Clevelands Prep School

Jigsaw Pre-School Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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105270 Unique Reference Number 09 October 2007 Inspection date Margaret Coyne Inspector

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Bury Park Community Centre, 161 Dunstable Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 1BW

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E-mail

Amtiaz Munir 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?

Jigsaw Pre-School Nursery opened in 2000. It operates from one room within the Bury Park Community Centre in Luton, Bedfordshire. A maximum of 18 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each week day from 09:00 to 11:30 and 12:15 to 14:45 for 38 weeks of the year. All children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 34 children from three years to under five years on roll. Of these 34 children receive funding for early education. Children attend for a variety of sessions and come from the local area. The pre-school supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs five staff. All of the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level two or three, or equivalent. Four members of staff are working towards furthering their early years qualifications. Staff receive support from a qualified teacher and the local authority.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children stay healthy because the staff have good routines in place to ensure the premises, toys and equipment are clean and hygienic for them to use. They learn the importance of good personal hygiene through organised routines, discussions and activities. Children wash their hands at appropriate times and use tissues to wipe their nose. They are encouraged to cover their mouth when they cough to prevent the spread of germs. Procedures are in place to protect the children from infection and meet their individual health and dietary needs so they remain healthy. All of the required documentation and policies have been devised to support the staff and enable them to act in the children's best interests if they require medical attention. However, some information about children's allergies are displayed on the wall and not kept confidential to protect their identities. High levels of staff hold current first aid certificates and the first

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Helping children to be healthy

aid boxes are well stocked to ensure staff have the necessary equipment to take care of a child in the event of an accident.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are nourished. They enjoy healthy, varied and nutritious snacks, some of which represent the children's cultures. Children are actively involved in some food preparation which helps them gain an understanding of hygienic food handling. Children are beginning to learn about the benefits of healthy food through discussions at snack time and topic based activities, such as cooking. They understand that they need to drink regularly and their independence is promoted as staff encourage them to pour their own drinks, serve their own food and clear up after themselves. The group have been awarded the 'Under Fives Healthy Eating' award and continually enhance children's development as they learn about keeping healthy. They have taken part in activities learning about foods that are healthy or unhealthy and topics connected to 'National Smile Week' as they learn to brush their teeth.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have fun taking part in a wide range of activities and using resources which develop and enhance their physical skills in most areas. They develop control of their bodies as they use sit and ride cars and bikes, throw and catch balls and use hoops. Children have opportunity to take part in the 'Top Start' physical play activities and Physical Education each week. They become adept at making marks using one handed tools. They take part in ring games such as 'Ring A Ring Of Roses' and the 'Hokey Cokey' learning the right and left sides of the body. They cut pictures from catalogues, manipulate vessels to fill with sand and water, pouring and filling to gain the desired effect. They manipulate play dough into shapes using their fingers, rolling pins and cutters. Children enthusiastically complete small and large jigsaws and use tools in the role play as they become Bob the Builder. The daily routine is organised so that children

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Helping children to be healthy

have a balance of active play as well as quiet times so that they do not become over-tired or restless.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety is paramount to the staff. Risk assessments are carried out frequently on the premises, outside play area and equipment to ensure hazards are identified and minimised to keep children and staff safe. Children move around the indoor and outdoor areas freely to play and access the appropriate resources safely. However, the outside area requires further maintenance and is unexciting for the children to provide a stimulating and challenging area. Children have a sense of belonging and feel welcome because their creations in art and craft

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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 are displayed and because they know the daily routine and where things are in the room. Staff are deployed very well to supervise the children in all areas to maintain their safety. High ratios of adults attend outings and parental consents are obtained to support the children's safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are learning to protect themselves and others. They are aware of the safety rules and boundaries in place and operate safely as they move around the activities. For example, children know to push their chairs under the table when they get up to prevent others tripping over the legs. They practise road safety when on outings and extend this with the use of the Road Safety kit which is obtained from the local council. Children know about the dangers of fire and hazards when using the toaster at snack time. They practise the fire drill regularly so that they know how to escape quickly in an emergency. They learn about the safe use of equipment such as the obstacle course and have 'Persona' dolls to explore their feelings in a safe manner.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good understanding of child protection. This ensures the children's welfare is effectively safeguarded. There is a designated member of staff responsible for this area. Staff have had current training and all of the staff team have a clear understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard the children. They follow the correct procedures if they have any concerns about a child in their care or if any allegations are made against a member of staff. This ensures children remain protected at all times.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled in this supportive and caring environment. They make positive relationships with the other children and staff which helps them to feel safe, comfortable and secure. They enjoy their time at the pre-school and take part in a broad range of interesting and stimulating activities. Through the meaningful praise and encouragement by staff children are developing a sense of well-being and self-esteem. They exhibit high levels of confidence and security and this has been achieved by the consistent support and direction of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All of the children acquire new knowledge and skills throughout their time at the pre-school. They are confident to speak in a group and take turns to talk and listen. For example, they are keen to talk about the leaves, conkers and nuts that have been collected for their theme about Autumn. They use their senses as they join in conversations about these, discuss how they feel, their shape, colour and size and decide if they have a smell. New language is introduced to help the children express themselves and they talk about the conker shell being spiky and scary. Staff show an interest in what they do and ask them questions to make them think and extend their learning. Children are relaxed with the staff and they play well together inviting the adults to share in their play. For example, in the role play area, shared reading time and physical play. Older children are able to resolve their differences when any conflicts arise. They are encouraged

