Peter Pan Pre-School

Peter Pan Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY245703 Unique Reference Number 05 June 2007 Inspection date Rachel Ruth Britten Inspector

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Queen Street Institute, Queen Street, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 9AR Setting Address

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E-mail

Kay Lesley Howden 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 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Peter Pan Pre-School is run by the provider. It opened under her ownership in 2001 and operates from two rooms on the ground floor of the Queen Street Institute in Middlewich. A maximum of 35 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 09.15 to 11.45, and Thursday from 12.15 to 14.45, term time only. All children share access to an outdoor play area and also a nearby park.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 36 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 26 children receive funding for early education. Children mostly come from the local catchment area where they live. The pre-school currently supports three children with learning difficulties and disabilities and a number who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs six members of staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications and one member of staff is working towards a qualification. Three staff are extending their qualifications.

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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 satisfactory. Children stay healthy because practitioners employ a thorough knowledge of appropriate health and hygiene procedures. They keep food preparation and toilet areas clean and vigilantly ensure that children wash hands, cover mouths when coughing, keep warm and protect their clothes with suitable aprons. They ensure that tables are cleaned before and after snack and every child has a clean plate and cup. Nappy changing and dealing with toilet accidents are sensitively and hygienically conducted. Many three and four-year-old children can independently wash their hands and put their paper towels into the bin and some children show a good understanding of sun protection and healthy eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

Adequate attention to individual children's health needs means that dietary requirements, changes of clothing and administration of any necessary medication are hygienically undertaken according to each child's needs and their parents' wishes. For example, medication is only administered with written instructions and consent from parents. However, the records made when medicine is actually given are not presently signed by parents to acknowledge the entry. This omission means it is possible that parents may not be informed when an inhaler, for example, has been used. Many staff are trained in first aid and food hygiene, but some of the certificates seen are older than the three year expiry date. Nevertheless staff follow sickness procedures, accidents are properly recorded with parent signatures of acknowledgement and parents give written consent for emergency treatment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy good levels of physical activity indoors, using a seesaw and participating in obstacle courses to develop their balance and large motor coordination. Outside, children sometimes go to the local playground or use the parachute for group games on the grass at the back of the hall. They can also can rest quietly on a cushion in the reading area or sit on a staff member's knee if needed. Stories and goodbye songs wind children down emotionally and physically at the end of sessions ready for going home.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished and enjoy a healthy diet, through a balanced menu, for snacks. The pre-school offers plenty of fruit and sugar free foods, such as ham sandwiches with apple sauce made by the children during the session. Staff prepare and serve snacks efficiently but they do not sit with children enough during snack times or utilise the time for meaningful discussions, games or learning. Nevertheless, topic work about healthy eating, resources, such as matching food cards, and many opportunities to undertake small baking or kitchen tasks during activity sessions, means that children do have a good understanding about healthy lifestyles and how to prepare food.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in an old but welcoming, secure and safe environment. Display space is very limited because of other users of the premises and there is no information about the Foundation Stage or 'Birth to three matters' framework shown. Nevertheless, the church hall is spacious, with exit doors kept locked and no access to the kitchen except for supervised activities. As a result, children confidently move between the hall, small room and toilets. Staff set out the main activity hall well, using tables, screens, cushions and mats to create areas where children can choose, play and learn. Staff man the doors vigilantly whenever children

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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 are arriving and departing to minimise the possibility of a child being lost or taken by the wrong adult, and verbal arrangements are made to ensure that staff know who is collecting a child if this is not a parent or designated carer. These procedures support children's safety adequately in the setting.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children use a good range of suitable and stimulating resources which are clean and purchased from reputable sources. These resources contribute significantly to children's enjoyment and achievement and are well set out for children to access easily. For example, children enjoy a good range of construction toys, craft materials, books, role play, sand, water, table games, jigsaws and small world resources. Furniture and equipment is suitable and safe, so that all children benefit from appropriately sized chairs, tables, sand and water trays and painting easels. A screen, mat and cushions make an inviting reading area.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety is adequately assured because staff mostly remind children not to run and monitor the numbers using the toilets at any one time. They assist with hand washing and ensure that children come down the outside steps using the hand rail and in twos. The annual risk assessment document is rarely used however and there are no written checklists seen to prompt staff. Nevertheless, staff keep areas sufficiently clean, dry and safe, making full use of socket blanks, mops and cleaning fluids, all of which are stored out of children's reach. Hot drinks remain out of reach and children all sit to the table for snacks. Electrical appliances, wiring and fire equipment are checked by the building's owners and staff know what to do in the event of any emergency. However, documentation is not available for inspection and fire evacuation practises are not held sufficiently often for new children and adults to know what

