Stocksbridge Nursery Infant School

St Bonaventure's Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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107054 Unique Reference Number 26 February 2008 Inspection date Carol Cox Inspector

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St Bonaventures Church, Greyfriars Hall, Friary Lane,Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 8HP

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E-mail

The Trustees of St Bonaventures 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 outstanding. 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?

St Bonaventure's Pre-School opened in 1965 and operates from the parish hall in Bishopston, Bristol. A maximum of 24 children may attend at any one time. The pre-school opens from 09:00 to 13:00 each weekday during term times. All children share access to outside play areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 32 children on roll age three and four years. Of these, 28 receive funding for early years education. The pre-school has experience of supporting children who have 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 seven members of staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is 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 outstanding. Staff promote children's health very effectively. Children develop excellent independence skills through daily routines and sensitive support from staff. For example, children access the toilet independently, know they must wash their hands after messy activities and are encouraged to help with routine tasks such as washing up after snack time. There are vigorous procedures in place to ensure the safe administration of medication. Staff hold current paediatric first aid certificates and are able to deal appropriately with any minor injuries, these are carefully recorded and parents sign to confirm all entries. Children are very well protected from the spread of infection through stringent procedures and clearly written policies, such as an exclusion policy when children have infectious diseases. Staff work very closely to support families and nurture children's emotional well-being.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from an abundance of activities to enjoy fresh air and play outside in the school playground and the presbytery garden. They develop superb physical skills through using a wide range of well maintained equipment. Staff carefully observe children but allow them to extend and challenge themselves. For example, two girls expertly pedalled their tricycles backwards downhill and demonstrated excellent control. In the garden children run and explore or relax on the patio in the sunshine. Children thoroughly enjoy specialist sessions of 'Stretch and Grow' and show a clear understanding of how to follow instructions. Staff help them learn about their bodily needs through gentle reminders about having drinks after exercise and explaining why their bodies get hot when they're running about. When children need to rest there is a cosy book corner where they curl up with books.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from a wide range of healthy and nutritious snacks and drinks. Children have regular opportunities to become involved in cooking and preparing foods and enjoy tasting different fruits from other countries. For example, when a parent visited the group to show children how to wear a sari they also tasted naan bread. Parents are given guidelines about the healthy lunchbox policy in line with the school next door. Children are protected from allergic reactions to food because staff meticulously record each child's dietary and health needs on the registration forms. These are always dealt with in a sensitive and confidential manner to preserve children's dignity and self-esteem.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. The large hall is made welcoming for children by the staff who use their initiative to display children's work and provide a range of challenging activities and resources in a limiting environment. For example, staff provide interesting alternatives to sand which they are not allowed to use. Staff work extremely hard to provide an exciting range of toys, resources and equipment which stimulate and support children's learning. For example, children are challenged to use their imaginations when playing in the 'whatever you want to make it' area. Children's independence is further encouraged as they freely select toys and resources to support their own learning through play. Children's safety and well-being is effectively promoted through the excellent knowledge and practice of staff. For example, when taking children out to play in the playground or garden staff take a large kit bag of essential resources such as tissues,

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

bug collecting pots, the register, mobile phone and first aid kit.

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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 Staff are rigorous in their daily checks of the premises, playground and garden. They make detailed risk assessments for each activity and every outing. Children are never left alone with people who have not been checked by the Criminal Record Bureau. All parent helpers, students and volunteers are given clear guidelines about their roles and are always supervised by staff. Visitors to the pre-school are asked to identify themselves and their visits recorded. Staff are vigilant about fire safety, and regular evacuation drills are held to include all staff and children; these are logged with detailed relevant information. A rigorous collection procedure ensures that all people authorised to collect children are introduced to staff by the parents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a very thorough knowledge of how to recognise signs and symptoms of different forms of abuse and closely follow a meticulously detailed child protection procedure. Staff have experience of supporting children and families in difficult situations and rigorously follow the guidelines of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. A local police officer visits the group and talks to children about how they can keep themselves safe.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children enter the pre-school happily and purposefully. They are greeted warmly by staff and quickly join their friends in chosen games and activities. Staff form good relationships with parents and carers and work closely to identify the needs of each child and plan how to meet them. They have built good relationships with other support agencies and are happy to liaise with them to seek resources or expertise to meet any specific needs that children may have. Staff have an excellent understanding of how to best support children at different ages and stages of learning through positive interactions and their high regard for children's happiness and continuing development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children make excellent progress in all areas of learning because knowledgeable staff have a great understanding of how to plan effectively for individual children's learning and development. Each key worker maintains a meticulous record of children's achievements. The learning diaries include relevant and detailed observations of children's achievements and are illustrated with photographs, anecdotal descriptions and examples of children's work. Staff readily share the learning diaries with parents who are encouraged to contribute their own observations of children's achievements. The staff group meet regularly to discuss children's progress and plan the exciting programme of learning based on children's own ideas and interests.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident and eager learners; they are excited by new experiences and encouraged by staff to extend their learning. They show wonder and astonishment at their discoveries. For example, in the presbytery garden children collected snails and carefully examined their shells before returning them to their homes. Staff have an intuitive knowledge of when to intervene in children's own games and how to offer opportunities for further learning. For example, when talking to a group of children about the holidays a member of staff helped a child work out the month of her holiday through carefully structured questioning linked to the child's own birthday.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop mark making through every day pre-school activities. For example, a child joined a group playing with a construction kit and used a clip board and pencil to draw around her hand and those of others. Some children are

