Red Hall Primary School

Beresford Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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103784 Unique Reference Number 19 September 2007 Inspection date Beryl Witheridge Inspector

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The Scout Hut, Beresford Avenue, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2QX Setting Address

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E-mail

Beresford 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 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?

Beresford pre-school was registered in 1987. It is situated in a scout hut in Rochester. A maximum of 26 children may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday during term time from 09:00 to 11:30 daily and 12:30 to 15:00 Mondays and Wednesdays 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 42 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these 25 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The pre-school currently supports a number of children with special educational needs, and also children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs eight staff. Of these five staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. There is one member of staff working towards an Early Years degree.

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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 learn about being healthy and are taught the importance of good hygiene routines. They are encouraged to wash their hands after going to the toilet and after messy play; they are reminded to clean their hands and to dry them properly so they do not get sore, and praised for getting it right. Staff are good role models and lead by example; they wash their hands regularly especially before handling food or after dealing with bodily fluids, they also use disposable gloves when changing nappies. Tables are wiped with antibacterial sprays to ensure that surfaces are clean. Children with infectious illnesses do not attend the pre-school which helps prevent cross infection. Children's health needs are promoted through the written policies and the accident and medication records. Children enjoy regular opportunities to be active.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are encouraged to eat healthy foods. Drinks are readily available for them throughout the session. The snacks provided include a selection of fruits each day, they also have breadsticks, toast, and sandwiches with different fillings; they are introduced to food from around the world and when looking at 'Handa's Surprise are able to taste the different types of fruit. Children serve themselves and use tongs to pick up the fruit as part of their good hygiene routines. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that children's individual dietary needs are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's physical development is encouraged through the opportunities to use the outdoor play space daily, weather permitting. They have plenty of room to run and use ride on toys and bikes and large apparatus in a well supervised outdoor area. They enjoy lots of activities and resources such as slides, balancing, climbing frame, scooters, basketball, prams, dolls, water play with cups, jugs, teapots and teabags as well as painting. The children find some snails in a broken pipe and then go on a snail/bug search around the garden. Children show bodily awareness, when playing outside several children feel cold, so they collect their coats from the pegs, put them on and go back outside. Indoor activities include, music and movement and singing action songs. Fine motor development is good because children have many opportunities to use appropriate equipment and tools, such as cutters, knives and shapes with the play dough

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Helping children to be healthy

and the tongs when serving their fruit at snack time. They are also able to manipulate puzzles and construction and the utensils in the pasta and 'snow'.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are able to learn and play in welcoming premises; staff do their best to make the premises bright and cheerful with lots of colourful posters on the walls. There is a happy, friendly atmosphere. The children are cared for in one room in a scout hut with free access to a large outdoor play area which staff ensure is secure before allowing them out to play. The premises are safe and secure; children are not able to leave the premises unaccompanied. There are procedures in place should someone other than the parent/carer be collecting the children. Children are supervised closely both indoors and out at all times. Toys and equipment are checked regularly to ensure they are safe for the children to play with. Staff carry out a regular written risk assessment; this has not however identified the danger to children using the outdoor climbing equipment which does not have safety matting underneath. Smoke detectors, fire

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

blanket and fire extinguishers help to provide safe surroundings.

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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 Children are learning how to help keep themselves safe. They carry out a termly emergency evacuation practice; this is carried out over several days so that all children are included and is recorded. There are procedures in place for outings; all parents go on trips with their children. The staff are introducing local trips such as visiting the local shops or places of interest. Children's welfare is considered through the child protection procedures which are in place but the policy does not fully comply with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. The supervisor has overall responsibility for child protection and is updating her training. Staff are aware of their own vulnerability and the procedures to be followed in the event of an accusation are included in the written policy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children come happily into the group, settling easily to the activities provided; they are very proactive and want to get involved immediately. Children enjoy playing together; they show interest in the activities available, they share well and negotiate their roles when taking part in role play. Staff work closely with the children as they are playing but generally allow the children to lead the play, although some large group activities are adult led. Children do not have free access to all of the resources because the equipment has to be put out and cleared away at the beginning and end of each session but staff provide a wide selection of activities to give the children choice. Toys and resources include a large paddling pool filled with pasta and different utensils, stepping stones, play dough, aeroplanes and an airport, puzzles, a computer, trains and station, 'feelings' cards with a mirror to compare their own expressions

