Ashmount Infant School

Beaufort Childcare Groups Inspection report for early years provision

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100433 Unique Reference Number 04 June 2007 Inspection date Lorraine Sparey Inspector

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Beaufort Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH6 5LB Setting Address

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01202 417143 Telephone number suemanager@aol.com E-mail Beaufort Childcare Groups Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care, Out of School care Type of care

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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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Beaufort Childcare Groups opened the out of school care in 1993 and the pre-school opened in 2001. The group is run by the committee of Beaufort Community Centre, Southbourne, Bournemouth. It operates from the community centre in Southbourne, Bournemouth. Children have access to rooms five to eight, the cafeteria, the gymnasium and toilet facilities. There is a fenced play area for outdoor play during term time and a portion of the adjoining school playground is used during school holidays. The children attending mainly come from the local area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 42 children may attend at any one time and there are currently 134 children on roll. This includes 21 who receive funding for nursery education. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 12.00 during term times and accepts children aged two to four years. There is a breakfast club, and an after school club which accepts children aged from 4 years to 8 years and opens Monday to Friday from 15.00 to 18.00 during term times. The holiday club is open Monday to Friday from 08.30 to 18.00 during school holidays for children aged over four years. The group supports children who have learning difficulties and or disabilities.

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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 A team of nine staff work on a rota basis with the children, of these six, including the manager, hold an early years qualification and four are on training programmes.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's understanding of promoting their own health is good. They follow effective hand hygiene procedures and they know and understand when and why they wash their hands. Younger children's awareness is supported by visual prompts. Their general health is well supported, through daily routines. At registration time staff choose children to demonstrate various skills to support their good health. For example, a two-year-old demonstrates what to do if you need to blow your nose. They confidently get a tissue, pretend to blow their nose and dispose of the tissue appropriately. A member of staff asks all children 'What do we need to do if we are going to cough?'. Several children demonstrate putting their hands over their mouths. Another child demonstrates what to do if you are thirsty by getting a cup and pouring themselves some water. Staff provide parents with good information on how to support children's

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Helping children to be healthy

health and well-being. These resources can be shared with their children in the form of stories and fun activities. Staff effectively implement a wide range of procedures to support children's health such as accident and medication policies and a sick child policy. Children are well protected in the event of a minor accident because the majority of staff have completed a first aid course. Children understand about sun safety and the settings current theme is 'Sun safety' where they participate in activities to increase their awareness.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children have excellent opportunities to play in the fresh air. Older children enjoy using an area of the school playground. They have a good range of resources to support their physical development such as a parachute, range of balls, bean bags, and hoops. A member of staff creates an obstacle course and children complete various activities such as dribbling the ball in and out of cones. The adult praises their good control of the ball. Preschool children have their own garden area where they grow their own plants. They take part in races increasing their fitness levels and demonstrating good control of their bodies as they walk backwards and hop forwards. The setting participates in the 'Healthy Early Years' project, which encourages healthy lifestyles for children through fun activities. For example, children enjoy drawing fruit that they have brought in.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from healthy nutritious snacks such as various fresh fruit and chopped vegetables. Their awareness of healthy foods is promoted well through activities such as growing their own fruit and vegetables, for example broad beans. Children enjoy picking the strawberries they have grown and learn how to prepare them. Parents provide children with lunch boxes which are in line with the healthy eating policy. All children have access to water throughout the day and milk at snack times. This ensures that children maintain their fluid levels

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from being cared for in a secure and child-centred environment. Staff place a high emphasis on children's safety. The premises are well maintained and effective risk assessments ensure that all play areas are safe. However, some hazards in the garden have not been correctly assessed. This means children's safety is not fully promoted in the garden area. Children learn about keeping themselves safe through good explanations from staff. 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 follow simple safety rules. A three-year-old tells a member of staff 'We don't run, we might slip and hurt ourselves'. The adult congratulates them 'Well remembered'. Another child says 'Don't leave toys all over the place', recognising children may fall over them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children safely choose from a broad range of quality toys and resources. They are encouraged to take responsibility for the equipment and automatically pack away activities once they have finished playing with them. Staff implement effective procedures to ensure that all toys and equipment are checked on a regular basis to ensure their continued suitability.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff demonstrate good understanding of child protection issues. They are able to describe signs and symptoms of child abuse and effective procedures to ensure that children are protected from harm and neglect. Parents receive information in the form of a child protection policy and procedure to ensure that they are aware of the staffs roles and responsibility in this area.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children confidently come into the setting and clearly enjoy their time with their peers and the staff. They benefit from the staff providing a broad range of high quality activities and resources. Children enjoy glass painting using specialised paints. One child chooses to make a vase for the younger children's room. Children are confident to design their own games and perform shows. Several children spend time rehearsing a dance routine to show the other children. A member of staff offers support, operating the music system for them. All children enjoy sitting and watching and enthusiastically clap when they have finished. Other children enjoy physical games which they have devised themselves and staff are particularly good at offering suggestions. One member of staff plays an animal game with several children. She calls out an animal name and children have to find that animal in the surrounding environment. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

