Laneshaw Bridge Primary

Nestlings Pre School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Nestlings Pre School

Unique Reference Number 145817 Inspection date 19 July 2006 Inspector Joyce Bowler

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Nestlings Pre School

Setting Address Nestlings Pre School, Pratten Hut, School Lane, Staverton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 6NZ Telephone number 07796017703

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E-mail

Registered person Nestlings Pre-School 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 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?

Nestlings Pre-school is owned and managed by a parent run committee. It opened in 1998 and operates from Pratten Hut next to Staverton School on the edge of Trowbridge. There is a close link with the school, and the pre-school uses the school hall for some activities.

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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 Outside play is provided in the playground, the small enclosed side area and the adjoining public play park which offers fixed climbing equipment. The pre-school serves the Staverton and Hilperton areas of Trowbridge. A maximum of 20 children may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open from 09:00 to 11:30 each weekday, with afternoon sessions from 12:30 to 15:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The morning session on Wednesdays is for children aged two to three years only. Further afternoon sessions are added when required, for example a rising fives session during spring and summer. Currently there are 49 children on roll. Of these 36 children receive funding for early years education. The pre-school supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities. The

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

nursery has supported children with English as an additional language in the past although none attend currently. There are four members of staff. All have relevant childcare and early years training.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. All children in the pre-school are developing an awareness of suitable hygiene routines. They are washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet and playing outside. Children dry their hands hygienically using disposable paper towels. They learn about keeping their hair, skin and clothes clean in order to be healthy and to wash off dirt and germs. This is reinforced via planned activities such as washing dolls and dolls clothes. Children benefit from being involved in preparing tables for snack time and are able to discuss why the surfaces must be clean. Children are protected from cross infection as staff wear disposable gloves and aprons when changing nappies and cleaning up spills. Children are protected from cross contamination as staff follow the policy and procedure regarding the exclusion of sick children. Children's minor injuries are able to be treated effectively as staff hold up to date first

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Helping children to be healthy

aid qualifications. However the first aid box is not checked regularly and the inclusion of a non-prescribed medicine compromises children's health and safety. All accident and medication records and parental permissions are up to date and completed appropriately. Children demonstrate that they know why they should wear sun hats and sunscreen in hot and sunny weather however not all parents provide sunhats. Children's health is not promoted as those without hats do play outside in the hot sun, although staff limit the play time to short periods of ten minutes in these circumstances. Spare hats

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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 are not provided for health and hygiene reasons and to protect children from cross infection. Children are not able to access fresh drinking water independently during play. However they may signal that they would like a drink by sitting at the 'water table' and staff bring a drink of water or squash to them. During the session for the two year olds staff ask children if they would like a drink during the activities as well as at snack time which enables their needs to be met and encourages them to ask for drinks when thirsty. All children have choices at drink and snack time and may choose from squash or milk, fruit and biscuits. Children's needs are met as they have appropriate drinking beakers or cups according to their ability. Children's needs are met as their dietary requirements are noted on registration

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Helping children to be healthy

forms and followed by staff. Children benefit from access to a good range of resources which are used regularly to promote the development of their physical skills. Outside play is available using the hard surfaced playground, in the council owned and maintained play area with fixed equipment and in the small area at the side of the pre-school building. Staff make good use of these areas to provide a variety of play experiences which include opportunities to climb and balance, to play with sand and water, to garden and to ride on bikes and scooters. Plans for the Foundation Stage show how activities will promote physical progress in fine motor control via such activities as threading, cutting, drawing and painting. Some consumable materials for mark making and writing need replacing. Crayons and chalks are suitable for small hands however pencils and felt pens are not handled easily by all children and this does not promote

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from minimised risks of accidental injury as staff have assessed areas and activities well and taken steps to reduce them. Children are taught about safety and are able to remember what is good practice, for example, all children are able to tell staff that when they go into the play park they must not stand near the swings or go on the big slide. Children learn basic safety rules for the pre-school and are reminded not to run because they might bump into someone or fall and hurt themselves. Children have access to a safe play space that is organised into areas for specific activities, for example the floor play area allows children the chance to spread out safely when making a farm or playing with the garage and cars. They are provided with appropriate furniture, equipment and floor coverings. Effective use of storage and space means that children have the freedom to explore and play in a safe

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

environment. Security is good and all visitors are required to sign in and out. Children's safety is