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to talk about it and find their own solutions. This provides children with tools to become aware of the needs of others and negotiate differences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's individual needs are met. New children settle well because staff are very caring, offering appropriate support to individuals. They try to involve children in activities while they settle but know when to step back to let children find their own way. The children use their imaginations, initiating role play with their peers and the adults. They enjoy preparing meals in the home play corner. They cut pizzas, stir food in the saucepans and use the microwave oven. Staff understand and meet all children's needs well because they have a good understanding of their different stages of development. All children have an increasing understanding of words and sounds. They gain meaning through stories as they hold books

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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 correctly and follow the pages from left to right and at group story time as they join in with the story about the bear hunt, following the familiar refrains.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

A language rich environment has been created within the pre-school because staff talk and listen to the children, join in their play and introduce new vocabulary. Many of the children speak English as an additional language and staff are highly skilled using their own multi-lingual skills to support the children. They help children to understand by first speaking in their mother tongue and then in English. Children are becoming confident communicators because of the support they receive.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's interest is maintained and their natural curiosity to learn through their play is encouraged. They are able to freely access the resources, exploring these and determining their own play. Children confidently make choices about their play and activities throughout the session moving freely between them. Older children will concentrate for longer periods at an activity that maintains their interest. For example, the computer or building with construction equipment. Staff know the children very well and make excellent use of open-ended questions to encourage them to think for themselves. Children are able to participate in all activities because staff adapt these to suit individual abilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children progress well through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. They are supported by staff that have an excellent understanding of the Foundation Stage and use effective direction to encourage children to think for themselves and become self-motivated. This high level of teaching is supported by a good range of resources which provide children with exciting, stimulating and challenging opportunities in most areas to learn through their play. Plans cover all six areas of learning and there is a thorough and comprehensive observation and assessment system in place. These are clearly linked into the stepping stones to ensure staff can record children's progress and achievements. They identify any areas to extend the learning for individual children and are used to inform future planning and targets. The level of challenge is sufficient to interest all

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of the children and more able children's learning is extended. There are effective systems in place to support children with learning and or physical disabilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are involved and enthusiastic about their play. Their personal, social and emotional development is given high priority at this stage which helps children gain in confidence and feel secure. Staff support the children very well as they settle into the group giving them a sense of belonging as they learn the routine and boundaries. This area of learning provides children with the building blocks to support all other areas of learning and their social skills for later life. They form positive relationships with others in the group and their independence is enhanced as they learn to select activities and make choices about their play. They operate independently with their personal care and at snack time. Children's speaking and listening skills are developing well. They concentrate at group discussion times and join in conversations. Many opportunities are available for children to develop their writing and mark making skills

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and some can recognise their own names and the sounds of the initial letter. They thoroughly enjoy their story times and consequently use books for pleasure and to seek information. For example, they look at the books on the interest table. Staff encourage children's early word recognition with the use of labels on familiar objects around the room.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children gain growing confidence as they use numbers and counting in everyday play. They use objects and toys to compare size, colour and shape and are gaining a growing concept of

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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 capacity and simple calculation. They fill various containers with water and sand and describe if it is full or empty. They weigh and measure ingredients for cooking activities and cut their toast into triangle and rectangle shapes. Some structured learning takes place as children match shapes to a shape board and can recall the shape names. This knowledge is used as they find the same shapes in the room such as recognising that the window is a rectangle. Children take part in many interesting activities to develop their understanding of the natural world. At present they are looking at Autumn and the seasonal changes that occur with the leaves, weather and conkers on the trees. They gain an excellent understanding of their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people. They celebrate a wide range of different festivals and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

share stories and have discussions about other celebrations such as Diwali, Ramadan, Christmas, Easter and Hanukkah. There are plans in place to visit the local Church and Mosque for children to discover how religion is celebrated. Many opportunities are available for children to explore and investigate using different techniques to construct with equipment or junk modelling. They spend quality time on the computer discovering information technology and using this to support their learning in other areas such as mathematics and literacy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn to control and co-ordinate their bodies in most areas. However, they have limited opportunity to develop their climbing skills on a regular basis to learn how to stay safe and control their bodies. Children use the small outdoor area and the larger hall to use sit and ride cars competently and to balance and negotiate obstacle courses. Their hand-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills are developed using a range of craft activities, mark making equipment, toys and puzzles. They are keen complete jigsaw puzzles unaided and to thread using the laces in the treading blocks. Children concentrate to cut small pictures out of catalogues developing their dexterity as they use scissors correctly. Their imaginations are given free rein as they play in the home area preparing food and drinks and emulating adults. They dress up and act out roles. Some children enjoy being hairdressers while others take on the role of 'Bob the Builder'

