Bagshot Community Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 24 Feb 2006

Bagshot Community Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bagshot Community Pre-School

Unique Reference Number EY306962 Inspection date 24 February 2006 Inspector Deborah Jaqueline Newbury

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Bagshot Community Pre-School

Setting Address Room 8, Bagshot School, School Lane, Bagshot, Surrey, GU19 5BP Telephone number 01276 452623

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E-mail

Registered person Bagshot Community Pre-School Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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?

Bagshot Community Pre-school opened in 1982 and moved to its current premises at Bagshot School in Bagshot, Surrey in 2005. The pre-school is a committee run group, whose members comprise of parents of children attending the provision. The pre-school serves families from the local community. Children are accommodated in a detached building on the school site. There are suitable toilet and kitchen facilities available. Children have use of the school

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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 playground at agreed times when it is not being used by the school. The pre-school is registered to care for a maximum of 21 children from 2 to under 5 years of age any one time. There are currently 43 children between the ages of two and a half to four years on roll. Of these, 34 receive nursery education funding. The setting has systems in place to support children with special needs and those who speak English as an additional language. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday term time only from 08.55 - 12.10 for children aged 3 to under 5 years of age and from 12.40 - 15.30 Monday to Wednesday for younger children. There are six members of staff who work with the children. Of these, five hold recognised early years qualifications. There is one member of staff who is currently

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

attending a relevant training course. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are accommodated in clean, well-maintained premises. They stay healthy because practitioners implement effective procedures to promote good levels of hygiene and to minimise the spread of infection. Well established daily routines, for example, those prior to snack and lunch time, increase children’s understanding of the importance of washing their hands to maintain good health. They talk with confidence about the reasons why they need to do this. Children’s health and dietary needs are met because practitioners work closely with parents and carers to ensure they have a sound knowledge of individual needs. Children can help themselves to drinking water at all times and they have a choice of drinks and different food items at snack time. Children's awareness of the importance of healthy eating is further promoted as they regularly participate in planned activities where they taste different fruits and as they help to prepare vegetables for a stir-fry

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Helping children to be healthy

which they eat whilst they are at pre-school. Children who stay for lunch bring this from home. Parents are provided with information about the types of food that they should avoid, both on grounds of suitability and because of any allergies that children attending the setting may have. Children practise and develop their social skills and independence at these times. They sit and eat together and staff encourage them to pour their own drinks and manage their lunch boxes as far as possible by themselves. Good attention to detail, such as providing children with small jugs of liquid that they can easily control and seeking parents' support in wrapping food in ways that children can open without assistance, means that these tasks are more easily achievable by everyone. Thus, their confidence and self-esteem grows and they gain a healthy sense of independence. Children spend time outside in the fresh air most days. They wrap up warm in the

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 cold weather and participate in a varied range of activities that allow them to explore different ways of using their bodies. Children enjoy jumping, balancing, hopping, and moving backwards. Staff utilise the different learning aids painted on the school playground to good effect at these times to encourage children to practise and develop skills. For example, they invite children to stand on the different squares of the alphabet snake that corresponds with the first letter of their name and they then count the number of children present whose name begins with particular letters of the alphabet. Currently, the pre-school does not have access to an extensive range of outdoor play equipment, such as wheeled toys, but outdoor play and learning is an area that has been identified as an area for development and this is being

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are accommodated in a self-contained building that is in a good state of repair and decoration, with good levels of natural light. The display of some examples of children's artwork, together with other pictures and posters helps to create a warm and welcoming environment for everyone. Children move around freely and safely. They explore safe, clean play materials that are of good quality and which support all areas of development. Staff regularly check items to make sure there are no broken parts that could harm children. They also take steps to ensure that children only have access to suitable resources for their ages and stages of development. Children's safety receives good attention because staff have a clear understanding of safety issues. They supervise children closely and take positive steps to minimise the risk of accidental injury inside and outdoors through their use of risk assessment and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

daily safety checks. There are effective security procedures and fire safety precautions in place. Children learn how to keep themselves safe and to reduce the possibility of injury because staff explain and guide them. They make use of situations that arise, for instance, as they remind children about the importance of tucking their chairs in under the table, when they have finished their snack, to avoid the possibility of other children tripping. Children are protected because staff are secure in their understanding of child protection issues. There is a detailed policy in place and staff have easy access to relevant supporting information, including contact numbers for Social Services. Most members of the staff team have recently updated their knowledge by attending training. However, whilst there are good systems in place to ensure that the whole staff team is aware of any incident of existing injury so that they can monitor children,