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in, a welcoming book corner with cushions and soft toys, a fruit display with the story 'Handa's Surprise', writing and simple computer equipment such as mobile phones. Staff regularly add to the resources for the children, bringing out extra tools and equipment to help them extend the experiences. Children are friendly and sociable, they enjoy being imaginative and take part in role and water play where they are able to make cups of tea; staff provide them with tea bags and milk to make it more realistic. Children show a high level of wellbeing and involvement; they have a good relationship with staff and enjoy being with each other. Children's learning is extended by staff who talk to them and ask lots of open ended questions, they provide extra resources to make the activities interesting and exciting such as adding glitter to the play dough to make it more appealing to the younger children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage and a good understanding of how children learn. They are very good at extending the provision, looking at ways to improve the activity and thinking about what else the children can learn from it. Staff use the early learning goals and the stepping stones when they are planning the activities; they ensure that the inclusion of all children is actively planned for and children's next steps inform all the future planning. Assessment is rigorous and is used to help children make progress towards the early learning goals. Staff evaluate the children's progress every other week, then draw up six weekly plans using the next steps which have been identified through their observations. Activities are evaluated and this evaluation is used to help with future planning. Children are progressing steadily in relation to their individual starting points.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The starting point is identified on entry; it is recorded with the help of the parents and is then extended by observations of the children during their first few weeks. Children are interested in the broad balanced range of activities and experiences across the six areas of learning which are suited to the needs of each child, and reflect the community the children come from and the wider world.

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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 Children enjoy their time at the pre-school. They show high levels of wellbeing and involvement because they have eager attitudes to learning and show this through asking questions and using their initiative. They are happy and very responsive to each other and the staff. Children understand between right and wrong and consider the consequences of their actions on others; this is supported by the use of the 'thinking tree'. Children are becoming independent; they manage their own personal hygiene and they confidently select the toys and activities on offer; this is promoted by the staff who encourage them. Children show an appreciation of books and stories which are freely accessible; they will select a book and a member of staff will sit with them to read, other children quickly join in and listen intently. Children communicate well with

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

both peers and adults. When playing in the garden they confidently play with the equipment and ask support from the staff when they are not sure how to get the best from it. Children can hold a pencil correctly and write recognisable words including their own names; some can recognise simple familiar words such as their own names and others. The use of environmental print such as the many posters around the room, as well as the questions next to the mathematical development corner; 'what does it feel like?', 'is it heavy?', and 'how many spoonfuls to fill your bucket?' all help to extend their knowledge. Children learn how to use numbers in everyday situations; when they are filling the containers with the pasta they count as they are doing it. They have scales to weigh it and pour the pasta from large to small containers. Children show that they understand size and shape through activities such as doing

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

jigsaws and playing with construction. They have opportunities to explore capacity through water play where they are making 'snow' by mixing water and powder, pouring their own drinks and making 'tea'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about living things through activities such as the bug hunt where they search the outdoor play area and talk to the staff about the creatures they find. Children investigate using their senses, they have some powder which makes fake snow, they have to mix it with water so that it expands and then they can dig and make snowballs. They are very excited, they use lots of language to describe the effects as the powder turns to 'snow', 'it's fizzing, it's growing, it's fuzzy'. Children learn about themselves and one another; they look at different festivals and cultures throughout the year. Children’s fine motor skills are developing well. They use a range of tools such as cups, spoons, tongs and scoops for picking up the pasta and the snow. Most children are very adept and need little guidance when using the mouse on the computer. Children show interest and involvement regarding a sense of time, one child talks

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

about her holiday, flying on an aeroplane to Spain. Children demonstrate a good awareness of space and move confidently, imaginatively and safely such as playing in the garden and ensuring that there is only one person on the slide. Or when they are moving around the room they manoeuvre well around the tables and chairs and floor toys. They enjoy balancing, jumping, running, music and movement and thoroughly enjoy using the musical instruments and moving around in time to the rhythm. Children enjoy being creative; they explore a range of texture, shape and form in different dimensions; they play with the snow and the play dough. They dig in the garden and save their 'finds' to look at later; a 'dinosaur leg', stones and roots. They are painting a large mural on a piece of paper on the wall in the garden, then they decide to paint the play house, staff encourage them and praise their use of colour. Unfortunately there is not

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

much space on the walls indoors to display their work which does not allow them to celebrate their achievements. The children play with a good variety of resources to promote their creative development, for example role play resources, especially when they are in the garden where they are able to extend their play and use their imaginations to the full.

