Sunflower Seed

Sunflower Seed Church Street, Northborough, PETERBOROUGH, PE6 9BN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 December 2016 8 November 2012

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Members of the committee are not clear on their roles and responsibilities as the registered provider of the pre-school.  The provider has not given Ofsted the required information about some of the persons serving on the committee. This means that the full process for assessing their suitability has not been completed.  Staff do not always fully consider the ages and stages of the children when organising large-group activities and some children lose interest.  Occasionally, staff do not make the most of all opportunities in the outdoor learning environment to extend children's skills and knowledge for those children who prefer to be outside.

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It has the following strengths

 Children benefit from being nurtured by a friendly and caring staff team in a welcoming environment. Staff communicate regularly with other settings that children attend. They share information with other professionals when necessary, so that children are fully supported in their care and learning needs.  Staff place a high priority on nurturing children's personal, social and emotional development. Children are valued and listened to. They are kind and caring towards their peers.  Parents speak highly of the staff and the progress that their children have made at the pre-school. Parents are well informed of children's daily activities. They are also given ideas for learning activities to be repeated at home.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure that all committee members have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities with regard to the early years foundation stage, in order to ensure that requirements are met 16/12/2016

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Due Date

 provide Ofsted with the required information about committee members so that the full assessment of their suitability can be completed. 16/12/2016

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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

 review the organisation and purpose of some group activities, taking account of the ages and stages of the children and helping them to stay focused and engaged in their learning  develop opportunities to extend the active learning for those children who prefer to be outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the pre-school's deputy manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and deputy manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the pre-school's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. The committee has a poor understanding of its role and responsibilities under the early years foundation stage. Although Disclosure and Barring Service checks have been completed for the committee members, the provider has not responded to reminders to supply this information to Ofsted. This means that the full process of assessing the suitability of persons responsible for the pre-school has not been completed. However, the manager and staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe and the procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child's welfare. The management team in the pre-school has systems in place to support and monitor staff practice. The manager and her deputy are very experienced and strive to offer the best experiences to children and their families. They evaluate their teaching practice, taking into account feedback from the staff team and

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

parents to help to support children's achievements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The observation and tracking of children's learning, development and progress are detailed and accurate. Regular assessments are completed by staff and are further monitored by the manager. This helps to identify any gaps in children's learning so these can be addressed quickly. Staff plan a range of activities across all areas of learning. For example, children are excited as they decorate their own Christmas trees using a range of resources, including scissors and crayons. These also help children to develop their small- muscle skills. Children's communication and language skills are supported effectively. Staff are skilled at identifying where extra support is needed and develop individual activities to help. These are shared with parents who can complement their child's learning at home. However, staff are sometimes less effective in planning some large-group activities as they do not always take account of children's differing levels of concentration. Occasionally,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

some children's attention wanders and they do not participate fully. Furthermore, staff do not always fully support the learning needs of those children who prefer to be outdoors.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children's overall safety is compromised because of the committee's weak understanding of its role and responsibilities. Parents are not assured of the suitability of the persons legally responsible for the pre-school. However, children are confident, excited and eager as they enter the setting, supported by the manager and her staff. They make independent choices in their play. Staff deploy themselves effectively to make sure children remain safe. Children are encouraged to learn how to stay safe, for example, as they learn about road safety. Healthy snacks and meals that meet children's individual dietary requirements are offered. Children talk about and prepare their own fruit snacks, helping them to be healthy and become independent. Children learn about the wider world as they go on outings to local parks and farms. They learn about differences as they participate in activities which celebrate other cultures and festivals.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are making good progress across all areas of their learning and development from their starting points. They are active, confident learners who acquire those key skills in readiness for their eventual move on to school. For those children whose starting points are lower, staff assessments show they are making progress with any gaps in attainment being carefully addressed.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY257620 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 1059649 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 11 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 125 Name of registered person Sunflower Seed

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 November 2012 Telephone number 01733 253685

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reference number

Sunflower Seed was registered in 1980. The pre-school employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. The pre- school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 9.15am to 3.15pm. The setting provides a before and after school club from 8am until 9am and 3.30pm to 6pm on weekdays, during term time. A holiday club is also provided for children during all school holidays, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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