Urmston Grammar School

Scallywags Pre-School (Halwill) Inspection report for early years provision

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106369 Unique Reference Number 31 March 2008 Inspection date Heather Morgan Inspector

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The Parish Hall, Halwill Junction, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5ZZ Setting Address

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01409 220055 or 07968 743 965 Telephone number

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E-mail

The Trustees of Scallywags Pre-School (Halwill) 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 outstanding. 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?

Scallywags Pre-school first opened in 1980. It is run by a management committee and is affiliated to the Pre-school Learning Alliance. The pre-school meets in the Parish Hall at Halwill Junction and has the use of the main hall and a smaller room. There are also toilet facilities and a large kitchen. The adjoining community play area is used for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre school opens during school term times, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 09:15 to 12.15 and on Monday afternoons from 12.45 to 15.15. Children can attend a lunch club between the two sessions on a Monday and after the Wednesday morning session, when they can stay until 13.15.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school may care for a maximum of 26 children at any one time. Children attend from the local rural area. There are currently 24 on roll, 21 of whom receive funded nursery education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A total of seven staff work with the children, three of whom hold relevant qualifications. A further two members of staff are working towards a qualification. The staff are supported by

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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 a part-time administrator and are assisted at the beginning and end of every session by at least two parent helpers. The pre-school accesses support from the Pre-school Learning Alliance and the Local Authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children are developing an excellent awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They learn about food and where it comes from, during themed activities. They enjoy a healthy and nutritious snack during each session, where they choose from different types of fresh fruit, cheese, bread sticks and savoury crackers. Children drink milk or water with their snack and are also able to help themselves to additional drinks of water throughout the session. This enables them to develop awareness of how to keep themselves healthy and well hydrated during hot weather or following physical exercise.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy many opportunities to exercise their muscles and develop specific physical skills. They skilfully manoeuvre wheeled toys both indoors and outdoors and they develop their climbing and balancing skills on fixed play equipment in the adjacent playing field. They follow planned physical activities to develop control and strength of their large muscles. Regular outdoor play and walks around the local area ensure that children have plenty of fresh air to support their growth and development.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's good health and continuity of care is promoted very well. They learn the importance of washing their hands carefully after using the toilet or before eating. They use liquid soap and disposable paper towels to limit the risk of cross infection. Parents are very well informed about the importance of keeping children at home when they have infectious illnesses. Children requiring medication are supported very well by clear record keeping that is countersigned by parents. Staff keep their first aid certificates up to date so that they can effectively care for children in the event of an accident. Information regarding injuries and how they are treated is promptly shared with parents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are very safe and secure at the pre-school because staff diligently implement procedures to ensure that the premises, which are shared by other users, provide a well maintained and safe play environment. Each day, before children arrive, their play areas are carefully checked and furniture set out to provide a welcoming environment. Distinct areas are created where children can access large, physical equipment in a clear space, or access a range of activities in well-defined spaces such as a book corner or construction mat.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children use resources that are of very good quality. They are checked each day as staff get them out and put them back in the storage cupboard. This ensures they are well maintained and in good condition. Resources are presented at a low level so children can access them safely. For example, they can choose resources from low level shelves and units and from storage pockets fixed to the wall. Children use equipment safely and are well supervised as they develop their confidence using tools such as scissors and play dough cutters.

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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 have regular access to outdoor play areas on each side of the building. Very effective procedures are implemented to maintain children's safety as they use these community areas that are not fully enclosed. Staff carefully assess potential risks, undertake daily checks of the areas used, erect temporary boundary markers and deploy themselves very effectively to supervise children's outdoor play. When children go on outings their safety is given very high priority as staff assess journeys and venues in order to implement effective procedures such as increasing adult ratios.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is given very high priority as staff have a secure understanding of child protection issues. They are very clear about their reporting and referring responsibilities and have useful documentation and reference material in place to support them in responding effectively and in the children's best interests in the event of any concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children access a wide range if play experiences during their sessions at pre-school. They arrive happily and quickly settle to an activity that interests them. They enjoy each others' company, playing well together and developing many skills as they participate in the daily routines, initiate their own play and engage in adult-led activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. The skilled staff team provide a wealth of valuable play experiences that promote children's progress and development. They plan a wide range of activities, with clear learning objectives that support children in making rapid progress towards the early learning goals. Daily routines provide children with many opportunities to initiate their own play, as well as accessing adult-led activities. Staff have a very secure understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and how children learn through play. This enables them to support children very effectively, asking open-ended questions to encourage them to work things out for themselves and modelling different ways of using resources to promote learning. Staff know the children very well and group them appropriately to enable them to access activities at their own level of development. They closely observe children's

