Bellinge Community Pre-School

Bellinge Community Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bellinge Community Pre-School

220141 Unique Reference Number 18 October 2006 Inspection date Elizabeth Culley Inspector

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Bellinge Community Pre-School

Community Centre, Fieldmill Square, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN3 9AQ

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Setting Address

01604 409375 Telephone number commhouse@bellinge.fslife.co.uk E-mail Bellinge Community Pre School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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Setting Address

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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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?

Bellinge Community Pre-school is a voluntary group which was first established in 1978 and operates from Bellinge Community Centre in the eastern district of Northampton. The pre-school caters for children from the local community.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school is registered to care for 26 children aged two to five years old. Children attend on a sessional basis. Sessions run from 09:00 to 12:00 each week day, and 12:30 until 15:00 on a Wednesday and Thursday.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 40 children on roll. Of these 27 three-year-olds and two four-year-olds are in receipt of nursery education funding. Six of the children attending have English as an additional language and there are no children who have special educational needs.

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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 Six members of staff work directly with the children. Three members of staff hold a level 3 qualification in child care and education, and two are attending a training programme.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school maintains close links with the local authority early years advisory team.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is nurtured well as they play and learn. They receive good care in well ventilated and clean premises which are maintained to high standards. Children enjoy playing in the garden where they enjoy the benefits of fresh air and physical exercise to stimulate their growth and development. They develop large muscle control through climbing and use a variety of small tools to improve their fine muscle control. Children are protected from the harmful effects of the sun as they wear sun hats, drink extra fluids and use protective barrier creams provided by parents. All staff have current first aid certificates. Children who are unwell receive emergency care and are comforted until their parents collect them. Good hygiene is promoted. Children are learning how to prevent the spread of infection by washing their hands after visiting the toilet and before snack, for example, they know that washing hands "gets rid of the germs".

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Helping children to be healthy

Good nappy changing routines are in place for younger children. Their privacy is respected and cross-infection is minimised, therefore, their welfare is promoted.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing a good understanding of healthy eating as they grow their own vegetables and help to make soup. They independently choose and pour their own drinks at snack time. Children have opportunities to help themselves to fresh drinking water throughout the session. Snack time encourages good social skills as children sit together in small groups. They enjoy tasting different food, for example, they choose from a variety of fruit, yoghurts and savoury biscuits. Children's specific dietary requirements are detailed on their records and agreed with parents at the initial visit and their individual needs are met.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety and security is promoted well. Outside doors are locked after they arrive to protect them from leaving the premises. Children are well supervised as they play outdoors in the secure and enclosed garden. Space and resources are effectively organised to create a welcoming and child friendly environment where they can play and learn. Children are developing an awareness of others. They move safely around the room selecting activities, and confine their play to designated areas, for example, they keep the shopping trolley in the shop area. Good safety measures and thorough risk assessment ensures the protection of children from potential hazards. Children are learning about the dangers of fire in story time. They practise emergency evacuation procedures and are learning how to manage their own safety. Children have good opportunities to develop their knowledge of road safety during walks in the locality.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

They enjoy visits from the crossing patrol lady, who explains her role in helping children to reach school safely and their welfare is promoted.

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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 All staff at the pre-school are cleared to work with children. They are protected from potential harm by staff, who have a good knowledge of the local authority guidelines for safe guarding children. Staff are able to put emergency procedures in place for reporting concerns about children, therefore, their well-being is promoted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children's learning is promoted through play and they are making good developmental progress. Their self-confidence is promoted as they move around the room selecting activities during free play. Children are developing their concentration skills during group time. They listen to staff and follow instructions, for example, they talk about the different vegetables in their harvest basket and hold them until it is time to take them to the elderly in another part of the building. Children learn about the values of sharing and taking turns, for example, they wait patiently until it is their turn to play with the large digger in the sand. Younger children are integrated well into the group. Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to monitor their development and their progress. They are given appropriate direction and adult support to enable them to achieve, for example, staff show them how to hold pencils to write their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

name. Children's emotional development is promoted. New children receive one-to-one support when they arrive until they are confident enough to move onto the planned activities and their well-being is promoted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The staff have a secure knowledge of the foundation stage, the stepping stones and how children learn. This enables them to plan and develop a wide range of activities that relate to children’s interests. Planning shows the learning intentions for children and they are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff use observations and assessment to monitor children’s progress. They effectively evaluate children’s learning by using the stepping stones to plan the next steps and build on what children can achieve. Some activities, however, do not provide sufficient challenge for more able children, for example, children do not count beyond the number five. Staff use a variety of teaching methods to promote children’s learning. Good use is made of open ended questions to promote discussion, for example, when playing with the shop children talk about their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

shopping trips with parents. Staff enable children to manage their own behaviour by talking about feelings and using songs to express different ideas. Group activities encourage children to concentrate, listen to and follow instructions, for example, they follow exercise to music and enjoy stories. Space and resources are well organised to promote children's independence. They select and choose their own activities from the interesting range of activities provided. Outdoor play forms an integral part of children's learning. They spend time each day in the garden where they can play in the sand or learn about gardening.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy themselves and have fun. They are developing good relationships with staff and confidently separate from their parents and carers. Children talk about their own experiences such as visiting relatives in hospital. Their self-esteem is promoted as they take turns in being a special helper for the day. Children are developing a positive attitude towards others by saying please and thank you. All children are making good progress in their language development.

