Queniborough Pre-School Partnership

Queniborough Pre-School Partnership Inspection report for early years provision

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226290 Unique Reference Number 30 November 2007 Inspection date Jean Suff Inspector

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Queniborough Village Hall, Rearsby Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE7 3DH

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E-mail

The Trustees of Queniborough Pre-School Partnership 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?

Queniborough Pre-School Partnership was first established in 1997. The Partnership is situated on two sites, one at Queniborough Village Hall and one at Queniborough Primary School. Funded children may attend both sites. Regular visits are made to the reception class for those children who are to continue at the primary school.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The village hall site operates on four sessions, Tuesday to Friday, from 09:00 to 11:55, term time only. Children have access to a large hall and side room with toilet facilities situated in the entrance area. There is a fully enclosed outdoor play area situated at the rear of the hall. The primary school setting operates on Monday from 09:00 to 11:55, term time only. Other days may be available depending on flexibility of numbers throughout the year. Children are accommodated in a classroom and have access to toilet facilities within the premises. There is an outdoor play area for children's physical play and activities. The pre-school also offers wrap-around care between 11:55 and 12:50 every day where children eat a packed lunch provided from home.

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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 At present, the village hall and school site jointly have 40 children on roll, 14 of whom are funded three-year-olds and eight are funded four-year-olds. Staff within the setting have experience of providing care and education for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There are no children currently attending who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are eight members of staff employed within the partnership most who work at both sites. One member of staff holds qualified teacher status, four hold an early years qualification to Level 3 and two staff members are working towards a relevant qualification. The additional staff member provides administrative support. The setting is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and receives support from a teacher/mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy good health and are mostly protected from infection as staff follow current and appropriate environmental health and hygiene guidelines, for example, they wash their hands and clean tables with antibacterial spray before serving food. The toilet areas are kept very clean and staff use a dedicated area for nappy changing. Children are beginning to understand simple good health and hygiene practices, for example, they use tissues and dispose of them correctly. Children are aware of the importance of hand washing and do so in the cloakroom using soap and clean water after toileting and before lunch. However, staff only provide a communal bowl of water in the hall for children to wash their hands before snack. This increases the risk of cross-infection for children.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receive appropriate care if they are ill or have an accident. For example, a good proportion of staff hold a current paediatric first aid certificate and a well-stocked first aid box is readily available. Accidents are properly recorded and parental signatures of acknowledgement obtained. A clear sickness policy, including exclusion procedures, is in place to further ensure children’s good health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from sufficient levels of physical activity. Indoors, they develop their large muscles as they explore the climbing frame, balance on beams or excitedly throw paper snowballs so practise throwing and aiming skills. They take part in a termly ‘Jumping Beanz’ session with a specialist in the physical development of young children. Although children use the outside space at most sessions for running and group games, the time allocated to outdoor play is short which limits both children’s access to fresh air and their learning in a different environment. Children have good opportunities to use a range of equipment to develop their coordination and fine manipulative skills, for example, they cut paper with scissors, thread pasta shapes onto strings or comb dolls’ hair.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well-nourished as they are offered a variety of healthy snacks during the week. For example, they choose from crackers, apple, orange, banana and dried fruits. They have milk or weak squash to drink at snack time and have access to drinking water from a jug to ensure they do not become thirsty during the session. Although staff are aware of how to properly prepare children’s food, at times this is not served appropriately, for example some snacks are served directly onto the table. This compromises children’s good health. Children learn to make healthy choices about what they eat and drink through planned activities such as making

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 vegetable soup, fruit salad or fruit kebabs. Staff show a good understanding of children’s individual dietary requirements and fully include any children with additional dietary needs.

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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, spacious and safe village hall environment. A variety of activities are set out using the large hall. Play mats, carpets, tables and room dividers help children to see what they can do in each designated area. For example, a role play and dressing up area is marked with a low partition and a reading area is arranged on a carpet with a two-sided book rack. As a result, children are confident to move around the whole hall and choose what interests them. Children use suitable and safe equipment which is checked and updated regularly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are supervised well by staff who take good measures to reduce potential risks both indoors and outside the building. For example, the main door is secure, and staff are vigilant at the beginning and end of the session. Essential documents to keep children safe and promote their well-being are in place, for example, visitors, including parents staying with their child, are asked to sign in immediately on arrival. Regular risk assessments are carried out and these are supported by policies and procedures to ensure that staff are consistent in keeping children safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn about keeping themselves safe as staff incorporate safety issues into everyday routines such as singing a safety rhyme about not touching matches when a birthday candle is lit. Children’s safety in case of fire is promoted well. For example, clear procedures are on display and regular fire drills are practised with children at a developmentally appropriate level.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff understand their responsibilities for protecting children’s welfare. They have a good knowledge of signs and symptoms of abuse and understand what to do in the event of having a concern about a child in their care allowing them to act promptly. Supporting documentation is available, however, staff do not necessarily know what to do, and the pre-school does not have a clear procedure, should an allegation be made against a member of staff.

