Pumpkin Patch Pre School

Pumpkin Patch Pre School Mattingley Church, Mattingley Green, Mattingley, HOOK, Hampshire, RG27 8LA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/12/2014 27/02/2012

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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 begin to learn how to keep themselves safe and their good health is effectively promoted through daily routines and discussion.  Staff know children very well, including their individual needs and interests. This helps children to make good progress and be ready for the next stage in their learning.  Children's physical development is effectively promoted through daily opportunities to experiment and explore the outside environment, which they thoroughly enjoy.  Positive relationships with parents mean that staff gain good detail about the children. As a result, children feel safe and emotionally secure to explore the learning environment.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff are less consistent in making good use of information, communication and technology (ICT) to maximise and enhance children's learning opportunities in this area.  Opportunities for staff to reflect or learn from each other, for example, through peer observations, are not fully embedded so that the good practice is further developed.

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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 activities in the main room and the outside learning environment.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning assessments, planning documentation, and a selection of policies and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager and the director of the pre-school and spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the observations.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation and improvement plans.

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Information about the setting

Pumpkin Patch Pre-School registered in 2011. The children have access to the church hall for their play and a rural outdoor environment in Mattingley. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 35 children on roll. Sessions are Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm and 12pm to 3pm, term time only. The setting is closed on Friday afternoons. Children may stay for lunch, attend morning or afternoon sessions, or stay for the day. The staff team includes seven staff with appropriate early years qualifications ranging from level two to Qualified Teacher Status.

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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 of technology by providing varied experiences and opportunities to learn, practise and explore technology in all aspects of their learning

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

 extend the programme of peer observations to enable staff to review and reflect on the quality of their own and other's practice, to enhance and extend the existing good standard of teaching.

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who attend

Children are supported well in making good progress in their learning and development. This is because staff observe them during their play to identify their current skills and interests. This information is then used to plan a range of activities and opportunities, which support children's identified next steps in learning. Planning includes a good balance between self-chosen activities and those led by adults. Therefore, children have opportunities to develop their own ideas and interests through the resources and activities available.

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who attend

Staff generally use ongoing observations to monitor when children achieve their next stages. These reviews enable key adults in the children's life at the pre-school to produce regular, useful summaries of their progress in the most important areas of learning. Staff share these with parents, so they are well informed about their children's learning.

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who attend

At the inspection, children of all ages enjoyed their play and happily joined in activities. Young children showed a lively curiosity in the world around them and confidently explored. They engaged in purposeful play and showed they are well motivated. Staff provided resources that interested children such as glitter pictures, bubbles in the water play and a various construction bricks for building. They enjoyed exploring and investigating, with encouragement from adults. Staff interacted effectively with children and extended their learning as they played. They used good questioning skills that encouraged children to express their ideas. As a result, children become confident speakers who know their views are valued.

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who attend

Children learn to explore from a young age. For example, they enjoy investigating sensory materials and use simple technology toys in their play, such as toy telephones and tills. However, there are slightly fewer resources and opportunities that encourage children's understanding of everyday technology. For instance, some children attempt to use the computer in their play and staff are not consistent in planning and maximising children's access to resources that support learning about information technology. Nonetheless, mark-making resources are freely available enabling children to extend their imaginative skills and develop early writing skills. Children engage enthusiastically in role play and enjoy a wide range of craft activities, which include gluing, cutting and painting. They learn to handle scissors carefully and take pride in their work and achievements. Children use their imagination as they show pleasure in acting out familiar scenarios, for example,

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who attend

using the nurses and doctors kit or when pushing their baby around in the pram because their baby is asleep. Children learn about the wider world by celebrating festivals throughout the year with the staff.

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who attend

Staff maintain strong relationships with parents and outside professionals. They use good strategies to maintain continuity of care for all children. Staff hold regular meetings with parents to share information about children's progress in learning and their individual development. Parents take an active role in their children's development. For example, they attend parents' evenings, and staff invite them to take part in special events organised by the pre-school. Staff encourage parents to take their child's learning records home on a regular basis. Parents share special moments with staff about the things their children have experienced. For example, when children go on holiday, staff use this information to talk with children and engage them in conversations which promote their communication and language development.

