Clennon Valley C.O.YMCA

Wootton & Dry Sandford Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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133413 Unique Reference Number 25 September 2007 Inspection date Melissa Cox Inspector

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Community Centre, 1 Besselsleigh Road, Wootton, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 6DN

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E-mail

Wootton & Dry Sandford 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?

Wootton and Dry Sandford Pre-school opened in 1965. It operates from the Community Centre in the village of Wootton, near Abingdon. It serves families from the local community and surrounding villages.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 09:15 - 12.00 , term time only. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 20 children on roll, aged from three to under five years. Of these, 11 children receive funding for nursery education. The nursery is able to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs three staff, all of whom, including the supervisor hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 benefit from eating healthy snacks, including plenty of fresh fruit, milk and water. Children are fully included in the choice of snack, as a group of children, who are chosen daily, visit the local shop to select snack for their friends. They are encouraged to make healthy choices as they decide which fruit to buy and carefully work out how many apples or nectarines they think they need for snack time. Children learn good hygiene routine as they help staff wipe down tables before snack and wash their cup in soapy water when they have finished. Children are becoming aware of the importance of hand washing, as they wash their hands thoroughly with soap and paper towels after using the toilet, and with wet wipes before snack time.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are very well-protected from infection. They play in clean and tidy surroundings and staff are vigilant in keeping the areas clean throughout the session. All staff have current first aid qualifications, and records of accidents are shared appropriately with parents. There is a clear sickness policy which further ensures the children's good health. Medication is only administered with written instructions and consent from parents, and the record is signed by them to acknowledge every entry.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy daily physical exercise and good opportunities to experience fresh air. They play in the adjoining play area where they run freely, play with sand or ride wheeled toys. They further develop their skills as they use large equipment to climb or balance on when playing inside and have opportunities to take part in active singing games. Children have very good opportunities to use a wide range of small equipment to develop fine muscle control, for example cutting with scissors, using paintbrushes and threading beads.

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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, bright, spacious and safe, village hall environment. Activities are set out using the whole of the large hall. Mats or tables, posters and resource boxes help children to see what they can choose to do in each area. For example, there is a role play and dressing up area marked with a low partition and a reading area arranged on a mat in one of the corners. As a result, children are confident to move around the setting and choose what interests them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well supervised by staff at all times, who take good measures to reduce potential risks around the building, both inside and outside. Written risk assessments are carried out and these are supported by detailed policies and procedures to ensure that the staff are consistent in keeping children safe. Fire drills are practised regularly. Children learn to keep themselves safe by giving each other gentle reminders of the safety rules of the group, for example, reminding each other not to run or how to cut carefully with scissors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children in their care. They have a working knowledge of the possible signs and symptoms which would cause concern and how to manage these. Supporting documentation is available, however, the pre-school does not have a clear statement of the procedure should an allegation be made against a member of staff.