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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 mostly spend their time talking to and playing with the children. The pre-school plans and provides a range of suitable and appropriate activities for children under three. Children under three follow the same curriculum as older children, assessments are made of their development and are shared with parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy themselves at the pre-school as the activities offered are varied and fun. Children use the whole space, freely select from the activities on offer and complete an activity in their own time. Staff have a good understanding of child development and allow younger children to take part in group activities at their individual level of interest. Children’s use of language is promoted well by staff through conversation, questioning and at times, individual attention. Staff spend time reading to children, singing songs with them and encouraging them to name objects at activities. Consequently, children are developing their communication skills and are able to express their needs.

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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 The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are confident in their environment, arrive happily and eager to take part in the activities offered. They show enthusiasm as they make independent choices and select from play equipment available. Children concentrate well and persevere with tasks showing growing levels of self-esteem. For example, they spend long periods of time making shapes from play dough and remaining in role as a hairdresser or client. Children chat amongst themselves, talk about their families on 'Sticklebrick' mobile phones or discuss the coming Nativity play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have many opportunities to develop mark-making and pre-writing skills through a range of activities. For example, they paint and print in the creative area, and write down telephone numbers and make appointments as they engage in role play. They listen attentively to stories and have good opportunities to look at books independently. Children begin to recognise their name as they self-register at snack time and some children can sound out letters as staff write on their work. Children know by heart and enthusiastically join in with well known rhymes so developing important early reading skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children use numbers throughout the session, for example, counting how many children are present, how many candles are on a cake or how many claps they need to match a birthday number. They are introduced to simple addition and subtraction appropriately through number rhymes and counting the total of children and adults together in the hall. Children use mathematical language as they build and compare the height of towers made of bricks or as they lay blankets out to cover the whole floor of an igloo.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children generally receive praise for their work and play so helping build their confidence and self-esteem. They show concern and a well-developed respect for each other. Children respond well to the routine changes of the pre-school, follow clear guidelines and are aware of expectations such as tidying up at the end of the session. They are not fully involved in the preparation of their snack and lack opportunities to serve themselves, which would further promote their independence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have stimulating first-hand experiences which help them to make sense of the world. For example, they play in the mud, have a picnic in the woods and pet animals in a local garden. They travel on a bus together and visit places of interest that are further afield. They welcome visitors to the pre-school such as the community police and fire fighters. Children can recall events that have happened in the recent past and talk freely about their homes and families. They are learning to respect cultures other than their own through the celebration of festivals such as Divali and imagining what it might be like to live in an igloo.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and a clear understanding that children learn through play and practical experiences. For example, they provide theme days such as the circus, or bedtime morning when all children come to pre-school in their pyjamas to learn about the passing of time. Staff know the children and families well and build on what children can do. They provide a purposeful learning environment for children to learn and develop as individuals. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of tracking children’s progress and use the information effectively to guide their planning. All areas of learning are covered and balanced in long term planning, and plans show learning intentions linked to the steps children need to achieve in order to reach the early learning goals. Children are sometimes grouped according to their age and stage of development, for example, for story, in order to

