Northfield Quaker Pre-School

Northfield Quaker Pre-School Quaker Meeting House, Meeting House Lane, BIRMINGHAM, West Midlands, B31 2LD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/11/2014 30/03/2009

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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

 Children's personal, social and emotional development is promoted very well by staff. Children are confident, happy, settled and secure and strong relationships have been formed with staff.  Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this knowledge effectively to teach and engage children in learning. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development.  Partnership working between staff, parents and other professionals is extremely effective. As a result, this continuity of care means that all parties work towards the same goals to meet the needs of each child.  Staff understand their role and responsibility with regard to safeguarding children. Clear procedures are known and understood by staff to ensure children's safety is maintained.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always use opportunities, such as snack time, to promote children's growing independence skills.  Opportunities for children to further extend and maintain their interest in the role-play area, are not always enhanced by staff.

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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 observed various activities in the pre-school and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the manager, the deputy, other staff and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of staff suitability and qualifications, and a range of policies and record keeping procedures.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Information about the setting

Northfield Quaker Pre-School is a privately managed group. It re-registered in 2004, although has been running for more than 25 years. It operates from the Quaker Meeting House in the Northfield area of Birmingham. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. It is open each weekday from 8.30am to 3.30pm during term time only. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 64 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age range. There are 10 members of staff and the manager who work with the children, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language.

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

 extend children's growing independence skills further, for example, by making the best use of opportunities for them to be more involved in preparing and serving their own snacks and drinks

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

 enhance the resources provided to maintain children's interest in role-play activities, to provide further opportunities for children to develop their imagination and creativity.

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who attend

Children enjoy attending this welcoming and friendly pre-school. They take part in a broad range of interesting experiences, which cover all areas of learning. The quality of teaching is consistently good. Staff have a sound awareness of using everyday play-based activities and routines to promote and extend children's mathematical skills. They play alongside them as they build towers using building blocks on the floor. They encourage them to count how many chairs they will need at lunch time. Pre-school children demonstrate good skills for their age when they count the lunch boxes using numbers beyond 10, saying one number name for each box they see. Staff help children acquire the skills to become effective early learners. They recognise that each child is unique and that they learn in different ways and at a different pace. Staff listen to children, and reflect on their play preferences and interests. For example, when children showed enthusiasm for a favourite

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who attend

story, staff planned for the children to make masks based on the characters. The children skilfully used scissors to cut out the masks and used them throughout the session to retell the story. As a result, children are learning how to use tools and early literacy skills are emerging. Staff ask children questions to help them make links in their learning, engage them in play and help them achieve what they set out to do. For example, younger children attempt to construct the train track together and are supported well by staff to achieve this. Overall, children attending the pre-school quickly grow in confidence. They are supported well to acquire the skills and capacity to develop and learn and be ready for the next stages in their learning.

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who attend

The thoughtfully planned playrooms create enabling environments for all ages of children to engage them in purposeful play. This includes quiet areas to sit and listen to stories and sing songs. Also a number of play mats with resources set out, such as small world play or construction. Consequently, children make good progress towards the early learning goals. The provision is well-resourced overall. However, there is scope to enhance the resources in the role-play area to enable children to make further choices in their imaginative play to develop their creativity.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and develop. They regularly observe children and ensure that planning meets their individual needs. Each child has their own 'learning journey' record, which includes staff observations and a range of photographs depicting children's enjoyment during activities. Children's next steps are clearly planned and their progress tracked to enable staff to quickly close any emerging gaps in their learning and development. This means that children are all making good individual progress in relation to their starting points. Staff work closely with parents and regularly share their children's achievements. They talk on a daily basis and parents enjoy a number of different opportunities to share their children's learning at home. For example, parents write comments and share significant moments using the pre-school's social media website. Parents are also invited to regular meetings with their key person. In

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who attend

consultation with parents, staff use their knowledge and understanding of child development to identify children who need additional help and support. They liaise well with other agencies to meet the needs of and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children who speak English as an additional language are also well supported to develop their communication and language skills. This enables staff and parents to work together and think through ideas of how to move children forward in their learning.

