St Joseph's College

Hart Plain Church Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Hart Plain Church Pre-School

110111 Unique Reference Number 26 January 2007 Inspection date Lynn Reeves Inspector

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Hart Plain Church Pre-School

59 Hart Plain Avenue, Cowplain, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 8RG Setting Address

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Hart Plain Church Pre-School

023 92254452 and 023 92619881 (supervis) Telephone number

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E-mail

Hart Plain Church 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 satisfactory. 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?

Hart Plain Church Pre-School opened in 1968. It is registered to care for no more than 26 children from two years to under five years. It operates from Hart Plain Church hall in Cowplain, Portsmouth. There are currently 30 children on roll, of these, 16 children receive funding for early education. The pre-school supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities and also supports children who speak English as an additional language. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday mornings from 09.30 until 12.00 and Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons from 13.15 until 15.45 term time only. All children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs five members of staff and two bank staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting is part of the recognised partnership with the local school

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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 and receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYCDP), and the Area SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-Coordinator).

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are learning about health and hygiene and know how to wash their hands after using the toilet, which they do so freely with limited reminding from staff. They are provided with individual paper towels to prevent cross contamination of germs. Sound procedures are in place for the care of younger children with regards to nappy changing, as staff ensure that changing mats are sprayed with antibacterial spray and they wear disposable gloves. Children benefit from the good level of staff present who have completed first aid training, this, together with a fully accessible first aid kit, ensures that children are treated appropriately in the event of an injury. All required parental signatures are in place for seeking any emergency treatment or to administer medication and all accidents are recorded with the appropriate information, which ensures children's health and safety.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a selection of healthy and nutritious snacks during the session and have lots of opportunities to try new things during cooking activities, as the pre-school promotes healthy eating. However, children do not have free access to water during the session to help them keep hydrated or pour their own drinks to develop their independence. Children enjoy the social occasion that snack time becomes, freely engaging in conversations with one another and staff throughout. Their individual dietary requirements are met by staff, who takes time to gather information from parents when the child first attends the preschool.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children negotiate space well when moving around the setting, they carefully sit down in circle time on the mats taking care to avoid one another and move with confidence as they march with instruments. Children develop control of their large muscles as they play on the slide and trampoline and crawl through tunnels. Their small muscle control is developed as they thread cotton reels onto string, use cutters and rolling pins with the play-dough, paint brushes and sponges when being creative and when kneading dough to make hedgehog bread.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy and settled within the warm and welcoming environment. Staff welcome children by their first name and with smiles, which help promote their sense of belonging. Staff make good use of the notice boards to display children's work, although there are missed opportunities to encourage children's recognition of the written word as resources are not labelled and there is little evidence of posters to enhance their learning. Children use a range of toys and materials, which are set out at low level by the staff before children arrive, which cover most areas of play. However, there is limited opportunity for children to be independent in selecting what they want to play with as independent access to storage is limited.

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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 safeguarded because staff pay good attention to ensuring risks and hazards are minimised, for example, ensuring the premises are secure, cleaning up spillages immediately and removing hazards from the floor. Staff ensure all resources are checked before the children arrive and complete written risk assessments which are then evaluated. Children move freely and safely between the inside and outside learning environment and develop a good awareness of safety through participating in road safety activities and practising emergency evacuations.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff's sound knowledge and understanding of child protection issues helps to ensure children are protected from harm and neglect. They know who to report their concerns to and details of children attending with an injury are recorded. Information regarding the procedures to follow is clearly displayed for parents to ensure they are made aware of the setting's responsibilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are developing independence as they confidently run into pre-school, hang up their coats and find their peers. Children remain involved in their learning as they play with activities set out by the staff, however, some of these are under resourced, which prevents some children from taking part. Children are made to feel welcome as the staff are getting to know the children well and the key worker system helps to secure relationships between the children and staff, developing a strong sense of trust and belonging. Younger children are developing good communication skills as they contribute to group discussions and are becoming competent learners as they are integrated into older groups. Staff interact well with the children and follow the Birth to three matters framework, planning a range of activities to meet their needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are steadily progressing because most staff have a sound understanding of how children learn and have knowledge of the Foundation Stage. They implement a varied range of teaching methods to introduce different activities and experiences to all children, including children with identified learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who have English as an additional language. Staff are working well together as a team to plan and monitor children’s progress and gather information to plan for the children’s next steps of development. Although the planning of activities is undertaken, and clearly links to the stepping stones, planning is not consistently in place at each session, to allow staff to know how the activity can be extended or adapted to take into account the individual needs of children. Children are well supported as staff deployment is good and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

