Sunshine Pre-School

Bomere Heath Sunshine Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bomere Heath Sunshine Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 224047 Inspection date 04 May 2005 Inspector Kathryn Mary Harding

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Bomere Heath Sunshine Pre-School

Setting Address Bomere Heath C E Primary School, The Crescent,Bomere Heath, SHREWSBURY, Shropshire, SY4 3PQ Telephone number 01939 290359

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E-mail

Registered person Bomere Heath Sunshine Pre-School Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School 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 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 satisfactory. 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?

Bomere Heath Sunshine Pre-School opened in 1997. It operates from a demountable classroom in the grounds of Bomere Heath Primary School. The playgroup serves the local rural areas. The setting is registered to take 20 pre-school children and is registered for out of school care but is currently only providing pre-school sessions. There are currently 41 children on roll. This includes 35 funded children. The setting supports children who have special educational needs or children who speak English

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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 as an additional language. The setting is open five days a week from 09:00 to 15:00, term time only and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are four staff working with the children. Two have early years qualifications and one staff member is working towards a child care qualification. The setting receives support from the teacher mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy a wide range of activities which contribute to their good health. They are cared for in a warm clean setting where they learn the importance of good hygiene as they wash the toys to make them clean. However children have limited understanding of why they should wash their hands before eating. Children's good health is not fully promoted as they are not offered alternatives if they do not eat the fruit that is provided. They are able to help themselves to drinking water throughout the day. Staff's knowledge of providing a healthy diet is improved by the use of outside advice. Each day there are outdoor activities to help children develop control of their bodies, for example throwing, catching and kicking balls. Planned daily physical activities improve children’s physical skills. Children become increasingly aware of the way activity affects their bodies, know when they need a rest and tell staff that they are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The provision is satisfactory. Staff provide a welcoming environment for children and parents. Children are cared for in a room where risks are identified and minimised. However the kitchen needs to be made inaccessible to the children and the outdoor area needs to be made safe. At child-initiated times children independently select activities from a wide range of good quality toys and equipment, which meet safety standards. Resources are organised in storage that is at child height to encourage children's independent access. Children learn how to keep themselves safe as they have a procedure before

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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 crossing the pathway in the school grounds. Staff have all the required procedures and documents in place to ensure children's welfare is safeguarded and promoted. For example, staff conduct risk assessments before taking the children on an outing. Staff have a satisfactory understanding of the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child, but in order to further safeguard children they need to access child protection training.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The provision is good. Children enjoy their time in the pre-school and staff have fun with the children, giving them a sense of belonging and making them feel valued. They achieve well because staff use their understanding of early years guidance, such as Birth to three matters and the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage, to plan and provide good quality care and education. Staff use the Birth to three matters framework to adapt activities such as craft activities and physical activities to promote younger children’s learning. Children have opportunities to make decisions about what they want to play with, so increasing their independence. They play happily together and concentrate for sustained periods of time when playing with construction sets and take turns when playing with the cars. Close and caring relationships increase children’s sense of trust and help them develop a strong sense of self. Children work well together. For example, younger

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children learn how to correctly hold a bat when shown by an older child. Nursery Education. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are interested in what they are doing and staff support them where necessary in their play, making children feel valued. Staff are sensitive to children’s interests during self-initiated play and use questions very successfully to challenge children’s thinking and language skills. Children access a good range of well chosen resources which support their development across all areas of learning. They behave very well, with staff continually praising and encouraging them, so enhancing their self-esteem. Children are confident to try new experiences, eager to learn and self assured in their play. They confidently show their possessions from home and talk to their peers about them, giving them a sense of belonging. At child-led times children freely choose and make decisions about their play, so encouraging their independence and

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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 self-confidence. Three and four-year-olds listen intently to stories, become involved in them and staff relay stories in a lively way, so encouraging and motivating the children's interest in books. A well labelled environment and the use of children's name cards encourages the children to recognise print. Children readily access a writing area where they learn to mark-make for a purpose. Children gain confidence in using numbers during the daily routines and respond to challenges to extend their mathematical vocabulary and skills in planned activities. They develop an understanding of the properties of different shapes and have opportunities to solve simple number problems when looking at how many skittles are left. Children gain knowledge of the world around them and of time and place through a

