Rauceby PreSchool

Rauceby Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Rauceby Pre-School

253604 Unique Reference Number 29 November 2006 Inspection date Janice Broddle Inspector

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Rauceby Pre-School

The Village Hall, Main Street, South Rauceby, Lincolnshire, NG34 8QQ Setting Address

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E-mail

Rauceby Pre-School Committee 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 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?

Rauceby Pre-school is a committee run provision which has been operating from the village hall since 1988. The group have the use of the foyer, main hall, kitchen, toilets, ante-room and storage areas. There is an enclosed area adjacent to the building for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting is open each week day during term time from 09.15 until 12.15. A maximum of 30 children may attend the setting at any one time. There are currently 38 children on roll, of these, 15 children receive funding for early education. Children attending come from the rural villages of North and South Rauceby and surrounding areas. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities. All children currently attending speak English as their first language.

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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 10 members of staff both on a full and part-time basis. Of these nine hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the early years support team from the local authority. The pre-school is a registered charity.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children play and learn in a warm and clean environment because staff maintain good levels of cleanliness and comfortable temperatures within children’s play areas. Appropriate systems for recording accidents and medication records, well-stocked first aid boxes and an adequate number of staff with up-to-date first aid qualifications contribute to children’s immediate safety and welfare. Although policies are in place to help to minimise the spread of infection, this is compromised by the current arrangements for hand washing and because some children are not able to, or consistently encouraged by staff to access tissues to clean their runny noses. Children begin to gain an understanding of personal hygiene through daily routines and effective adult support. They know to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet in case they have germs on them. Children have their individual health needs met because staff share

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Helping children to be healthy

appropriate information and work effectively with parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing their awareness of the benefits of healthy eating through the provision of nutritious snacks which include fresh fruits. They have access to drinking water throughout the session. Good written records are in place ensuring children's individual dietary requirements are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a wide range of activities which promote their physical development. The daily routine provides set times for them to engage in physical activities both indoors and outdoors. Resources are good and children are well supported by staff. They move with control and co-ordination when joining in group games and climb and pedal with developing ease. Children develop good fine motor skills though regular opportunities to use small tools, for example during craft activities. Topics and planned activities support children’s learning about health and bodily awareness which is supported by the daily inclusion of fresh fruit at snack times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment which is maintained in good decorative order. They use good quality equipment and play materials due to effectively implemented policies and procedures which ensure that they remain safe for them to use. Staff pay good attention to safety issues when presenting toys and activities, carefully considering their lay-out to minimise the risk of accidental injury. Children are beginning to learn how to keep themselves safe because staff remind them of safe practices, for example, not to run indoors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff work in teams within the setting, deploying themselves effectively to promote children’s safety, both indoors and outdoors. They greet parents and children at the entrance to closely monitor access and vigilantly supervise the children in all areas. Comprehensive risk assessments

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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 are in place and staff carry out daily safety checks to minimise potential hazards. This enables children to safely and independently move around and engage in play. A clear policy regarding outings helps to keep children safe when outside of the setting. Children take part in fire drills periodically, ensuring that in the event of an emergency they can evacuate quickly and safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Procedures relating to child protection are in place, however, they lack clarity along with contact telephone numbers so they are not fully effective in supporting staff in their role in protecting children. Systems are not in place to share these procedures with parents prior to admission so they may not be clear of staffs’ responsibilities. However, staff are clear of their role to refer concerns and the designated member of staff has experience of working with other agencies to protect children which underpins her knowledge. She has also undertaken relevant training to consolidate her knowledge which ensures children’s welfare is safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled and enjoy their time at the setting. Staff are kind and caring and sensitive to their needs and feelings. They offer high levels of support, particularly to children who are newer to the group. Children consequently develop good relationships with staff and confidently express their needs and wishes. Staff are making good use of the 'Birth to three matters' framework to plan and provide a wide range of interesting activities for the younger children covering all areas of their development. Children freely explore their play materials and make progress in their development as they learn through play. They particularly enjoy sensory experiences as they explore the texture of paint and play dough and engaging in imaginative play with small world toys and in the role play area. Staff use their assessments of children’s progress well to plan the next steps for children’s learning. They respond to children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

