Allsorts Preschool and Nursery

Allsorts Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY245224 Unique Reference Number 14 November 2007 Inspection date Karen Louise Prager Inspector

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90a High Street, Wootton Bassett, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN4 7AS Setting Address

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01793 849955 Telephone number allsortspre-school@supanet.com E-mail The Trustees of Allsorts Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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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?

Allsorts Pre-school and Nursery moved to new premises in April 2003 from Gerard Buxton Sports Ground. It operates from demountable buildings adjacent to St. Bartholomew's Primary School. The pre-school serves the local area of Wootton Bassett.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 42 children on roll. This includes 19 children receiving funding for Nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The group also has experience of caring for children with English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school opens weekdays throughout school term. Pre-school sessions for children aged three to five years are from 09.15 to 12.00 and 13.00 to 15.30. Nursery sessions for children aged two to three years are on Tuesday and Thursday from 13.00 to 15.00. Lunch-club sessions from 12.00 to 13.00 are held for children aged three to five years. Parent and toddler session meets on Wednesday from 13.15 to 13.45

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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 Nine part time staff work with the children. Most of the staff have early years qualifications, and a further two are undertaking Level 3 training. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in warm, clean premises. Staff are very aware of the routines to follow to promote good hygiene within the setting and older children independently wash their hands after using the toilet, after messy play and before eating their snack. Younger children are assisted with this and soon learn the place of this routine in their day. As a result, they develop a good awareness of self-help skills with respect to hygiene routines, and are not at risk from cross infection. Accident and medication procedures are recorded appropriately and staff respond immediately to accidents as a sufficient number are trained in first aid and hold relevant information about children’s medical needs. This protects the children's health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children’s health and well-being is well supported by the knowledge gained by the setting about individual children’s needs. Staff gain information from parents regarding children's dietary needs and allergies. This information is recorded, and shared with staff to ensure children are not exposed to foods they are allergic to. Children’s snacks are healthy with a variety of nutritious foods being offered. Younger children are encouraged to sit together to encourage healthy eating habits and develop social skills. Older children are able to develop their independence and meet their own needs through the self-service style snack time. Through this daily activity and discussion children develop their awareness of healthy eating. They have access to water at all times as they are able to help themselves from the water container within the play rooms. They are also offered drinks at snack time and, for those present at this time,

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Helping children to be healthy

with their lunch. Children, therefore, have sufficient fluids throughout the day. Parents are encouraged to supply healthy lunches and information is freely available from the setting to promote this.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have daily access to fresh air when they are able to play in the enclosed outdoor area. Opportunities are also built into the children’s week for indoor activities, such as the weekly PE session when the older children follow more formal instruction from a staff member. Children show a good awareness of space, themselves and others, and move around the space with confidence and control. They change direction, negotiate pathways and are able to stop.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play in welcoming premises. Informative, inviting and regularly updated notice boards in the entrance area provide parents with information that is relevant to the care and education of their child. Named pegs for the children to hang their belongings on and a shoe store ensures that children are made to feel welcome when they enter. Within the play rooms displays of children’s work is available for all to view.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Premises are safe with few risks as staff identify potential hazards daily, and effectively minimise most of these. For example, sockets are covered, floors are checked for trip hazards and entry to the premises is controlled. However, the viewing panel on the doors to the play rooms are partially covered restricting view when entering the room and presenting a risk to children

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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 playing in the area as the door opens. Fire precautions are in place, and the evacuation plan is practised regularly. Children's safety is well promoted on outings, as staff ensure children are well supervised and possible risks are identified.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is protected by staff who have a sound knowledge of child protection issues and the procedures to follow in the event of concerns. The group formally shares its child protection duties with parents. This actively promotes the children's well-being.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enter the group with confidence and quickly settle to a group time. They confidently speak in a familiar group when showing their personal items that they have brought from home. Some children display high levels of involvement as they engage in activities and spend long periods engaged in these, for example, when exploring light and dark with torches, or participating in role play with dolls. They develop high levels of independence with regard to their self-help skills, for example, helping themselves to snack, washing their hands and getting their coats on for play time. Children develop a sense of belonging in the group. They develop familiarity with the routines, and are aware when their friends are absent from the session.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage and a clear understanding of how young children learn and progress. Assessment is thorough and the information is used effectively to guide planning. Activities and experiences are broad and effective and meet the individual needs of the children. Teaching provides a realistic challenge for children. Staff understand children’s needs and provide and sufficient range of activities to move them on. They provide an interesting and welcoming environment which reflects most children’s background and the wider community. However, most activities are currently planned by staff and children are not always encouraged to consider what they are about to do or reflect on activities carried out. They make good use of time and resources to support children’s learning. Monitoring procedures are well established to evaluate and improve teaching.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children play together well seeking out their friends to play self-made hopscotch in the outdoor area. As children become more familiar with the session they are able to operate increasingly independently, selecting toys from around the room and being aware of when the bin is to deposit their tissue. Children become aware of their own needs and start to identify when they are cold, recognising the need to put on coats and hats when playing outside on a frosty day.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident speakers, sharing their thoughts about a story or their chosen object in a whole group setting. They enjoy and are able to participate in familiar stories, such as the Bear Hunt. Changing topics provide children with the opportunity to listen to new stories. Children are able to freely select books from the book box and settle to read to themselves confidently, looking at the engaging pictures. Children learn to recognise their name and examples of print are around the room. They explore marks when using crayons and paint and engage in a large number of activities requiring finger control. Children enjoy daily singing as a group and can be heard singing favourite songs and creating their own as they play around the room. Children have opportunities to listen to the sounds that different instruments make and use instruments to make loud and soft noises in response to instruction. Children have few

