Aldermaston C.E. Primary School

Beaumont Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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109947 Unique Reference Number 21 September 2007 Inspection date Catherine Hill Inspector

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The Old Guard Rooms, Beaumont Grove, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1YH

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E-mail

BEAUMONT COMMUNITY PRE-SCHOOL Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care, Out of School 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 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?

Beaumont Pre-school is run by a parents' management committee. It opened in 1988 and operates in a hall in the Old Guard Rooms in Aldershot, within a residential area of Hampshire. A maximum of 32 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday during term-time only. Sessions run from 09.15 to 11.45 all week and from 12.30 to 15.00 from Monday through to Thursday. Lunchtime care is provided for children between session times and also on a Friday until 12.30. A maximum of 42 children may attend the out of school club at any one time.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 40 children on roll and, of these, 23 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend from the local community and surrounding areas. The pre-school supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs eight staff to work with the children and they also have an administration assistant. All staff have early years qualifications and professional development

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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 is ongoing. The setting receives support from the Early Education and Childcare Unit and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children demonstrate a sound understanding of routine hygiene practice as they independently go to wash their hands after messy play. A picture sequence displayed in the toilets reminds children of good hygiene practice and they thoroughly wash their hands with soap before drying them on paper towels. They learn about health and hygiene through daily routines and planned topic work. Staff wear gloves when changing nappies and ensure that children play in a clean environment where they are protected from illness and infection. Over half the staff have current first aid certificates and children receive appropriate care if they have an accident. Accident and medication records are maintained with all necessary consents in place.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have good daily opportunities for exercise to develop and maintain a healthy body. A free flow play system allows them the choice of play outside in the fresh air or activities indoors. Children eagerly go outside where they have fun using a range of equipment. They carefully and confidently manoeuvre wheeled toys around and delight in the freedom to run around as they happily play together. Indoors they very ably climb up and jump down from the climbing frame on to the safety mats beneath. They develop an understanding of a healthy diet through planned topic work on food, with posters displayed reinforcing healthy eating. They have good appetites and eat well at snack time where they readily consume raisins and breadsticks. They are aware of their own bodily needs and freely access drinks during the session when thirsty. The pre-school have a range of policies to support their practice in promoting children's good

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Helping children to be healthy

health, for example, they have policies on sickness and food and drink.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children play in a welcoming setting and separate happily from their parents and/or carers on arrival. They have their own named coat pegs and all their names are displayed on the star welcome board in the pre-school room giving them a sense of ownership of their environment. Their shape artwork is displayed alongside educational posters to provide a stimulating surround for play and learning. They freely access a good range of age appropriate toys and activities. Play is child initiated and resources provide children with opportunities for development in all skill areas.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children keep safe within the pre-school as staff are alert to most potential hazards. Staff position themselves strategically by the doors during arrival and collection times to ensure that no children leave unsupervised. The premises are kept secure during sessions and daily recorded safety checks highlight any problem areas and action to be taken. Children develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe as they take part in fire drills, although these are not practised regularly to ensure all children and staff remain familiar with the exit procedures. Staff are also not always effectively deployed to supervise children's safe use of the indoor climbing frame. Children run up and down the slide before staff notice and warn them of the potential hazards of doing so. Staff demonstrate through discussion a secure understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any child protection concerns. Children's

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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 welfare is therefore very well safeguarded with staff having undertaken specific training in this area.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and relaxed and receive good levels of support from kind, caring staff who take a genuine interest in their welfare. Plans are in place showing topics to be covered but they do not show how staff plan for children under three years, for example, with regard to the Birth to three matters framework. Observation records for children under three have also not been regularly updated to track children's ongoing progress. Children do have daily opportunities to progress in all skill areas and take advantage of the resources on offer to learn through sensitively supported play. They enjoy themselves and show a good knowledge of the current weekly topic of colours as they correctly identify the different colours on shape mats used in play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff work together to plan a range of activities to develop children's knowledge and skills. However, plans do not clearly and consistently show the learning objectives of activities linked to the stepping stones of the Foundation Stage early learning goals. How activities will be differentiated to meet children's differing needs is also not recorded and activity evaluations are not consistently recorded. Children's personal social and emotional development is generally good. They eagerly leave their parents and carers and sit and occupy themselves at the activities set out. They independently attend to personal hygiene and confidently ask for help when needed, for example with turning taps on. They are proud of their efforts and smile as they ask staff to look at letters they have written. Staff praise their efforts which contributes to children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

