Corpus Christi Pre-School

Corpus Christi Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY355256 Unique Reference Number 12 September 2007 Inspection date Angela Jackson Inspector

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Parish Hall, Lowshoe Lane, ROMFORD, RM5 2AP Setting Address

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07949 187 273 Telephone number kimmy_jenks@yahoo.co.uk E-mail Kimberly Jenkins Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Corpus Christi Pre-School is a privately owned pre-school. It originally opened in 1984 and was re-registered in 2007 due to a change of ownership. The pre-school is situated in a residential area of Collier Row, Romford. It operates from a community hall and has the use of toilets, a kitchen area and enclosed outdoor play areas within the school. A maximum of 26 children aged two years to under five years may attend any one time. The setting opens each morning Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 11:30 and offers afternoon sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 12:30 to 15:00, during term time. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 48 children on roll. Of these, 31 children receive free early education. The setting welcomes children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language. There are five staff who work with the children, including a suitably

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

qualified and experienced manager, all hold early years qualifications to National Vocational level 3.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a well maintained environment. In order to help safeguard children's health, a daily risk assessment of the premises is carried out to ensure all areas to be used by children are clean. Staff follow clear hygiene procedures such as wearing gloves to prepare and serve food and using freshly laundered cloths and tea towels each day. Children are learning to take care of themselves. They understand that washing hands before eating, and after going to the toilet, 'stops germs' and there are easily accessible bowls of water and paper towels available at both the snack and messy play tables. Washing hands becomes a part of normal personal hygiene routines that children follow before settling themselves down at the table. Independence and good health is encouraged further as children pour a drink of milk or water from the jug and help themselves from a selection of healthy snacks such as fresh or dried

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Helping children to be healthy

fruits and cheese and crackers. Individual children's dietary needs, medical conditions and preferences are known to staff and taken into account when preparing foods. Parents contribute items to the snack of the day and understand the need for foods to be fresh and in unopened packaging. To minimise any risk of illness or allergic reactions, parents are given a list of foods that might adversely affect the health of children. Drinking water is available throughout the session.

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Helping children to be healthy

To promote health through physical activity, children participate in music and movement each day, singing along to tapes and doing actions, as well as having access to larger toys that help develop coordination and muscle control. There is an outdoor play area shared with the school but access to this is by arrangement with the school and dependent on number and availability of staff, and on the weather. The hall is large enough to provide sufficient room for riding bikes and beam work and activities are rotated on a weekly basis.

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Helping children to be healthy

Parents are given a copy of the sick child policy. This sets out the procedures to prevent cross infection such as guidelines for how long a child should be kept away when ill and what happens if a child becomes unwell during the course of a session. When the manager is notified of an outbreak of a childhood illness such as chickenpox, she lets parents know by putting a sign on the front door. Children have access to immediate first aid treatment if they are injured as staff hold appropriate first aid qualifications and have access to a basic first aid kit. Accidents are recorded. Staff do not give medicine to children unless it is prescribed by a doctor specifically for the child and parents have authorised it.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The large airy hall is set up and prepared for children to access a wide range of activities from the minute they enter. This encourages children to say goodbye to parents and to confidently move to an area of interest or to find their name on a seat and be ready to participate in circle time. New children are made welcome. Staff help children settle in quickly by their good understanding of how change to familiar home routines can impact on children's feelings of security. A home visit by a key worker is offered to new parents providing an opportunity to discuss concerns and ways to make transition easier. Parents are encouraged to stay for as long as they want or feel, is necessary. Children's safety and well being is paramount and staff take no risks when children are distressed, preferring to contact parents and to work with them to find ways to overcome children's anxiety.

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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 kept safe as exterior doors are kept locked and entry is by bell. Visitors sign in. However, there is access to the hall via an internal corridor leading to the male toilets not used by children, and a social area. Staff do not allow children access to this corridor unless supervised when being taken to the toilet. There is a 'no entry' sign on the internal doorway and children are unable to open it from within, by themselves. The hall is used by other groups outside pre-school hours. A daily risk assessment is carried out to ensure the hall and furniture are safe for children. All toys and equipment are locked away overnight to prevent damage. They are rotated on a weekly basis to maintain interest. Toys are age appropriate and conform to safety standards.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn about keeping themselves safe through planned visits from fire brigade and police personnel. Fire evacuation procedures are practised regularly and ensure staff and children cope effectively when the smoke alarm goes off. Children learn about road safety through activities such as setting up street scenes and practising crossing roads.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Parents are given a copy of the collection policy. Children are protected by the systems in place to ensure children are not released to anyone other than a parent or an authorised person previously notified to the manager. Staff have a sound understanding about child protection issues and how and where to refer concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy themselves and are happy in their play. They move confidently between a wide range of both adult led and child initiated activities and are generally absorbed in their chosen task. They interact well with each other and with staff and benefit from having a key worker who ensures they take part in most of the activities on offer each day, as well as giving them support and helping them settle in. As a result of the security and comfort this offers, children are self-reliant and are comfortable forming relationships with others. Children are learning to share and to take turns. For example, in the home corner they make up stories together so that they each take a role and contribute to the game. Children participate appropriately at circle time by offering suggestions for the name of the month and season. However, this session is long with children losing interest as they struggle to complete all parts of the daily diary board.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Musical tapes are used for group singing and movement and children join in with excitement as they hear the opening bars of the dinosaur song.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Independence, and taking responsibility for meeting their own needs, is encouraged as children learn to put on suitable protective clothing for messy play and to recognise when they are thirsty or need the toilet.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Staff regularly attend training courses and are developing skills and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. New assessment profiles have been printed and staff are beginning to transfer information from old records to new profiles and to start profiles for new children. Children's strengths and weaknesses are taken into account on a day to day basis as key workers have a sound knowledge of individual children's progress. Plans do not however, show how to challenge or extend children in making progress towards individual early learning goals. Plans include activities that cover all six areas of learning and parents are informed via the newsletter and homelinks planner, of forthcoming topics. This enables parents to work with staff and children to provide extra learning resources

