Chacombe Preschool Group

Chacombe Preschool Group

Inspection report for early years provision

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Chacombe Preschool Group

Unique Reference Number EY306923 Inspection date 16 May 2006 Inspector Brenda Turner

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Chacombe Preschool Group

Setting Address Chacombe C of E Aided School, 37 Thorpe Road, Chacombe, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX17 2JA Telephone number 01295 710835 E-mail head@chacombe-ce.northants-ecl-gov.uk Registered person Chacombe Pre-school Group Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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Chacombe Preschool Group

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?

Chacombe Preschool Group is managed by a committee who are directors of Chacombe Pre-School Limited. It opened in 2005 and operates from a mobile classroom within the grounds of Chacombe School in the extreme south of Northamptonshire on the Oxfordshire border. There are currently 22 children from two years to under five years on roll. This includes 13 funded three-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The

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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 setting supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. A maximum of 20 children may attend the setting at any one time. The setting is open each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday during school term time from 8.50 to 11.50. A lunch-time session is available from 11.50 until 12.45 for children who bring their own packed lunches. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. Three part-time staff work with the children. Two staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are protected from infection and are well taken care of if they have an accident or become ill because practitioners follow current and appropriate environmental health and hygiene guidelines, policies and procedures. For example, staff respond appropriately to accidents. This is because they are trained to administer first aid and follow the required policies and procedures. However, children's health is not fully protected as written permission is not requested from parents to seek any emergency medical advice or treatment. Children learn to understand simple good health and hygiene practices. An example of this is a wall display shows children the sequence to follow at snack time. Children find their name place it on the table by a chair to secure their place. They wash their hands and return, take a plate and serve themselves to fresh fruit and a drink of their

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Helping children to be healthy

choice. Children are well nourished and have their health and dietary needs appropriately met because practitioners work well with parents. Any special dietary needs are recorded to protect children who may have an allergy to certain foods. Children learn about healthy living. They take part and enjoy regular physical activity both indoors and outdoors. For example, after listening and joining in with the ‘Hungry Caterpillar ‘story they slither like a caterpillar or walk with giant steps and hop on one leg then on the other. They routinely use the outdoor play area in good weather. Children operate equipment effectively by peddling, pushing and scooting along. Part of the school playground is cordoned off when the pre-school children play outdoors. This ensures that children do not wander away from the designated area.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are generally well cared for in a welcoming, secure and safe indoor and

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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 outdoor environment that is suitable for purpose and risk assessed. The premises are warm and welcoming, the walls are brightly decorated with children’s paintings, drawings and posters. Good security of the building and outdoor areas means that children are protected. Children have good access to a suitable range of age-appropriate safe equipment. They move freely in and around the setting between activities and other children who are playing at floor level. A well-equipped home corner and a good range of inviting dressing up clothes help children to develop their imaginative play ideas. Storage trays and boxes are clearly marked and accessible to aid children's choice. Tidying up is made easier for young children as pictures and labels on trays and boxes indicate where particular items belong.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s safety is well promoted because the registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents. Regular safety checks are carried out on the building. The fire evacuation procedure is clearly displayed. Fire drills are routinely practised and recorded. Children learn to keep themselves safe because the setting encourages the children to begin to understand about safety issues indoors and out. For example, a member of staff asks a child to help to tidy up for safety reasons. He replies 'yes I keep falling over things on the floor.' He willingly helps and carefully puts a number of small cars into a sectioned container. His achievement is acknowledged and praised by the member of staff as a job well done. Children are further safeguarded because staff understand their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are confident, independent and develop their self-esteem. They are interested in what they do. They use their initiative and respond to new challenges by asking questions, for example, about the tadpoles in the tank . Most children have their individual needs met and are developing a satisfactory range of knowledge and skills. However, the deployment of staff and overall planning does not fully support the outcomes for two-year-old children. All children are happy and settled. They begin to distinguish between right and wrong and form positive relationships with one another and with staff who know the children well. Nursery education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children enjoy and confidently join in with well-known stories and rhymes. They have favourite books and stories which they share with one another. Some children bring in reference books linked to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their interest in a topic such as how a tadpole develops into a frog. With adult support they learn to care for and repair well-used books. They measure the sticky tape to find the correct length and identify when it is too long or too short. Children talk freely about their home and interests. One child enthusiastically describes in great detail his

