Westwood Smarties

Westwood Smarties Grasmere Childcare Centre, Grasmere Crescent, Winton, Eccles, Lancashire, M30 8DN

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/09/2014 18/11/2009

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

p.1

This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is good and as a result, children are eager and motivated to learn. Staff are skilled in providing for their individual needs, ensuring that every child makes good progress considering their starting points.  Children are very settled and content because all staff provide a caring and nurturing environment that effectively promotes their emotional well-being.  All staff have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children and have good knowledge of child-protection procedures. They implement robust procedures, which ensures children are safe within the pre-school.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals are successful and ensure children get the support they need.  The managers continually strive for improvements. They have a good understanding of their roles, how to improve practice and monitor the effectiveness of teaching, which

p.1

This provision is good

contributes to the ongoing development of the nursery.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities to support young children's growing awareness that print carries meaning and that information can be relayed in print form, are not fully promoted in the outdoor environment.  Opportunities for older children to develop their independence to the utmost are not fully implemented at mealtimes.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play and staff interactions both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector undertook a joint observation of a teaching activity with the manager.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment of records, planning documentation, evidence of the qualifications and suitability of practitioners working within the setting, the provider's self-evaluation and a range of other documentation.

p.2

Inspection activities

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

p.2

Information about the setting

Westwood Smarties was registered in 2008 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in single-storey premises in the Winton area of Eccles and is managed by a committee. The pre-school serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school employs 10 members of childcare staff, of whom six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and both managers hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9.20am until 2.45pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 35 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded 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

p.3

Information about the setting

with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

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

 enhance the outdoor area to support children's growing awareness that print carries meaning and information can be relayed in print form, for example by using signs

p.3

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

 develop further opportunities for older children to increase their independence and to take a more active role in the pre-school, such as pouring their own drinks and serving their own food at mealtimes.

p.3

who attend

All staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to promote the learning and development of young children. Staff deliver strong and consistent teaching that is tailored for each individual child and covers the seven areas of learning. Planning arises from accurate observations of children's achievements and interests as they learn through play. Children learn through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities with stimulating resources that are accessible and open-ended. Consequently, children are active and inquisitive learners, who purposefully explore the indoor and outdoor environment. However, there is no print in the outdoor environment to support children's awareness that print carries meaning and to encourage their interest and understanding in literacy further. Staff support children well to ensure that their learning and development is in line with expected developmental ranges for their ages. As

p.3

who attend

a result, children are acquiring the skills and attitudes required for their next stage in learning, including their move to school. All staff have high expectations of children and regularly assess their development. Consequently, staff provide a wide range of interesting and challenging experiences that are linked to individual children's next steps.

p.3

who attend

Staff support children in their learning by encouraging them to initiate their chosen activities by exploring and playing independently. They skilfully question children to extend their critical thinking and to challenge learning. Children display the characteristics of effective learning, for example, while they search in the depths of foam for objects, they describe what they are feeling and guess what they think it could be. Children's communication and language development is given high priority. Staff have completed specialist training to help support children's communication and social interaction. Consequently, speech and language difficulties are quickly identified to ensure children get the support they need. Children, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress due to staff's accurate assessments of their individual needs. Clear targets are effectively put into place and the pre-school work closely with speech and

p.4

who attend

language therapists to seek further support and advice when necessary. Staff effectively further support children who speak English as an additional language, through using and displaying keywords in their home language and by talking slowly and clearly.

p.4

who attend

Staff build secure partnerships with parents and value their contributions. Parents are encouraged to share information about their child through daily conversations. As a result, staff know children very well and talk to them about their home life, which helps them to feel valued. Staff gather information on new children from parents through an 'All about me' document and in-depth discussions during settling-in visits. This provides the key person with an overview of children's starting points and supports staff to know them well, enabling a smooth start to the pre-school.

