St. Faiths Pre School

St. Faiths Pre School

Inspection report for early years provision

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St. Faiths Pre School

Unique Reference Number 254277 Inspection date 20 September 2005 Inspector Marianne Gascoyne

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St. Faiths Pre School

Setting Address Mission Room, Church Street,Horsham St. Faiths, NORWICH, Norfolk, NR10 3JJ Telephone number 077 631 78190

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E-mail

Registered person St Faiths Pre-School Committee Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

St Faith's Pre-school opened over 20 years ago. It operates from the Reading Room to the rear of the Mission Rooms in the village of Horsham St Faith's to the north of the city of Norwich. A maximum of 12 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The setting is open five mornings a week and on a Monday afternoon during term times. Sessions are from 09.15 until 11.45 and 13.00 until 15.30. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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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 There are currently 28 children from two to under five years on roll. Of these 14 receive funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children come from Horsham St Faith's and surrounding villages. There are a small number of children attending at the present time who have special needs. The pre-school employs two full-time members of staff. The supervisor holds a level three qualification and the assistant is currently undertaking qualifying training. Parents assist at the sessions on a rota basis.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Effective cleaning procedures ensure children are cared for in a clean environment and learn the importance of good personal hygiene through the daily routine. This, together with a clear policy for parents to follow if their children are sick, minimises the risk of cross infection. Children do not share in the development of hygiene routines and the present system of toileting does not always ensure their privacy and dignity is respected. The assistant does not have a current first aid certificate which is necessary to ensure there is always a member of staff present who has the knowledge needed to ensure children's welfare if an accident occurs. Children have a choice of bread snacks and variety of steamed vegetables at snack time. Children therefore enjoy nutritious snacks. Planned activities and some discussion at this time are raising their awareness of the value of a healthy diet.

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Helping children to be healthy

Information received from parents about special dietary requirements is recorded and procedures put in place to ensure there is no risk to children. Opportunities for physical activity are limited by the space available indoors and out. Children are not able to access the outdoor area at all times to enable them to play in the fresh air. Physical play is planned on a daily basis and children enjoy, for example, moving to music and parachute games. Children are not always reminded of the need to drink after physical play or helped to understand the effect of exercise on their bodies. Large floor cushions and floor mats are available for children who wish to rest.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children feel welcome in the attractive, well-organised environment and confidently enter the playroom at the start of the day. They are secure in the child centred environment. Good use is made of the limited space to provide areas for different types of play and children move freely around the room and play in comfort sitting on child sized furniture or on the floor. The range of safe, developmentally appropriate equipment ensures children are well occupied particularly during periods of free play. Parents enter the playroom with their children when bringing or collecting to ensure they arrive and leave the premises safety and children are protected by effective

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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 security procedures while present. Children are made aware of need to respond promptly to adult requests as they practise the emergency evacuation procedures. They learn to take responsibility for their safety, for example, as they are reminded of the correct way to use the slide and to stay with the adult when being taken to the toilet. Daily risk assessments and assessment made of the potential danger of activities such as cooking ensure risks are minimised. Planned discussions at group times about safety when out with parents, for example, on holiday, walking along the road or in a shop are making children aware of how to stay safe and the reasons for appropriate behaviour in these situations. Children are safeguarded by a clear child protection policy and the knowledge gained

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

by the supervisor from training undertaken. The setting is aware of their responsibility to protect children by ensuring all staff are aware of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns. Parents are made aware of the policy to protect children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy their time at pre-school. They are happy, confident and secure and enjoy positive relationships with the adults and each other. Their self-esteem is enhanced as they contribute at group time and join in with conversations with adults and other children. Children are interested in the suitable range of activities offered which generally meet their developmental needs. They are very well occupied during free play periods, cooperating with others and developing their play with the support of the adults. The 'Birth to three matters' framework is not used to plan for the children under the age of three and group activities are not always developmentally appropriate for all children. Time spent waiting for others sometimes causes children to become unsettled and aimless. Nursery education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff plan an interesting range of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

activities using assessments of children's achievements and information from parents to ensure children progress in their learning. Adults sit at the children's level and encourage their play and learning. They ask open ended questions and work with children to solve problems, for example, 'How can we make this fit? What do we need to make a helicopter?', giving praise when children make a suggestion to solve the problem. Children are engaged and motivated by the available activities and adult interaction. Their vocabulary is extended, for example, as the supervisor talks to them about hibernation and they have practical opportunities to develop their understanding as they pile leaves over the toy hedgehogs to make their winter habitat. Children listen attentively to the story and know how to handle books and use them for a variety of purposes. A wide variety of books is available and attractively

