John Shelton Junior School

Cobham Community Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Cobham Community Pre-School

127119 Unique Reference Number 28 February 2007 Inspection date Beryl Witheridge Inspector

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Cobham Community Pre-School

Meadow Rooms, The Street, Cobham, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 3BZ Setting Address

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Cobham Community Pre-School

01732 824301 Telephone number jackie_leeson@hotmail.com E-mail Cobham Community Pre School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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Cobham 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

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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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Cobham Community Pre-School opened in 1986 and operates from one room in a community hall. It is situated in the village of Cobham, Kent. A maximum of 24 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 09.15 to 11.45 and 12.30 to 15.00 (Fridays am only) for 39 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 44 children aged from two years to under five years on roll. Of these 36 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a local catchment area. The pre-school can support children with learning difficulties and disabilities and children who speak English as an additional 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 six staff. Of these, five staff including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn about good health routines. They are encouraged to wash their hands before they eat food, after going to the toilet and after messy play. Staff escort them to the toilets, because of the layout of the building, and remind them to 'make your hands clean'. Staff use disposable gloves when dealing with any bodily fluids. Tables are wiped with antibacterial sprays to ensure that surfaces are clean. Children with infectious conditions do not attend the pre-school which helps prevent cross infection. Children's health needs are promoted through the written policies and the accident and medication records. Staff also have written permission for seeking emergency treatment or advice. Staff are aware of any specific medical requirements a child may have and are provided with the correct information on how to deal with these. Children enjoy opportunities to be active as they play in their own garden with a range of

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Helping children to be healthy

resources such as bikes and scooters. They also have use of a large hall if the weather does not allow them to play outside.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are encouraged to eat healthy foods. They know that drinks are readily available if they ask for them. The snacks provided include cheese and crackers, toast, a selection of fruits and occasionally a sweet biscuit. Children also have the opportunity to taste food from different countries such as China and India when they are looking at different countries and festivals. They also take part in simple cookery such as making their own sandwiches. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that children's individual dietary needs are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's physical development is encouraged through the opportunities for outdoor play with suitable resources and the daily routines which encourage their fine motor development. They are able to use such tools as pens, pencils, scissors, rolling pins, pastry cutters and knives safely and competently.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit from being able to learn and play in warm, welcoming, bright premises; the group has a lovely atmosphere. The group has sole use of one room in a community centre; they are able to display the children's work on the walls which helps the children to feel proud of their achievements. There is limited space but it is well organised and children are able to move easily from activity to activity. They also have their own secure outdoor play space. The premises are safe and secure and staff monitor the children as they arrive and leave. Procedures are in place should someone other than the parent/carer be collecting the children. Children are supervised closely at all times. Toys and equipment are checked regularly and children help to keep them clean as part of their play activities such as washing the dolls or the role play equipment. The fire extinguishers are regularly checked and a fire officer visits the hall.

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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 are developing an awareness of how to help keep themselves safe. They take part in twice termly emergency evacuation practices; this is carried out over several days so that all children are included.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare and safety is considered through the safeguarding children procedures which are in place. The written policy has recently been updated. However staff have not updated their personal knowledge and understanding and some measures for protecting the children have been overlooked, such as recording existing injuries and recording reasons for absences. Staff are aware of their own vulnerability and the procedures to be followed in the event of an accusation are included in the written policy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive happily at the group, they are confident and outgoing. They settle easily to the activities set out for them. Children have fun playing together; they have a choice of a variety of activities which are regularly changed throughout the session if the children have lost interest in them. Some activities are adult led and some which are child led; although staff sometimes try to lead the imaginative play instead of allowing the children to make the decisions about what happens next. Children have free access to a lot of the toys and equipment and are able to ask for favourites if they are not already out. Toys and resources include role play, puzzles, construction, books, number shapes, sand play, singing and music time, story time, art and craft and weighing and measuring. Outdoor experiences are promoted with a range of bikes, scooters and cars in their own secure outdoor area. Children are friendly and sociable, they sit

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

together at register time and have the chance to talk about what is important to them; one child talks about shopping with her mum to buy new shoes, another talks about the new car his father has bought and that now they have two cars. Children show a high level of wellbeing and involvement; they play easily together, move freely from activity to activity and are acknowledged by receiving praise and encouragement from the staff. Their learning is extended by staff who talk to them and ask open ended questions, linking into the children's own home life and knowledge. Children have a good relationship with the staff; the interaction is excellent.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage and how children learn; the needs of the children are being addressed. Staff use the early learning goals and the stepping stones when they are planning the activities for the children. However the planning is not linked directly to the next steps for individual children. Children are progressing in relation to their individual starting points but assessment of their progress is not clear. Staff carry out half termly observations where they identify what a child needs to do to move forward in a certain area but there is not enough evidence to give a clear picture of where children's learning is in relation to the stepping stones. When a child leaves to go to school a 'record of transfer' is completed and this does relate to the stepping stones. Children are interested in the activities supplied for them and are able to follow instruction

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

when undertaking something new, they concentrate well and are able to resist distractions. Staff constantly praise them for their efforts which raises their confidence and self-esteem.

