Sundon Park Junior School

Canford Heath Church Pre-School 1 and 2 Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

109555 Unique Reference Number 09 October 2007 Inspection date Christine Coram Inspector

p.1

Canford Heath United Reformed Church, Mitchell Road, Canford Heath, Poole, Dorset, BH17 8UE

p.1

E-mail

Canford Heath Church Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are outstanding.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Canford Heath Church Pre-School is committee run and opened in 1971. It operates from halls and rooms in a church hall and youth centre and is situated in Canford Heath, Poole. The setting is divided into two classes. A maximum of 52 children may attend the setting at any one time. It is open each weekday from 09.15 to 11.45 during the school term, with a lunch club from 11.45 to 13.00 on specified days. Two additional sessions are run in the afternoons for two year olds from January to July. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 49 children from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 36 receive funding for nursery education. The majority of the children come from the local area. The setting currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting employs eight regular members of staff. Seven of the staff, including the group leaders hold appropriate early years qualifications and one member of staff is working towards a higher-level qualification. The setting have achieved ‘Aiming for Quality’, the Quality Assurance Accreditation from the Borough of Poole and the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

p.2

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

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children health is significantly enhanced through the excellent opportunities for physical play and fresh air. A well thought through range of activities includes bikes, sand play and books giving children plenty of choice. On wet days, they have wonderful opportunities for physical play in the sports hall where they learn and practise a wide range of physical skills. They warm up before physical exercise. This promotes safe play and teaches children excellent habits for the future.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

The children’s hygiene is promoted exceptionally well. Members of staff undertake meticulous cleaning of tables before snack. Staff have to clean the premises as the centre does not employ a cleaner. Staff demonstrate considerable dedication. The rooms are pristine and well ordered, despite being used by others in the week. Children benefit from excellent arrangements for hand washing. They have portable hand washing units made available to them because they cannot independently access the bathrooms.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children’s nutritional health is promoted particularly effectively. Children with dietary needs are very carefully protected. Their details and photographs are displayed for the staff to make sure that their needs are fully met. Children actively contribute by making healthy choices. They select their snack on arrival and as the year progresses, the choices become healthier and children are increasingly encouraged to choose these. They learn about healthy eating through stories, projects and cooking and food preparation activities. For example, they make fruit salad and pasta dishes.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are kept extremely safe because staff are very clear about the safety and protection procedures and vigilantly maintain them. For example, members of staff are involved in the activities but frequently look up and are aware of what is happening in the rest of the room. They immediately move to an area where children are becoming boisterous and calm the situation. This means that children are protected from potential hazardous situations.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are also protected very efficiently because risk assessments and daily checks are carried out in detail and with great care. Necessary action to improve safety is noted and put into practice very quickly. Staff check the equipment in the outside area, for example. They test the slide by trying to shake it in all directions before the children are allowed to use it. Children are safe as they play outside.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The premises are used by other members of the public, but the rooms used by the children are vigilantly kept locked so that the children are secure. Excellent procedures have been put in place to protect them as they move around the building, so that they move efficiently and without hazard to the sports hall, for example. Children learn to keep themselves safe through a range of thoughtfully prepared projects about safety such as firework and road safety through frequent conversations when on outings. They also learn excellent habits from an early age, which protect them in the setting and beyond. For example, they all recite the procedure for walking down the stairs such as holding the rail and not pushing, each time they use the stairs.

p.3

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 are kept safe from harm and neglect because the staff have a clear understanding of the issues and there are effective procedures in place.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children thrive and make rapid progress as the eagerly engage in the purposeful activities offered. These provide a wide range and variety of rich experiences. The resources are carefully chosen to entice children to learn and practise new skills and to consolidate their learning in a contrast of fresh and familiar activities. Younger children enjoy resources and activities that are tailored to their needs. Their progress is assessed by extremely knowledgeable and skilled staff. The interaction and support offered by all staff members enhances the enjoyment and progress of the children immensely. They talk and listen to the children throughout, and ask questions and support the children with skill.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Staff have an excellent understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and are confident to articulate the aims of activities, relating these to the Early Learning Goals. They can also describe extensions to the activities to challenge the more able children. They are supremely encouraging. Staff use a variety of highly effective teaching methods and supported free play is especially successful. Staff encourage children to try for themselves. For example, when children ask them for help, they support them in thinking of possible solutions to the problem or asking ‘where do we need to look for that?’ so that children’s confidence and independence rapidly grows.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

A broad sweep of activities and themes are planned. These include topics from nature, community projects and visitors to the setting. Activities are thoroughly evaluated. The aims of activities is clearly given and then notes are made for individual children about the success of the aim. Staff also comment on the value of the activity and the children’s involvement and enjoyment. They evaluate how the activity could be improved for the future. A similar exercise is undertaken for all the core activities. The children are then asked what they enjoyed in the session and what they would like staff to provide in future. These suggestions are incorporated in the planning.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children’s progress is accurately recorded and their ‘learning story’ evaluated. Targets for learning for each child are highlighted each term and discussed with the parents. Key workers are clear about the stages of development of their key children in each of the areas of learning.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The needs of children with specific requirements are met with great care, knowledge and understanding. The Special Educational Needs Coordinators are well trained and vastly experienced. Procedures and resources needed for individuals are carefully thought through and provided. For example, staff sign with the children and use good visual prompts. Children who speak English as an additional language are also supported very well.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children arrive with great confidence, and enthusiastically look to see what activities are on offer and immediately involve themselves in constructive play. They focus and persist at activities very well. Their social skills develop rapidly. Children that are more confident call to others to join in their play with them and they play in groups, co-operating with each other. They are extremely well behaved. They are beginning to see the needs of others and spontaneously meet them. For example, one child heard another say that she needed glue and handed hers to her.

