The Village Pre-School

Humpty Dumpty Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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206836 Unique Reference Number 28 June 2007 Inspection date Sheena Gibson Inspector

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Parish Rooms, Vicarage Lane, Little Eaton, Derbyshire, DE21 5EA Setting Address

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E-mail

Humpty Dumpty Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection 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?

Humpty Dumpty Playgroup opened in 1980 and has been operating as the Humpty Dumpty pre-school since 1993. It is based in a suburb of Derby and serves the local community. The pre-school is registered to care for a maximum of 18 children at any one time. There are currently 28 children aged from two to five years on the roll; children attend for a variety of sessions. This includes 13 children who are in receipt of the nursery education funding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are procedures in place to support children with special educational needs and children for whom English is a second language. The pre-school opens five days a week during school term time. Sessions are from 09:15 to 11:45 and 12:45 to 15:15. Seven part-time staff work with the children, of whom three hold appropriate childcare qualifications. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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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's good health is suitably promoted and they are beginning to learn about the importance of taking positive steps that benefit their health. Most staff follow the setting's health and hygiene policy effectively and take action to prevent the risk of cross-contamination. For example, they wash the tables before snack time and they have an understanding of appropriately managing soiled clothing. Some staff who handle food have undertaken food hygiene training and information displayed with regard to infection control is displayed in the kitchen area, positively supporting children's health; children are given soapy water and paper towels for cleaning their hands and they learn about the importance of good hygiene through discussion with staff and topics done throughout the year. However, currently the children use a communal bowl of water for hand washing and some staff occasionally help the children with

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Helping children to be healthy

their food without having previously washed their hands, which potentially has an impact upon children's health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children who have accidents are well cared for. All staff at the setting have undertaken suitable first aid training and understand to complete appropriate records. Permission to seek emergency medical treatment has been obtained, which ensures that all children's first aid needs are effectively met. Children who are unwell whilst at the setting are cared for until the parent arrives to collect them. A sick child policy explains clearly to parents that poorly children should remain at home, suitably supporting children's health by reducing the risk of germs spreading. Children have very healthy snacks whilst at the setting and relish the various fruits and breads that they are given. They always have opportunities to be active and develop their physical skills. They go outdoors daily, with the exception of extreme weather conditions, wrapping up if it is a bit cold. They run about on the park, play on the equipment and take part in the annual

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Helping children to be healthy

sports day. The indoor area is creatively organised so that children have access to physical exercise whatever the weather.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children who receive nursery education are capable movers. They show an awareness of space, capably negotiating around tables and chairs and can direct wheeled objects skilfully. They are able to control their bodies, move in a particular direction and follow instructions during a game of musical bumps. Equipment is available for them to regularly practise climbing and balancing. Their manipulative skills develop well through the use of tools, such as scissors and shape cutters. Staff encourage children to use their hands to squeeze and model the plasticine, effectively developing their skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are welcomed into a bright and friendly setting. They are greeted warmly by staff, which helps them to settle quickly. Posters and displays, recognisable to the children as their work, are colourful and help them to feel valued and acknowledged. Space is very creatively organised to enable children to maximise children's opportunities. They move safely around a room of well thought-out activities; the area is furnished to enable them to play, rest and eat in a comfortable environment. Positive steps have been taken that enable children to self-select activities and play materials, supporting their confidence and independence. Resources are of good quality, suitable for the purpose and regularly checked to ensure their continued safety for children's use. All ages easily and safely access toys and play materials from low level trolleys,

