Christchurch Pre-School (Dartford) Ltd

Christchurch Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY222929 Unique Reference Number 13 September 2007 Inspection date Sarah Morfett Inspector

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Christchurch Hall, Christchurch Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 2DH Setting Address

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E-mail

Christchurch Pre-School (Dartford) Ltd 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 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?

Christ Church Pre-School opened in 2002 and operates from two rooms in a church hall. The pre-school is privately owned by four of the senior staff. It is situated in Dartford, Kent. A maximum of 40 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 09.15 to 11.45 Monday to Friday and 13.15 to 15.45 Monday, Thursday and Friday, term time only. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 86 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these 60 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The pre-school currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs 13 staff. There are seven staff, including the managers who hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are five staff undertaking further qualifications and three staff working towards a childcare qualification.

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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. Children are cared for in a clean and well-maintained environment. Staff follow effective cleaning routines, for example, they wipe surfaces with anti-bacterial sprays and ensure floors and toilets are clean throughout the session. Children are encouraged to join in with these routines for example, by washing toys in the water play. Therefore, they learn to respect the resources they play with. Children are encouraged to wash their hands after going to the toilet, messy play activities and before eating. However, suitable resources are not provided therefore, there is a potential risk of cross infection. Although, strong systems are in place to prevent the spread of infection as the staff follow closely the local health protection agency's guidelines.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are secure systems in place for recording accidents which maintain confidentiality. Staff have access to well thought out documentation for recording medication should it be required. Parents give written permission for the procedures which require them such as emergency medical advice and treatment. Therefore, children's health and well-being are fully promoted.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are offered a varied range of activities which challenge them physically. For example, they play outside digging in the sand and earth which develops their small motor skills. Staff pay attention to promoting their large motor skills through music and movement and organised ring games during the session. Therefore, children begin to learn how to control their bodies.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn to make healthy choices about what they eat. For example, each day at snack time they are offered a range of food which helps them to understand what is good for them. For example, they can choose from apple, raisins and biscuits, and are offered a drink of either milk or water. Children can help themselves to a drink throughout the session as a jug of water is always available. Therefore, they begin to learn the benefits of a healthy diet.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from this well-maintained church hall which offers ample space for them to move about freely. Each morning the staff greet children warmly which makes them feel welcomed. A good range of age appropriate furniture and equipment are provided. These conform to current safety standards and are checked regularly to ensure they are safe and clean. Therefore, the children benefit from the good condition of all resources.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are good systems in place to ensure children's safety throughout the session. For example, the staff carry out daily risk assessments on the hall before children arrive. Staff check that floors and exits are clear, sockets are covered and toys and equipment are safe. Children learn about their own personal safety as they take part in regular fire evacuations. They enjoy visits from a local policeman who talks to them about road safety. Staff provided a range of resources such as, zebra crossings and traffic lights so they can practise what they have learnt. Therefore, children's understanding of personal safety is very well developed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are effectively protected from harm because staff understand their role in child protection. Regular training, which is cascaded to the rest of the team, ensures that staff are up-to-date with current legislation. A well developed policy has been devised and is shared with parents to communicate their duty of care to the children they look after. Therefore, all children are safeguarded in the pre-schools care.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy coming to the pre-school and settle well. They are confident and make choices from the range of bright and inviting activities set out for them. Children who are new to the group are given extra support by the staff who comfort them and distract them with the interesting activities. They provide support within the routines until the children become familiar with them and gain confidence to join in with the others. Good routines are established and all children thrive because of these.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are provided with a wide range of activities which are age appropriate and cover all the areas of development well. For example, construction toys, puzzles, role play areas, books, outside play, maths activities, V-Tech toys, Laptop, creative equipment, free painting and a graphics area provide them with balance and challenge as they flow freely through the range of planned experiences. Younger children take part in all the activities, staff make sure they use the 'Birth to three matters' framework when planning the curriculum. Therefore, learning experiences are extended for all ages.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage which is supported by regular training opportunities. They plan a broad range of activities for children which help them to make progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Staff interact well with the children. For example, answering their questions, entering into discussions and providing clear explanations. However, the use of open-ended questions to challenge children is limited. Therefore, learning experiences are not being fully extended. Children's starting points are recorded when they first start providing a secure base to move them forward from. Key workers make regular observations on the children to chart their progress and this information is used to inform the planning. Therefore, children's next steps are clearly identified. Staff work well as a team and are committed to helping the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's independence is strongly promoted. For example, they manage their own personal hygiene, pour their own drink at snack time and make choices about the food they eat. They seek out others to share experiences with when dressing up and act out familiar situations together. They are given good resources to ascribe meaning to marks. For example, a well equipped graphics area enables them to explore different ways of mark making. The staff encourage them to write their name on the top of their paper when they are drawing. Therefore, children are developing good writing skills. There is a suitable range of maths activities available for the children to play with and some reflection of numbers around the hall. Therefore, they are beginning to develop knowledge of various maths concepts.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is an exceptionally well developed outside area where children can explore the natural world. For example, a range of digging equipment is available and places to dig have been developed. Staff hide 'treasure' in these areas and children become excited when they find something. A strong link with the local community is fostered as the group regularly invite people into the group to share their knowledge and experiences. For example, a policeman comes to talk about road safety and a dentist to help children learn about looking after their teeth. Therefore, children learn about the world around them extremely well. Children have good opportunities to express themselves freely through a variety of media. For example, through free painting, organised art and craft activities and with malleable materials such as,