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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 promoted as they are collected by named persons only who are known to the staff. The emergency evacuation procedure is in place and the fire log book shows that it is practised every two months. Children's welfare is safeguarded well by staff who have a clear understanding of child protection policies and procedures. Staff share these with parents via the notice board in the entrance hall. They know who to contact if they have concerns about a child in their care and confidential recording systems are in place.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children who are under three years old benefit from activities and play opportunities which relate to their needs and age and stage of development. Staff are familiar with the Birth to threes framework and use it to inform their practice and to plan sessions for the two year olds. Long, medium and short term plans are in place for the under threes and these show how children will be encouraged to develop as skilful communicators and competent learners. The younger group of children have access to a good range of toys, craft materials and activities which are relevant to their interests. These include play dough, water and sand play, imaginary play with small world toys and dressing up. Tools for painting and drawing are appropriate for the size of their hands and their level of manual dexterity, for example, shaving brushes are used easily for painting and short stubby crayons and chalks are provided for drawing and writing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The sessions of two hours duration for the under threes are organised well with children having access to free play and group activities. Staff interact very well with the children and offer them the chance to join in if they feel ready but also allow them the freedom to flit from one thing to another as they become familiar with their surroundings and everything that is on offer. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of child development in their sensitive approach to each child. Individual children benefit from sessions which are very much in their control. Staff know when to invite a child to join in or to try something new and when to let them just stand and watch. Children are allowed to bring in things from home which they may carry or store in their own named basket. This helps them to move between home and the pre-school happily and to settle in well. The sessions for the two year old children are encouraging them

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to understand familiar routines and codes for acceptable behaviour at the pre-school and to learn through play. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff demonstrate a good level of knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage by means of their written plans, skilful approach and good organisation of the activities. Planning is comprehensive and shows a direct link to the stepping stones. Staff plan in great detail and break down individual activities and daily routines to show learning outcomes, resources and guidance strategies. Staff evaluate their work and activities

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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 most of the time. However these evaluations often lack detail and describe whether an activity was enjoyable or not rather than what they have learned from it to inform future planning. Evaluations do not contain information for next steps and whether they need to simplify or extend an activity for individual children. Staff make useful observations of the children as they play and these are used to form part of the assessment system at the pre-school. Staff complete the Wiltshire 'Building Blocks' assessments comprehensively. A key worker system is in place but all staff may contribute to a child's assessments in order to build up a true picture of their progress across the stepping stones while at Nestlings pre-school. All staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities with regard to delivering the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

curriculum. Children benefit from good levels of care and guidance from staff who demonstrate the ability to offer appropriate interaction at activities which may require new skills or more time to concentrate for some children. All staff, volunteers, students and parents are able to see what is happening each day as medium and short term or daily planning is displayed on the pre-school door. Staff deployment is good and they work very well together as a well established friendly and enthusiastic team. Children enjoy individual and group activities. They demonstrate that they are able to explore the range of play experiences on offer and assessments show that these contribute to the good quality of the progress of the children and their learning. Children are achieving well because there is a good emphasis on them developing strengths in their personal, social and emotional development. Children receive lots

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of praise and encouragement which builds their confidence and self esteem. They are able to make choices in play and to follow their own interests. For example one child who had seen a lot of spiders during the morning session, both indoors and out, was able to follow this up by looking through books and finding different spider pictures while the other children had snack time. He benefited from staff who were able to see that his need to find out about spiders was greater than his need for a drink and a piece of fruit at that moment. They checked with each other to ensure that he had had a drink during the session ensuring that all his needs were met. Staff have made an emotions dice from cardboard which depicts faces showing different moods. This can be used in group activities to support work around a topic or to help explain behaviour issues to children. Children are learning about cultural and social differences and a range of resources

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

supports this, for example the dressing up clothes and books. They are able to learn about different customs, peoples and places via topics on festivals and celebrations. Language development is fostered during free play as children are encouraged by staff to express their ideas and thoughts. Children are asked questions which encourage them to think and to use new vocabulary. For example, when playing with the airport and road mats children were asked about travel and holidays. Children were able to talk about traffic and where they had been. Later a child requested that a member of staff draw a triceratops for him and, at her request, was able to describe it for her very well.

