The Pilgrims' Way School

Selsdon Baptist Church Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

125031 Unique Reference Number 20 June 2007 Inspection date Rebecca Elizabeth Khabbazi Inspector

p.1

Addington Road, South Croydon, Surrey, CR2 8LL Setting Address

p.1

E-mail

Selsdon Baptist Church Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

p.1

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

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?

Selsdon Baptist Church Pre-school has been operating for over 25 years and was re-registered in 1999. It is a committee-run provision and operates from a hall within Church premises in a residential area of South Croydon. The setting serves the local area.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 40 children aged from two to five years old on roll. Of these 32 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The preschool is open from 09:30-12:00 from Monday to Friday during term-times, with a lunch club operating during the last half of the summer term. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting employs nine members of staff including the two managers. Of these, seven have relevant childcare qualifications and two are currently working towards a qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority through an Early Years Advisor.

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

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children begin to understand simple good hygiene practices when they wash their hands after they use the toilet and before they have their snack. They are protected from the risk of cross-contamination because staff follow routines such as cleaning tables before they are used and making sure they wear gloves when they change any nappies or pull-ups. Children are taken good care of if they have an accident or are unwell because all staff have completed first aid training and there are effective procedures in place for responding to emergency situations including serious accidents or infectious illnesses. Clear systems for keeping records of any accidents children have and any medicine they need to be given, ensure that all relevant information is available and parents are kept up to date.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children take part in daily physical play sessions as part of a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy spending time in the outdoor area each day, as well as indoor games with hoops, pom-poms or the parachute. Outdoors, children practise their physical skills when they confidently manoeuvre their bike around obstacles, energetically run around, or paint the walls with water using big brushes, making sweeping strokes with their arms. Children benefit from being able to help themselves to water throughout the session, so they are well hydrated. There is a regular snack time and children's individual dietary needs are taken into account. However, although the setting hopes to introduce a wider variety of snacks later in the year, currently children are not always offered healthy options such as fruit on a daily basis.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in suitably maintained premises with facilities to meet their needs. Staff spend time setting up activities before children arrive in order to create an interesting and welcoming play environment. Children choose from a good range of resources that are suitable for their age and kept in good condition. Staff check play materials and equipment regularly to make sure everything is clean and safe for children to play with.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's risk of accidental injury is generally well minimised due to mostly effective steps to identify and reduce potential hazards. Precautions such as electrical socket covers help children play safely in the hall. Outdoors, soft surfacing to the ground and matting fixed to walls as appropriate, helps promote children's safety. However, a risk assessment has not yet been conducted of children's access to the side gate, which is not secure. Children begin to learn to keep themselves safe when they are reminded not to run inside and when they take part in regular fire practices.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s welfare is safeguarded because staff understand their role in child protection and are able to put appropriate procedures into practice when necessary.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are confident and settled in the preschool. They have good relationships with staff, who greet them warmly and get to know them well. A good variety of activities and experiences are provided, which support their overall development and learning. Consequently, children

p.3

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 well occupied throughout the session, interested and eager to take part. Staff use the Birth to three matters framework to make observations of younger children's progress and to plan activities that build on children's learning.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a secure understanding of how to implement an early years curriculum and are familiar with the expectations for children's learning within the Foundation Stage. They plan a varied, well-balanced programme for children, and are clear about what they hope children will learn from the activities provided.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are keen to communicate and use language confidently to start conversations and talk about their ideas and experiences. Older children write their name on their work and recognise the sounds that familiar letters make. Children show an interest in books and look at them independently in the book corner. They enjoy large group sessions such as stories, but due to the size of the group, do not always have the opportunity to fully extend their learning through discussion. Staff encourage children to develop their number knowledge and solve simple problems through every day routines and activities, such as counting how many children are present today or sharing out the bricks so everyone has the same amount. Children recognise shapes, using them purposefully to create a picture of a tractor or a person. Staff make very good use of topics to help children learn about the world around them. Children show wonder

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

as they watch caterpillars become butterflies, and experiment when they see what happens if they try to push a piece of cork under the water. They express their imaginations when they pretend they are camping in the tent, or make tea in the home corner.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff support children well during activities and become familiar with their needs and strengths, and this contributes to their overall good progress. Regular observations are made of children and they all have individual next steps, which are used when planning activities. Sometimes, however, the next steps for children's learning are not clearly drawn from the observations staff make of their achievements, and detailed information is not currently sought from parents about children's starting points before they begin at preschool, in order to help staff monitor children's progress while at the setting.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children benefit from a setting that values all children as individuals, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Information about children's individual needs is gathered before children start and the settling in policy helps children feel comfortable at the preschool. Children enjoy activities that help them learn to value diversity, such as a visitor showing them how babies are carried on their mother's back in some countries, learning about Japanese food and music, or practising using chopsticks. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children grow in independence at the preschool. They practise self-care skills when they pour their own drinks or help themselves to resources. Children are familiar with the rules and expectations of the setting. They begin to understand how their behaviour affects other people when they talk about what it means to share and take turns during circle time. Staff offer clear, consistent support and guidance, and this helps children learn to work harmoniously together.

p.4

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 The partnership with parents is good. Parents are very happy with the preschool provision and the progress that their child makes at the setting. They are warmly welcomed by staff, who are friendly and approachable. Clear information about the setting is provided before children start and parents are kept up to date through the notice board and regular newsletters. Staff have a formal meeting with parents once a year to provide feedback about children's progress as well as informal chats on a day by day basis.

p.4

Organisation

The organisation is good. Robust recruitment procedures ensure children are cared for by well qualified and appropriately vetted staff. Staff have clear responsibilities and work well as a team, sharing tasks between them through a rota system on a day by day basis. Effective communication ensures that staff are familiar with policies and procedures and incorporate them into their daily practice. The adult: child ratio positively supports children’s care, learning and play. All documentation required to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children and the efficient running of the setting is in place. Space and resources are well organised and children benefit from an appropriately planned daily routine that ensures they are occupied and interested throughout the session.

p.5

Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education provision is good. The managers of the setting demonstrate a strong commitment to continual development and improvement. They have devised an on-going action plan and initial systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision. There is good support for training which helps ensure staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to further develop the programme provided.

p.5

Organisation

The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last care inspection the setting has continued to develop systems for keeping parents informed about the curriculum, such as displaying activity plans on the noticeboard and including details about the Foundation Stage in the prospectus. This ensures parents are kept informed about the programme of learning provided. The setting has also ensured that children have daily access to resources such as books and dressing up that reflect diversity and help children develop a positive attitude to the wider community.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the setting was asked to consider ways of providing a greater selection of resources for children to select independently. Children are now able to help themselves to a variety of materials such as craft resources and writing equipment, which are freely available during each session. This helps promotes their independence. The setting were also asked to provide more opportunities for children to use books to locate information. Staff now often use books during activities to encourage children to do this, and there is a library visit every half-term.

p.5

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.

p.5

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.5

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

p.5

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): • provide more healthy choices for children at snack time • conduct a risk assessment in relation to children's access to the side gate in the outdoor area

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): • further develop the systems for monitoring children's progress by gathering more detailed information about their starting points from parents, and making sure children's next steps are always clearly drawn from the observations made of their achievements • evaluate the organisation of large group sessions such as story time, in order to consider ways of providing more challenge for older and more able children

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.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

p.6