Plymouth High School for Girls

Hopscotch Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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113532 Unique Reference Number 20 April 2007 Inspection date Michele, Karen Beasley Inspector

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Aldingbourne Community Centre, Olivers Meadow,Westergate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 3YA

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Setting Address

01243 545810 or 544681 Telephone number hopscotchpreschool@btinternet.com E-mail Theresa Jackson Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Hopscotch Pre-school opened in 1981 and is privately run. It operates from Aldingbourne Community Centre in Westergate. The setting serves the local community and the surrounding areas. A maximum of 26 children under five years may attend the nursery at any one time. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:30 until 12:00 Monday to Friday morning and 13:00 until 15:30 Monday and Thursday afternoons.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 49 children aged from two years to under five years on roll. Of these, 39 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend on a part time basis for a variety of sessions. Currently there are no children attending with special needs and English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting employs eight members of staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a qualification. The setting is an accredited member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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 happy and settled in the setting. They enjoy a wide range of routines and practices that enable them to stay healthy. They are protected from infection because hygiene procedures are followed. Children know to wash their hands when they have finished messy activities such as painting, or when they have been to the toilet. Practitioners record all accidents, however accidents are not being recorded separately for each child to maintain confidentiality. All practitioners are qualified in first aid. This ensures the children will receive immediate treatment in the event of an accident. Practitioners administer medication, helping to keep the children healthy and ensure the parents are well informed. Parents sign all records to acknowledge the entries and give written consent prior to medication being administered.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a wide range of healthy foods and drink either milk or water. They bring their own fruit at snack times, engaging in a great deal of conversation and laughter as they eat together. They develop their independence at these times, opening snack pots, peeling their bananas and pouring out milk or water into cups. Children learn about healthy foods and this is reinforced by extension of topics such as the Very Hungry Caterpillar and Foods from Around The World. Children are encouraged to try new foods such as chicken paella and curry with rice.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children thrive in the provision because they have opportunities to play outdoors in the fresh air. They are able to play outdoors as well as inside, and are accomplished at taking on and off their sun hats and shoes when they play outside in the large inflatable. They build with crates and large long tubes, play with the sand, ride around on scooters, bikes and sit and ride toys. They plant and measure sun flowers and explore the natural environment including mini-beasts.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a large hall within a community centre. During the sessions children have sole use of the hall although there are sometimes other users in different areas of the building. Children are escorted to the toilets. However, at times the main door into the pre-school remains open whilst this takes place, this compromises children's safety. Practitioners are well organised when setting up a wide range of activities for the children to participate in and children's work is displayed in the setting to value their contributions to the group.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from using a wide range of safe resources. All furniture is child height to ensure comfort and there are large cushions in the book corner available for children who need to rest. There are appropriate fire safety procedures in place, for example there are extinguishers and fire exits displayed above appropriate doors in the setting. Children practise fire drills, which are recorded. Secure systems are in place to ensure children leave with adults who are known to practitioners and details are obtained from parents regarding who can and cannot collect their child, which contributes to ensuring children’s safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected and safe guarded from harm. Practitioners have attending child protection training and have a secure knowledge of their roles and responsibilities regarding protecting children in their care. They know how to implement pre-school and local child protection procedures and ensure parents are fully informed about their role with regards to child protection issues. Systems are in place to ensure children are protected from people who have not been

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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 vetted and procedures to record visitors, practitioners and children to and from the provision contribute to ensuring children are safe.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children show enthusiasm for learning and relish time at the pre-school. They are very happy and involved in their play and are highly motivated by the good range of stimulating, practical learning activities provided. They are able to take the lead in their play and make choices for themselves knowing that sympathetic, caring practitioners are on hand to support and encourage. Children form very close relationships with practitioners who interact with children exceptionally well. This helps to build good levels of confidence and self esteem in children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Overall, children are making good progress towards the early learning goals and in some areas they are making rapid progress. The practitioners are knowledgeable about the Foundation Stage and practitioners and are skilled and enthusiastic in their practice which has a very positive impact on the children. Good Foundation stage planning is in place which covers all areas, the stepping stones and is successful in facilitating children's learning. Practitioners know children well and have a good observation system for recording children's developmental progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are able to spend good lengths of time at an activity of their choosing which helps develop good levels of perseverance and concentration. For example, a child spends a long time at the craft table independently making a collage picture of a butterfly and then comes back to it later after playing with the large bead frames. However, there are not enough opportunities for children to self-select resources throughout the session to further develop their independence and decision making skills, as all activities are laid out ready for the children. Another child works consistently at the computer using the mouse confidently to make up their own nursery rhymes. Children engage easily in conversations with others. Older children have opportunities to use more complex sentences and are capable of questioning. This is well facilitated by practitioners who give children plenty of time to speak and themselves ask open

