Stannington Village Pre-School

Stannington Village Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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300732 Unique Reference Number 26 April 2007 Inspection date Yvonne Victoria Facey Inspector

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Church Street, Stannington, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S6 6DB Setting Address

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E-mail

Stannington Village Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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?

Stannington Village Pre-School has been operating for a number years. The group is voluntary and operates from Lomas Hall in the Stannington area of Sheffield. It opens from 09.15 until 15.15, five days a week. The group provides full day care and children attend for a variety of sessions. The group offers childcare to the local community and surrounding areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 52 children on roll, of which 50 are in receipt of nursery education funding. The group supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are 10 staff working with the children. Of these, four have early years qualifications. The playgroup is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children play in a clean environment and staff follow good hygiene procedures, such as making sure children have access to clean equipment and furniture. Children are protected from infection and are well taken care of if they have an accident or become ill, because staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to promote children's welfare. For example, they ensure children who are ill do not attend, most staff hold a current first aid certificate and the first aid box is easily accessible. Good systems are in place for recording accidents and administering medication, which ensures children's health needs are met at all times.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are learning to manage their own hygiene needs. For instance, they spontaneously wash their own hands in the sink in the room before they sit down for snack. Staff support children well in learning to keep themselves healthy though daily routines and giving them simple explanations. For example, a child picks berries up off the floor outside and staff remind them to wash their hands because they might get an upset tummy if they put their fingers in their mouth. Children enjoy healthy, nutritious and varied snacks and drinks. Meal times are relaxed, sociable times, where children are able to eat at their own pace. Children choose if they want to have a snack as they are provided throughout the session. Staff are aware of their dietary needs, which are discussed with parents. Children's understanding of nutrition and healthy eating are promoted well. For example, they discuss what is good for them during

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Helping children to be healthy

topics. Water is available at all times and children can go and get themselves a drink. Children are aware of their bodies and know what they need. For instance, two children go and get themselves a drink of water after outdoor play, saying that they are thirsty because they have been running.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have frequent opportunities for physical play and fresh air in the outside play area. Children show an awareness of space, moving carefully around others and obstacles. They develop their fine movements when assembling construction and using scissors when cutting. As a result, they confidently balance, coordinate their movements and clearly have control of their bodies.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The children are cared for in secure premises where surroundings are bright, light and child-friendly. The rooms are inviting and stimulating with children's work displayed. The premises are clean and suitably maintained. Children benefit from the good safety measures, such as risk assessments for indoors, outdoors and for visits outside the setting. There is plenty of space for them to move around, explore and play freely. Children have access to an outdoor play area. Staff deployment is good and children are well supervised. All visitors are asked to sign a record attendance so that staff know who is in the building.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of a fire and these are regularly practised to make sure children are fully aware of them. This benefits children’s welfare and helps them to be aware of keeping themselves safe. Equipment is in very good condition and is checked regularly. Children have easy and safe access to toys and resources that are stimulating and suitable for their age and stage of development. They are taking some

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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 responsibility for keeping themselves safe through discussions with staff and planned themes, such as road safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded because effective and current child protection procedures are in place and staff have a clear understanding of child protection issues. They know their responsibilities and have a good understanding of the role of the nominated child protection person. As a result, children’s safety and welfare is promoted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are well settled within the setting, where they have secure relationships with staff and their peers. Staff know the children well, are kind and caring and spend their time playing and talking with them. Staff incorporate the 'Birth to three matters' framework into their planning. Children join in eagerly with rhymes and songs, such as 'Bob the builder and 'Peter rabbit'. Children respond to the adults, who are interested in what they do and say. They are cared for in a relaxing atmosphere which is conducive to their play and learning needs. Children have access to outdoor play. Although, this is not fully developed to extend children's experiences between indoor and outdoor play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff are well qualified and generally have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Teaching methods are varied and include small and whole group sessions, which are interactive and provide children with good experiences to explore and investigate their environment. Staff provide children with a good balance between adult-led and free play. As a result children are able to try new and challenging experiences. Planning is detailed and effective. The stepping stones are covered through a good variety of experiences and activities. Recording of children's progress is sound and suitable methods are used when observing children and planning for their next steps. However, the system is not organised clearly to ensure that all evidence is collated thoroughly to see all children's achievements. Staff and resources are well organised, and equipment is accessible to the children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. They develop very good language for communication and begin to use more complex sentences when describing situations. For example, they talk about the beautiful butterfly that flies into the playroom, describing the colours and patterns it has on it. Children use books very well and really enjoy stories. They enjoy acting out their favourite stories and are able to predict and retell stories such as 'The Hungry Caterpillar' and 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'. Children make use of the many opportunities for mark making in purposeful situations. They enjoy writing and many older children write recognisable numbers and letters and they demonstrate very good pencil control. Staff provide a variety of different ways to introduce children to print in their play. For instance, they introduce writing in the role play area.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's mathematical skills are developing well. Children accurately count and they develop skills in calculation and problem solving. They have a good understanding of shape through activities, such as matching and sorting games, and can name basic shapes, such as circle and square. Children show excitement and interest in the natural world. They look for insects while playing outdoors and collect them in pots, where they describe in detail what they have found. For example, they talk about the legs on the insects and the tiny shell on the snail. They learn