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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 holiday in a caravan. Children manipulate scissors with increasing control cutting carefully around a circle shape. Others begin to form recognisable letters as they write their names. Children concentrate well and enjoy painting pictures, for example, for members of their family. They correctly identify a range of bright and pastel colours and begin to talk about the shape of everyday objects. For instance, a child clearly explains 'this is a ball, it's a circle and it rolls.' Some children recognise numerals one to five and match colours, geometric shapes and numbers correctly. Children concentrate and persevere, for example, to successfully complete a floor puzzle. They play cooperatively together and share and take turns. Key staff do not have a secure knowledge of all aspects of the Foundation Stage. As

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

a result the planning, observation and assessment information are not used fully to promote children’s progress. Appropriate support for this new provision is provided by the early years teacher and the local authority team. Suitable teaching strategies are shared and adopted by staff. They work alongside the children for most of the time and build easy trusting relationships. Staff provide a variety of worthwhile, first hand play activities some of which link to topics, for example, like the weather or characters in a book. These include interesting, new experiences and learning opportunities such as play dough, painting, water and sand play, construction and imaginative play situations in a happy child-centred environment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for by the staff who work co-operatively with parents to meet individual children’s needs and ensure they are included fully in the life of the setting. Training needs are identified and all staff are given opportunities to increase their knowledge and understanding of disability, special educational needs and inclusive practice. All reasonable physical adaptations are implemented. For example, there is a ramp with a rail at the main entrance. The pre-school room, facilities and outdoor area are on one level. A comprehensive policy is in place which details how the setting will provide for children with special needs. Children feel a sense of belonging. They make choices, take decisions and work harmoniously together. This promotes the development of children’s self-esteem and fosters their respect for others. They become aware of their own needs and the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

needs of others. Children's spiritual, moral and social and cultural development is fostered. For example, they begin to distinguish between right and wrong and form positive relationships with one another. Children begin to learn about the wider world because the staff provide displays, activities and resources that show positive images of people from different cultures and varying abilities. For instance, they enjoy making cards and finding out about the Muslim festival of Eid. This helps children to learn about and respect people whose culture is different from their own. Partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. There are regular opportunities

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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 for communication with parents at the end of the session. Children are escorted by key staff through the school building to meet parents at the main entrance. An informative newsletter is provided for parents every term. A detailed prospectus including information about the Foundation Stage is given to new parents and arrangements are made for them to visit and look around the setting. Parents are actively encouraged to help alongside staff in the pre-school and their contribution is valued. Parents are informed through the setting’s complaints procedure how to express any concerns.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Sound recruitment and vetting procedures ensure children are well protected and cared for. There is a full range of effective policies and procedures that further promote children’s welfare. These are regularly reviewed, updated and shared with parents. Staff have a high regard for the well-being of the children and record keeping systems are used properly to meet children's needs. Confidentiality is maintained and all records are stored securely. Overall children’s needs are met. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The registered provider ensures that staff are appropriately qualified and receive the required training. Appropriate aims and expectations and a commitment to continual improvement support children in having a positive attitude to learning. The professional development of staff is well supported. Regular daily contact is maintained between the nominated person and

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Organisation

key staff. Suitable teaching strategies are shared and adopted by staff. Appropriate support is provided by the early years teacher and the local authority early years team. The setting is suitably aware of the areas in need of improvement to fully support children's progress and achievement. There are close links with the school. The pre-school children have regular contact with the reception class teacher. This helps them gain confidence and become familiar with school life.

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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 registration.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • request written permission from parents to seek any necessary medical advice or treatment. • ensure that staff deployment meets the needs of children age 2 years • improve the outcomes for children under three by using an approach in line with the 'Birth to Three matters'

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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): • develop the staff's knowledge of the Foundation Stage to enable them to help children take the next steps in their learning • develop planning to show clear learning intentions based on observation and evaluation of what children can do.

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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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