John Gulson Infant School

Coxheath Rising Five Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Coxheath Rising Five Pre-School

127121 Unique Reference Number 21 September 2006 Inspection date Vanessa Wood Inspector

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Coxheath Rising Five Pre-School

The Scout Hut, Westerhill Road, Coxheath, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4DQ Setting Address

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E-mail

Coxheath Rising Fives Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of 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

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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 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?

Coxheath Rising Five Pre-School has been registered since 1983. It is a committee run group.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

It operates from the Scout Hut in Coxheath, near Maidstone, and is affiliated to Coxheath Pre-School which operates from the Village Hall. A maximum of 20 children attend the pre-school at the Scout Hut at any one time. The pre-school is open on a Monday and Wednesday from 12:30 until 15:00 term time only.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 15 children aged from 3 years to under 5 years on roll. All children receive funding for early education. Children come from the Coxheath area. No children with special needs or who have English as an additional language currently attend 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 The pre-school employs three staff at the Scout Hut. Of these two hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are beginning to understand good hygiene routines as they wash their hands before snacks and after using the toilet. All health related documentation such as accident and medicine books are in place. Parents are fully informed of any accidents or incidents. Staff have attended first aid training which enables them to care for children in an emergency. However, hygiene routines in general require improvement. Staff do not always ensure the floor of the hall and the toilets are clean and hygienic for children's use. Staff do not provide plates for children's snacks, which are put directly onto the tables. This could be a potential risk to children's health. Children have a reasonably healthy snack of a biscuit and fruit with milk to drink, but there are limited opportunities for children to build on existing independence skills as staff pour their drinks and prepare and hand out the snacks. Children enjoy taking part in physical education

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Helping children to be healthy

lessons. They learn to change their clothes and do routine exercises. They also have the opportunity of walking to the local school where they have access to the large wooden apparatus on the school grounds.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children's safety is promoted because staff do visual risk assessments of the building to ensure any hazards are made safe before children attend. For example, all electrical sockets are covered, chairs and tables are stacked safety and the fire exits are not blocked. Staff manage the limited amount of storage well but this does mean that there is no large play equipment on the premises and children have to use adult sized tables and chairs. Organisation of the activities and resources available is managed well to enable children to move freely around the setting. Fire evacuation procedures are in place and practised regularly to ensure everyone knows what to do in an emergency. Children learn the importance of road safety, such as always crossing on the zebra crossing and not walking close to the curb. They are closely supervised by staff at all times. Child protection procedures are in place and staff have a clear understanding of how to

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

implement these should they have a concern. This ensures children's welfare is fully safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy their time at the setting and are supported well thoughout the session. They benefit greatly from good levels of interaction with the staff who spend time working with the children during all activities. The programme is flexible to meet the needs of the children who attend, providing a relaxing and happy environment. Children settle quickly on arrival because they know the staff and other children well. They talk confidently and openly to staff about

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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 what they have been doing and learn to take responsibility for their own needs. Older children are encouraged to support younger children who are new to the group.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and leaning is satisfactory. Staff have a clear understanding of the Foundation Stage and how children learn. This enables them to provide a programme of activities to cover the six areas of learning. However, physical development and creative development are not fully promoted due to the limited amount of resources they are able to store at this site. For example, there is no immediate outdoor play space or large equipment for indoor play and painting and role play equipment is limited. Staff observe the children's progress and have a good understanding of where children are in their learning. They use this information to plan the curriculum, although written plans of what they do are still being developed and in practice staff do not provide sufficient variety of equipment to challenge children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's confidence and self-esteem is developed by staff who are sensitive to their needs and know them well. They are encouraged to be independent and learn to take care of their personal needs, such as dressing themselves for PE sessions. However, there are few opportunities for children to be independent during snack time. Children behave very well and learn to share and take turns and be polite and considerate to others. Children are keen to communicate with staff as they talk enthusiastically during registration about things that are important to them. They are encouraged to notice print and to understand the sounds of letters and words. Most children can recognise their name and are beginning to write their name correctly using well formed letters. Children benefit from good individual support to help them count and understand simple addition and subtraction as they count two separate rows of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children. They learn to recognise numbers as they play board games and are helped to learn to tell the time at registration. There is less opportunity for children to learn about weight and measure because of the limited resources available at the site. The local environment is used well to stimulate children's interest in the natural world. For example as they walk along a woodland path to see a field where horses are kept. They observe the weather and talk about seasonal events. Children are often taken on walks around the village when they interact with the local community. Children occasionally take part in outdoor physical activities when they are invited to visit the local school to use the facilities there. Children have some opportunity to explore colour and texture as they make patterns using card and glue. Role play to develop children's imagination is encouraged by staff, although there are few resources available.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Staff have a clear understanding of the equal opportunities policy and the setting is open to all children and their families. Children are treated as individuals and staff get to know each child well. Children learn about people in the community through trips to the library and to the local shops. They are beginning to learn about other cultures and beliefs during topic work. Policies and procedures are in place to support children with special needs. Children behave well and understand the difference between right and wrong, responding well to the boundaries and rules set by staff. They learn to share and take turns during activities such as playing board games. Children are confident and have good levels of self-esteem because staff praise and

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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 encourage them throughout the session. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Parents receive written information about the pre-school and this includes some detail of the curriculum. They have access to their children's progress records at any time on request. Key workers are available to talk to parents about their children's progress at the end of sessions. However, there is no formal procedure in place to talk to all parents to ensure they are kept fully informed of their children's progress along the stepping stones. Parents are invited to become involved in the group through the committee and many help with fund raising and generally support the group well.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from well organised routines which run smoothly during the session. They are able to move freely from one activity to another and staff are deployed well to ensure they work with the children at all times. This ensures children are occupied well throughout the session. Children's safety and wellbeing is promoted because the staff maintain the required paperwork, although the plans to cover the curriculum are not clear. Procedures for recruitment are vigorous to ensure all staff are vetted and suitable to work with children. Staff have a clear understanding of the requirements of registration to ensure children's safety at all times.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the setting is satisfactory. The pre-school is run by a committee who are supportive of the group but leave the management of the setting to the supervisor. The supervisor is clear about her role in meeting the needs of the children by following the pre-school procedures to protect children and the staff. The staff team work together providing an appropriate environment for the children, although the lack of storage facilities hinders their ability to provide a wide range of activities for children.

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Organisation

Staff have a clear understanding of their aim for this setting and organise the nursery education programme to suit the needs of children waiting to attend school. Children's progress is discussed and the key worker notes are used to inform the curriculum. This enables activities to be provided if a child needs extra support in one area, to ensure all children make sound progress towards the early learning goals.

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Organisation

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 inspection the setting was given three recommendations. The provider was asked to ensure children can play with a range of activities which promote equal opportunities; to ensure the register of attendance contains the times of children's arrival and departure and to ensure children's individual needs are being met consistently.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider has completed all recommendations sufficiently. Toys and resources to show diversity have been purchased and children enjoy learning about different festivals from around the world. The register of attendance clearly shows the times of arrival and departure, and staff

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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 ensure parents provide them with full information about children in order to ensure their individual needs are being met.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 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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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 hygiene arrangements to ensure the hall is clean before children attend • ensure suitable hygiene procedures are in place at snack time

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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): • improve planning to show how the six areas of learning will be covered and in particular creative and physical development • ensure organisation of activities provide children with sufficient variety and challenge • ensure parents are kept fully informed of their children's progress during their time at the pre-school.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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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