Northstead Community Pre-School

Northstead Community Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY340794 Unique Reference Number 17 April 2007 Inspection date Christine Tipple Inspector

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Northshead Methodist Church, Givendale Road, SCARBOROUGH, North Yorkshire, YO12 6LG

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E-mail

Northstead Community Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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?

Northstead Community Pre-School was registered in 2006. It is managed by a voluntary management committee. The group is based in the Northstead Methodist Church Hall in Scarborough. The children have use of the main hall and an enclosed outside play area. The building is fully accessible.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school provides a service for the local community and operates for seven sessions a week. It is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 09.00 to 15.15, which includes the lunch club, and Wednesday from 9.00 to 11.45, in term time only. The pre-school is registered for 26 children and there are currently 43 children on roll, of whom 31 receive funded nursery education. There are nine staff who work with the children. Of these, six have relevant childcare qualifications and three are in the process of applying to start or to complete a qualification. The pre-school is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The children are confident in their personal care and hygiene practices. The effective routines and support provided by the staff enable the children to take responsibility in accessing the facilities for themselves. Children are well informed of why it is important to keep their hands clean. There are clear procedures in place for children who require nappy changes or support for toilet training, which includes staff wearing protective clothing. Information is provided on the care of children when they are ill and this is shared with parents, including the exclusion periods required and the need to minimise cross infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have excellent opportunities to develop their physical skills. They have ongoing access to the outside area throughout the session. This is well planned and managed by staff to ensure children have daily fresh air and exercise. There is a broad selection of equipment to peddle and steer, to climb and balance and manoeuvre through obstacles. The children have regular music and movement sessions and there is a good selection and range of smaller tools and equipment. The children are provided with activities and information about keeping healthy through exercise.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children have daily snacks provided. These promote healthy and nutritious options for the children who are aware of having five a day of fruit and vegetables. The self-service snack area has platters of fruit and chopped vegetables, which is supported with pictures for the children to encourage them to select five pieces. Staff talk with the children to encourage and promote a healthy diet. The children enjoy this social time together. Milk is served as well as water which is available throughout the session and staff encourage the children to have regular fluids especially when it is hot. Children's dietary needs are recorded and staff ensure these are met.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The premises are set up to be welcoming for the children and their parents. There is good natural light and space to enable the children to move around freely and safely. The range of toys, resources and equipment offer the children a very good selection and includes an assortment of natural materials. These support the children to participate in enjoyable activities which are effective in offering a stimulating environment which meet their varying needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good understanding of the importance of safety which they share with the children. They assess the risk factors both on the premises and before any outings and this is recorded in their risk assessments. The outdoor area is sectioned to enable the children to have space which is organised effectively for their use. The children are able to explore and take risks, such as using real wood, a saw and other tools. The children all wear a safety helmet when using the sit on ride equipment. They know why this is important as they state it is 'to protect your head'. Children regularly practise the evacuation procedure which raises their awareness of what to do in an emergency situation. When the children go out for walks there is a clear approach on where it is safe to cross and how to use the pelican crossing and to walk across the road together.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a positive awareness of protecting and keeping children safe. Key staff have attended training related to child protection and recognise that this is their first priority. There are details

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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 displayed and a clear policy statement which is shared with parents. All information in relation to safeguarding children and contact details of the agencies are in place.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. All the children come into pre-school happy and keen to play. The staff provide a calm environment where positive caring relationships are nurtured. The younger children are well supported by their key staff to settle. Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework to ensure the children's developmental needs are recognised and to enable them to have full access to all the positive learning areas provided in the pre-school. The children's language skills develop very well due to the staff's purposeful approach to ensure the children are engaged in conversation and talk about what they are doing, see and think.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff plan an effective and interesting range of learning experiences through positive play opportunities which promote a child centred approach. They are confident in their use of the Foundation Stage and how children progress, and to offer a 'free flow' approach throughout the sessions. Children's individual files are detailed and offer positive evidence of what the children can do. Staff ensure the children's individual needs are supported and that these are linked to the ongoing planning. Staff regularly evaluate what they do and this is reflected in the positive outcomes for the children. However, the long term approach to the evaluation and monitoring of the care and education is not sufficiently extended to ensure staff identify the ongoing development of the pre-school.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The range of activities and resources both inside and outside offer the children a rich environment where they learn through the quality of the what is provided. The staff work closely with the children to provide a child-led approach on how activities are extended, such as a discussion where children made the decision to build a wall outside with large blocks. The planning of the session and the organisation of the areas for the children provide them with free choice and access to quality resources, which enable them to develop their ideas and skills effectively. This is enhanced by the staff's motivation and enthusiasm in what they are doing. They offer a good balance of learning in all areas of the early learning goals. Staff are confident in assessing each child's needs to challenge and support them as required.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children's good behaviour impacts positively on their learning in all areas. The children play cooperatively and they demonstrate a good level of concentration in the tasks they undertake due to their ongoing interest and motivation being sustained. The children show good levels of independence in what they select and in making decisions. The children have opportunities all around them to mark make and develop their early writing skills. This is well supported with resources, such as various pens and pencils, paper and flip charts. There is a range of books set out both for fun and for the children to seek information. The children self register on arrival and at their snack time and most have good recognition of their name to label their own work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use numbers and mathematical language effectively throughout their play. Staff use words, such as full or empty, taller or shorter. There are charts that record the children's height and the changing weather patterns. Children regularly count throughout their activities, for example, counting the bikes outside, how many chairs are needed and selecting five fruit and vegetables for snack. Games and discussion with staff promote the children's skills in simple

