Foxyards Primary School

Boundary Road Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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103788 Unique Reference Number 31 March 2008 Inspection date Linda Patricia Coccia Inspector

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Rycroft Hall, Boundary Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6UW Setting Address

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E-mail

Christine McIlheron 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?

Boundary Road Pre-school opened in 1997 and operates from one room in a scout hut in the town of Chatham, Kent. A maximum of 20 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 09.30 to 12.00 noon for 38 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 20 children aged from two years to under five years on roll. Of these 14 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from a wide catchment area. The nursery can support children with learning difficulties and disabilities, and can also support children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs seven staff, of whom six, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or above. There is one staff member working towards a qualification.

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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 are provided with a good range of experiences, which help to promote their knowledge and understanding of good health issues. For example, they are encouraged to be independent with routine self help skills, including toilet visits and hand washing. Effective procedures help to prevent cross infection. These include the use of antibacterial sprays to wipe kitchen and table surfaces. Children benefit from procedures which ensure they are taken care of if they have an accident or need medication. All regulatory paperwork is well maintained and confidential. Children's health is promoted.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are offered a good selection of food which is healthy and nutritious. They are able to choose from a selection of fruit and biscuits or crackers during snack time. They are able to help themselves to water, which is readily available throughout each session and are encouraged to pour their own drinks. Children’s individual dietary needs are catered for. Children also get involved in a variety of food activities from making pumpkin cakes to kneading and baking bread. Children are gaining an understanding about food.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are able to get fresh air every day as they play in the secure outdoor area. They dig in the sand tray and can access a nice outdoor role play area. Indoors, there is plenty of room for using construction toys and using the small climbing frame or see-saw rocker. Children enjoy daily physical play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children use a building which is homely and comfortable, and has an outdoor play area which is still being developed. Children have access to a small wooded area and the supervisor has also arranged access to the local secondary school playing fields. Children are protected by a comprehensive health and safety policy. Health and safety information is displayed in the kitchen area as a reminder to staff, students and volunteers. The supervisor carries out a full annual risk assessment for the insurance company. Suitable safety equipment, such as a gate at the kitchen door and safety mats under the climbing frame, are in place. Children practise the well thought out emergency evacuation procedures which are displayed in the hall and kitchen. However, these have not been fully recorded so staff are unsure when the drills were carried out and what children participated. Overall, children are kept safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected by a comprehensive Safeguarding Children policy. It is in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. All staff have a good understanding of their role to protect children. Any existing injuries are recorded confidentially and entries are signed by parents. There are suitable procedures for dealing with any allegations that are made against staff. Visitors are required to sign the visitors book. A well written arrival and departure policy ensures children are only collected by nominated persons. Children's wellbeing is promoted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are welcomed warmly onto the premises and they enter happy to participate and eager to learn. Children rise to the challenge as they search for their name to post on a magnetic

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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 board for self registration. All ages of children play with all the same toys, but they are treated as individuals and each one has an individual play plan. The staff are beginning to work on the Early Years Foundation Stage and have adopted the unique child ethos from it. However, the Birth to three matters framework is still in use and staff have a good understanding of it. Children are busy and very interested in the activities provided. Their favourites are playing in the garden, searching for bugs or digging in the different shingle and earth pits. They enjoy close relationships with staff as they read books and tell each other stories and investigate different creative activities from clay to painting. Staff are always on hand to aid play, chat with or offer a caring hand when needed. Children are encouraged to make relationships with

