Devon Close Preschool

Devon Close Pre-School Devon Close, Tottenham, London, N17 9HR

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/12/2014 25/05/2012

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff provide a stimulating play environment where children can access a range of activities. Children particularly enjoy the diverse play opportunities staff provide in the outdoor area.  Staff use small-group times effectively to encourage children to develop new skills and extend their learning. Therefore, staff help children prepare well for their next stage of learning.  The manager effectively monitors teaching and learning. In this way, she is able to focus on supporting all children and maintain a consistent approach.  The manager is proactive in encouraging staff to reflect on their practice and helping them make the most of opportunities to improve. Consequently, the provision is continually improving.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff miss opportunities during snack time to extend children's skills and understanding of different foods, and healthy eating.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children taking part in a variety of indoor and outdoor play activities.  The inspector talked with staff and observed their teaching.  The inspector observed an adult-led activity.  The inspector interviewed the manager and spoke with some parents.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled the pre-school's documentation, particularly those relating to children's learning and safeguarding.

p.2

Information about the setting

Devon Close Pre-School registered in 1998. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. It operates from a single-storey building in Tottenham, in the London Borough of Haringey. The pre-school is open from 9am until 3pm, every weekday and during term- time only. Children have the use of two indoor play rooms and a secure outdoor play area. Currently, there are 37 children on roll in the early years age group. A team of seven staff work with the children. All staff hold relevant early years qualifications. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two-, three-, and four years old. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning to speak English as an additional language.

p.3

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

 extend children's learning opportunities fully during snack time, in order to further enhance their skills.

p.3

who attend

Staff are effective in meeting the learning and developmental needs of all children from their initial starting points at entry to help them progress. For example, they set out a variety of interesting activities at the start of the day and engage with children as soon as they arrive. They gently encourage children to participate, talking with them and showing them how to use the resources. They prompt children to think and talk, for example, when looking at pictures in a book or working out how to fit jigsaw puzzles. Staff motivate children through their own enthusiasm. They enjoy sharing with children as they take part in activities themselves. In this way, they help children to learn through their different senses as they look, listen and touch. As a result, children become active and creative learners. All staff are knowledgeable about the needs of children in their key groups. They consult with parents when planning learning experiences for individual children, thereby

p.3

who attend

enabling parents to become involved in their children's learning too.

p.3

who attend

Staff are particularly good at extending children's learning during adult-led activities with small key groups. They make good use of these activities to help children acquire necessary skills for their future learning, especially in the areas of communication, literacy and mathematics. For example, staff share big story books with children or play mathematical games. Children listen avidly to stories and like to join in with familiar parts. They delight in successfully sorting picture cards or finding the correct animal to match a sound. Staff make the most of opportunities to challenge children during these activities, for instance, when prompting children to recognise three-dimensional shapes, staff describe the shapes in words as well as showing them in pictures. Staff also take care to speak clearly and to introduce new vocabulary when possible. This is particularly helpful for children who are learning to speak English as an additional language. As a result,

p.3

who attend

children quickly gain good skills in early writing, reading and mathematics due to staff's good quality skills in teaching and promoting learning.

p.4

who attend

Staff cover the different areas of learning well; helping children to learn in a wide variety of play situations. For example, children have good opportunities to explore creatively using different objects and materials. They have fun playing musical instruments and experimenting with paint on paper. Children enjoy taking part in role play with others, for instance, they pretend to prepare and eat meals together. Children particularly benefit from the range of activities in the newly revamped outdoor area. They run, crawl, balance and jump on the large equipment. They use chalks to draw patterns on different surfaces. They investigate mud, water and shaving foam as they mix them together. Staff show children how to grow plants, such as tomatoes and sunflowers. These activities encourage children to develop physical skills as well as learning about the natural world. Staff also make available an indoor snack table, which children can access freely. However, staff do

p.4

who attend

not always make good use of this facility to encourage children to explore and try the different foods or learn more about healthy eating.

p.4

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

Staff help children to feel welcome and valued as individuals. Staff offer individual support for any children who are unsettled, gently encouraging them to develop relationships and enjoy play. Children feel safe because staff promote a relaxed atmosphere within secure premises. Staff are sensitive in their approach and help children to gain self-confidence. Children especially benefit from the wide range of interesting resources on offer. They like to explore and investigate as they search out activities in the large play room. Staff provide opportunities for quieter activities and computer games in the smaller room, which is particularly helpful for children who want a quieter environment.

p.4

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

Staff encourage children to be independent in making decisions and following up their own interests. Children are keen to try new activities, such as making patterns in hand cream. Staff organise small-group times particularly well. These are very much a part of the daily routine, where children move into their groups without any disruption to the continuity of play. Staff are adept at managing children's behaviour in a positive way and consequently, children respond well. Children listen attentively to staff and are aware of the need to share fairly when playing in a group. Staff offer much praise for children who behave responsibly and this helps to build their self-esteem.

p.4

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

Staff are attentive to promoting good hygiene practices. For example, when changing nappies, they take care to keep children happy as well as healthy. They encourage children to bring healthy lunches and to play outdoors every day. In this way, children learn about keeping themselves fit and healthy. Staff have good access to first-aid equipment. They store children's medication in individual labelled boxes so that these are easily accessible. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings and therefore, learn to feel emotionally secure. Through building close relationships with staff, children develop good attitudes towards learning. They benefit from a good balance of adult-led and free- choice learning experiences. Staff support children well for their move to school and consequently, children make the transfer with ease.

p.4

provision

The manager is well organised and effective in her leadership. She ensures that all relevant documentations and records are up to date. She has a good knowledge and understanding of her responsibilities with regard to the education and welfare of children. She ensures all staff undergo the necessary checks regarding their suitability as part of the recruitment process. She is vigilant about safety and security. For example, she conducts and maintains detailed risk assessments and a high ratio of staff to children. Staff promote children's safeguarding effectively. They are all qualified in paediatric first-aid training and demonstrate an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding processes by attending training on child-protection issues.

p.5

provision

The manager encourages staff to attend extra training in order to further their professional development. She is currently working towards an early years degree-level qualification herself and this is enabling her to continually improve the pre-school provision. She motivates staff by giving them responsibilities for different aspects of the educational programme, thereby encouraging new ideas. Since the previous inspection, the manager has introduced various changes to support staff in their teaching. For example, she has led staff in a review of the assessment system and this has resulted in changes in the planning of activities. As a result, staff are better able to move children on according to their individual learning needs.

p.5

provision

The manager is efficient in monitoring the educational programme and its impact on children. She checks individual learning files and achievement records. She regularly collates this information on to monitoring charts, enabling her to address any weaknesses in the provision. For example, this recently led to new initiatives to support children's understanding of the world. The manager meets regularly with other leaders in the local area, helping her to explore different ways of working. She maintains an ongoing action plan, listing relevant targets for the future. For example, she plans to develop staff's teaching skills in the area of language and literacy.

p.5

provision

Staff work closely with parents and carers so that they can provide appropriate care and support for all children. New parents receive useful written information about the provision, including much detail about the learning opportunities for children. Staff exchange information with parents each term regarding their children's progress. They also invite parents into pre-school to share interests and skills with children. This helps children to learn more about different people, places and cultures. Parents comment that they are very pleased with their children's progress. They particularly appreciate the friendliness and support they receive from staff. The pre-school has close links with a local children's centre and a team of early years advisors. This enables staff to provide good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.5

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number 140413 Local authority Haringey Inspection number 843070 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 37 Name of provider Devon Close Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 25/05/2012 Telephone number 02088 013 210

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10