Perranporth Pre-School

Perranporth Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Perranporth Pre-School

Unique Reference Number EY258057 Inspection date 23 May 2006 Inspector Heather Tanswell

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Perranporth Pre-School

Setting Address Perranporth Primary School, Liskey Hill, Perranporth, Cornwall, TR6 0EU Telephone number 01872 572021

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E-mail

Registered person Perranporth 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 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?

Perranporth Pre-School is a well established committee run group. It moved to the Skylark Room in Perranporth Community Primary School in 2003. A maximum of twenty children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 09:00 and 15:00. Nursery education sessions are from 09:00 until 11:30 and from 12:30 until 15:00 during term times only. All children share access to a secure enclosed play area.

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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 There are currently 31 children from two to four years on roll. Of these, 21 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local area. The setting currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting employs five staff. Four of the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ Level 2 or 3. One member of staff is currently working towards a qualification. The setting receives support from an advisory teacher from the Local Authority Family Services and the Pre-school Learning Alliance(PLA).

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for on premises with satisfactory standards of hygiene. Children are protected from cross infection as staff clear away and wipe tables carefully before meal times. School cleaners go through the premises once a day. However, the lack of effective monitoring of cleaning routines means that some areas are stained and grubby. Children know how to keep themselves clean. They independently take themselves to the toilet, wash and dry their own hands at appropriate times, but as they share a bowl of water their health is put at risk. Tissues are readily available and children know when to wipe their nose and know to dispose of tissues appropriately. Children thrive on the healthy snacks available to them. Each day parents supply one piece of fruit, which is shared with the group. Mid-morning children tuck into segments of orange, apple and banana in sufficient qualities to meet their growing

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Helping children to be healthy

needs. Children eat in their own time in social groups accompanied by an adult who reminds children to be well mannered, by saying please and thank you. Children talk about the taste of the foods they eat and learn to discriminate which foods are good for them though planned activities. Parents are reminded what foods are suitable for packed lunches. No cold storage is available so parents supply lunch boxes with ice packs inside to ensure foods stay fresh. Children take part in daily vigorous exercise to develop their physical skills and strength. In fine weather, children learn and play out in the fresh air. Children go on walks in the surrounding countryside to develop their strength and stamina. Children climb, slide, scramble and ride about on good quality play equipment in the playground. Children use a range of tools to refine their skills. They cut paper with scissors, use pencils to draw and write notes, and spread glue within a

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children move about the setting freely and safely. Staff lay out the room very carefully to create areas for different types of play, both indoors and outside. This makes the setting welcoming and encourages children to learn how to manoeuvre

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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 safely and confidently about between the rooms and outside play areas. Detailed risk assessments are updated regularly to identify and manage dangers to children and adults. However, safety checks on the outside premises are not rigorous. Brambles overhanging the boundary fence and prickly plants close to the climbing equipment pose a hazard to children's safety. Locked doors and gates keep children secure at all times. Children use a safe range of toys and equipment appropriate for their age and stage of development. Some resources are stored in low-level storage units. Children show a good understanding of rules relating to safety, such as which areas of the large playground and equipment they can use. They use tools like scissors safely, carefully and with confidence.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded from harm because staff understand and implement the settings child protection policy. Staff attend training to update their knowledge and know what to do if they suspect a child is at risk. Access by most visitors to the premises is monitored. Some school staff are not asked to sign in, which compromises safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are mostly settled and happy. They arrive keen to be at the setting and know the daily routines well. Routines vary in pace with times to be active and relax. Children particularly enjoy the registration get together where activities are introduced to them so they can choose what to do. Good use is made of the outside play area to ensure children can play and learn in wide-open spaces with the freedom to be more active. As a result, children are confident outdoors and learn to appreciate the beauty around them in nature and their environment. Most children listen quietly at circle times and wait their turn to speak up and share items of interest brought in from home. Children's participation is promoted through a balance of adult led and child initiated activities. Children are enthusiastic about the wide range of planned activities on offer. Children enjoy building train tracks, listening to stories, dressing up and acting

