The Nook School

Manton Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Manton Pre-School

146030 Unique Reference Number 23 October 2006 Inspection date Carol Readman Inspector

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Manton Pre-School

Manton Village Hall, Preshute Lane, Manton, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 4HQ

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E-mail

Manton 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 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?

Manton Pre-School opened in 1970. It operates from the village Hall in Manton, near Marlborough. The pre-school serves the local rural community and nearby town.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 23 children on roll. This includes 21 funded three-year-olds and two funded four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports a number of children with special needs.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group opens four or five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 to 12:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Further sessions for older children are added in the afternoon between 12:30 to 15:00 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as child numbers increase.

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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 Three staff work with the children. Two staff hold level 3 qualifications and one member of staff holds a level 2 qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are learning about a healthy lifestyle. They learn good hygiene routines such as washing their hands after visiting the toilet and before eating. Staff are good role models, taking care to wash their hands before snack time and using utensils to serve food. Staff use effective procedures to prevent the possible spread of infection. For example, cleaning tables thoroughly before children sit to eat. All staff receive first aid training to ensure that minor injuries, bumps and grazes receive appropriate, effective treatment. Good procedures to record medicine administered, ensures that children receive appropriate medical care.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy healthy snacks. The daily parent helper provides the snack each day. Children enjoy a wide range of different fruit and snack items. They enjoy cheese biscuits, bread sticks, cheese, apples, raisins and bananas. This helps children make healthy choices about their eating. Parents are asked to provide water for their children but this remains in their bags so children do not have direct access to drinking water at all times. Children are able to choose milk or water at snack time.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy daily active outdoor play. Adults and children play happily together throwing and catching beanbags and digging in the sandpit. This helps develop large muscle and coordination skills. Children have plenty of opportunities to master control of pencils, paintbrushes and scissors, all of which are well supported by adults. This provides good opportunities to improve small muscle skills. Children learn to find their own space by using individual mats at circle time. This helps children develop good spatial awareness. Daily play sessions in the small outdoor area and going for walks to the play park mean that children enjoy the fresh air as part of a healthy lifestyle.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play in a warm bright environment. Staff and parents are vigilant in ensuring that the provision is secure at all times and that children cannot leave the setting unsupervised. Children benefit from an environment divided into areas where children can enjoy messy play, dressing up and role-play activities as well as quieter times such and reading. They are able to move freely and safely between areas and make good use of a carefully planned playroom. Staff keep the gate in the kitchen locked shut to ensure that children do not enter the kitchen unsupervised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is a wide range of good quality toys and resources in clean condition. Staff check toys daily to ensure they are safe and suitable for the children attending that day. This ensures that children can enjoy their play in safety. There are ample tables and chairs to ensure that all children can all sit together for snacks and enjoy this social occasion with their friends.

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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 learn good safety rules such as using scissors and pushing chairs under tables so that others do not fall over them as they play. The staff and committee have completed a thorough risk assessment and staff use a daily visual checklist to ensure that children are safe. Staff have sound knowledge of child protection issues. This safeguards children’s welfare. Staff are aware of their role in child protection and the nominated person is aware of the routes of referral and local procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children settle quickly and play happily with their friends. Staff are well deployed to ensure that there is a good balance of adult supported activities and chances for independent play. Here they develop their imaginations by taking dolls for a walk in toy buggies and dig energetically in the large sand trays to build landscapes where toy dinosaurs act out pretend battles.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff encourage children to regard others as their friends and to be kind and helpful to one another. For example, they choose songs their friends like to sing and take turns to collect plates at snack time and serve their friends with snacks. The staff know their children well and encourage them to learn independence skills such as dressing themselves up in play clothes. Children have easy access to the toys and resources that staff put out each day. However, there is limited scope to access additional resources independently. This inhibits their ability to use their own initiative in making choices about their play. Staff observe the children and record their observations. This helps them identify what the children can do and helps staff enhance children's development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are very good relationships between staff and children. The staff praise the children warmly for their achievements and for helping tidy up and get plates for their friends for snack. This helps children become confident and develop high self-esteem. Children at the setting are very confident and friendly. They encourage visitors to the setting to join them in their games, explaining the rules and helping to find required pieces to complete the games.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make good progress, supported by staff that use their in-depth knowledge of the Foundation Stage to provide a varied and broad curriculum that promotes development in all areas of learning. Experienced staff use their knowledge of the Foundation Stage and how children learn to great effect in small learning groups such as the 'show and tell session'. Here children develop a whole range of skills from learning to speak and listen in a small group, to counting and recognising letter names and sounds. Children really enjoy this time when they are able to tell their friends about favourite toys and events from home. They learn to count in ways appropriate to them and their stage of development and have great fun trying to find another word that starts with the same sound as the letter of the day. Teaching from different areas of learning is skilfully woven together

