Holly Primary School

Tandridge Village Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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122727 Unique Reference Number 23 November 2007 Inspection date Gillian Cubitt Inspector

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Tandridge Village Hall, Tandridge, Surrey, RH8 9NN Setting Address

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E-mail

The Trustees of Tandridge Village 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?

Tandridge Village Preschool has been established since 1998. It is a committee run preschool and operates from a community hall in the village of Tandridge. The children have use of one main hall and the playground of St. Peter's School.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting serves the local community and is open during term times Tuesday to Friday, from 09.00 to 12.00. Afternoon sessions are on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12.15 to 15.15.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 38 children, aged from two to five years, on roll. This includes 26 funded children. The group supports children with disabilities, educational needs as well as children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A team of nine staff work with the children. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications and two members of staff have the Introduction to Childminding Practice. One member of staff is working towards a qualification. There is also a team of emergency and volunteer staff available to cover absence.

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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 good hygiene practices and learn the importance of routines. For example, children learn that eating areas need to be clean to prevent the spread of germs. They therefore ensure their hands are clean before eating and they clear their plates and cups away after they have finished; leaving the area clean and prepared for someone else to enjoy their snack.

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Helping children to be healthy

As children arrive for their session, they put their plastic drinking bottle on the entrance table so that they can easily reach it whenever they are thirsty. Occasionally practitioners remind children to have a drink, especially after rigorous exercise which helps to promote children’s developing awareness of their bodily needs. Children learn about healthy eating as they each contribute by bringing one item of fresh fruit to each session. This gives children a good daily selection and introduces them to interesting varieties. They enjoy preparing the fruit, learning about the properties of each as they cut and peel these in presentation for their friends. Children's dietary needs are carefully observed and adhered to, which ensures that food consumed is suitable and appropriate for children's needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are appropriately looked after if ill or if they have an accident through good awareness of procedures and practitioners’ commitment to being all trained in first aid. Although medication is rarely given during sessional times at preschool, there are correct procedures in place should the need arise, which fully supports their wellbeing.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing a healthy life style and benefit from daily physical activities. The morning play outside is invigorating in the crisp winter air. Children eagerly wrap up warm and have fun wheeling around on bikes, scooters and playing ball. Refreshed, with glowing faces, they return to the warm hall ready and alert to participate in the rest of their morning. Children learn about their bodies through good topic work which is integrated well into children’s daily play where they feel their heart go faster when engaging in healthy exercise.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming, bright environment. Their paintings of fireworks greet them at the entrance which make them feel welcome and helps them to feel safe when left by their parents or carers. Children's safety is a priority and the setting has taken sensible precautions to ensure all hazards are minimised. For example, a daily risk assessment is conducted prior to opening and also there is a more comprehensive assessment each term, covering overall maintenance and structure of the building, which impacts on children’s safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children move safely around the hall making good use of the well organised space to easily access their chosen activities. The wide range of resources are of high quality, in good condition and suitable to meet children’s learning needs. Outside, children safely play on fixed playground equipment as well as using their wheeled toys on soft and hard surfaces.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well protected through the staff’s secure knowledge of safety and child protection issues. Two members have completed recent training which has been successfully passed on

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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 to other staff members. This means that everyone is aware of their role to safeguard children, which is clearly documented in clear procedures and shared with parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are very enthusiastic about learning and arrive at nursery each morning keen to explore the very wide range of activities provided. The day begins when they eagerly and happily announce their arrival with a 'good morning' or 'good afternoon' and find their names which they proudly display on the self-registration board. These well-established routines enable children to feel secure and develop a true sense of belonging. Within this atmosphere, their self-esteem, confidence and capacity to work together develop very successfully.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children gain high self-esteem through thoughtful planning, that takes into account the different ages of the children who attend. By organising separate days for younger children, enables them to settle quickly in small groups. They are able to form strong relationships with practitioners who give them individual attention which builds upon young children’s belief in their own abilities. Older children also benefit because tasks and activities are levelled extremely well at their developing skills and competence. All children are encouraged to make choices and take on responsibilities. From an early age children help to prepare fruit for snack times, with two children working with a member of staff. Younger children are helped to wash and cut fruit, whereas older children skilfully dissect orange segments and cut apples with the minimum of assistance. Children learn quickly to share, take turns and work together because

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

these opportunities are integrated into their everyday routines. All children are confident and secure in the group and respond well to all the staff, displaying great affection for them, which is appropriately returned by staff. There is a hum of busy activity as children take delight in their chosen activities, which promotes and extends their levels of concentration. Consequently, children behave exceptionally well as they become engrossed in their learning through excellent play opportunities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make good progress because all practitioners actively participate in the planning. This underpins their sound knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum, and how children learn. Resources and topics ensure that children receive learning opportunities in all the required areas. Interesting practical activities engage children’s thoughts and stimulate their ideas. For example, children are given a selection of covers and chairs so that they can create their own tent. This engages them in good social skills as children work together; creative thinking and problem solving emerges as they decide the best ways to complete their task. Physical dexterity is then applied as they try different methods in their construction. Practitioner intervention is only given to stimulate children’s ideas by thoughtful questioning which helps their thinking process.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are learning to be independent because the systems in place encourage children to think and act for themselves. When ready, they fully attend to their own personal needs, putting on coats before going outside and taking themselves to the toilet, following good hygiene procedures. They make their own choices in their play and are allowed to express themselves freely in their own interpretation of their play experience. Snack times are social occasions. Younger children come together as a group, whereas older children may decide when they have snacks so that their concentration is not interrupted during a task. All children have opportunities to help prepare fruit and children like being responsible for clearing away their plates. Older

