Gordon Primary School

Foundry Under Fives Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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102808 Unique Reference Number 16 January 2008 Inspection date Lynne Stephanie Bowden Inspector

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Harbour View, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 4LB Setting Address

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E-mail

The Trustees of Foundry Under Fives Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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E-mail

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

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Foundry Under Fives Pre-School is a committee run group. It opened in 1994 and operates in purpose built premises. It is situated in Hayle. A maximum of 20 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:10 until 11:40 and each weekday from 12:30 until 15:00 during term times only. All children share access to a secure enclosed play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 21 children from two to five years on roll. Of these 13 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the local area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs five staff. All have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. The setting receives support from an advisory teacher from Family Services and 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 benefit from the staff's first aid and medical training. Clear documentation is in place to ensure that children's health is looked after, such as a clear policy for sick children and permission to seek emergency treatment. Records show that children receive suitable medical treatment and care.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy healthy, nutritious snacks, with the day's menu displayed for parent’s information. Information about children's individual dietary needs is obtained at registration and staff take effective steps to meet their needs. Children enjoy making their own pizzas, adding toppings from a selection of fresh ingredients. They have these for snack, along with fresh fruit and drinks of milk or water. They begin to learn about the sources of fresh food when they are involved in growing vegetables in the pre school garden. Drinking water is available throughout the day and children thoroughly enjoy helping themselves to drinks from the water cooler throughout the session.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff follow good hygiene practices, to protect children. They ensure that the premises are clean, keep daily records of fridge temperatures to ensure that foods are stored appropriately and clean tables with anti bacterial spray before and after snacks. Children have a good awareness of personal hygiene; they independently take themselves to the toilet. They wash their hands before making pizzas, having snack, after messy and outdoor play.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from being given the opportunity for outdoor play every day. The staff ensure that children have suitable footwear to enjoy playing in wet and muddy conditions. There, they enjoy playing on the slide, climbing frame and wheeled toys that require varying levels of skill. Physical activity 'Jiggle and Jump' is planned at the start of each session. Children enthusiastically move around the room imitating pet animals; such as horses galloping and slowing, cats walking and stretching, spiders scurrying and keeping still. They develop their sense of balance as they cross 'Mr Crocodile's' wobbly bridge, a simple obstacle course.

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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 secure and safe environment, where access is effectively controlled and records are kept of all visitors. They have easy access to the secure and safe outdoor play areas. Regular risk assessments are carried out, ensuring that premises and equipment are safe. Staff make very effective use of information from accident records and risk assessments to improve the safety of the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Gas and electrical appliances are checked regularly and suitable detectors are installed to protect children from any risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The pre school is well equipped with a good range of resources, which are appropriately stored, so that they are easily accessible. Children are protected from risk of fire, through the provision of suitable fire equipment and regular fire drills, ensuring that children are aware of this procedure.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded through the staff's good knowledge of child protection issues and policies.

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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 When on outings children are kept safe by staff following their highly effective procedures. Staff always go equipped with resources to cover most eventualities and children and adults all wear distinctive yellow caps, so that they can easily be identified and supervised.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy, confident, secure and content at the setting. They have good relationships with staff, who encourage their contributions, listen carefully to what they say and show respect for their comments. Staff make effective use of the Birth to Three matters framework to observe young children's levels of development and plan activities to promote their development. These records are used to establish children's attainment levels, when they move on to the foundation stage.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are involved and interested in the activities planned and provided for them. Children confidently access a wide range of resources that support their learning, such as art and craft materials, sand, water, building bricks, books, tapes and tape recorders, dressing up clothes and role play equipment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They participate confidently at circle time and confidently ask questions about what they are doing and using, such as the purpose of the rolling pin, when making pizzas. When asked to by staff children enthusiastically identify ingredients. They use many of their senses, sight, smell and touch, to explore and describe ingredients, with encouragement from staff. Children watch and help with interest, as ingredients are weighed and measured. Staff effectively ask open questions and give children time to work out answers and respond. Children recognise their own and each others name cards at registration and automatically attempt to label their own work with varying levels of ability. Children listen attentively and with concentration to stories and show familiarity with some stories, correcting reader, when she deliberately makes mistakes. However staff do not plan and provide opportunities for children to listen to sounds

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in words and start to link sounds to letters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children naturally use maths in their play, counting how many marbles or bricks they are using, happily matching numbers, colours and sizes of objects to recreate patterns and sets. In their daily routine, encouraged by staff, children count who is present and how many cups or pieces of pizza or fruit are needed at snack time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children express delight as they mix blue and red together to make purple. Staff share in their delight and pleasure, reinforcing their awareness of the colour mixes and encouraging experimentation with other colours.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Key workers produce assessments based on written observations and identify targets to help children to make progress towards the Early Learning Goals. These are effectively used to inform short term planning, with clearly identified learning intentions for different ability levels for each session and activity. Staff consider how to adapt activities to children's interests, to ensure that they maintain children's interests and address these intentions. Staff ensure that learning is reinforced, revisiting skills to ensure that children have secure ability with them, whilst introducing children to more challenging activities.

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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 establish children's attainment prior to them beginning funded nursery education, through consultation with parents and their use of a simple and effective initial questionnaire along with the Birth to three Matters records for children who attended when younger.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children learn about diversity and difference through their access to resources and activities planned by staff. They discuss how each family celebrate Christmas and staff encourage parents from a variety of cultures to come in and talk to children about their customs and traditions. Consequently children learn about a range of celebrations and customs and cultures. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Systems are in place to enable the setting to meet the needs of children with additional needs. Staff have knowledge of some sign language and plans are in place for all to receive training, but it is not used as a routine means of communication.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are well behaved, because staff ensure that all children are interested and involved in activities. They give children clear instructions and firmly reinforce rules, such as not running indoors. Consequently children become aware of the rules of the setting and are learning self-discipline. Staff encourage and help children to share, take turns and negotiate with each other. Children are learning to take responsibility for care of their environment and resources, earnestly reminding each other to be careful not to break things.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents receive clear information about the setting through the prospectus, policies, notice boards and newsletters. Their views about their children's interests and attainment are sought on entry, to the setting. Parents are invited to meetings to discuss their children's progress each half term. There, staff discuss the progress children have made with parents and involve them in identifying their children’s attainment and planning targets for development.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Organisation of the setting is good. All necessary documentation is in place. Children have daily access to outdoor play and the settings routine is effective and well organised, but does not include use of sign language to promote inclusiveness for all. The key worker system is well established. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. Staff have annual appraisals, when they identify training needs and opportunities, which the trustees support them in accessing. Regular staff meetings are used to share information and build the team, who also keep abreast of developments in child care through training and monitoring visits from other agencies. The team of staff effectively monitor the effectiveness of the activities and planning to ensure that children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Though there is a minor weakness in communication, language and literacy.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At their previous inspections the setting agreed to the following recommendations. To conduct a risk assessment to minimise risks, keep a written record of medicines given to children, develop

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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 staff's ability to help children value and appreciate similarities and differences and improve short term planning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children's safety and health are better protected by the setting keeping clear medical records and minimising risks identified in accident records and risk assessments. Children learn about and each others similarities and differences through projects planned by staff. Improvements in planning ensure that activities and learning intentions and activities are adapted to meet differing ability levels.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints to report made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

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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): • develop staff's knowledge of sign language to enable it's routine use in the setting, so aiding communication and promoting inclusion for all.

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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): • further extend development of communication, language and literacy by encouraging children to listen to sounds in words and start to link sounds to letters.

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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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