assessment of children is undertaken and observations of their progress recorded on a regular basis.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show a sense of belonging and confidently make choices from the provisions provided. They are eager to learn and concentrate well, showing good perseverance with activities, for example, when threading cotton reels onto strings and making their hedgehog bread. Many children enjoy books, choosing to sit and look at the books available in the home corner. Some children have learned to handle books correctly, and enjoy reading to one another and listening to stories read by staff, where they remain interested and predict the endings. However, there

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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 are missed opportunities for children to develop their understanding of sounds and letters as labelling of resources is limited and lack of learning posters prevent children consolidating their learning or recognising familiar words. Children attempt to make marks to paper during planned activities and when using crayons on the colouring table, however, there are limited opportunities for them to practise emergent writing, for example, in role-play or to attempt to label their own work. Children’s vocabulary is developing well as they discuss the days of the week at registration time and through their discussions with staff at the activities. They confidently initiate conversations with one another, staff and visitors, taking time to listen and respond during conversations. For example, one child chats to the adults about his siblings and wants

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to know the names of the adults' parents. Children gain confidence in using numbers as they head count during registration, count the cotton reels they are threading and use simple board games, compare bears and bricks to add and subtract. They manage to solve simple mathematical problems by working out how many pieces make up the jigsaw puzzle and realise that the larger cup takes longer to fill with gloop then the smaller cup. Children develop their understanding of weight and measure as they use objects in the sand and funnels and plastic bottles when playing with the rice, as they work out that the bottles get heavier the more you fill them. Children recognise and make simple patterns as they print with dipped paint sponges to decorate carrier bags and run their fingers through the gloop to make different shapes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about themselves and their families through discussion and topic work and acquire knowledge of their environment and the community through activities about changes of the seasons and seeing a range of visitors in the group, for example, the lollipop lady, the policeman, the fire brigade and listening to stories read by the vicar. Children have access to a computer and use a small selection of programmable toys in role play, for example, mobile phones and tills, however, there are limited opportunities for children to find out how things work or to use things to stimulate their curiosity. Children demonstrate good spatial awareness, taking care not to bump into others, and negotiate obstacles in the playground as they ride their bikes and scooters. Children enjoy a range of opportunities to express their imagination, for example, in role-play where they decide to build a tree-house with the tools, turn the tent

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

into an aquarium and act out characters in the shop using the baskets, play food and money. They express themselves and communicate their ideas during structured activities and free-play, for example, talking about what colours and patterns they want to decorate the paper bags with, as one child explains he wants to use lots of red snails. Children experiment with a range of media, for example, sand, water, play-dough, pasta, gloop, rice and paints, and use their senses to touch, taste, feel and smell the differences during cooking activities. Children thoroughly enjoy playing with musical instruments and enjoy singing along to familiar nursery rhymes and songs, for example, 'Old Macdonald', 'Wind the bobbin in' and 'The Roly Roly Poly song'. They have learnt a vast repertoire of songs and sing along well, often choosing what they want to sing.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are respected as individuals and receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff, which help them to settle. They recognise the need to share and take turns when involving themselves in each other's play. Children learn about the wider world as they talk about different