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

to do. In addition, the daily attendance registers are kept on loose papers, do not show arrival and departure times fully, and full names and contact details are not kept with them. This means that they are not accurate enough to be reliable in the event of an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are adequately protected from abuse because managers have sufficient understanding of their role in child protection. The policy is suitable, there is a designated person, up to date reference information about child protection is displayed and parents can read the child protection policy given to them before their child is enrolled. However, child protection procedures are not known by all staff, including how and where to keep any confidential records of possible concerns. This means that staff are unsure how to implement child protection procedures in the absence of the designated person.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are developing good levels of confidence and self-esteem because staff talk and listen to them in small group activities during the long open session. Most children separate easily from their carers, finding their name card and going to play without prompting, using the mark making area, construction toys, cars and garages, books, paints, water and role play areas. Staff sit with children, extend their learning with questions and allow children to have high levels of choice about what they do. For example, some children wander between the different activities with notebooks and plates of pretend food because they are running a role play café and are offering everyone menu choices, taking their orders and supplying their meals. As they do this, they are extending their creative and literacy skills as well as their understanding about healthy eating and how a café works.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are happy, settled and interested in what they are doing during the long activity session because staff are concentrating upon the children and spread themselves well amongst them.

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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 For example, one staff member sits with children in the reading area, talking about and looking at books. Another staff member is with the children making the large rocket display, while another leads a table with matching cards, story cards and objects to count and sort. Activities are loosely planned because staff are providing all aspects of the curriculum through the resources available to choose and their own input as they talk to children. This allows children's own choices to be followed up. For example, a child who wants to try making 'apple soup' for snack time is able to take part in an activity to do this the very next day and all the children taste the sauce in their snack ham sandwiches. A group of children enjoy learning how to peel and cook apples and to add sugar and water and heat to create a cooked sauce.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's enjoyment and achievements are good because staff know children well and know what they can do. They see most of the children every day and use the key worker system and staff discussion to share their observations and knowledge of each child. Children are not pressurised to start or leave activities to fit with adults' agendas, but are allowed time to complete tasks and have opportunities to select their own activities from what is set out. However, large group learning times are kept very short and are less well used to provide opportunities for individuals to be chosen to talk in front of others. Nevertheless, stories are very well told to capture children's interest and there is enough time given for children to recite songs or tales to their friends.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff aim to provide a welcoming atmosphere, a varied programme of activities covering all the areas of learning and an approach which fosters good relationships, self-confidence and good social behaviour. Children have sufficient opportunities to develop their creative and small and large physical skills. However, aspects of knowledge and understanding of the world, such as opportunities to use information and communication technology and to gain a good sense of time, place and culture are underdeveloped.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff question and join in appropriately with all choices children make, which extends their play and learning in a fun and seamless way. However, there are too few questions or opportunities taken to develop children's number problem solving or understanding of the link between sounds and letters. Staff are not making good use of large group times, such as snack or circle times, to concentrate upon these areas and they lack confidence to challenge children and inform them in an interesting way. However, staff are extending children's vocabulary and understanding about opposites and how things work as they undertake cooking, craft, water play and matching activities. The absence of time taken to introduce, plan or review the session with children is holding back their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children behave quite well and are making adequate progress in all areas of learning. Staff satisfactorily provide for their personal, social and emotional development and know them well. Children have special friendships within the group and are praised by staff whenever they perform well, especially when they are working one to one or in small groups. Staff have a sufficient understanding of the Foundation Stage and an appreciation of how young children learn. They endeavour to make observational notes, take photos and evaluate activities, but they gain insufficient evidence of what individual children can do and do not use it to properly plan and provide for the next steps that individual children need to take in their development. As a result, individual children are not being stretched to achieve as much as they can. Nevertheless, key workers complete children's developmental profiles using their notes and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

provide a few undated examples to help bring the profiles to life.

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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 satisfactory. Children join in very well during the long open activity session but play only a very small productive part in the setting. They do not help to set up or clear away activities and seldom choose a new resource to use from the open shelf units. The circle times are very short and there is no introduction of the session or the learning intentions of it to help children to know what is going to happen. In addition, there are no prompts, pictures or sounds to help children to prepare for movements around the setting or time to review what they have been doing to consolidate their learning. This adversely affects children's sense of belonging and ability to concentrate on what they are doing. Nevertheless, staff are friendly and purposeful and give individual support to any children finding it hard to settle. Likewise, children receive a positive send off at the end of every session, with songs and time for talking to parents. Children's

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Helping children make a positive contribution

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with physical disabilities, behaviour and learning needs are included fully in the life of the setting because there is space for easy movement. Staff are very committed to inclusion and are enthusiastic about continuing to keep up to date by undertaking relevant training. They liaise well with parents and relevant professionals to ensure that they plan and work together using recognised and consistent techniques which benefit children with emerging needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave generally well and work harmoniously together because staff are vigilant and effective in teaching children how to behave well and consider others. They amiably include their friends in construction and reading activities too. Staff members listen and include children, and disputes between children are very rare. However, there is confusion over what constitutes an incident, with individual incidents involving unwanted behaviour not always recorded or discussed with parents. This results in a lack of clarity in resolving behaviour problems effectively with parents' help.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The quality of partnership with parents and carers is satisfactory. Children receive consistency of care between home and pre-school because staff communicate adequately with parents, make sure that parents know who their child's key worker is and supply informative termly newsletters and daily written feedback about key elements of every session. Parents receive a small enrolment pack about the pre-school, including a brief outline of the Foundation Stage and policies of the pre-school. However, information about how the curriculum is being taught and learnt in the setting is not displayed and parents also have no guidance as to how to become involved in consolidating and extending their child's learning at home. They usually only see their child's developmental profile at the end of their pre-school career and this is difficult to understand because there are few examples and no annotated photographs used as evidence

