Bunnies Pre School

Bunnies Pre-School (Overton) Overton Memorial Hall, Middleton Road, Overton, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA3 3HB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/12/2014 01/12/2011

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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 staff have a good knowledge of how children learn and develop. Consequently, their teaching methods excite, enthuse and stimulate children, so that they make good progress in their learning and development.  There are good relationships established between the staff and the children. As a result, children develop a strong sense of belonging and their emotional well-being is fostered well.  The partnership between parents and other settings is very strong. This results in children benefiting from continuity of care and successful shared learning opportunities.  The manager has a good understanding of her safeguarding responsibilities. She ensures that all the staff receive training and development opportunities. As a result, children are helped to be kept safe at all times.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always make best use of the outdoor space all of the time to enable children to have the choice of playing indoors or out, where they can benefit and enjoy fully the range of activities available.  Children are not always given the opportunity to help out at snack times and take on a responsibility, for example, handing out the cups and plates, to boost their independence skills, confidence and self-esteem.

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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 children playing in the main hall and in the outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the qualifications and the suitability of all staff working in the setting.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a range of documentation, including relevant policies and procedures, the self-evaluation form and improvement plan, accident and medication records and a sample of children's learning files and assessments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed aspects of policy and practice with the manager and staff and talked with parents and committee members, taking their views into account.

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Information about the setting

Bunnies Pre-School opened in 1970 and is managed by a voluntary committee. The pre- school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from the Memorial Hall in Overton near Heysham, Morecambe, Lancashire. The pre-school serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The pre-school opens five days a week from 8.45am until 11.45am, during term time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children are cared for across two rooms, associated facilities and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 21 children attending who are in the early years age range. The pre- school receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are currently five staff working directly with the children, all of whom

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Information about the setting

have an appropriate early years qualification. Three of the staff have appropriate qualifications at level 3 and two staff have a childcare qualification at level 2. The pre- school have achieved the 'Step into Quality' award scheme. They are members of the Pre- School Learning Alliance.

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

 make the most of the outdoor area for much more of the time and in all weathers, to enable children to choose and consequently benefit further from the range of activities available indoors and out

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

 strengthen and provide even further the opportunities for children to develop their independence, confidence and self-esteem, for example, by providing them with a responsibility to complete specific tasks, such as helping serve at snack time.

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who attend

The staff have a good understanding of how children learn. This is reflected in an environment that is well planned and resourced to meet the needs of all the children. Staff gather information from parents when children first start. This helps them get to know the children well and set a baseline for future assessments. Staff have high expectations of children and foster a 'can do' approach. Subsequent observations on children are effectively evaluated and used to plan children's next steps in their development. As a result, activities and experiences are suitably challenging to help children make further progress in their learning and development. Staff carefully monitor children's progress each term and share the assessments with parents, keeping them well informed. Furthermore, staff successfully liaise with parents to set specific targets for their children when necessary. Consequently, all children, including those with special educational needs

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who attend

and/or disabilities make good progress towards the early learning goals. The staff successfully involve parents further, by asking them to contribute to their children's files and provide observations from home. This helps staff provide continuity for children and plan additional activities based upon their evolving interests. Parents are also able to take story bags home and share the pre-school resources, making the links between pre-school and home even stronger.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. Staff are enthusiastic and motivate children to take part in all the activities. Children enjoy exploring the ice in the 'winter wonderland' tray. Staff teach children about the concept of hot and cold as they ask children questions about what the ice feels like. Children think and respond with answers, such as, 'it's freezing', 'it feels soft' and 'it's slippery'. The staff continue to promote communication and language skills as they introduce even more descriptive vocabulary, such as 'slushy and sparkling'. Staff ensure that all children learn from as many experiences as possible. For example, they take the ice over to other children who are more reluctant to explore the tray. They introduce the ice and give them opportunities to investigate it. As a result, all children learn about different concepts and gain a wider understanding of the world. Staff teach children the skills needed for future learning experiences, for example, in school. Children

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who attend

are encouraged to be independent as they put on and take off their own coats. They become autonomous, active learners as they independently access toys and equipment of their own choice. Staff encourage children to be confident communicators as they chat and ask open-ended questions at registration time. Furthermore, children develop their social skills as they learn to take turns, share and help each other during their play.

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who attend

Children enjoy their time in the pre-school and remain fully engaged in activities of their choice. The staff foster a culture of love for books and reading by providing an environment rich in print both inside and outside. Displays and posters show the benefits of reading books and promote use of the library. A wide variety of fact and fiction books are available for children to freely choose. As a result, children's development in early literacy is successfully promoted. Children demonstrate their interest in stories as they concentrate and listen avidly to a story about a park keeper. Outside, the children enjoy riding the bicycles, scooters and cars. Staff enhance the area by providing cones and drawing chalk lines to make a road. This results in children negotiating the pathways carefully as they practice their skills using the vehicles. Children make use of the sand shed, filling and emptying buckets as they learn about volume and capacity. Staff promote

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who attend

mathematics as children play in the mud kitchen. The staff teach children about size as they ask questions about which of the pans are big and which ones are smaller. Children chat to staff and demonstrate their emerging skills in vocabulary as they say, 'Imagine if this was my dinner'. Staff praise children on their use of new words, giving children a strong sense of achievement and self-worth. The children enjoy playing outdoors. However, occasionally staff limit the amount of time children have access to it because of the colder weather. As a result, the different learning opportunities that children benefit from by accessing the outdoors are sometimes reduced.