p.4

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

Children's emotional well-being is effectively promoted throughout the pre-school. A well- established key-person system ensures all children benefit from secure attachments. The caring and supportive environment helps children to feel safe and secure, which provides a strong foundation for their well-being and independence. There is a gradual admissions process in place, which allows children and parents to build warm relationships with staff. As a result, children are very happy and settled. Children are emotionally well prepared for the next stage in their learning because staff provide good support to prepare them for their move to school. Staff share information about children's individual needs and level of development through a 'Here I come' document. This ensures children's moves to school are as smooth as possible.

p.4

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

Staff provide stimulating, well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments that children can move freely between. The outdoor learning environment provides valuable opportunities for all children to be physically active and practise and refine their physical skills. Consequently, children steer and manoeuvre bicycles and scooters with increasing skill and coordination. Children are showing good awareness of their own safety and learn how to assess and manage risks independently. They are encouraged to tidy up when they have finished with resources to keep the environment safe and minimise hazards. This helps children to develop a sense of growing responsibility, which helps them with their future learning. Staff are positive role models and use age and stage appropriate explanations to provide children with a clear knowledge of acceptable behaviour. Staff encourage children to share and use praise and encouragement to value the achievements

p.4

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

that are made. As a result, children's confidence and self-esteem are supported. Staff model courteous language, such as 'please' and 'thank you', so children learn from example.

p.5

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

Children are generally developing good independent self-care skills. They learn about good hygiene routines and are encouraged to independently use the toilet and wash their hands, knowing to ask for help if needed. All children know they must wash their hands after using the toilet, after caring and playing with the rabbits and before eating. Fresh drinking water is readily available to children to access all day, which they are encouraged to do as they learn to recognise and manage their own needs for a drink. Staff use lunchtime positively to help children to understand about nutrition and how to make healthy choices by encouraging them to try a variety of foods. However, some opportunities to promote self-help skills and independence are missed because children are not encouraged or supported with learning how to serve their lunch and pour drinks.

p.5

provision

All staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities regarding the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff have completed safeguarding training and demonstrate a high level of understanding about their role to protect children in their care. Staff are aware of the indicators that would alert them to a child at risk. They have a strong knowledge of the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child or the conduct of a member of staff or any of the managers. Staff have paediatric first-aid training and they are confident in dealing with issues that may arise. Appropriate accident and medical records are in place and the information is shared with parents. Safety is promoted through robust arrangements for assessing any risks to children. Checks are carried out on a daily basis to identify any new risks to ensure that the safety measures, which are in place, remain safe. Robust, safer recruitment and

p.5

provision

selection procedures are followed to help check that new staff, volunteers and students are suitable for their roles. Staff induction processes are in place and further supported through appraisals and supervisions to improve their practice.

p.5

provision

Staff are experienced, qualified and highly skilled in their interactions with the children. The impact of their high-quality teaching results in children making good progress to the early learning goals. They continuously strive to improve practice by reflecting on where improvements can be made and by raising precise targets in their development plan to achieve this. Since the last inspection, the mangers have successfully met the actions that were raised, which has improved the outcomes for children. They have achieved this by implementing robust systems for observation, assessment and planning. This ensures that all staff are fully confident when identifying each child's next steps in their learning and development. Every half term, the managers monitor the progress children make in all areas of learning and analyses the data to identify areas of learning where they are not reaching their expected level. This clearly identifies any gaps in learning and enables staff

p.5

provision

to take appropriate steps to provide all children with the opportunity to reach their full potential. The manager monitors the quality of teaching through direct observations, reviewing the outcome and setting performance targets for staff members.

p.6

provision

Partnerships between staff and parents are very positive. Parents spoken to comment on the friendliness of all staff and how they exchange information at the start and end of sessions. This guarantees that children are supported by a consistent approach to care, which supports their well-being. Staff encourage parents to express their opinions of the nursery, in order to ensure their views contribute to the pre-school's overall self-evaluation and ongoing developments. Partnership working with external agencies and professions, such as speech and language therapists, are effective, ensuring children are well supported when required. Links are in place with local schools to support children with their move to school and staff know to work in partnership with other settings children attend to ensure continuity in their learning.

p.6

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

p.6

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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY387511 Local authority Salford Inspection number 878997

p.8

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Westwood Smarties Committee Date of previous inspection 18/11/2009 Telephone number 0161 7891975

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10