Octopus Children's Daycare

Octopus Children's Daycare Burnham-on-Sea Community Infant School, Winchester Road, BURNHAM-ON-SEA, Somerset, TA8 1JD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/11/2014 17/03/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 well-developed key person system promotes children's well-being and learning very effectively.  Staff have strong partnerships with parents, sharing good information to promote learning at the provision and at home.  Staff deploy themselves well to enable children to make full use of the whole premises.  The management team uses good self-evaluation, supervision and mentoring of staff to continually look for ways to improve outcomes for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Some staff do not use all situations as they arise during activities, to pose questions to promote children's critical thinking further through solving problems.  Staff sometimes miss opportunities to promote children's literacy development fully, such as supporting older children in writing their names.

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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 indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the manager, spoke to parents present on the day of the inspection and took account of the provision's self-evaluation.  The inspector checked safeguarding information and the premises.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation including policies, procedures, children's development records and planning.

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Information about the setting

Octopus Children's Daycare registered in 2008. The provision operates from rooms in a purpose-built children's centre within the grounds of Burnham-on-Sea Infant School, Somerset. There is an enclosed area for outside play. The provision opens each weekday from 8am to 5.30pm for 45 weeks of the year, according to demand. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 63 children on roll in the early years age range. The provision also provides care for children who attend Burnham-on-Sea Infant School, before and after school and for four weeks in the summer holidays. The provision receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as children learning to speak English as an additional language. There are 15 members of staff,

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Information about the setting

including a cook and an administrator. One member of staff holds Early Years Professional Status and the manager has an early years degree at foundation level. There are 10 members of staff who hold an early years qualification at level 3 and two staff with a qualification at level 2. The administrator has a business studies qualification.

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

 enhance children's abilities to think critically and solve problems by posing more questions as they arise during practical activities and play

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

 encourage older children to learn to write their names, to promote their literacy development further.

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who attend

The staff team has a good understanding of how children learn, and plans exciting activities to challenge and motivate them. Through working closely with parents, staff know children's abilities when they first start at the setting. They observe children to ensure they provide an educational programme and environment that meets each child's individual needs. Staff keep good records of children's achievements, using photographs for parents to see how their children engage in the activities. The key person meets with parents regularly to review their children's development records. This enables them to work together to identity children's next stages of development, which helps parents to support learning at home. Parents and children are able to contribute to the 'WOW board', where they record children's special achievements. This promotes a positive attitude to learning. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

Staff provide good support for children to develop effective skills in their key areas of development. This provides a good foundation for their next stage of learning or school. Staff enable children to be independent and manage age-appropriate tasks well. For example, children helped to tidy up, cleaned the tables and swept the floor. They cleared the table at snack time, and some children helped to wash and dry the plates and cups. This promotes children's personal, social and emotional development, as well as their physical skills. Staff encourage children to become confident communicators, describing their actions and listening to others. They use lots of visual aids and signs to support children of all abilities and those who are learning to speak English as an additional language. Staff use fun ways to extend children's vocabulary. For example, children used the computer to match rhyming words and described jelly as slimey, sticky and gooey.

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who attend

Staff plan a good mix of child-initiated and adult-led activities. Children have time in their small key groups to take part in activities their key person specifically plans for them. For example, some children predicted which items would float in water and then tested their ideas. Others followed instructions and cooperated as a group as they played ring games. Children enjoy books independently, with staff and in groups. Staff use props to involve children in storytelling, which engages their attention. Staff pause so that children can fill in the words they know in familiar stories. Children use a range of resources to promote their early writing skills, such as chalks in the garden. However, staff write children's names for them, missing the opportunity to extend older children's literacy skills.

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who attend

Children enjoy taking part in experiments to find out about cause-and-effect. For example, they excitedly recalled making a volcano and placed pieces of apple into different substances to see what would happen to them. Children explore wet and dry cornflour, and staff encourage them to describe the differences. Overall most staff pose good questions to children, such as 'why do I need to tie a knot in this and what would happen if I didn't?' However, some staff sometimes miss opportunities to help children to think of ways to solve problems. Staff promote children's mathematical skills throughout all activities, challenging the more able children effectively. For example, while playing with jelly, older children recognised a cube and worked out which pile of jelly had the most cubes.

