Maulden Lower School

Nutley Pre-School Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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109472 Unique Reference Number 21 June 2007 Inspection date Stacey Sangster Inspector

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Nutley War Memorial Hall, High Street,Nutley, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 3NL

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E-mail

Nutley Pre-School Playgroup Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Sessional 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Nutley Pre-school Playgroup operates from a large hall in the Memorial Hall in the centre of the village. There is an extensive outdoor play area. The group serves the local community with very good links to the local primary school. The group is open from 9:00 to 13:00 Monday to Friday with an afternoon session on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 15:00. There are six staff, four of whom are qualified with two working towards a qualification. There are 25 children on roll, of these 9 are funded four year olds and 15 are funded three year olds. The provision caters for children with special needs and children with English as a second language.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy helping to prepare healthy snacks. They all take turns to prepare the snack and choose from a box of fresh vegetables, salad and fruit. They chop banana, slice apples and arrange sugar snap peas attractively around the plates to serve to their friends.

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Eye catching displays remind children of activities that they have taken part in relating to healthy eating. Photographs of the children preparing and trying different foods, along with pictures of fruit and vegetables and basic nutritional information, provide a good resource to support children's understanding of good diet. Children are able to talk with confidence about the foods that they recognise as being healthy, they know that vegetables are good for them and understand the impact the nutritional content of foods have on their health for example linking milk to having strong bones.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing a good understanding of hygiene through the positive routines within the setting. Tables are wiped before and after eating and children know that washing their hands before eating or after using the toilet helps to keep them healthy by reducing germs on their skin.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is further promoted by the policy that others with contagious illnesses are not permitted to attend the setting and this helps to minimise the chances of cross infection. Procedures to deal with illness and accidents are appropriate and the high level of first aid trained staff on duty at any session ensures that any minor injuries or illnesses can be dealt with effectively.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are able to explore in a safe and secure environment because of the proactive practices of staff, which identify risks and minimise these effectively.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The premises are well organised and the large hall is divided effectively into pockets of activities, which provide suitable learning areas. These are arranged effectively to enable children to move around the setting safely and with ease. A suitable range of well maintained toys and equipment are kept accessible for children's use and these are displayed attractively, encouraging children to help themselves and organise their play independently where they want to.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are vigilant with regards to security within the building and good systems are in place to prevent children from leaving the setting without a known adult.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children and staff know how to evacuate the building safely in the event of an emergency because drills are practised at regular intervals. Children are kept safe through the good use of risk assessment and the safety conscious attitude of staff.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is promoted by the settings commitment to child protection matters. Key staff have completed advanced child protection training and shared this information with other staff. There is a clear and detailed policy made available to guide staff and inform parents. This details the role and responsibility of the group. All staff are aware of the procedure to follow should they develop concerns about a child in their care and the systems in place ensure that appropriate steps are taken where issues arise.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children very much enjoy their time in this setting, they arrive eagerly, are happy to come in and separate with ease from their carers. Staff greet children warmly and chat to them about

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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 the activities available, they work at the children's level providing assistance where needed and step back to promote independence, where appropriate.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children quickly become engrossed in their chosen tasks and the atmosphere throughout the sessions is relaxed and happy. Laughter is heard frequently in this setting and staff and children clearly enjoy each others company. Children are busy and focused, engaged in purposeful play throughout the session.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children readily approach staff for help and receive good quality attention. Good relationships have been built, which enable children to feel secure within the setting. Children's friendships within the group are promoted and supported by the staff. Kindness to each other and consideration for one another's feelings are discussed routinely when for example staff intervene to promote sharing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage, they understand how children learn and furthermore understand that different children learn in different ways and at different speeds. A balanced curriculum is in place that covers the six areas of learning and the planning of resources to effectively support all areas of learning within the setting is effective. This results in children making steady progress, equally, in the six areas of learning towards the early learning goals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Most children are very confident speakers in this setting, they approach staff, visitors and each other to explain their thoughts and ideas. The children's routine use of sign language in the setting promotes their understanding that communication is not necessarily verbal. They recognise that print carries meaning and the use of pictures which are clearly labelled allows children to confidently attempt to read words around the setting. Children enjoy mark making and label their own work frequently as well as role playing that they are writing for a purpose, for example by creating pretend shopping lists. Their recognition of letters and letter sounds is progressing well and all make skilled attempts to reproduce letters that appear in their own names.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's understanding of mathematics is good. They can be heard to count spontaneously and are beginning to use simple calculations for a purpose for example working out how many more dolls will be needed for a small group to have one each; and how many this is in total. They can be seen to use these skills independent of adults and in order to organise their own play. Opportunities for children to see and recognise numbers help them to confidently pick out numbers out of sequence and they are beginning to recognise patterns in their surroundings and enjoy identifying different shapes within these. For example two children sat together unprompted and entered into a long discussion examining their tee-shirts for squares and circles to point out to each other.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have excellent opportunities to practise and develop their physical skills. They regularly access a well planned and resourced outdoor area with balancing and climbing apparatus. They practise running at speed and enjoy competing in events such as sports day. Fine motor skills are developed through the use of pencils, paint brushes and a range of small tools. Children use these competently showing increasing skill and command of the tools in the examples of their art and craft work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have good opportunities to be creative in this setting. Imaginary play is very popular and most children enjoy re-enacting familiar situations using home corner equipment. They

