a welcoming and safe environment where children can play and learn. The play space is set out to enable the children to move freely between activities both indoors and outdoors. Staff at the nursery generally have an understanding that children learn through play. However, their skills in supporting children's learning and development vary. There are times when some activities and daily routines can be mundane because some staff do not make use of effective teaching strategies, such as good questioning, to promote the intended learning. For example, while children's efforts are praised as they build with a tower with blocks, there is limited extension and challenge offered to fully engage and motivate further learning. Consequently, children quickly lose interest in the activity, minimising their learning opportunities. In addition, when preparing for and during snack time some staff do not seize opportunities to fully promote children's independence. This

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who attend

is because they rush children and do not give them sufficient time to do things for themselves. However, a more skilled member of staff successfully extends children's learning as they wash, dry and dress dolls. She uses words, such as, 'Why?, What? and How?' and steps back and allows children time to solve problems for themselves.

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who attend

Despite inconsistent teaching, staff throughout the nursery appreciate the need for successful communication and where necessary have introduced signs and gestures to enhance their spoken word. They make appropriate use of children's home languages, valuing and respecting their varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Staff learn key words in children's home language and utilise their own multi-lingual skills effectively to support those learning English as an additional language. As a result, children settle well and children communicate with greater confidence. Mathematical skills are taught through adult-led activities and everyday routines, although this is intermittent. For example, children have opportunities to explore space, shape and measurements as they have access to containers of different sizes, in the sand and water tray. Conversely, staff miss opportunities to count or solve simple problems during daily routines. The recent re-

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who attend

organisation of the environment means children can access books easily and look at these independently or share with a member of staff. They have access to a sufficient range of resources, such as pens, paint and tools to make marks and practice the necessary skills needed to prepare them well for school.

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

A well-established key person system supports children well and staff work hard to build trusting relationships with parents. Despite their often erratic attendance children are happy and secure, which helps them settle well and separate from their parents. Staff are knowledgeable about children's individual backgrounds and they are well informed of children's likes, dislikes and care needs. A verbal exchange ensures information is shared at the beginning and end of each session. This supports an appropriate two-way exchange of information which further supports children's move from home to nursery. However, although managers are aware of the benefit of effective partnership working in order to support children, links with local schools and other settings where children are attend are not effective. As a consequence, children are not emotionally prepared for the move to school and do not receive continuity in their care and learning.

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

Both the inside and outside environment offers a sufficient range of resources to help children develop across the seven areas of learning. Resources are safely stored at children's height, meaning children are able to select their own play things and make choices of what they would like to play with. Behaviour within the nursery is mostly good. Children are encouraged to be kind and considerate towards each other. They are reminded to share and take turns with toys and equipment. Staff are calm in their approach to managing behaviour and have appropriate expectations. Children's confidence and self-esteem grows through the regular praise and encouragement they receive. Children engage in outdoor play through the day, enjoying fresh air and honing their emerging physical skills as they climb, pedal and throw with increasing agility, control and accuracy. In addition, indoors children also have access to a range of soft play equipment

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

which means they can be physically active indoors as well as outside.

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

Children move around the environment with ease and are regularly reminded to keep themselves safe. Children take part in regular fire drills and encouraged to use equipment, such as scissors safely. Staff use appropriate procedures and equipment when attending to children's intimate care needs. Older children know her learning why hand washing is important and are able to attend to such routines independently as they gain skills for the next steps in life. Accidents and minor injuries are managed effectively as staff hold relevant first-aid certificates and consequently, are confident to offer appropriate attention and treatment. Records are maintained and parents are informed of any such incidents.

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provision

Children's welfare is promoted to a sufficient level, staff have a satisfactory understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. All staff have attended safeguarding training and understand their role in protecting children from harm. Policies and procedures are clear which ensures staff are aware of what to do should they have a concern about a child. Since the last inspection, all staff have completed first-aid training. This training has given them the knowledge and confidence of the procedures they must follow when dealing with accidents and means that there is always a suitably trained member of staff present at all times. Established recruitment and induction procedures ensures all those working with children are suitable to do so. Risk assessments are in place and staff carry out daily checks to identify any hazards and minimise risks to children. The adult-to-child ratios are effectively managed and staff work together to

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provision

ensure that children are appropriately supervised at all times. The recent introduction of regular meetings between the manager and staff provides opportunities to share any concerns, good practice and ideas within the nursery. Centre managers and staff are committed to updating their skills, knowledge and qualification in order to support children and have attended a number of internal and external training events since the last inspection. This has begun to have a positive impact and has increased staff's knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements.

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provision

The centre managers are working hard to make changes and improve practice. They have addressed actions raised at the last inspection and have identified strengths and weaknesses within the nursery. In addition, with feedback from parents and local authority support officers they have identified priorities for continued improvement. For example, introducing focussed and regular supervision meetings, enabling staff to attend internal and external training and changing the environment. Staff are generally deployed effectively to ensure children are supported in their learning. The manager and more experienced members of staff work alongside others in order to model and monitor practice. In addition, supervision meetings and annual appraisals are beginning to enable managers to identify learning needs for individual members of staff. However, the current split management structure is not fully conducive in ensuring that all staff receive the

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provision

support and guidance that they need. As a consequence, the quality of teaching is still variable and so children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development overall.

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provision

Trusting partnerships with parents are well established. Staff provide information about the nursery's routine and activities. Communications are shared through the initial 'welcome pack', notice boards and coffee mornings where parents meet with their child's key person and review individual learning journals and discuss their child's development, next steps and progress. In addition, the nursery invites parents to consultation meetings. This provides staff with opportunities to share information about the seven areas of learning and development and how to support children's learning at home. However, wider partnerships with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage are not effective. As a result, children are not effectively prepared for the move to school and do not receive continuity in their care and learning if they attend more than one setting. Partnership working with external agencies and professionals, such as local authority

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provision

special educational needs support are in place helping to ensure children are appropriately supported when required.

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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 EY456314 Local authority Leicester City Inspection number 926329 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Shama Women's Centre Date of previous inspection 17/06/2013 Telephone number 0116 251 4747

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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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