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

The very effective key person system ensures all children are confident within the provision and develop secure emotional attachments. Key people work in pairs to ensure children always have a special person to go to, who knows their individual needs. Staff greet their key children and parents on arrival and as a result, children soon settle and are happy. Staff provide good, calm role models. They praise children for being kind and for demonstrating positive behaviour. As a result, children share resources, behave well and are generally kind to each other. Children develop a good awareness of the adults' expectations. For example, when a bell rang, the children said 'it's time to tidy up' and spontaneously helped. Parents comment positively on how much their children enjoy attending the provision. They state their children grow in confidence and staff prepare them well for school. Staff accompany the older children on visits to the school to take

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

part in activities. In addition, they make a photographic booklet for children to take home to share with their family. This supports children's well-being effectively, in preparation for moving on to school.

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

Staff have reorganised the room to make more effective use of the space. They now have an enclosed, cosy area for children to look at books undisturbed or take part in quiet activities. Children are able to make choices from the wide range of resources, both indoors and outdoors. This is because resources are in low-level containers, labelled with words and pictures, and children can choose where they prefer to learn. For example, children recognised numbers and letters of the alphabet on laminated cards outdoors. Children use a good range of resources to promote their awareness of people's differences. In addition, staff put signs around the room relevant to children's first language, which promotes a sense of belonging.

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

Staff follow very hygienic procedures when changing nappies to protect young children's health. They use activities and routines to promote children's awareness of healthy practices. For example, children discussed why they could not eat the jelly or drink the water they played with outside. Children enjoy the freshly cooked meals available daily, which promotes an awareness of healthy eating. They can help themselves to fresh drinking water and decide when to have a snack. Staff seek good information on children's dietary requirements and the cook follows national guidance so that children have a balanced diet. Children have a good understanding of staying safe. For example, they suggested they need to wear a helmet when riding their bike in the park and some used an oven glove while cooking in their imaginary play. Staff encourage children to assess risks for themselves, such as not going on the logs after it has rained because they are

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

slippery. All staff receive training in safeguarding children so they have a good understanding of the procedures to protect children, should they be at risk.

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provision

The management team has a good understanding of its responsibilities in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The team has recently updated its policies and procedures to ensure they are clear and relevant to the provision. The manager follows the safer recruitment policy to ensure staff have relevant qualifications and skills, and are suitable to work with young children. Staff receive training to meet children's medical needs and have health plans in place so they know what to do in an emergency. Staff carry out good risk assessments in all areas of the premises. They regularly check sleeping children to ensure they remain safe. The manager monitors children's accidents and uses this information to identify ways to further minimise risks. All required documentation is in place for the safe and efficient management of the provision. The Early Years Professional oversees children's development and supports staff in

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provision

ensuring every child reaches their potential. This includes completing the progress check for two-year-old children, to ensure that staff identify any gaps in children's development and implement appropriate support. The special educational needs coordinator is clear about her responsibilities. She works with all staff to ensure inclusive practice that meets every child's needs.

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provision

The management team ensures it involves everyone in self-evaluation. For example, the team uses questionnaires to gain feedback from parents after their children have their initial induction into the provision. This helps staff to look at ways to improve the procedure for parents and children. As a result, they now provide families with photographs of the staff and setting, to help parents to prepare their children for starting at the provision. Through feedback from parents, staff have revised and improved the information-sharing books that go between home and the provision. Consequently, parents are able to provide greater support at home. The manager observes and supervises staff to provide them with regular feedback and help them to enhance the quality of teaching. Staff have good opportunities for regular training, to help improve their knowledge and practices. For example, they are all about to undertake a workshop

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provision

on promoting the development of two-year-old children. Ongoing improvements include the outside area, where staff are planning to have more containers for children to take part in planting and growing. In addition, staff are implementing peer-to-peer observations to share their good practice.

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provision

Staff have good partnerships with parents. They start building relationships at home visits before children attend the provision. Parents receive an extensive welcome pack of information, which includes an interactive brochure for their children. Children's key persons and parents meet regularly to discuss children's development and together identify children's next stages of learning. Staff attend network meetings where they get to know other early years providers in the area. They have been working hard on strengthening their partnerships with other early years settings that children attend. As a result, they now seek consent from parents to meet in person with their additional key person. This enables them to have a consistent approach to children's care and development. Staff work closely with outside agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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 EY374124 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 829348 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 63 Name of provider Burnham Infants Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 17/03/2009 Telephone number 01278 793331

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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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