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to enhance learning. This means that children enjoy taking part and are keen to learn. The warm praise they receive makes them confident to answer questions and proud of their achievements.

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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 develop very good social skills, learning that all are friends. They play together well and join in group activities. They recount events in their home life such as learning about which side of the road to drive on 'Mummy says we must stay on this side when we are driving'. Children are able to settle for a range of toys set out for them but not able to use their initiative in selecting resources for themselves. This limits their independence. Staff help children develop positive attitudes to trying new experiences such as wearing a blindfold to experience braille writing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children listen well to stories and join in rhymes. Staff use big books and are skilful in recounting stories in ways that have children engrossed and eager to take part. Staff help children recognise letters and praise them warmly from identifying initial letter sounds for objects at the setting such as 'G' for 'gate'. Many children use writing in their play and some can write their names, forming letters correctly. Staff introduce early maths concepts into every aspect of the children's play. This means that children generally have very good early mathematical skills. They learn to count out objects such as plates and cups at snack time. They count the number of children present at circle time. Posters show different shaped objects and children know both two and three dimensional shape names. They learn about weighing and being lighter or heavier. Children can sort objects by size and talk about biggest and smallest.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have fun learning to use the computer because the staff are skilful at selecting games that children will enjoy and feature their favourite nursery characters, such as Noddy. Children learn early keyboard skills and how to operate the mouse. Staff use planned and spontaneous activities to teach children about the natural world around them. A visit from a butterfly gives children a chance to recount what they know about butterflies and tell others.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's physical skills are good. They have good hand-eye coordination and can paint, draw and colour in objects. Fun activities such as 'tap a shape', helps small muscle development. Children join in games and rhymes to help them develop good large muscle control and use equipment such as the climbing frame, bikes and buggies to develop balance and co-ordination. Staff plan walks, including going to a nearby play park to encourage children to enjoy the outdoors and have a chance to enjoy energetic games.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Painting, collage making and designing all help good creative development. Children sing and dance to music. This helps them to express themselves creatively. Children are developing strong imaginations, dressing up and pretending to be police officers or imagining what it is like to be a dinosaur, roaring loudly to frighten others, stomping heavily into the sand.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The teaching at the setting provides realistic challenges to children. Key workers support children's learning very well. Observations help to identify what children know and staff build on this to help children progress. Children make very good progress in their learning, given their capabilities and starting points. High quality support by experienced and knowledgeable staff ensures that all children have high levels of achievement. Children are happy, settled and very well cared for.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff know the children very well and are careful to support the individual needs of all at the setting. All children are fully included in the setting. Staff make use of valuable information about the children obtained from parents and combine this with observations made about each child to promote children's wellbeing. This makes all the children feel valued and special. Children learn about other cultures in meaningful ways. They develop an appreciation of others in a diverse society through books and resources that promote positive images of age, culture, gender and disability.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Experienced staff ensure that children with learning difficulties and disabilities receive a high standard of care. They work closely with parents to ensure that children's needs are correctly identified. They work with other professionals to devise and implement individual plans for children. Staff take care that all can take part in activities to help all feel valued and part of the setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children show wonder when they look at the world around them such as observing a butterfly. They reflect on what they see and talk to others about shared experiences. They understand about what is right and wrong and apologise if they are inconsiderate. They enjoy the company of others at the setting, sharing play and chatting during snack times. They learn about the lifestyles of others in meaningful ways.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well. They know what is expected of them and are aware of the rules and routines of the setting. They benefit from the good role models provided by the staff, who promote a positive and calm atmosphere. Children relate well to each other and are learning to work harmoniously with others. For example, one child collects and distributes the plates and cups at snack time for all their friends at the table.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Children benefit from the open, warm welcome that families receive. Parents are given detailed information about the setting and the Foundation Stage curriculum activities. Before the child starts staff meet with parents to gather information about the child. This means that parents are able to share what they know about their child's achievement and interests. Staff and parents do not hold formal meetings to discuss children's progress but staff ensure that they find time to talk to parents when they come to help at the setting. This gives parents the opportunity to share more information about their child and gain first hand experience of what their child is learning at the setting.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The setting is well organised to care for children. Staff and committee work well together to ensure that children's care is enhanced by an efficient and effective organisation. The clear operational plan, ensures that the sessions run smoothly and children benefit from the stable routine. All required policies and procedures to promote the welfare and care of children are in place and implemented. The committee and staff have a clear vision and aims for the provision

