Willow Brook Primary School and Nursery

Broadshires Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Broadshires Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 134451 Inspection date 09 May 2006 Inspector Pamela Edna Friling

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Broadshires Pre-School

Setting Address The Old School, Broadwell, Lechlade, Gloucestershire, GL7 3QS Telephone number 01367 860729

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E-mail

Registered person Broadshires 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 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?

Broadshires Pre-School was established in 1992. It operates from one main room in the Old School building. The pre-school serves the village of Broadwell, Oxfordshire, and other surrounding villages. The pre-school is registered to care for 20 children at any one time and at present there are 33 children from two to five years on roll. The group opens four days a week from Tuesday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 until

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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 14:30 on a Tuesday and from 09:00 until 11:45 or 12.30 until 15:00 from Wednesday to Friday. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school accommodates children with special needs. The pre-school is run by a voluntary management committee. The committee employs one full-time and two part-time staff to work with the children. The supervisor holds a teaching degree and an early years qualification at Level 3. The two part-time staff are currently working towards a Diploma in Pre-School Practice at Level 3. The setting receives support from the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children thrive because there are excellent procedures and practices in place for meeting children's individual physical and nutritional needs. Children benefit from good hygiene routines where daily tasks are carried out thoroughly and consistently to maintain the high quality pre-school environment. Children take part in a wide range of stimulating and meaningful activities which enable them to learn about good health and encourage them to take responsibility for their own personal hygiene. The staff and rota parents support all children well in their quest for independent personal care. Children consistently wash their hands before eating, using individual towels for drying. Children develop their physical skills throughout the day in both the indoor play room and the well planned outdoor play area. Throughout the session children have freedom to choose to play indoors or outside. They have numerous opportunities to

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Helping children to be healthy

develop their climbing, swinging, jumping, pedalling and pushing skills. For example, children initiated a game which required ropes to be suspended from the trees for them to swing on. Small physical movements are encouraged daily through easily available resources that help develop writing, construction and computer skills. Birth to three matters training has been undertaken to extend adult understanding of individual children's stage of development. Children have good opportunities to develop a sound knowledge of healthy living. They discuss healthy eating as they enjoy a wide variety of fruit and vegetable snacks. Children are encouraged to try new tastes and textures through sensitive adult support. Children with special diets are catered for appropriately. Children have access to drinks of water at all times. The children and staff sit together for sociable snack times and children are encouraged to pour water or milk for both themselves

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Helping children to be healthy

and others. Children's health is well promoted through clear routines for administration of medication and first aid. Records contain clear detail and all required signatures.

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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 Children are cared for within an environment which is both safe and secure. Risk of accidental injury is minimised by the thorough and very well documented daily risk assessment of potential hazards within the setting and outdoor area. High priority is given to meeting safety requirements and maintaining standards. For example, regular fire drills are undertaken and recorded to ensure all adults and children present are confident of actions to take in an emergency. Children have a good awareness of safety issues and are learning about keeping themselves safe. Vigilant supervision and clear explanation extends young children's understanding of safety issues. For example, children know how to stay safe when playing outside and can describe simple, established, routines for safe use of the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

'walker' and ride-on toys. Children have sufficient space to play safely. They develop good independence as they access resources freely for themselves. These are stored invitingly on low shelves and in labelled storage boxes to aid individual choice. Children's pictures and paintings are attractively displayed around the pre-school, creating a colourful and welcoming environment for children. Children's welfare is safeguarded and promoted through staffs understanding of child protection issues and procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are extremely happy, fully engrossed and highly valued. They arrive with broad smiles and are greeted with enthusiasm and warmth. Children are creative, enthusiastic and animated. They are eager to participate in planned activities or to instigate their own learning through play in both the indoor and outside play areas. Children are very independent. They make choices from all available resources and activities, take care of their personal care needs and assist with daily routines. Low-level, well-labelled storage of toys encourages self-reliance. All children spend their time usefully and with good levels of adult interaction as they take part in imaginative play as 'monkeys', 'train drivers' and 'builders'. Children show good rhythm as they join in enthusiastically with singing, accompanying themselves with musical instruments. Children's development is well supported and extended by the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

staff through effective questioning to extend children's thinking and problem solving. Children are encouraged to express themselves through staff interest in individual conversation. Children get on very well together and play harmoniously. They take turns and understand the need to share fairly. They are encouraged to take responsibility by tidying away when they have finished playing with something. Children's development and progress is monitored through ongoing contribution of photographs, anecdotal comments and examples of work to individual folders. Children benefit greatly from staff enthusiasm and motivation which encourages them to try new experiences and practise developing skills. As a result of the sensitive care offered, children are happy, secure and confident. Nursery Education

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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 The quality of teaching and children's learning is good. Children benefit enormously from the staff's good understanding of how children learn. Staff interaction and questioning encourage children to think and solve problems as they take part in both self-initiated and adult-led play activities. Staff observe and assess children as they play and learn. However, observations do not closely monitor whether children access a full and varied curriculum as they play. Observational notes and assessments are used effectively to set play-plan targets for children's individual learning. Planning covers all areas of learning and provides children with a wide variety of experiences that allow them to make good progress towards the early learning goals. However, learning objectives for the daily focus activity are not clearly