with affection and their high levels of interaction helps to extend children’s language and learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children enjoy a wide variety of activities and experiences. Staff have a secure knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum, however, planning systems are not fully effective in ensuring that all aspects are covered to promote children’s learning. Children’s progress is monitored with some informative observations, but information gained from these assessments is not yet used to plan the next stages of their development which impacts on the challenges provided for children who are more able. Although assessment records are in place for each child they have not yet been sufficiently developed to enable parents to have opportunities to share what they know about their child’s abilities. Children display good levels of confidence and are eager to participate in new activities. Staff use a variety of teaching methods to help ensure children remain motivated and keen to learn,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

they are fully aware of their role within planned activities and support children well by using effective questioning. Time and resources are used effectively to provide children with opportunities to work in large and small groups and select their own play equipment. Methods for managing children's behaviour are appropriate and children respond 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 are happy and motivated and they concentrate and participate with enthusiasm. Staff's interest in the children and use of praise inspires their confidence. Children build strong relationships with staff, they enjoy each others company and play co-operatively together. They learn to share and take turns through large group activities. They behave well as they are clear of staff expectations for behaviour. Children develop their independence and self-care skills through daily routines such as putting their own coats on for outdoor play and pouring their own drinks at snack time. Children are developing a range of language skills during group activities and when working individually with staff. They thoroughly enjoy story times and contribute with enthusiasm. Many children begin to recognise their own written name as they

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

use named place mats at snack times and find their name card with their parents on arrival each morning They learn to recognise some letters of the alphabet and to link letters to sounds through letter of the week activities. Children are beginning to independently make purposeful marks and write recognisable letters of their names, although opportunities for them to attempt to write for a purpose are less frequent. Children benefit from regular opportunities to count, for example, counting those present at register time and they are beginning to recognise numerals through number of the week activities. Some children are able to solve simple addition and subtractions in their head. Children correctly describe shape and size during play. They learn about patterns through activities such as printing and playing with magnetic shapes and learn to sequence the days of the week and months of the year during circle time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about the working and natural world through interesting trips out, such as to the local church to take part in a Christening ceremony for the setting’s dolly and to a working farm. Visitors to the setting, such as the dentist and small zoo animals, support this. Children build interesting models with construction sets, changing and adapting their designs so that they can be used for their required purpose. They have regular opportunities to operate computer programmes to support their understanding of information technology. Children enthusiastically talk about their families and events in their own lives. Through planned religious and cultural festivities, such as Chinese New Year celebrations, they broaden their awareness of the wider world. Children enjoy practising their physical skills through a range of well-planned activities. Children's creative skills are developed through a wide variety of activities such as painting,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

music and craft activities. They build a repertoire of songs, enthusiastically joining in with actions and words, and sometimes with musical instruments. They explore musical instruments through planned activities which include visits from local musical organisations. Children enjoy pretend play, making metal detectors out of construction toys and seeking treasure around the environment. Role play is provided most days and children explore a varied range of resources to support their learning, such as a doctor’s surgery, castle, garden centre and Chinese restaurant.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are welcomed into the setting. They find their name cards as they arrive for the session and their place mats at snack time, see their named pockets on the wall for items to take home and their art work displayed on room dividers. These help to develop a sense of belonging. Toys and resources are made accessible to all and staff provide good levels of attention and assistance to younger children to encourage their participation. Staff gather a good level of information from parents from the outset in order that they are aware of children’s

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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 individual needs and devise systems to ensure that these are met. Staff have very good links with parents and other professionals to ensure they are able to meet the needs of children with learning difficulties and disabilities, and this is supported by a comprehensive policy. Children begin to develop an awareness of the wider world by accessing a suitable range of play resources that reflect positive images of race, gender and disability, and by celebrating different festivals as part of the curriculum.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are generally well behaved. They form positive relationships with staff and with each other and play co-operatively together. They join in organised group activities where they learn to share and take turns and to listen respectfully to what each other have to say. Staff are good role models and use appropriate strategies for managing behaviour. Reward systems, such as earning a sticker for tidying up well, encourage children to respect their environment and promote their self-esteem. Overall, children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children settle well because staff are sensitive to their feelings on separation, they offer appropriate physical comfort and skilfully distract them to engage them in play. Staff work effectively with parents to share information about individual needs to ensure that these are met. Parents have access to a good range of information about the setting, including relevant policies and procedures. Notice boards and termly newsletters, keep them well informed about practices and current issues within the setting and staff actively seek their views and opinions about the quality of the provision. Partnerships with parents and carers of children who receive Nursery Education funding are good. Parents receive written information about the Foundation Stage in the prospectus, on notice boards and through termly newsletters. Key workers regularly talk to parents about their child’s development but systems for sharing these details are largely