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

out their own scenarios, singing and dancing, manipulating dough, drawing, climbing and riding on bikes. Children make representations of living things, for example, leaf rubbings and pictures of birds following outings into the local countryside around the setting. Children who find it difficult to co-operate and listen are not always included in large group activities. This means they miss some learning opportunities, which are important for their development, for example, sitting in on an activity with the teacher from the school who visits and presents an activity to get to know the children before entry to school. Staff work together to plan and organise activities to a theme. To support a topic on 'living things' children take leaf rubbings, listen and join in with stories about birdlife, and make pictures of owls and penguins. Toys are brought out for use on a rota basis. Children have time to explore the range of resources put out ready for them,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

but rarely make use of materials for their own ends, because many tools and creative

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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 resources are stored out of their reach. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Practitioners have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage, and, how young children learn and progress through hands on experiences that cover all areas of learning. Relationships are well established and practitioners generally manage children's behaviour appropriately. Staff provide a secure environment, which reflects the background of the rural, seaside community. Activities cover all the areas of learning and most meet the needs of individual children. However, children are not always encouraged to use their imagination. Many creative activities are adult led to a pre-determined result. Assessments and the information gathered are satisfactory, but sometimes

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

inconsistent or not used effectively to plan next steps for individual children. Staff do not use the information they have recorded to identify gaps in learning and influence the planning of future activities to meet the needs of individual children. Assessments are not shared with all parents to keep them fully informed and included in their child's learning. Children are making progress toward the early learning goals. They play independently and often form small groups of their own to complete a task or game without need for the support of an adult. Opportunities for children to become independent learners are sometimes limited because access to resources to use for their own ends is limited. Children are not expected to prepare and serve snack. Children are not encouraged to predict and learn from their mistakes, for example, by guessing how many plates they need at snack time then working out if they have the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

right number. As a result, children do not learn the language of maths and how to calculate or compare numbers. Children enjoy stories and ask relevant questions. Children's vocabulary grows and their knowledge of how the things work improves. Children know some phonic sounds and use these sounds to recognise rhyming words. Children are adept users of pencils and scissors but they are not encouraged to use the skills they gain at planned activities in meaningful ways, for example through labelling their own work. Children take responsibility for some personal care routines, for example, toileting, hand washing and nose wiping. Children concentrate well at activities that interest them and particularly enjoy following instructions in action rhymes and games. Children learn to be well mannered, saying please and thank you at meal times. They seek out the company of others, inviting them to be part of their games. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

prepare a picnic in role-play, and then bring it out to share. Children share and take turns as they pass round a plate of fruit at snack time and take one piece at a time to make sure there is enough for everyone. Children are very good at using numbers to count and label items from one to ten, because staff make effective use of the number line. Registration is used to help some children recognise their own names but at snack time, only the picture cards are used. As a result, children are recognising the symbol not the word. Children are not encouraged to read the labels on drawers and displays about the setting to develop and extend their pre-reading skills. Children enjoy sensory experiences such as playing in water and sand. They are adept users of computers and confidently work their way through suitable programmes that help them learn how to count, match and sort items to a range 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 criteria.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are confident in the relaxed atmosphere and most behave very well. Staff promote positive behaviour through praise and encouragement. Children who behave particularly well receive a sticker as a reward for their efforts and co-operation. Children know the daily routines well, greet each other, help tidy away and say a fond goodbye prompted by a simple rhyme they enjoy singing with staff. Staff are good role models most of the time, showing care and concern. Sometimes staff wait too long before they ask for support to manage difficult situations, which leads to occasional inconsistencies in the way they manage some children's behaviour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children take part in activities that help them feel part of their own and the wider community they live in. They handle small world toys and look at books that reflect positive images of other cultures. Planned activities throughout the year ensure children learn about festivals from their own and other cultures. Children do not handle resources that show positive images of people with disabilities to help them understand the needs of others. Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Detailed information about the management of the setting helps parents understand and value how it is managed. Parents are welcome into the setting, often stay to help and sit on the committee. Regular newsletters and informal feedback keeps most parents up to date with their child's activities. Children's' care needs and personal information is not always fully recorded