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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 problem solving. The role play area is changed to offer different activities, such as a shoe shop where the children discussed which shoes they wanted and whether they fit. Children have good hands on experiences where they can explore and investigate their surroundings. The children have collected tadpoles so they can monitor their development and pets are brought in for the children to see, such as snakes. Children take digital photos of each other at activities and they enjoy using the computer. Through the child-led approach, time is given for the children to use their senses in their play, to smell, touch and describe the things they see.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The opportunities for the children to be creative is very good. The free access to the broad range and choice of good art and craft materials enables the children to express themselves fully in a variety of ways. There are various paints that the children are able to mix themselves. They cut and construct and create their own designs and ideas. Role play is thoroughly enjoyed by the children both inside and outside which is effective in developing their imaginary skills. The children use natural materials, such as wood and saws to create with. They visit the local area to post letters at the post office and to buy the fruit and vegetables for snack time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff know the children very well and assist them to develop a strong sense of self and belonging. Their individual needs are well supported and recognised. There is a positive approach by the staff with the children, to consider and value diversity through the information, activities and resources provided for them. Children have access to all areas of the pre-school to choose whatever they want to play with. Staff have a strong commitment to inclusion and provide positive support for children with physical difficulties. There are good links with the community and the children go out on visits in the area. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. The key person system provides a consistent contact for both the parents and the children. There is a good selection of information provided for parents which consists of the welcome pack and a detailed notice board. Parents have taken on the role of setting up a regular newsletter. Daily contact with parents by the staff is welcoming and time is given as needed for parents to discuss their child's time at pre-school. There is good support for children to settle in and parents complete an 'All about me' booklet prior to attending to provide staff with information about each child and their family. There are parent sessions three times a year which enables them to talk with staff in more depth about their child's progress and attainment. Parents also have the opportunity to take on a more active role as a member of the pre-school management committee.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is managed very effectively through a caring and sensitive approach by all the staff. This is reflected in the children's calm, happy and settled attitude in the pre-school. The children are confident with the daily routines and expectations, to be kind to each other and to share and take turns. This is discussed each day at carpet time before the children access the activities. Staff praise and encourage all the children and this is valued by them in their response and keenness to share their achievements with staff. Staff work together to ensure their approach with the children is consistent and the strategies used are relevant to the child's level of understanding.

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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 good. The leadership and management are good. The management committee and staff work together to provide a quality service in the care and education provided. This includes regular weekly meetings for staff and the committee who meet each half term. The manager provides a clear approach in her leadership and in her appreciation of what the staff do. Staff are keen to attend training and develop their skills, knowledge and qualifications, which has a positive impact on the quality of activities provided for the children. The staff work very well together as a team and this is a positive strength. The newly formed committee demonstrate the same commitment and enthusiasm as the staff to work together and ensure parents are able to have an active role in what is provided and to be involved in future developments.

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Organisation

The organisation of the pre-school is efficient and well managed by the staff. The day to day running shows their skill and commitment to offer positive learning experiences for the children. There are detailed policies and procedures that are shared with parents, which are reviewed to ensure the information is relevant and up to date. The recruitment and selection procedures are robust to ensure the suitability of those working with the children. However, the induction procedure and staff appraisals are not yet implemented by the committee.

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Organisation

The space and range of resources and activities offered to the children are well managed and enable the children to self select and choose what they want to do. All documentation and records are maintained and ensure confidentiality. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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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.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which can be seen 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):

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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 • develop the staff induction and appraisal programme.

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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): • continue to review the process of evaluation and monitoring of the care and education provided to ensure this identifies future plans and development.

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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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