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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 such as bringing in yellow toys that can be looked at and discussed as a group. Children benefit by gaining a sense of ownership and to feel valued for their contribution. Staff have good ideas for promoting practical knowledge and understanding of the world such as through organised visits from farms and by planting and tending plants, in the garden. Children are socially aware and emotionally stable. This gives a secure base for improving and developing their skills and knowledge across other areas of the curriculum.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have access to a computer and age appropriate programs, and enjoy, and are becoming skilled in, using fine muscle control and eye to hand coordination to manipulate the mouse. They miss the opportunity however, to use the program to do simple calculations such as to count the number of eggs caught and to compare that number to the number of spaces in the egg box. Similarly, sometimes children miss having the opportunity to do simple writing or mark making for meaning, such as putting their own name on work, as staff automatically do it for them. Children do benefit from having pencil and paper available to them in the home corner where they enjoy writing themselves a shopping list as they think about and discuss, what they are going to 'cook'. Books are easily accessible throughout the session and children are supported in selecting a new book from the library each week. This gives children a good awareness of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

how to handle books and to help develop interest in choosing books for pleasure.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children like the creative and imaginative play. They stick and paste, paint, roll out coloured dough and play with sand using moulds of geometric shapes that they recognise as rectangles, diamonds and squares. Children's mathematical development is further supported as they join in with counting how many children are present during the group registration.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Physically, the children have a sufficient range of activities planned such as riding bikes, beam work and tunnels. This gives them the opportunity to develop control and coordination of their muscles but the system of rotating the equipment on a week by week basis, with only one type of play equipment out at any one time, does not provide sufficient interest for all children to want to join in. There is a risk therefore that, without direct intervention from key workers, some children do not participate in physical activity on a daily basis. More vigorous and boisterous play is limited to the times when arrangements are made with the school for the children to go outside if the weather allows.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The individual needs of children with learning difficulties or physical disabilities are taken into account and staff work with other professionals to ensure children are fully included. There is a named Special Educational Needs Coordinator to whom staff and parents refer concerns. The children are predominantly white, reflecting the local community. Children have suitable opportunities to recognise similarities and differences and to celebrate cultural and religious events such as Diwali. There is a reasonable range of resources such as small world people, and posters displayed around the walls, that show positive images of culture, ethnicity, gender and disability. Children and staff play and work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect where everyone is valued. There is no stereotyping of toys, activities or language. The setting is closely linked to the Roman Catholic church and children learn prayers and recite short rhymes in

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Helping children make a positive contribution

appreciation of the wonders of the natural world. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is therefore fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There is a behaviour policy and behaviour plan setting out levels of intervention. Parents receive a copy of each at registration. Staff reinforce good behaviour by using positive strategies. They

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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 praise children and encourage them with smiles and reassurance or a picture stamped on the back of their hands in ink. Children are polite and well-mannered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is good. Children benefit from parents having opportunities to meet regularly with staff to discuss progress and individual learning plans. There is a notice board and table in the hallway giving useful information for parents and letting them know of forthcoming plans for topics and events. There is a complaints policy that sets out details for parents of how and to whom they can complain and what action they can expect from the provider if they make a complaint. Parents are given a range of policies, guidelines and a regular newsletter and homelinks diary to keep them up to date with what is going on. Parents are pleased that children are happy and look forward to going each day.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children’s learning is promoted through satisfactory leadership and management of nursery education. Legally required documentation is in place with comprehensive and clear policies and procedures available to parents and staff. Staff know their roles and responsibilities and work well as a team. Children are cared for in an organised environment which offers appropriate activities and suitable experiences to meet their overall needs. There are plans in place to increase the staff:child ratios in excess of the minimum requirements. There is a robust staff recruitment policy and no adults are left alone with children unless the appropriate suitability checks have been carried out. There is an induction and review system in place that is used to identify staff training needs and individual strengths. Staff are currently working to develop new systems to improve their practice for observing, assessing and planning for children's

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Organisation

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

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Improvements since the last inspection

This is the first inspection since registration.

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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 satisfactory.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • provide an inviting area for indoor physical play to encourage children to participate in activities that help develop coordination and control (also applies to nursery education)

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to develop systems for effectively using observation and assessment to help children make progress towards the early learning goals

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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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