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Helping children make a positive contribution

on enrolment. Some parents do not take up the offer of a one-to-one meeting with staff to discuss their child's progress, which means they play little part in their child's education and are not helping to set individual targets for development. Well-written and presented newsletters keep them up to date with events such as fund raising activities, requests for resources and extra help needed on outings. The setting operates a messages book to ensure important information is shared and recorded, such as who is to take a child home that day.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are well cared for by suitably qualified and experienced staff. Staff update their knowledge and skills by taking part in short courses. Staff also attend local cluster meetings to share good practise with other providers. Children currently benefit from care by an established, consistent team of staff, but the systems to ensure their continuing suitability are not sufficiently robust. Regular appraisals to identify strengths and individual training needs are not carried out routinely. Personal records are stored away in locked cupboards, which maintains children's and staff

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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 confidentiality. All the policies and procedures required for the safe running of the setting are in place. Ratios are met at all times which helps children feel safe and secure and begin to develop supportive relationships. Leadership and management is satisfactory. Staff work well together to plan a broad range of experiences across all six areas of learning. They are beginning to use the Birth to three matters framework to influence the planning of activities for younger children. Staff make good use of the large group activity at the start of the day to introduce children to what is on offer and make choices from the available planned activities. The committee relies heavily on the knowledge and experience of the person in charge for leadership and guidance, and does not always fulfil their

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Organisation

management role effectively. For example, no one checks risk assessments are implemented fully or takes any action about the standards of cleanliness in some areas of the setting. As a result, children's safety and health is compromised. Staff do not set sufficient time aside to evaluate and reflect on the overall quality of the provision. They depend on monitoring visits and inspections to identify areas for improvement in the standards of care and nursery education. Staff keep detailed records of observations of children's progress toward the early learning goals. However, they do not use this information effectively to influence planning, which means that some gaps in learning are not identified and addressed. Staff are committed to inclusion and work effectively with parents and other professionals to plan strategies to meet the needs of children and families. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the setting was asked to; conduct a risk assessment on areas of the school premises used to provide additional play space identifying action(s) to be taken to minimize identified risks; develop and implement an action plan detailing how at least one member of staff with a current first aid certificate, which includes first aid for infants and young children, will be on the premises or on outings at any one time; ensure all food and drink supplied by parents is stored safely; ensure that there is a named staff member who is responsible for behaviour management issues and ensure toilets are checked for cleanliness before the beginning of each session. The provider now has detailed risk assessments covering all the play areas. However, children are still at risk from sharp overhanging plants because no action has been taken to remedy the hazard. All staff have attended paediatric first aid

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Improvements since the last inspection

training, which means children will receive appropriate care in the event of an accident. All foods provided by parents come with their own ice pack to keep meals fresh and safe. The person in charge is now responsible for behaviour management so staff know who to go to for advice and support when they need it. Toilets are checked each morning for cleanliness to ensure children are safe from cross infection. At the last nursery education inspection the provider was asked to; ensure that all staff carrying out developmental observations on children's progress understand their purpose in relation to the stepping stones towards the early learning goals and the

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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 process for using these records to plan the next steps in children's learning; provide and plan more opportunities for children to develop their mathematical understanding of measurement and comparisons by weight, and to develop basic numeral recognition and provide more opportunities for children to make independent choices from the resources available to design and construct, explore and investigate and express their creativity. Staff have attended additional training on planning and observation. Although their understanding of the stepping stones has improved, observations are not used effectively to identify and influence planning to meet individual needs for all children. Staff now plan more opportunities for children to compare size and weight. Children count and relate numbers to their numeral as they sort out the number line into the

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Improvements since the last inspection

correct order. Children have access to a range of resources on a rota basis but their choices of media and tools to express their creativity are limited by the lack of low-level storage units.

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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 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): • improve the standards of hygiene and hand washing arrangements to protect children from cross infection • remove hazardous plants from all play areas used by children • use resources that reflect positive images of disability • ensure all parents are well informed about their child's achievements and progress, and encouraged to be involved in their child's learning

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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 • make sure effective procedures are in place to monitor the standards of care and education, and ensure the continuing suitability of staff, for example, by conducting regular appraisals.

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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): • give children more freedom to; develop their own ideas using equipment and materials of their choice; gain confidence in their own creativity, and find ways of representing their own ideas • improve the planning and presentation of daily routines and activities to encourage children's independence and learning, for example, by labelling their own work, preparing snack and laying tables, predicting and counting how many plates and cups they might need • set individual targets for learning based on observations of children at play and in co-operation with parents and use these targets to influence the planning of activities and ideas for complementary learning at home.

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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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