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

ended questions. Children have good opportunities to practise their emergent writing in a variety of play situations such as writing their names on their work, using chalk boards, chalking on outside walls and using a variety of different paper from the writing station. Many children can recognise their name and can copy their name.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a good grasp of counting and can recognise numerals in the setting; staff are skilled at incidentally promoting mathematical development. Children can recognise and repeat patterns such as jumping on to only the large floor squares. They can use mathematical language to describe the size of shoes and feet. Some children can solve simple number problems such as at snack time when children count and compare how many girls and boys there are on the table and then attempt to add them together on their fingers. Children engage in frequent creative activities either independently or supported by an adult such as when they explore paint and print with sponges depicting leaves and caterpillars. Practitioners make regular changes to the role area to ensure children can act out a range of experiences such as visiting a hairdressers or making it into a dinosaur swamp. Children learn about other cultures through

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

good planned activities such as Chinese new year children eat noodles with chop sticks and practise Chinese writing to raise children's awareness about Chinese culture.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are familiar with routines such as self registration and hanging up their coats and after registration quickly settle to playing. Children demonstrate a very strong sense of belonging. They are considerate to one another, and willingly participate in helping with tasks such as tidying up. Children work well with one another, and enjoy each other's company. They enjoy a good humoured rapport with one another and with the practitioners which helps create the cheerful atmosphere that exists in the provision. Children learn about our diverse society through using a range of resources that reflect a wide range of cultures and beliefs. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is being fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children display very good behaviour. They understand the rules of the setting because practitioners are clear in their explanations and these are consistently applied. Unacceptable behaviour is explained to children through verbal means. This involvement in developing rules and explanations helps children to gain a greater understanding. Children are given frequent praise and encouragement which helps them to manage their own behaviour successfully.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with additional needs are given very good support. Practitioners have effective systems in place which ensure that the setting is an inclusive environment where all children are able to progress. Practitioners communicate thoroughly with parents in partnership to meet children's needs. They also liaise with additional agencies for advice and support when required. Currently, there are no children with additional needs or who have English as an additional language.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit greatly from the strong relationships between practitioners and parents securing the links between home and pre-school. Effective and flexible induction and settling in procedures enable parents to share information about their child and to feel at ease in the group. Parents are well informed about the pre-school through a variety of ways, including information in the setting's prospectus, details displayed for parents and regular newsletters. They are encouraged to play an active role through participating in the setting on a parent's rota.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnerships with parents of children receiving nursery education is good. Parents receive information about topics and activities through regular letters and details about what their child is involved in on a daily basis are discussed informally and displayed. Parents are welcome to look at their child’s records at any time. Systems to ensure parents are kept fully informed about their child’s ongoing progress towards the early learning goals are fully developed. Practitioners identify children’s individual next steps in their learning and this information is shared with parents, enabling them to help to support this in the home, which gives them the opportunity to fully contribute to their child’s learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit because the pre-school is well organised and experienced practitioners work exceptionally well as a team. The deployment of practitioners and the implementation of a successful key worker system enables all children to feel settled, develop a sense of self assurance and belonging to the group and build secure and trusting relationships with practitioners and their peers. Communication between the manager and practitioners is highly effective, for example through regular meetings and informal daily discussions, ensuring the pre-school runs smoothly and operational issues are addressed. Practitioners are clear about their roles and

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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 responsibilities and a recruitment and appointment procedure ensures all those working in the pre-school are suitable to do so.

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Organisation

Importance is placed on monitoring and evaluating staff performance and development through yearly staff appraisals. Individual training plans are developed for each practitioner ensuring they regularly update and enhance their skills and knowledge, which impacts on the learning opportunities they provide for children. Practitioners have a secure understanding of the policies and procedures within the group, which are updated on a regular basis. These are implemented effectively across the pre-school to ensure that, overall children's health, safety and wellbeing are successfully promoted. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are good. All practitioners have a secure knowledge of how to successfully promote children’s learning. Good systems are in place to plan and evaluate the educational programme, and how this is delivered; procedures to monitor the curriculum ensuring all aspects are sufficiently included and the recording of children’s individual achievements are fully developed. Practitioner’s enthusiasm enhances the good opportunities children receive and the individual progress they make during their time at the setting.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was asked to ensure that the registration system records accurately the times of arrival of children, staff and visitors. Children, staff and visitors arrival and departure times are recorded to ensure the well being and safety of everyone in the provision.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provision was also asked to make available to parents a written statement that provides contact details for Ofsted should they have a complaint. Parents are well informed about how to make a complaint to the group or to Ofsted and the complaints log has been introduced, although there have not been any complaints to record.

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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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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 good.

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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 accidents are being recorded separately for each child to maintain confidentiality • improve the security of the pre-school when visiting the toilet with the children to further promote children's safety

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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): • develop more opportunities for children to self-select resources throughout the session to further develop their independence and decision making skills.

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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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