Leek Westwood Preschool

Leek Westwood Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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218180 Unique Reference Number 22 February 2008 Inspection date Jacqueline Mason Inspector

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Westwood County First School, Westwood Road, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 8DL

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E-mail

The Trustees of Leek Westwood 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?

Leek Westwood Pre-school opened in 1964. It is managed by a voluntary management committee. The pre-school operates within Westwood First School where it has use of self-contained rooms with toilets and kitchen facilities. There is a fully enclosed area and garden available for outdoor play. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during school term-time. Sessions are from 09:00 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 15:30. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 84 children from two years to four years on roll. Of these, 57 children receive funding for nursery education. The pre-school is able to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports children for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Seven staff work with the children. All of the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level two or three. The pre-school is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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 satisfactory. Staff are appropriately qualified in first aid but children's health needs have the potential to be compromised because the setting does not have written parental permission to seek necessary emergency medical advice or treatment. There are, however, good procedures for children who are unwell to prevent the risks of cross-infection and exclusion periods are in place for children who have an infectious illness. Children are developing a good awareness of the need for good hygiene to promote good health. Staff act as positive role models and encourage children to have regard for personal hygiene, helping them to remember to wash their hands before eating and after toileting.

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Helping children to be healthy

Healthy eating is promoted well through the provision of freshly prepared and nutritious snacks that help children to develop a good understanding of healthy eating and make healthy choices about what they eat. Fresh fruit and vegetables are provided each day along with crackers, toast, breadsticks and raisins. A café-style snack time is in place for older children and this helps them to be independent in deciding when they are hungry and what they wish to eat. Special dietary needs are met well in discussion with parents and carers. Children are encouraged to recognise when they are thirsty and fresh drinking water is readily available.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy being active and their physical development is progressing well. They have daily opportunities to be outdoors where they are able to access a good range of outdoor play equipment including wheeled toys, bats, balls and ribbons. This helps children to participate in active physical play, contributing well to a healthy lifestyle.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The setting provides an attractive, inviting environment in which children are helped to develop confidence, self-esteem and a sense of belonging. The welcoming, friendly staff help to ensure that all parents, carers and children are made to feel welcome and valued. Children's art work is displayed imaginatively and good use is made of the available space to enable children to have freedom of movement between activities. The effective storage of toys helps children to develop confidence and independence as they are able select, use and tidy away toys that they have used. Toys are stored in low-level units in see-through boxes which are labelled with words and pictures to enable children to know the contents of each box. Toys are clean, safe and suitable for their purpose.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good awareness of the need to keep children safe within the setting and have effective procedures in place to limit hazards, such as keeping electrical sockets covered and using a safety gate to restrict access to the reception area. There are effective procedures for the emergency evacuation of the premises and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to ensure that children are kept safe in an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected because security of the premises is good to prevent unauthorised access and to prevent children from leaving the premises unsupervised. There are effective arrangements for the collection of children to ensure that children are only able to leave with persons nominated by parents and carers. Children's welfare is safeguarded because staff have a very good knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. All staff have attended

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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 level one child protection training and most have attended level two training. This helps to ensure that they are aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and know what to do if they are concerned that a child is being abused or is at risk of abuse.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Staff have a thorough understanding of how children develop and use the 'Birth to three matters' framework well to ensure good outcomes for children under the age of three years. They provide a varied and interesting range of activities that build on what children know and promotes their natural curiosity as learners. For example, under the current topic of 'mini-beasts' children explore a large tray of natural materials such as turf and moss to look for insects using magnifying glasses. Children become engrossed in what they are doing and staff are careful to ensure that children's experiences are interesting and stimulating. Staff reflect well on activities and strive for improvement. They evaluate children's learning experiences to ensure that they are making good developmental progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff take a good interest in what children say and do and are actively engaged in their play. A consistent routine is followed and this helps children to be settled and confident as they know what happens next throughout the session. Snack time is a good social time where staff sit with younger children and chat to them about what they have been doing during the morning. A café style system is in place for older children where they develop independence in deciding when they want to eat and drink.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good and children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a thorough understanding of the Foundation Stage and use their knowledge of how children learn to set realistic challenges. Staff provide an interesting range of activities that promote children's interests. Daily planning takes account of all six areas of learning and adult-led activities are linked directly to the stepping stones to ensure that staff know the learning intention of activities. These activities are adapted well to meet children's individual level of development and learning needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff know children well and are aware of their progress along the stepping stones. However, children's individual profile booklets are not completed with sufficient frequency to ensure that they are kept up-to-date. Staff use their knowledge of individual children to ensure that they are making progress and make regular observations of what children are doing. Photographic evidence of children at play is recorded in individual 'scrap-books' that are presented to parents and carers when the child leaves the setting.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a good sense of belonging and separate readily from their main carer on arrival. They operate independently in the environment, confidently choosing the activity they wish to take part in after the member of staff in charge of registering the group has explained what is available. Children are encouraged to be independent in self-care and readily take themselves to the bathroom and understand the need to wash their hands before eating and after toileting. They are able to make links between their home and nursery environment and confidently speak in large and small groups, taking turns in conversation and understanding the need to listen to others. They listen intently to adults and show an interest in stories, joining in with familiar phrases and words. They understand that print carries meaning and have opportunities to write for different purposes. For example, the role play area is currently a post

