Scallywags Child Care Centre

Scallywags Childcare Centre Wey Valley Campus, Dorchester Road, WEYMOUTH, Dorset, DT3 5AJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/07/2014 22/06/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff provide a welcoming environment where children learn through play and exploration.  Staff supply a good range of play equipment and resources that children can select independently.  Effective partnerships with parents and other professionals enable staff to support all children appropriately to meet their individual needs.  Staff in the pre-school room help to prepare children well for starting school.

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It is not yet good because

 The provider did not follow correct procedures with regard to notifying relevant agencies in the event of concerns about a child's welfare.  Some small group activities and staff interaction with children do not provide appropriate challenge, to help children make as much progress as they can.  Staff miss opportunities to include numbers, counting and shape in everyday activities.

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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 children's activities inside and outside.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector talked with the provider, staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, which included children's progress records, the safeguarding policy and accident records.  The inspector took into account parents' views obtained in person.

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Information about the setting

Scallywags Childcare Centre registered at these premises in 2009, and was previously registered for 20 years at different locations. It operates from purpose built single storey premises situated in the grounds of the Wey Valley School Sports College Campus, Weymouth, Dorset. The centre has links with a primary school and special school on the same campus. Children have use of four playrooms, a sleep room, integral toilet and changing facilities for each play room, and three outside play areas. The centre is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm all year round.

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Information about the setting

Scallywags Childcare Centre is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 233 children on roll. Of these, 188 are in the early years age group. Scallywags is registered to receive government funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. They support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who learn English as an additional language. Scallywags also cares for children over the age of eight years during school holidays. The director employs an overall manager, who has a Foundation Degree in Early Years, and 34 staff, almost all of whom hold early years qualifications to Level 3 or above. There is also a chef and kitchen assistant employed.

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must:

 ensure that agencies with statutory responsibilities are notified without delay in the event of concerns about a child's safety and welfare

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must:

 develop consistency in staff interaction and the quality of key group activities to provide appropriate challenge to promote good progress for all children in every area of learning

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

 increase opportunities for children to extend their understanding about number and shape through everyday activities.

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who attend

Staff provide a welcoming environment, where children learn through play and exploration. Overall, staff have a suitable understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They provide a good range of play equipment and resources, which they arrange to enable children to select independently. Babies can reach a selection of toys on the floor. Older children learn to find what they would like to play with from storage units that staff have labelled with words and pictures. This also promotes children's reading skills. Staff organise the play areas so that children can choose to be inside or outside according to their preferences. This means that children who learn best outside have the opportunity to do so. Overall, staff implement a clear assessment system. Each child's key person completes a record that includes observations of play and achievements, with annotated photographs. They use the information to plot

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who attend

children's stage of development and plan the next steps for their progress. Staff are in the process of transferring to an online system, which enables parents to access their children's records at a time convenient to them. Staff encourage parents to contribute to the records with photographs and comments. Staff have a good understanding of their responsibility to complete progress checks for children aged two years. Staff plan a broad range of activities linked to topics and children's interests and development needs. Some staff interact effectively with the children during their activities; their enthusiasm motivates children to join in and enjoy learning. They ask open-ended questions that encourage children to think, solve problems and understand the world around them. However, this quality of teaching is not consistent throughout the team. Some staff do not set children challenges and model language. Therefore, some children do not make as

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who attend

much progress as they could in all areas of learning. The planning of key group activities varies in quality and success in promoting what staff want the children to learn. Older children are keen to take part, and staff value their ideas as they promote teamwork and challenge. For example, children work well together in pairs to complete jigsaw puzzles, sometimes racing against time. Others concentrate well on designing and building constructions with shaped wooden bricks. Staff welcome ideas from the children as they suggest ways of passing a ball to one another. The member of staff seizes the opportunity to encourage them to think about safety. However, the organisation of key group activities for younger pre-school children sometimes means that children who want to join in are not able to do so at that time, which could dampen their enthusiasm.

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who attend

Staff promote children's language and communication skills by talking with them as they support their activities. Staff sometimes describe what is happening and name objects, people and actions, but do not always extend children's understanding by using descriptive words. Staff have introduced a Chatterbox programme, where children take a glittery box home and fill it with toys, then bring them in to talk about to the group. This is a way of encouraging less confident children to speak. Staff provide a good range of books and make story sacks available for children to borrow to take home and share with their families. This encourages children's interest in books and stories. Staff provide various opportunities for children to experiment and develop an understanding of the world. Children start to learn about capacity as they fill and empty various containers with water or sand. These activities raise children's awareness of basic mathematical concepts.