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

play and evaluate their progress. Clear records of children's achievements are kept and regularly shared with parents. This information is used to plan future activities that further support children's development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have very positive dispositions towards learning. They enthusiastically initiate their own play, choosing from the range of carefully planned activities. They play very well together, for example when developing imaginative role play in their café, or when working together to construct large models. They concentrate very well and persevere with tasks such as jigsaw puzzles in order to complete them successfully. They are very articulate and enjoy regular conversations with each other and with adults. They develop effective speaking and listening skills during story and circle times. Children have a good awareness that print carries meaning and often include mark making activities in their play. For example, they note down food orders in their role play café.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have a very good awareness of number and often use their skills to work out how many children are present, for example when counting the children at their snack table. They are able to perform simple calculations, such as adding on one more. They are developing an excellent interest in and understanding of their local environment and the wider world. 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 example, they enjoy forest walks and they regularly visit the local community centre where they develop their technological skills in the computer suite. They are interested in themed activities that raise their awareness of different topics, such as where their food comes from. Children have vivid imaginations and develop complex stories in the role play area and when using small world equipment such as road maps and vehicles. They freely access a wide range of resources to create two- and three-dimensional art work. For example, they paint pictures of familiar nursery rhyme characters and construct models using recyclable materials.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children's individual needs are met extremely well because the staff foster effective relationships with parents. This promotes effective communication between home and pre-school. Sensitive, individually tailored settling-in procedures support children in making the transition to pre-school. Children with specific needs are very well supported through close consultation with parents and a range of professionals. This enables staff to identify appropriate, achievable targets for all children and support them sensitively in making good progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. They use resources that reflect positive images of diversity and learn about different cultural celebrations and events through themes activities. Their behaviour is excellent. They are able to share resources and take turns as they play co-operatively together and respond well to the praise and encouragement they receive from staff. Children learn to adapt their behaviour in different social situations as they are given clear explanations to raise their awareness of the importance of using equipment safely and being kind to others.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. They are very well informed about the curriculum, activities their children access and how these support their learning. They highly value the regular newsletters they receive that provide detailed information about forthcoming topics and events, and use this information to stimulate conversations with their children to extend their learning. Parents receive regular information about their children's progress and are able to share information about their children's learning at home.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. They are cared for by a committed team of staff who work really well together to provide excellent play and learning opportunities for children. Robust recruitment and induction procedures are in place to ensure that all staff working with children are carefully vetted to confirm their suitability. Staff also have access to additional training to support their continuing professional development.

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Organisation

Sessions are very well organised to provide familiar daily routines that help children settle in to the pre-school. Staff are deployed effectively to support children's play and to keep them safe and secure. All regulatory documentation is in place and supported by additional policies and procedures, all of which are implemented effectively to promote outstanding outcomes for children.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of the nursery education curriculum are outstanding. The playleader co-ordinates the planning and delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum and carefully

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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 evaluates activities to assess how well learning objectives have been met. There is a strong commitment to improvement across the whole staff team, who regularly reflect on their practice and identify areas for improvement.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following the last inspection the pre-school has reviewed and updated its policies and procedures to ensure they comply with current legislation and support staff in keeping children safe. They have also taken steps to encourage children to use the book area more frequently during free play sessions. As a result, children regularly develop their enthusiasm for stories and enjoy sharing books with members of staff on an individual basis, as well as looking at them independently.

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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 outstanding. 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

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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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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