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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 play dough, sand and water. They build a wide repertoire of songs and enjoy singing at group time. Overall, the pre-school plan and provide a good range of experiences and play opportunities which help to prepare the children for school.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are treated as individuals. The group have devised a contract and child record form which records information about them when they first start. Therefore, their needs are catered for. They gain a wide view of the world around them as they play with the well developed range of toys which reflect diversity. Taking part in festivals and celebrations from other cultures ensures that the children learn to understand and respect other people’s differences. The group are committed to helping children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. Good links are made with outside agencies and parents are fully included in any discussions that take place. There are effective procedures in place to set children's individual education plans with realistic and achievable targets. Therefore, children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are strongly supported.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is good. Clear boundaries are set and frequent praise and encouragement means that children feel valued. Appropriate strategies are used when required and all staff deal with unwanted behaviour consistently. Parents are provided with a good range of written information which keeps them up-to-date with what's happening in the pre-school. They enter into firm agreements through contracts and record forms. Staff develop good relationships with the parents and during the summer holidays they meet up in a local park for a picnic once a week.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is good. Information about the Foundation Stage is displayed for parents; this means they can become familiar with the curriculum their children are following. Parents are aware that they may see the records of development kept on their children at any time and say that they receive good feedback from the staff about how their children are making progress. Parents report they are very happy with the care and education their children are receiving.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered through the range of activities planned within the Foundation Stage, through discussion with staff and through participating in activities. Children are given good opportunities to make a positive contribution.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are comfortable and settled in the well-organised environment. Space is utilised to benefit the children as they are able to move around with ease and access the outside area as part of the free flow experiences. A good staff ratio and effective deployment ensures children are supported as they play and learn. A significant number of staff hold recognised early years qualifications. All staff have clear Criminal Records Bureau disclosure forms. However, these are not stored in accordance with current requirements.

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Organisation

A comprehensive range of policies and procedures make up the groups operational plan. All required documentation is in place and maintained to a good standard. For example, the registration certificate is displayed and the attendance record is completed daily, noting arrival

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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 and departure times. Therefore, children's health, safety and well-being are thoroughly promoted.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. The management team have clear aims for the group and together with the staff team are pro-active in helping children move forward. Staff are well supported through regular appraisals where their personal development is discussed and training needs identified. Regular meetings are held where staffs input is welcomed in planning the Foundation Stage Curriculum. Monitoring and evaluation of the planning is carried out during these meetings ensuring they are offering children effective learning experiences. The team are committed to the continuing improvement of the service they provide. Overall, the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the group were asked to ensure that students were aware of their roles and responsibilities within the group. They have since developed a clear induction process for them which mean they know exactly what is expected of them when they attend the group.

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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

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 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): • provide children with a suitable range of resources when washing their hands which reduces the risk of cross infection • ensure CRB details are stored in line with current requirements

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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 staffs use of questioning to extend the learning experiences for children

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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 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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