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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 displayed. Adults do not encourage use throughout the session and children do not access them independently. Children have many opportunities to count in everyday activities and to identify written numerals. They are encouraged to calculate and solve mathematical problems and are competent in completing puzzles showing an understanding of shape. Children investigate vegetables using touch, smell and taste and have opportunities to construct and create in two and three dimensions. Children enjoy moving to music showing an awareness of space. They spontaneously sing action songs and rhymes and enthusiastically join in with singing at group times. They use their imagination as they manipulate play dough creating cakes and talking about their birthday parties. They confidently use paint at the easel

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and drawing materials to express their ideas and learn words have meaning as an adult writes the description they have given on their drawing. Opportunities are provided for them to write for a purpose. Differentiation is not used to help children succeed in identifying their name. They are able to take part in physical activities on a daily basis and enjoy playing parachute games learning to coordinate their movements with others. Older/more able children are not always sufficiently challenged by the equipment available. Children are learning to share and take turns and to work happily with others. They are well behaved responding to clear guidelines and explanations given by adults. Children's independence is not encouraged at snack time and adults do not sit with the children to engage in conversation with them and make this a social time for the children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are secure and settled enjoying positive relationships with each other and the adults in the group. Photographs displayed at child height stimulate discussion and help children's sense of belonging. Posters in displays, books, planned activities and resources ensure children develop positive attitudes to differences in people including cultural diversity and disability. They enjoy a wide range of activities celebrating festivals from different cultures. Children with special needs are fully included in the group and the setting works with parents and other professionals to develop their learning and meet their needs. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is being fostered appropriately. They are learning to manage their behaviour by explanations given and help in negotiating with other children, for example, the suggestion is made that a child asks another if she can play with the toy when she has finished with it. The

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Helping children make a positive contribution

child asks and the other child happily hands it to her. They are encouraged to learn good manners as they say 'thank you' at snack time and willingly help tidy away the toys when requested. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are involved in every aspect of the operation of the pre-school; helping on a rota basis, serving on the committee and fund raising. This enhances the children's well-being. The information pack given to new parents makes clear the aims of the group and includes details of

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 the policies and the early learning goals. This ensures parents are well informed to enable them to work with the setting for the benefit of the children. The aims of the group to provide a safe, secure, stimulating environment and maintain strong links with parent are seen in practice in the group. Parents contribute to their children's assessments on an ongoing basis to maximise opportunities for children to progress in their learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Staff work well together showing a high regard for the well-being of the children. The key worker system provides consistency and ensures children feel secure. Continual communication takes place with parents to involve them in their children's learning. The supervisor is qualified and very experienced. The assistant is committed to gaining a qualification to develop her knowledge and understanding for the benefit of the children. The premises are well-organised and the limited space used effectively to maximise opportunities for children. Appropriate policies are in place which underpin the practice in the group and are shared with parents. All the necessary documentation is available. It is not all easily accessible, well-organised and up-to-date to ensure immediate access when needed which could affect the welfare of the children. Leadership and management is satisfactory. The roles of the registered person and

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Organisation

the supervisor are not clearly defined. This leads to confusion over the updating of documentation and record keeping that could affect the welfare of the children. Staff are supported informally on a daily basis and encouraged in their personal development in order to benefit the children. The quality of the care and education is monitored informally through parents and the popularity of the setting. The happy, secure children are seen as testament to the effectiveness of the pre-school. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children attending.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection a recommendation was made to develop the operational plan, including policies and procedures. Policies have been updated to ensure they provide protection for children and reflect practice in the group. Developments continue to take place and a further recommendation has been made regarding the organisation and updating of documentation. The setting was asked to ensure the needs of all children are considered when organising large group activities. Some group activities are still not appropriate for all the children and their stage of development is not fully considered. This recommendation therefore remains at this inspection. Children's dignity and privacy was not always being respected when they were receiving personal care and children were at risk from cross infection when hand washing. No changes have been implemented to improve children's privacy and dignity and this recommendation

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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 therefore remains at this inspection. Changes in hand washing procedures ensures the risk of cross infection is now minimised. The education inspection made a recommendation regarding the opportunities given to children to ensure a balance of adult-initiated group activities and self-chosen activities throughout the session. Some improvement has been made in respect of this aspect of the provision and further development is recommended.

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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): • review procedures to ensure children's dignity and privacy are respected with regard to their personal care • encourage children's independence and social skills at snack time • ensure the documentation is up-to-date, well organised and easily accessible at all times

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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 develop the range of self-chosen activities to encourage children's independence and decision making skills and ensure all children are provided with activities appropriate to their stage of development.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and

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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 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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