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

The children have very positive relationships with the staff that care for them. Children and parents know who their key person is, helping to secure strong attachments. Staff are warm, friendly and nurturing. As a result, children share close bonds with them and their emotional well-being is high. Children demonstrate their confidence and growing self- assurance as they happily explore and access the activities and chat to visitors. The children are well-behaved and staff are good role models. Children play harmoniously together and listen well to staff instruction, happily following the routines of the day.

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

Staff teach children about making healthy choices and adopting healthy lifestyles. The staff offer a good variety of fresh fruit at snack time and teach children that food items, such as biscuits, are only used as a treat. Staff teach children in other ways, such as by making snack time into a shopping activity. Children pretend to buy healthy food choices, making the snack time fun and reinforcing their learning. Children have access to items of snack throughout the morning, where they are able to help themselves. Staff encourage children to wash their hands before sitting for snack and handling food. This teaches children the importance of maintaining basic hygiene rules in order to prevent cross- contamination. Staff make snack time a social opportunity, where all children sit together, enjoy their food and drink and talk to each other. Staff promote mathematics as they hand out the cups, encouraging children to count. Children develop their physical skills and

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

hand and eye coordination as they are encouraged to pour their own milk. However, there are some missed opportunities to promote independence and self-help skills even further. For example, by giving children more responsibilities, such as setting the table and serving food to each other. Children have lots of opportunities to be physically active. Children develop their large muscles as they use a range of equipment both inside and during outdoor play. Children have great fun running through and crouching underneath the parachute as they develop the skill of manoeuvring it. Children enjoy taking part in singing and dancing games, jumping in and out of the hoops and remembering the actions to 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes'. Children use a range of tools, such as scissors for cutting. These first hand experiences provide valuable opportunities for children to learn to manage their own safety. Consequently, children develop their manipulative skills and

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

learn how to use tools safely, effectively managing their own risk.

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

The staff ensure that all areas are stimulating and well-resourced so that children become independent, active learners. Staff maintain a safe environment with high staff ratios, meaning children are supervised at all times. They check the environment daily to ensure all risks are minimised so that children can play safely. Children attending other childcare settings are very well supported. This is because staff effectively communicate through the use of a daily book. This enables messages about children's needs and learning opportunities to be successfully shared so that children receive continuity and stability. Children moving onto school are also emotionally well prepared because staff have very strong links with the schools in the area. Staff invite teachers into pre-school to meet the children, establishing initial relationships. Staff take children to events at the schools, so that children become familiar with the environment. As a result, all children are thoroughly

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

prepared for any impending moves, meaning they are ready to continue their learning and education.

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provision

The manager and staff demonstrate a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are effective policies and procedures in place, which are shared with staff and parents. This contributes to the safe and efficient management of the setting. Children are effectively safeguarded. The manager ensures that all staff have completed safeguarding training and are aware of any issues around child protection. The manager uses staff meetings to reinforce the important messages around safeguarding children, which helps to keep children safe. Although no new staff have been appointed for some time, the manager and committee are aware of the importance of maintaining robust recruitment procedures. This ensures that all staff are safe and suitable to work with young children, helping further to protect children. The manager undertakes regular supervision meetings with the staff. As a result,

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provision

staff have opportunities to share any concerns, discuss their professional development and discuss children's progress. In addition, they feel valued and respected, motivating them to continue improving and maintaining good quality teaching performance. The manager uses other professionals in the same childcare field to complete supervision sessions on her. She reciprocates by undertaking supervision sessions on her colleagues. This results in efficient performance management where good practice skills are shared and common issues discussed.

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provision

Efficient monitoring ensures that planning and assessment meets the needs of all children who attend the setting. This includes any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff discuss children's needs regularly to moderate assessment judgements and ensure that they have an accurate picture of their skills and abilities. This enables staff to provide tailored support for each child, which successfully closes identified gaps in children's learning. In addition, children's speech and language is effectively monitored through a local screening tool. The manager and staff comment on how useful this tool is in assessing children's progress. Furthermore, it identifies gaps in children's learning and development quickly to enable appropriate intervention to be sought as necessary. The manager and staff are self-reflective and have identified their strengths and areas for improvement. Staff are committed to developing their skills through continuous training

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provision

opportunities, when they become available. This ensures that their already good practice is continually improved upon. The pre-school have achieved the 'Step into Quality' award and they have a clear development plan in place. This demonstrates their commitment to continually improving the provision for children and their families. They have addressed all the recommendations from the previous inspection. For example, parents are continually encouraged to contribute to their children's learning files to facilitate shared learning opportunities. Furthermore, children and parents are invited to contribute to the self- evaluation process by being asked their views and opinions. This results in a collective approach to maintaining standards.

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provision

Effective partnerships between parents, external agencies and other providers are evident and well established. These contribute to meeting children's individual needs effectively. The pre-school have excellent relationships with schools and other childcare providers in the area. Furthermore, they work in close partnership with the children's centre, sharing information and linking together to share activities. The pre-school liaises successfully with the local authority to seek advice and guidance. Staff successfully work with the inclusion officer to ensure all children, including any with special educational needs and/or disabilities are suitably supported. The manager and staff ensure that parents and carers are integral to the running of the pre-school. The parents notice board contains a wealth of useful information to ensure they are kept fully involved and informed of all events. Regular newsletters provide fundamental messages and advice to support parents.

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provision

Parents provide positive verbal comments and say that the staff are 'fantastic' and 'amazing'. They report on how well their children have made good progress, particularly in their speech, since starting in the pre-school.

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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 309410 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 867868

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 21 Name of provider Bunnies Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 01/12/2011 Telephone number 01524 858 900

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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

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’.

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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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