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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 floor and table-top activities. Children's welfare is well maintained as good attention is given to all aspects of safety inside and outside the setting. This includes comprehensive risk assessments, which are regularly carried out and a detailed daily safety checklist, which is completed each morning by staff.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Activities, both inside and outside, are risk assessed to ensure that any hazard to children is minimised. Children gain valuable information about how to keep themselves safe through topics and daily discussions with staff who calmly and clearly explain why, for example, they need to safely use the climbing frame. Effective fire safety precautions are in place and children learn how to calmly evacuate through practising regular fire drills. Children's welfare is well supported with regard to child protection. The setting has a clear policy that is known to staff. The person responsible for child protection has a confident understanding of the procedures to follow if there is a concern raised.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children come into the setting with keenness and are very happy and settled. They thoroughly enjoy their sessions, which are a good balance of planned activities and free play. Children are extremely comfortable with the staff who interact very well with them, effectively enhancing their enjoyment and learning. 'Birth to three matters' is clearly understood by the staff and therefore used with successful results for children. Children are developing independence and confidence as they access resources for themselves, using their initiative, taking responsibility, and enjoying making up stories and games. Children freely express their feelings and emotions. For example, their eyes light up and they become obviously excited when the French teacher visits. Staff positively encourage children to develop and progress; they offer purposeful and meaningful praise that children respond well to and which clearly boosts their self-esteem.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Most staff are very skilled and well established within the setting. Their knowledge of how to effectively deliver the Foundation Stage is very good and therefore children progress well. The initial assessment profile on children, taken at the point of registration, provides a valuable insight into children's abilities. Ongoing assessments are clearly used to inform planning and staff take time to understand each individual child's learning style, which positively contributes to and supports their learning. Planning indicates a broad and balanced curriculum and is sufficiently detailed to ensure that all staff are confident in the delivery of the activities. The methods used by staff are very effective. Staff are very enthusiastic and this 'rubs' off on the children, who are keen learners. Staff members explain to the children what activities are on offer during the session, effectively motivating them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children thrive on the intenseness of the focus activity, in which staff have realistic expectations of the children and are able to capably offer challenge for more able children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff speak to children in a very respectful way, answering any questions as fully as they can and in return asking children open questions. Children are often enthralled by some of the educational anecdotes given by staff during the session. Time and resources are used to effectively support children's learning. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-led activities; space is very creatively organised to maximise children's opportunities. Staff manage children's behaviour in a fair, clear and consistent manner, successfully helping them to understand what is appropriate behaviour.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Personal, social and emotional development is a very strong area at the setting. Children are very keen and interested in what is on offer. They often show this excitement throughout the

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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 day, for example, when they see the climbing frame, or when on the computer. They sit quietly and focus at appropriate times, such as circle time and understand that they can join in with a story. Children are all very confident to speak or sing in a group. When staff ask who wants to sing 'Twinkle Twinkle' the children very enthusiastically stand up shouting 'me'. Children are very aware of their own needs and are beginning to become sensitive to others also. They are developing very good independence skills and eagerly volunteer for the responsibility of handing out the items at snack time. Children have mutually respectful relationships with staff and each other. They share well and are learning to be democratic. For example, they all voted on which activity they wanted to do and complied with the majority vote.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are becoming confident speakers and their vocabulary is developing well. During all activities staff introduce new vocabulary, which children thrive upon. Children are confident to converse with staff and each other; they ask many questions and are responded to with comprehensive answers. Staff use open questions to encourage further language development. For example, when a child begins to talk about an aeroplane the staff member asks him to describe it. During planned and unplanned activities staff talk to children about sounds and letters, finding very creative ways to hold children's interests and help them to understand; that setting uses phonics to support children's skills. Children enjoy listening to stories read dramatically by staff, or they freely choose a book from the wide range in the book corner. They are beginning to recognise familiar words, such as their name. Children benefit from free

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

access to the mark-making table and also to opportunities to extend mark-making through play. For example, they make marks in salt or sand and there is a diary for them to write in at the play airport; some older children are successfully able to write their name in full.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Mathematical language is used during planned and unplanned activities. For example, staff talk to children about under and over when using the climbing frame. They discuss shape and size throughout the session. For example, they talk about a model being top heavy and work out how to balance it better. Children know many shapes, including some complex shapes, such as hexagon. Children are beginning to count well. Some children are able to successfully count to larger numbers. They enjoy making comparisons between groups of number when making a bar chart about their likes and dislikes. The number of the week contributes to their understanding and recognition of number. Children capably find solutions to problems. Younger children do this through putting together floor mats or successfully completing puzzles. Older children learn more complex techniques, including the early introduction of addition and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

subtraction. This is carried out often through routine activities such as snack time and children enthusiastically absorb this information.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children explore living things, for example, in their topic about mini beasts. They discuss why some insects sting, how many legs a spider has and the environments in which they live. They grow seeds and work out how big they will grow, caring for them as they grow. They carry out an activity during which they consider why temperature changes make things freeze. Children build with many different products. For example, they made a collage model of the local church; they build three dimensional models with boxes, using different joining and assembling materials, such as tape and glue. They also have a variety of different construction blocks with accessories to enable them to successfully build a model. Children are beginning to gain a successful understanding of technology, for example, when using the lap-top computer, which they enjoy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Visitors to the setting explain to children what it was like to live during war time and talk to them about many aspects of this time, such as rationing. This gives children a valuable insight into the passage of time as well as an understanding of different people in their community. Children and the staff are very involved with the community. They regularly walk around the