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

staff do not always keep a written record of all injuries that are reported to them. This could impact adversely on children's welfare. Parents are informed of the pre-school's responsibility with regard to child protection.

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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 Pre-school sessions are arranged to cater for children of different ages with the youngest children attending in the afternoon and older children during the morning. This approach means that staff can tailor sessions to meet the differing needs of the two groups of children. The focus of afternoon sessions is to help children separate from parents and build on their personal and social skills as they play with others and learn to share. Staff work in partnership with parents to help children settle into the group. They are developing their awareness of the Birth to three framework of good practice through training although they have not yet introduced this into the pre-school to support their work with children under 3. Morning sessions are organised to include opportunities for child initiated play, adult

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

directed activities, small and large group times, and physical play. Children are happy and well-settled in the lively, friendly atmosphere of the pre-school. They enter confidently, separate easily from their parents and carers, and make themselves at home as they decide what they want to do. Staff set the scene for children as they explain what is available that day and make suggestions for things children might like to do. Those members of staff conducting specific activities also tell children about these. This arrangement means that children are well informed. They are secure in their relationships with the staff looking after them. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and children's learning is good. Children progress well because staff have a secure understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. They are very clear about what they want children to achieve from the activities on offer and make good use of questioning to encourage children to think and to test their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

understanding. Planning, evaluation, observation, and assessment procedures are effective. All children have a keyworker who is responsible for maintaining children's records. Staff conduct children's conferences where they talk to children about their likes and dislikes and they set individual targets for the next steps in their learning. Children relate positively to one another and to the adults caring for them. They have the confidence to approach staff to express their needs and they engage in co-operative play, often for sustained periods. Children clearly enjoy their time at pre-school, they remain well-occupied and concentrate well to complete chosen tasks. However, their ability to freely and independently select their own choice of tools and some resources to further enhance existing provision is somewhat restricted; staff are aware of this. Children behave very well in response to the high

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

expectations of staff and they receive consistent support and meaningful praise which encourages them to be increasingly independent and learn what they can do. Children are becoming confident communicators because staff encourage and extend children's language as they chat to them and introduce new vocabulary. Children enjoy stories and opt to spend time looking at the very good range of books available to them, these include both fiction and non-fiction items. They sit quietly at whole group times and listen carefully to instructions. Children handle pens and pencils competently. Some children write their names independently using correctly formed letters, although they do not always have sufficient opportunity to practise these skills as there is a lack of consistency between all members of staff to encourage this. Good use of labelling helps children understand that print carries

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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 meaning. Children recognise their written names as they look for their name cards at snack time and search for their tray to place work in that they wish to take home. Children are beginning to link sounds and letters, with some showing awareness of rhyming words. They recognise some letter shapes, in particular those that are especially important to them, such as their names. Children explore mathematics in a variety of ways. They count confidently and practise their problem-solving skills at different times throughout the session, for instance, as they count the number of children present, and as they join in with number rhymes. They use appropriate language to describe size and position and consolidate their understanding as they participate in practical activities, for example,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

assembling different pieces of card and other items to create a clock to illustrate the nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock. They name shapes and recognise and name colours, and talk about these in terms of shade. Children move with good levels of co-ordination and spatial awareness, inside and outdoors. They develop their manipulative skills as they competently handle the tools available to them and build with constructions toys. Children experience activities that enable them to explore and investigate and use their senses, such as cooking, growing bulbs and smelling different products that contain lavender. They discuss the weather and show interest in the fact that it is snowing. Children find out about other cultures and beliefs through planned activities throughout the year. Children use their imaginations as they play with the fantasy cube, small world toys, and explore the well-resourced "garden centre" role-play area. Good attention to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

