Toybox Pre-School

Toybox Pre-School Ansford Community School, Ansford Park, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7JJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/12/2014 10/11/2008

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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

 Staff provide a very caring and welcoming approach, which helps children settle easily.  Staff actively engage children in exciting and purposeful play experiences, which effectively promotes their learning and development.  Staff and parents form positive partnerships, which gives reassurance to children.  Staff effectively help children to learn how to manage their behaviour. Consequently, children's behaviour is good.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not consistently provide suitable hand washing facilities for children, to fully encourage their understanding of positive self-care skills.  Staff do not always fully encourage children in developing their understanding of possible risks to themselves or others.

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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 children in their play and interactions with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, such as the operational policies and procedures, and required records for registration.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken with at the visit.  The inspector viewed the pre-school's self-evaluation form.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector offered the opportunity to do a joint observation, although this was not taken up.

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Information about the setting

Toybox Pre-School registered in 1986. It operates from the Swanson community building, which is situated next to Ansford Secondary School, near to the town of Castle Cary, Somerset. Children use a main play room and toilet facilities. They also have use of an adjoining outside play area. This pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and is run by a committee of parents. It opens Monday to Friday, from 9.30am until 2.45pm, during term time only. There are currently 31 children on roll. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The committee employs six staff. Two hold a qualification at level 4, three hold a qualification at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2, all in childcare and early years education.

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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 self-care skills, with particular regard to appropriate hand washing practices

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

 maximise opportunities for children to develop their understanding and take responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe from harm.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use their observations of children's play effectively to identify their next steps of learning. This actively helps them plan exciting play experiences that provide sufficient challenge and build on children's existing abilities. Therefore, staff promote children's learning very well, helping them to make good progress.

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who attend

Staff provide a good range of messy play activities that children enjoy. For instance, children carefully poured green icing over an upturned ice cream cone. Children explored the sticky mixture with interest and watched how this dropped off their spoon and fingers. In addition, they sprinkled edible decorations over the top, to make a colourful Christmas tree cone. Children squeezed and squashed the play dough with enthusiasm. They said the dough was bumpy and decided they needed a rolling pin to roll it out flat. This shows children are naturally developing their problem solving skills within their play. This activity provided positive opportunities for children to explore colour and texture. Additionally, they developed their small muscles as they squeezed, squashed and rolled the dough out. Children also pushed their fingers into the dough and made marks and patterns with the different tools. This actively helps children to develop the interest and skills they need for

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who attend

Staff make good use of effective questions to help children think and work out simple problems. For example, staff asked children which colour brick they thought they would need next as they constructed a model castle. Staff asked if it was the big or little brick that they needed. This helps children gain an understanding of mathematical concepts, such as size and shape. In addition, staff actively encourage children's communication and language skills. For instance, they talked to children about the pictures they saw in a favourite story. Children sat quietly and listened attentively. This also effectively promotes children's enjoyment of books and their early literacy awareness. Consequently, staff actively promote children's interest to develop their future skills.

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who attend

Children had great fun crawling through the pre-school's huge, inflatable submarine. Staff showed children how to climb safely through the flap-style doors. Staff waved at children through the windowpanes and they smiled back happily. Children talked confidently to a visitor about the shark's mouth image on the front of the submarine. They said the shark had big, white teeth. Children laughed as they scrambled through the shark's mouth, which opened as a doorway. Consequently, staff provided children with good opportunities to develop their physical abilities and their imagination in play.

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who attend

Staff have formed a letter to use with other providers that children attend, and share information on their learning. This provides an effective way of working together to promote a continuous approach for children's care and learning. Parents commented that staff are very friendly and approachable. They stated they often review their children's learning journals and feel they make good progress. Parents also stated they are encouraged to share their observations of their child from home. Staff use this information to plan effectively for children's individual needs. Consequently, children benefit from the positive partnerships staff form with their parents.