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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 create using a range of art and craft materials and show pride in their achievements. They show curiosity and interest at the painting easels and the chalk boards about the effects that they can produce by mixing colours and adding texture by wiping areas away with their fingers. Many children sing spontaneously and can recite and remember popular songs and rhymes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are developing a good knowledge and understanding of the world. They learn about themselves and their surroundings and take a keen interest in what is happening in nature. They regularly take part in short outings to the local forest to observe and comment on the changing seasons. Children have good opportunities to see things grow in the pre-school garden. They have planted scented plants, fruits and vegetables and show interest in what is happening to them and why. They are given opportunities to problem solve for example by building an irrigation system to help water their plants and staff talk to children about their ideas of how to improve the way this works.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's personal, social and emotional development is very well supported in this setting. The children are developing skills to help them make sense of their feelings and the feelings of others. They are given opportunities which nurture their inquisitive side and the children are encouraged to ask questions, explore and investigate. The range of activities provided harnesses the natural curiosity of the children and they are developing into well motivated learners who show confidence and independence in a learning environment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are effectively met in this setting. Key workers get to know children's care needs well and information provided by the children's carers ensures that this knowledge is updated appropriately to meet their changing needs. Children explore festivals and celebrations relating to a number of cultures and religions. All children are able to celebrate and share festivals and celebrations special to them and their families. Images and resources within the setting positively reflect a range of ethnic backgrounds and ensure that children attending are able to find images which they can relate to.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with special educational needs are well supported. All children and staff routinely use simple sign language alongside speech to communicate. This enables children who have hearing loss, speech delay, have English as an additional language and even those who are shy to communicate effectively with the whole group. The children are respectful of their different abilities and understand that they are all good at different things. Children can be regularly observed to offer each other support and to check to see that everyone is included in making decisions; such as whether they play in the garden or go to for a walk in the forest.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good. The children are well occupied and provided with sufficient challenge to ensure that they do not become restless. Practitioners are skilled at directing children towards engaging in worthwhile play and the atmosphere is relaxed and busy. Children are kind to each other. They are encouraged to help each other and receive positive praise for thoughtful acts and cooperative play. The sharing toys and equipment is an expectation of both staff and children and can be observed throughout the sessions. Rules are simple, fair and consistently applied. This helps children to feel confident that if issues arise, such as someone refusing to share, that it will be resolved quickly with staff or even sometimes peer support. This helps all children learn right from wrong and creates a harmonious environment.

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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 The partnership with parents is good, although could be enhanced further in relation to the education of the children. Parents receive good information about the Foundation Stage, the activities on offer to the children and the routines of the day. Parents have opportunities to support their children's learning in group work or whole school events and projects and meet during the year to review their child's individual progress. Opportunities are missed to provide parents with more frequent updates on where their individual children are in their learning journey and to record formally the achievements and progress that parents notice, which is an essential part of their overall assessment of their progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents in relation to care is good. Effective systems are in place to record changes which may impact on a child's care needs and records relating to care are updated as and when needed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered extremely well.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's well-being is effectively promoted as the setting has a range of systems in place to ensure the staff working with the children are qualified and safe to do so. Children's individual needs are supported with appropriate documents and policies in place to comply with regulation. All of the required systems are in place and are informative and well written. The complaint policy is the only document found to require amendment to bring it in line with the updated practices of the setting.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the group is good. The staff team work very well together, they have a professional approach to their work and take responsibility for designated activities and roles. They continually evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of what they do and are proactive in making changes to aid the smooth running of the setting and promote the needs of children.

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Organisation

Observations of the children's achievements are reviewed to ensure activities and topics extend and offer challenge to all children.

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Organisation

The staff team has a strong commitment to training and to developing all aspects of their abilities and skills to enhance the learning opportunities provided for all children. New staff and students are well supported and are expected to take part in ongoing training, they are mentored by senior members of staff who offer advice as well as documents and resources to assist them in their assignments and placements.

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Organisation

Staff are good role models, they sit with the children, they are involved in the activities. They understand their roles and responsibilities in extending the children's learning. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The setting have made good progress in addressing the recommendations from the last care inspection. They now have an updated child protection policy and this includes the previously omitted reference to how the setting would deal with any allegations about staff. Some progress had been made in relation to the contributions that parents are able to make to their child's learning, but remains an area where practices could be enhanced.

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Improvements 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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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. 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that the written complaint policy reflects the updated procedure that the group now follow since the revision to the National Standards in 2005

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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): • improve the partnership with parents in relation to their children's education by updating them regularly on where their children are in their learning and what the setting are to focus on next in order to help them make progress. • ensure that parents observations form part of the children's formal educational assessment

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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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