Brington & Whilton Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 12 May 2006

Brington & Whilton Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Brington & Whilton Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 219932 Inspection date 12 May 2006 Inspector Elizabeth Culley

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Brington & Whilton Pre-School

Setting Address Whilton Village Hall, Whilton, Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 2QP Telephone number 07762 631066

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E-mail

Registered person Brington and Whilton Playgroup 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Brington and Whilton Pre-School opened in 1980. It operates from the village hall in Whilton, Northamptonshire. The pre-school serves the local area. There are currently 14 children on roll. This includes one funded three-year-old and nine funded four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are no children currently attending with special educational needs, or children who speak English as an additional language.

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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 The pre-school opens three days a week during school term time. Sessions are from 9:30 to 12:00 on Mondays and Fridays and from 09:30 to 13:00 on Wednesdays. There are four members of staff, two of whom have Early Years qualifications or are working towards them. The setting receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's health and well-being is promoted by caring staff. They are able to play and learn in clean and well maintained premises. Children learn about hygiene in their daily routines. Older children independently wash their hands before eating and after visiting the toilet whilst younger children are supported by staff. Children receive comfort and care from trained first aiders if they have an accident or feel unwell. They develop their physical skills during regular exercise indoors. Children are learning to recognise differences in their growth patterns as they weigh and measure each other. They learn about balance and control as they develop their spatial awareness through dance and movement to music. Children are taken for regular walks in the village where they benefit from fresh air. They are protected form the harmful effects of the sun by wearing hats and using some cream during outdoor activities.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing a sound understanding of healthy eating. They enjoy nutritious snacks which include fresh fruit, savoury foods and fresh drinking water. Children enjoy cooking and have opportunities to taste foods from a variety of cultures. Children's specific dietary needs are agreed with parents at induction, therefore, their individual needs are met.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a mostly safe and secure environment. They have opportunities to relax, play and learn in a child friendly and welcoming environment. Children use suitable toys and resources that promote their learning and development. The resources are well organised to enable children to independently choose their activities and move freely around the room. Children's personal safety is not always promoted effectively as staff do not always take active steps to prevent accidents or recognise the need to carry out risk assessments, for example, small toys were left on the floor throughout the session. Children regularly practise emergency evacuation procedures and are able to explain how they respond to the whistle and go to the fire gate. Children are protected from potential harm. Staff have an appropriate knowledge of the local authority guidelines for protecting children from abuse and procedures are in

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy, settled and enjoy their time in the pre-school. They have good relationships with staff who know them well. Children develop good social skills as they play together and learn to share and respect one another. Children’s self–esteem is promoted. They select resources and choose which activities to become involved in. Children are involved in making decisions about what is acceptable behaviour in pre-school and staff use puppets to talk about their feelings. Staff have not yet implemented 'Birth to three matters' guidance to promote the outcomes for children under 3 years. For example, activities do not always meet the needs of younger children and they struggle to concentrate in circle time and group activities. Children are encouraged to be helpful to others. They participate in the daily routines and help put toys away. Younger children are developing their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

independence. They are supported by adults as they learn to spread with knives and are encouraged to dress themselves. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The staff have a generally secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage, the stepping stones and how children learn. This enables them to plan a broad range of practical activities that relate to children’s interests. Plans clearly show the learning intentions for children who are making steady progress towards their early learning goals. Staff use observations and assessments to monitor children’s progress. They, however, do not always sufficiently evaluate to plan the next steps and build on what the older and more able children can achieve in some areas of their learning, for example, older children ware not supported to take supervised risks during physical activities. Staff use a variety of teaching methods to promote children’s learning. They talk and listen to children, join

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

child initiated activities in order to extend their ideas. At times children lack concentration and do not always join in activities. The room is fairly well organised and staff make good use of the indoor space. Children enjoy good relationships with staff and confidently separate from their carers. They feel valued and their self-esteem is promoted as they share their experiences in circle time, such as learning to ride a bike without stabilisers during the holidays. Older children support younger ones by sharing and taking turns. They explain that we have to share toys as they belong to the pre-school. Children are learning right from wrong and show a positive attitude to others by saying please and thank you. They play well together and initiate their own group activities, for example, they plan to knock down and rebuild the pre-school room using the construction tools during role play. Children are making good progress in their speech and language. They communicate