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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 village, discussing the different places that they see. They also take part in community activities, such as the local produce show and annual carnival, where they have a float. Children's creativity is encouraged in a variety of ways. They have opportunities to draw and paint, sometimes guided by staff but mostly freely able to create their own ideas. They enjoy singing rhymes and songs, both in French and English. They move their bodies in time to the music during music and movement sessions. They use their imagination during, for example, role play. However, the role play area is sometimes not as inviting for children and therefore the benefits of this area are not maximised. Their independent creativity is effectively supplemented by, for example, structured drama sessions, including putting on plays, and through creative dance

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are well met to ensure that they are fully included into the setting. They receive consistent care because staff gather valuable information from parents, at the point of registration, to find out about their needs and preferences. Many staff are from the local area and know the children well, which means that children are able to feel secure and comfortable with the staff. Children have access to a broad range of resources that reflect positive images of different cultures, gender and disability, which enables them to learn about other people in their local environment and the wider world. They enjoy taking part in a wide range of activities that celebrate different religious festivals and learning songs and words in other languages, such as French. Children with special needs are welcome within the setting, which has a detailed inclusion policy. The setting works collaboratively with parents and other

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are cared for in an environment that is positive and jovial. Staff are good role models for each other and the children. Children benefit from the praise and encouragement from staff to endorse positive re-enforcement, which boosts children's confidence and self-esteem. The calm and consistent methods used by staff effectively manage any challenging behaviour; parents are also involved with any decisions about behaviour management, which promotes consistency for children. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children benefit from the very good relationship that the staff have with their parents. There is clear information for parents regarding the setting, including the policies and procedures. Information is regularly shared with parents about their child and parents are encouraged to be involved with the playgroups activities. For example, they take part in the annual carnival.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of children who receive nursery education is good. Parents are provided with useful information about the Foundation Stage and the different areas of learning are displayed on the notice board. Parents regularly share information about their children. For example, they regularly have an appointment with staff to discuss the children's assessment, when they can contribute towards the assessment record. They are given information about how to support their child's learning at home, which effectively supports children's progress.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's welfare benefits from being cared for by staff that have relevant experience, qualifications and demonstrate a good understanding of the needs of all children. All staff have

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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 been appropriately vetted. Staff are extremely well motivated and demonstrate a dedication to providing good care and education for the children. All staff continue to develop their own skills through additional training or through undertaking further professional qualifications. Advanced planning and contingency arrangements ensure that there are often more than sufficient staff to care for children at all times of the day so that they are safe and all their needs are well met.

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Organisation

Recruitment and vetting procedures are suitably robust to ensure children's continued safety and well-being. Detailed procedures are in place and staff are deployed effectively to positively impact on children's health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution. All regulatory documentation is in place and available for parents to see, promoting consistency for the children. The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is good. The supervisor and deputy have a positive vision for the group, which ensures that children are stimulated, confident and independent. The setting undertakes regular self-evaluations and effectively addresses any actions that arise from these; they work well with the local authority support. They work closely with the local schools for consistency and to effectively support children's transition to school. Staff work very well together and all are involved in the planning. Assessments of children's learning and development are regular completed and these are used to inform future planning of activities to ensure children progress can continue. The educational provision is monitored and evaluated to sufficiently ensure the curriculum is being delivered effectively, which promotes the progress of the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the provider was given recommendations around: increasing opportunities for children to select their own resources; monitoring the large group activities, to ensure younger children are able to fully participate; developing behaviour management strategies, ensuring children have a clear understanding of why some behaviour is unacceptable. These have been effectively addressed. Children have many opportunities to self-select. For example, they freely choose from a range of activities that are placed out or stored safely within their reach; children are grouped at certain times to maximise the benefit that they receive from an activity; staff create a very positive environment and discuss appropriate behaviour with the children, effectively supporting their understanding. Staff are calm and consistent in their management of behaviour, positively impacting upon children's well-being.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection key issues were raised around: increasing the children's opportunities to access a full range of physical activities and extend their use of simple technological equipment; evaluating children's craft activities so that they can be individually imaginative and creative; reviewing the setting's behaviour management procedures so that children are supported in developing their understanding of right and wrong; evaluating the use of child assessment records and activity evaluation so that they link clearly to planning group activities and meeting children's individual needs and abilities.

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Improvements since the last inspection

These have been effectively addressed. Children have opportunities to be physical every session, both indoors and outdoors and have access to a variety of resources that support their understanding of technology, such as using the computer; children take part in many activities where they can be creative, such as box modelling and painting; the setting's behaviour management policy is detailed, clear and understood by staff, which positively supports children's

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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 well-being and their learning of right from wrong; children's assessments are detailed and clearly link to further planning, with activities being effectively evaluated. As a result children's learning is successfully promoted.

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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. 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): • consider the hygiene procedures, which are in practice, to ensure that all children's good health is always effectively supported.

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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): • consider the further development of the role play area.

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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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