Beansheaf Community Pre-School

Beansheaf Community Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Beansheaf Community Pre-School

507892 Unique Reference Number 24 January 2007 Inspection date Doreen Forsyth Inspector

p.1

Beansheaf Community Pre-School

Linear Park, Charrington Road, Calcot, Reading, Berkshire, RG31 7AW Setting Address

p.1

Beansheaf Community Pre-School

0118 9454312 Telephone number alt tel no 07890 323572 E-mail Beansheaf Community Pre-school Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

p.1

Beansheaf Community 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

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Beansheaf Community Pre-school opened in 1995. The pre-school is organised by a management committee and uses rooms in the Beansheaf Community Centre, at Calcot, near Reading in Berkshire. The setting has access to adjacent large playing fields.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The Pre-school is registered to care for up to 26 children aged between two and five years old. Currently there are 22 children on roll, this includes 17 children who are in receipt of government funding for nursery education. The setting welcomes children that have learning difficulties or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school is open weekday mornings from 09:30 until 12:00 during school term times.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are six full or part-time members of staff working with the children, two of these have relevant qualifications at level 2 or 3.

p.2

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 receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are beginning to learn good health and hygiene routines, for example, they are encouraged to wash their hands using soap and paper towels before eating and after visiting the toilet. They learn about healthy lifestyles through discussion and topic work and often have healthy choices of fruit or vegetables at snack time, although they are sometimes provided with the less healthy option of biscuits. Children can help themselves to drinking water during the play session if they become thirsty. If children have any allergies or special dietary needs these are well recorded, staff liaise closely with parents to ensure children's individual health needs are met.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

All the necessary records that help to ensure children's well being are in place, including a good sickness policy, but this is not shared with parents. Some staff have current first aid qualifications; children's safety is promoted as there is always a qualified first-aider present when the pre-school meets.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children have daily opportunities to take part in physical exercise. For example, they use wheeled toys in a cordoned off area of the hall, they play outside on the large playing fields when the weather is suitable, and sometimes visit the nearby play park. Children enjoy taking part in ring games and moving to music at the end of the session.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm, welcoming and well maintained environment. Staff create a pleasant play setting for the children each day with the resources and equipment they set out. There are some attractive displays and posters. Children's safety is well promoted; the premises are regularly risk assessed, staff are aware of any potential hazards and put procedures into place to minimise them. However, occasionally by the end of the play session there are a number of small toys and equipment on the floor which are a potential trip hazard.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All the required fire safety equipment is in place, which is regularly checked; fire exits are well marked and kept clear. Children practise how to evacuate the setting in an emergency. The pre-school has suitable procedures in place to ensure children are collected by appropriate adults. Children learn about keeping themselves safe, for example, they are reminded to walk in the playroom. Children have access to a good range of suitable toys and equipment, these are safe and suitable for their purpose, the resources provided help to promote the different areas of children's learning.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well safeguarded because staff understand their roles in child protection and have attended recent safe-guarding children training. They are confident in putting the appropriate

p.3

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 procedures into place if necessary. The setting has good written child protection policies, but these are not shared with parents.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children arrive happily to the pre-school. They confidently leave their carers and quickly settle to play. Even children new into the setting are relaxed and ready to explore what is available to play with. Children are offered a suitable range of activities which they enjoy and that help them learn and progress appropriately.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are making progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals in all of the six areas of learning; but their knowledge and understanding of the world is not well promoted. Staff plan a range of activities that help children to learn, these are usually based on topics and themes, and include celebrating special events such as Christmas, Chinese New Year, or Mother's day. Most of the staff have an understanding of the early learning goals, they record the children's progress towards these using a local authority assessment profile. The planning used is well organised and is based on the different aspects of early learning goals. It shows what staff expect children to learn from the activities they present. However, staff do not use the information they glean from the assessment profiles to plan for individual children's learning needs and to help them move onto

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn to share and take turns, they are beginning to consider the needs of others. They usually concentrate on their chosen tasks, such as when they are at the craft table and are busy selecting their own resources and tools. They have some opportunities to be independent, such as putting on their own aprons for messy play, but they do not serve themselves or others at snack time, and they are not always encouraged to put on their own coats when they go home. Children understand the rules and routines of the setting, such as going to sit on the mat when the music is playing or the lights flash.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy books and stories and usually listen attentively. They especially enjoy listening to stories on a one to one basis. The setting has a comfortable and welcoming book corner. Children have good access to materials for them to write and make marks, some children can write their own names and other recognisable letters. Children sing number and counting rhymes, they sometimes count with the staff in their daily activities. They use good resources for matching and comparing size and shape, children use construction resources such as building with bricks or joining the train track to solve simple positional problems.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

