St Paul's CofE Primary School

All Saints Pre-School [Exmouth]

Inspection report for early years provision

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All Saints Pre-School [Exmouth]

105928 Unique Reference Number 20 March 2007 Inspection date Anne Legge Inspector

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All Saints Pre-School [Exmouth]

All Saints Church Hall, Church Road, EXMOUTH, Devon, EX8 1RZ Setting Address

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E-mail

All Saints Pre-School Committee Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

All Saints Pre-School has been registered since 1992. It is managed by a committee of volunteers and is affiliated to the Pre-School Learning Alliance. The group operates from All Saints Church Hall in Exmouth and is open to children living within the local community. The premises include a large playroom, with kitchen, toilets and storage facilities. Children also have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school is open on weekdays in term-time. Morning sessions are from 09:00 to 11:30 and a lunch club is available from 11:30 to 12:30. Afternoon sessions run on Wednesdays and Fridays from 12:30 to 15:00. The group is registered to care for up to 26 children, aged from two to five years. There are currently 36 children on roll, including 18 funded three and four-year-olds. The pre-school welcomes and supports children with learning difficulties or disabilities and those with English as an additional language. There are five staff working with

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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 children, four of whom hold qualifications in childcare or education. In addition, students regularly support the work of the group.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children benefit from eating nutritious meals and snacks. The pre-school has a healthy eating policy and children enjoy fresh fruit and crackers at snack-time. They all contribute to a fruit basket, which is always available for children to help themselves. When the pre-school is open all day, children enjoy home-cooked lunches, such as cottage pie or lasagne. On other days they bring packed lunches, which are well-balanced, as staff work with parents asking them to keep to the healthy eating policy. Special dietary needs are known and carefully met. Children have plenty of fluids, as they drink milk or water at snack and have constant access to fresh drinking water. They enjoy daily opportunities to be physically active and to access fresh air. They play outdoors in all weathers, running freely, using a good variety of wheeled toys or playing in spinning cones. Indoors, they crawl through tunnels, use a large climbing frame or

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are very well protected from infection. The premises are very clean and staff regularly check floors and surfaces during sessions, to ensure that they are spotless. Nappy changing procedures are very hygienic, as staff carefully disinfect surfaces before and after use, and wear gloves to prevent the spread of infection. They wash their hands and use a protective gel to further protect children. Tables are cleaned meticulously before being used for food. Children learn good hygiene routines as staff remind them to wash their hands before they eat and after using the toilet. They use liquid soap and paper towels to reduce the spread of infection. Children's care is consistent, when they are unwell or injured. Two staff have current first aid qualifications and records of accidents and medication are comprehensive. There are good systems for obtaining all the required consents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children play in a safe and secure environment. The entrance to the hall is locked during sessions and there are good systems for parents to collect children, without compromising their security. In addition, one outside gate is constantly locked and the other is firmly secured when children are outside, so that no-one can enter without authority and children cannot leave the premises unnoticed. Staff follow clear procedures for monitoring children when they are playing outdoors. Inside the hall, children are mainly well protected. Staff carry out daily risk assessments, checking that equipment and all areas are safe. Heater covers and a gate across the kitchen help to keep children safe. Evacuation procedures are practised regularly, on different days each term, but children who attend for only part of the week do not practise often enough to become familiar with the routines.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have plenty of space to move around safely in the large hall. They choose from a good variety of toys and resources, which are stored at low levels for their independent and safe

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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 selection. They learn to be aware of hazards as staff explain, for example, how to be safe on a slippery floor. Children are well protected from abuse or neglect, as staff have undertaken relevant training and have a very good understanding of all safeguarding issues and procedures. When necessary, they have taken appropriate action in response to concerns. The child protection policy lacks details of procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation against a member of staff or volunteer.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Sessions are well-organised and children benefit from plenty of free play, as well as a clear routine and some structured activities. The youngest children enjoy a good variety of appropriate activities, which effectively promote their development. They engage enthusiastically in a wide range of sensory tasks, such as painting with their hands, shaping dough or playing with water, sand or pasta. They like to sing action songs or use musical instruments. They build with large materials or make pictures by running toy cars through paint. They choose to relax in the soft area and share books with each other or with staff. They cut, stick and make marks or dress up and become involved in imaginative play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff use the Birth to three matters framework effectively, to plan suitable activities for young children and to record their achievements. Two-year-olds are very well settled in the pre-school and they make good progress. Staff talk and play with them, skilfully promoting the development of their language and understanding. For example, staff encourage children to make different designs in the sand and to compare and discuss the sizes and shapes they make. Children become independent as they make choices about activities and resources, or help with daily tasks, such as tidying up or hanging up their own coats.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff plan interesting topics, covering all aspects of the areas of learning over time. They observe children's achievements, but they do not yet track their progress through the stepping stones. New systems are being introduced, which will help to identify the next steps in children's learning, but they have not yet been implemented. Staff have a good understanding of their key worker children and how to help them make progress. They use questions and discussion effectively, such as when they talk about the weather and recent events, developing children's sense of time. Children are often challenged or supported appropriately in their learning, but this is not always consistent. Some whole-group activities, such as story-time, do not meet the needs of all children due to their different stages of development. Able children are not consistently challenged in some aspects

