St Elisabeth's Church of England Primary School

Doddiscombsleigh Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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106110 Unique Reference Number 21 November 2007 Inspection date Linda Dawe Inspector

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Doddiscombsleigh Primary School, Doddiscombsleigh, Exeter, Devon, EX6 7PR

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E-mail

Doddiscombsleigh Pre-school Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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E-mail

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

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are outstanding. 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?

Doddiscombsleigh Pre-school Community Group was registered in 1992. It is run by a committee of parents and school governors. It has use of a room in a modular building, situated in Doddiscombsleigh Primary School grounds in the centre of the village. The group has close links with the school and the adjacent reception class.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group runs on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 09:30 to 12:00. Two staff are employed supported by a parent volunteer. There are additional staff members who can be called on in an emergency. The pre-school manager is a qualified teacher and the assistant has an NVQ Level 2 in Early Years Childcare and Education. Children come from a wide area of the Teign Valley, and the majority will later attend Doddiscombsleigh Primary School.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently seven children on the register who are mainly funded. The group supports children with special needs, there are currently no children attending with English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group receives support from 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 outstanding. Snack time is extremely well organised to ensure that children can help themselves throughout the session to a selection of fruit or a drink of water. Children bring in fruit from home to share, which means that they are taught to think about healthy eating and encouraged to taste a variety of different fruits.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn how to care for their own health needs as they are able to get tissues and blow their own noses and clean their own hands before they eat. Children who are confident, caringly remind other children to clean their hands and show them how to access wipes to do this. Staff explain to children the need to dispose of tissues in the bin to stop the spread of germs so that they don't catch each other's cold. Information sought from parents and clearly kept records ensure that children's individual health needs are fully met. Equipment such as whistles are washed between each use to prevent the spread of cross infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children go outside regularly for fresh air and exercise. They demonstrate an excellent awareness of space both inside and outside the classroom as they manoeuvre their ride-on toys around the playground and jump and hop inside to nursery rhymes and sounds. This regular exercise benefits their overall health and helps to develop their large muscles.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children play in a well thought out and welcoming environment. They have ample space to enjoy the wealth of activities and resources provided for them throughout each session. Toys and equipment are stimulating and of very high quality, stored in a way that makes them easy for children to access quickly and safely. As a result children are kept occupied and busy. Children are provided with excellent, well planned resources to support their play. For example, rucksacks, play food, play first aid boxes and camping equipment were provided for children to go 'camping' in their dark den.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well supervised and cared for in a secure setting. Children will soon have free flow access throughout the building and into a new enclosed outdoor area that is currently under construction. Effective fire drills ensure that the children can be evacuated quickly and safely in the event of an emergency. Children are enabled to think about their own safety as they are reminded to be careful when walking on slippery wet leaves outside.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are further safeguarded as a result of the staff's understanding of the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are extremely happy and well cared for at Doddiscombsleigh Pre-school. They spend their time immersed in a wealth of activities which they take part in enthusiastically. They build positive relationships with their peers and the pre-school and primary school staff, which provides them with a strong sense of community and makes the transition to school a seamless one. Younger children settle quickly as a result of the positive and gentle attitude that staff

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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 have towards them. The settling in period when children are new is individual to each child, ensuring that they are not left until both the child and parent are comfortable to do so.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children are making very rapid progress towards the early learning goals and some have already achieved them. Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the setting and have an excellent attitude to learning. Children are extremely confident and self-assured, playing effectively on their own or with others. Alongside the purposeful planned activities provided for them, they offer their own ideas and respond to challenges with enthusiasm. For example, thinking of the best way to repair the door of their den that had fallen down and encouraging staff to lie down with them on the floor when acting out a poem. Their learning is supported by staff who have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage and who are skilled in knowing when to support children in their learning, and when to stand back and let the children discover for themselves. Excellent

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

use is made of time and resources to ensure that the session moves along at an appropriate pace for all the children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Constant discussions take place and staff use open questioning extremely skilfully to encourage children to think. As a result children develop their language, using speech to organise their thoughts, ideas and feelings. Children have a good sense of recall, eagerly talking about past events in their lives such as how they discovered that ice melts when it gets warm. Children are encouraged to be independent by taking themselves to the toilet and putting on their own coats before they go outside with staff are hand to give support only if needed. Children are skilled in the use of Information Technology, deftly using the computer mouse and operating battery and wind-up torches and toys. The computer programs provide children with an excellent understanding of number and maths as they count, subtract and continue patterns on the screen. Maths happens naturally throughout their play as children learn about volume, for

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

example, when asked to predict how many cups of water will fill a jug in the water tray. Children take great delight in their achievements, for example, proudly explaining how torches work and why they are needed and then making their own at the craft table. Children develop their small muscles as they use tools such as glue sticks and scissors and control their bodies well as they 'wobble' like jellies at story time. Children plant seeds, learning about how things grow as they experiment whether seeds grown in the dark or the light grow better. Excellent resources are provided for them to develop their imaginations and creativity as they dress up and freely paint and glue at the craft tables.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children's behaviour is very good as a result of the constant praise and encouragement that they receive from staff. Children are taught to be kind and considerate to each other and they co-operate really well together in their play, for example, when building train tracks. They are familiar with routines and are confident to make their needs known to adults. Behaviour is dealt with sensitively by staff. Children learn a sense of responsibility as they tidy up together, which they do very enthusiastically. They are rewarded with stickers for their achievements, which boosts their positive self esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn about other cultures as they use a selection of multi-cultural resources in their imaginative play and explore festivals. For example, children are taught about the sacred cow when looking at the Hindu religion. There is no gender discrimination with boys and girls

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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 accessing all equipment equally. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with disabilities or learning difficulties are fully integrated into pre-school sessions. The clear and thorough assessment procedures quickly identify any child who may not be reaching their expected milestones or who may be exceeding them. This enables staff to obtain extra support or to provide children with additional challenges if needed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is outstanding. Children benefit from the strong links between home and pre-school in this small community group. Parents form the committee and are committed to ensuring that the group is well run. Parents are invited to become involved in their child's learning as staff communicate with them regularly by newsletter, for example, asking them to encourage their children to think of the colour of the week.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The pre-school is lead by a qualified teacher who is supported by a dedicated and skilled helper and they work together extremely effectively for the benefit of the children, maximising their individual skills. Children receive good support in their play with staff also being aware of the need to step back occasionally so that children can make their own decisions and discoveries. There are effective procedures in place to ensure continuity of care for the children should one of the permanent staff be absent for a session. Documentation is clear, meets regulatory requirements and is stored appropriately with regards to confidentiality. The pre-school is continually striving to improve their practice, for example, by providing children with an improved outdoor play area that they can access freely. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of nursery education provision is outstanding. The pre-school staff and committee meet regularly to review their practice. Staff seek additional training, and support from outside professionals such as the Foundation Stage Advisory Teacher, to broaden their professional knowledge. Staff are dedicated and enthusiastic about their teaching, which results in the children making excellent progress in all areas of their learning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At their last care inspection the pre-school was asked to develop a policy which includes procedures to be followed in the event of a child being lost. This is now in place, which has improved the care of the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous nursery education inspection the pre-school was required to improve the organisation of resources, to enable children to extend more activities for themselves and to develop their own ideas. This has been fully met. Children now have free access to a variety of resources and use them to extend and develop their own learning. The pre-school was also required to continue to develop the use of evaluations and assessments to inform plans for the next steps in children's learning. This has also now been fully implemented, resulting in there being clear plans for the next steps in children's learning.

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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.

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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 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 outstanding. 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

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

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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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