Milton Keynes Primary Pupil Referral Unit

Jack and Jill Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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134310 Unique Reference Number 10 January 2008 Inspection date Margaret Davie Inspector

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Rear of Mill Lane CP School, Mill Lane, Chinnor, Oxfordshire, OX39 4RF Setting Address

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E-mail

The Trustees of Jack & Jill 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 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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Jack and Jill Pre-School was established in 1978 and operates from a purpose built building at the rear of Mill Lane School, in Chinnor, Oxfordshire. A maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. It is open from 09.15 to 11.45 and 12.50 to 15.20 on Monday to Thursday and 09.15 to 11.45 on Friday, during term time only. In the summer term there is also a session from 12.50 to 15.20 on Friday afternoon. A lunch club operates Monday to Thursday from 11.45 to 12.15. The pre-school operates for two weeks during the summer holidays from 09.15 to 11.45 for children on the pre-school register.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 58 children from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 48 receive funding for early education. Children come from Chinnor and the surrounding villages. The pre-school currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs seven members of staff. All of them hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a further qualification. The pre-school receives support from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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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 develop good personal hygiene through their daily routine. They play in an environment that is very clean and well cared for. They always wear indoor slippers, in order to keep the floors clean and suitable for play. Resources such as water, play dough and sand are changed regularly to minimise the spread of germs. Children wash their hands after messy play, after using the toilet and before eating, routines they are clearly familiar with. Staff take time to show them how to do this properly and remind them to dry their hands thoroughly so they don't get sore in the cold weather. Children who are in nappies are changed in privacy and with a good regard to hygiene to prevent the spread of germs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receive good care in the event of a minor accident or illness because staff have relevant first aid qualifications. All documentation for children's care is in place, for example, permission from parents to seek emergency medical advice and treatment, should it be needed. Children's continuity of care is supported by the recording of all accidents and parents always asked to countersign the entry. However, parents are not routinely asked to provide details of any prescribed medication given to children before they arrive and there is potential for confusion and risk to children's good health because parents are asked to sign the accident book rather than the medication book to acknowledge any administration of medicine.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health benefits from very good opportunities to develop their physical skills. They develop their small muscles as they master control of pencils, scissors, rollers and cutters, and use small tools and resources in their play. They exercise their larger muscles in the pre-schools outdoor play area, riding on trikes and scooters, pushing trolleys, climbing, and crawling through the tunnel. In very poor weather they climb, slide and jump using the indoor climbing frame. They get plenty of fresh air and exercise on walks in the locality or when exploring the field of the adjoining primary school.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receive healthy snacks such as fresh fruit and vegetables, and sandwiches with healthy fillings. They receive a drink of water or milk at snack time and at lunch club, and have regular access to fresh drinking water throughout the day. Parents of children who stay for lunch club are asked to provide healthy lunch boxes and to avoid adding foods which any of the children at the setting have allergies to. Good social interaction is encouraged at lunch club as children eat at a small table with their friends and a member of staff. Snacks are served to small groups of children at the bar adjoining the kitchen and good organisation ensures staff can easily monitor each child's intake. However, children are not encouraged to develop good eating habits as food is not served on plates, which also increases the risk of spreading germs when they place their food and hands on the bar after they have been in their mouth.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children play and learn in premises that are very safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. Children and their parents are made to feel very welcome as they are warmly greeted by staff when they arrive. Children have outstanding access to a range of facilities and equipment which promote their development. Their work is attractively displayed in the foyer and main room, and there are plenty of notices to remind all users of the importance of safety features such as emergency evacuation in the case of a fire.