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

Children clearly feel secure in the pre-school. Staff welcome them as they arrive and consequently, children settle quickly into activities. They show excitement as their friends join them and they quickly engage in activities of their choice. An effective key-person system is in place, which helps children form secure attachments and promotes their emotional well-being. Good quality information is gathered from parents when children first begin attending and this is used very well to provide continuity in the care children receive. Clear procedures are in place for welcome visits in the pre school. For example, children attend with their parents for the first sessions, dependent on need, before staying on their own for periods of time. Younger children readily seek comfort and reassurance when needed and this supports children's emotional development well. The effective links with local schools encourages children to settle when they move into full-time school. This

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

is because staff prepare children well through discussions about the school and invite teachers into the pre-school to meet the children.

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

Staff support some aspects of children's independence well. For example, staff enable older children to help sweep the floor when they offer to help. Children clearly enjoy taking responsibility, thereby building their confidence and self-esteem. However, staff occasionally miss opportunities to encourage children to develop their independence skills further by, for example, preparing their own snacks and pouring their own drinks. Children learn to value resources and are praised for helping to tidy and care for resources. As a result, children feel valued and develop a sense of self-worth. Children's behaviour is good. They make friends, learn to take turns and share equipment, with sensitive support from staff. Safety within the pre-school is given good consideration and effective steps are taken to minimise risks to children. For example, the premises are secure, staff are well deployed, and they are vigilant and supervise the children well by giving them the support

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

Children benefit from outdoor play and can choose whether to be indoors or outdoors. Children enjoy their time spent outdoors and this promotes their health and well-being very effectively. Staff provide a variety of resources outside to promote children's physical development. For example, children have great fun as they race each other on scooters and cars. They ride around obstacles demonstrating good physical control as they weave in and around the area. Children are learning to take appropriate risks as they use the slide and know to wait until the child in front has reached the bottom. This shows that they are developing an understanding of how to recognise dangers. Children follow good health and hygiene practices with little reminding necessary. They automatically wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating.

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provision

The manager and staff have a good understanding of their responsibility to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements at all times. All staff attend safeguarding training and demonstrate a good understanding and awareness of the safeguarding procedures. Robust procedures for vetting and assessing the suitability of staff are in place. Thorough induction procedures help new staff to be confident and able to implement the pre-school's policies and procedures effectively. All staff have a first-aid qualification and the manager keeps a record of these and monitors when they are due for renewal, so that children's welfare is promoted. The arrangements for supervision, appraisals and professional development are well considered, and include opportunities for staff to complete training to enhance knowledge and skills.

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provision

Children's health and safety is enhanced by the robust and consistent implementation of policies and procedures that ensure the safe and efficient management of the pre-school. This includes comprehensive risk assessments, including daily checks on the indoor and outdoor areas before children use them. Staff are vigilant about arrival and collection procedures, and good security precautions contribute to children's safety. All visitors are required to produce identification before entering the building and sign a visitorS' book. Staff create an environment that is welcoming and safe, where children are able to enjoy their learning and grow in confidence. Partnership with parents is valued and they are provided with a good range of information about how the pre-school operates. Parents speak positively about the pre-school, and comment on the good progress their children make and the friendly and supportive staff team.

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provision

The manager leads a strong team who work well together, reflecting and driving improvement. She continually evaluates the quality of practice and provision provided. As a result, areas for improvement are identified. The manager is fully committed to creating, maintaining and improving the pre-school so that it meets the highest standards and offers the best experience for children. There are good systems in place to monitor children's progress. Management reviews all children's learning and development records, to make sure that children are making good progress. These include individual trackers and cohort tracking of the various ages and groups of children. The information from each child's development summary is evaluated to identify any gaps in learning, or where additional resources or support from outside agencies may be needed. There are good procedures in place if children attend other early years settings or are involved with other

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provision

professionals. For example, staff work closely with speech therapists to support individual children in their communication and language development. Consequently, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language enjoy attending this welcoming pre-school. They develop positive relationships with their peers and develop the underpinning skills needed for their future success as they move onto 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 EY275033 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 860889

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 64 Name of provider Janet Catherine Blann Date of previous inspection 30/03/2009 Telephone number 0121 476 0111

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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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