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

effectively with staff and respond well to open ended questions as they talk about the bees in the garden. Children choose books for pleasure and invite staff to read their favourite stories. Younger children are learning to recognise letters, whilst older children are able to recognise and write their own names. Children are gaining a

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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 secure understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts in their daily activities such as using computers to add and take away. Older children confidently clap and count up to number 13. The well presented displays of children’s activities show how they are developing their knowledge of colour and shape. They enjoy using a variety of media to explore the properties of different textures such as sand and corn flour. Children are developing their knowledge and understanding of the natural world through themed activities such as the weather. They enjoy making windsocks and talking about working mills. Children are learning about both their local and wider communities, for example, photographs show children enjoying a visit to a neighbouring farm. They learn about different cultures and lifestyles as they create

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

various types of dwellings, for example, shanty houses and boat houses. Children develop their small muscles by manipulating different tools, for example, they use rollers and different shaped cutters with play dough, paint pictures and use scissors to cut shapes for their displays. They have regular opportunities to use their large muscles as they climb the climbing frame and through musical activities. Children have opportunities to explore healthy eating at snack time. They discuss why they eat fresh fruit and savoury foods. Children are able to spread their own snacks and develop a sense of achievement which promotes their self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are learning to value and respect others as they learn to share and take turns. They have some opportunities to develop their knowledge of other cultures through planned activities, however, there are few resources to reflect the diversity of society and fully promote children's understanding. Children with special needs are supported effectively. There is good liaison with parents to ensure children's specific needs are met. Overall children generally behave. They contribute to setting the rules, receive rewards for good behaviour and being helpful. However, staff do not always effectively manage younger children's behaviour, resulting in children sometimes lacking concentration and being restless throughout group activities. Parents receive good quality information about the setting, policies and pre-school routines. The effective sharing of information enables them to get fully involved in the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

setting and their children feel secure. Children's spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is fostered. The Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents receive useful information about the Foundation Stage and the activities their children are involved in. A shared book scheme encourages parents to become involved in their children's learning. Development records are shared with parents regularly during parent's evenings and they have good opportunities to contribute to them. This enables parents to support children's learning and development at home.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children’s welfare is promoted by experienced staff and a suitably qualified

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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 supervisor. Policies, procedures and documentation are in place to ensure standards are maintained and the individual needs of children are met. There is, however, no written policy for dealing with lost children and procedures for notifying accidents are not in place, therefore, this potentially compromises children's safety. Children are supported by a high ratio of staff to children and they have their own identified key worker therefore their development is nurtured. The play area is generally well organised and the suitable resources provided ensures the developmental needs of all children are met and they make progress. The leadership and management is satisfactory. The welfare, care and learning of all children is generally successful as the supervisor has a recognised child care

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Organisation

qualification. All staff are committed to updating their knowledge by continuing to attend courses for example “Active kids” to promote children’s physical development and National Vocational Qualification level 2 in childcare and education. Appropriate recruitment and induction procedures are in place for new staff. Although there are some systems in place, the use of evaluation is not sufficiently developed, to show clearly how successful the quality of teaching has been in promoting children’s learning. Overall the needs of the range of children are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the group were asked to update their records, policies and procedures and improve security. Systems are now in place for dealing with child protection, special education needs and the recording of children and staff attendance. Security has been addressed and outside doors are kept locked. Children's welfare, therefore, has been further promoted.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to develop the management of children's behaviour to improve opportunities for learning • ensure a daily risk assessment is carried out to promote children's safety and minimise risks • improve the outcomes for children from birth to three by using an approach in line with 'Birth to Three Matters' framework • ensure children have access to range of resources which promote equality of opportunity and reflect the diversity of society • develop policies and procedures so that they are consistent with current legislation and guidance on dealing with lost children and notification of accidents.

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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): • continue to develop the use of evaluation in order to monitor the quality of teaching and children's learning • plan and provide a suitable range of activities that challenge older and more able children in their physical development.

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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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