Minibuddies Nursery and Out of School Care

Mini Buddies at Manor Beach Primary School Manor Beach Cp School, Manor Drive, THORNTON-CLEVELEYS, Lancashire, FY5 1EU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/10/2014 06/11/2013

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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

 The quality of teaching is good and the small and friendly staff team know the children well. This is combined with a wide range of stimulating activities to support children to make good progress in their learning and development.  The setting works very closely with parents to engage them in their child's care and learning, both in the setting and at home. As a result, parents and staff work together well to plan for and meet children's individual and specific needs.  The manager places a strong emphasis on supporting her staff team. Ongoing support, coaching and training are provided, which enables all staff to further develop their already very good practice and supports children's achievements over time.  Children are effectively safeguarded. Robust systems are in place to ensure all staff working directly with children hold appropriate qualifications, are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their role and have had appropriate checks carried out.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, staff do not give children sufficient time to think about their responses, in order to develop their critical thinking skills.  Resources are not always best used to enhance children's rich imaginary and pretend play.

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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 had a tour of the setting.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities taking place in the playrooms and the outdoor play area.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager of the setting and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Mini Buddies at Manor Beach Primary School was registered in September 2009 on the Early Years Register. It was originally registered at other premises for 11 years. It is based within two classrooms in Manor Beach Primary School, situated in Thornton-Cleveleys in the Wyre District of Lancashire. There is an adjacent outdoor area to the rear of the setting. The setting serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It employs six members of childcare staff all of whom have appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The manager holds Early Years Professional status. The setting opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 28 children on roll, who are in the early years age group. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special education needs and/or disabilities and children

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Information about the setting

who speak English is an additional language. The setting is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and advice, support and training are gained from the local authority.

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

 provide further opportunities for children to develop their critical thinking skills by, for example, giving them time to think about their responses to open-ended questions posed by staff

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

 extend further children's opportunities to engage in real-life experiences during their role play, for example, by providing them with a wider range of stimulating resources in the home corner area.

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who attend

Children are supported by a small and welcoming staff team, who have a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means that they build a sturdy foundation from which children learn. The setting implements an effective key-person system, and as a result, the staff know the children extremely well. They work very closely with parents from the start, for example, going on home visits so that they can obtain detailed information about children's interests and what they can do. This information is used effectively alongside initial observations by the key person to assess children's starting points in learning. Staff regularly complete comprehensive, well-written observations on the children, which are documented in their learning-journey records. In addition, staff carry out termly assessments of children's progress, including the progress check for children aged

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who attend

between two and three years. This allows staff to accurately track children's progress and identify any gaps in their learning. Staff clearly know children well; they talk confidently about their interests and their next steps in learning and plan a good range of challenging and enjoyable experiences for them. As a result, children show good levels of independence and confidence in the setting. This supports them to make good progress in their learning and to demonstrate the key skills they need to move on to the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is consistently good. All staff in the setting are well qualified and experienced at providing appropriate learning experiences. Staff give high priority to developing children's communication and language skills to ensure that all children, including those with a speech delay, make good levels of progress in this area. They introduce descriptive words, such as, big, small, high and low into children's play and reinforce words through modelling and repetition. For example, as children select shapes to cut the play dough, the staff comment, 'you've chosen the blue circle', and praise the children as they repeat the name of the shape. Staff promote children's understanding of number and size well during every day routines and focused activities. For example, during a small key group activity children count and sort plastic fruit by size and colour. Children have good opportunities to problem solve through access to a wide range of

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who attend

open-ended resources. For example, they play in the water, trying to fill different size containers with scoops and cups, and they make models of buildings using coloured bricks. However, staff sometimes give children insufficient time to think about and respond to their questions, which means that they do not always make the most of opportunities to develop children's critical thinking skills. Staff help parents to support their child's learning at home, as they provide useful tips on how to extend children's language and they have a well-stocked library section and encourage parents to borrow books. This encourages parents to read with their children, therefore, supporting their child's early reading skills at home. Children enjoy a wide range of experiences, such as role play and den making that encourage their imaginations and creativity. However, on some occasions, the role-play area is not always used to fully extend children's imaginative play.

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who attend

For example, there are no real grocery items in the role-play area, such as, things that children might find in their kitchens at home. As a result, some opportunities to extend children's imagination are not always fully explored.

