Ormiston Chadwick Academy

Longwick Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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140864 Unique Reference Number 08 February 2008 Inspection date Susan Mary Deadman Inspector

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Longwick Village Hall, The Green, Longwick, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, HP27 9QY

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E-mail

Longwick 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?

Longwick Pre-School has been open in its present venue since 1990. It operates from the Village Hall, using the main hall, foyer, toilets, kitchen, store rooms and an enclosed outdoor play area. It is situated in the village of Longwick between Princes Risborough and Thame. A maximum of 24 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The group is open each weekday during school term times, from 09.30 to 12.00 and again from 12.30 to 15.00 on Monday and Wednesday.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 31 children from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 27 receive funding for nursery education. Children come from the village and surrounding areas. The setting currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The pre-school employs six staff, four of whom 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 gain a clear understanding of the importance of healthy eating as staff provide them with nutritious food options. They enjoy bananas, apples and cheese at snack time and have a choice of milk and water. Children have independent access to drinking water during the session, which keeps them hydrated. Staff have a clear knowledge of children's individual dietary requirements and ensure that children do not have access to specific food items. Procedures are in place to ensure the kitchen items are clean and children wash their hands before snack time.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from frequent access to a good range of physical play equipment. They enjoy using the large play apparatus in the park and are confident at balancing and climbing. Children make good use of the secure garden, large playing fields and concrete area outside the hall. They run around in the wind, carrying streamers and pretend to be animals with their tails behind them or just enjoy watching the streamers blow as they run around. Staff organise the main play room to enable large and small groups of children to enjoy indoor activities such as skittles. Children dress appropriately for large group physical education activities, as they remove top clothing and run in bare feet. Staff remind them to stretch if they have been sitting for long periods.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff further promote children's awareness of a healthy lifestyle as they use the garden area to grow vegetables. Children participate in projects in relation to healthy eating, which increases their knowledge and understanding.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff hold valid first aid certificates, which enables them to deal with accidents appropriately. Staff liaise with parents in relation to children's health care requirements. However, there are no procedures in place to gain parents' written permission to seek a necessary emergency advice or treatment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children happily enter into the exceedingly well-organised setting. There is a very good amount of clear play space, which enables children to move around freely between the various activities. Children benefit from independent access to good range of age appropriate play provision. The reception area is organised to enable parents' access to relevant information.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are generally good procedures in place to ensure that children are safe and secure. Staff are highly vigilant during outings to the local park. For example, children only play on apparatus, which is monitored by staff. The main hall door is locked, which prevents access by unknown persons and visitors sign the record book. Risk assessments are completed on larger outings, which promotes children's safety. However, they do not include relevant indoor activities and are not always strictly adhered to. For example, staff bring their hot drinks to the snack table, which does not promote good safety practice.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff promote children's welfare as they have a good understanding of child protection procedures. They discuss information with parents and record issues or injuries children have on arrival. There are effective systems in place to gain parent's signature on this record. The child protection procedure includes allegations against staff members. However, the organisation

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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 of this part of the policy is confusing, as it is within the safe handling policy. Induction arrangements for new staff are clear and as a result, persons who are not vetted, do not have unsupervised contact with children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enter the setting enthusiastically and are eager to participate in the wide variety of activities. They have independent access to a very good range of play activities, which are stimulating and fun. For example, the water play activity contains a vast range of sea life including octopus, flatfish, whale, seal and starfish. Children enjoy showing staff the various objects and giggle as staff chase them back to the water-play area shaking the shark behind them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The large hall is set out to facilitate all types of play. For example, without hindrance to others, children play a game of skittles, whilst others concentrate on construction activities. The book corner is enticing with comfy cushions and a good range of books.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a very clear understanding of the Foundation Stage and provide a wide range of stimulating activities. Planning is effective and gives high regard to all the early learning goals. There is a very good range of topics and themes and plans show that children cover a wide range of subjects. For example, they learn about floating, use binoculars and magnifying glasses, measure worms and learn about hibernation. Staff evaluate the activities, to enable them to make any changes required the next time they use the same activity. Staff use observations to plan for the next stage of children's learning. They make good use of the information to guide planning for individual children and are developing systems to record children's individual aims in activity plans.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The play area is carefully organised to encompass all areas of learning. For example, children use the indoor slide and climbing frame and then step across coloured shape mats, which lead to a playhouse. Inside the house, children snuggle in sleeping bags and have lots of fun. The information technology table is varied and on some days contains items such as telephones and keyboards. At other times children have use of a computer. During this activity, children demonstrate good mouse control and social skills. For example, one child is in charge of the mouse whilst their two friends excitedly stand beside, offering advice and guidance. They jump up and down excitedly as the child makes the correct decision and gains a 'well done' on the computer screen.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Excellent use is made of themes to extend children's learning. For example, staff use props when telling the story of Mrs Honey's hat. Children are delighted to add certain objects to the hat in relation to the story. They laugh as they see the spider and the seaweed dangling from what was once a beautiful hat. Staff build on children's enthusiasm for this topic and encourage them to draw their own hat as staff write about what they have placed on it. Children then design their own paper hats using a variety of materials.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children gain a clear understanding that print carries meaning as they 'mark make' for a purpose. Staff provide notepads in the opticians and in the writing area. Children thoroughly enjoy role-play in the opticians as they try on the good variety of glasses and admire themselves in the mirror. Staff enhance this activity as they encourage children to use the number charts for

