Sunnybank Pre-school

Sunnybank Pre-school Inspection report for early years provision

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EY357177 Unique Reference Number 10 July 2008 Inspection date Carole, Jean Craven Inspector

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Greetland Primary School, Saddleworth Road, Greetland, Halifax, HX4 8LZ

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Setting Address

01422 370162 or 07960387314 Telephone number

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E-mail

The Trustees of Sunnybank 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 good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Sunnybank pre-school is managed by a voluntary committee and is also a registered charity. The pre-school registered in 2007 and operates from rooms in a converted bungalow. It is situated in a residential area in the grounds of Greetland Primary School in the Halifax area. A maximum of 20 children may attend the group at any one time. The group is open each weekday from 09.00 to 15.00, term-time only. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. The group receive funding for early education. The group employs six members of staff, who work on a part-time basis. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications. The group is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are well cared for in a setting where staff pay very good attention to hygiene routines, such as washing their hands before preparing snacks and using different cleaning fluids and

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 colour coded cleaning cloths for different areas. They ensure that children learn simple, good practices, such as washing their hands at appropriate times, safe disposal of used tissues and the importance of fresh air and exercise. Children have a good understanding of personal hygiene and they are developing some independence with their care needs, such as pouring themselves drinks and they are able to put on coats and cardigans to go outdoors. They recognise the need to put on or take off clothes if too hot or cold. There are good procedures in place to help prevent cross-contamination, for example, good routines and recording are in place for regular cleaning of toys and resources. There are clear procedures for recording accidents and administering medication and an effective sick child policy protects children from illness.

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Helping children to be healthy

However, the recording of accidents does not maintain confidentiality.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished by the provision of healthy and nutritious snacks which reflect the themes they are following. For example, Spanish omelette, garlic bread or pizza when they are learning about Spain, France and Italy. They choose from milk or water to drink and pour their own from a jug. They sit in small groups for their snacks and enjoy the social occasion, chatting with each other as the staff encourage good table manners and social skills. Children who stay for lunch are developing good eating habits as parents are requested to provide nutritious and well balanced packed lunches as part of the group's commitment to healthy eating. Fresh water is available to children at all times.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have excellent opportunities for outdoor play, whatever the weather, and their physical health is very well promoted. They are able to access the outdoor area at all times and make choices about playing indoors or outside. They have use of a good supply of resources in the outside area including low level climbing equipment, a play house, trampolines, bikes, sand and a large board to chalk on. However, large equipment to encourage gross motor skills is limited. Children negotiate space well, running around the area and changing direction to avoid collisions. They are able to rest and relax indoors sitting on sofas and low chairs in cosy corners, promoting their physical well-being and allowing them to be active, rest or be quiet as they need.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children's safety is given a high priority in a safe and secure environment. Risks are identified and minimised, both indoors and outside, by regular risk assessments and a range of safety measures, such as security of external doors, regular electrical safety checks and visitors signing in and out. Staff are immediately recognisable from their uniforms and their photographs are displayed in the entrance for easy identification. Learning about personal safety is important and the staff give priority to raising children's awareness through basic rules and pictorial reminders, such as not leaving toys on the floor and crossing roads safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are able to develop a good sense of belonging through the warm and welcoming environment where pictures, information and bright posters are displayed in the entrance hall. They are able to find their names cards for registration and their art and craft work is exhibited throughout the building. Children experience a sense of pride in seeing their work displayed for others to admire. They benefit from having lots of space to move around in and have free access to all areas of the playrooms and the outdoor area. This allows them to explore their environment and take risks. They have access to a wide and stimulating range of very good quality toys and natural resources that conform to British safety standards. They are able to make independent choices about their play, as toys and resources are easily accessible from

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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 low-level shelving and boxes labelled with their contents. This leads to children gaining confidence and learning independence skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is further protected as staff have a good understanding of safeguarding issues and their responsibility under the Children Act to keep children safe. Staff record existing injuries, however, the records do not maintain confidentiality. Staff have received training in safeguarding procedures and they are aware of the signs and symptoms to look for. The children's welfare is paramount.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive happily and are eager to chat to the staff and other children. They confidently join in group activities or choose their own play. They are all extremely happy and settled in the secure, caring environment and there is lots of laughter and giggling throughout the day. Their communication skills are well supported through good adult-to-child interactions and they have lots of individual attention from the staff, which increases their sense of well-being and security. The well presented toys and resources ensure a vibrant and lively environment and are very easily accessible, allowing children to make independent decisions about their play and initiate their own learning. Children are making extremely good progress in all areas of development. They develop physically through indoor and outdoor play, intellectually through well thought out focussed activities and socially through expectations of good behaviour and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

