William Torbitt Primary School

Sir Robert Geffery's Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Sir Robert Geffery's Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 102820 Inspection date 21 June 2006 Inspector Anne-Marie Moyse

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Sir Robert Geffery's Pre-School

Setting Address School Road, Landrake, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 5EA

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E-mail

Registered person Sir Robert Geffery's 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 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?

Sir Robert Geffery's Pre-school is a long established group which moved into the premises at Sir Robert Geffery's School in l999. The pre-school is managed by a voluntary management committee, made up of parents of children at the pre-school and members of the local community. It operates from rooms within the school in the village of Landrake, approximately six miles from Saltash. The pre-school has use of a reception area and one large room, with kitchen and toilet facilities. The pre-school

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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 have a separate entrance door from the main school, but shares the outdoor facilities and regularly visit the school farm. The group opens on weekdays, in term time, from 9.00 to 15.15, except on Tuesdays when the session ends at 13.00. There are currently 55 children from two and a half to five years on roll. Of these, 41 children receive funding for early education. Children attend for a variety of sessions and come from a wide catchment area. The setting supports a number of children with learning difficulties. The pre-school employs nine members of staff, of whom eight work directly with the children. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is currently working towards a qualification. The setting maintain close links with school and with the local church.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm and relaxed environment which is kept very clean and tidy. Staff are conscientious in following the clear procedures laid down by the setting, helping to promote very high standards of hygiene. The effective adult support and guidance helps children gain an excellent understanding of being healthy, and a real desire to become increasingly independent in their personal hygiene. Providers are trained in administering first aid and have appropriate records in place regarding the administration of medication to children. Staff are trained in specific procedures to support children with special health needs. They keep clear records of all accidents in the setting and inform parents. Children get plenty of robust physical exercise and fresh air through regular outside play and planned activities, such as a sponsored walk around the school field or playing on the 'trim trail'. Children have planned sessions in the school gym which

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Helping children to be healthy

promotes their physical development. They use the apparatus and a range of small equipment to develop skills, control and coordination. A qualified dance teacher regularly takes groups of children for dance sessions, extending the range of skills and exercise children receive. Children are encouraged to observe the changes in their bodies after exercise, as they all feel their heart 'thumping'. Children are able to use an excellent range of small utensils and materials to develop their manipulative skills, for example, paint and glue brushes, pencils, scissors and puzzles. Children's individual dietary needs are meticulously addressed by staff, ensuring parents' wishes are respected and children's individual needs are addressed. Children are encouraged by staff to drink plenty throughout the day. Children are offered a good range of healthy options for snack-time, including various fresh fruits and savoury biscuits. Children can choose from squash, milk or water to drink. They

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Helping children to be healthy

sit together at tables covered with tablecloths promoting good standards. Children

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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 given tickets, which they take in turns to exchange for drinks and food by approaching a member of staff, who serves each individual child. However, due the large number of children in the group, this takes a long time and often some children have finished their snack before others have received theirs. Children enjoy being involved in regular baking activities, such as making Christmas cakes and pizzas. They also enjoy other activities linked to foods, which help children recognise and make healthy choices.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The premises are a secure and safe environment where risks and hazards are minimised to promote children's safety and wellbeing. There are highly effective systems in place to prevent and monitor the access to the building, keeping children very secure. The room is spacious and well laid out, allowing children to move around safely. All equipment and resources are safe and suitable for children's use and there are policies and procedures in place to ensure safety is promoted. Adults are well deployed ensuring children are always well supervised, inside and outside the preschool. Staff have an excellent understanding of how to achieve a balance between freedom, setting safe limits and how to involve children effectively in organising their environment. Children are involved in an excellent range of activities to raise their awareness of safety issues. They have been involved in role-play road