detail in terms of presentation and provision of associated resources enhances children's play greatly. They use money as they "buy and sell" a variety of authentic items, such as flower pots, gardening gloves and packets of seeds, and the flowers that they have made. Items are priced and children identify the written numerals. Staff join in with and extend children's play. They model appropriate language, and add to children's knowledge as they draw their attention to the pictures of different vegetables on seed packets and tell them what they are and offer correct terms for different items.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are polite and behave very well. They develop good levels of self-esteem and a positive self-image as staff use praise and encouragement effectively as a means of celebrating children's good behaviour and their achievements. Children are keen to show staff their creations, knowing that they will be interested. Children learn about taking turns and sharing through the positive input of staff and their good use of explanation. Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered. Staff help children understand what is expected of them and they encourage a sense of care and concern for others, and for the resources children play with. For instance, they enquire whether children are ready to listen and explain that they need to be very careful if they playing with the flowers that everyone has made. Children have access to a variety of resources that reflect positive images and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

different aspects of social diversity. They are treated as individuals and with equal

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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 concern. Staff provide them with reassurance and cuddles as necessary. There are effective procedures in place to support children with special needs and English as an additional language. Pre-school staff work in partnership with parents and outside agencies as necessary to meet children's individual needs. Children benefit because the partnership between parents and carers and staff is good. Parents receive information about the setting via a comprehensive handbook, together with informative newsletters about what children will be doing. Those parents whose children are in receipt of nursery education funding also receive detailed information about the Foundation Stage curriculum. Parents are encouraged to share their knowledge about their children and they can view their progress

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Helping children make a positive contribution

records as and when they wish because staff keep these in children's trays which are easily accessible. The pre-school is currently organising meetings between parents and their child's keyworker to discuss children's progress and achievements. Relationships between parents and keyworkers are friendly. Parents have good opportunities to be involved in the life of the pre-school and to share in their children's learning, for example, by joining the committee, assisting during a session or by helping their children find things to bring in that link to the current theme.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Children are comfortable and at ease, both within the pre-school environment and with the adults who care for them. They benefit from effective organisation which means that sessions are well paced with good use of time. For instance, staff make good use of those occasions when children have to wait, such as when they take turns to go and wash their hands before snack time. Children are invited to sing; they are eager to do this and many have the confidence to sing by themselves. Staff encourage those children who start talking at this time, to listen and thus, help them learn respect for others. There are suitable recruitment, vetting, induction and appraisal systems in place to ensure that children are cared for by adults who are vetted and who have relevant experience, knowledge, and skills. The pre-school is aware of the recent changes to

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Organisation

the National Standards with regard to ensuring suitability and is developing existing procedures to incorporate these. Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities and they work together well as a team. There is a positive attitude towards ongoing training and professional development. Leadership and management are good. There are well established links between the committee and staff with everyone working together for the benefit of children. There is a clear commitment to improve the quality of care and education for everyone through a reflective approach. This is demonstrated, for example, through the setting's plans to further develop opportunities for outside play and learning and current re-assessment of the existing layout of some areas of the room with a view to improving children's access to some resources.

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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 Required documentation and other records which contribute to the health, safety, and welfare of children within the setting are maintained to a mostly good standard overall. Written policies and procedures underpin practice and ensure that parents are informed of different aspects of the pre-school provision, although the setting's written complaints procedure has not yet been expanded to take account of the recent revisions to the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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): • consolidate the health care records of children attending the setting by keeping a written record of all incidents of existing injuries and further expand the written complaints procedure to include details of the time-scale involved for investigating concerns or complaints.

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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): • investigate ways of providing further opportunities for children to independently select tools and other resources and media to enhance the

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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 range of activities on offer to them and provide more opportunities for those children who show interest in writing their names to do so.

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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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