Warboys Underfives Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 16 Mar 2006

Warboys Under Fives

Inspection report for early years provision

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Warboys Under Fives

Unique Reference Number 221832 Inspection date 16 March 2006 Inspector Denise May Smith

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Warboys Under Fives

Setting Address The Pre-School Building, High Street, Warboys, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2TA Telephone number 01487 823190

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E-mail

Registered person Warboys Under Fives Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Warboys Under Fives Pre-school opened in 1992 and operates from two rooms in a purpose-built building. It is situated in the village of Warboys, Near Huntingdon. A maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The group is open each weekday, term time only, from 09.00 to 11.30 and 12.30 to 15.00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 There are currently 57 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Of these, 50 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local area. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs. The nursery employs 11 staff. Eight of the staff, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of good hygiene through consistent, daily activities. All the children wash their hands appropriately, for example, before eating or after using the lavatory. Pictorial prompts and a ‘fun soap-dispenser’ encourage children in this task. Staff act as good role models by washing their own hands and cleaning the table cloths before and after meals. Children's health and welfare is promoted well because there are good systems in place to record accidents and the administration of medication. Children receive appropriate treatment if they have an accident as all staff hold up-to-date first aid training. Emergency telephone numbers are easily accessible in case parents need to be contacted. Children sit together as a group at snack time. They enjoy choosing what they would like to eat from a good range of fruit, which is provided by their parents to share.

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Helping children to be healthy

They are offered a variety of drinks, which they pour themselves from appropriately sized jugs. Water is accessible through-out the session; children are encouraged to help themselves as required ensuring they are well-hydrated. Staff record any allergies or special dietary needs; these are displayed to ensure children eat appropriate food. Children develop their interest in physical activities as they play active games indoors and outside. They play outside each day unless the weather is really poor when alternative arrangements are made. They enjoy an appropriate range of activities, such as using wheeled toys, balls and hoops. Indoors they play active games, such as music and movement or using the trampoline.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from being cared for in a clean and well-maintained environment, making it welcoming to the children and their parents. Good organisation of the furniture and resources means that children move around safely and freely. Children are encouraged to tidy up and clear away so that the floor is free from hazards. Two 'comfy sofas' are provided to support children in the book corner making it an inviting place to be. Equipment used by the children is safe and plentiful and appropriate for their age and stage of development. Children are able to independently access the resources as the room is organised to promote children’s ability to make choices from well labelled toy racks.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Risk assessments and daily checks ensure the suitability of the premises, and staff are pro-active in preventing accidents, such as keeping any hot drinks in the kitchen. Fire evacuations are practised which enables children to learn about keeping themselves safe, but these are not evaluated to inform future practice. Staff are vigilant and implement good security procedures, such as ensuring any adults collecting children are known to staff. Children enjoy outings in safety as staff implement sound procedures, such as carrying a mobile phone, a first aid kit and emergency contact details. Children's welfare is promoted. Staff have a good understanding of the local child protection procedures and are pro-active in organising and attending appropriate training to update their knowledge. Parents are well informed about the setting's

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

responsibilities through an appropriate policy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive at pre-school and easily separate from their carers. Staff support children well to settle to their self-chosen activities. All children benefit from a range of activities, both indoors and outside that contribute to their development and enable them to make progress. Staff organise the activities and resources before children arrive and this ensures they feel welcome and valued. Some children’s art work is displayed, which adds to the sense of achievement children feel. All children, especially the younger and newer children benefit from the effective key-worker system, which enables them to develop secure relationships. However, staff are not familiar with the 'Birth to three matters' framework, which is aimed at enhancing the care given to children under the age of three years. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are confident learners and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

explore the balanced range of opportunities with curiosity. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and plan a range of interesting activities that enable children to progress in all the areas of learning. Staff assess the achievements of all children, but these are not based on an initial starting point of what the children know and can do, and do not identify their next steps of learning. Planning is broad and balanced covering all areas of learning well; it also includes how circle times and the outdoors are to be used. Many rich activities are chosen and linked to learning intentions but these are not based on the individual learning needs of the children being cared for. Children are confident and active; they approach their activities with enthusiasm and develop good relationships with each other. They communicate clearly and confidently, initiating conversations with their peers or the adults around them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to develop their interest in books. They enjoy listening to stories in both small and large groups and handle books with care and respect. They are encouraged to take books home to share with their parents or carers. Children are developing an awareness of initial sounds and are linking these to letters and words. Some children identify their own names with confidence and have

