Up, Up and Away Pre-School

Up, Up and Away Pre- School Houlton Hall, South Street, Great Waltham, CHELMSFORD, CM3 1DF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 February 2015 27 March 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Children make very good progress because they are offered imaginative, open-ended tasks and activities which promote their creative thinking and allow them to explore and investigate at their own pace. This comes from staff's very secure understanding of how children learn.  Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and their families, is very strong and effective. As a result, all children are included and encouraged to maximise their potential to learn and achieve highly.  Children are effectively safeguarded and kept free from harm and abuse. The staff fully understand their responsibilities in regard to child protection.  Children benefit from the well-established partnership with parents. Their progress is meticulously tracked to ensure they are reaching expected levels. Parents are involved at every stage and know what they can do at home to help children continue to make

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This provision is good

good progress.  The provider inspires staff with her vision and ethos for a child-centred, happy and stimulating pre-school. She monitors the quality of teaching closely and encourages all staff to develop their skills and knowledge through training and research.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The environment, particularly the outside area, lacks sufficient signage and text to help children learn about the uses of print in everyday contexts and further promote literacy.  Occasionally, resources are carelessly presented so children do not have easy access to everything they need to explore the craft table and complete their activity.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 improve the use of signage and text throughout the setting, and especially outside, to help children learn about the uses of print in everyday contexts and promote literacy  take care to present resources well, to allow children easy access to everything they need to explore the craft table and complete their activity, promoting their independence and decision-making skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector interacted with children and staff in the main playroom and in the outside area.  The inspector looked at documentation including evidence of staff suitability checks, qualifications, policies, children's records and development profiles.  The inspector jointly observed an activity with the manager.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection to gain their views and took account of surveys and questionnaires issued in advance of the inspection.

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who attend. This is good

Children are stimulated and encouraged to choose from the activities provided. The garden area is exceptionally well set out with many free play and structured activities to allow children the freedom to engage as they wish. They explore ice and water in the mud kitchen, dig for treasure in the sand, and grow vegetables which they take home to cook and eat. They learn to use a wide range of tools through woodwork, role play and crafts. Sometimes, resources are less well-presented and hinder children's choices as they are being creative. Children become familiar with the local school as they make regular visits. This helps them know what to expect when they start school. By working closely with teachers at the school the pre-school staff are able to teach phonics and introduce children to initial sounds in a fun way. Language and literacy is generally very well promoted in most situations. Links with the local community help children understand the

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who attend. This is good

world around them, and promotes self-esteem as they gain pleasure from helping others.

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good

Children develop warm and affectionate relationships with the staff caring for them. Nurturing is seen as crucial to children's emotional well-being and preparation for their future learning. Parents are able to approach their child's key person at any time for a discussion about their child's progress, or to raise any concerns. Children learn how to keep themselves healthy by wearing suitable clothes for outdoor play, whether in warm or cold weather. They eat a hearty snack, serving themselves with healthy food and drink to keep energy levels up. Staff work with parents to keep pace with changes, such as when children are learning to be independent in the bathroom, and with their self-care needs. Children who need additional support are carefully helped through activities and care plans to achieve well and not miss out on any events. All children behave well because staff are good role models, encouraging children to think about their actions.

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provision is good

The provider is the manager at the pre-school and passionately promotes her ethos and vision to staff. By reflecting and evaluating practice continuously, standards are raised and new initiatives introduced. The very good quality of teaching is closely monitored and all training needs addressed, promoting staff's professional development. By tracking different groups of children, the provider can identify any gaps in learning and ensure that all children have opportunities to develop fully. Safeguarding is central to the care provided, keeping every child's welfare at heart. Links with external agencies and other settings are maintained to support every child's needs for support and to ensure continuity of care and learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY433248 Local authority Essex Inspection number 973858

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 37 Name of provider Up, Up and Away Pre-School Great Waltham Date of previous inspection 27 March 2014 Telephone number 07501313321

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Type of provision

Up, Up and Away Pre-School was registered in 2011. The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one at level 2. The pre-school opens, from Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are, from 9am until 3pm on Monday, Thursday and Friday, 9am until 1pm on Tuesday and from 12.30pm until 3.30pm on Wednesday. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school works closely with the local primary school and the nearby children's centre.

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Type of provision

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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Type of provision

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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