Childcare@sandal

Childcare @ The Castle 255 Barnsley Road, WAKEFIELD, West Yorkshire, WF1 5NU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/09/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures and their responsibility to protect the welfare of children. This helps to ensure that children are kept safe from harm.  Staff accurately assess children's progress and their next steps in learning. They use the information to plan effectively for children's individual learning needs. As a result, children make good progress.  Staff have high expectations of children and they provide realistic challenges to help extend children's learning. This results in children becoming motivated and interested learners.  Management effectively monitor staff performance and identify training needs. As a result, staff continue to improve their practice and the quality of teaching is good.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff have not always fully considered the support new children receive when their key person is unexpectedly absent during the settling-in process. Consequently, on rare occasions, new children are upset when they do not see the person that is most familiar to them.  Staff do not make the most of children's home language within the setting to help children make connections in their learning.

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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 play rooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and the planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with the children, the setting's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.  The inspector held discussions with children.

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Information about the setting

Childcare @ The Castle re-registered in 2014 and is managed by a charitable organisation. It operates from two rooms within Castle Children's Centre and children have access to an outdoor play area. The setting serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. It opens five days a week from 8am until 6pm all year round, except for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 74 children in the early years age range. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, 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. There are currently 10 staff working directly with the children, of these eight hold appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and above. The setting receives support from the local authority and 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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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 focus more precisely on the support for new children in the absence of their key person, for example, by providing a second person who they are familiar with and who knows them well

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

 introduce the use of children's home language within the setting to encourage children to make links during spontaneous play to support their emerging early literacy skills by, for example, displaying more written captions or adding labels to food packets.

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who attend

Staff know children well and make accurate assessments of their progress. They use the information shared by parents and other early years professionals to help them to identify children's individual learning needs. As a result, staff plan a good range of activities that children find interesting and challenging. This helps children to become active and motivated learners who are acquiring the necessary skills to be ready for school. Consequently, they make good progress across all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is good overall. Staff interact well with children during both adult-led and child- initiated activities. Staff are knowledgeable about what children can do and are careful to adapt activities accordingly. As a result, all children feel a sense of achievement. Overall, staff time their interventions well and make good use of language and questions to aid children's learning. For example, older children are encouraged to discuss the layout of a

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who attend

book. They look for the names of the author and illustrator and talk about the title page. Younger children are invited to turn the pages and talk about the characters they are reading about.

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who attend

Staff support children with English as an additional language well. They use simple sign language, visual prompts and gradually introduce new single words into the conversation. This helps children to develop their use of English. However, there are no opportunities for children to explore written captions or print in their home language alongside English to further deepen their understanding. Staff successfully promote children's personal, social and emotional development and their skills in communication and language. For example, staff constantly encourage children to talk about themselves, members of their family and friends who are important to them. Children new to the setting are given a warm welcome and are encouraged to bring in favourite photographs to display. This promotes children's good self-esteem and gives them a good sense of belonging.

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who attend

Staff successfully support children's early mark-making and counting skills. For example, they encourage children to write their names on their work and talk about how old they are. Children use number lines to find the related number and staff increase the challenge by encouraging them to count a little further. Staff provide many opportunities to explore and use the outdoor environment. Children learn to measure risks as they consider how they will negotiate the obstacle course they have constructed. Staff remain close to children as they stride and jump from crate to crate always waiting with a helping hand. Children use magnifying glasses to hunt for bugs and learn how to plant and tend flowers. This effectively promotes children's physical skills and helps to extend their interest in the wider world.

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

Children's health and well-being are promoted well. Staff actively promote the benefits of fresh air, exercise and healthy eating. For example, meals are freshly prepared and checked for their nutritional value and to ensure children's individual dietary needs are met effectively. Staff join children at mealtimes, they model and discuss healthy eating. As a result, children learn how to eat healthily. Children learn about good hygiene practice through their daily routines. For example, they routinely wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Staff encourage children to wipe their nose and dispose of the tissue appropriately. This helps children learn to take responsibility of their own health and self-care.

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

Staff plan and provide an interesting environment for children. The resources are age and developmentally appropriate. They are suitably presented and children are able to select them for themselves. As a result, they develop the confidence to make decisions about what they want to do. Children regularly practise an emergency evacuation and learn how to use tools safely. This helps children behave in ways that are safe for themselves and others. There are high expectations for good behaviour and children are provided with lots of opportunities to work together. As a result, children are well behaved and learn to work together. This helps children to become emotionally ready for their next stage in learning, such as school.

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

The key person works closely with parents and other early years providers to ensure they gather good information about children's individual care needs, home routines and abilities on entry to the setting. Parents know who their child's key person is and talk positively about their support during the settling-in process. However, staff have not always fully considered how to continue to support children who are settling in when their key person is away during the process. Consequently, on rare occasions some children are upset when they do not see the person that is most familiar to them.

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provision

Staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities and the procedures for protecting children. They are familiar with the current guidance from the local authority and the settings own safeguarding policy. All staff complete safeguarding training and this helps to ensure they fully understand the potential signs of abuse and neglect. As a result, staff know how to monitor and report any child protection concerns. This helps to protect children from harm. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures help to ensure that staff working with children are suitable to do so. All required documentation is in place, premises are secure and staff carry out robust risk assessments. This helps staff to identify and reduce any possible risks to children. As a result, children are kept safe.

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provision

There is a good commitment to continued improvement. Staff meetings are well attended and focused on improving the quality of care and education for children. There are robust systems in place to monitor staff practice and its impact on children's learning and well- being. Annual appraisals and supervision meetings are completed on a regular basis. As a result, staff say they feel well supported. Staff regularly seek the thoughts of children and parents on the provision they provide. As a result, they identify areas for improvement and take appropriate action. For example, staff are allocated separate time to complete children's observations and assessments.

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provision

Staff have good partnerships with parents. They inform them about their children's learning and development and offer them ideas about how they can continue with their children's learning at home. Staff work closely with external agencies and other providers in order to support children and their families. Staff work closely with parents, external agencies and other providers in order to support children and their families. Staff complete the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years and they involve parents in the process. This helps to ensure that any gaps in learning are identified quickly. As a result, children and their families receive the support they need. Staff successfully engage with other provisions children attend. As a result, information about children's care and learning is appropriately shared and they make good progress.

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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. 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

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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.

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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 EY477043 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 967163 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 49 Number of children on roll 74 Name of provider St George's Lupset Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01924 303378

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

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

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