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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 office and the children are able to experience writing letters and envelopes, making appointments in a diary and making notes in a notebook. Some children recognise their written name and although their individual name cards are not always easy to read - due to the font used and the closeness of the letters, they know the sound of some initial letters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show an interest in numbers and counting and readily count in routine and play situations. They count spontaneously in play, such as counting the number of bricks in a tower, and have plentiful opportunities to see numerals in the environment. Children count accurately, saying a number name for each item and also recognise basic shapes. They enjoy taking part in games using shapes and readily name shapes when using them during activities such as construction and computer programmes. A good interest is shown in everyday technology such as computers. Some children are able to complete simple programmes without adult support and all children have good access to items such as telephones and calculators. Children enjoy exploring the natural world and are delighted in using magnifying glasses to find insects and worms during a topic about mini-beasts.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have access to an outdoor play area that is self-contained. It is currently being remodelled so the children are able to use the school playground which gives them lots of space for running, jumping and other active physical play. Staff ensure that children have daily opportunities for physical play and if children are not able to go outdoors then activities are provided indoors for children to be active. They are developing good hand to eye coordination and take part in activities using one-handed tools. For example, children are encouraged to spread their own butter and cream cheese on their crackers and toast using a knife when having a snack.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy exploring colour, texture and media and take part in activities that promotes their individual creativity. Although adult-led art and craft activities have a focus children are able to work independently and their choices are respected. They are developing good eye to hand co-ordination and use one handed tools, such as glue sticks, confidently.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. There are good arrangements in place to help children learn about the wider world around them and to develop positive attitudes to others. An interesting and varied range of activities is provided to promote positive images of culture, disability and gender and parents are encouraged to be involved in the celebrations of festivals and customs. For example, parents of children for whom English is a second language came into the pre-school to help children and staff celebrate Chinese New Year and provided Chinese food for children and staff to try. The toys and resources provided to promote equal opportunities are good. There are good arrangements in place to ensure that the needs of all children are met. Staff have a thorough knowledge of the special educational needs code of practice and are able to provide for children with disabilities and/or learning difficulties to ensure that their needs are met and they are fully

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Helping children make a positive contribution

included in the life of the setting. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is exceptional. They behave very well and respond positively to the high expectations of staff. Children are learning to respect the needs of others and are developing a good awareness of right and wrong. Children readily share popular resources such as bats, balls and magnifying glasses. Strategies to manage unwanted behaviour are effective and help children resolve their own conflicts through reflection on the effect their behaviour has on

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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 others. Positive behaviour is promoted well. Staff encourage children to be caring to each other and use a 'good behaviour tree' on which children can attach a leaf with a written record of their good behaviour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff have good and trusting relationships with parents to help promote continuity of care for children. Staff are always available to talk with parents and parents know who their child's key worker is. Arrangements to keep parents fully informed about the provision and their child's day are good and include the production of regular newsletters, conversation and a notice board. Partnerships with parents and carers of children receiving nursery education are good. A prospectus is available to all parents that explains both the Foundation Stage and the Birth to three framework. Information sharing with parents and carers is not sufficiently developed to keep them informed of their children's progress, for example, at the point of transfer to school. However, an open evening is held early in the spring term and a scrap book is produced for each child containing photographs of children at work and play.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are settled and secure in a welcoming, caring and friendly environment in which staff put the interests of children first and spend most of their time working directly with them. Children are cared for by a consistent staff group and an effective key worker system is in place. Each child has a named member of staff who takes responsibility for their well-being on a day-to-day basis and who exchanges information with parents and carers. This helps to ensure that children's individual needs are met at all times. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Effective procedures for the recruitment and selection of staff are in place and this ensures that staff working with children are suitable to do so. There are good arrangements in place to protect children from persons who have not undertaken suitability checks. All policies and procedures, necessary for the safe and efficient running of the setting are in place. These are made available to parents and carers which enables them to make informed choices about their children's care. All written records relating to children are in place. Although some effort is made to ensure that they are stored confidentially, the cabinet in which they are stored does not lock and this has the potential to compromise the security of records.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are good. The setting has a strong voluntary management committee which is actively involved in the running of the pre-school and helps to establish strong links with the primary school in which it operates. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities and work well as a team to offer quality childcare and nursery education. Staff are encouraged in their professional development and are enthusiastic about further developing their childcare skills and knowledge. Regular staff meetings, appraisals and meetings with individual staff members are carried out and this helps to ensure that the strengths and weaknesses of the setting and its nursery education are monitored and evaluated.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was required to improve their procedures for recording the hours of staff and children attendance and develop the complaints procedure to ensure that the contact details of Ofsted were included.

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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 As a result, the registration system has been developed and the times of the arrival and departure of children are recorded. Staff attendance is also recorded and along with a record of visitors is maintained to ensure that everyone is aware of which staff, children and adults are on the premises at any one time. The procedures for making a complaint have been improved to include the contact details of Ofsted in order that parents and carers can complain to the regulator if a concern cannot be rectified within the setting.

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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): • obtain written parental permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment • improve the security of documentation relating to 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): • develop the arrangements to share children's developmental progress with parents and carers • ensure that children's individual developmental profile booklets are kept up-to-date.

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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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