Hampton in Arden Pre-School

Hampton in Arden Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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250053 Unique Reference Number 02 November 2007 Inspection date Sharon Waterfall Inspector

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Scout & Guide HQ, Shadow Brook Lane, Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 0DQ

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E-mail

Hampton in Arden 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?

Hampton in Arden Pre-School group has been registered since 1993. It is based in the Scout and Guide premises, located close to the village. The group operates within one large hall and has access to a kitchen, toilets and a grassed outdoor play space. Children attending are mainly from the local community.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 20 children on roll; of these, four are funded three-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as a second language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group opens for three sessions a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday during term-times, from 09.30 - 12.15.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are a total of seven staff working part time with the children, with most qualified to NVQ Level 3. A mentor teacher from the local authority supports the setting.

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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. The children are learning about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle through everyday, practical routines and activities provided. The outdoor area is used whenever possible and the children benefit from regular exercise in the fresh air. The outdoor environment of the setting is large and well used to provide a range of experiences and learning opportunities. For example, the children walk around the garden looking at the changes in the weather and discussing how the birds will feed in the winter. They also collect items from nature to make pictures inside. Children develop good physical coordination as they climb up the slide steps and manoeuvre their bodies into a sitting position. They jump and balance on beams and jump and hop whilst playing hopscotch. Inside large equipment such as a parachute and a tunnel system stimulate the children and enable them to use coordination of their bodies to bend, crawl and sit. Smaller

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Helping children to be healthy

skills support children’s hand and eye coordination, such as using a variety of painting tools, scissors, cutters and remote controls. This helps them to develop good muscle control and manipulation skills for further development later on.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children effectively learn about the importance of personal hygiene, for example, the children wash their hands before eating snack and independently after messy play. Well-organised systems to support children's overall health and welfare are in place, with most staff currently being first aid trained, accurate details of children's medical needs are gathered and recording systems shared comprehensively with parents. The sickness policy ensures that appropriate action is taken if a child is unwell to prevent the spread of infection and staff's positive hygiene procedures support this process.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn about healthy eating through the nutritious snack provided daily and topics relating to foods, such as the children exploring vegetables and how they are grown. Children's nutritional needs are well met through the provision of fresh fruit daily and accessible drinks at all times, as children bring their own drinks that they get when they need to. Their independence is encouraged as children help themselves to the range of fruits and choose and pour their own drinks.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children move very freely around a very well-organised environment that actively encourages children's independent choices from interesting resources. The environment is made welcoming through displays of children’s work that are regularly changed to reflect the current topics and themes. Children take great pride in their displays and parents are actively encouraged to view them and discuss them with the children. Resources have been carefully selected to support children's play and are checked by staff regularly to ensure they remain suitable. The children play with a wide range of good quality toys and resources; they engage in lots of purposeful activity to direct their own play. For example, children use props to act out a story, recalling and sequencing events and adding extra detail from their own imaginations.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good security procedures enhance children's safety and restrict access into the setting and staff supervise children well at all times. Risk assessments and daily visual checks by staff further promote children's safety. Changes are made and the environment adapted spontaneously if a hazard is identified, for example, safety mats are placed next to the water tray to prevent

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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 slipping and the collection procedure changed during one session to prevent tripping on equipment. Safety policy and procedures are clearly implemented by staff to ensure that children learn about keeping themselves safe, such as actively taking part in emergency evacuations and learning to use equipment properly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected and kept safe from harm as staff have a clear understanding of their role in child protection. The child protection policy has been recently updated to reflect current legislation and staff attend on-going training to ensure their knowledge is up to date. Reporting procedures are clear and the designated person ensures concerns are dealt with effectively, so that children's welfare is fully safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young children enter this setting happily and have a very positive attitude to learning. They engage immediately with the resources and activities and most separate easily from their carers. Parents are invited to settle their children to an activity before leaving them; ensuring children are secure and involved. This sense of value is encouraged as children choose activities for themselves and involve staff in their play. Good humour is used as children pretend to be frightened of the crabs in the bottom of the water tray; staff join in with the pretence much to the delight of the children. An exciting range of activities captures the children’s imaginations as they make music, listen to stories, sing and build train tracks with their peers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Activities are planned and provided for children that are exciting, can be extended and importantly are hands on learning for children. Planning includes a balance of the six areas of learning; it is flexible and can be changed spontaneously to include directions from children, such as fragranced, coloured and glittery play dough. The assessment system is undergoing improvement to ensure that it identifies children’s current abilities effectively. This information is intended to improve specific challenge and objectives for children’s next steps in learning. Currently the activities themselves provide extension but staff are unsure of how to make this specific for individual children. Resources are imaginatively used, such as twigs, rubber ducks and paper weeds in the water tray and garlic, carrots and potatoes in compost for children to explore texture and form and to use their senses. The

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

structure of the session allows a prolonged period of free play, which encourages children’s independence and balances physical and quiet activities well. Children’s behaviour is good and strategies are very positive, based on acceptable social skills. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are exposed to letters in print around the room, in books and in foam shapes in the water tray. They have many opportunities to mark make and write for meaning, through role play, writing names on their art work and through creative activities. Stories interest them greatly and they sit intently listening as the story unfolds. They show interest by pointing out things familiar to them and talking about what they think might happen next. Older children use props to retell the story adding extra adventures using their imaginations. A range of excellent practical activities enable children to develop basic concepts of mathematics. For example, during a topic on vegetables the children weighed the vegetables; they measured their heights for Jack and the Beanstalk and use rulers on the writing table. Through songs and nursery rhymes the children use numbers and basic addition and subtraction. During play

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

they use the terms bigger and smaller and talk about shapes when playing with the dough.