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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 the eye tests. Children are competent at counting and practice this skill during other daily routines, such as snack and circle time. During number rhymes such as five currant buns, children use play food and money counters. This enables children to see the items in front of them and predict how many will be left each time one is removed. It also encourages participation and adds to the children's enjoyment, which supports their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Good use is made of the dough making activity to reinforce children's understanding of mathematical concepts. Staff use terminology such as one third full. They show children what that actually means, which reinforces their understanding. Staff take the opportunity during all activities to extend children's language development. They talk about the author and illustrator at story-time, ask children questions about heavy and light and encourage children to feel objects to see if they are rough or smooth.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about others in the community as they have outside agencies such as fire fighters, come into the setting. Parents are also encouraged to be part of this and are invited to share a skill or perhaps read children a story.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. There is a very good relationship between staff and children. Staff greet children warmly and give parents time to discuss the issues. Children generally behave very well. Staff manage age appropriate disagreements in a sensitive manner, which supports children‘s understanding of right and wrong. Staff promote positive behaviour through praise and provide children with good role models. They encourage good manners and children respond eagerly to the request to help tidy away the toys. Children gain an understanding of others through planned topics, such as Diwali.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff support children who have additional needs. The special educational needs coordinator undertakes additional training to support and enhance her knowledge and understanding. Staff work well in partnership with parents and outside agencies. This effective communication promotes children's development as it ensures consistency and enables children to make progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Children benefit from the effective exchange of relevant information, such as health care issues. Staff gain a good amount of details relating to the individual care of children. They maintain clear records, which detail various contact numbers, dietary requirement and permission forms. Parents are extremely confident about the service the preschool provides. They enthuse about the commitment of all staff and the individual attention each child receives. The written complaints procedure provides parents with relevant information, although does not include the Ofsted address. Parents receive information on the early learning goals and are regularly invited into the setting for verbal and written feedback. The communication diary and easy access to planning sheets, enables parents to see how their children make progress and the types of activities they take part in. Children's spiritual, moral,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The leadership and management of the setting is good. A high level of staffing ensures that children are secure and settle confidently in the warm and welcoming environment. The manager

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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 and staff are pro-active and committed to future development. There are effective strategies for the induction of new staff and clear procedures to assess and support staff development. Staff attend relevant training, which enhances the care and development of children. Courses include the Foundation Stage, child protection, early year’s first aid and behaviour management. Staff review practice to reflect the learning during their training. They are enthusiastic and provide children with positives role models. The manager has a very clear overview of the setting and works alongside staff. Weekly meetings ensure effective communication and support the planning of activities for individual children. The manager, deputy and staff team provide an efficient, well-organised and stimulating environment.

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Organisation

Records are kept to a generally high standard. There is clear information relating to children's individual details and records show their actual hours of attendance. The wide range of policies and procedures generally enhance the care staff provide to the children. For example, the allergy awareness policy ensures that the setting maintains a strict nut free policy, which is incorporated into procedures to include old food packaging used for junk modelling. Accident and medication records predominantly contain the required information.

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Organisation

Effective organisation ensures that parents have easy access to a good range of relevant information. Parents are extremely supportive of the group and volunteer to help with cleaning duties, which enables staff to spend more quality time with the children. 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 previous inspection, the preschool was required to provide more mathematical opportunities for children and to develop ways for parents to contribute to progress reports. The manager monitors the planning of activities and observations on the children. Changes to session plans include more opportunities for problem-solving within the curriculum. Children are motivated to learn and understand mathematical concepts by staff who plan appropriate and challenging activities.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Staff share children's progress reports with parents, who are invited to discuss their child's achievements. Two-way communication is in place through the use of individual diaries. These hold the record of children's work and information relating to their progression. Parents confirm that they have the opportunity to respond either verbally or in writing. The preschool committee organises social gatherings for parents and staff use these times to provide further explanation of the stepping stones to parents.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The preschool were also required to review children's access to the toilet area to maintain their privacy. Also, to ensure the accident and medication records contain the required is detailed. The two toilets children use are situated within one disabled toilet room by the main entrance. To promote children's privacy in this area staff have minimised the need for children to use this area for hand washing as they now provides bowls of water, soap and paper towels by art and craft areas. This has gone some way towards addressing the issue and the manager was able to describe further possible actions she will consider to promote privacy.

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Improvements since the last inspection

In general, the medication and accident records contain the required information. Since the previous inspection, staff have not been required to administer medication. However, previous record show staff gain parents' written permission prior to administering medication. To facilitate good practice, the manager will review the medication form to include parent's signature, to show they have been informed that the medication was administered. The vast majority of

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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 accidents are recorded appropriately. However, on rare occasions although the time was recorded, the date was omitted.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the previous 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): • request written parental permission to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment • extend risk assessments to ensure they promote safety in relation to individual activities and hot drinks • review the organisation of the child protection policy to clearly show the procedures to follow in relation to allegations of abuse by staff members • ensure all accident records contain the date of the incident.

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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 develop systems to ensure plans identify the learning aims for individual children.

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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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