Rushwick Pre-School

Rushwick Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Rushwick Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 205296 Inspection date 07 March 2006 Inspector Valerie Fane

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Rushwick Pre-School

Setting Address Upper Wick Lane, Rushwick, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR2 5SU Telephone number 01905 420901

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E-mail

Registered person Rushwick Pre-School Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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?

Rushwick Pre-School, owned by Rushwick Pre-School committee was registered in 1997. It operates from a purpose-built unit within the grounds of Rushwick Primary School and serves the local area. There is a fully enclosed area for outdoor play. The pre-school is open from 09:00 to 13:00 on Monday and Friday and from 09:00 to 15:30 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during school term time. There are

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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 currently 35 children on roll. Of these 19 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and is able to support children for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Six staff work with the children. Of these three have appropriate qualifications to Level 2 or above. The nursery receives support from a mentor teacher from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children become independent in their personal hygiene as they access the toilets independently and learn to wash their hands afterwards. They receive suitable care in the event of an accident because all staff have a current first aid certificate and keep records, signed by parents, of any accidents that occur. However, children who require medicine do not receive good continuity of care when they return home because parents do not sign the medication record to confirm that they have been informed of the dose. Children with particular medical needs receive excellent care because staff are trained in the use of necessary equipment by the child's own medical practitioner. Children are protected from cross infection because the pre-school has a clear policy not to accept children who are ill or infectious. Children develop a good understanding of healthy eating because they enjoy an

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Helping children to be healthy

interesting range of healthy snacks that includes different types of fruit, cheese and crackers or crumpets. They learn to drink milk, water or pure fruit juice rather than squash. At lunchtime they are encouraged to eat the savoury items from their packed lunch before anything sweet and to eat their fruit. Their learning is reinforced by posters such as one depicting many different fruits. However, they are not adequately protected from food safety hazards because no staff have attended food hygiene training to comply with recent changes to European Food Safety rules. Children benefit from regular opportunities for fresh air and exercise. They go outside three times a day in most weather conditions and make good use of the large play area. They develop their balancing skills and their awareness of space as they use a variety of wheeled toys including bikes with stabilisers. They improve their co-ordination as they learn to jump on hopscotch squares and practise throwing and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment because staff are proactive to ensure children's safety at all times. Staff use risk assessments to identify and remedy new hazards such as a damaged fence panel. Children develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe in the event of a fire because they

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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 practise the emergency evacuation procedures regularly. They learn that they must stop what they are doing and go outside immediately. They also learn about fire safety as part of a topic on fireworks and bonfire night. Children develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe in the playground. They move the rocker away from the concrete so that they do not bang their heads if they fall off backwards when they are rocking with a friend. Children independently select from a wide range of high quality, well-maintained equipment that is stored in labelled boxes on low shelves. Staff put out a range of equipment at the beginning of the session to create a welcoming environment but children confidently choose alternative activities from the storage boxes throughout

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

the session. Children's well-being is safeguarded because staff have a secure knowledge of the signs of child abuse and the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child in their care. Children begin to protect themselves from abuse because they learn that their bodies are their own and that they should not be shared with people other than their parents or a doctor.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children throughout the pre-school thrive in the welcoming environment. They settle easily and form close relationships with each other and with staff. They play with a wide variety of toys and activities with enthusiasm and at times show sustained concentration in their play. The 2-year-olds take part in the same activities as children in the Foundation Stage but staff are aware of their particular learning needs and differentiate appropriately. They explore cornflour and describe the texture as they let the dry flour run through their fingers. They investigate the change in texture with increasing confidence as an adult adds some water and an older child adds brown paint to make the mixture look like farmyard mud. They then enjoy helping the toy pigs to play in the mud as part of a topic on 'Farms'! They do not benefit from assessment procedures linked to the 'Birth to three matters' framework, but the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

pre-school supervisor is currently considering possible assessment schemes to use with these children in the future. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make sound progress towards the early learning goals because staff have a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and understand how children learn. Staff are aware of each child's starting points because they work with parents to assess their child when they come to the group. They plan a varied curriculum that covers the six areas of learning and they provide children with a wide range of interesting and stimulating activities. Children progress because staff make good use of spontaneous opportunities to extend their learning. For example, a child playing on the hopscotch grid notices that the numbers are missing so the staff fetch some chalk and get the child to say the order of the numbers to write in the squares. Children's development is monitored