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

variety of activities. They are able to grow cress seeds, observe how they grow and make predictions about what might happen. They have opportunities to record their findings. They freely talk about their families and their lives and important events to them, so making them feel valued. A computer with educational programmes is readily available and children access this to support and consolidate their learning Children's physical skills develop and improve through a wide variety of experiences, provided by staff, including activities to develop skills of throwing, catching and kicking. Children explore using their senses different textures and materials. They talk about colour during the routines of the session and during planned activities and staff extend these conversations. However due to organisation of the room and resources children have limited access to creative materials to enable them to develop their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

own creativity and make their own creations. Systems are in place should the setting care for a child with special educational needs. Overall, children make good progress in all areas of learning. This is recorded in photographs, children's work and written detailed observations which link well to the stepping stones. Records of children's progress are attractively presented and shared well with parents. However assessments and observations need to link into the planning to ensure the next steps in children's learning are catered for.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The provision is satisfactory.

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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 All children are welcomed and play a full part in the pre-school because staff value and respect each child as an individual. Staff provide a meaningful range of activities and resources to promote a positive view of the wider world and increase children’s awareness of diversity and their understanding of others. This helps children develop a positive attitude to others. For example, they talk about different festivals such as Divali and Hannukah. They develop self-esteem and confidence as they voice their opinions and make choices and decisions at circle time and at child-led times. Children are very well behaved. Their understanding of right and wrong is increased as they respond to appropriate reminders to care for the pre-school resources and each other. They take turns and show concern for others, particularly at snack time,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

when the children serve each other drinks. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Parents' views about their child’s needs and interests are actively sought before the child starts at the setting, and on a regular basis throughout their time there. Parents can add information to their child's workbook about what their child has been doing at home, so enabling an effective partnership with parents. Staff ensure that all parents know how their child is progressing and developing through informal discussions and if they choose they can request an appointment.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The provision is satisfactory. The registered person uses effective recruitment procedures which ensure that staff are appropriately vetted and qualified. All staff are committed to continuous improvement and development and receive annual appraisals and attend relevant training courses. Policies and procedures are used effectively to promote the welfare, care and learning of children. They are shared regularly with parents to keep them well informed about the service and their child's activities. This contributes to continuity in the children’s care. Comprehensive planning systems are monitored and adapted to keep children safe and to enable them make good progress in all areas of their development. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children who attend. The induction programme and good teamwork make sure all staff work together well to promote children’s health, enjoyment and achievement.

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Organisation

However, procedures are not sufficiently rigorous to ensure that all staff are secure in the procedures for child protection. The organisation of the room and resources does inhibit the creative development of the children, as the children cannot readily access craft resources. Staff also need to consider the organisation of children at registration time so that children do not sit for long periods of time.

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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

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last Children Act inspection required the installation of another wash hand basin. This has been installed so improving hygiene procedures for children. The inspection recommended that the setting should include the outdoor area in the risk assessments, review the lay out of the room with particular reference to the book area and meet any recommendations made by the fire officer. These recommendations have all been satisfactorily adhered to, so promoting children's safety and well being. The setting also had to review their policies, draw up a partnership with parents policy and provide more resources that positively reflect diversity. These recommendations have also been satisfactorily carried out. The last Nursery Education inspection recommended that consideration be given to the organisation of the book area and to gathering information from parents prior to the child starting in the nursery. These recommendations have been satisfactorily

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Improvements since the last inspection

carried out, so encouraging children's interest in books and encouraging a more effective partnership with parents.

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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 satisfactory. 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): • Increase children's knowledge of the importance of personal hygiene and provide healthy snacks for all children. • Ensure that the indoor and outdoor areas are made safe. • Ensure that the organisation of the room, time and resources enables the children to fully benefit from the activities on offer. • Ensure that staff are familiar with local child protection procedures.

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The quality and standards of the care

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 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 observations and assessments undertaken on the children link into the planning to ensure that children's individual needs are catered for.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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