p.4

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 Children are very talkative and chat happily to adults in their play. They are beginning to hold long conversations with their peers. Confident children give instructions to others and use increasingly complex sentences. Children develop a love of books and stories. A group of three-year-olds choose to sit in the book corner together to look at books. They talk and laugh together for some time as they look at the pictures. They turn the pages carefully and in the correct order. Children are beginning to understand that writing carries a meaning. Staff are careful to explain what they are writing when they label work with the child’s name. They also develop skills in maths. They learn to count and recognise numbers, and are beginning to associate numbers with quantity. Some have increasingly advanced skills in matching numbers.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They also have an increasing understanding of shape and measure. For example, a three-year-old called a rectangle a square until the features were pointed out and then named it correctly. Another three-year-old fills a cup with soil nearly to the top and states that it is ‘big’.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children delight in exploring textures. A three-year-old puts their hand in a dish of seeds and notices the different textures. They experiment with pens on a white board, making dots, discovering that a hard dot becomes a splash of colour. Children develop skills in technology. A four-year-old changes the compact disk and turns the volume down on request. Children are inspired by a display of resources from Africa and make associations with the resource book. Children are engrossed in free cutting and sticking, creating pictures to their own design. They show obvious enjoyment as they sing and clap, to the rhythm of the music. A three-year-old quickly identifies that the sound of the pen squeaking resembles a song. The child confidently sings the song. Children are involved in very detailed imitative play in the well-resourced role-play area.

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children delight in a range of movements. For example, they run and jump with good control and confidence. They dance, moving arms and hips rhythmically to the music. They competently use a range of tools and equipment such as scissors, small hoops, monkey bars and bicycles, which they steer with increasing skill.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children thrive and flourish in a wholly inclusive setting where children are valued as individuals and supported according to their level of need. The staff have an excellent knowledge of the needs, personalities and stage of development of each child and equality is promoted at all times. Children learn to value others through a range of activities and resources. For example, there are supremely positive images around the room of children from varied cultural backgrounds. The children are attracted to the pictures and talk with staff about them.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s behaviour is exemplary. They respond very willingly to staff’s requests. Behaviour is managed in a very positive way and focuses on the desired behaviour. Simple explanations are given to the children and they are frequently and cheerfully reminded of the preferred way to behave. The children’s level of understanding and maturity is wholly understood by the staff, who always speak to the children at an appropriate level. Children are positively influenced by staff who carefully provide wonderful role models for them. For example, they politely ask each other to choose a child to give out the cups and thank the children for a lovely day at the end of the session. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is clearly fostered.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. Staff visit each child at home before they start at the setting. They get to know both the parents and the children, and have an excellent opportunity to share information and gather important details about the child. Parents report

p.5

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 that they are very happy with the level of information given about the curriculum and mentioned both the prospectus and the news letters as good sources of such information. The are clear about the records kept about their child’s progress and view and discuss these each term at a consultation evening. They are confident to add their own remarks and observations. They also report that they can talk to staff each day and that staff give plenty of information about the child’s day. They are given suggestions of how to follow through the learning at the setting with their child at home.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The organisation of the setting is excellent and well thought-through. Space is used very effectively to allow plenty of areas for play. Children can move around with great ease and in safety. The outdoor area is also used particularly well. The area is divided to give space for energetic play whilst the other area gives opportunities for children to safely play in the sand or read books in the fresh air. Children are supported well because staff are deployed efficiently and work in a calm and well ordered fashion. They know their roles and carry these out purposeful. The session runs very smoothly so that the children gain the most from their activities. All the required documentation is in place and efficiently maintained. The setting clearly meets the needs of the range of children for whom they provide.

p.6

Organisation

Children are cared for by suitable and well-motivated staff because the system to recruit is effective and the procedures to vet adults are careful and thorough. New adults in the setting know what is expected of them because the managers provide a thoughtful and knowledgeable induction programme that highlights the most important issues such as health and safety, confidentiality and child protection from the first day. The staff are highly skilled and a high proportion are well qualified. This ensures that children’s care and education is of the highest quality. Staff have many opportunities to attend training courses and workshops and are actively encouraged to do so.

p.6

Organisation

The leadership and management of nursery education are outstanding. There is a clear and successful vision to provide high quality outcomes for children. This is achieved in practice through innovative activities and a vibrant learning environment. The managers provide a very positive influence for staff through example and clear guidance. They motivate the staff through working alongside them and giving ownership through responsibility. This also helps to develop the staff’s skills. The managers are able to identify the strengths of the programme and areas where they would like to see improvement. They have a very clear over-view of the curriculum. Parents are consulted annually for their views on a range of issues. The commitment of the managers to improvement and providing high quality provision is very evident and the staff are equally committed to the task.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

At their last inspection, the setting agreed to develop the operational plan to include details of the day to day running of the setting. In nursery education, they were asked to consider increasing the opportunities for children to see writing used as labels and as a means of recording their observations, thoughts and comments, and offer more opportunities for children to spontaneously begin to record for themselves.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

The operational plan now contains the necessary detail to ensure continuity in the care of the children, should the managers not be available. Many opportunities have been introduced to

p.6

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 encourage children to record for themselves. A good example of this is an activity where children take photographs in the setting and then adults write their thoughts about it as a caption under the displayed photographs.

p.6

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.

p.7

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.

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.7

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.

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are outstanding.

p.7

The quality and standards of the care

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

p.7

The quality and standards of the nursery education

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

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.7