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

mending things around the room with various tools. Their creative capabilities are encouraged through group art work and individual work as they glue and stick using their own imaginations. They have opportunity to create spontaneously and develop their own ideas. They enthusiastically join in singing and action songs and use musical instruments as they discover how sound is made.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children benefit from a meaningful range of activities and resources to promote a positive view of the wider world and increase their awareness of diversity. This is a multi-cultural group and the children interact positively together with the staff team. They celebrate different cultures and festivals through art and craft activities, shared stories and snack. All children receive a warm welcome to the group and take part in the full range of activities. This is to ensure they have the opportunity to make progress and develop as individuals. Staff are very positive and present themselves as sensitive role models. Children relate well to this and gain a secure understanding of the needs of others. There is very good support in place for children with learning and or physical disabilities and for those who speak English as an additional language. Many of the staff are multi-lingual which supports children and parents communication.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children work harmoniously together. They share, take turns and are polite. The staff are positive role models and use effective strategies to help children learn to manage and control their own behaviour. For example, they offer lots of praise and encouragement, use the positive voice and value children's achievements. As a consequence the children are well behaved, are beginning to find solutions to conflict and develop caring and cooperative relationships. Most

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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 children have developed a strong sense of belonging which makes them feel secure and relaxed at the setting. Staff respect and value the children. They encourage them to be self-reliant and independent. For example, they are keen to help at snack time and tidy up their resources before group time. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All of the children benefit from the strong partnership between the parents and staff. Through the initial details received, the induction and settling in procedures and the systems to share information between staff and parents ensures children receive support and consistency in their care. The prospectus, parent notice board and newsletters keep parents up-to-date with the provision and the activities available for the children. Parents are made aware of all the policies and procedures in place to care for their children. A comprehensive complaints procedure is available to ensure parents are fully informed of factors that potentially impact on the children's well-being.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The quality of the partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents receive high quality information about the provision, including the six areas of learning which are well documented. For parents who have English as an additional language staff ensure they can continue to meet their needs by translation when every possible. Parents are invited to attend consultations or informal discussions to share their children's progress and achievements. They are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning by sharing topic related items. For example, taking their children to the park to collect leaves, nuts and conkers in relation to the groups theme about Autumn. Parents have the opportunity to exchange information about their children on a daily basis because staff are friendly and approachable. Procedures are in place so that all necessary information about the children can be shared to promote their welfare and meet

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Organisation

The organisation is good. There are good recruitment and vetting procedures in place to ensure children are protected and cared for by suitable staff with knowledge and understanding of how children develop and learn. Effective systems ensure children are not left alone with anyone who has not undergone the required checks and to ensure they are released only to persons authorised to collect them. Comprehensive policies and procedures support the effective running of the pre-school and help to keep children healthy and safeguard their welfare. All records and documents are stored securely and continually reviewed and updated if required. This ensures that current legislation can be followed in all aspects of the groups practise. A thorough self-evaluation process is conducted to ensure any actions for improvement can be followed through and also recognises the groups strengths. This is an on-going document which ultimately supports each child's

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Organisation

care, learning and welfare. The organisation of the routine ensures children enjoy a combination of whole group times, such as registration and story times, small group activities such as snack time and one to one support during their play. They each have a key worker who provides a point of contact for parents and an adult responsible for making sure they have consistency in their care and learning. The deployment of staff and organisation of space contributes to the children's health, safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is good. The registered person, the manager and the team leader value the staff and work closely with them. They have regular appraisals to acknowledge their individual strengths and training needs. The individual learning programs for staff encourages self-development. The staff are keen to update their knowledge and understanding of childcare and nursery education through a variety of additional training and workshops.

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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 They work well together as a team and all of them are involved in the planning for nursery education. The plans are monitored and evaluated regularly to make sure all six areas of learning are covered in a balanced way. They are committed to continual improvement to benefit how children learn and their on-going evaluations support this. Children benefit from this organised setting. The dedicated management and staff team work effectively together to achieve their aim of enhancing the development and education of the children. They have developed positive working relationships and are committed to promoting an inclusive environment which clearly shows that each child matters. Overall children's needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to review their policies and procedures, develop the use of information technology and technological toys and develop opportunities for children to use equipment to climb and balance.

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Improvements since the last inspection

All policies and procedures have been reviewed and updated in line with current legislation. This is an on-going review which will take place each year. The children have daily opportunity to use the computer to develop their understanding of information technology and to support their learning in other areas. The group ensures children take part in different types of physical play each week with the Top Start program and with the use of small equipment to balance. However, they continue to have problems with storage for larger equipment such as a climbing frame to fully support all opportunities for children to use their bodies in a variety of ways. This has been raised at this inspection.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure confidentiality is maintained with regard to information about children's allergies • develop the outdoor area to ensure it is well maintained and to ensure it provides an interesting and exciting area for children to access.

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The quality and standards of the care

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 nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop planning to ensure children have regular opportunity to develop their climbing skills.

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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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