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Helping children make a positive contribution

informal. As a result parents are not yet actively encouraged to view and contribute to their children's developmental assessments. Parents and carers are encouraged to spend time in the setting and have some opportunities to become involved in their child’s learning by contributing artefacts linked to themes, sharing pre-writing activities at home and supporting their children to find their name cards as they arrive each morning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's health, safety and well-being is promoted due to effective staffing arrangements. The committee provide good day-to-day support for staff to carry out their work and there are regular opportunities for staff and the committee to communicate. Recruitment procedures ensure that staff are appropriately vetted and suitable to work with children, and they are clear of their roles and responsibilities due to the effective support provided including induction and appraisal systems. They work well together to ensure the sessions run smoothly and that children are well supervised and supported during activities. All legally required documentation is in place, and contains a good level of detail to promote children’s welfare and development.

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Organisation

Space is well organised, children are cared for in groups based on their ages and stages of development which means that they access toys and activities appropriate to their levels of ability. Children access a broad range of activities and good use is made of outdoor space. They freely and safely move around and make independent choices. Daily routines include a good

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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 balance of child and adult-led activities, promoting their confidence and independence along with their concentration and listening skills.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of nursery education are good. Senior staff have a clear vision for the future, and, through consultation with parents and other professionals, a sound understanding of their strengths and areas to improve. Planning and assessment systems are being developed but are not yet fully effective in ensuring that all areas of the curriculum are equally and frequently covered or that children are adequately challenged. Qualified staff act as positive role models, they work well together as a team to support children’s learning and demonstrate a high level of commitment to the provision. Effective systems are in place to monitor the provision through staff meetings and induction and appraisal systems. Overall, children’s needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the setting agreed to three recommendations relating to care. They agreed to ensure that electrical sockets in areas accessible to children are made safe and to develop written procedures for the safe conduct of outings in the event of a child being lost. A newly implemented safety check list ensures that hazards, such as exposed electrical sockets, are minimised. The setting has devised new policies relating to outings and lost children. These newly implemented policies and procedures improve children’s safety at pre-school. The setting also agreed to improve the learning environment for children by developing stimulating display areas. Posters displaying print and number are now displayed within the room on low-level display boards which supports children's mathematical and literacy skills.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the setting agreed to three recommendations relating to Nursery Education. The first was to extend opportunities for children to mark make during role play activities. Staff now use clip boards beside activities for children to write on and include equipment in the role play area to encourage this, such as notepads and pencils for children to make lists for shopping, take orders in the restaurant and book appointments and prescribe medicine in the Doctor’s surgery. This helps to develop children’s understanding of writing for different purposes. A recommendation was raised to develop the range of print around the room to support children's learning and provide more opportunities for children to read their name. Children’s names are displayed on their art work and in their identified wallets on the wall for their letters and pictures to take home. They also have named place mats at snack time,

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Improvements since the last inspection

and find their name card with their parent on entry into the setting each morning. This helps them to recognise their name and supports their early reading skills. A recommendation was raised to increase opportunities for children to develop whole body movements, such as climbing and balancing skills, during planned indoor activities. Physical play is now included in daily routines, both indoors and outdoors and children access a wide range of equipment to promote their all-round physical development.

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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

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 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): • minimise the risk of cross infection by reviewing the arrangements for children’s hand washing and providing tissues for children to reach themselves to clean their noses • ensure that child protection procedures clearly state staff responsibilities and include contact telephone numbers for the local police and social services and ensure that these procedures are shared with parents before admission to the setting.

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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): • develop planning systems to ensure that staff deliver a broad and balanced curriculum which covers all areas of learning and that activities are adapted to ensure that older and more able children are appropriately challenged • gather appropriate information from parents to identify starting points for children’s learning to enable staff to build on children’s previous learning and skills and improve systems for encouraging parents to contribute to their child’s assessments.

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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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