Whipper Snappers Childcare @ St Francis

Whipper Snappers Childcare @ St Francis St. Francis Church, Glen Side, BIRMINGHAM, B32 3RU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/11/2014 10/06/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children are happy and confident in their surroundings because staff provide a caring and nurturing environment that effectively promotes children's emotional well-being.  Staff and parents share useful information about children's care needs and progress, which helps to support their well-being and learning.  Children are effectively safeguarded from harm because staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures and they are clear about how to respond should they have any concerns about the welfare of a child.

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It is not yet good because

 Staff do not consistently plan challenging activities that are tailored precisely to individual children's needs on a daily basis. Therefore, children do not make the best possible progress.  The quality of teaching is variable because some staff lack knowledge and understanding of the different ways that children learn. As a result, children are not supported effectively to develop their own ideas and critical thinking skills.  The monitoring of the educational programmes is not thorough enough to ensure gaps in children's learning are quickly identified and all areas of learning are well planned for both indoors and outdoors.

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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 had a tour of the nursery with the provider.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and learning activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environment.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

Whipper Snappers Childcare @ St Francis was registered again in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of a group of three settings managed by Whipper Snappers Childcare Limited. The nursery operates from three playrooms in the St Francis Community Centre in the Woodgate Valley area of Birmingham. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of whom, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and three at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 39 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children, who speak English as an additional language and children with

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Information about the setting

special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 plan and provide challenging and enjoyable experiences across all areas of learning, which are based on the individual needs of all children to promote their development and progress every time they attend

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must:

 develop staff's knowledge of the different ways that children learn and provide more opportunities for them to develop their own ideas and become highly effective learners, so they make the best possible progress.

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

 improve the monitoring of staff's teaching practices and the impact of the range of activities provided for all children more closely, so that any gaps in their learning are quickly identified.

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who attend

Staff have received further support and training, as a result of the actions set at the last inspection. This has helped staff to develop their knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements, with specific regard to observations and assessments. As a result, staff now gain in-depth information from parents during the settling-in period, in order to establish children's starting points and carry out baseline assessments. Staff use relevant support and guidance documents as a reference to allow them to identify if children are progressing within the expected development bands for their age. Therefore, staff have a more in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means that they are better skilled at using this knowledge to plan for children's next steps in learning and to monitor their progress more effectively. However, teaching is variable because some staff lack knowledge and

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who attend

understanding of the different ways that children learn. Therefore, children's progress is not good. Staff engage in child-initiated play and sometimes use opportunities to extend their learning. For example, while children play with the balls outside, staff encourage them to put drain pipes together to see how far they can roll the balls. However, staff do not always provide experiences to extend children's thinking skills or encourage them to keep trying and develop their own ideas in their play. As a result, children move around a lot and do not always fully engage in purposeful play.

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who attend

Staff plan activities for their individual key group time and take turns in planning for the adult-led activities, which take into account some children's next steps in learning. This helps children, who they have planned for, to make progress. However, other children are not as effectively supported because daily planning is not specifically tailored to match each individual child's next steps in learning. Children spend a lot of time outdoors and although, some staff recognise this and support their key children appropriately in their learning, this is not consistent. For example, some children spend most of their time riding on bicycles and cars, showing little interest in the resources available. As a result, children are not being fully supported to make the best possible progress. Staff provide an environment, which includes areas of continuous provision and covers the seven areas of learning adequately. Children have independent access to sand, water and natural and

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who attend

creative resources. However, staff do not always encourage children to use these areas and resources to support their learning further. Children enjoy their time at nursery and develop their social skills as they make friends. They develop an understanding of numbers and counting, as staff use counting throughout the daily routine. Furthermore, staff plan activities with a focus on encouraging children to count and recognise numbers up to five. All children have access to books and staff encourage children to listen to stories daily. There are areas where children have suitable access to a variety of writing equipment. This helps younger children to explore and make marks and older children are encouraged to recognise letters and write their names. Children's communication is effectively supported. This is because staff model language, encourage children to learn new words and promote their listening and attention skills during group activities.

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who attend

Consequently, children are beginning to develop the skills needed for school.

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who attend

Staff are developing strong partnership with parents and value their contributions. Parents are now fully involved from the onset and continue to be involved as the children move through the nursery and onto school. Parents complete an 'All about me' document, have detailed discussions with key persons and contribute to their child's progress reports. This supports a collaborative approach to children's learning and development. Staff complete the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years and assess them in the three prime areas of learning. They effectively share this information with parents, offering them ideas of things, which they can do to support their child's learning at home. Parents speak highly of the nursery and make comments, such as, 'My child loves it here' and 'My child's confidence has developed so much'. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported by a designated special educational needs

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who attend

coordinator. Staff liaise with outside agencies and parents and plan a range of experiences using individual development plans to support the individual needs of each child. Children, who speak English as an additional language, are generally supported in their learning. Staff obtain basic words and pronunciations from parents and develop flash cards to assist them in effectively supporting children to develop their communication skills.

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

The effective key-person approach means that staff build positive relationships with both parents and children quickly. Settling-in sessions are very much tailored to the individual child and staff recognise the importance of involving parents in this process to help them to settle quickly. Staff gain detailed information from parents about children's care needs, interests and capabilities and use this information to support the individual needs of each child. Children display a positive sense of self-esteem and a strong sense of belonging within the nursery because all staff are committed to getting to know them well.

