Spring Pre School

Spring Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY350431 Unique Reference Number 18 September 2007 Inspection date Anne Jacqueline Nicholson Inspector

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St. Barnabus Church Centre, Brinns Lane, Frogmore, Blackwater, Camberley, Surrey, GU17 0BT

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E-mail

Jeanette McCormack 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?

Spring Pre School was originally registered in 2001 and moved to its current location in 2007. It operates from St Barnabus Church Centre in Frogmore village. Children have use of a large and small hall and the occasional use of a smaller first floor room for smaller group work. There is a large enclosed outdoor play area. The group is registered for 28 children from two years to under five years. There are currently 48 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. This includes 34 funded three and four year olds. The group supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school group opens five days a week during school term times. Pre-school sessions run from 08:30-11:30 (with option for children to stay for lunch period up till 13:00) and 12:15-15:15 (with an option for an after setting session until 16:15). There is also a breakfast club in

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

operation for school aged children from 08:00 - 08:30. There are 10 full and part-time staff working with the children and nine hold a recognised first aid qualification. The group is in receipt of nursery education funding.

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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 receive opportunities to participate in physical activities and enjoy fresh air daily. They gain an awareness of how to remain healthy through staff providing a range of activities promoting healthy eating and providing balls, hoops and parachute activities outside. They learn about good hygiene practices and demonstrate an awareness of the routine of washing hands after messy play, outside play and going to the toilet. They can access several bowls of warm soapy water and towels around the room (as access to the toilet area is communal) and this allows them to independently wash their hands during the session.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health and welfare remains protected through parents recording details of their children's medical and dietary needs. Prior to administration of any medication, parents supply written confirmation of the amounts and times this is required. The majority of staff hold a current paediatric first aid qualification. They ensure they record any accidents or existing injuries and parents acknowledge these with a signature when they come to collect. However currently these are not all consistently completed or sufficiently detailed.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children develop an understanding of how a healthy body develops and enjoy healthy food whilst at the setting. The children enjoy a café style snack system where they sit around a small table to eat their snack of fruit, cheese, crackers or biscuits and pour themselves milk or water to drink. This works well as it allows children to socialise together and choose when they wish to stop playing to have their drink and snack.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children enjoy their play in an environment made safe and inviting through staff carrying out visual safety checks prior to them arriving each day. When children enter they see a variety of creative and constructive opportunities ready for them to use. The door to the hall used is secure with a keypad lock when the session is in operation. Children access a large enclosed grass area outside as well as the hall and this allows staff to plan a range of activities and play opportunities during the session. Children receive instructions on how to use equipment safely in order to remain safe and not injure others. They remain safe from fire by currently only accessing the ground floor rooms until the church has addressed the fire officer's recommendations for the building. Children participate in fire drill practices with staff to ensure that they gain confidence in exiting in the event of an emergency. Arriving children are greeted

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

by staff and on departure staff man all the doorways used to ensure they only leave with the correct adult. Whilst playing outside children can play safely as staff ensure the perimeter is secure and any potential hazards removed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's personal safety is safeguarded as staff demonstrate a sound knowledge of child protection and the procedures to follow if they have a concern. The setting has clear policies, procedures and booklets in place for parents and staff to read. These outline the process to follow and the setting's obligations to notify other authorities if concerned for a child's welfare. The designated member of staff for child protection has attended the Local Safeguarding Children Board multi-agency training.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children and parents eagerly enter the setting. Staff greet them all by name on arrival and enter into discussions with children on the items they have bought in. They talk with parents on aspects of their children's care. Children demonstrate a good awareness of the routine, placing their name cards on a board and then seeking out activities until the start of the welcome session. Those newer children that are unsettled or distressed receive excellent support; staff provide comfort and distraction. Children sit down together for the welcome session where they respond to their names when called and discuss the day, weather and any activities available. They enjoy participating in action songs and listening to stories with staff using visual props and puppets to increase the enjoyment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from following planning based on the curriculum for the Foundation Stage. They enjoy doing creative work on a table on their own or under adult supervision. The staff are very nurturing and provide excellent care and encouragement to children to join in with activities although at times some assist children too quickly rather than waiting for them to try for themselves. Children enjoy doing creative work, and confidently construct with plastic shapes and 3D pyramids. Each day they receive the opportunity to participate in some form of physical activity and enjoy using balls to kick, throw, place in a basketball hoop and use with the parachute.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from a good quality of nursery education being offered. Staff demonstrate their developing knowledge and understanding of how to effectively plan and implement the Foundation Stage curriculum. Children can access a secure hall and an outdoor area and this assists them with developing spatial awareness and respecting others' space whilst dashing around. They enjoy regular physical activity and they develop a healthy attitude to being active.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children demonstrate good concentration skills as they sit and listen to the staff explain what will happen that day. Staff encourage children's communication through asking them open-ended questions and listening to their responses; developing children's confidence and promoting their self-esteem. During the welcome session staff ask about the day, date and weather with children demonstrating a good knowledge of which day it is. They begin to recognise numerals up to 10 and have opportunities to count developing their awareness of numbers, numerals and using mathematical language. For example, counting how many children whilst lining up or counting the number of speckled frogs whilst participating in action songs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They enjoy opportunities to see their names and letters around the room and do mark-making to develop their pre-writing skills. Children display developing independence skills and staff encourage this throughout the session although there are times they forget and assist too quickly. For instance, at snack times the staff put the snack plates on the table for children and then take them away and pour the drinks into smaller jugs when the children have the ability to pour from the larger jugs themselves. Children demonstrate a good awareness of the daily routine and what is expected of them. Staff encourage discussion to develop children's observational skills and use open ended questioning when asking them to describe their pictures, their play or what they did through the holiday. Children gain an awareness of the wider world around them. They experience activities promoting other cultures and countries. They celebrate

