Carnarvon Pre School

Carnarvon Pre School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Carnarvon Pre School

EY339604 Unique Reference Number 22 January 2007 Inspection date Christine Hands Inspector

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Carnarvon Pre School

Carnarvon Primary School, Nursery Road, Bingham, NOTTINGHAM, NG13 8EH

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Setting Address

01949 838 246 Telephone number ad4z@carnarvon.notts.sch.uk E-mail Carnarvon Pre School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Setting Address

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?

Carnarvon Pre-School was registered at the current premises in 2006. The Pre-School is privately run and is based in Carnarvon Primary School, Bingham. It operates from a large designated classroom within the school and has it's own secure outdoor play area as well having access to the school playground and field. A maximum of 30 children may attend at any one time. The Pre-School is open each weekday from 09:00 - 15:15 during term-time only. There are currently 56 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 41 children receive funding for early education. Children attend for a variety of sessions and most come from the local community. The setting supports children with special needs. The Pre-School employs 10 members of staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean, well ventilated environment where they learn the importance of good hygiene and personal care. They are familiar with personal hygiene routines and through discussion and activities are developing an understanding of why they wash their hands before handling food and eating. Children's health is further supported by the policies and procedures that are in place which reassure parents that the staff take as much care as they can to prevent the spread of any infectious illnesses by asking that if children are ill they do not attend. Should a child become ill during a session, parents are contacted immediately and the child is made comfortable and reassured until they arrive. Qualified first aiders, a first aid box and written permission for staff to obtain medical treatment enable children to be attended to quickly in the case of an emergency. Staff receive training for any medical procedures required by the

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Helping children to be healthy

children attending the group which further supports children's good health. Children are able to use the book area if they require a rest and bean bags and cushions are available to make them comfortable.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are learning about healthy foods through topics as well as having healthy snacks and drinks such as toast, pancakes, fruit, crackers and bread sticks. Children have the choice of bringing food from home which is stored appropriately or eating a nutritious freshly cooked meal which is cooked on the school premises. Drinks are available throughout the day, however, as these are not easily accessible to the children staff ensure that they are regularly reminded that they are available.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy outdoor activities on a daily basis enabling them to develop strong bodies and good co-ordination. They are keen to put their coats on and go outside. Most of this time is free play where children run around, ride scooters, cars and play with balls, however, future planning includes activities such as ring games, balancing and planting different foods such as tomatoes, carrots and potatoes. This will also re-enforce the pre-school's healthy eating policy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a secure and well-maintained environment where potential hazards are identified and minimised both indoors and during outdoor activities to help keep children safe. Risk assessments are always undertaken before children arrive which is particularly important because of the shared premises. Children are beginning to develop an awareness of safety as they respond to the staff's guidelines and procedures. For example, they learn how to evacuate the premises in the event of an emergency by taking part in regular fire drills and understand that leaving toys on the floor can pose a trip hazard for other children. Both the outdoor area and playroom are secure, preventing unauthorised access as well as preventing children from leaving the premises unaccompanied. There are minor problems at present with coats and bags spreading onto the floor due to the insufficient number of pegs, however, plans

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

are in place to resolve this issue. Staff are aware that at times the radiators become hot to the touch and until these can be suitably guarded they take precautions to prevent any accidents.

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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 choose from a variety of good quality toys and play materials which are checked regularly for safety and cleanliness. Staff supervise the children at all times and ensure that all necessary parental consents are in place.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded through the staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures. There is a designated member of staff, however, all staff are fully aware of their responsibility in this area. Staff are vigilant with regard to the collection of children and ensure that only those people who are named on the registration form or who are able to give the previously specified password are able to do so.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy their time at the pre-school. They arrive happy and eager to take part in the activities on offer. Younger children are supported by sensitive staff to enable them to settle and make the transition from parents to pre-school as easy as possible. Close and caring relationships increase children's trust and help them to develop a strong sense of self. Staff have a good understanding of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and use this to help adapt activities for this age group, however, in planning there is no clear differentiation between the different age groups. Early communication skills are very well supported through one to one discussions as well as during group times where staff listen carefully to what children have to say and respond appropriately, providing a venue for children to increase their understanding, vocabulary and feelings of self-worth.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Planning links clearly to the stepping stones and includes prompts for staff to ensure that they are aware of the learning intentions, although these are not always followed through. Evaluations are completed after each focussed activity enabling staff to fully assess its success. A key worker system is in place and works well with staff completing their own children's assessment records. They base their assessment of children's progress on observations and chart their progress through the Foundation Stage using information noted down by all members of staff and this clearly shows that children are making satisfactory progress across the six areas of learning, however, because there are no base line assessments for the children their overall progress cannot be fully appreciated. The information gathered is used to inform future planning enabling staff to be aware of any areas

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

where children may need extra support or challenge. Currently this is an area for improvement as those more able children are not always sufficiently challenged to move onto the next stage.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff establish clear ground rules and offer gentle reminders to the children about their behaviour which encourages them to behave well and to consider the feelings of others. Children work well together, sharing ideas in their imaginative play, for example, when making a train track and during dressing up activities. They are learning to take turns as they all gather round the computer, sharing the excitement and interest and being confident to tell each other what to do, although this was not always welcomed by the computer user. They concentrate well at activities and staff enable children to finish what they are doing giving children a sense of value and respect. Children enjoy using technology and are able to work the computer programmes

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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 using the mouse, having a good understanding of what they need to do to complete the programme.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They are confident and readily initiate conversation between each other and members of staff such as discussing what an umbrella looked like that had been brought into the pre-school that morning. Children know the routine well and listen carefully to instruction, however, due to their grouping during story sessions the stories are not always suitable across the range of ages resulting in children becoming restless. Children see print around the room and are beginning to gain an understanding that print carries meaning. Staff promote children's independence through toileting and hand washing routines as well as during snack and lunch times when those children who receive a cooked meal collect it themselves from the main school and carry it back to the pre-school room. This provides children with a great deal of pride as they see themselves following the example of children in the school. They are aware of their own bodies