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

safety activities, using special equipment such as reflective jackets and school crossing signs. Staff take all opportunities to explain to children good safe practice, such as wearing life-jackets when using boats. Fire drills are practised with the whole school and independently, with details recorded appropriately in a fire log, however there is only one exit from the playroom. All toys and equipment is regularly checked for safety, and daily risk assessments and checks are completed by the staff ensuring the environment is always safe. All staff have an excellent knowledge of what constitutes child protection issues, and the procedure to follow if they have any concerns over a child's wellbeing. A child protection statement is in place, and this is shared with parents keeping them informed of the provision's responsibilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and enjoy their time in the pre-school. They achieve well because staff are highly skilled and use their clear understanding of early years guidance, such as Birth to three matters and the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage, to provide good quality care and education. All children arrive happy and eager to participate. They are helped to settle by staff who are sensitive towards their individual needs. Children are cared for in a stimulating environment by key staff, who thoughtfully plan, prepare and encourage

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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 them to develop skills and have fun according to each child's individual needs. Activities are based around a central theme for all children, which are adapted appropriately by the key workers to support all aspects of each child's learning and development. Children are excited by these dynamic activities, for example, they use their imagination and creativity when playing in a inflatable dingy, planning their adventure and journey to Land's End. Staff effectively extend children's learning through this activity by helping children to calculate the maximum number of persons in the boat, talk about safety considerations and use the well organised resources to discuss the various creatures that live in the sea. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children clearly enjoy their time in the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

setting and are inspired by an extensive range of stimulating, relevant activities related to their needs. Highly skilled staff assist children in making good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and know what children are expected to gain from activities. All children are eager to learn, self-assured in their play and confident to try new experiences. There is an abundance of verbal and visual information to stimulate children’s senses. For example, the interest table and the wall displays of children's previous and current work helps to develop children self-esteem and wellbeing. Assessments are regularly undertaken and documented. Staff use their individual skills and childcare knowledge to adapt activities to ensure that children are challenged appropriately according to their individual stage of learning. This ensures that children’s progress is monitored

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and that individual children are sufficiently challenged. However, during the session the organisation of snack time is not a good use of children's time and this limits children's learning. Children enjoy all aspects of learning. Story times capture their imagination, they listen intently and spontaneously join in with the rhymes and discuss the characters in the books. There are opportunities for children to use emergent writing and they use the resources around the room to make marks and write, for example they make a special picture for a parent. Children are encouraged to recognise their names at various times during the day, and have regular phonic sessions where children link letter sounds to words. Children are developing their communication skills and vocabulary through-out the day, for example at registration time children respond using sign language and verbal communication. Most children are very confident and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

tell the whole group their news or sing a song, and enjoy talking with the staff. All children are familiar with numbers and their meaning. They frequently practise counting and calculating for a purpose, for example, they count and calculating the correct number of children at some of the activities. There are excellent opportunities to learn about the environment and the wider world. Children learn about growth and caring for animals as they tend their garden and make frequent visits to the school farm. They are learning about countries and cultures by celebrating various religious festivals and by recording details of journeys the pre-school 'Teddy' takes, as he joins children on their holidays, both near and far. Children’s physical skills develop and improve effectively through a wide variety of experiences, including regular physical education sessions in the school hall, and sessions with a professional dance teacher. Children are able to access a wide

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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 variety of craft resources and explore various materials. They thoroughly enjoy exploring and playing with shaving foam and using various skills in creating the settings own weather chart. Children work well together and are forming some very close relationships. They are polite, sociable and very helpful, taking on responsibility when asked to do small tasks by staff. They are very confident and respond well to challenges. Staff find out about children’s skills, interests and needs and build on this information very effectively to help children achieve as much as they can. An excellent balance between adult and child-led activities allows children to learn at their own pace. Staff use questions very successfully to challenge children’s thinking and language skills. They use effective systems to observe, monitor and record children’s achievements

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and to plan experiences that help children take the next step in their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are enthusiastically welcomed and play a full part in the pre-school, as staff value and respect their individuality and the family context for each child. Staff have a calm and relaxed approach to all situations, and inject fun into all activities. This affects children’s behaviour, which is very good. Staff respect children and this is reciprocated. Children consider the needs and feelings of others, they are polite and developing good manners. The children have good opportunities to learn about various cultures, including religious festivals. They have visited the local church and they learn about other religious customs. Staff raise children's awareness of various vocal accents by pretending to be from Scotland or Australia when serving snack. Children with learning difficulties are well supported by the setting, who work closely with other organisations and parents to ensure that children's care and education is consistent