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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 also enjoy the added task of helping to clean tables afterwards. All of which helps to promote their personal and social skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's enjoyment of books is nurtured well. This is mainly because story tellers are able to hold children's attention narrating tales about subjects they like; practitioners maintain good eye contact with the children whilst asking thought provoking questions. For example, children have to think about what 'teddy' wears in the rain. Children eagerly participate with their ideas, some amusing and interesting suggestions. However, this helps to reinforce children's love and understanding of books. Opportunities to make marks and write arise in many ways. Children make the most of the floor space to spread themselves out, working together to crayon pictures on large sheets of paper or having fun drawing on whiteboards, cleaning them and starting again.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's understanding of numbers is carefully monitored through planned activities such as counting animals in the box where they also learn positional language, such as 'behind', 'in front of' and 'next to'. Notes are taken, to ensure children comprehend the concepts and are revisited for younger, less able children. Individual attention is also provided to reinforce understanding, such as counting pegs, relating quantity to the written number. Children's understanding of their world is promoted through resources to use their senses, using different mediums, such as sand, soil and water. Some resources help children to understand diversity in others.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's creativity is positively encouraged, through their art work, creating firework displays and role play experiences. Music is also a regular feature which children thoroughly enjoy. Singing to well loved songs, such as 'Here we go round the Mulberry Bush' fully engages the children in tuneful song. Listening to rhythm, clapping and dancing, gives children a sense of joy, enhancing their appreciation of sound and melodies as well as supporting their physical and co-ordination skills.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. There is a positive, proactive approach to the provision for children with special educational needs. Good training and awareness of key practitioners ensure children benefit from the strategies and procedures to address issues or concerns in a sensitive way. Children’s understanding of other cultures, however, is limited. There are some resources and activities designed to broaden their knowledge of the wider world but languages and cultures of children who attend are not yet fully explored to enhance children’s learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. They learn about the environment, for example studying topics connected to the seasons; differences in leaves and the changes in weather. Looking through magnifying glasses provides fascination for children as they begin to notice different markings on stones and other natural objects. Children are beginning to communicate their ideas and emotions and show concern for others, for example children showed both frustration and delight while making a tent from covers, using chairs to aid in their construction. Children express a sense of achievement when they manage a skill such as cutting along a line, or making spiders and insect shapes from play dough.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well. They know what’s expected of them and are aware of the rules and routines of the setting. They benefit from the good role models provided by the staff, who promote a positive, caring and calm atmosphere. Children relate well to each other, and are

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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 learning to work harmoniously with others, for example when tidying up at the end of the session.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is good. Children benefit from the open warm welcome that families receive. There is good written documentation about the provision, plus the detailed notice board, together with newsletters and easy access to all policies, keeps parents fully informed. They receive brief details about the Foundation Stage curriculum in their prospectus and further information is given in an informal parents evening at the end of the academic year. Parents receive daily verbal reports on children’s progress. Key workers, however, are not sufficiently proactive in seeking parents' views about what their children can already do prior to starting the Foundation Stage, which contributes to children's starting points in their learning.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. All adults employed are suitable to work with children, most are experienced and well qualified. Staff work well as a team, they regularly discuss planning and the children’s progress. Good adult to child ratios and effective deployment ensures children receive plenty of time and, where necessary, individual attention. A well designed operational plan ensures that the sessions run smoothly and children benefit from the stable routine. All documentation to support a smooth daily programme is in place although some records lack clarity. This is reflected in the daily register which shows times children are present, but does not clearly show any anomalies in attendance. The information is recorded elsewhere which makes the system cumbersome. Policies and procedures that help to promote the welfare and care of children are well written and easily accessible for

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Organisation

The leadership and management are good. The success of the setting is the strong relationship between the committee, supervisors and practitioners. They have incorporated their childcare and management experience to produce a clear vision and focus on the personal development of all children. With their on-going self-evaluation they identify their strengths and areas for improvement. An appropriate monitoring and curriculum evaluation system for the educational programme is in place. This includes staff appraisals where reflection on methods of teaching are discussed and training needs are addressed, which benefits both practitioners and children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to make a glass panel safe and provide resources that reflect disability. As a result, the cracked pane was replaced which ensures children’s safety. There is also an appropriate range of resources that show children with disabilities, promoting their awareness of differences in others.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection for education, the provider was asked to improve children's learning by setting up systems to evaluate the methods of teaching. Practitioners now have regular supervision and meetings where teaching methods are discussed. Annual appraisals also give practitioners time to reflect on their practice and make improvements to benefit children’s learning.

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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 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): • develop more clarity when recording children's times of arrival and leaving

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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): • improve systems that acknowledge customs, cultures and languages of children who attend • develop partnership with parents by obtaining prior information about what their children can do as they begin their foundation stage learning

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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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