Sun Beams

Sun Beams Pre-School Delapre Primary School, Rothersthorpe Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN4 8JA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 October 2015 2 February 2015

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Assessment does not always reflect what the child can already do.  Some children are not making the best possible progress because staff do not always prioritise the next steps for children where gaps are identified through assessment.  Systems for risk assessment and checking the suitability of staff are not fully rigorous.  There is no system for monitoring the use of physical intervention to help manage children's behaviour.  The views of staff, parents other professionals are not effectively used to help identify what is done well and what needs to be improved.

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It has the following strengths

 Children make independent choices of indoor and outdoor play. This allows them to play in an environment that they enjoy and where they learn best.  Children behave well. Staff use positive methods to support and manage children's behaviour.  Partnership with parents is strong.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Childcare Register the provider must:

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Due Date

 improve systems to ensure that practitioners, and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children, are suitable 29/10/2015

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Due Date

 ensure that there is a system in place for recording any occasion where physical intervention is used to manage a child's behaviour 29/10/2015

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Due Date

 improve the system for risk assessment so that it identifies aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis and how the risk will be removed or minimised 29/10/2015

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Due Date

 ensure that observation and assessment more accurately identify children's levels of progress and that this information is used more effectively to support children's next steps of learning 12/11/2015

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 improve the system for identifying what is done well and what needs to be improved so that it includes the views of staff, parents and other professionals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the managers.  The inspector observed activities in the playroom and the outdoor play area.  The inspector looked at observation and assessment records and planning documentation for children's learning and development.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with one of the managers.  The inspector looked at various policies and records, including those for safeguarding, staff recruitment, accidents, staff supervision, risk assessment and children's attendance.  The inspector had discussions with parents and took account of their views for inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Staff understand how to keep children safe. Managers organise policy and practice to meet with the statutory requirements. Safeguarding procedures are effective. However, there is no recording system to enable the monitoring of physical intervention, which may be used to manage behaviour. Risk assessment is not detailed for all areas of the premises. There are some inconsistencies in the suitability checks completed for staff. Leaders observe and evaluate the effectiveness of teaching to identify good practice and what needs to improve. Managers have regular individual meetings with staff to have discussion on sensitive issues and to support teamwork. The system used to identify improvements in the setting does not include the views of others who are actively involved with the nursery. Parents are complimentary about the setting. They are informed about their child’s progress and are given ideas to support their child’s learning at home.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff engage and interest children with a wide range of experiences on offer. They are careful to speak clearly to children; asking questions that encourage children to work things out for themselves and to explain their thinking. Staff use children’s interests to support their progress in all areas of learning. However, they do not always target gaps in children’s development, such as communication and language for children with English as an additional language. Additionally, some children are achieving at a higher level than is identified by assessment. Staff are caring and friendly and support children's emotional well-being. Some activities, such as the book area and role play, are not well presented and equipped, which makes them less effective for children's learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

There is a positive culture that is evident across the whole setting. Children have opportunities to choose indoor and outdoor play, with a stimulating range of activities in both areas. Children benefit from exercise and fresh air during outdoor play. This helps to improve their physical health and development. Children grow plants and vegetables. They nurture the plants and observe changes. They learn about healthy eating. For example, growing tomatoes and cucumbers and then picking and eating them. There are positive relationships between adults and children throughout the setting. Children's behaviour is good and staff use positive methods to support and manage behaviour. Children are generally self-confident and enjoy learning. They have useful opportunities to decide on their activities, which includes access to resources from a self-select storage unit.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Many children are attaining typical levels of development for their age. The quality of teaching helps most children to progress well. Staff work with parents to help identify children’s starting points when they begin attending the setting. However, some children are not making better progress because staff do not always correctly identify their levels of achievement or sufficiently act upon gaps in their development. Children are encouraged to develop independence and skills for school readiness.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY276045 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 1015669 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 81 Name of provider Sun Beams Delapre Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 2 February 2015 Telephone number 01604 674620

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Setting details

Sun Beams Pre-School was registered in 2004. It is situated in the grounds of the Delapre Primary School in Northampton. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions are from 7.50am until 6pm. The pre-school employs 18 members of childcare staff. Three staff hold a level 2 early years qualification, ten staff hold a level 3 early years qualification and two staff hold a level 4 early years qualification.

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Setting details

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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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