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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 to offer high quality childcare. The provision is successful at making sure that the outcomes for children are positive. The childcare practice is very effective and the setting has a strong commitment for improvement and strives towards providing the best possible care and education.

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Organisation

There are robust recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that children are protected and cared for by adults committed to the wellbeing of children and supporting their development. Good use of the environment and careful deployment of staff contributes to a good healthy, safe and enjoyable experience for all the children. There are good policies and procedures that work well in practice to promote children's health and safety. Staff ensure that all are free to play in a warm and caring environment were all participate fully.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is good. Very good working relationships between staff and committee mean that they work together to enhance the development of children. As a result, children thrive at the setting. There is a good focus on education with long, medium and weekly plans in place to bring about good outcomes and progress towards early learning goals for children. Staff deliver a broad based curriculum, making very good use of their knowledge of the Foundation Stage and how children learn. They make detailed observations of the children. However, children's records are not always up to date and a system to identify the next steps for children's learning is not fully in place. This has an impact on the children as it reduces opportunities for them to reach their full potential. The supervisor identifies areas for improvement and she and the staff are proactive at finding and implementing solutions when

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Organisation

weaknesses are identified. Staff and supervisor work together as a team and share their expertise. The supervisor makes very good use of experienced staff to help develop appropriate, detailed planning. 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 staff at the provision were asked to ensure that children are able to self-select from a wide range of stimulating resources and play materials and have access to resources that encourage independent working and allow children to develop their own ideas, especially in art and design. Some progress has been made in this area. The range of drawing and craft materials available to children has been extended. In the afternoon sessions, older children are able to choose from a range of play resources when they have completed more structured tasks. This does not currently happen during the morning sessions. This limits the development of children's independence and initiative skills.

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Improvements since the last inspection

They were also asked to ensure that the premises are secure and children cannot leave unsupervised. The gate is now secured by a low bolt on the outside that children cannot reach. Parents and staff are vigilant in ensuring that the gate is always bolted. The door has a coded locking system. Children's safety has been improved and they now cannot leave the setting unsupervised.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provision was asked to improve opportunities for parents and staff to liaise on issues surrounding the care of children with learning difficulties and disabilities. Staff now work very closely with parents to offer good care. They liaise with parents about the delivery of individual educational plans and respect parental wishes. This improves the care offered to children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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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 The setting was asked to increase the frequency with which activities are changed so as to maintain children's interest and increase their range of experiences. Children benefit from a much wider variety of toys that are set out each morning and a routine that provides more variety during the day. Children are interested in their play and take part in a wide variety of activities offered at the setting. This improves children's enjoyment of the day and ensures that they are fully engaged in their play.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The setting has developed children's understanding of the different ways in which writing can be used to communicate by ensuring that there is always a writing table and equipment available for children to write and draw. Children learn to write their names and make cards and drawing for their friends and family. This improves children's writing skills and increases opportunities to use mark making to communicate.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The setting has reviewed how it supports children's opportunities to learn about other cultures and beliefs. It teaches children about different festivals around the world such as Christmas and Hanukkah and helps children understand the differences and similarities between religions. The settling continues to add to its resources to represent other cultures and beliefs through books, posters and small world figures. This improves children's understanding of all in a diverse society.

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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): • ensure that children have access to drinking water at all times • further develop easy access to play resources to enable independent choice and selection (this also applies to Nursery education).

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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

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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): • ensure that record keeping is kept up to date and is used to highlight the next steps in children's learning.

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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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