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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 Children recognise their own names on their baskets and cards when they self register on arrival. They label their own work routinely and have good access to writing and drawing materials daily. Some of the resources for writing and mark making need replacing and are not suited to children writing with ease as they are designed for larger hands. Children enjoy using books to read stories, look at the pictures and to find out information. The current topic on animals is supported by a range of books and magazine articles in the pre-school. Number skills are developed via a range of games and everyday opportunities which encourage children to count and to find out about shape, size and position. Sorting and sequencing games are available in the maths trolley and commercially produced

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

games enable children to practice simple calculation. Children in the group count how many are present at register and when they go outside. The number of people allowed outside in the small area is depicted by four flowers which are stuck on a Velcro board. If all four are gone then children know to wait until someone comes inside and sticks their flower back on the board. Staff use this to explain simple addition and subtraction and to help children to count. Children use maths language such as 'bigger' and 'more than' during play, especially when building with construction toys. They also work out if there are enough plates on the table without staff help. Children are able to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world via a broad range of planned topics and books and resources to support these. These topics are used as starting points for staff to extend into the other five areas of learning for example, during the animals topic staff and children created a jungle

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

safari den in the home corner which promotes imaginative play and creative development. Topics include work on ourselves, the seasons, growing, patterns, nursery rhymes, dinosaurs, in the sea, animals, Diwali and the Chinese new year. They have a good introduction to their own locality, for example, when using the outside area to find mini beasts. Children create pictures, models and drawings as records of what they have found out. They are able to revisit topics as staff provide interest tables with books and artefacts to extend the learning. Children enjoy expressing their creativity through use of a variety of media. They have regular access to play dough, clay, sand, water and paint. Textiles and different materials such as sequins and cellophane are available for craft work as well as junk modelling. An 'art gallery' on the wall displays children's work. Children are able to enjoy their own and their friends' handiwork all around the room. A large display is

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

linked to the current topic and all children contribute to the finished article. The home corner is changed to reflect topics, for example as a post office. Imaginary play is fostered as children have access to dressing up clothes and free choice to use areas of the room to set up role play situations as they please. The jungle den campfire had been moved to form part of another game. Children benefit from an environment where staff realise that the quality of the play is more important than the smart layout of the home corner. Children are actively enjoying and organising their own play and are seen to express their own individuality in doing so.

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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. Children are able to develop a good sense of self and belonging at the pre-school due to the friendly welcome that they receive everyday, opportunities to become familiar with the setting from the age of two and the good partnership with parents and carers. The provision for the younger children is especially suitable as it is not a watered down version of the pre-school for three to five year olds but provides sessions which are specifically planned for this age range. Children feel safe and at home with familiar toys, resources and friendly supportive staff. The equal opportunities policy is demonstrated in practice as the pre-school has an inclusive approach to all families and children. All children have work displayed in the room and they all have a high level of independence and choice. Resources reflect cultural and ethnic diversity. Children are learning that we are not all the same and they are

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Helping children make a positive contribution

beginning to have the ability to make allowances for these differences and happily accept everyone into the group including those with any special needs. Children benefit from staff who are trained and experienced in identifying learning difficulties from the earliest stage. Staff liaise with parents and relevant agencies such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. There is a pro-active special needs policy in place. All staff keep clear and useful records which show that they follow individual educational plans for specific children. Staff have taken steps to ensure that they are able to promote the welfare and development of all children and this includes undertaking specific training, for example, in Makaton signing. Behaviour management is good across the pre-school. Challenging behaviour does not go unchecked and children can see that a fair approach is followed by staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Overall, children are learning what constitutes acceptable behaviour and why they should be kind and nice to each other. Younger children are learning to share and older children show that they have learned to play cooperatively together. Staff have produced a set of golden rules which are displayed and, when necessary, children are reminded of these. They include listening to each other, sharing and being kind. Children learn from staff who model good behaviour, for example when thanking a child for waiting for their turn to go outside. This has produced children who are beginning to show respect for each other in their play for example, when they say sorry for splashing water on each other. This positive approach ensures that spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. The partnership with parents and carers is good. The notice board informs all parents of the pre-school policies and procedures, who the staff are and their qualifications.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Plans displayed on the pre-school door keep parents up to date with daily activities and themes of work. The pre-school staff give parents things to do at home with their children which are linked to the current theme and then to return them to pre-school. This involves parents and extends the learning beyond the setting. Currently a range of beautifully decorated snakes covers the 'school/home link' board. Staff provide frequent newsletters regarding committee and curriculum information and these keep parents up to date, for example, a teddy bears picnic is planned for the end of term and parents have been asked to remember to bring in children's teddies.