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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 Children play in an extremely well organised environment because staff plan the room lay out very carefully. Toys and activities are set up before children arrive, with a member of staff at each activity to greet children warmly and enthusiastically, thereby encouraging them to enter the pre-school with confidence to join their friends in play. Tables are strategically placed to discourage running and very good explanations help children to understand the importance of using equipment safely, for example, when using the indoor slide and climbing frame.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children clearly enjoy using the very wide range of toys and resources that are in excellent condition and regularly checked to ensure they remain safe and clean. Toys are well suited to the ages and needs of the children and promote their development in all areas. Children move around the room confidently, selecting toys and resources according to their own preferences. They enjoy sand and water play, painting and craft, playing in the extremely well resourced home corner, preparing and sharing meals with their friends or caring for the baby dolls. Children love playing in the outdoor area, enthused by the pre-schools excellent range of outdoor resources such as trikes, scooters, and a large climbing frame. To protect children's health an excellent range of awnings provide shade during sunny weather.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from very thorough risk assessments. Staff and committee members are very proactive in identifying and minimising any potential hazards. Access to the pre-school is through a locked door and a record is kept of all visitors. This ensures no unauthorised persons can enter the setting and children can play in safety. Children learn about keeping themselves safe because staff regularly talk to them about safety issues, for example, children staying for lunch club discuss what they should do if they hear the fire alarm. Older children learn about road safety while taking part in the 'footsteps' programme. Very good staff deployment ensures that children are well supervised during all activities to keep them safe.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are very happy in the pre-school. Their achievement is excellent because staff are highly skilled and have a very thorough understanding of early years guidance and provide high quality care and learning opportunities. Children arrive full of enthusiasm and keen to participate in the many activities that are already set out for them. New children are very well supported by staff who are sensitive to their needs, and whose care helps them to settle and go about routines with growing confidence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children quickly develop a sense of self confidence and trust because of the caring relationships staff develop with them. They approach tasks confidently and are not afraid to ask for help if they need it, for example, when trying very hard to write their name on their work. Children speak enthusiastically during circle time, encouraged by staff to share news with each other, for example, about their recent holiday. They count the number of children present during registration, counting beyond 10 with confidence, and then reinforce this learning by clapping the number and singing simple number songs. They greatly enjoy listening to stories and are learning to develop a love of books. For example, children who stay for lunch club enjoy looking at books while they wait for their friends to finish eating.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Children are excited by the range of stimulating activities which are offered to them. They particularly enjoy acting out simple nursery rhymes and role play. For example, they develop their speaking and listening skills,

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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 imagination and sense of fun as they dress up as the three bears and organise a re-enactment of the story. Staff are extremely supportive and enthusiastic about the activities children involve themselves in, watching sensitively and intervening skilfully to promote learning, which encourages a high level of motivation in the children. Staff talk to them about what they are doing, asking appropriate questions to help them develop thinking skills and extend their learning. Older children benefit from small group time during 'explorer' sessions with a view to preparing them for the transition to more formal education.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's individual needs are extremely well met, because staff take the time to find out about them as soon as they start in the pre-school and build upon this information successfully to ensure they make very good progress toward the early learning goals. Excellent systems are used to observe and record children's progress and this information is used very well to plan activities which suit their needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children make very good progress in developing early writing skills and phonic recognition. For example, children spontaneously write lists in the home corner, address envelopes to their family and friends, and make themselves notes on the blackboards. Many write their name recognisably and are developing very good pencil control, for example, making lines while following along car routes. They learn about rhyming words when trying to find objects in a bowl that rhyme with each other. Children are very confident with numbers, regularly counting beyond 10 and often beyond 20, when counting the number of children in attendance. They recognise and name simple shapes, and the older children collect, record and interpret data when investigating which nursery rhyme is the children's favourite.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children develop an outstanding knowledge and understanding of the world, enjoying many opportunities to be explorers and investigate the world around them. For example, they discover which materials float or sink while playing with the water tray, and view and describe different materials using magnifying glasses. They explore the outdoor environment with a great deal of enthusiasm, for example, using binoculars to watch birds in the trees or the horses in the neighbouring field, and are very keen when looking for evidence of wildlife on the field of the neighbouring school.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children of all ages play together very well. Older children act as role models and are made to feel special when asked to describe the exciting activities new children will experience in the explorer group. All children go about their daily routines with growing confidence, for example, changing their coats and shoes for outdoor play, serving themselves a drink and carefully washing their hands whenever necessary. Older children benefit from taking part in a formal programme to learn about road safety.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are well known because staff make every effort to get to know their individual needs. The starter pack gives parents good opportunities to pass on any relevant information about their child in the 'All about me booklet'. Settling in sessions, where children gain confidence in the company of their parents, provide good opportunities for staff to get to know them in a safe and secure way. As a result children soon develop high levels of trust and settle extremely well. All children are treated as individuals, with equal concern and as a result they feel valued and special. Staff make every effort to inform themselves about important occurrences in children's lives, for example, celebrating birthdays or the birth of a new sibling and new children are made to feel special by a formal welcome in the newsletter.

