Teagues Bridge Pre-School

Teagues Bridge Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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208264 Unique Reference Number 13 September 2007 Inspection date Olwen Pulker Inspector

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c/o Teagues Bridge School, Teagues Crescent, Trench, Telford, Shropshire, TF2 6RE

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E-mail

The Trustees of Teagues Bridge 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?

Teagues Bridge Pre-School opened under this name in 1996, although it had been previously known as Wormbridge Pre-School since 1977. It operates from a demountable building within Teagues Bridge Primary School, Trench, which is a suburb of Telford. It serves the local area. A maximum of 24 children may attend the setting at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 08:45 to 11:45 and 12:30 to 15:30 during school term time. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 59 children from two to five years on roll. Of these 29 receive funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting is able to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and currently supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are four full-time and three part-time staff who work with the children. They all have early years qualifications to NVQ Level 2 and 3. The pre-school leader is qualified to Level 4. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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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. There are appropriate procedures in place for ensuring that the space that children use is hygienic, for example, areas are cleaned daily, tabletops are wiped down and toys and resources are clean and in good condition. Children are learning good personal hygiene through their daily routines as they wash their hands after toileting, before eating and after messy play. They are provided with liquid soap and a plentiful supply of paper towels. Vigilant staff use paper tissues to wipe runny noses and hygienically dispose of tissues after use. Children are protected from the risk of infection and cross-contamination through the effective implementation of the setting's policies and procedures, such as excluding children who are ill or infectious. All staff hold current first aid certificates and have received training in epi-pen procedures and there is written consent to seek emergency medical advice or treatment in place for all children.

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Helping children to be healthy

This consent is available on site so staff have ease of access to it if required. Consequently, in the event of accidents or medical emergencies, children's welfare is safeguarded.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn about healthy eating through topics, discussions and food tasting sessions. They are provided with a variety of fruit at snack time and most enjoy this healthy option. Some children bring sandwiches or yogurt from home. They have the choice of juice or milk to drink and develop their independence by pouring their own drinks with varying degrees of support from staff. Some children ignore the repeated offer of a snack or become so engrossed in their play that they have nothing to eat nor drink during a session and consequently may not be sufficiently hydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have good opportunities for physical play both indoors and outdoors. There is a secure paved area with decking where the children have access to a varied selection of equipment such as wheeled toys, tunnels, hoops, balls and sand and water play. Most children relish spending much of their child-initiated playtime involved in role play in the outside play area. Older and more confident children enjoy practising their climbing and balancing skills on the fixed equipment and tyres in the adjoining adventure playground. The setting also has access to the school hall one morning a week where the children take part in more organised activities such as parachute games.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming, secure and safe environment. The main entrance gate is locked; the building is fitted with a keypad system and callers are clearly visible to staff ensuring no unauthorised persons can gain access. Rooms are well-ventilated and numerous windows provide good levels of natural lighting. Premises are welcoming to both parents and children with colourful displays of children’s work, photographs and information which contributes well to children’s safety and well-being.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have ready access to a variety of good quality, well-maintained resources which are developmentally appropriate. Play resources are stored in clearly labelled units which are easily accessible so that children can help themselves to items of their choice.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Fire precautions are in place and evacuation procedures are available in every room. Fire drills are practised regularly so that staff and children know what to do in the event of evacuation.

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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 Timely reminders and explanations from staff about appropriate behaviour and use of equipment help develop children's understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe from harm.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is maintained because staff have undertaken training in safeguarding children. They are aware of the procedures to follow and who to contact should there be any concerns about a child in their care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Most children enter the setting confidently and enjoy positive interaction with staff and benefit from familiar routines which increases their sense of trust and well-being. They play happily together and with staff, using resources such as construction bricks, playdough, cars and puzzles, all suitable for their age and stage of development. Children's language and communication skills are promoted well by staff through constant conversation. Their knowledge of colours is reinforced as staff question them and urge them to find different coloured items as they play. Children learn to name and locate body parts as they play with small world figures and they confidently point to their own noses and eyes in response to staff prompts. There is a good range of resources to promote imaginative play and children play together in small groups in the home-corner acting out using the telephone and having tea parties. As a result children's

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

social skills are developing well. Most children relish playing outside and elect to spend much of their child-initiated playtime in the outside play area. They dress up and have a party on the decked area, play in the sand and water trays, paint the fence and water the plants. Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework effectively to plan a range of interesting experiences and activities to help children learn and develop through their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are making clear progress towards the early learning goals. Staff use their understanding of the Foundation Stage stepping stones to plan stimulating activities that include all six areas of learning. Activities are evaluated to inform planning for children's next steps in learning. Observations are used effectively by key workers to assess children's progress and complete individual progress books and stepping stones assessment sheets. Staff engage in children's play and challenge children by good use of questioning during adult-led activities to promote children's learning. However, they do not always extend this level of support and challenge within free play and child-led activities and thereby miss opportunities to extend children's learning. Behaviour is managed well and this results in a calm and caring environment for children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are excited and motivated to learn, they enjoy new experiences with enthusiasm. They form good relationships with staff and their peers which promotes their sense of well-being. Children are developing their independence through participation in routine activities, such as pouring their own drinks at snack time, tidying up and changing their clothes for a session of physical exercise in the school hall. They are developing an understanding of caring for the environment as they collect waste food from snack time to compost and dispose of their drinks cartons in the recycling bin.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children initiate and continue conversations with others at mealtimes. They listen attentively whilst others speak during 'recall' time. Most children are able to recognise their names on their name cards and some are beginning to link sounds and letters, for example, knowing that Wednesday begins with 'w'. Children write their own names with good support from staff and