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and their ability to use their senses as they take part in activities which encourage them to smell, taste, listen and touch. Their physical skills develop and improve through a wide variety of experiences including music to movement and use of the range of equipment in the outdoor play area. Staff are currently re-designing the book area to provide a comfortable and inviting space where children will want to look at books both individually as well as in a group as they recognise that at present this has an impact on the children developing in this area. Children enjoy taking part in creative activities, experimenting with the playdough and exploring what has been used to make it feel different. Once children realised that one of the ingredients was corn it prompted a discussion about popcorn and that they ate this when they went to see a movie as well as how it turned into the finished product.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They are gaining a good knowledge of other cultures and beliefs because they celebrate different festivals, try different foods and make good use of the dressing up clothes in the role play area. Children recognise shape and can count to 10 and beyond using this knowledge in every day activities. Their designing skills are developing well as children make sunglasses out of stickle bricks, snakes out of cotton reels and a wonderful dinosaur out of clay. The look of concentration on the child's face as this was carried out was absolutely amazing. Children experience opportunities to use scissors and thread beads and cotton reels so that they are developing good fine hand skills. They enjoy many varied opportunities to use paint and other materials to create their own art work. They sing a wide range of songs and rhymes and experience different styles of music.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children feel valued and respected because staff ensure they are aware of their individual needs and are able to meet these consistently. Information is exchanged with parents on a daily basis enabling them to discuss anything that may affect a child's behaviour. Children are learning to respect all members of society through the respect, praise and encouragement they receive from staff who not only value them as individuals but also show an interest in what they have to say. The strong links to the school enable children to learn about their local environment and their local community. The excellent displays of children's work increases their self-esteem. They are learning about difference through the role models presented by staff as well as

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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 activities and resources, enjoying visits from people in the community such as the police and fire department. Children begin to develop a positive view of society and the wider world as they take part in activities and use resources that reflect diversity. For example, they look at books, play with toys and take part in activities that acknowledge cultural differences. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff work very closely with parents to ensure that children who have special needs are provided with the resources needed to further their development. The group strongly believes in inclusion and readily adapts activities to include all children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is generally good because staff have policies and procedures in place that ensure consistency. They continually use praise and encouragement to re-enforce good behaviour and have high expectations of the children. Parental involvement is highly valued in order that strategies can be developed to manage any difficult behaviour and the high staff ratios enable staff to meet the needs of all children. Children are given reasons as to why certain behaviour is not acceptable and the developmentally appropriate strategies enable them to have time to consider their behaviour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit greatly from their first hand experience of positive partnership between the staff and their parents. Relationships with parents are both professional and friendly. Through daily sharing of information and discussion about how the child has been and what they have been doing, staff ensure parents are kept fully aware of the level of care their child receives.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Staff regularly discuss with parents their children's achievements making them aware that they can look at their children's assessments records at any time. There are however no formal systems in place for parents to look at their child's records or discuss their development, nor are initial base line assessments undertaken enabling staff to fully monitor how a child is progressing. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their child's learning and a useful parents notice board displays information regarding nursery education and the activity plans for the coming weeks. This is a very open and friendly group where staff ensure that parents are always made welcome and where they can always find the time to talk to them about any issues concerning their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. All adults caring for children at the pre-school have undertaken the required vetting procedures to ensure that they are suitable to care for children. There are good recruitment procedures in place as well as an induction procedure and regular appraisals which help to confirm that all staff have the required qualifications and experience, understand and put into practice the policies and procedures of the group as well as having their training needs met. Children are cared for in an environment that is warm and welcoming and where toys and activities are stored at low level enabling them to select what they would like to play with. This allows children sufficient opportunity to explore the environment and initiate their own activities which promotes confidence and self-assurance. Staff are skilled at knowing when their presence is needed to support children and when their role is to stand back and supervise from a distance

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Organisation

allowing children to become fully involved in their own activity. The organisation of space

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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 within the room is developing and there are plans for the warmer months for children to be able to choose to play both indoors and outside in the fully secure garden.

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Organisation

The attention to detail in the documentation provides a sound framework for children's care. This is reviewed regularly and held securely ensuring that all details are kept confidential.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the setting is satisfactory. Although the supervisor is fully involved in the day to day running of the provision and supports staff well there are no written assessments for when children start at the provision or reach the age of three years. Staff are not therefore able to fully assess their initial development. The next stages of recording, however, are thorough and clearly identify the subsequent stages in children's learning and how staff can support them in particular areas. Regular staff meetings enable them to plan activities at appropriate levels for all the children. The owners acknowledge the importance of staff training and positively encourage staff to further develop their skills. The supervisor and staff regularly discuss training to decide who should attend the various courses available.

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Organisation

The supervisor and staff assess the groups strengths and weaknesses and put into action any plans to improve. The group have only recently moved to these premises and because of the lesser amount of space available are continually looking at ways to improve the room layout which will in itself benefit the children. The supervisor and staff are fully committed to improve the children's care and education and make excellent use of the support teacher and area special educational needs co-ordinator. The close relationship they have with the school and especially the reception class teacher and head teacher supports children in their transitions and also enables staff to use their expertise in different areas.

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Organisation

Overall, the needs of all children are met.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are 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 that positive steps are taken to promote safety with regard to radiators

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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 base line assessments are undertaken for all children in order for their progression to be fully evaluated and that more able children are fully challenged in order to attain their full potential • formalise opportunities for parents to discuss their children's achievements.

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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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