show obvious enjoyment as they succeed. The after-school and holiday club staff plan and provide a wide range of activities that are fun.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff plan and provide a wide range of activities for the preschool children using the Birth to three matters framework and the Foundation Stage curriculum. Activities are stimulating and linked to themes such as mini beasts. Children enjoy making an ant farm with staff and observing the lifestyle of a frog and a butterfly. Children learn how to care for animals and insects as they watch them grow from frog spawn and larva. This results in children excitedly releasing the frogs in the school pond and the butterflies in the preschool garden.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Staff are very knowledgeable on the Foundation Stage curriculum. They provide a vibrant and well-organised environment where children are purposefully engaged in activities. Highly effective plans link to individual children’s learning ensuring that all children are progressing well. Staff are well informed of learning outcomes and are highly skilled in their teaching methods. Regular staff meetings and daily discussions ensure that all activities are evaluated effectively to enable all children to reach their full potential. Staff use effective systems to observe and correctly assess children's progress. These are shared with parents on a regular basis and they are invited to share their child’s progress at home. Staff are very enthusiastic and highly committed to providing positive outcomes. Children negotiate and take responsibility for their actions because staff use

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

innovative methods to manage children's behaviour. Staff are extremely committed to providing excellent opportunities for children with additional needs and children for whom English is an

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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 additional language to participate fully, reaching their full potential. For example, they provide a photographic time line clock, clearly showing children the preschool routine and promote sign language with all children. High staff ratios ensure individual children are well supported and the learning environment is accessible and stimulating.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are motivated in their learning and quickly become involved in purposeful play. They are developing good relationships with their peers and the adults, showing mutual respect. Children show a great sense of pride in their achievements. A three-year-old proudly calls to their friend 'Look I've done it myself', the friend smiles saying 'That's good'. An adult praises them for being kind. Children's language is developing well. They are confident speakers and use appropriate language. A three-year-old excitedly tells a member of staff 'Look I found a spider, it's a black widow'. During an activity where children investigate a wide range of leaves and herbs they confidently describe what the leaves feel like and enjoy smelling them. Children correctly put them in size order from the large banana and horse chestnut leaves to the small mint and sage leaves. One child talks about rosemary smelling like mince.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have excellent opportunities to develop their mark making skills and children are keen to experiment using sand, whiteboards and a wide range of resources to practise. A four-year-old tells an adult 'I'm writing mum, it begins with m' the child continues correctly identifying all the letters in her own name. Children enjoy sounding out the letters during a jolly phonics session. They confidently draw the letters on each other's backs. Children enjoy looking at books and show respect, using them correctly and listening to well read stories. Children have excellent opportunities to be creative, designing their own models. A three-year-old spends time building a complex bridge. When they finish a member of staff immediately takes a photograph of the model. Children enthusiastically sing while a member of staff and a four-year-old plays the guitar. Some children enjoy singing on their own to their peers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy fantastic opportunities to explore and investigate. Children watch how celery changes when you add different coloured food dyes. They use a range of tools to investigate ice with animals inside. They explore the natural world, making bird feeders to hang in the preschool garden, and planting a wide range of plants and caring for them. Children confidently count in everyday activities and correctly identify shapes. A four-year-old tells an adult 'I'm cutting out a square', the child cuts the square in half saying 'Look now it's two triangles'. Children show good control over their bodies when moving around their environment. Several children enjoy racing with members of staff. They show excellent control as they hop, skip and walk backwards. They competently use a wide range of tools including gardening trowels and paintbrushes. Children have good opportunities to use the computer. One child is particularly

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

competent with the programs, staff provide more complex programs to ensure that they are fully challenged.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children are extremely well-behaved. They are well mannered, polite and show consideration to their peers and to the adults. Staff use innovate methods to ensure that children understand the boundaries and expectations. They recently delivered a 10 week workshop with older children developing their understanding of controlling their own behaviour. The workshops cover bullying and use drama to reinforce children's understanding. They introduced a buddy system to ensure children feel secure with their peers. Younger children's behaviour is good given their age and stage of development. They follow simple golden rules such as 'being kind to our friends', 'sharing the toys' and listening to adults. Children help each other to follow