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

Children share warm relationships with the approachable and friendly staff. Staff create a welcoming environment where children soon feel at ease. The key-person system results in children forming strong emotional attachments to their special adult. Young children showed they felt secure and safe. Children play happily with others and form good relationships. Staff have good strategies for managing children's behaviour and promoting their self-esteem. As a result, children listen and behave well and willingly share resources when necessary.

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

Overall, staff organise the environment effectively to promote children's independence and enable them to initiate their own play. Children demonstrate a positive approach to learning, supported by the cheerful interactions of the caring staff team. As a result, children become active learners who are ready to move on successfully to school. All children showed good levels of confidence and independence as they moved around and made decisions about their play. Children helped themselves to resources from the low- level storage drawers and helped tidy up. Children receive good levels of support to develop their understanding of everyday life skills, through well-planned and effective experiences and learning opportunities. For example, children self-register and have their own named pegs, and they participate in small-group work where they develop social and language skills.

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

Staff help children to develop a good understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles. Children adopt good personal hygiene routines, such as washing their hands before snack. They enjoy healthy snacks and have easy access to drinking water. Children develop good coordination as they use safe knives to cut up their fruit and pour their own drinks. Parents provide packed lunches for their midday meal and staff provide guidance on healthy foods to include. Mealtimes are sociable occasions as children chat happily with staff. As staff eat with children, this provides opportunities for them to model healthy eating practices. Children have daily opportunities for outdoor play in an environment that provides a variety of learning opportunities. Children climb, balance, play imaginatively in the playhouse and dig in the sand and mud kitchen. All of these opportunities promote children's physical development well as well as other areas of learning. Children learn how

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

to keep themselves and others safe through reminders to use equipment appropriately. Staff practise fire drills with the children, so they gain an understanding of the procedure to follow in the event of an emergency.

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provision

Staff have a good understanding of the learning and development, and safeguarding and welfare requirements, which they implement effectively. This helps them to maintain children's safety, promote their well-being and support them in making good progress. Staff have a secure knowledge of the safeguarding procedures to protect children's welfare. They are confident to follow these if they are concerned about the safety of a child and are able to recognise potential signs that may indicate a child is at risk. There are secure systems to monitor children's safe arrival and departure. Staff maintain well all records that support children's welfare and review all policies and procedures that help to safeguard children regularly. Staff are deployed well within the pre-school so that children benefit from good adult ratios throughout the day. All staff have undertaken appropriate paediatric first-aid training, enabling them to be skilled in dealing with any minor injuries

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provision

The director and manager of the pre-school support the team well. They motivate staff, who demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional development. Staff receive regular support through individual supervision meetings. This provides opportunities to discuss their professional development and any support they need, in order to fulfil their roles. However, management have not fully developed a system to observe staff practice, as part of a monitoring process to improve the quality of teaching. In addition, they have not supported staff development further still by enabling them to carry out peer observations on colleagues. This is to enhance and extend their existing good standards of teaching and raise children's attainment to the highest levels. Nonetheless, the team demonstrates a strong commitment to ongoing improvement through their effective self-evaluation systems. For example, they have clear action plans, and regularly meet to identify areas

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provision

Staff work successfully with parents, agencies and other providers to support and meet children's care and learning needs. This helps promote continuity in children's care. Staff have developed very positive partnerships with parents. Key persons share information with parents regularly about their child's experiences at the pre-school and parents have regular opportunities to review their child's individual record of learning. Parents say that, 'the staff are welcoming and engaging, they support all the children and most importantly, children really enjoy coming'. Parents comment positively about the methods used to communicate with them, for example, through the use of social media and emails. This means that parents can easily access a good range of information. Links with local schools are established to support children as they move to the next stage in their learning. For example, teachers from local schools are invited into the pre-school. Discussions, visits

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provision

and shared information ensure children are confident and ready for change when the time comes.

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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 EY434971 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 824032 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 21 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Pumpkin Patch Day Nurseries Limited Date of previous inspection 27/02/2012 Telephone number 01189326311

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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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