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 opportunities to develop their writing skills in a wide variety of interesting ways, such as the use of white-boards. However, the use of 'worksheets' are less meaningful to children. Children benefit from a range of activities that help them understand numbers, mathematical language and concepts such as one more, one less and big and bigger. They sing rhymes and songs and use numbers in their play. Their knowledge and understanding of the world around them is developed well through a good range of practical activities, such as those relating to celebrating the Chinese New Year. Visitors to the setting and outings ensure children learn about their local community and develop their sense of belonging. Children have access to technology throughout the setting which supports all areas of their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy experimenting with a wide range of materials such as, mashed potatoes, baked beans and jelly. Basic creative play such play-dough, sand, water and paint are always available, which supports children’s imagination and creativity. They are able to access craft materials such as glitter, sequins, card and glue independently, which gives children opportunities to freely create using their imaginations. However, by placing pre-cut shapes on this table staff are limiting this free expression. Music helps children explore sounds, and children are encouraged to access instruments from open shelves so they can make their own music.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children receive a warm welcome as they arrive at the setting and enjoy affectionate relationships with staff and each other. They benefit from using a wide range of toys and activities that meet their individual needs. Children are able to select and make choices throughout the session because they can self-select these resources, and staff support daily routines effectively such as at snack time. Children with special educational needs are very well supported by experienced, trained and committed staff who are dedicated to ensuring their needs are met. Children take part in activities that help them develop a positive view of their local community and the wider world. Resources and activities support children's understanding of difference and diversity. Children play harmoniously together and show kindness and consideration towards each other, for example, they share resources in the home corner. Children are beginning to learn right from wrong

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Helping children make a positive contribution

because staff set clear, consistent boundaries, as a result their behaviour is good. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children have their needs met because staff and parents work together. Appropriate information is sought from parents to ensure individual care is offered. Key workers liaise with parents and develop relationships with them, which ensures children are well cared for. Settling in procedures are flexible to reflect the needs of the child. Good information is displayed for parents about the running of the group and a policy book is set out for parents to read. However, the complaints procedure does not inform parents how they can make a complaint to the registering body if necessary or what current procedures are.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The partnership with the parents of children who receive nursery education is good. Newsletters are sent home to inform parents of the current topics, and plans are displayed so that parents are aware of the activities their children are taking part in. Parents receive some information about the Foundation Stage, but this is not sufficient to fully inform them about the early learning goals and the stepping stones children take to achieve them. Parents’ consultations are offered to discuss children’s progress and to discuss their needs. However, parents do not formally share with staff the starting points of what their children know and can do, or contribute to their assessments of learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The committee is supportive of the staff team and the group as a whole. The members are actively involved in all aspects of the setting and share the work load effectively. The good organisation of the setting ensures that children are well cared for. There are sufficient qualified and suitable staff to meet the needs of all the children. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn. For example, children have lots of opportunities to learn through the provision of fun, appropriate, well paced activities. They use their senses to explore and investigate using their own ideas and imaginations in their play. Children's independence is promoted because they have good access to resources and have lots of opportunities to make their own choices and decisions. There is an effective system of staff appraisals in place and an overview maintained of training needs. As a result areas for professional development, such as attending

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Organisation

training relating to child protection are identified and staff booked onto appropriate courses. Documentation is well maintained. Policies and procedures are in place and mostly revised as appropriate. They comply with current legislation and promote children's well-being. Overall the needs of the range of children are met. The leadership and management of the nursery education is good. There are good systems in place to ensure that the organisation of time and the range and quality of activities for all children who receive funding is effective. This has a positive effect on their learning and development. Management ensure that the staff, who all work with the children in receipt of funding for nursery education are appropriately qualified. The management ensure that staff have a good knowledge of the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage in order to help children achieve well and have systems in place to evaluate the provision.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the committee agreed to develop children's understanding of addition and subtraction. This is now effectively woven into daily routines and

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 activities giving children regular opportunities to practise this concept. They also agreed to ensure that the first aid box is suitably stocked; this is now checked and maintained by the staff. The last action of encouraging children to access drinks throughout the session has been addressed by placing a jug of water and cups on a low table enabling children to have a drink when they are thirsty.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • improve outcomes for the younger children by having regard to the 'Birth to three matters' framework

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that the system for assessing what children know and can do is based on a starting point and identifies their individual next steps of learning. Ensure that these next steps are used to inform future planning • improve the quality of the information given to parents or carers regarding the Foundation Stage, the early learning goals and the stepping stones children take to achieve them. Enable parents to contribute to their children’s assessments and share the identified next steps of learning.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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