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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 about other cultures through activities based on festivals, and learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others through themes, such as 'all about me'. They use maps and atlases to explore and see different parts of the world, as well as using their own home experiences to gain a better understanding of the wider world. For example, they bring post cards from holiday and look at the map to see where they have been.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children demonstrate good creative skills through the well planned activities provided. They enjoy music and movement and choose to play musical instruments freely. Children are involved in role-play and use their imaginations well. Creative materials are readily available and children's ideas are enhanced as they use clay, dough and paint. They are self assured and independent within the setting and show good curiosity. They are engrossed in their activities and enjoy learning new and challenging skills.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are made to feel welcome and their individual needs are taken into account which gives them a sense of belonging within the nursery. Consistent rules are established and staff promote positive behaviour through the frequent use of praise and encouragement. Children receive a sticker when they show positive and caring behaviour. Children's behaviour is managed well and they are beginning to negotiate with each other to resolve issues. They are included in making the rules of the setting which is displayed in the play room. Staff's knowledge of individual children is good. They know each child's ability well, which ensures the individual needs of the children are met. There are suitable systems in place for children with learning difficulties and disabilities to enable staff to monitor and support children and parents. A suitable range of multi-cultural resources are available to support children's understanding of

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Helping children make a positive contribution

the wider world. Children are valued and respected as individuals, which develops their self-esteem. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Parents of funded children are given suitable information about the Foundation Stage in the parents' pack. The information is sufficient to inform parents of the stepping stones. There are some systems in place for parents to discuss their children's progress and the early learning goals. For example, there are open days and parents have an opportunity to contribute to their child's progress at the start of their placement. They also discuss their child's activities on a daily basis. However, parents are not actively encouraged to contribute their views about their child's progress and reports are not routinely shared. Parents are given a detailed progress report when children leave, which is shared with the school. There is a complaints policy in place, which includes a system for the recording of complaints following the recent changes in regulation.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The operational plan works very well in practice. Comprehensive policies and procedures are successfully implemented. Appropriate adults care for the children because there is a robust system in place to recruit and check all staff. The staff team have good levels of qualifications and demonstrate a commitment to enhancing their knowledge and skills through attending additional courses. Staff are well deployed and space is organised very well. All areas have plenty of space for children to access.

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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 Leadership and management of the setting are good. The registered person has clear vision for nursery education. The management team offer positive and effective support to staff to enable them to provide good experiences and learning for children. A clear system for staff appraisals is in place and these are undertaken on a regular basis. Monthly staff meetings are held and used effectively for training and other issues. Staff are motivated and committed to their work, and they work very well together to ensure children have positive experiences. There is a clear system is in place to monitor and evaluate the provision for nursery education. All legally required documentation which contributes to children’s health, safety and well-being is in place.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, recommendations were made in relation to developing policies and procedures within the setting. The group have regularly reviewed and updated their policies, which are comprehensive. As a result children's welfare is being promoted. Improvements regarding the nursery education were to improve planning and share information of children's progress with parents. Staff have worked towards these areas and have made sound improvements. They were also asked to develop children's calculating skills, which has been addressed and children are making good progress in this area.

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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): • continue to develop the outdoor play area to extend children's experiences (also applies to nursery education)

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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):

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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 • organise the system for recording children's progress to enable all evidence of children's achievements to be collated more effectively • develop the links with parents to encourage them to contribute to their child's learning and assessments and share more information about children's progress with parents (also applies to care)

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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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