Sticky Fingers Pre-School

Sticky Fingers Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Sticky Fingers Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 127648 Inspection date 16 June 2006 Inspector Susan Jennifer Scott

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Sticky Fingers Pre-School

Setting Address Vigo Village Hall, The Bay, Vigo, Gravesend, Kent, DA13 0TD

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Sticky Fingers Pre-School

Telephone number 07855 134379 E-mail peggy5962@aol.com Registered person Susan Marrable Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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Sticky Fingers Pre-School

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?

Sticky Fingers Pre-School opened in 1999. It is located in Vigo Village Hall in the heart of the village with shops and a school nearby. They have use of the large hall which is shared with other organisations in the community. All children have access to a refurbished outdoor play area which is secure. The pre-school offers sessional care during term time only for up to 30 children aged two to five years. It is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 9.15am- 12.00 and

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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 Mondays and Thursdays from 12.30 -15.00. On Wednesdays there is a lunch club from 9.15am-13.15pm. Currently there are 64 children on the register and 39 of these children receive funded education. They attend from the surrounding area and villages. Children who speak English as additional language and those with special needs attend. Seven staff work at the pre-school, four of these are qualified in early years education and care to level two or three and the manager has a level four qualification. The group is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance. Staff receive support from advisory teachers from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children play in a clean and tidy environment where there are good routines to ensure toys, resources and equipment are clean and hygienic. Children participate in routines, activities and topics that enable them to learn the importance of good hygiene and healthy living. For example, staff encourage hand washing before eating and after they use the toilets through conversations with children. As a result, children's understanding of hygiene routines is good. The children are protected from infection by the record keeping and documentation procedures, although they have not recorded all incidents that do not result in visible injuries. Parents are informed of all accidents verbally. Four staff hold a current first aid certificate and are able to administer first aid in the event of an accident. This ensures children’s welfare in the event of a serious accident where parents and

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Helping children to be healthy

emergency contacts are not available. Children experience a choice of snacks that are healthy such as apples, biscuits or toast, and enjoy the social and learning opportunities that are organised by staff when they sit down for their snack or drink. This encourages children to develop healthy eating habits and understand the needs of their bodies. Children move confidently and in a variety of ways; they respond and move enthusiastically during singing sessions when they confidently and enthusiastically perform action songs. Children particularly enjoy using the outdoor areas which are available for nature activities or play and exercise and are used well. The staff have organised a complete learning environment outside which most children choose to access, as they have a choice of using inside or outside.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children arrive happily and settle well in this secure and welcoming environment. There are displays of pictures, posters and children’s work, showing that staff value

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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 children’s contributions. Children benefit from playing in a spacious, well organised environment. This allows them to move around and play safely. They have safe access to a good range of toys and resources appropriate for their age. Toys and resources are carefully selected to ensure they are suitable for children. Children are interested in the resources and equipment and are well occupied because staff use these well during planned and free activities. These are used in a variety of ways and staff enable the children to have opportunities to re-visit and consolidate their learning by using the planned equipment rota flexibly. Children enjoy their play in a safe secure environment. Regular risk assessments, indoors and outdoors, ensure children’s safety. Children and staff have a good

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of a fire because these are regularly practised. Staff are deployed to ensure the safety of the children at all times and children are closely supervised when playing outdoors. Screens are used effectively to prevent access to potentially dangerous areas such as the kitchen. Staff have an understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and know what action to take if they have concerns about a child in their care. This ensures staff can act in the child’s best interest and safeguard their welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy a good range of activities that are stimulating and well balanced for all ages and include quiet and active games. Some are adult initiated and some free choice and help children to make progress in all areas of learning. For example, during a song and movement session children are instructed to respond 'loudly' and 'quietly' and staff negotiate the level that the music is played. This enables children to learn vocabulary and to follow instructions as well as learning to control their responses. Nursery Education: Teaching and learning is good. Snack times are used by staff to enable small groups to engage in an adult initiated activity, and use these opportunities to build on children's understanding. For example, staff provide art and craft activities so that children can paint or make collages which build their dexterity and allow freedom of expression. Children enjoy and learn from a broad and varied range of activities. A weekly plan of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

activities to cover the six areas of the curriculum offers varied play opportunities for all children during planned and free play. However, the system used by staff to record children's progress through the curriculum stepping stones does not always reflect children's capabilities but focuses on achieving earlier stages several times. Staff do ensure that their knowledge of children's individual abilities is used to construct the play plans and that the next steps are appropriate to individuals. Children confidently approach staff for support, indicating good, trusting relationships

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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 are built. They are interested in the activities available and spend time concentrating on self-chosen activities. Children develop a healthy interest in books and enjoy stories which staff use well to maintain their interest at times when there is a changeover of activities, such as the start of snack times. A stimulating range of equipment develops mathematical thinking such as varied puzzles, games and pattern making activities. Children enjoy and learn from a range of activities that allow them to explore and investigate; for example, they have fun using the magnifying glasses and discussing the different views through these. Children choose to use their physical skills playing with the equipment such as the tunnel and parachute or by riding bikes and steering cars. Their creative and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

imaginative development is encouraged through activities such as junk modelling, painting, listening to and singing to musical tapes which they clearly enjoy.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children engage in the activities and are provided with appropriate guidance. Staff record children's religious and cultural needs and this ensures they can acknowledge varied cultures and provide recognition for individual children in the programme. Children learn to respect others and staff provide sensitive support to ensure all children understand the importance of accepting differences. Children who have special needs are welcomed into the setting and staff have developed links with local authority staff to ensure they provide appropriate individual support. There is good access to the building for those with disabilities. Children play harmoniously and respond positively to staff. They have good relationships with staff who encourage them through positive behaviour management strategies. For example, children are comforted and reconciled if there is any conflict. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Children benefit from parents’

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Helping children make a positive contribution

involvement in their learning. Parents are given information on the activities and are encouraged to contribute towards their children’s play plans. They receive information on the Foundation Stage curriculum and funding. The parents and children benefit from effective verbal feedback, newsletters and annual consultations. The setting fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Children benefit from an organisation which has secure systems in place to support and value their contributions. Systems for induction, training and regular staff meetings are in place. As a result, there are policies and procedures in place to meet the National Standards. Consequently, children benefit from a staff team that have a secure understanding of the procedures and polices. The required documentation required is

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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 all in place, although minor updates need to be made to some procedures. Staff are able to update their knowledge and skills through regular training. The staff have investigated and used learning programmes such as the Leven well being course that examines children's well being and how to improve this. They are working towards implementing the Birth to three framework to ensure methods of working with children under three are appropriate. As a result, children outcomes to promote children's welfare, care and learning are constantly developing. Leadership and management of the setting is good. Children benefit from a strong staff team who share common aims. Staff work closely together to ensure the effective delivery of the programme and experience good support and guidance from

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Organisation

the manager, enabling them to be clear about their roles and responsibilities. The staff use the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage to plan and provide a balanced curriculum. Children benefit from assessments of how well their needs are met because staff monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery education.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Several improvements have been made by the staff since the previous inspection. Children are now protected by written procedures that detail what should take place if a child is lost or uncollected. All new staff experience induction training that includes familiarisation with practical procedures and an understanding of the policies and procedures adopted by the group. This ensures consistency for children in their daily experiences.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which can be seen 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): • review complaints information and policy to ensure any records preserve confidentiality • develop the use of appropriate systems to plan for and record progress of children under three years; for example, using the Birth to three matters framework

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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 planning and recording of observation and assessments so that the plans and records accurately reflect children's progress

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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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