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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 are confident and happy as they leave their parents to play. Staff are experienced and enjoy the company of the children in their care. They spend time talking to and playing with them. The children's understanding of language is promoted well by staff through constant conversation, questions and individual attention. Staff sit with children to talk about their toys and books and prompt them to name objects and shapes. Consequently, children are developing their communication skills and are able to express their needs. All children enjoy themselves at pre-school and the activities offered are fun and enjoyable. Children can select their own activities and staff have a good understanding about ensuring children complete their activity in their own time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are confident in their environment, arrive happily and eager to take part in all activities. They show immense enthusiasm as they make independent choices and select their own activities from good well-presented play equipment and self-selection areas. They concentrate well and persevere with tasks, showing growing levels of confidence and self-esteem. For example, children spend long periods of time making shapes from play dough and filling and pouring sand into containers. Children chat happily amongst themselves and discuss many aspects such as what foods they like, their families and what they did last week.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have many opportunities to develop pre-writing skills and mark-making through a good range of activities. These include using a wide range of writing materials at the arts and craft table, making lists in the role play area and doing register time. They listen enthusiastically to stories and have many opportunities to look at books independently. They develop their early reading and writing skills as the begin to recognise their names and more able children trace these correctly in well formed letters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use numbers in all topics, for example, counting how many children in their group and how many cups they need at snack time. They are introduced to simple addition and subtraction appropriately through number rhymes, and they use language such as 'more', 'less', 'big' and 'little', frequently in routines and activities. They have many opportunities to sort, match and compare objects in a variety of contexts.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children receive praise during their work and play helping build their self-esteem and confidence. They show a well-developed self-respect for others in the setting. Children respond well to the routine changes in the session. They follow clear guidelines and are aware of the expectations, such as helping tidy activities away. Children experience varied opportunities to develop their physical skills through well-planned and spontaneous activities, both indoors and out. As a result, they develop a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have stimulating first hand experiences which helps them make sense of the world. Children can recall events that have happened in the recent past and talk freely about their homes and families. They are learning to respect each other's culture through the celebration of many festivals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Very positive relationships are evident between staff and children. Children develop a good awareness of their own needs and a mature respect for the needs of others as they negotiate turn taking. The staff are caring, patient and supportive towards the children. Staff know the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 children well and demonstrate a very high level of commitment to their work. They also effectively use story telling, outdoor play and role play to broaden children's experiences. Staff use effective methods to develop children's memory and learning skills, such as asking them questions to make them think. Staff are particularly skilled at managing behaviour, with a strong emphasis on encouraging good behaviour and ensuring that children understand why something is wrong.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage. They provide a purposeful learning environment for the children to learn and develop as individuals. Staff develop and use varied teaching methods to engage the children's interests and develop their progress in all areas of learning. They demonstrate a good knowledge of tracking the children’s progress and are beginning to use the information to guide their planning to include the next steps in their individual learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are encouraged to build up a sense of belonging within the group. They receive individual attention from staff whether it is because of a specific need, being new to the setting or more generally for the younger children due to their age. Children with special educational needs are well supported in all areas, and due to this, they are able to achieve their full potential. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well. They benefit from staff who adopt a consistent and positive approach to the management of their behaviour. Staff provide lots of praise and encouragement to support and develop children's self-esteem and confidence. Children know right from wrong, they are sensitive to the needs of others, readily share toys and resources, and co-operate with each other. They become aware of the routines and procedures and know what to expect in response to the routine changes in the session. Staff provide good role models and encourage manners, such as 'please' and 'thank you'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents benefit from clear communication with staff. They are greeted individually by staff and exchange information about their child's daily needs. Notice boards provide additional information about the pre-school, such as planned activities and committee involvement. The pre-school works closely with parents to ensure their wishes and their children's needs are met. Parents are offered the opportunity of attending settling in visits with their child. During these visits staff ensure they talk to the parents to get as much information as they can about the child to help them settle, especially for the first few sessions and parents particularly comment on how approachable all the staff are.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents of funded children is good. Parents receive good written information about the group and its curriculum through regular newsletters. Planning and assessment information is readily shared with parents and parent's are given further opportunities to be involved in their child's learning for example, through a home reading book scheme.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from being cared for by staff who work together as a highly effective team. All of the staff are very experienced, which reflects in the quality of their interaction with the children. They ensure that the premises and resources are well used to provide an interesting,

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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 child-centred environment where children enjoy learning. The activities and experiences for all children are rich and varied meeting their individual needs very well. In addition, staff are skilled and sensitive to the management of the children and their behaviour. They use the accommodation and resources effectively to support the children's learning which reflects their backgrounds and the wider community.

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Organisation

All necessary documentation for the smooth running of the pre-school is in place although the child protection behaviour and complaints policies lacks some minor details. The documentation is shared with parents and reviewed annually by the committee to ensure the smooth running of the pre-school.

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Organisation

The quality of leadership and management is good. Staff working with the children are enthusiastic, knowledgeable and consistently promote the children's well being. The manager and chair of the committee work together effectively, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. They provide clear, positive leadership to the staff, who all work extremely well as a team. The team constantly monitor and evaluate the provision through regular meetings, training and promoting their personal development. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following the last care inspection, the pre-school were asked to further develop procedures for lost children, staff induction and child protection; improve the range of resources that promote equality and provide more opportunities for parents to receive information about their child's progress. The pre-school have amended all documentation ensuring they are up to date with current legislation. They have increased their range of resources to promote equality and now monitor its effectiveness within the setting. Parents have regular opportunities to become more involved in their children's progress as staff keep detailed records of the children which are shared at regular intervals with the parents.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the group were asked to provide opportunities for children to develop early writing skills through role-play; help children develop their understanding of comparing numbers, and develop staff's knowledge of planning and assessments. The pre-school has made considerable progress since the last inspection. Children have good opportunities to develop their early writing skills as staff offer a wide range of activities to support this. Children compare and use numbers in everyday routines, for example snack time and role play. Staff have made improvements in assessment and planning as they have attended further training and they fully evaluate their curriculum to ensure that they have covered all areas of learning. As a result the children benefit from a well organised group which provides extensively for their needs.

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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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Complaints 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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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 documentation to include: a statement on bullying, a procedure should an allegation be made against a member of staff, and to ensure the complaints procedure contains the necessary details should a parent wish to make a written complaint.

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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 observations of all children's achievements to effectively plan the next steps in their learning and to ensure older children are suitably challenged.

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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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