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of their language, literacy and mathematical development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy sharing books and they make good use of the comfortable library area. They write for different purposes, such as when recording appointments in role play. They make marks and begin to write their own names. They discuss initial letter sounds but this is not extended through a wide range of practical activities, so able children do not make consistently good progress in this area. Children count confidently throughout their play. They count toy animals, candles on toy birthday cakes or cars on the play mat. However, this is not always

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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 extended for able children to help them understand number patterns, such as one more or less, or that groups can be combined. Children explore and discuss shapes as they cut and stick or use computer games.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use very good construction sets and materials to design and make models. They learn about the natural world as they plant and grow flowers and enjoy topics about gardens. They develop their understanding of technology as they use tills, telephones and a computer. Children create freely using paint, drawing materials or dough. They enjoy singing and using musical instruments to explore rhythms and sounds. They take part in imaginative role play, which is very well extended by adults. For example, they go on imaginary journeys to a cold climate to find polar bears. Children develop very good control in their use of small equipment, such as scissors, spreaders and pens. They develop their large physical skills as they push, scoot or pedal wheeled toys, balance on beams or use a large climbing frame.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The pre-school has a very good ethos of inclusion and all children and families are welcomed. Children who speak English as an additional language receive very good support and staff have undertaken training to help them provide good quality care for these children. There is a strong emphasis on developing the social skills of all children, including the very young ones who attend. For example, children are regularly reminded how to sit quietly, listen carefully or to ask politely for what they need. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children become aware of the feelings of others, as they discuss the emotions shown by characters in a story. They learn to share resources, as staff help them to take turns with, for example, dough cutters or pens. Children behave very well, as they respond to the staff's positive and consistent behaviour management strategies. They know the clear routines of the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

pre-school and enjoy plenty of praise when they are helpful. Children with learning difficulties or disabilities are carefully monitored and make very good progress, as staff work closely with parents and professionals to meet their needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the pre-school's good communications between staff and carers, which ensure that their care is consistent. Staff are always available to discuss issues with parents and good information is provided about the pre-school's policies and procedures. Records about the youngest children's progress are detailed and clearly show how they achieve, in relation to the Birth to three matters framework. At the Foundation Stage, partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Newsletters contain helpful information about topics and aspects of the curriculum. There are informal systems for sharing information about children's development, but records are not detailed enough to fully inform parents about their child's progress towards the early learning goals. Targets are not systematically shared, so parents are limited in their ability to support their child's progress towards identified targets.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are cared for by well-qualified and committed staff, who work as an effective team and ably support children's play and learning. They enjoy the facilities of a large hall, where the space is used thoughtfully to provide different areas for a wide range of activities. Screens are used very effectively to demarcate areas for quiet play, messy play or table-top activities. Children receive very good individual attention, as staff ratios are high and students and parent helpers add to children's excellent adult support. Children are safe and secure in the premises and standards of health and hygiene are good. The work of the pre-school is underpinned by all the required documentation, although some documents do not contain all the required details. Daily registers do not consistently show children's times of attendance, complaints and medication policies are slightly inaccurate and the child protection policy lacks details of some

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. The current manager and Chair took over the pre-school a year ago, when previous staff had left and the group looked likely to close. There were no records or systems in place to support children's care or nursery education. Since then, a strong team of staff and committee members has been established, and systems have been put into place to constantly evaluate and improve the quality of the nursery education provided. The manager is aware of areas which need further development, and she has actively sought help from the Local Authority. She has introduced new assessment systems, in order to clearly track children's progress and plan for their future development, although these systems have yet to be fully implemented. The pre-school 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 review and update policies and procedures, and to ensure that accident records and the child protection policy were comprehensive. They were also asked to provide more opportunities for children to self-select resources.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, all policies and procedures have been updated, and accident records are now comprehensive, so children's care is more consistent. However, some policies remain incomplete or contain information which is again out-of-date. Children now have good opportunities to select their own resources and activities, and staff have ordered more storage units, so that a wider selection of resources can be made available to children on a daily basis.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 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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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 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • further improve children's safety in emergencies by practising evacuation procedures sufficiently often for all children to know the routines • make sure that children's care is always supported by current and comprehensive documentation, including up-to-date complaints procedures, detailed registers of attendance, and medication and child protection policies which include all the relevant information.

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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): • implement revised assessment systems, so that children's progress towards the early learning goals can be accurately tracked. Use this information to plan appropriate challenges for children of different abilities • provide regular opportunities for able children to develop their understanding of letter sounds and number patterns, through a wide range of practical tasks and daily routines • establish systems for regularly sharing information about children's progress with parents, so that they can fully support their child'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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