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

linked to the stepping stones or evaluated effectively to highlight points for future planning. Most children are developing very confident communication skills. They are keen to talk in large and small groups, to both familiar and unfamiliar adults. However, listening skills are less well developed and the enthusiasm to talk means that more confident children dominate discussion to the detriment of the quieter children who find it difficult to share their news and views. Children benefit from good opportunities to make marks, paint, draw and crayon. For example, clip boards are used enthusiastically outdoors to record 'passengers' on the 'train' and for drawing a railway track. More able children are forming recognisable letters and some can confidently write their own and other children's names. Children demonstrate an interest in numbers and counting. They count confidently with more able children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

challenged appropriately through practical activities to extend their understanding of numbers and practical calculation as they play. For example, children enjoy rolling balls through drainpipes into numbered sections and recording their scores. Colourful and interesting displays encourage children to explore numbers independently. Children enjoy exploring and investigating many different media as they mix their own paint colours. They enjoy mixing sand with water to make 'sticky cement' which they then use to build walls with wooden blocks. Children confidently operate the computer, which forms part of their free choice activities. They are introduced to different cultures and festivals through themed activities. Children's observational skills and understanding of the natural world are enhanced through opportunities to plant and grow in the outdoor area, observe seasonal changes to trees and watch

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

tadpoles develop into frogs. Books are used as a good reference source, with magnifying glasses easily accessible to encourage close observation. However, children are not always encouraged to record their observations. Children safely and competently use a range of tools and equipment, for example pencils, scissors, glue sticks and play dough tools. Excellent opportunities exist for children to engage in imaginative play based on their first hand experiences. For example, selling flowers and seeds in the 'flower shop' and writing letters in the 'office' area. Staff and children wholeheartedly embrace the concept of the outdoor classroom where children initiate their own play as they solve the problem of how to construct a tent with logs, rope and cloth. Children use their initiative and transform a previous activity into a house and then pretend it is Christmas. A request for bells be added to ropes increases the enjoyment of

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Partnership with parents is good. This good partnership that has formed with parents contributes significantly to children's well-being. Children and their parents are warmly welcomed and play a full and active part in the pre-school. Policies, operating procedures, child development and education information is shared with parents to ensure they are fully conversant with how their child will be cared for and taught. Parents are encouraged to contribute to their child's assessment records to create a detailed picture of their child's ability at both home and pre-school. The partnership with parents gives children the confidence to form secure and happy relationships with the staff. Parents provide and receive detailed verbal and written information regarding their child's progress, routines, activities and individual needs and preferences. Newsletters, informative posters and displays extend parental

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Helping children make a positive contribution

involvement in the shared care of their children. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children have use of good books and resources reflecting culture, race and disability. They share well and are encouraged to be kind and thoughtful to others. Children show kindness and consideration for each other as they share resources during a building activity. Children beam with pride as they are praised for being kind, helpful, polite and thoughtful to others. Children take part in a range of activities in the pre-school to maximise their understanding of the wider world. For example, celebration of world festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year, involvement in village fundraising events and visits from and within the local community. Children behave very well and respect the premises, equipment and each other. Staff form calm role models for the children. Well thought through written policies for behaviour management and special

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Helping children make a positive contribution

needs ensure consistency of approach to individual needs.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children play happily in the bright, cheerful playroom. Space is well planned to allow children to choose their play area, with opportunities to play either indoors or outside throughout the session. Time within the session is extremely well planned to maximise the range of experiences children are offered. However, there is no consistent system to ensure children access a full range of these experiences during their free choice play. Ratios of adults to children are maintained to allow quality time to be spent with all children. Resources are well labelled and accessible to enable children's independent use. The leadership and management of the playgroup is good. Systems are in place to ensure staff are appropriately qualified and cleared for work with the children. The educational programme provides a wide range of experiences to enable children to make good progress towards the early learning goals. Children's educational

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Organisation

progress is monitored against the system of stepping stones and the pre-schools own monitoring system. However, evaluation of the daily focus activity is less effective in highlighting points for future planning. Staff induction is effective with ongoing training

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 needs highlighted. Regular staff meetings ensure that all staff are able to contribute positively to future planning and development. Policies and procedures have been developed to ensure the smooth and consistent operation of the childcare. Regular reflection and excellent self-assessment of practice ensures the care remains of high quality and exceptionally well organised. New ideas are explored and implemented to promote the welfare, care and learning of the children through staff attendance at training. Comprehensive documentation contributes to children's health, safety and well-being. It meets all requirements of registration. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Input is welcomed from the Local Authority to improve and refine methods

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Organisation

employed in the care and education of the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the pre-school were asked to produce and implement a written procedure to be followed in the event of a child being lost and to provide sufficient and suitable hand washing facilities in order to prevent the spread of infection, having taken the advice from the Environmental Health Department. In addition, they were asked to create an environment which is rich in print and numerals and encourages curiosity, investigation and imagination. Finally, they were asked to provide additional opportunities for children to make marks or write and record numbers. The pre-school has made good progress in relation to these requests. A clear written procedure relating to a child being lost is now in place and displayed for parents to see. Advice was sought regarding hand washing facilities. Children have access to running water and soap for hand washing and individual towels, supplied and laundered by parents, for hand drying. Hand washing routines are well established to

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Improvements since the last inspection

promote children's good health. The pre-school offers a bright, welcoming, text rich environment for children. Resources and displays are clearly labelled to extend children's awareness of the written word. Numerals are available for children's use as part of their play activities and as colourful wall displays. Children are encouraged to explore, observe and investigate within the playroom and outdoor areas. Resources to aid investigation are easily accessible to children. For example, magnifying glasses to look closely at tadpoles and leaves. Children benefit from many opportunities to develop their imagination and creativity through role-play, art-and-craft and music. Children are encouraged to make marks and write numerals as they play. The writing area is a popular play venue and the use of clipboards during outdoor play promotes writing for many purposes. For example, children keep a tally chart of play on outdoor equipment and record scores during a game.

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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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Complaints 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

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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): • develop strategies and routines to encourage children to listen to others.

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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): • encourage independent recording of investigations and observations • monitor children's play to ensure they access a full and varied curriculum as they play. In addition, ensure that daily aims are clearly linked to the stepping stones and evaluated to highlight points to be brought forward to 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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