At circle times children learn about the days and of the week and discuss the weather, they find out about their local environment and the wider world through the topics and themes. Children do not have many opportunities to explore why things happen, how things work or to explore the natural world. They do not use any everyday Information Technology equipment to help support their learning.

p.4

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's creative development is promoted, for example, by the use of a craft table where children can choose and explore a good selection of materials and tools freely, They have access to a wide selection of different craft resources. They explore paint and colour; the children were very interested in watching the colours change and mix as they were painting with sponges. Children enjoy imaginative and role play in the well-equipped home corner. Children enjoy singing songs from memory and moving to music. Children's large muscle control is promoted through activities such as riding and controlling bikes, climbing through the tunnel or balancing on stilts. They use tools such as scissors, glue sticks and pencils or malleable materials such as sand and play-dough to help develop their small muscle control.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All children are welcomed and valued at the pre-school, including those children that have learning difficulties or disabilities or that speak English as an additional language. There is a special needs co-ordinator that has attended relevant training in the setting, she works closely with the area special needs co-ordinator to ensure children's individual learning needs are promoted and any extra resources are accessed if necessary.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from taking part in activities and using resources and that help them to value diversity. These include welcome posters that are in different languages, celebrating different festivals and tasting different foods, and playing with small world figures. There are a limited range of books in the setting that promote children's understanding of diversity. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children are encouraged to behave appropriately, the setting has a suitable behaviour policy in place but, it is not shared with parents. Staff praise children's achievements and good behaviour.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents are welcomed into the setting and are able to help at the pre-school on the parent's rota if they wish. They are encouraged to spend time when they bring children into the setting each morning to help their children to settle and are able to exchange information with staff on an informal basis. Parents are invited to serve on the management committee. There are termly newsletters and a parent's notice board. The setting has good policies and procedures in place but these are not easily accessible to parents. A complaint procedure is part of the policy documents, but this is not up to date. The setting does not keep a log of any complaints from parents relating to the national standards and any action taken.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

When children first start at the pre-school the key worker spends time with parents explaining the observation systems and finding out a about the child and what they know; this is the only planned opportunity for parents to be informed of their children's progress and achievements and for them to share what they know about their children's learning with the setting. Parents are informed about the topics their children will be looking at in the newsletters and by information on the notice board.

p.5

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

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The setting follows appropriate procedures to ensure all staff are vetted and suitable to work with young children; some staff are currently going through this process. Staff are encouraged to attend relevant training, most staff have attended some training or short courses, but at present there are not enough staff with the required level of qualifications. The setting uses the key-worker system well to ensure children have good support. Suitable adult/child ratios are maintained which positively promotes children's care, learning and play.

p.6

Organisation

Most of the required documentation is in place, there is an appropriate record of attendance, but this is not always accurately kept. The provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

p.6

Organisation

Leadership and management is satisfactory. There have been recent staffing and committee changes, but all current staff and committee are committed to ensuring the children are well cared for and progress in their learning is promoted. Staff are encouraged to attend training events; appraisals are to be used to monitor and promote staff development. The setting is beginning to monitor and evaluate its practice by using the self appraisal form to continuously assess the provision. The pre-school reflects on comments and feed back from parents and values the support of outside agencies.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the pre-school was set recommendations regarding children's safety, record keeping and risk assessments. Children's safety is now well promoted, most of the required documentation is in place and the premises are regularly risk assessed. At the nursery education inspection there were three key issues concerning, planning for children's individual needs, developing children's writing skills, and opportunities to problem solve. Children are encouraged to write and mark make freely in their everyday play; they solve mathematical problems when using a range of different resources. Planning still does not include ways of meeting the needs of individual children and will be carried forward from this inspection.

p.6

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.

p.6

Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents that they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

p.6

Complaints 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

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

p.7

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): • promote children's well-being by ensuring parents have good access to the setting's written policies and procedures • develop an action plan to show how the minimum staffing qualification requirements will be met • keep a record of complaints relating to the national standards and any action taken.

p.7

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): • provide children with more opportunities to find out why things happen and how things work and to use everyday information technology to support their learning • ensure parents have opportunities to be informed about their children's progress and achievements and to share what they know about their children's learning with the setting • use the information gained from the regular observations made on the children to inform planning, so that all children are helped to progress on an individual basis.

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.7