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

a variety of cultural and religious festivals and actively encourage children and their families to share their knowledge of these. They discover things about their local community and enjoy

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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 visits from local fire-fighters and police officers. Children see some words written up in other languages.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff demonstrate a growing confidence in using the Foundation Stage curriculum and a strong commitment to increasing their knowledge through attending training. Children benefit from staff planning a range of activities and learning opportunities to cover the areas of learning within the Foundation Stage. Observations and assessments are carried out with some staff currently more confident in their ability to record these and transfer them to the individual profiles than others. Staff use a variety of teaching methods with the children including use of questioning and practical activities. Children eagerly talk with staff and display a keenness to share information and news.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. The pre-school policies and procedures promote inclusion for all to ensure that individual needs are met. Staff ensure the activities and resources provided acknowledge children's backgrounds and increase their awareness of the wider world they live within. Children's family backgrounds are acknowledged and close liaising between parents and staff ensures good relationships develop to support this. Children also benefit from the excellent links the pre-school sets up with the local community and parents. There are parenting information sessions, singing to the local elderly and a breakfast club supporting parents with before school care. Children with additional specific developmental, educational and emotional needs receive excellent support from the setting. All staff work very closely with the parents and other professionals to ensure that consistent care and practice occurs between all those that have daily contact with the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children display excellent manners and a good awareness of the behaviour expected whilst at the provision. They become quickly aware of the session's routine and learn to listen to instructions on how to play together nicely, take turns and use the resources appropriately. They enjoy receiving physical and verbal praise from all the staff for any achievements and acts of kindness they complete. They learn to sit calmly and listen during the welcome session and staff reinforce this with praise.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is excellent. Parents state they are extremely happy with the care their children receive. They are especially pleased with how the staff support both their children and them during the initial settling in period and through any areas of their development that require additional support during their time at pre-school. A notice board highlights information to parents as well as notes and newsletters going home. Parents receive information about the policies of the setting as well as verbal and written information about their children's progress through the Foundation Stage.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Leadership and management of the pre-school are very good. The owner and her staff work hard to incorporate all their individual skills and put additional training skills into practice. They display a strong commitment to their own professional development to enhance their knowledge base and obtain a recognised childcare qualification. Currently several staff are undertaking training to gain a professional qualification. The owner/manager encourages her staff to undertake additional training to professionally develop themselves and leads by example. Staff

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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 work as a cohesive team and children benefit from both this and the friendly atmosphere within the provision this provides.

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Organisation

There are policies and documentation in place for parents and staff to refer to. There are effective vetting and recruitment procedures in place to ensure that children are protected and receive care from police checked staff with relevant experience. Planning is continually evolving and all staff participate in this and the completion of observations. They transfer these to the children's individual records of achievements although currently some staff are more confident about doing this than others. Children benefit from their being a high staffing ratio of staff who enjoy being with them and who enthusiastically encourage their participation in activities. The setting meets the needs of the range of the children for whom they provide.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the 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): • review how staff complete details within the accident book and other recording documentation to ensure that it is consistent and comprehensively completed

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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 further staff knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage and develop their skills on how to effectively record and evaluate observations / assessments to ensure that children's progress is accurately recorded and identifies their next steps of learning to add onto the short term planning.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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

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