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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 Practitioners provide a broad and balanced range of activities and experiences across the six areas of learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are very independent and confident. They talk happily about their homes and families. Children understand between right and wrong and consider the consequences of their actions on others. When playing with the cars one child snatches a car/aeroplane from another child, who has just built it, and breaks it into pieces, when the child gets upset he says 'sorry' and turns it into part of the game and says 'well it must have crashed' which is accepted and the game continues. Children show an appreciation of books and stories which are freely accessible; one child settles into the book corner, she selects a book and then sits to read it, another child joins her so she happily shares the book with her. A member of staff then joins them and reads the story to them. Children communicate well with both peers and adults. They listen and take turns when speaking in groups. They negotiate roles when involved in imaginative play. Some

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children can recognise simple familiar words such as their names and others; this is supported with environmental print around the room. They have opportunities for creative writing; three boys are dressed as policemen and are using pencils and paper to write in their 'notebooks'. Children learn how to use numbers in everyday situations; they count the days of the week and months of the year. They also recognise written numbers. Children show that they understand size and shape through practical activities such as building construction animals following a picture pattern. Staff ask questions to help children problem solve, they have a set of scales to weigh different objects, they are asked "Which is heavier? How do we know it is heavier? How can we make it balance? What do we need to do to make it even?" Children have opportunities to explore capacity through water sand play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about living things through outdoor play. They walk around the garden looking at the different animals there such as squirrels, worms and birds. Children investigate using their senses, they look at photos of people performing actions such as snoring, clapping, laughing, whistling and yawning; they listen to a tape and are able to identify the sounds, describe what they can hear and connect them to the correct picture.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about themselves and one another; they have visits from outside agencies such as Guide Dogs for the Blind and the local Fire Brigade. Children are beginning to understand about a sense of time; they are given a timer when working at the computer, they understand that when the timer has run out it is time for the next person to have a go. Children’s fine motor skills are developing well. They are competent at using the computer, at doing jigsaw puzzles and building with construction. Children demonstrate a good awareness of space and move confidently imaginatively and safely around the room at all times. Children are provided with and use a range of larger equipment to help develop their large motor skills; they have bikes, cars, scooters, balls and bean bags which they can play with in their own secure outdoor area. Children know their colours and explore a range of texture, shape and form in different

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

dimensions; they have made a wall display of nursery rhymes which is tactile, they can touch the display; the birds are made of feathers and Humpty Dumpty's legs move. The children play with a good variety of resources to promote their creative development, for example , they decide to turn the home corner into a hairdressers shop, they take it in turns to pretend to do each other's hair, washing and brushing it, asking their 'customer' to look in the mirror when they have finished. Children enjoy singing sessions and have a good repertoire of songs and action rhymes, staff make good use of props to keep the children focussed on the songs.

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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. All children are welcomed into the group and are treated according to their individual needs. Staff ensure that they are aware of any specific needs by talking to the parents. Toys and resources promote positive images of diversity for the children. Children learn about different festivals and celebrations throughout the year. They have looked at Chinese New Year and Divali. Parents support these activities by providing resources such as a parent who brought in a sari for the children to see. Children are able to learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others as well as explore concepts regarding the wider world. Children who have learning difficulties and disabilities are well supported with staff undertaking extra training to provide the level of care which is required to meet their needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is of a high standard, they are polite and well behaved. They understand the expected behavioural boundaries and have very good manners. Staff are good role models and deal with children in a positive but calm and gentle way if necessary. Children are regularly praised which helps to promote their confidence and self esteem. Children benefit from consistency of care, because the relationship between the staff and the parents is mutually respectful. Parents feel that the group is excellent and the staff are professional. Parents are informed of their child's daily activities and progress through a contact book. Parents are kept well informed about the group through half termly newsletters. They all receive a copy of the policies and procedures.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is satisfactory. Parents receive written information about the curriculum in the prospectus when their child first starts at the group. Children's progress and achievements are recorded in the contact books and the half termly observations. However these records are not linked to the stepping stones so it is not possible for staff to clearly tell parents how well their child is progressing towards the early learning goals. Parents receive a record of transfer when their child goes to school, this is linked to the stepping stones. Parents can ask to see their child's records at any time, there are no formal arrangements for inviting parents in to discuss their child's progress unless there is a concern. The group does hold an open morning for parents to come in and look at their child's records if they want to.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are happy, comfortable and settled within a welcoming, well organised environment. The owner of the group has ensured that the staff caring for the children are suitably qualified to do so. There are six staff employed in the pre-school and of these five hold an early years qualification. All staff are first aid trained. Every member of staff has a current Criminal Records Bureau disclosure. The recruitment procedures for employing new staff are rigorous and robust; although there is no written policy regarding ex offenders or disqualified people. The staff continually risk assess and supervise children at all times. A range of documentation and records are in place, including daily attendance records, which show clear arrival and departure times for children. The registration certificate is clearly displayed and the required records are all stored confidentially and are readily available for inspection. Children's safety, welfare, care

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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 and learning are promoted through the range of policies and procedures, which are implemented by the staff.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is satisfactory. Children are well cared for and the activities provided are planned for using the Foundation Stage but the children's progress records have not been maintained in line with the stepping stones. The overall success of the curriculum is evaluated by linking it to the Foundation Stage but it is not necessarily linked to the needs of the children. There is a clear vision for the wellbeing and achievements of the children. The owner has taken on board the recent audit by the early years advisor and is using this to monitor children's wellbeing and involvement. The owner verbally inducts new staff and identifies and provides any relevant training or resources through discussion. Staff are motivated through regular staff meetings, yearly appraisals and attendance at training courses. The pre-school receives support from an early years advisory teacher.

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Organisation

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 pre-school was asked to assess the current range of toys and activities for positive images of disability and increase the range if necessary, and to increase the choices of food and drink given to children at snack times and encourage them to become more independent. They have extended the supply and range of resources which provide children with positive images of diversity and have improved the choices for them at snack time. Older children are now able to take it in turns to be 'drink monitor' where they pour the drinks and serve them to the other children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection 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 complaint 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 satisfactory.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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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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 existing injuries are recorded as part of safeguarding children procedures • update staff's knowledge and understanding of Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures

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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 children's developmental progress is clearly linked to the stepping stones and early learning goals and that their next steps lead the future planning • provide parents with more information about their child's progress towards the early learning goals through the stepping stones

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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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