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

because staff make regular assessments of their progress using a card system and

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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 informally evaluate specific activities. However, there is no written record of the evaluation of activities and how these are used to inform future planning. Children work co-operatively to build a large rocket with the Duplo bricks. They improve their design and construction skills because staff help them to plan a bigger base for the rocket to make it more stable. They use the mirror to compare the height of the rocket against themselves and enthusiastically take on the challenge to try to build it as tall as the adult helping them. They take the initiative in problem-solving as they fetch a chair to help them reach the top of the rocket. Children use the computer with increasing confidence and improve their co-ordination as they learn to use the buttons on the mouse. They practise counting and number recognition as they use a

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Pingu computer program with a computer voice to help them recognise unfamiliar numerals. Children become independent and improve their self-help skills as they give out cups at snack time, pour their own drinks and clear up their cups when they have finished drinking. They then take turns in pairs to wash up and dry the cups under close adult supervision. Children develop an interest in books as they use the quiet room where books are attractively displayed and there is comfortable seating. They choose books to look at on their own or with an adult and understand the link between pictures and words as they point to the word to identify the pictures. They extend their vocabulary as they listen to group stories and the staff discuss new words such as 'weeping' with them. They illustrate favourite stories such as 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' as part of a theme of 'Favourite Books'. They explore different textures and develop their hand

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

control as they use scissors and glue to make a collage using different types of paper and various natural materials to show the different types of terrain in the story. They then develop their creativity as they act out the story in the playground.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children develop a good awareness of our wider society because they play with a wide range of equipment and take part in activities to support their understanding. They learn about the costumes and food of different countries through visitors from Africa and celebrate various festivals. They make candles for Diwali and at Chinese New Year they dress up in Chinese clothes, listen to the willow pattern story and try writing Chinese symbols. Children behave very well in pre-school. They respond positively to the calm manner of the staff and the excellent role models that they provide. They learn to share toys and to take turns. For example, two children use the rocker co-operatively and then share it with a third child because staff help them understand the need to allow her to join in their game. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well. Children with special educational needs make excellent progress because staff have

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Helping children make a positive contribution

accessed specific training from outside agencies to improve their skills and understanding of speech and language development. Children benefit from clear individual education plans with achievable and measurable targets and regular liaison between staff and parents to discuss their particular needs.

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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 parents and carers is good. Children benefit from close links between home and nursery. They settle well in pre-school because staff are flexible to meet the needs of individual children and their families. They make good progress because staff involve parents in the initial assessment of their child and quickly gain a clear view of each child's starting point in pre-school. Children are able to extend their learning at home because parents receive regular information about the current topic with ideas for them to follow up with their child.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. Children are not protected because new members of the committee have not been notified to Ofsted and have therefore not been fully checked to determine their suitability to manage the pre-school. In most other respects the pre-school is organised well. Children's safety is maintained because all required policies and procedures are in place and staff keep accurate attendance records. Children's well-being is generally safeguarded because staff obtain all required information and most consents from parents before children are admitted to the group. However, children's privacy is compromised because staff do not obtain written consent from parents to take photographs of children for display in the pre-school. The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The new committee are beginning to understand their role and responsibilities and are working

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Organisation

well with the pre-school manager. The latter has a clear vision for the group and all children benefit from a learning environment where they are encouraged to develop confidence and self-esteem to solve problems. The manager has a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the group and is always looking for new ideas to improve practice. Children thrive because all adults working with them have accessed regular training to update their skills in different areas. Staff work together well as a team and are involved in the day-to day running of the group. Overall, the provision does not meet the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was recommended to develop a system to ensure that all policies and procedures are reviewed regularly, to develop the written special needs policy in line with recent legislation and to review the nappy changing policy. At the last inspection of the nursery education the provider was asked to consider expanding the labelling of everyday activities to help children recognise numbers and words and to develop information for parents about the Foundation Stage curriculum. Children with special needs now receive excellent individual care because the pre-school has a detailed policy that they implement to support a child's development and learning. Children who wear nappies are cared for safely because staff follow good hygiene procedures as outlined in the policy. Children develop a good awareness of numbers and words because toys are stored in clearly-labelled containers and displays of children's work are labelled with interesting comments.

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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 Children make good progress towards the early learning goals because their parents are able to support their learning at home because they receive detailed information about the current topic.

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Complaints 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. There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure that Ofsted are notified of changes to the pre-school committee and that all members of the committee are vetted to determine their suitability. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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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): • evaluate planned activities consistently and use the evaluations to inform future planning.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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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