Kingfisher Preschool

Kingfisher Pre-School (Kingsand) Watergate, Jackman's Meadow, Kingsand, TORPOINT, Cornwall, PL10 1NY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/09/2014 23/11/2011

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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

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This provision is good

 Staff provide an engaging learning environment, which helps children make good progress in their learning and development.  Children enjoy free access to the inviting and stimulating outdoor area, where they use their imaginations well in a range of play situations and grow fruit and vegetables, which they eat for snack.  Staff effectively promote children's learning through play, taking into account their individual interests and preferences for learning.  Children are happy, settled, and confident because of the strong relationships with staff.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are few examples of print and number in the outdoors to further enhance literacy and mathematics, especially for those children who particularly like to learn outside.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with staff, parents and committee members.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documents including staff and children's records, accident records, risk assessments and a sample of policies.  The inspector observed children's activities indoors and outside.

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Information about the setting

Kingfisher Pre-school (Kingsand) is registered on the Early Years Register. They operate from the Mount Edgecumbe Youth Centre in Kingsand, Cornwall. It originally opened in 1993 and re-registered following a move to their new premises in June 2011. The setting serves the local community and is run by a parent committee. Children have access to the main hall and an enclosed outdoor play area. The setting operates Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 1pm during term time only. There are currently 23 children aged two to three years on roll. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for three and four-year-old children. There are seven members of staff; all are qualified at level 2 or above in childcare. The manager is a qualified teacher.

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

 use print and numbers outdoors to further enhance children's literacy and mathematics.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Parents contribute to initial assessments of their children's starting points on entry. Staff keep them informed about their children's ongoing achievements and development through regular verbal and written feedback. As a result, parents play an active role and are able to support their children's learning at home. Staff regularly observe where children are in their learning to identify their next steps in learning. These identified next steps inform the planning of future activities. As a result, staff know the children well and plan activities to meet their individual needs. Consequently, children are progressing well towards the early learning goals.

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who attend

The high ratio and good deployment of staff provides children with choices to play indoors or outside for a fair amount of the pre-school session. This not only provides children with ample opportunity to benefit from being in the fresh air, but also provides learning opportunities for those children who prefer to be out in the open. Staff have a good understanding about when children need time to explore independently, or with others. They skilfully intervene to promote children's learning. For example, staff talked to the children about how water travels through the different receptacles. This helps children to develop their language and thinking processes. As a result, children looked for additional resources to pour water through, and compared fast and slow. All of which encourage children to become active and interested learners. The well laid out environment both indoors and outside enables children to independently

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who attend

access resources, and concentrate for extended periods of time on their chosen play. For example, children enjoyed constructing models. Other children played in 'office' role-play, holding conversations on the telephone, taking down messages. Children's communication and language skills are fostered well because staff engage in meaningful conversations with them. They listened carefully to what children said and asked open-ended questions to help develop their thinking and understanding. They chatted happily together about familiar experiences, such as picking blackberries and making a crumble, and sharing vegetables they grew at pre-school and home. This positively supports children's confidence and self-esteem.

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who attend

Indoors, there are many good opportunities for children to see print in books, signs and labels. Children independently read and look at books and enjoy listening and sharing stories in small and larger groups. All this helps to develop children's early reading skills. However, outdoors, there are few opportunities for children to see and use print in their play, which impacts particularly on those children that prefer to learn outdoors. Staff effectively use mathematical language at every opportunity. For example, by asking questions such as 'why don't you think this will fit me'? Children playing outdoors advised others the cost of an ice pop is a 'million' and their 'juice pie' will take six minutes to cook. Staff encouraged children to represent six by getting them to show the correct number of fingers. However, there are no visual number aids available for children to see and use as a reference in the outdoor area to extend their mathematical learning.

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who attend

Children develop their physical skills well through exploring and negotiating the outdoor area. This includes balancing on logs, managing to ride bikes, gardening and playing in the mud kitchen. Children develop their expressive skills through activities that encourage them to use their imagination and creative skills in their play, such as exploring different mark-making tools on different textures and making dens in the 'woods'. Staff support children's understanding of the world by growing fruit and vegetables in the pre-school garden. Future plans include the addition of caring for chickens to be part of the pre- school environment to extend children's outdoor experiences.

