Worth Valley Primary School

Parade Community Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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143510 Unique Reference Number 15 October 2007 Inspection date Coral Hales Inspector

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Northern Parade Infant School, Kipling Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 9NJ

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E-mail

Parade Community Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day 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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Parade Community Pre-school, breakfast, lunch and play scheme group registered in 2000 and is situated in mobile premises within the grounds of Northern Parade Infant School, in the Hilsea area of Portsmouth. A maximum of 40 children may attend at any one time. The group is open each weekday from 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 15:30 during term time only. The breakfast club operates from 08:30 to 09:00 and the lunch club from 12:00 to 13:00. The pre-school operates a play scheme during the summer holidays from 08:30 to 15:30. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 47 children on roll aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 45 children receive funding for early education. It serves children from the local area and children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs eight members of staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school receives support from the local authority and is an accredited member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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 enjoy a wide range of activities that promote children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle. For example, they learn about keeping their teeth healthy following a visit from a dentist, and have opportunities to use and play with a giant toothbrush to clean the large teeth supplied. Policies and procedures cover health issues for example, head lice and details about the administration of medication. Accidents are reported and recorded and most staff are first aid trained. Written parental consent for emergency treatment/advice is not maintained for all children.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a good range of healthy and nutritious snacks which contribute to their good health. Their choices of snack include a range of fresh vegetables, for example, peppers and carrot, and dried and fresh fruit and a selection of different breads. Children sometimes take part in the preparation of the snack. Healthy eating is well promoted and the group has won a healthy eating award and shares helpful information with the parents. A good variety of activities further develops children's knowledge and understanding about the food they eat. For example, they create vegetable people using a variety of different vegetables that they identify as they play. They are encouraged to try new foods from around the world during special planned events or festivals. Some children attend the lunch club and they bring their own packed lunches and sit with staff making this a social and relaxed occasion. Drinks are

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Helping children to be healthy

given at snack time and water is freely available from the machine throughout the session.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children explore, test and develop control through a range of activities to help them develop their physical skills. For example, they move their bodies in time with music when indoors and play with a good selection of large and small equipment in the garden to refine and develop large motor skills when outdoors. The good selection of equipment is challenging for them and children have fun as they for example, practise ball skills, climb, balance or just run around chasing each other. They have a positive attitude to physical development. A good selection of small world toys and construction sets and planned craft activities develop their small hand skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are safe and are well cared for in premises that are secure and suitable for their purpose. Risk assessments are completed, these however are not updated regularly and are therefore not used as a working document to highlight any potential hazards. All visitors are identified before accessing the pre-school and good arrangements for the safe arrival and departure of the children are in place. They are well supervised at all times as the ratio of staff to children is high. Staff effectively promote road safety awareness with lots of information and posters displayed for the children and parents. Role-play equipment is available for children to act out situations to further develop their understanding. Children begin to understand how to keep themselves safe as they for example, take part in emergency evacuations.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are provided with a very good selection of suitable toys and equipment that are clean and well-maintained. These are appropriately set out to allow children to safely access them independently within a safe environment. Suitable and sufficient storage is available.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children stay safe because staff operate clear child protection procedures and share them with parents. Relevant policies are in place, however these do not make reference to the new Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance. Senior staff are fully aware of their role in child protection issues and understand their professional duty regarding children's safety. Staff have attended additional training to further develop their knowledge.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are happy, interested and involved in their play and are curious and keen to learn and have a very positive attitude to learning. Younger children's learning is very well supported as staff use their knowledge of the Birth to three matters framework to ensure that activities are suitably planned for the under three's. Excellent support is given to all children allowing them to make very good progress including any with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as a second language.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children achieve well because staff are highly skilled and use their excellent understanding of early years guidance to provide high quality education. They are enabled to learn by qualified and experienced staff who motivate the children with their enthusiasm. Children are totally absorbed, engaged and happy as they take part in the well planned activities. They show pleasure as they greet each other and seek out friends to share play with. Language skills are fully promoted by the staff who encourage the children to share their ideas at group time and as they take part in all activities. Most children show that they have a good grasp of language and some describe their ideas using words such as ' there are mysterious monsters in the ocean' and others show a good understanding of the role of the listener. Children are therefore confident speakers, they listen to letter sounds and recognise their names. They enjoy stories

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

such as Elmer and staff provide a good range of resources to bring the story to life. They interact well with the Mr Tongue story and enthusiastically join in with the actions and show delight as they poke out their tongues. Children have many opportunities to write for a purpose and make marks to show communication and many can write their names. They begin to make sense of numbers as they play and participate in activities that develop their understanding of number, for example, they plant seeds and then use the ruler to measure the growth. They count during their play and many can count to 10. They recognise shapes and use words to describe size and quantity. For example, as they play with the play dough mixing small amounts together to change the colour, they use words such as more/less, bigger than, not enough, too much. Children show increasing creativity as they express their ideas and thoughts through art for