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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 good. Children from many different backgrounds and cultures attend the group and all are openly welcomed; staff are aware to treat each one according to their individual needs. Staff talk to the parents to learn about the children's backgrounds, their culture or any specific needs there may be. Toys and resources such as books, posters, dressing up, food, kitchen toys and small world people promote positive images of diversity for the children. Staff also sign with the children and support this with posters. Children learn about different festivals and celebrations throughout the year. They have looked at Chinese New Year, Christmas, Ramadan and Divali. Parents support these activities by coming in to talk to the children about a festival which their family may be celebrating. Children are learning about their similarities and differences as well as exploring aspects of the wider world. Children who have learning difficulties and disabilities

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Helping children make a positive contribution

are well supported with staff undertaking extra training to provide the level of care which is required to meet their needs, including sign language. The staff work closely with the parents and outside agencies to ensure they are meeting the children's needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have high standards of behaviour. They are reminded of the ground rules and understand what is expected of them. This is extended and supported with the 'thinking tree'. Staff are excellent role models and manage children’s behaviour in a way that promotes their welfare and development, they are very positive about their approach to the children, they talk to them about what they are doing, about their feelings and about how to make the other person happy if they have upset someone. Children are regularly praised which helps to promote their confidence and self esteem. Children benefit from consistency of care, because the staff and the parents have a good working relationship. Parents are kept well informed about the group through termly newsletters.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is good. Parents receive a home visit before their child starts at the group; they complete a child information form which includes details of what their child can do. They are also advised of the operational plan and the policies and procedures which are available for them to read. Parents are invited to open afternoons where they are able to look at their child's records and have an input into them. They do not however receive written information about the Foundation Stage curriculum, the early learning goals or the stepping stones although they are advised of these on the open afternoons. Parents are encouraged to take part in planning afternoons and are asked for their ideas and their thoughts about their child's development. Parents feel that their children are making good progress and are developing well since starting at the pre-school.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are confident, settled and secure within the pre-school. The manager of the group has ensured that the staff caring for the children are suitably qualified to do so. There are eight staff employed in the pre-school of whom more the 50% hold an early years qualification and all are involved in ongoing training. Several members of staff are first aid trained. Every member of staff has a current Criminal Records Bureau disclosure. The recruitment procedures for employing new staff are rigorous and robust to ensure that the right person is selected for the job. The staff risk assess the premises and the activities at all times and supervise children constantly. The required range of documentation and records are in place, including daily

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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 attendance records, which show clear arrival and departure times for children. The registration certificate is clearly displayed and the required records are all stored confidentially and are readily available for inspection. Staff continually implement the policies and procedures to ensure that the children's safety, welfare, care and learning are promoted. Although the written policies do require regular reviewing and updating to ensure that the information contained in them clearly reflects the service offered.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are good. Children are well cared for and the management ensure that the activities and curriculum planning help to improve the outcomes for the children. They see planning as a guide which should be flexible to meet the needs of the children. The overall success of the curriculum is clearly assessed and monitored and is directly linked to the needs of the children. The group use evaluation well. There is a vision for the wellbeing of the children through ensuring that they are happy and comfortable with themselves, that children are allowed to have choice, they are sociable and safe, and they can leave the group confidently. New staff receive a written induction and any training needs are identified through appraisals and ongoing observations. Staff are motivated through regular staff meetings, yearly appraisals, self evaluation and attendance at training courses. The pre-school receives support from an

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Organisation

early years advisory teacher. 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 was asked to maintain a written record of induction for new members of staff and volunteers. This is now in place and is in use. They were also asked to provide opportunities for children to link sounds and letters. This is now happening at group time and the children are starting to recognise the link between them.

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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 complaint 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):

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • update the child protection policy in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures • ensure children are protected while using outdoor equipment with the use of adequate safety matting • ensure that written policies and procedures are regularly updated and reflect the service that is offered by the provision

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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): • ensure parents receive comprehensive written information relating to the Foundation Stage, early learning goals and stepping stones

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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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