Greggs Mill First and Asquith Nursery School

Charlwood Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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122691 Unique Reference Number 12 February 2008 Inspection date June Fielden Inspector

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Chapel Road, Charlwood, Horley, Surrey, RH6 0DA Setting Address

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077115 27949 or 01293 862327 Telephone number

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E-mail

The Trustees of Charlwood 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?

Charlwood Pre-School is run by the Trustees of Charlwood Pre-School. It opened in 1983 and operates from a single story building within the premises of Charlwood Infant School in Charlwood, Surrey. A maximum of 24 children may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday term time only, from 09:15 to 11:45. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 18 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 17 receive funding for early education. Children come from Charlwood and the surrounding community. The pre-school supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs five members of staff and all hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 follow effective hygiene routines to maintain their good health. The tables which they sit at are cleaned with antibacterial spray before and after children eat, to prevent the spread of infection. They wash their hands before they eat and after using the toilet, and dry them on paper towels to avoid the risk of cross-contamination. Sick children are excluded to protect others from infection, and written permission for the emergency medical treatment of children is obtained from parents, to safeguard their welfare.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are offered snacks which include healthy options, and are given the choice of milk or water to drink with their food. A jug of water is available for children to pour themselves a drink at anytime, to ensure they are not thirsty. All staff are made aware of children's allergies. Staff provide puzzles that develop children's understanding of healthy foods and talk to them about the effect that exercise has on their bodies after they have been running around.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children spend time outside each day, riding around on the wheeled vehicles to strengthen their muscles, and playing with the pre-schools wide selection of outdoor play equipment. Staff lead children in a daily keep fit session after registration, when they stretch, jump and move their arms and bodies around. Children rest in the quiet book corner if they are tired, where there are bean bags and cushions for them to use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play in a warm and welcoming environment. Posters and examples of children's work are displayed on the walls, making the setting bright and colourful for both children and parents. Toys and equipment are interesting and challenging, and effectively meet the needs of all children that attend the setting. Resources are easily accessible for them to help themselves to, as they are stored in open fronted cupboards and on low level shelves.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are some efficient measures in place to ensure children's safety. Risk assessments are regularly completed and fire drills are held every half term. A record of these is kept by staff. There is a secure system for the arrival and departure of children and fireguards are fitted around the heaters in the setting to prevent them from burning themselves. However, the glass mirror in the role play area is currently accessible to children and impacts on their welfare.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected from harm as there is a designated member of staff responsible for child protection, and all staff regularly update their training in this subject. Staff understand how to record their concerns and report them to the appropriate authority when necessary.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Younger children participate in the same activities as the older ones, but staff differentiate them according to their needs. The focus activities are simplified for them, and they receive additional support from staff. Some tasks are aimed specifically at the younger children, as staff provide activities which they know they will enjoy, such as cutting and sticking and sand play. More creative tasks, including the use of play dough are also planned for these children.

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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 use the Birth to three matters framework when planning for younger children, and make regular observations of their progress. The pre-school use development records to these children's achievements.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children learn through whole group teaching, free play and focus activities. Staff speak to children in a friendly manner and ask them questions to make them think and to assist them with their activities. They explain tasks in a simple manner to ensure that children understand, to enable them to complete tasks for themselves. Staff take advantage of unexpected situations that occur to introduce spontaneous activities to children, to develop their knowledge and understanding. For example, children were taken outside at the start of the day to look at the water on the bird table, to enable them to see how it had changed overnight, as it had turned to ice.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Effective planning is in place. The pre-school have a two year long term plan which ensures coverage of the Foundation Stage curriculum. The medium term planning shows the main activities that will be taught each week, while the weekly plans give the daily tasks children will complete for each area of learning, and the theme for the week. There is a daily focused activity sheet which shows how the task will be differentiated to meet children's needs, and these are evaluated by staff. They make regular observations of children, and key workers use these to update their profiles. The entries they make in children's records are dated and colour coded to show in which term the achievements were made. Some examples of children's work and photographs are also kept as evidence of their progress. Observations made by staff are used to inform future planning, and staff complete play plans for children to show their next

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

steps and the activities they need to experience to aid their development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to speak to the whole group at the start of the day, when they bring in objects that begin with the letter of the week to share with everyone. This develops children's understanding of the different sounds letters make and boosts their confidence in speaking in front of others. Children are given the opportunity to act independently, as they are expected to put on their own coats before they go outside, and to assist staff in tidying up. They eagerly show their work to staff, as they know that they will receive praise, which raises their self esteem. Snack time is a sociable occasion when children talk to each other and members of staff while they eat. Staff talk to children about what they are doing while they complete activities to develop their language skills. They are provided with a variety of resources to enable them to practise mark making, as they sit with staff while they build their name in letter

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

cubes, or write it for themselves on paper.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are involved in counting through everyday activities, and show that they know the order of numbers beyond ten. They count how many objects a child has in her bag, and count down before they start jumping when they are exercising. Children match objects according to size and colour. They work out what the date is each day and one child writes down the number of children attending the session on a slate. Staff introduce children to basic calculation by asking them to work out how many are present when another child arrives in the morning, or how many are left when someone has gone to the toilet. They develop their hand-eye coordination as they engage in threading activities and use mosaics to make patterns. Children use their small muscle skills to pick up and place small figures, or bend them to make them sit down.