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

example, they collect, examine and paint leaves and through music and dance as they take part in the Sticky Kids activity. They use the digital camera to take photographs of each other, print them off and then make a very effective collage to display. They use torches and have a good understanding of how they work and communicate this effectively to the staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about living things as they help to create a sensory garden outside the pre-school and as they visit the farm to observe, touch and cuddle the animals. They are confident and capable when using the computer and other simple working technology to extend and develop their learning. The children enjoy a wide range of physical activities that help them to develop their confidence and skills both when using large and small apparatus, tools and equipment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Staff are excellent communicators with the children and know them well and give attention to each child and this enables children 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 become motivated and enthusiastic learners. They enrich the experiences for all children with well-planned activities and resources. Staff have a very good awareness of children's starting points and use this knowledge to plan the next steps in their learning. Activities are well carried out, evaluated and extended or simplified depending on children's individual learning patterns. Staff are skilled at knowing when to step back and let the children take over an activity, creating a good balance between adult-led and child-initiated play. Staff are successful in capturing children's interest and curiosity to learn and this enables the children to make excellent progress. They listen to staff as they explain what is planned and are capable of following simple instructions and are encouraged to try things for themselves. They are rewarded with praise

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and positive language for their efforts.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Planning is detailed and clearly shows the aims and objectives of planned activities, these link to the stepping stones and are evaluated to ensure expected intentions have been achieved. Observations are completed on all children and these are added to their record of achievement files and give clear and concise evidence of the children's progress. These are used for future planning and are shared with the parent. Children's education is greatly enhanced by qualified and experienced teaching staff which impacts directly on their successful accomplishments and the delivery of a sound educational programme.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. All children are well supported by proactive, caring and organised staff who have attended relevant training to help support children's individual needs. Children have access to an extensive range of resources and activities to promote a positive view of the wider world and increase their awareness of diversity. For example, Christmas and religious festivals from around the world. Staff have positive attitudes and present themselves as sensitive role models and this helps children relate to others and gain a secure understanding of the differing needs of others. For example, new or less confident children are gently welcomed into the group and given a 'special friend' to help them settle in. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children are valued and respected as individuals and all their needs are well documented and implemented. Children thrive in their environment and staff are committed

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Helping children make a positive contribution

to supporting each and every child and promote a truly inclusive environment where every child matters. Detailed pre-registration forms are used to gain full information from parents about their child so that their wishes are known and followed. Parents are well informed about the setting and the care that their child receives. Very effective systems for example, newsletters and notices keep them up to date about topics and events. They are welcomed into the nursery at all times and good relationships are evident. Systems are in place to ensure all complaints can be logged and staff and parents are aware of the procedures to follow.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is excellent and staff manage them in a quiet and friendly manner. Children relate well to their guidance and any issues are discussed and quickly resolved and staff are consistent in their management. Constant routines ensure children are settled, happy, confident and therefore well adjusted and purposefully occupied. Praise is given freely to the children which ensures they develop high levels of confidence and self-esteem and understand when they have done well.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. This contributes significantly to children's well-being in the pre-school. Parents are kept well informed about their child's development and progress and records are made available at all times and they are invited to add comments. They are invited to regular parent evenings and have opportunities to discuss progress with

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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 identified staff responsible for their child's achievement records. Extensive information about the Foundation Stage and curriculum is available to them so that they gain an understanding about how their child will make progress and how this can be supported at home. Clearly detailed plans are displayed. Staff have attended training relating to the new Early Years Foundation Stage and are sharing this information with the parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are very happy and settled and the high adult to child ratios ensures that they are well cared for and supported during their time at the pre-school. The pre-school is well organised with both indoor and outdoor space effectively arranged to maximize the play opportunities for children. This ensures that they enjoy a stimulating and interesting environment. The sessions are well organised to allow children the freedom to choose whilst encouraging them to take part in group activities to learn to socialise and work together.

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Organisation

Required documents are well organised and generally well maintained. However some paperwork requires reviewing and updating. All are securely stored to maintain confidentiality and are made available for inspection. Robust systems are in place for recruiting and retaining suitable staff and all are appropriately experienced and qualified. Appraisal systems are in place to offer support to staff and to identify training needs which are quickly met. Staff share their knowledge as a team and this benefits the children enormously. The management team and their staff have a clear vision for the future development of the pre-school.

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Organisation

Leadership and Management is outstanding. Staff are well qualified and very experienced in their roles. The supervisor continually extends her knowledge through training and is currently completing her early years degree and provides a thorough training programme for staff. This ensures that they are fully up-to-date with new guidance. They show dedication, motivation and staff morale is excellent throughout the pre-school. Clear communication between them each day enables them to provide a stimulating and well-balanced programme of activities. They are committed to continuous evaluation and improvement of their practice and of the educational programme provided. Children are very well supported and make excellent progress in their learning. Overall, the provision 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 a recommendation was given to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. All staff have now attended training to update their knowledge and this ensures children's well-being and continued safety.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following the last education inspection the staff were asked to provide opportunities for children to access their own resources and to extend physical provision when using the indoor space. Staff have addressed these areas and children are able to independently access resources and regular opportunities are provided for active indoor activities such as 'sticky kids' or ring games. They were also asked to monitor and evaluate provision to ensure activities related to the stepping stones. Staff now have a good understanding of all aspects of the Foundation Stage and use this knowledge well to support and extend children's learning.

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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

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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. 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 outstanding.

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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 parental consent for emergency treatment/advice is maintained for all children • develop the risk assessment to ensure it remains a working document to identify hazards and risks to children. Develop staffs knowledge of the guidance issued by the Local Safeguarding Children Board and ensure the policy contains up to date information.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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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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