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who attend

However, staff sometimes do not extend children's counting skills and understanding of shape during everyday activities, such as snack time. Staff enable children to investigate and explore the natural world. For example, children enjoy looking for insects and creatures when they go for a walk. Staff spark children's curiosity by encouraging them to think about where creatures live and what they eat. Staff extend the theme by encouraging children to notice and replicate patterns, for example markings on snail shells. Staff take younger children for walks in the local area, where they raise babies' awareness of animals and vehicles. This helps young children develop an understanding of the world around them.

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

Staff are friendly and caring, providing a welcoming atmosphere, which results in children being happy and settled. Staff seek information from parents about children's activities at home when children start attending. This enables them to respect babies' home routines for eating and sleeping. Therefore, children settle and feel secure. Staff display photographs of children and their artwork in the nursery. Children like to look through their progress records, looking at pictures of themselves enjoying previous activities. This all helps children develop a strong sense of belonging. Staff in the pre-school room help to prepare children well for starting school. They provide pictures of the various schools and read stories about potential new experiences. Staff welcome teachers in to meet the children and sometimes accompany children on visits to their new school. All this helps children to know what to expect in a new situation and develop confidence.

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

Children learn what staff expect of them through familiar routines and explanations. Staff use visual aids, such as liquid timers, to help children understand about taking turns. Staff encourage children to help pack away toys, which encourages them to care for equipment. Staff regularly praise children for their efforts and achievements, which helps boost their self-esteem and confidence. Staff encourage children to be aware of their own safety. For example, they remind them how to use equipment safely. Staff involve children in identifying hazards in the environment using pictures on laminated tick sheets to help them.

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

Staff encourage children to practise good routines for personal hygiene and develop increasing independence as they use toilet and hand washing facilities. Children make choices from healthy options at meal times, such as fresh fruit and crumpets for snack. Staff provide a nutritious cooked lunch, prepared daily on the premises. Children develop social and practical skills, such as waiting for their friends before they start eating and using cutlery appropriately. Staff provide daily opportunities for children to have fresh air and exercise. Using large apparatus and equipment provides challenge to promote children's physical skills.

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provision

Leadership and management requires improvement. The inspection was prompted due to a concern about safeguarding practice. The inspection found that, overall, staff implement policies and procedures to promote children's safety and welfare. They understand how to recognise signs and symptoms that would cause concern and know who to report their concerns to. However, the procedures laid out in the provider's safeguarding policy were unclear. This has resulted in staff following procedures in the wrong order, which could have affected children's safety and welfare. The provider has been proactive in seeking advice from appropriate agencies and has adjusted the policy and clarified procedures. They have provided training for staff to ensure that they are aware of the correct procedures to follow in order to help protect children from harm. Staff keep clear records of any incidents and accidents, which they request parents to sign to acknowledge. There

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provision

are clear staff recruitment and induction procedures that check for staff suitability and help them learn about their roles and responsibilities. Staff complete risk assessments and daily checks in order to provide a safe environment for children to play.

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provision

Staff promote positive partnerships with parents. They provide useful information about the setting by way of written policies, displays, newsletters and a website. Key persons make themselves available to exchange information on a daily basis through conversation. This helps staff to meet children's individual needs. Staff offer ideas for helping parents support their child's development at home. For example, they provide Grab Bags, which contain information about aspects of children's development such as toilet training, sleeping patterns or giving up comforters. Parents say that their children are happy and settled. They praise staff for the effective communication and feel involved in sharing information towards their children's progress records. Parents say that their children are making good progress, and that staff provide a good grounding for starting school. Staff liaise effectively with other professionals and outside agencies to help to provide extra

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provision

support when children have specific needs. This results in important information being shared, particularly when children move on to their next stage of learning.

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provision

The provider has successfully addressed the recommendation set at the last inspection, which means they have improved communication with parents about their children's development. There are some methods for self-evaluation, which include ideas from staff, children and parents. They have identified some areas for development, such as developing the online assessment system to include an overview of each child's progress. In the meantime, they plan to use a paper method to enable them to track children's progress and identify any gaps in their learning. The provider and manager carry out regular staff appraisals and supervision meetings. The manager also makes observations of staff practice. This enables her to identify some areas for development, but is not always successful in promoting consistency across the staff team to maintain high quality provision.

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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 EY384987 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 980828 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 78 Number of children on roll 233 Name of provider Scallywags Childcare Centre Limited Date of previous inspection 22/06/2011 Telephone number 01305813038

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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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