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

different staff members not just their key worker. Children are very happy to attend.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and there are good planning systems in place which are very varied and very flexible. Staff carry out observations on the children which are comprehensive and informative. They easily identify children's next steps. However, there are no systems in place to ensure that each child's next steps are fully covered in the planning. The only system available is a verbal system which relies greatly on staff memory. Activities are regularly evaluated in writing and differentiation is also considered. Staff are encouraged in reflective practice and are able to monitor themselves. All staff contribute to effective teamwork.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children in receipt of funded nursery education are making good progress towards the early learning goals. All children are able to use computers very well, as they operate the mouse to complete programmes. They also use a number of press button play computers and ably use magnifying glasses to investigate bugs in the garden. They have plenty of opportunity to be creative and develop their creative skills as they explore the different textures around them. They create rubbing pictures, use clay or play-dough and build items which enhance their play. For example, they have constructed a child sized robot that they can dress up in.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children happily use books in the book corner, listen attentively to stories at story time, and enjoy talking and discussing things with staff at snack time. For example, children learn potatoes have eyes as they discuss a potato sprouting. They have good verbal interaction with their peers and staff, are confident in talking to visitors and are keen to show off their achievements, such as winking. Children have a good sense of time and the seasons as they discuss these daily at group time. They have posed for photographs to help construct a time line book which is displayed in the book corner and shows the group routine in detail. Children enjoy role play, especially in the outdoor play house and use dressing-up clothes and accessories to enact their home lives and enhance their imaginations.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have access to a good range of mathematical games and activities. The older children can ably count past 20 and can identify numbers out of sequence. They talk about measuring worms. However, staff need to be more aware of using more mathematical language and offering more mathematical challenges to children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children discover new physical skills as they carefully climb the raised wooden stepping stones in the garden and ably jump from the highest one. They get involved in action games and work as a team as they use the parachute to control a ball. They sing and dance to music and enjoy frequent sessions with musical instruments.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have access to a range of toys and books which show positive images of equality. There are some books with dual language content. Children are involved in a number of different festivals and celebrations throughout the year, such as Chinese New Year for which they dress up as a dragon. The comprehensive equalities policy covers staff as well as children and families. The staff are very able to provide support for children with additional languages. They learn words in the child's language, provide pictorial time lines so that children get to know and understand the routines within the group and discuss the child's needs with parents. Children with learning difficulties and disabilities are also well catered for. The special educational needs policy and fully trained Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator closely monitors children and works with other health professionals when required. The staff have all completed training for

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Helping children make a positive contribution

being an Autism friendly pre-school. Children are provided with individual care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are well behaved and work well with staff. They have good relationships with their peers and happily take turns and share toys. Children are involved in tidy-up time and are given responsibilities during the session. For example, there is a daily monitor who helps at snack time. The monitor receives a certificate thanking them for their hard work. The children have helped to make the rule board positioned near the book corner. They regularly look at it and discuss the posed photographs of children being helpful or arguing. Children receive affirmation for their good behaviour. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from their parents exchanging information with staff. Parents receive lots of written information about how their children are cared for and the Birth to three matters framework that is used to assess the children aged under three years. The parent notice board contains lots of information about health care. Parents inform staff about their children's home life, feelings and demeanour on a daily basis. Parents report that they are very happy with the care offered to their children. One parent said 'They're brilliant!' Children benefit from continuity of care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Those parents whose children are in receipt of funded nursery education report that they are well informed and receive written information about the Foundation Stage. They regularly see their child's observational record. They also report that they can be involved in their children's learning if they want. For example, they can stay and play or borrow toys and books to use at home. They bring in articles of interest and collect items for projects. Parents feel that their children are making good progress.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are looked after by staff who are suitable. The provider has a good range of staffing policies which cover recruitment and vetting procedures, induction and regular appraisals. They all hold current Criminal Record Bureau checks. There is a separate student placement policy and procedures for volunteers to be aware of. Staff attend regular training courses and workshops to increase their knowledge and keep up-to-date on current childcare issues. Children are cared for by knowledgeable staff.

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Organisation

The provider displays her registration certificate. All regulatory paperwork is in place and well maintained. For example, a list of staff who work on the premises is readily available for inspection. Staff and children's records are also well maintained and are checked regularly 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 insure information stays correct. The operational plan is made up of a variety of documents which are well thought-out. Children's records are confidential and are stored appropriately in a locked cupboard. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. The owner employs a supervisor to ensure the setting meets the regulations and to look after the day-to-day running of the group. The supervisor is organised and methodical, and regularly reviews all the policies and procedures with the aid of the staff. She is very aware of staff's individual strengths and weaknesses, and uses their strengths to her full advantage. She also encourages them to apply for and attend regular training courses and workshops. The supervisor and her deputy are very proficient at monitoring the planning and delivery of the Foundation Stage and give the children a good variety of experiences.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider received two recommendations to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues and to ensure that privacy can be provided for all children when needed. Since then staff have all attended Safeguarding Children training to reinforce their awareness of child protection issues. The hall's owners have also partly renovated the toilet areas and the doors have been re-hung. Children's privacy is now protected.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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

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Complaints since the last inspection

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure emergency evacuation procedures are practised on a regular basis and that all children have the opportunity to participate

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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):

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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 • encourage staff to use more mathematical language to challenge children, particularly in the areas of calculating, space and measurement • ensure that systems are in place for each child's 'next steps' to be fully covered in the 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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