developing in self-esteem. Most children behave well during sessions and show a good motivation to learn as they attempt to complete progressively harder puzzles.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show an interest in books and handle them appropriately. They have access to materials to practise their writing skills and some demonstrate good hand-eye coordination as they clearly write the letters B and D on a chalkboard. Staff explain to children the activities on offer and use questions to promote learning by making children think. Staff maintain assessment records on children but these do not show children's future short term learning targets. Children develop their mathematical skills through planned topic work on, for example, number and shapes. They have fun making a train using different shape and colour mats and confidently name shapes, such as a triangle. Staff, however, fail to use opportunities as they arise to extend learning during some everyday activities. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring the texture of shaving foam and learn about cause and effect as they lay their hands flat on a tray of foam and find

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

that when they lift them the tray lifts as well. They smile and giggle as they play and repeat their actions to reinforce their own learning. They develop an understanding of the wider and natural world through visitors to the group and topics, such as planting and growing, festivals and holidays. Their physical development is good as they have daily opportunities to practise both their fine and gross motor skills. They run freely outside and skilfully manoeuvre wheeled toys around each other. They excitedly jump on different colour shapes and use the indoor climbing frame with confidence. During sessions children freely use their imagination as they express themselves through painting, drawing and role play with small world resources, such as cars and planes. They enjoy singing and try and match actions to the words as they sing the 'head, shoulders, knees and toes' song.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Staff value the contributions of all children in the pre-school and display their work within the pre-school room. Children are treated with equal concern and their individual needs are met by staff who observe the children and talk to their parents to gain an awareness of their current needs. A variety of resources and activities, including posters displayed, help children develop a positive understanding of diversity and differences and staff appropriately foster children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Systems are in place within the pre-school to support children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Rules displayed for staff reinforce a positive approach to working with children and staff act as positive role models with regard to good manners. Most children behave well but some behave inappropriately at times setting a negative example for others and disrupting children trying to listen to staff

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Helping children make a positive contribution

when gathered together on the mat. Staff do not all work together to reinforce positive behaviour or to remind children of the pre-school's 'Golden rules' which are displayed high up within the room.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. A wide range of information is displayed for parents and they receive newsletters to keep them informed about pre-school practice. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their child's pre-school life by recording what their child did at the weekend so all children have news to share in circle time. They are kept informed of their child's educational progress through daily verbal exchanges, discussion at annual parents' evenings and by viewing their child's records, although these do not specify their child's future short term learning targets. Parents are happy with the service provided by the pre-school and find the staff friendly and professional.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Staff work closely as a team to provide a welcoming, relaxed environment for children's play and learning. Children enjoy their time at the pre-school where they are able to develop in all skill areas. The leadership and management of nursery education is satisfactory. There are systems in place to monitor and evaluate practice, although children's assessment records have not been closely monitored to ensure they are regularly updated. Ongoing professional development for staff is encouraged and supported. The supervisor is relatively new in post but is aware of areas for improvement in practice. She is committed to improving the provision, supported by staff who are all able to contribute ideas for further development. A range of documentation is in place to support practice and this is securely maintained. The pre-school has generally very well organised systems in place to ensure the efficient daily running of the

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Organisation

setting. However, staff are not always deployed effectively to ensure children's safety when using the climbing frame and do not always work together to promote positive behaviour management. Overall, the pre-school meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the previous care and education inspection the pre-school have addressed some of the recommendations made for improvement. All relevant documentation is maintained ready for inspection and a written system is in place, which is shared with parents, to record children's achievements. Qualified staff are present to support the children during every session and sufficient are deployed to ensure group activities are manageable. Children have increased

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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 opportunities to practise their emergent writing and to develop their mathematical skills and staff clearly explain activities on offer. Recommendations made regarding planning and assessment records and behaviour management have yet to be fully addressed and these are carried forward for action.

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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. 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 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): • improve safety procedures by practising regular fire drills and by ensuring staff are appropriately deployed to ensure children's safety when using indoor equipment • develop planning records to clearly show the learning objectives of planned activities linked to the curriculum and ensure children's development records are kept up to date • develop staff awareness of appropriate positive behaviour management strategies and children's awareness of acceptable behaviour

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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): • improve planning records by clearly and consistently showing the learning objectives of activities linked to the Foundation Stage curriculum, differentiation and activity evaluations • improve children's assessment records by recording their future short term learning targets which can be shared with parents • develop staff awareness of how to use opportunities as they arise to promote children's learning during everyday activities.

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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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