values, such as sharing and caring for their friends.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff recognise that children need to spend time developing their senses and value children's freedom of expression, rather than producing an end product. Children enjoy cutting, sticking and making marks on their paper with no restrictions. They enjoy building sandcastles and decorating them with shells, pebbles and paper flags they have made. Children have lots of opportunities to discover different textures, such as ice, water, sand and jelly; they dig in soil and feel real coconuts which they explore with interest and fascination.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff have a sound knowledge of how children learn and make progress. They have a good awareness of the different frameworks to support children's learning and development which they use to plan and assess children's learning. Children benefit from the skilled interaction from the staff. Their sound knowledge of child development and recognition of each child's uniqueness ensures children feel valued, settled and secure. The very effective planning, reviewing and assessment systems ensure that children's individual needs are well met.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals because staff have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage. The planning systems are clear and well detailed. They include well written observations which recognise children's individuality and identify their next steps in learning. Children's progress is clearly identified in their individual records of achievement.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enter the nursery with confidence and are learning self-help skills. They are able to carry out simple tasks, such as hand washing, hanging up their coats, blowing their noses and putting on their coats or cardigans to play outdoors. Children respond very well to the literacy rich setting, where staff have mature conversations with the children. Staff take every opportunity to extend their listening and thinking skills by asking open ended questions, such

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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 as how the jelly feels, smells or tastes and what they think is in the Spanish omelette they are having at snack time. They listen well to stories and can join in and re-tell their favourites. They particularly enjoy a story that a member of staff reads with Afro-Caribbean accents and they try to mimic these. The mark making area is well resourced and children enjoy spending time there. Many words are displayed around the setting and children are beginning to recognise and try to write their own name. Children are encouraged to count each other at registration but there is no number line or mathematical language used in play. They are able to use simple computer programs and develop their mouse skills by completing on screen puzzles and games. Children develop good hand-eye coordination as they pour themselves drinks and use pencils,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

paintbrushes and scissors. Children have good opportunities for creative play. Several children produce very good drawings, one drew a life-size figure on a large board in the outdoor area with chalk and another a picture of himself on a sun bed by the pool on holiday. Both had very good sense of proportions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a good sense of time and place, showing an interest in people familiar to them when they have visitors in the nursery. They have had visits from the fire and recycling services to encourage them to take care of their environment. They also go out into the community on regular walks, on bug hunts and visits to a farm to learn about the wider world. They are learning about how other people live in different countries, what food they eat and listen to music tapes in other languages.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are developing a very good awareness of their local community, other cultures and ways of life through a comprehensive range of planned topics and a good selection of resources. There are lots of posters and children's art work displayed celebrating diversity and how we are all different. Children benefit from visitors coming into the nursery to talk about their way of life or the jobs they do. They have had visits from fire officers, recycling officers and parents who have brought in and played musical instruments. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are very well behaved and staff have high expectations of them. Staff are good role models for the children and offer praise and encouragement with social skills and good manners. This increases children's self-esteem. Children are learning to take turns and play harmoniously with each other. They are learning responsible behaviour, such as helping to tidy away, and are given lots of praise for good manners and sharing or waiting for their turn at an activity. Children's ground rules include lots of positives, such as smile, be friendly, listen, share and wash hands. Children are heard to say 'please have you got' and 'thank you' when buying at the beach shop in the imaginative play area.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. There are very good procedures in place to keep parents informed of their children's progress, such as development files which are always available to parents, a parents' notice board, termly newsletters, information about snacks served and a suggestion book. Good verbal communication and minutes of meetings also help parents feel involved in their child's care and development. Parents are invited to add to children's records of achievement and are given information on how to extend children's learning at home.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are well cared for. The happy atmosphere of the setting contributes to the children's confidence and independence skills. They benefit from good organisation and the care of a very enthusiastic staff group. The staff work extremely well as a team. All staff have paediatric first aid qualifications and some have food hygiene certificates. Their commitment to further improvement is reflected in their willingness to attend further training, regular staff meetings and there is an annual appraisal system which identifies training needs. This maintains the quality of care and learning for all children.

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Organisation

Records detail the individual needs of each child and include relevant consents and contacts. All required documentation is in place, is very well maintained and is reviewed annually. Policies and procedures are clear, well detailed and shared with parents. They promote children's health, safety, well-being and the ability to make a positive contribution.

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Organisation

The leadership and management is good. Children benefit from the good leadership of the group and staff are appropriately qualified. Good planning is in place. Planning is done by all staff in team meetings. There are effective systems in place to review and evaluate all aspects of the education provided. The management team have regular review meetings to ensure that all stepping stones are sufficiently covered to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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):

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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 that the recording of accidents and existing injuries maintain confidentiality

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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): • ensure children have regular opportunities to see numbers at their level and staff to provide more opportunities to develop children’s early mathematical understanding in play • develop a range of activities to promote children's physical development and gross motor skills.

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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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