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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 them. A four-year-old reminds a younger child who was playing after a member of staff had asked the children to come together, 'It's settee time, come with me'. The adult praises the child saying ' Thank you that was kind'. Children benefit from the effective use of praise and encouragement. All children are rewarded with stickers. The older children have a beanstalk system where they each have a leaf that they can put their stars on and the younger children have a tree. This acts as a good visual reminder of how well they are behaving. Staff continually praise children's achievements throughout the day, building their confidence and self esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children quickly gain a strong sense of belonging to the setting. Staff use effective methods to ensure their individual needs are recognised and met. All children are involved in celebrating children's birthdays at the setting, older children have party food and games. Staff are positive role models valuing the children's contributions and their staff teams input. Staff devise highly effective methods to communicate with parents which include recording information onto audio tapes. Children with additional needs are extremely well supported within the setting allowing them to flourish, reaching their full potential. Staff use effective methods such as using signing and working with other professionals to meet the children's needs. Children learn about the community and the wider world through projects and discussion at small group time. Children fund raise to increase their awareness of others less fortunate and talk about various

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Helping children make a positive contribution

celebrations such as Chinese New Year. 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 outstanding. Parents receive high-quality information on the preschool and the Foundation Stage curriculum. They receive regular reports on their children's progress which are linked to the areas of learning. Children’s learning is enhanced because staff provide ideas linked to themes that parents can follow at home with their children. Parent's feel valued and involved in their children's learning. For example, parents are invited to share their skills. A parent who is an anaesthetist visits and talks about their role with the children. This again enhances the quality of experiences for children within the setting. Staff use a variety of effective methods to communicate depending on parental requests. Children’s and parents views are sought, they complete questionnaires and the results are analysed and addressed. Staff value all the comments and ensure that any suggestions are introduced. Parents

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Helping children make a positive contribution

report that their children are making very good progress in their development and learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides care. Staff are extremely committed to developing their knowledge and understanding of up-to-date childcare practices. They regularly attend training and there are effective procedures to ensure that their knowledge from the courses is cascaded to the rest of the staff group. Regular appraisals and job reviews ensure that staff development is promoted. Staff work extremely well together as a team. The space and resources are used effectively to manage the needs of all the children from the preschool, out of school and holiday club. They use a variety of rooms to ensure that all ages are well occupied with age appropriate activities. The setting has a comprehensive range of policies and procedures to monitor the provision which include detailed risk assessments. These are monitored on a regular basis to ensure that risks are minimised. However,

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Organisation

some hazards in the garden have not been correctly assessed. There are effective recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that children are cared for by suitable adults. Children are extremely well supported by the high staff ratios that are maintained. This means that staff have time to work with individual children on a regular basis.

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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 The leadership and management are outstanding. Staff are highly motivated and committed to providing high quality educational provision. They are extremely supportive to each other and regularly attend training. The person responsible for delivering nursery education is currently completing a foundation degree. She has very effective procedures to ensure that staff are trained correctly to assess and observe children and deliver high quality activities. There are excellent methods to monitor and evaluate the nursery education provision which include questionnaires, training and effective liaison with other early years professionals. The setting has realistic expectations and are continually evaluating to ensure the provision is the best for all the individual children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the setting agreed to conduct a risk assessment on the premises identifying any action to be taken to minimise the identified risks. Staff have worked extremely hard and conduct regular reviews on the risk assessments. However, some plants in the garden have been incorrectly assessed. They also agreed to make available to parents a written statement that provides details of the procedure to be followed if they have a complaint and includes contact details for the regulator. The setting have devised a complaints log and updated their policies and procedures. This means parents and carers are clear on how to raise a concern. They also agreed to make sure that staff monitor the children's involvement in activities and stimulate their interest in suitable and beneficial activities. The staff plan and provide a wide range of age appropriate activities and evaluate these to ensure that all children's individual

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Improvements since the last inspection

learning needs are met. This means children are involved in purposeful play.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the setting agreed to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum to enable them to support children's learning more effectively. Staff have done extensive training which means that they deliver effective provision for all children. They agreed to ensure that the planning and provision of activities gives equal emphasis to all areas of children's learning. Staff continually evaluate the provision to ensure that planning gives equal emphasis to all areas of learning. They now have specific small group time where staff work with small groups of children on specific areas of learning, this is in addition to the full programme throughout the morning. They also agreed to develop the use of the observation and assessment of children's progress to ensure that staff set appropriate levels of challenge for each child. The person responsible for delivering nursery

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Improvements since the last inspection

education provision has done extensive training with staff on observations in assessments and how to set appropriate challenges the children. She has devised her own training resources to ensure that staff are appropriately trained. Lastly they agreed to extend and develop the monitoring of the effectiveness of the teaching and children's learning to ensure children are making good progress. There are effective methods to monitor the nursery education which has resulted in the children making extremely good progress in their learning.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 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.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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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Complaints 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

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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 outstanding.

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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): • continue to review and monitor the risk assessments to ensure that hazards are correctly assessed and minimised

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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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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