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who attend

Parents' knowledge of their children is actively sought and acted upon by all staff. For example, parents regularly share examples of children's learning at home on wow observation sheets and also on the recently introduced electronic profile system, which contributes to their development files. This information is well used by staff to shape further activities and enhance children's learning even further. Parents spoken to on the day of inspection describe how they value opportunities to share information and talk to their child's key person about how they are progressing and how best to support their learning needs and move their child forward. This enables both staff and parents to work together to plan appropriate learning opportunities for their child, supporting their achievements over time. Therefore, all children, including those who speak English as an additional language or have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good

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who attend

progress. Consequently, all children are well prepared for their next steps in learning, including full-time school.

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

Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting children's emotional and physical well-being. The key-person system works extremely well and staff work very closely with parents to ensure that children have their individual needs met well. For example, home visits ensure that staff understand children's preferences and they are aware of any dietary or medical needs. This is combined with a programme of settling-in visits, based on individual children's needs, to help them to make a smooth move from home into the setting. This helps to promote their emotional well-being. Children's behaviour is very positive due to the clear guidelines and boundaries provided by staff. Staff talk calmly to them and give lots of praise for children's efforts. This develops children's self-esteem. In particular, they love to receive a printed stamp on their hand when they have done something well.

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

A stimulating environment is provided, both indoors and outdoors. This promotes children's independent learning very well. For example, children select and return accessible resources, which are imaginatively displayed and promote learning well. Children access the outdoor environment regularly throughout the day. They engage in challenging experiences when they balance carefully on crates, travel in ride-on vehicles and build and decorate dens. This enhances their physical well-being and ensures they gain full benefit from being outdoors daily in the fresh air. Healthy lifestyles are further promoted when staff talk about the benefits of eating fresh, healthy food at mealtimes and children enjoy planting their own vegetables. Children develop a range of skills, which help to promote their understanding of personal hygiene and self-care. For example, children are aware of why they should wash their hands after using the toilet.

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

All staff demonstrate a strong understanding of safeguarding children in the setting. For example, they recognise the importance of recording and sharing information about any unusual marks children may have. Staff involve children in safety procedures throughout the day. For instance, they talk gently to them and remind them to take care when riding their bikes, to ensure children develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Children demonstrate safe practices as they play. For example, they stop their vehicle to avoid colliding with other children and adults. Strong links with the school ensure that children are well prepared for their next stage of learning as they become familiar with school life. The reception teacher makes regular visits to the setting to get to know the children before they move into school. Children benefit from the good processes to ensure a smooth move on to school. This means children are very well prepared for their next

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provision

Children are safeguarded well in the setting because the manager and staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and know what to do if they have concerns about a child. An effective range of written policies and procedures are implemented successfully to ensure the children are well protected. Children's safety is further promoted as written risk assessments are completed and checks are carried out to ensure the indoor and outdoor environments are secure. Staff are deployed well within the setting, which ensures children are supervised effectively to maintain their well-being. There are good systems in place for recruitment, induction and vetting procedures to ensure children are cared for by suitably trained, experienced and qualified staff. For example, staff complete relevant training in safeguarding, first aid and food hygiene.

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provision

The manager monitors the effectiveness and the quality of teaching through staff appraisal, supervision and observation of practice. This means that practice is evaluated and advice is given to staff about adapting activities, so that, the best possible learning outcomes are sought for children. Staff access regular training and development opportunities, and regularly meet as a team to further develop the provision. The qualifications of staff and continual professional development have a positive impact on outcomes for children's learning and development. The highly-motivated manager and her team have effective procedures to monitor the overall educational programme for each child. This involves tracking children from their starting points to when they leave, monitoring their progress over time and ensuring any delayed development or gaps in progress can be quickly and effectively addressed. Consequently, all children benefit from

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provision

a good range of activities and experiences that help them make good progress in their learning and development.

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provision

Self-evaluation is used effectively and has resulted in reviewing how the children's achievements are recorded and in introducing peer observations that feed in to staff supervision arrangements. The manager and her team are committed to providing a high quality learning provision and value partnership working. They gain the views of staff, parents and children, and work with the local authority development worker to identify further areas for development. This means the setting has the capacity to improve their already good practice further. The setting has good partnerships with other professionals and supporting agencies, such as the speech and language team. This enables them to support families and children, ensure children receive additional help quickly and that everyone is fully included in the setting. These well-established partnerships with relevant professionals ensure any children falling below their expected level of achievement are

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provision

fully supported. Partnership working with parents is very good and staff are committed to involving parents in the setting. Parents' views are sought and they have opportunities to complete an annual questionnaire. Parents say they feel welcomed and are kept informed about how their children are learning through play by the friendly and approachable staff. This means there is shared knowledge about children and a complete picture of children's learning and development is obtained.

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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 EY400561 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 962874

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 28 Name of provider Sharon Parkes and Nita Mills Partnership Date of previous inspection 06/11/2013 Telephone number 07990711570

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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.

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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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