Peasmarsh Flying Start Pre-School

Peasmarsh Flying Start Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Peasmarsh Flying Start Pre-School

EY341517 Unique Reference Number 13 March 2007 Inspection date Liz Margaret Caluori Inspector

p.1

Peasmarsh Flying Start Pre-School

Peasmarsh C of E Primary School, School Lane, Peasmarsh, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 6UW

p.1

Setting Address

01797 280537 Telephone number mrsstone@tesco.net E-mail Peasmarsh Flying Start Playgroup Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

p.1

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

p.1

ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

p.2

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

p.2

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Peasmarsh Flying Start Pre-School opened on its current site in 2006. The group forms part of a Sure Start Children’s Centre and is run by a management committee. It operates from a purpose built room within the Peasmarsh Church of England Primary School. The group also has use of a fully enclosed outdoor play area.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group is registered to care for a maximum of 26 children under five years at any one time and there are currently 31 children on roll attending a variety of sessions. This includes children in receipt of funding for their nursery education. The pre-school is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 09:15 until 13:10 and on Tuesday and Friday from 09:15 to 12:00, during school term time. The group is able to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) and English as an additional language.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 There are five members of staff working with the children with at least four present each session. The manager and three staff hold appropriate early years qualifications and one staff member is working towards a qualification.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting receives support from the local authority.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are present for lunch at the setting several days each week. They bring in packed lunches from home and are very well supported to understand the importance of good nutrition. They take part in activities that teach them which foods are good for their teeth and what constitutes a healthy lunch box. Children also enjoy nutritious fruit snacks mid-morning, accompanied by bread sticks, toast or a plain biscuit. Water is constantly available and children are given the additional choice of milk or juice with their snacks.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from the very good levels of hygiene within the setting. Staff ensure that all areas are clean before children arrive and wipe tables between activities and before serving snacks and lunches.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing very good personal hygiene practices. They routinely cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing and help themselves to tissues to blow their nose. They are well supported by staff who praise their efforts and offer guidance. All children wash their hands before eating and after visiting the toilet.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Appropriate procedures are in place regarding the care of sick children and the administration of medicines. All staff hold qualifications in paediatric first aid, ensuring that children can be treated in case of an accident. The setting maintains the required medication and accident records, however details of existing injuries are not routinely recorded.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy very good opportunities to develop their physical skills. They play outside when weather permits or, alternatively, take part in physical activities in the group room. They enthusiastically join in games and dance to a wide variety of songs. They move with confidence and good co-ordination. Children are also developing their fine motor skills through activities such as playing with play dough. They competently use a range of small tools such as rollers and cutters.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play with a very good range of toys and resources. These are all in good condition and appropriate for the ages of stages of development of the children attending. In addition to the toys set out by staff, children confidently select additional items from the low level storage units.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Good security arrangements are in place. A member of staff greets parents and carers in the entrance lobby and completes the register. Anyone trying to enter the building at other times needs to ring the door bell to be let in.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected by a range of effective safety precautions, including the use of socket covers and devices to stop children’s fingers being trapped in the doors. Children listen well to advice and instructions given by staff and move sensibly and safely around the setting. Appropriate procedures are in place to protect children from the risk of fire. Emergency exits are clearly identified and evacuation drills are practised regularly.

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

One member of staff acts as the setting’s child protection co-ordinator and has attended specific training to support her in this role. She is clear on her responsibilities and has all the relevant contact details necessary to make a referral to social services.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the setting. Most enter happily and enthusiastically greet the staff and their friends. A very small number of children experience difficulty separating from their parents and carers. Staff are very skilful at dealing with these situations and, as a result, children settle quickly. Children have bonded together very well as a group. This gives children the confidence to move around the setting and join in the activities that appeal to them. They play extremely co-operatively together and are developing extremely good social skills.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy the freedom they receive to explore and experiment for themselves. Activities are attractively set out and very well resourced. There are clear routines which are well understood by the children. These are flexible but ensure that whole-group activities such as physical games and circle-time are included each day.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a thorough understanding of the Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum and have effective systems in place to assess and monitor children’s development.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making good progress in all areas of learning. Staff are extremely skilled at delivering activities and engaging children’s interest. Children are becoming very independent learners as a result of the opportunities that they receive to explore and investigate for themselves.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff very competently extend children’s language. They listen with genuine interest when children are talking and ask lots of questions to encourage children to express themselves. As a result, children chat happily while they play and are confident to contribute during group activities. Children are developing a love of books and listen intently to the very well read stories. Children are extremely well supported to recognise written letters and most are able to identify the initial sounds of words. They make good use of the resources available to practise writing and many are able to form recognisable letters.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children have access to a good range of resources and activities to support their mathematical development. Children count confidently and are beginning to understand many mathematical concepts such as matching and sorting, comparison and basic addition and subtraction. They frequently use mathematical language in their freely chosen play.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Creatively children are making very good progress. They particularly enjoy dressing up and role play activities. They also join in a range of activities planned and supervised by staff. These often include an art and craft element although, on occasion, the benefit of these is limited by too much adult direction. However, children have many other opportunities throughout the day to produce very individual and expressive pieces of art.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The development of children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is given high priority within the setting. Children speak very knowledgeably about the life cycles of farm animals and issues relating to life in the countryside. They also take part in a broad range of activities covering a wide variety of interesting subjects. Children have regular use of a computer and very confidently operate a range of programs with little or no adult intervention necessary.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The behaviour of children in the setting is extremely good; they are well-mannered and very considerate of others. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. They enjoy the warm, friendly atmosphere which helps them to interact positively with each other and develop a strong sense of belonging. They are provided with a range of activities and resources aimed at promoting positive images of different people from throughout the community and wider world.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The group has good arrangements in place to care for children with English as an additional language as well as those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The staff team have a very positive attitude to meeting the needs of all children.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnerships with parents and carers is satisfactory. Those with children receiving funding for their nursery education are given information to support them to understand the Foundation Stage. They are informed of their child’s progress but are not routinely involved in planning for their next steps. All parents are greeted very warmly. They are familiar with the routines of the setting and share lots of verbal information with staff. Children benefit from these positive relationships.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is good. Children’s all round development is enhanced by the careful organisation to meet their care, learning and play needs. The environment is open plan with clearly defined areas for different activities. This allows children to experience a good level of independence whilst being effectively supervised.

p.5

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 There is a comprehensive range of written policies in place, many of which are being reviewed and updated. All required records and documentation is maintained.

p.5

Organisation

There are five members of staff, including the manager, who work with the children, with a least four present each session. A very positive relationship exists between the entire staff team and, as a result, children experience a very harmonious and relaxing atmosphere.

p.6

Organisation

The leadership and management of the setting are good. The manager meet regularly with the chair of the management committee and both are very clear on their individual roles and responsibilities. The management team are pro-active in identifying and addressing any possible areas for improvement in the service they provide. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

p.6

Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

p.6

Complaints since the last inspection

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

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

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.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

p.6

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): • include records of existing injuries in the accident records.

p.6

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 the educational input of adult focussed activities does not restrict children's creativity. This also applies to child care.

p.6

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 • increase the encouragement and support given to parents to understand the Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum and to become involved in the planning of the next steps for their child.

p.6

The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.7

The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.7