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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 Staff develop and use varied teaching methods to engage children’s interests and help them progress, although some routines can be very adult-directed, for example, art activities. Staff encourage children to think and ask open-ended questions to develop their memory and learning skills. Generally however, they provide limited opportunities for children to extend learning beyond planned outcomes. For example, they do not provide a wide range of accessible resources such as scissors or joining materials at all sessions. Staff manage children’s behaviour well, encouraging good behaviour and ensuring that children understand why something is right or wrong.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children settle well at the pre-school and are confident and independent in their use of the space. They are interested in the resources available and are eager to take part in activities. Children begin to be aware of wider society and develop positive attitudes towards diversity through listening to stories about different lifestyles and using resources such as multicultural dolls and puzzles. They take part in activities that help them become aware of the wider world such as pond dipping, visiting a farm and riding on a fire engine. Frequent links with the school, church and community centre users enable children to feel they are part of their local community.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The pre-school has experience of caring for children with disabilities and/or learning difficulties and has good procedures in place for identifying individual needs, and working with parents and other agencies in such an instance. Staff know the children well and develop a sense of belonging in children. For example, they create opportunities for children to talk about their families and celebrate birthdays at the pre-school.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well as staff ensure they are busy and occupied. Children share resources and work harmoniously together. They seek adults for support, know the routines well and react to signals quickly, for instance, at tidy-up time. Children understand responsible behaviour and respond to praise and positive reinforcement so raising their self-esteem. They experience wonder as they look for sticks outside to make a snowman’s arms. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff work well with parents to meet individual children’s needs so that all children receive appropriate support. Parents are made aware of how to access the pre-school’s policies and procedures. They receive a prospectus giving good information on care matters and are asked to fill in detailed information about their child before admission. Parents are invited to attend settling-in visits with their child before they attend. During these visits staff ensure they talk to the parents to gain information which will help the child to settle. Parents are encouraged to become involved in the setting through, for example, fund raising or becoming a member of the management committee. A record of complaints is in place, however, this does not include up to date contact details of the regulator to ensure children’s best interests are served by the provision.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers in receipt of funded early education is good. Parents receive written details about the Foundation Stage, the group’s procedures and practical information. They are made aware that the pre-school has an open door policy and are encouraged to spend time with their child at the setting. Some parents take the opportunity to talk about their children’s achievements daily on arrival or collection, whilst others wait for more formal opportunities such as an open evening. Parents are given some opportunities to be involved in their children’s learning, for example, to attend plays or accompany them on outings. Children

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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 may take books home to read with their parents and staff give parents ideas on how to follow-up children’s interests at home.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from being cared for by staff who work together as an established team. Emphasis is placed on training, with staff having individual targets for their personal development and training needs. Good systems are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Ratios are maintained above the required minimum so enabling staff to provide a greater variety of activities for children. All staff are experienced and senior staff are highly qualified which is reflected in the quality of the interactions with the children. The activities and experiences for children are well-planned and varied meeting their individual needs well. Staff use the accommodation and resources effectively to support the children’s care, learning and play.

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Organisation

All necessary documentation is in place although the child protection policy lacks some detail and the complaints procedure contains out of date contact numbers. The documentation is shared with parents and reviewed by the committee to support the setting in maintaining appropriate standards of care and education for children.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of early education is good. Staff working with the children are enthusiastic, knowledgeable and promote children’s well-being. The manager and chair of the committee work together effectively with understood roles and responsibilities. Staff appraisals are carried out and training needs are identified appropriately. The team monitor and evaluate the provision through regular meetings, promoting personal development and the support of the local authority. Overall children’s needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the setting was given a number of recommendations. It was asked to ensure that the system for registering children and staff attendance shows their hours of attendance, ensure that there are operational procedures for the safe conduct of any outings provided and that a record of visitors is kept. Make sure that Ofsted is notified of any significant changes or events and that the stage area is inaccessible to the children. These requirements have been met therefore children’s welfare, health and safety is enhanced. The setting was also asked to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues and procedures and ensure that the child protection procedure for the pre-school complies with local area procedures and that this includes procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff. In addition, it was asked to make sure that

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Improvements since the last inspection

the written statement that provides details of the procedure to be followed for a complaint includes the address and telephone number of the regulator, Ofsted. Both of these recommendations have been partly but not fully met, therefore, further recommendations regarding child protection and the complaints procedure have been raised.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last nursery education inspection the setting was given a number of recommendations. It was asked to use observations and development profiles to help identify children’s next steps and ensure that planning takes account of this information. It was asked to ensure that staff have clear awareness of the area of learning for focussed activities. It was asked to develop a system which allows parental involvement in the developmental processes for the children. The

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 setting was also asked to increase opportunities for children to write for a purpose. These requirements have been met therefore children’s learning is enhanced.

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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 by 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): • promote the good health of children with regard to hand washing and how snacks and meals are presented • improve staff knowledge of what to do if a complaint is made against them • ensure information given to parents includes up to date contact details of Ofsted.

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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): • provide opportunities for children to further develop independence skills and extend learning beyond planned outcomes • further develop the outdoor space as a learning environment.

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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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