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

Staff provide a very friendly approach and children respond happily to their gentle manner and humour. This helps children settle easily on arrival and they quickly become absorbed in their play. Staff create a warm, inviting play environment where children demonstrate increasing independence as they access a good variety of toys and games. In addition, staff provide colourful, child-sized plates, cups and cutlery that children can manage easily to eat their snacks. Staff teach children how to handle knives carefully when they chop up bananas, apples or strawberries for their fruit kebabs. In addition, they talk with children about crossing roads safely on their outings. For example, they remind them to stop, look and listen for cars when they walk across the nearby zebra crossing. This actively helps children develop some sense of safety. However, staff have not fully considered involving children more in the risk assessment processes, for instance to help children learn to

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

judge speed and space more effectively when using their ride-on toys indoors. Consequently, this sometimes reduces the opportunities for children to develop their awareness of keeping themselves and others safe. Staff teach children effectively to manage their own behaviour. They act as good role models and talk calmly with children, providing consistent boundaries that help them feel secure. Staff gently explained to children why some behaviour may not be acceptable and encouraged them to be kind to others. This actively helps children to develop their social and emotional skills, and they play cooperatively with their friends. As a result, staff prepare children well for their move onto school.

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

Staff plan a good range of exciting action songs and games that effectively encourage children's participation. Children enthusiastically stretched their arms out wide, stamped their feet and marched around smiling and singing with their friends. Staff sometimes take children to an adjoining play park, where they slide, climb and balance on the fixed play equipment. This actively supports children in developing their physical stamina, strength and coordination. Staff encouraged children to cover their mouths with their hand when they coughed. Children knew this helped to stop spreading germs. However, after messy play activities, children washed their hands using a communal bowl of water. They also dried their hands sharing one towel. This leaves a risk of cross-contamination and reduces the opportunities for children to fully develop their self-care skills. Staff talk to children about foods that are good for them and provide a range of healthy snacks. For example,

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

children tucked into beans on toast and then had some apple to eat at snack time. Staff plan interesting cooking activities and help children make vegetable rice with mushrooms. As a result, they effectively encourage children in developing a good awareness of healthy and nutritious foods.

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provision

Staff have a very sound understanding of safeguarding issues. They have completed related training and have established clear procedures to follow should a child protection concern arise. This effectively promotes children's welfare. Management and staff implement clear operational policies and procedures. For instance, they follow effective systems for recruiting and assessing the suitability of staff. This includes the completion of relevant checks and references. In addition, management implements clear induction, supervision and appraisal systems, which effectively support staff in their ongoing development. For example, management organises regular in-house training and all staff have complete an appropriate first aid course. As a result, staff work very well together as a team and each session is well organised.

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provision

Staff complete risk assessments and monitor children's ongoing safety through daily checks and established routines. For instance, they keep the internal doors to the playroom locked. This means staff effectively monitor children's access to the outer lobby area. In addition, staff follow clear procedures to make sure children are collected only by persons authorised to do so by their parents. This actively promotes children's security and provides reassurance for parents. Staff form summaries of children's achievements when completing the required progress check for two-year-old children. They identify any areas where children may need further support and liaise with relevant agencies. This helps to monitor children's progress from an early age. In addition, staff effectively track children's achievements from their observations of their play and discussions with parents. This helps them identify if there are any gaps in children's development that need to be

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provision

given more focus. Parents state they are kept well informed of their children's development. They comment that they have found the recently established key person meetings very helpful. This actively promotes a continuous approach to children's learning.

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provision

Staff are clearly reflective of their practice and are committed to providing good quality care and learning for children. They regularly evaluate the effectiveness of activities on children's learning. They complete self-evaluation systems and identify areas to develop. For example, since the last inspection, staff have improved the planning and assessment systems. As a result, they plan activities that sufficiently challenge children's abilities in each area of their learning. In addition, they have identified further ways of providing information for parents on how their children learn through their play. Consequently, staff make continual improvements, which further promote outcomes for children.

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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 142877 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 836633 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 31 Name of provider Toybox Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 10/11/2008 Telephone number (01963) 359600

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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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