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

The environment is stimulating and friendly. Children access resources independently, as these are stored at low levels and have supporting pictures and words displayed, so they can easily see what is available. All staff are good role models and they consistently provide clear guidance about what is acceptable behaviour. Staff display the nursery's rules at children's level, using pictures and words and all children are familiar with these. Staff use positive language to promote good behaviour and praise children for their achievements. This supports and encourages children to feel confident and secure, with the motivation to learn. Staff encourage all children to share and take turns and to value and respect one another. As a result, children understand boundaries and their behaviour is good. Staff regularly remind children of ways to keep themselves safe as they independently move between indoors and outdoors. Children routinely take part in regular

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

fire drills and learn to use tools and equipment, such as scissors, safely. During story time, staff talk to children about the danger of bonfires and fireworks and encourage them to think about ways, which they can keep themselves safe. For example, children say 'Don't get to close to the fire' and 'Never touch fireworks'. Consequently, children are gaining an awareness of their personal safety. Children are emotionally prepared for their next stage in learning and their move onto school because staff liaise well with local schools. Furthermore, staff use books and discussions to encourage children to talk about how they are feeling. This supports children's emotional well-being as they adapt to changes.

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

Children are learning about good hygiene and healthy practices because staff remind them of the importance of washing their hands after going to the toilet, taking part in messy activities or before lunch. Children's intimate care needs are sensitively met and all of them are effectively supported to develop their self-help skills. Older children show increasing independence as they go to the toilet by themselves. This effectively prepares them for when they move onto school. Children enjoy a variety of healthy snacks, including fresh fruit and vegetables and staff talk to them about the importance of being healthy. Children are encouraged to bring a healthy packed lunch. Staff work well with the parents to support children's well-being by giving them advice about portion control and healthy options. As a result, children are developing an understanding of healthy eating. Staff also ensure children's good health by collecting information from parents about their

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

allergies and dietary requirements. They follow this up by informing all parents of foods, such as nuts, which are not allowed in the nursery. This ensures that children with allergies are kept safe. All staff have attended appropriate training to enable them to deal with any allergy reactions quickly. Children's physical skills are promoted through daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise. They enjoy a range of activities outside, which promotes their physical skills, such as riding on cars, climbing on the climbing frame and going down the slide. Children are able to take measured risks on age-appropriate equipment while staff closely supervise. Consequently, children are beginning to have an awareness of danger and they are gaining the confidence to try new things.

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provision

The provider has made sustained progress since the last inspection where the nursery received a number of actions to improve and subsequent monitoring visit. Safer recruitment and selection procedures are fully in place. Records of identity checks and vetting processes, including Disclosure and Barring Services checks for all staff and students, are maintained. This effectively contributes to ensuring that children are safeguarded appropriately. All staff demonstrate a sound level of understanding about their roles and responsibilities in protecting children from harm. Clear policies and procedures are in place and contact numbers of the relevant agencies are readily available. As a result, staff are confident and know the procedures to follow should they have any concern regarding a child's welfare. Staff are appropriately deployed and supervise children well, in order to protect them. Procedures regarding the use of mobile

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provision

telephones and cameras are clear and are implemented effectively by all staff. Detailed risk assessments are in place and updated regularly to ensure the premises and activities remain suitable.

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provision

The provider completes self-evaluation and regularly updates this, gaining views from staff, parents and children. Detailed actions plans have been developed focusing on actions set at the last inspection and following guidance. The manager and provider are working closely with the local authority to continue to raise standards and make ongoing improvements within the nursery. The local authority have helped staff to introduce a system, which enables them to evaluate the environment and the activities provided to ensure all areas of learning are fully covered. This has resulted in changes within the environment, such as providing a more inviting space and offering children more opportunities to enjoy books and props to support their literacy skills. Regular supervisions take place and the manager and deputy now monitor staff's practice and the assessments, which they complete. However, there is still not a strong enough focus on the quality of

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provision

teaching and learning to fully impact on the educational programmes. Teaching remains variable because staff do not consistently promote the different ways that children learn and some areas of learning are less well-planned for. Therefore, activities do not always provide a sufficient amount of challenge to support children to make good progress. Staff have begun to track children, although, this is still in the early stages. The manager and deputy plan for this information to be recorded on a central tracker, which will be analysed and evaluated to identify any gaps in children's learning. However, this has not yet been completed, in order to evaluate current practice and ensure any gaps in children's learning are quickly identified. Staff meetings regularly take place to ensure staff work together to continually share ideas and support each other.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff encourage parents to be involved in their children's learning through rigorous settling-in procedures, parents' meetings and workshops. Parents' meetings take place termly to enable them to understand the progress their children are making and contribute towards their next steps in learning. The manager has built effective links with other professionals to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well supported and included in the nursery. Strong links with the local school are established, which support children, who attend before and after school and helps children with their move onto school when the time comes.

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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 EY454109 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 982047

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 39 Name of provider Whipper Snappers Childcare Limited Date of previous inspection 10/06/2014 Telephone number 0121 427 4775

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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

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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