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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 some of the older ones are able to write their names unaided. They have free access to paper and writing materials; they eagerly make marks and draw in the writing area and include mark-making in their role play. They enjoy books in the comfortable book area, selecting books of their choice and handling them well.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Regular activities are used to develop children's awareness of simple number operations, such as counting those present at registration. All children confidently count to 10 and some others continue to 20. They recognise and draw the correct numeral to represent one or two objects and some of the older ones are able to do this for five objects. Children recognise shapes and use everyday words to describe position. Staff introduce the concept of size, pattern and sequence through use of compare bears. Children enjoy water play daily when they pour, measure and observe items that float or sink.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop good exploration skills as they investigate the texture and smell of seaweed, taste different fruit purees and observe what happens when they place jelly in the fridge. They gain a good awareness of the culture and beliefs of others as they listen to and interact with guest speakers of different nationalities and take part in a multicultural day when they and the staff wear different costumes and taste foods from other countries. Children have regular opportunities to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) through use of telephones, tills and a computer.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children move confidently with control and coordination. They negotiate pathways well when riding on wheeled toys or chasing balls, hoops and each other in the playground. They have access to large fixed apparatus in the adventure playground and are able to extend their climbing and balancing skills. Most handle a range of tools and small equipment, such as pencils and paint brushes well.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy creating displays linked to topic work and expressing themselves freely through painting and junk modelling. They eagerly explore many different textures, such as sand and collage. Children's imagination is well developed as they take part in role play in the home corner, wear a postman outfit when delivering birthday cards and party invitations to staff or become 'Bob the Builder' when making sand castles.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are content and happy in the setting and those who are new to the group are supported well by key workers to help them settle and feel secure. The children have good opportunities to learn about themselves, each other and the world around them through planned activities. Children have access to a range of play resources such as books, puzzles and dolls to raise their awareness of other cultures. Guest speakers support their celebrations of different cultures through stories, music and dance and various craft activities. There are appropriate arrangements in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or children who speak English as an additional language and staff ensure they work with parents and other professionals to meet each child's needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Behaviour is mostly good with children developing positive relationships with other children and staff who use appropriate techniques to foster positive behaviour. Children are constantly encouraged and praised and their efforts are acknowledged through reward stickers, displays of their own work and photographs. They are eager to help staff and each other. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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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 Parents receive good information on how the setting operates and have access to the prospectus, policies and procedures. Daily verbal feedback ensures that all are informed about what their children have been doing whilst attending. Staff actively seek parents’ views about their children’s needs and interests before the child starts at the setting. Regular newsletters and notice board displays keep parents informed of activities and forthcoming events. Parents are invited to become involved in their children's learning, for example lending costumes and providing food for a multicultural day. Parents have regular opportunities to comment on various aspects of operations within the setting through questionnaires and the suggestions box. The partnership with parents and carers who receive nursery education funding is good.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

They receive clear information on the educational programme provided for their children. Topic sheets on the notice board keep parents abreast of the current topic and they are kept informed about their children's progress because staff share developmental records with them during parents evenings which are held twice yearly. An 'open-door' policy is maintained to enable parents to talk to staff if they wish to do so and 'parents pages' encourage them to become involved in their children's learning. Staff ensure that all parents know how their children are progressing and developing.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the setting is good. The pre-school leader has a clear understanding about the service the setting provides and has a sound overview of what can be done to further meet the needs of the children, parents and staff. Consultation with parents allows her to be aware of these needs on an ongoing basis. Children are comfortable within a secure environment and benefit from a stable staff group who obviously enjoy caring for children and who work well together as a team. Systems are in place to ensure that staff are aware of current good practice guidelines and can develop and extend their experience, for example through training. Staff appraisals, regular team meetings and individual supervision all help to ensure staff remain committed to providing a stimulating, relaxed and caring environment for the children. However, the pre-school leader does not receive appraisals to support her

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Organisation

All staff working with children have appropriate childcare qualifications and have a commitment to accessing ongoing training. Good child to staff ratios mean that children have frequent individual attention where required and this helps them to develop well. Good procedures are in place for ensuring that children are cared for by staff who have had appropriate experience, enjoy working with children and have completed appropriate checks.

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Organisation

Documentation, policies and procedures are suitably organised. All legally required documentation which contributes to children’s health, safety and well-being is in place. Records relating directly to children are stored confidentially and in line with requirements.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the pre-school agreed to continue to develop information for parents about the setting and children. Staff have addressed this effectively by introducing newsletters to keep parents informed about events and activities taking place within the setting and organizing parents evenings which are held in July and December. In addition to these the

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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 setting operates an 'open door' policy allowing parents the opportunity to discuss issues as they arise.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The pre-school also agreed to further develop information relating to the Foundation Stage stepping stones and early learning goals. These areas have been met successfully and referred to in other sections of this report.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Finally, the pre-school also agreed to develop and review the documentation, policies and procedures for the setting. This is done routinely with input from the supporting committee so they continue to underpin the successful management of the setting.

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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): • ensure that all children are provided with regular drinks and food to meet their individual needs.

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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): • increase staff's knowledge and understanding of ways to question, support and challenge children within free play and child-led activities so that they can learn more effectively.

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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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