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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 Knowledge and understanding of the world around them is gained as the children explore their immediate environment. They collect natural items to make pictures, such as leaves and twigs. They discuss the changes in the weather and how these affect the birds and make them bird feeders from seeds and oats. They explore vegetables in compost, grow beans and investigate floating and sinking. These are strong activities to encourage children’s curiosity and investigative skills. Children's creativity is captured as the creative area is freely available to the children who make their own representations of the world around them in drawings, paint and modelling. Through role play, music and art the children are able to express themselves and use their senses.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued as individuals and are respected for the differing opinions and ideas they bring to the setting. A strong sense of self and a secure belonging is emphasised as the children are encouraged to self-select activities and make decisions for themselves. Staff are sensitive to the needs of the young children ensuring parents settle children into the session and enabling them to access comforters when they require them. They respect one another and importantly their own needs, with themes such as festivals of differing cultures helping children to understand about the diversity of lifestyles of people all around the world. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the issues regarding providing pro-active care for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good. They demonstrate an awareness of fairness and turn taking as they state they will have a turn after another child has finished. Value is placed on all of the children's feelings with emphasis being placed on acceptable social skills, such as sharing, using manners, acknowledging others and showing care and concern. For example, at snack time a child gives out plates and cups to the other children without being asked and the other children respond politely. Self-esteem and confidence are enhanced as the children are constantly praised for achievement and supported to find positive outcomes in their play and interaction with others, such as sharing resources and developing games together. Therefore, children's social, moral, cultural and spiritual development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. A good range of information is gathered on the registration form about the children and discussions with parents at this time ensure staff know children and their specific needs when entering the setting. However, parents aren’t involved in children’s future progression and the information gained initially is not always effectively used to plan these.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Through discussions with parents there is evidence that they are happy with their children's progress and are kept up to date through regular discussion. The sharing of information continues on a notice board, through newsletters, a prospectus with all policies detailed and through children's work that is taken home. Felix the bear goes home with the children and enables their families to be involved in aspects of pre school, as they write, draw and photograph the exciting adventures that Felix has with them.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from a suitably qualified staff team, who show their commitment to improving practice by continually attending appropriate training regarding new childcare practices. The

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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 management staff work very well together as a team, ensuring responsibilities for activities, planning and assessment are shared amongst all staff to provide a stimulating learning environment that interests all children.

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Organisation

The transition from home to nursery is supported through the appropriate settling in procedures making parents feel secure to leave their children. Policies, records and procedures are clear and underpin the good practice in promoting positive outcomes for children. Staff develop caring and supportive relationships with children helping them to be happy and content in pre school. However, due to the staff only recently becoming consistent the key worker system is not yet effectively implemented within the assessment procedures to support children's future steps. Appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that staff are professional and understand the needs of the children and for continued improvement.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the setting is good. The management team are very dedicated and demonstrate a real commitment to improving and adapting the functions of the setting to support and meet the children's and parents' needs. Through evaluative practices the staff have enhanced children's experiences and implemented a wealth of improvements in planning, assessment, resources, the environment and staffing. Continued meetings support the sharing of information between all staff, with particular reference to discussing children's learning. Staff work to create a wide learning environment that provides children with interesting and explorative activities.

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Organisation

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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection two actions and three recommendations were raised to improve the standards of care for children. The actions related to staff meeting minimum qualification requirements and updated training and ensuring that documentation was sufficient for the safe management of the setting. Both of these have been successfully implemented since the last inspection, a complete staff change has brought suitably qualified staff that are attending appropriate training courses and all documentation now meets the required standards. These ensure that children's safety and welfare are adequately supported.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The recommendations referred to planning and observations being linked to support all aspects of children's learning, updating the risk assessment and ensuring the premises are clean prior to children's arrival. These have also been successfully implemented. With the introduction of the 'Birth to three matters' framework all aspects of children's learning are planned for and regular observations take place. The risk assessment is completed annually and the management staff are conscientious about safety on a daily basis. The staff clean the setting before children arrive and there is a weekly cleaner to ensure the building is hygienic. These ensure that children's learning and safety are fully supported.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection two key issues were raised relating to the activities being more child-led and play initiated by children to develop their independence and focus and to enable children to be creative and express themselves through their imaginations freely. Both of these issues have been implemented well, the ethos of the setting is now much more child-led with free creative activities available during the sessions and independence encouraged throughout tasks and activities. This has improved children's learning and education.

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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

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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): • improve the key worker system to support children's care and learning 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): • improve the assessment systems to identify children's current abilities and link this information more effectively into planning for future learning; • extend the information gained from parents regarding children's starting points and involve them within planning children's next steps in learning.

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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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