Lydiard Millicent Pre-school

Lydiard Millicent Pre-school Inspection report for early years provision

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199450 Unique Reference Number 12 December 2007 Inspection date Karen Louise Prager Inspector

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Lydiard Millicent Primary School, The Butts, Lydiard Millicent, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 3LR

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E-mail

The Trustees of Lydiard Millicent 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?

Lydiard Millicent Pre-school was registered in 1989, but in 2001 opened in its current building. It operates from one room in a purpose built building on the grounds of Lydiard Millicent Primary School. The pre-school serves the local area and surrounding villages.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school is registered to care for 18 children from three to five years. There are currently 21 children from three to five years on roll. All of these children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The provision supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group opens five days a week during term times. Sessions are from 9:15am - 12:15pm.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Three part-time staff work with the children. All have early years qualifications. The setting receives support from an Early Years Leading Teacher and Special Needs Co-ordinator from the local authority.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children learn the importance of personal hygiene with well established daily routines. They know, for example, that they must wash their hands before eating their snack. Staff supervise this and discuss with children the importance of thorough hand washing to remove the invisible germs. Effective procedures such as, wiping the tables before snack and the regular cleaning of resources help to prevent the stop of infection. Children’s health care needs are suitably promoted as staff liaise with relevant professionals and parents which enables an appropriate individual care plan to be established when required.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from a range of healthy and nutritious food during snack time. Water and milk are provided at this time. Parents are encouraged to provide bottles of water for the children which they can access at any time, though water is also available throughout the session on request. Children develop their awareness of the importance of healthy eating through activities and discussion. Staff liaise with parents and children to ensure that food and drink provided complies with all special dietary needs. This ensures that children remain healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are able to rest and be active. They enjoy and learn the importance of physical activity in maintaining a healthy lifestyle as vigorous outdoor physical play is a daily feature of the pre-school provision. This promotes the development of a positive attitude to exercise. Children are able to play under supervision in the school playground and there is also an adjacent enclosed play area with a grass surface which is used for part of the year. Children are able to develop their large muscle skills through the use of a variety of equipment such as a parachute, tricycles and hoops. Staff provide a small selection of resources that promote other areas of the curriculum.

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Helping children to be healthy

Currently the range of resources and activities to encompass all areas of the curriculum is limited.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in premises that are clean, well maintained and kept at an appropriate temperature throughout the seasons. Their risk of accidental injury is minimised as staff perform a daily risk assessment and are constantly vigilant in the supervision of children. Children select from a wide range of safe, good quality, developmentally appropriate resources. Further resources are stored on the premises and are available to children on request. Children become aware of safe practices, such as the safe carrying of scissors when tidying up. This helps children learn to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children’s welfare is safeguarded by staff that have a clear understanding of child protection issues, confidentiality of information and the correct procedures to ensure children are protected.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are settled and happy within the setting and are confident in their relationships with practitioners. Children benefit from routines which are flexible. This enables activities to be offered according to the children’s interest.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children play happily together, and with other adults, enjoying using resources such as craft, role-play, small world toys and outdoor equipment, suitable to their age and development. Staff have a good understanding of the activities that are appropriate for the age and the interests of the children attending.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The stable staff team have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage and are aware of the areas of development covered by activities. They know the children well and are aware of their differing stages of development. Staff plan a wide range of age appropriate activities, which include all areas of the curriculum. Regular observations and assessments are undertaken of each child and these are recorded against each of the six areas of learning. From these observations and assessments staff are able to plan the next steps in the children’s learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children concentrate well on a wide range of generally interesting activities. For example one child enjoys exploring paint and patterns as he rolls a cotton reel in paint. Children learn about he changing seasons as they discuss the change in weather and the need to put their coats on when it is cold and frosty. Children are learning to use information technology to support their play, for example when using the computer to play games. Children increase their fine motor co-ordination by the safe handling of a variety of tools including the computer mouse, crayons and scissors, as part of their daily play. Children regularly take part in creative activities where they can experiment with a range of materials, such as making pictures from an assortment of craft resources. Children have daily opportunities to exercise and through discussion become aware that when they are active their hearts beat faster.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children speak confidently to their friends, and in a group situation. They enjoy reading books and handle them with care, turning the pages and studying the pictures. They become familiar with print through the many examples around the room and learn to recognise their names when they find their seat at snack time. Children are gaining confidence in using one handed tools, such as paint brushes, and glue spreaders. Children are becoming aware of different sounds. They have taken part in a listening walk where they carefully listened to sounds around the school grounds. They also enjoy the regular singing of songs and sounding out the initial sounds of words. Children count well, for example when counting the number of children present in their group. They use numbers effectively when playing hop-scotch in the playground. Older children are encouraged to calculate and recognise that nine cups are not sufficient for

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The pre-school welcomes all children and seeks to meet the needs of all children attending. Children are very well behaved and polite in response to the expectations of practitioners. They

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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 are encouraged to sit still at story time and are rewarded with stickers when this has been a particular achievement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children have practical experiences to gain awareness of other cultures through activities that help them learn about the lives of others. For example, participating in activities relating to the festival of Divali. Children occasionally enjoy outings in the immediate locality, for example when they walk down the lane, or look at the cows in a bordering field. Children visit the adjacent school classroom which serves to familiarise them with a school setting and eases the transfer to school when the time comes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the positive partnership staff have developed with parents. Parents receive regular newsletters and an annual questionnaire invites feedback on the provision. Practitioners continue to share important information about the children’s needs and interests through informal dialogue. Children benefit from this two way sharing of information between parents and practitioners which enables children to feel settled and secure.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Leadership and management is good.

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Organisation

Children’s care is well supported by staff who have appropriate knowledge and experience for their rolls and responsibilities and are suitable to be with the children. A range of appropriate policies and procedures are available within the setting for staff and parents to read and refer to. These are reviewed annually by the committee in consultation with the staff. Most required documentation is maintained. However, the clearance procedure for committee members is not always promptly progressed.

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Organisation

The playroom is organised with the children’s needs in mind. There is space for table-top play, floor play and some cushions on which to rest. Some resources are pre-selected by staff and children are also able to request further resources. These resources are not always presented in an inviting manor which means that children are not always drawn to explore and create, for example, in the role-play area.

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Organisation

Staff are well supported by each other. Suitable induction training is in place for new staff and the provider ensures that all staff hold a current first aid certificate. Ongoing staff supervision takes place and an appraisal on staff performance is carried out annually. Staff have a strong commitment to improving practice and updating their knowledge. The provision meets the needs of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection three recommendations were raised relating to the variety of provision around children's snacks, creativity and questioning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

All these areas have improved. Children now have a wide range of healthy snacks, with an alternative of fruit available for children who do not wish to eat the planned snack. The staff have increased opportunities for children to participate in dance, dressing up and role play. Some planned craft activities take place as well as regular opportunities for children to create

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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 their own pictures and patterns using a variety of media. Staff also respond well to children's requests for specific stories or activities which boosts children's confidence and ability to make their own decisions.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 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): • ensure clearance procedures for the committee are swiftly implemented when required. • improve the presentation of resources to make them more accessible and inviting to the children

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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): • extend the variety of activities for children when playing outdoors

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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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