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and meets their individual needs. Children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. The partnership with parents is good. Children benefit from the way the setting conscientiously communicates with parents, ensuring that children are cared for in accordance with parents’ wishes. Parents' views about their children’s needs and interests are sought before children start at the setting, and through-out their time there. There are excellent systems to ensure that parents are kept well informed of children’s progress with daily discussions and a communication notebook completed by key workers. This provides good opportunities for parents and staff to discuss any concerns over children’s individual needs, to guarantee they are well met. Parents receive regular newsletters and information is displayed in the main lobby where parents wait. Parents are invited to share their knowledge and be involved in

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Helping children make a positive contribution

children's learning, with parents visiting the setting to talk to the children about their jobs and interest. This attentiveness contributes significantly to the wellbeing of all the children in the pre-school.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care is greatly enhanced by the well-organised provision. The room in the preschool is arranged with thought and imagination, providing a stimulating environment for children. Children benefit from the well-trained and dedicated group of staff, who offer consistent and sensitive care to all children. Most required documentation that contributes to children’s health, safety and wellbeing is in place, although staff have not accurately recorded their times of arrival and departure, but have now reviewed this procedure. The setting are currently reviewing and revising all policies and procedures, and at present the complaints log and procedure to check staff's ongoing suitability, are not comprehensive. All staff are committed to continuous development of the provision, and have a positive attitude to providing high quality care for children. The provision meets the needs of the range of the

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Organisation

children for whom it provides. The leadership and management are good. The person in charge provides a strong leadership, which is well supported by a dedicated committee. All staff have good skills and knowledge of how to implement good quality education and care for children. There are various systems in place that ensure all aspects of the education provision is under review and activities are evaluated. Regular staff meetings and appraisals contribute to the firm commitment to improvement, and all staff are supported well in developing good practice.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous care inspection the setting had two actions set to improve standards and meet the National Standards. The actions were to ensure that the setting had sufficiently qualified staff working with the children and to develop a procedure to follow in the event of a child becoming lost or not collected from the setting. The group of staff now working with the children are well qualified and exceed the minimum standard of half of the staff holding relevant childcare qualifications. The committee and staff have developed a procedure to follow if a child is lost or not collected. These improvements have raised the quality of care and helps children to stay safe. The setting were also recommended to improve the organisation of the setting, by developing a key worker system, and recording times of children's and staff's attendance. The group were required to ensure that the room was maintained at a

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Improvements since the last inspection

comfortable temperature, that fire drills involved all staff and children, that children could access drinks at all times and that the planning of activities for children was developed. All of these recommendations have been addressed. The key worker system is in place and provides a close link between the child, setting and parents. Parents record children's time of arrival and departure at the setting giving detailed information on children's whereabouts. However, the records of staff's attendance are not so accurate and have recently been reviewed. A new heating system has been installed which keeps the room at a more comfortable temperature, although the new system is noisy. Regular fire drills are practised helping everyone to stay safe.

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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 Children regularly access drinks during the session and know that they can ask staff for additional water at any time, helping children to be healthy. Children's enjoyment and achievement is improved by the reviewed planning arrangements, which now includes using the Birth to three matters framework for children under three years old. A good range of interesting and exciting activities for all children is provided. Nursery Education At the previous inspection the setting agreed to improve their systems for planning and using information gathered from assessments to develop the range of activities on offer to all children. The setting have developed a sound system for planning a wide and interesting range of activities for children which covers all areas of learning. The staff work well together as a team, to pool their knowledge and ideas, to ensure

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Improvements since the last inspection

that all aspects of information gathered from children's assessments and stage of learning is used to influence the range of activities and the learning intention, from activities. This has resulted in a general improvement in the standard of learning and activities the children receive. The setting also agreed to develop systems to monitor and evaluate the provision to ensure they could identify any weak areas and resolve them. The team now evaluates and record details of activities and suggest ways in which they could be improved. Staff regularly observe each other and how the session runs. This information is used to evaluate individuals practice and discuss any issues which may be identified. This leads to the setting improving their self-assessment and continuing to develop their good practice, raising standards overall for children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since 1 April 2004. 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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to develop a robust system to assess and monitor ongoing suitability of all staff, and further develop the complaints log.

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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): • review snack time to ensure that children's time is used effectively (also applies to care)

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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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