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 culture, countries and foods people eat. The children have recently completed a project on breads from around the world where they tasted naam bread, pitta bread and croissants. Planned activities that are linked to cultural festivals and access to resources representing a diversity of culture, ethnicity and disability promote equal opportunities. Children with identified learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported by staff, who have a good understanding of their role and the Special Needs Code of Practice, therefore their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are confident and show good levels of self-esteem, they know what is expected from them and respond well to praise and encouragement. Children are beginning to understand right from wrong through the sensitive methods used by staff, for example, gentle reminders to share, to take turns and to be kind to each other. Children benefit from the secure relationships they build with the staff. Flexible arrangements for the induction of new children to the group and the implementation of the effective key worker system helps to ensure staff are well informed about children's individual needs and requirements.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Parents receive information about the group's aims and objectives, the Foundation Stage curriculum and the Birth to three matters framework via the prospectus, newsletters and clearly displayed notice boards. Children benefit from good relationships between the staff and parents and the strong links with the local schools. Parents are encouraged to help out on the rota system and children's individual progress and achievements are discussed during handover time and through verbal and written reports. Regular meetings and social events are planned to enable parents to discuss their child's progress and to view their records, however, there are no opportunities for parents to make any written comments on these. Parents find staff friendly and approachable, and welcome annual reports about their child’s progress at the setting.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children's care and learning is supported by the effective deployment of staff and their understanding of roles and responsibilities. Most staff are knowledgeable about the Foundation Stage curriculum, which help to support children's care and learning. High ratios maintained ensure children receive lots of care and attention. The required documentation is in place, recorded well and suitably stored to maintain confidentiality. Policies and procedures are implemented effectively and available for inspection. Children are protected as there are clear recruitment and vetting procedures in place to ensure all staff and volunteers working with the children are suitable to do so. The staff team and committee have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities, and the registration and inspection process. All the required documentation is in place, well-maintained and securely stored to maintain confidentiality. As

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Organisation

a result, the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is satisfactory. The setting is managed by a committee who employ a fully qualified supervisor to oversee the day to day running of the pre-school. All staff contribute towards the planning and monitors the curriculum and the impact on children's individual progress. Training needs are identified and courses are booked by the supervisor to ensure staff continue to grow and develop their personal skills, knowledge and understanding

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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 of the Foundation Stage. Most activities are evaluated, taking account the numbers of children and how the aims and objectives are or are not met, although not all activities are well resourced and the planning and systems do not always reflect how the children are extended in their learning. Staff observe children and take notes on their key worker children to ensure individual needs are covered in the short term planning. The setting is however, committed to improving and regularly seek further support and advice from outside agencies, such as the Preschool Learning Alliance.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the provider was asked to ensure that the exact arrival and departure times of children are recorded in the attendance register and to request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment. The daily registers are not recorded accurately with times of arrival and departures of children and parental permission is in place for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment. These procedures now ensure that children's health and safety is promoted.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection the provider was asked to further develop systems to assess children's progress, ensuring that children's next steps in learning are clearly identified and used to further inform the planning. Extend the planning systems to clearly identify the intended outcome of activities. Children's progress is now being assessed through observations and evaluations and the planning demonstrates the intended outcome of activities. However, not all staff fully extends children's learning and some activities are under resourced. The lack of clear labelling and limited opportunities to practise writing skills are beneficial to the children, therefore recommendations have been made following this inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider was asked to evaluate the use of time, ensuring that snack time meets the needs of all children. Snack time has now been re-organised into smaller groups, which meets the children's needs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider was also asked to ensure that all information provided to parents is up to date and accurately reflects the pre-school practice. Particularly, provide parents with relevant information about the Foundation Stage and ensure that all written policies are an accurate reflection of the procedures in the setting. Parents are now provided with a prospectus that clearly provides information regarding the Foundation Stage and the pre-schools policies have been updated to reflect their day to day practice.

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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 complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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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

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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 satisfactory. 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

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 throughout the session • provide more opportunities for children to access toys and play resources independently and ensure activities are adequately resourced • provide opportunities for parents to make comments on children's progress reports

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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): • provide opportunities for children to recognise familiar words by using labels in the environment • encourage the children to mark make throughout the sessions, to begin to develop their emergent writing skills and use text for different purposes • provide more opportunities for children to access programmable toys to find how things work and to stimulate their curiosity • improve systems to assess children's progress, enabling a clear picture of children's next steps in learning to be identified

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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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