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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 Children are provided with a wide range of role play equipment and dressing-up clothes to enable them to develop their imaginative play. Children make their own musical instruments and play these during their music sessions. Staff sing songs with children to develop their sense of rhyme. They follow the hand movements made by staff to accompany their singing. Staff support children as they complete computer programmes and set the level of difficulty to match children's age and abilities. They are involved in sponsored activities to raise money for charity and learn about other countries and their language through the different themes they follow. Resources which include a large tape measure, magnet and kaleidoscope are always accessible to children to develop their skills of investigation.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are all treated equally by staff and spoken to in the same manner by them. Staff obtain extensive details about children's specific needs when they start at the setting, including their likes and dislikes. The pre-school has a broad range of resources to promote children's understanding of diversity. Although the setting does not currently have any children with learning difficulties and disabilities on roll, a member of staff is responsible for meeting the requirements of these children and has attended training in this subject. The pre-school understands the need to liaise with other professionals and to adapt activities to meet the requirements of these children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management and the strategies they use are developmentally appropriate. If children continue to behave inappropriately parents are informed, and staff work with them to ensure continuity of care. Good behaviour is promoted by praise and staff act as good role models for children. Staff teach children to share and they cooperate well together in the role play area. They work alongside each other in an amiable manner when using the computer or playing with the toy garage. The setting fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is good. There is a parents notice board which provides them with general information about the setting and the policies and procedures folder is easily accessible to them. This includes a complaints procedure to ensure that parents are aware of how any concerns raised by them will be handled by staff. Parents are invited to join the pre-school committee, to be involved in the running of the group and to attend the social occasions it organises for both parents and staff. The notice board and parents newsletters inform them about the theme for the current half term and the shape or letter of the alphabet their child will be working on each week. Parents are also involved in the setting by being asked to provide resources for particular events or activities. They are also welcome to share any particular skills they have with the children. Parents are pleased with the care provided for their child and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

believe that they receive plenty of feedback on their educational progress. They are made aware that they can see their child's records at anytime. Staff regularly talk to parents about children's achievements, and inform them if there is anything they need to work on at home with their child. The pre-school holds coffee mornings for parents and they are invited to the events which they hold at Christmas and Easter. Key workers try to form a bond with parents, so that they will see them as approachable if there is anything they need to discuss. Parents are provided with information about the Foundation Stage curriculum when their child starts at the pre-school, and details of this are also available by their notice board. The planning is displayed on the notice board inside the setting, which parents can see when they drop off their child.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's safety is assured when visitors are present, as they are required to sign in and out of the setting, and a member of staff remains with them at all times. Staff attend training courses to update their knowledge, and children benefit from being cared for by well qualified staff that have built good relationships with the children. There is an effective recruitment system in place to ensure that appropriate staff are appointed and the supervisor monitors their induction at the pre-school. Efficient contingency arrangements are in place to provide cover for absent staff. Children's records are stored securely, to maintain confidentiality and the certificate of registration for the setting is on display, to ensure parents are aware of the conditions under which the group operates.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is good. Staff communicate effectively with each other through monthly staff meetings when planning is discussed, and short weekly meetings to talk about any issues as they arise. All staff have had training in the Foundation Stage curriculum, are involved in the planning and share the task of writing up the plans for the group. The supervisor delegates her duties to the deputy supervisor when she is absent and other members of staff have particular roles to fulfil within the setting. Most duties are rotated between all of the staff, to give them equal responsibility. Staff are supportive of each other and work well together as a team, with the minimum amount of instruction from the supervisor. The supervisor sees her roll as being responsible for the day to day management and running of the setting, while the committee provide her with advice and help. They are involved in the recruitment procedure

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Organisation

and raise funds for the group. The pre-school consider future improvements and have an action plan for the current term. However, the setting does not currently have a staff appraisal system in place. Consequently, staff are not provided with a formal opportunity to discuss their future development and to ensure that their training needs are effectively identified and met. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom they provide.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last care inspection recommended that the pre-school obtain written permission from parents before administering medication to children and that it should keep a written record, signed by parents, of medicines given to children. It further recommended that the setting ensure that children have an appropriate range of resources that promote positive images of disability.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The pre-school now obtains written permission from parents before all medication is given to children, and keeps a written record of what they have administered, to safeguard their welfare. The setting has purchased additional toys and books to raise children's awareness of disability.

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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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Complaints 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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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 that the mirror in the role play area is made safe for children to use.

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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): • ensure that there is an appropriate staff appraisal system in place to enable staff to maintain their professional development.

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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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