Queen Elizabeth's Community College

Goring Little Fishes Inspection report for early years provision

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113498 Unique Reference Number 28 November 2007 Inspection date Teresa Colburn Inspector

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Goring United Reformed Church, Shaftesbury Avenue, Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex, BN12 4EA

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Setting Address

07803 001018 or 01903 531551 Telephone number

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E-mail

Goring Little Fishes 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?

Goring Little Fishes opened in 1995. It operates from a permanent pre-school classroom, and meeting room, within the United Reformed Church premises, in the Goring area of Worthing. Goring Little Fishes is a Christian based group that is open to all faiths, and serves the local area. A maximum of 18 children may attend the setting at any one time. The setting opens Monday to Friday 08:30 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 16:00 term time only.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 38 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 30 children receive funding for early education. Children attend from a wide catchment area. The setting is able to support children with 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 setting employs four members of staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications. In addition one member of staff is currently working towards a recognised early years 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 learn about the importance of personal hygiene routines and are protected against spread of infection. They fully understand the importance of blowing their own noses, dispose of used tissues appropriately and wash their hands. They enjoy being the 'towel monitor', giving paper towels to their peers after washing their hands prior to snack, and ensuring the tables are clean before eating. Most staff hold a current first aid certificate. This means they can give appropriate care if there is an accident. Parents give prior written consent to administer medication that ensures children receive the correct dosage according to their needs. Children's accidents are dealt with and documented effectively.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing healthy eating habits as they are offered daily healthy snacks. Children enjoy outings to the local shops to purchase snack items for their friends, they eagerly arrive back to the setting and put the purchases into the snack basket. Children enjoy selecting and eating carrots, satsumas, apples, raisins and bananas. They enjoy the social interaction with peers and staff during snack times. Children have free access to fresh drinking water through the session to prevent dehydration. Staff ensure children's utensils are sterilised daily to ensure they are thoroughly clean to use.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children play outside and extend their physical skills, on a regular basis. Their fine motor skills are developing well, as they confidently select and use small equipment such as pens, pencils, scissors and various size paint brushes. Children greatly enjoy playing in the indoor sand area, they enthusiastically pour sand from one container into another and attempt to build towers.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from playing in a well-organised environment which allows them to move around and play safely. The environment is stimulating with a variety of child size equipment and displays and photos of children and their work helping them to celebrate their achievements and feel at home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Regular risk assessments enable staff to identify and address potential hazards and ensure children's safety is maintained at all times. Children are unable to leave unattended and all visitors must ring the bell to gain entry. A written fire procedure is displayed and a fire drill is practised every half term. The outdoor play area is fully enclosed and safe for children to enjoy regular fresh air. Staff deployment is effective and guarantees children are well supervised and safe at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is promoted with regard to child protection. Staff have a good awareness of the signs and symptoms of abuse and understand the procedures to follow if they are concerned. Staff have attended child protection training. There are good systems in place to ensure children only leave with known adults.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive and settle into the setting, playing with familiar toys and equipment. They benefit from good relationships with staff who support them in their play. Children are happy and relaxed in their play. Children show considerable independence and make choices about their toys and resources they wish to play with.

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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. They plan and provide a stimulating environment to enable children to make good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff observe children during free play and use their notes to assess children's achievements. Staff substantiate observations with photographs of children completing activities and samples of children's artwork prior to completing the child's profile. This helps staff fully to identify children's stage of learning and allows staff to plan in the next steps in each child's learning. The setting operates an effective key worker system, staff know their key children well. Staff are skilled at deploying themselves to offer children support and space to initiate their own play independently. Clear procedures are in place to help meet the needs of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from receiving a warm and sensitive response from staff who are considerate of their needs and feelings, which helps foster a strong sense of belonging. The routine is organised to give children maximum time to choose what to play and develop their ideas and there is sufficient equipment out for children to choose from, giving them a balanced range of play activities over the session. The whole group comes together at certain times of the session to share a story, sing, or communicate with the setting's 'puppets'. Playgroup puppets are utilised to further reinforce good sharing and taking turns and promote hygiene practises. Some children are very confident and happily speak in front of the group, and quieter children are given support to gain the same level of confidence and ensure they can still contribute.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy books and handle them carefully. They spend time reading and sharing books with friends and adults. For example, a small group of children enjoy reading 'Dear Zoo', they negotiate turning pages, naming animals and making the animal sounds. All the children listen intently to each other, enjoying the informal story time with peers. Children's spoken language is developing well. They learn to negotiate well and express the imagined experiences during a range of role-play situations. For example, when dressing up with each other. Children are provided with opportunities and resources to freely mark make.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are interested in numbers and counting. They are beginning to represent numbers in various ways. Children enjoy a range of practical activities and use free play to promote an understanding of space, number and measurements. For example, children enjoy informal counting during sand play. Children are confident in using information and communication technology. They demonstrate good mouse control when playing age appropriate games on the computer. Children learn about themselves and the world around them through planned activities. Children use their imagination and express their ideas in a variety of ways. They act out various scenarios during free role-play. Children enjoy a good range of creative activities, for example play dough, cooking, dressing up, dancing and painting. Children enjoy music and singing familiar rhymes. They move around with confidence and co-ordination, showing an awareness of others.

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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 are treated equally and fairly, where they learn about the wider world and learn to respect the needs of others. They show good social skills with high levels of courtesy and respect for each other. Children celebrate festivals and have acceptable resources available to them to increase their awareness of the diversity of the world. As a result, children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There is good provision to support children's individual needs. A designated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is in place who has a good understanding of the Code of Practice and how to support children and parents, through the use of individual education programmes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is handled in a clear, calm and gentle manner so children understand what is expected of them and are happy to comply. Children are given praise for their achievements and are clearly held in high esteem by the staff, which helps children to feel good about themselves.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. All children are valued as individuals and their needs are effectively met using information gathered from parents. Parents' feedback is positive and parents said they were very happy with the friendly staff and the range of resources available, children enjoy attending the playgroup, and children are happy. Parents receive suitable information about the setting before children commence and complete suitable registration forms to ensure staff are aware of individual needs. Parents can freely access the setting's policies and procedures. Parents receive some information about the curriculum and are informed about their child's progress. Staff build good relationships with parents which enables them to work coherently.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff work well very well together as a team. They understand their role and responsibilities. Staff prepare the environment with a range of stimulating resources and equipment prior to children's arrival, which enables children to play freely on arrival. A high staff ratio ensures staff deployment is effective and ensures children are well supervised at all times. Children receive good support from staff who know them well. Staff are well supported, with regular meetings helping to ensure consistency of care. They are cheerful, approachable and welcoming, this contributes to children's happiness whilst at the setting.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of nursery education is good. There are clear effective procedures in place for the recruitment and vetting of staff to determine their suitability and keep children safe from harm. Suitable contingency plans are in place to cover for staff absences to ensure children always have appropriate supervision. Policies and procedures to guide the staff team are in place, and available to parents. These are used effectively to promote the welfare, care and learning of children. At present some documentation requires some minor amendments to ensure it is in line with the current legislation. The management is fully aware of the need to continually review all documentation to ensure it is in line with current legislation. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last care inspection the nursery ensures medical records are confidential and ensures staff are fully aware of the need to contact Ofsted in the event of a serious accident. This ensures all documentation and procedures are in line with current legislation.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the previous nursery education inspection the nursery has increased the opportunities for children to further explore media and materials to foster their creativity. This helps supports children’s in progressing in their learning and development of creativity.

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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): • continue to review all documentation to ensure it is in line with the National Standards

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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): • continue to further provide parents with more information on the education programme within the setting.

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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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