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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 Children's behaviour is excellent. Regular praise, encouragement and discussion ensure that children quickly understand what is expected of them and learn to understand the difference between right and wrong. This helps them to understand how to regulate their own behaviour. Relationships amongst children are very good. They develop firm friendships, organising games for one another or helping each other to develop skills. For example, a child watching his friend model with play dough asks him how he made his enormous birthday cake. With guidance from his friend, he makes one for himself and then they both delight in singing 'Happy Birthday' together. Children who stay for lunch club feel special because they sit and chat with staff while eating. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with learning difficulties and disabilities receive a high level of quality care. Experienced staff consult with outside professionals to ensure that support is programmed to meet the needs of the individual child. Programmes are carefully planned and carried through and as a result children make very good progress and take full part in the setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. This contributes to children's excellent progress. Relationships are very friendly and professional, and clearly focused on the benefit of children. Valuable information is gathered from parents before children start in the pre-school which helps staff to determine how best to care for them, taking parental preferences into account. This means that children receive high quality continuity of care. A continued two-way flow of information between staff and parents ensures that children's changing needs are clearly met. To support children's welfare parents receive a good range of information about the setting including a prospectus and regular newsletters. Policies and procedures are always available for parents, however, the complaint's procedure is missing contact details for the regulator.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents of children in receipt of nursery education receive excellent information about the pre-school and the Foundation Stage. They are regularly invited to open evenings and very happy with the information they receive about their child's progress. Records are always available to parents and they receive an extremely detailed leaver's report with excellent information about their child's development.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The setting is well organised to care for children. Space is used well and organised with a clear view to protecting the safety of children while allowing them to move around freely and to choose activities in accordance with their own preferences. Clear recruitment procedures are in place and all staff are vetted to protect children's welfare. Staff are very well qualified and keep fully up-to-date with training, in order to ensure children's development is well supported in all areas.

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Organisation

All required documentation is in place to support the care of the children and is very well organised. Ratios are always observed to ensure children's needs are effectively met. Policies and procedures are well presented and shared with parents, however, the recommendation from the last inspection to ensure the regulator's contact details are contained within the complaint's procedure, has not yet been met. Accident and medication records are appropriately kept, however, there is a potential risk to children's continuity of care because of the way medication records are shared with parents. Children benefit from good opportunities to learn about healthy eating and children who attend the lunch club learn about good eating habits,

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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 however, the pre-school has not given sufficient consideration to minimising the spread of germs at snack time.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of nursery education is outstanding. The manager has a clear vision and aims for the setting. Staff work incredibly well as a team to ensure children receive excellent support and to monitor and improve teaching with the aim of helping each child to make steady progress toward the early learning goals. The pre-school uses self evaluation well to monitor and improve provision. 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 time of the last inspection the pre-school was asked to ensure that the arrival and departure times of children and staff were accurately recorded and to ensure that the complaints procedure contains contact details of the regulator.

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Improvements since the last inspection

To ensure the safety of children, registers were redesigned to accommodate arrival and departure times of staff and children, however, the complaints procedure continues to lack correct contact details for the regulator. Therefore, this recommendation remains outstanding.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The pre-school was also asked to ensure that planning incorporated opportunities to experience patterns in language and rhythms. Children make excellent progress in this area of learning because opportunities such as clapping out numbers, patterns in nursery rhymes and following the beat of music with clapping, musical instruments and body movements have been incorporated into planning.

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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 outstanding.

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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 parents are asked to countersign records of administration of medicine in the medication record

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • ensure snack time promotes good eating habits and minimises the spread of germs • ensure the complaints procedure contains the contact address and telephone number of the regulator

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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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