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

Children at this friendly welcoming pre-school are very confident. Most children enter the pre-school room eagerly, talking happily to staff awaiting their arrival. Those children who are initially unsettled when they arrive, very quickly settle because staff are attentive and respond to their individual needs. This successfully supports children's personal and emotional well-being, giving them a sense of belonging.

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

Children have good opportunities to be outdoors and benefit from the fresh air and being active. The pre-school offers a nature club for the older children. As well as learning about the environment, it encourages children to develop some of the skills needed as they move on to school. Children develop a good understanding of a healthy lifestyle. Staff offer a variety of healthy snacks. They discuss children's individual dietary needs with parents and take them into account when preparing food at snack times. Children plant and grow their own fruit and vegetables. This not only helps them to understand where food comes from, but also supports them in eating and enjoying vegetables at meal times. Children demonstrate a good understanding of managing their own hygiene and personal needs. For example, they know to wash their hands before meals. Staff provide different tablecloths at mealtimes to help children differentiate between times to eat and play at the

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

tables. Children's independence is encouraged as they collect and remove their own plates and cups at meal times. The cafeteria-style snack time further supports them in making their own decisions about when they want to stop playing to have something to eat. All this demonstrates how staff effective support children's health and well-being.

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

Children's behaviour, given their age and stage of development, is good. This is because staff are consistent in their approach and offer plenty of praise and encouragement. Children receive gentle reminders to play nicely with the toys, to share and take turns. Children begin to learn the importance of keeping themselves and others safe in pre- school, for example, by remembering to put their wellington boots away in the basket properly. Children also develop an understanding of maintaining their own safety during the nature club, where for example, they learn to manage risk and be safe when climbing trees.

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provision

A supportive parent committee, who has a good understanding of their role and responsibilities, runs the pre-school. There are systems in place to provide refresher training for all staff to ensure they are familiar with the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, staff demonstrate a good understanding of their role and responsibility to protect the children in their care. They know the procedure to follow should they have any child protection concerns. The pre-school has effective vetting and recruitment systems to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. For example, newly appointed staff are suitably qualified and are not left alone with the children until all the suitability checks are complete. The welfare of the children is promoted by staff who undertake visual daily checks and written risk assessments to provide a safe environment. Improvements made since the last inspection means children eat using plates rather than directly from the table. Staff

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provision

have simplified their recording of children's learning and development. This helps them to use their observations to plan purposeful and individual learning experiences for children, which cover all areas of development.

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provision

The pre-school has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Systems are in place to monitor children's progress, and where children may need additional support, staff plan activities to meet each child's needs. This helps to monitor and close any gaps in children's learning. Regular staff meetings and staff supervision discuss best practice and children's progress. Good arrangements are in place regarding the programme for staff professional development, leading to a knowledgeable staff team. Staff, committee and parents are encouraged to participate in the pre-school's self- evaluation. As a result, management identify and act on areas for development, improving outcomes for children. Partnerships with parents are very successful. Parents play an active part in the pre-school, for example, their help with working parties, and preparing the outdoor environment. The most recent project is the installation of a secure chicken

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provision

house. Parents speak extremely positively about the pre-school, the supportive staff and the progress their children make. They state staff spend time at the end of the day discussing their children's needs and achievements, as well as sharing children's development on a more formal basis. As a result, parents are clear about their children's progress. Parents report how 'wonderful the staff are' and how their children 'love coming'. Overall, children are happy, settled and enjoy the time they spend within the welcoming environment.

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provision

The pre-school has developed good links with other early years settings in the area, and have systems in place to share information to promote consistency in a child's learning and development where they attend both settings. The pre-school also has links with the local school, which children are able to visit. This helps children to settle and adjust during their transition to school.

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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 EY429586 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 845432 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 23 Name of provider Kingfisher Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 23/11/2011 Telephone number 07980367285

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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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