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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 There is a 'look at what I made today' table where children display models and work which is not available to go home, such as something made with Duplo. Children take great pride in sharing these with parents at going home time. Information for parents regarding the Foundation Stage is very good and the prospectus contains comprehensive information on each of the six areas of learning and the assessment system. Staff explain what they are doing at the pre-school and why it is relevant for the children. There is an established verbal exchange of information at drop off and collection time. More formal opportunities are available for parents to discuss their child's progress on request and at the Easter information afternoons which are held annually. This gives staff members an opportunity to share

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Helping children make a positive contribution

activities at the group with parents, to talk about children's progress records and to celebrate their achievements in the group. The complaints procedure and log book are in place and information is provided to parents on the notice board of how and where to contact Ofsted.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The setting meets the needs of the children for whom it provides. Children are cared for by staff who are suitably qualified and vetted appropriately. There is a robust recruitment procedure which follows the Pre-School Learning Alliance guidelines. Staff ratios are correct and very good deployment ensures that children are supervised at all times. Clear written instructions are provided for volunteers and helpers who are expected to join in the sessions and to play with the children and not just to do the housekeeping tasks. Documentation is good and all required policies and procedures are in place. These are freely accessible to parents and all records are available for inspection. Ofsted is notified of changes to the pre-school. Currently the retiring chair of the committee is handing over to the new chair over the summer holiday break. Checks for new committee members are in

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Organisation

progress. Leadership and management are good. The parent run committee oversees the running of the pre-school in accordance with it's charitable status and meets regularly to review and update policies to meet the National Standards for sessional care. The committee delegates the planning and most of the monitoring and evaluation of the pre-school to the staff team with evident success. However the committee is involved with the manager in annual staff appraisals and plays a part in producing a professional development plan for each member of staff. Training needs are identified and acted upon, for example, for children with learning difficulties and the Birth to threes matters framework. The committee also play a huge part in the success of the pre-school by fund raising to ensure a continuous supply of good quality resources and extra monies to fund one to one staff for specific children. The manager of the pre-school also plays a major part in reviewing and checking the

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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 operational plan for the day to day running of the pre-school. She is currently reviewing all policies and procedures. She has networked with other providers to ensure that the pre-school has an up to date set of addenda to the National Standards. She undertakes most of the planning but this is shared with other staff members at weekly meetings to discuss the next set of plans and activities. The manager demonstrates effective management in the on-going monitoring and evaluation of the pre-school's strengths and weaknesses. This is detailed in the action plans produced to address previous recommendations at inspections and as part of the annual self evaluation exercise. Staff meet to assess how well they are working towards promoting the outcomes for children and produce plans to improve

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Organisation

the care and education provided at Nestlings Pre-school. These include wish lists for new equipment such as a new storage cupboard for the kitchen area and intentions to seek further training or advice on their planning for the under threes and for revised behaviour management strategies.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the nursery was given three recommendations; to encourage children to write their own names on their work, to extend opportunities for children to be independent at snack time and to extend the positive images of disability, gender roles and family situations in the play materials for the children. All of these have been addressed in full. All children mark their own names on their work routinely. Children pour their own drinks and choose from a range of fruit at snack time. The pre-school staff and committee have provided a variety of resources to extend children's knowledge and understanding of social and cultural diversity. These include books, dolls, dressing up clothes and posters. Action taken by staff to address these issues has resulted in children having improved opportunities to develop their independence and confidence and a better knowledge of the world about them.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the pre-school was asked to consider developing a strategy to gain the attention of the children in whole group situations and to add some wording to the photos of activities to explain the learning outcomes for parents. Staff formed an action plan to address these and have taken steps to improve whole group time. Shorter sessions have been introduced and the register and weather board are now done at separate times. Whole group activities are more engaging as children are invited to join in singing and taking part in action rhymes. Children are seen to concentrate and join in happily. The photo album is now labelled with explanations of the activities children are enjoying and the areas of learning and how these feed into the Foundation Stage. This is now a more meaningful document for parents to browse through. It is evident that the pre-school has acted on all issues raised at the last inspections

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Improvements since the last inspection

and that this has had an overall beneficial effect on the care and education of the children and the partnership with parents.

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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

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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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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): • ensure that the contents of the first aid box meet with current recommendations as determined on the first aid training course • ensure that the health and welfare of children is promoted when playing outside in hot and sunny weather

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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): • ensure that materials supplied for mark making and writing are suitable for the age range and ability of the children • ensure that evaluations of activities are completed regularly and used to inform 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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