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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 able to write their own names clearly and most understand that marks have meanings. Staff support this burgeoning learning through scribing captions from children's dictation onto their pictures. Children love story time and often use familiar stories to colour their imaginative role play. Children recognise their own names and use clearly labelled cards to self register.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are very skilful at adapting activities to involve children of differing abilities. For example, two children enjoyed a board game which involved counting. One child needed support to count to six, the other child was confident in counting and was challenged to begin adding and subtracting as part of the game. Children use number skills as part of all of their activities. They recognise and name shapes when building, weigh and measure ingredients in cooking activities and talk to each other about relative quantities when playing with foam and play dough. Visitors to the pre-school bring special skills and knowledge to share and extend children's experience of their own and the wider community. For example, children learn French, take part in arts workshops and enjoy exercise sessions. They thrive on the stimulus of meeting new people and eagerly join in activities and are happy to share their ideas when discussing their games. Thus,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children flourish in the rich and abundant range of activities supported by intuitive and knowledgeable staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. The pre-school staff value children holistically and recognise the importance of their families. Children are highly valued as individuals. Staff use their considerable skills to observe and assess children and work in partnership with parents and other professionals to meet their specific needs. Children learn to value differences through simple, everyday activities, such as discussing how their families celebrate Mother's Day, thus acknowledging the differences between families. Children quickly learn to value diversity and enjoy learning about the lives of others. Parents are fulsome in their appreciation of praise for the pre-school staff and highly value the excellent support children are offered on preparing to move on to school.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff have a very good understanding of how to help children learn to manage their own behaviour. There are simple, positive rules in place and staff offer good role models. If children have difficulties with each other staff gently intervene and offer positive alternatives. Children learn to take turns and share through well supported games. The complaints procedure and records are made accessible to all parents, as yet no complaints are recorded.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is outstanding. Parents are highly valued as prime partners in their children's learning and development. Staff give parents clear and useful information about the Foundation Stage curriculum and their children's development and progress through regular informal chats and formal meetings. For example, a whiteboard displays daily information about forthcoming events so children and parents can prepare to join in. The next activity is World Book Day when children are invited to dress up as their favourite character. Parents enjoy learning more about how their children learn through helping on the rota, sharing knowledge and skills, and choosing books to take home to share with their children. Overall children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. Leadership and management is outstanding. Children flourish in the thoughtfully managed pre-school which is committed to offering high quality care and education. Staff are very

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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 well-qualified and attend regular training to ensure they have current knowledge of best practice in all areas. For example, the whole staff group will participate in training for the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. The staff meet regularly to plan the programme of exciting activities based on children's own interests and identified next steps in learning.

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Organisation

The parents' committee have a great deal of invaluable expertise to call upon and support staff very well. There is a two-way staff appraisal system which identifies the strengths and areas of development for each staff member and informs the training and development plan for the whole pre-school. Staff are committed to excellence and continually monitor and evaluate the quality of care and education on offer. They have achieved The Bristol Standards quality assurance scheme twice and find the process of reflection invaluable when planning future developments. They work closely with the local primary school which helps children when they move on. Local reception class teachers visit and the pre-school children use the school playground for outside play.

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Organisation

The learning and development of all children is further enhanced by the high level of staffing. The recruitment procedure is robust and includes an opportunity for applicants to work alongside children under the supervision of staff. There are rigorous systems in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Volunteers and students are given clear guidelines to ensure that children are safeguarded at all times.

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Organisation

All necessary documentation, policies and procedures are in place and made available to parents. The committee and staff continually review policies and procedures to make sure they meet current regulations and best practice. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the pre-school was asked to address the following recommendations: to ensure that appropriate records are kept of all visitors attending the group; and to ensure that appropriate references are requested for members of staff. There is now a careful record maintained of all visitors who are also asked to identify themselves on arrival. The recruitment procedure is rigorous and written references are obtained for all staff. Thus, children's safety is further secured.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection the pre-school was asked to address the following issues: to continue to develop and monitor planning and assessments to ensure that older and more able children have opportunities to link sounds to letters, write for purpose in their play and use their mathematical awareness to solve problems in everyday routines and activities; and ensure that parents and carers are fully involved in the process of assessing their children's development and that they have regular opportunities to contribute to the assessment of progress records. Children routinely use mark making and mathematical skills in their everyday play supported by the good knowledge of the staff. There is now a robust system in place to record children's learning and this is linked to planning. The staff meet weekly to plan for children's learning based on good assessment records. Consequently children's learning needs in all areas are very

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Improvements since the last inspection

well addressed. Parents and carers are involved in their children's learning and both informal and formal meetings with staff. They also enjoy many opportunities to participate in activities that children enjoy and contribute special skills. Thus parents are offered many opportunities to learn more about how the children learn and 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

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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 outstanding. 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

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

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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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