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Helping children make a positive contribution

of how the child has met the stepping stones.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The complaints system is notified to parents through the policy, but there is not a complaints recording system in place ready for use. This is a breach of the regulations, but it has not adversely affected any child because there have been no complaints to date. Parents' levels of satisfaction with the pre-school are high. Parents seen on the day of inspection say that children are confident and able to make friends. They find that staff are approachable, interested and make time to speak to them about their child's progress.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Recruitment and vetting procedures work adequately to ensure that children are sufficiently protected and cared for by suitable staff with qualifications in childcare. This ensures an experienced and adequately skilled team to work with children. However, there is minimal evidence of appraisals or systems to evaluate staff's ongoing suitability and training needs. Staff are given some opportunities to improve their knowledge by attending courses and workshops because staff cover is planned. For example, staff are undertaking further childcare qualifications and have completed courses on various disabilities as well as food hygiene, first aid and developing children's self-esteem.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The manager is regularly present, tries to be supernumery and provides support to all staff, in close liaison with the deputy. There are regular staff meetings to help ensure that the staff group is well informed, motivated and up to date, but they lack confidence in some of the strategies deployed because they receive conflicting advice about the best way of teaching and running the session routine. Nevertheless, the manager acts as a good role model and has built a committed staff team where everyone has full key worker responsibilities. Staff have a sense of purpose, are sufficiently motivated and have an adequate working knowledge of the Foundation Stage, but they are not clearly evaluating their own strengths and weaknesses in delivering good outcomes for individual children. They have also not kept up to date because they have not received all

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Organisation

Staff deployment contributes well to children’s health, safety, enjoyment and achievement and ability to take an active part in the setting during the long activity session. Staff man areas of the activity room and concentrate upon small group work during this time. However, there are too few staff deployed with the children to make a success of snack, story, outdoor and large group times. Staff all play a full part in cleaning and daily routine duties, but this reduces the time that they spend in direct contact with children.

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Organisation

Policies and procedures only adequately support the quality of childcare because they are poorly organised, difficult to access and not all staff are familiar with where things are and how to use them. Staff and children's details, and files for children with identified learning difficulties are quite well organised, but the policies, accident, medication, registers and other papers are all loose and are frequently muddled. In addition, evaluations and observational notes are not well organised for use in deciding what needs to be done to help individual children to take the next steps in their learning.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There were five recommendations made at the inspection of care in May 2004. There were six points for consideration made at the inspection of nursery education, also in May 2004.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Most of the policies requiring additions or details have been updated, so that the behaviour, child protection, equal opportunities and missing child policies are suitable. However, there is still no evidence from the landlord that electric and gas safety is checked and the daily registers are still not accurately showing all arrival and departure times as they occur. Overall, the documentation satisfactorily safeguards children, with further recommendations arising at this inspection.

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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 The points for consideration for the nursery education have been utilised to varying extents. Children are still poorly engaged after snack and story times, and circle times are kept short because too few staff are involved with children at these times to promote their concentration and involvement. Nevertheless, story times are enjoyed and small group activities during the main long free choices session are working well, with children meaningfully engaged. There is no longer any use of work sheets because children are learning in an interactive way as they play and experiment. Staff are still taking few opportunities to practise number recognition or linking sounds and letters, but some singing, rhymes and music is now offered which children enjoy taking part in. Parents remain unclear about the curriculum which their child is following

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Improvements since the last inspection

and rarely see their child's developmental profile or annotated photographic evidence. Nevertheless, termly newsletters explain the areas of learning which are to be covered and a daily report sheet is posted in the entrance to tell parents key things offered during the session.

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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 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 satisfactory.

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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 all staff are aware of child protection issues and are able to implement the policies and procedures in the absence of the designated member of staff • ensure that children have a good idea of the session routine, what they are going to be doing, what is coming next and time to review their activities, so that they develop a strong sense of belonging in the setting and can consolidate their learning • ensure that documentation is well organised and fully utilised to support the safety and health of children in the setting, including accurate daily attendance registers, regular fire drills, evidence of gas and electrical safety, complaint records, incident record and medication records signed by parents to acknowledge every administration.

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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):

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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 • ensure that methods and questions challenge each child to achieve as much as they can, particularly in number problem solving, linking sounds and letters, use of information technology and sense of time, place, community and culture • use more regular and detailed observations and records to ensure that children make progress in all the areas of learning and to plan for each one to move to the next stage in their learning • provide parents with regular information about the Foundation Stage and the six areas of learning, give regular access to children's development records and ensure that parents are encouraged through their key worker to become involved in their child's learning in meaningful ways • manage and monitor the provision effectively so that strengths and areas for

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

improvement are identified which have a strong focus upon the personal development and achievement of each child.

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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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