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

opportunities to start to learn about the different letters and the sounds they make.

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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 Practical activities are available to children to discover shape and number. Children spontaneously count the number of shells they discover in brightly decorated boxes. They can count increasingly securely up to five objects. They become familiar with larger numbers as they count together the number of children going outside to play. Children explore shape with familiar objects and manipulate dough to reproduce, for example, circles and rectangles. They are able to increasingly talk about the properties of different shape and know that triangles have three sides.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s interest is stimulated through their exploration of the natural world. They examine insects with the use of a magnifying glass and discover the frost on leaves in the outdoor play area. Children show engagement and curiosity when exploring the dark spaces in their play room with a torch. Through planned activities children start to gain an awareness of the beliefs and cultures of others and the cakes made in connection with Diwali were particularly popular.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's self-esteem is well supported by staff who know the children in their care well, and respect their individual needs fully. Children have their development well supported and are fully included in all activities and routines of the group. Children have access to a selection of resources that promote positive images of diversity in their daily play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children have practical experiences to gain awareness of other cultures through activities that help them learn about the lives of others. For example, participating in activities relating to the festival of Diwali. Children occasionally enjoy outings in the immediate locality, for example when they visit local shops. Older children visit the local school which serves to familiarise them with a school setting and eases the transfer to school when the time comes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good. Staff are excellent role models to the children, being respectful to them and calm in their manner. They use sensitive and age appropriate methods for managing unwanted behaviour, including regular praise for their acts of kindness. Children develop skills in sharing and learn to negotiate during their play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents receive detailed information regarding the curriculum and the six areas of learning and are kept up to date with the current learning themes through newsletters. They have access to activity plans, hence know the activities available to their child. They share information with staff prior to their child entering the group and are encouraged to view assessment records and discuss their child's progress. They are also encouraged to contribute to the assessment process, detailing their child's achievements outside of the group. Parents are involved in their child's learning and information is given to them on how they can support their child's learning at home. Staff welcome parental involvement during the session and this valuable opportunity is regularly taken by parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for by suitable and appropriately qualified staff. Recruitment procedures ensure all adults working with the children are suitable to do so. The manager and administrative staff are proactive in ensuring that Ofsted is informed of changes to the committee and appropriate forms are distributed. However, some committee members do not recognise the importance of the speedy return of these forms. Staff regularly attend additional training to

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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 support their professional development, for example, ICT training, child protection and inclusion. This benefits the children as staff gain knowledge and incorporate new ideas in their daily practice. Staff maintain the required adult to child ratios at all times and often have additional staff working within the rooms. Children, therefore, receive good quality adult support, as staff spend periods engaged in play with the children, interacting with them and supporting their development well.

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Organisation

All required paperwork is stored securely, well organised and available for inspection. The group's policies and procedures are implemented consistently by staff in a way that promotes the children's welfare, care and learning. All necessary consents are gained from parents for routines and activities ensuring children's well-being is promoted.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. Staff work well as a team and share responsibilities within the group, including planning. They are well supported by the manager, who supports their professional development and encourages them to access appropriate training and development opportunities. Staff regularly meet to discuss planning and individual children's development. A formal appraisal system enables staff to reflect on their practice, and identify areas of strength, as well as areas for future training and development. The group evaluates the educational provision and makes improvements to the delivery of the curriculum. For example, children are benefiting from the current development of the outdoor learning environment.

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Organisation

Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous care inspection two recommendations were raised which have been suitably completed. A deputy officer in charge has been identified and procedures to be followed in the event of a child being lost or a parent failing to collect a child have been formalised into an appropriate written policy.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection of the Nursery Education three key issues were raised for improvement which have all been appropriately acted on. Staff now monitor children's assessment records regularly. This ensures individual children's continued progression in all areas of learning. Staff offer children regular opportunities explore features of their local environment and develop their understanding of differing cultures and beliefs. Opportunities have been increased for parents to share what they know about their child. This valuable information is used as an aid to ongoing assessment.

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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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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): • ensure the safety viewing panels are used to provide increased safety for children when entering the playroom. • improve the speed of the clearance process for committee members

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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 the activities for children to develop their awareness of letters and sounds, in line with DFES guidance • develop the teaching to extend children's thinking and planning

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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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