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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 They confidently describe the pictures they paint and when they can see a rainbow. Older children form letters and are beginning to write their own names independently. Younger children, however, are learning how to hold pencils and they listen well as staff explain the sound of the first letter of their name. Children enjoy participating in rhymes and number games where they learn to calculate how many are left, for example, 'five currant buns in a bakers shop'. They learn about shapes as they complete puzzles and look for circles and triangles as they walk in the local area. Children enjoy playing in the sand. They recognize the difference in size of the vehicles they are playing with. Children have excellent opportunities to explore and investigate the natural world at the forest school. They find out about the natural habitat

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of small creatures, climb trees and build dens. Children are learning about citizenship. They recycle used papers and containers and put out the bin for collection each week. All children have good opportunities to learn about different communities and diversity as they play, for example, they hear one member of staff greet children in their own first language. They make cards to celebrate a variety of festivals. Children are developing a good sense of health and bodily awareness. They plant and grow their own vegetables and learn how to cook them to create nourishing meals. Children develop a sense of space and rhythm through movement to music. They use a variety of small tools to develop their manual dexterity and fine muscle control, for example, children mould and shape play dough to create a birthday cake and candles. Children enjoy being creative. They enjoy painting and using a variety of media to make models.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop their imaginative skills through small world activities and role play. They enjoy taking on the roles of doctors and nurses and learn how to be gentle with each other.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is fostered. All children are welcomed to the pre-school and have excellent relationships with staff. Children's self esteem is promoted as they learn to mix socially and value different cultures, for example, they make Eid cards to take home. Children's resources and displays are used to display different languages and promote equality of opportunity. Staff promote positive outcomes for all children by learning short phrases in their own language and using Makaton signs to communicate. All children who have specific needs are included at the setting and given additional support to ensure they make developmental progress. Children are learning to manage their own behaviour, for example, the older ones remind younger children it is dangerous to throw sand. They are fully engaged in developmentally appropriate activity for their age and talk about the ground rules for good

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Helping children make a positive contribution

behaviour during group time. Children's self-esteem is promoted through praise and they behave well. Staff work closely with parents and involve them in activities. They are able to join their children when staff invite a dietician to demonstrate how to make healthy packed lunches. Parents have good opportunities to share their expertise with children, for example, one parent talks about eating Chinese food and demonstrates how to use chopsticks. Children's welfare is promoted as parents receive good written information about the setting. They have access to all policies and procedures, however, there is no system in place for the recording and sharing of complaints.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of children who receive funding for nursery education is good. Parents receive information about the foundation stage and activities their children

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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 are involved in. Effective systems are in place to support children's learning at home. Children take books home to encourage early reading skills. They look for articles relating to the current topics and bring leaves and conkers to the autumn table. Good systems are in place for sharing children's progress with parents. They have opportunities to look at their folders and are invited to add their written comments, therefore, they are well informed about their child's development.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Overall the range of children's needs are met. Children are well cared for by suitable qualified and caring staff. Robust procedures are in place for the recruiting, selecting and vetting of staff, therefore, children's well-being is promoted. Children are supported by good adult to child ratios. Effective team working creates a caring and nurturing environment for children and they make good developmental progress. The well planned use of space and resources enables children to select their own activities and develop their play and ideas, for example, children take ideas from the garden to make models and paint pictures of bugs. At the end of the first half term children are allocated a key worker group where they benefit from activity plans to support their individual development. Well written documents and procedures are in place to promote children's welfare. Children's records are maintained to high standards and

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the pre-school is good. The welfare, care and learning of all children is successful as there is a strong commitment to staff training and development, for example, they have recently attended Active Kids and Forest School training courses. Staff work well as a team. They meet together twice a week to review their practice and discuss what has gone well and what needs to be improved. Effective systems are in place to evaluate the quality of teaching and children's learning. One member of staff is allocated time to update children's assessment records and plan the next steps, therefore, they make developmental progress. Staff form close links with the local community and the primary school to which most children will attend, for example, children participate in joint harvest celebrations. Staff receive support form the local authority.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the manager was asked to update her complaints procedure for parents. The complaints procedure has been updated as requested to promote children's welfare.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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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.

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Complaints 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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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 a system is in place for recording complaints, which is shared with parents on request and available for inspection.

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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): • provide more challenge for more able children particularly in maths and language.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) 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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