Treehouse Pre-School

Treehouse Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY358828 Unique Reference Number 15 July 2008 Inspection date Maxine Coulson Inspector

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Winslow C of E Combined School, Lowndes Way, Winslow, BUCKINGHAM, MK18 3EN

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E-mail

Treehouse 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Treehouse Pre-School was registered in 2007. They are managed by a voluntary parent committee and are sited in a building within the grounds of Winslow C of E Combined School, Winslow, Buckinghamshire. The group operates from 08.50 to 15.00, Monday to Friday, term time only. They are registered to care for 39 children between the ages of two years and five years and there are currently 71 children on roll. Of these, 29 children receive funding for nursery education. The group support children with learning difficulties and disabilities and those with English as an additional language. A manager and seven staff are employed. Of these, five staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. There are satisfactory procedures in place to promote children's health. Staff obtain consent for medication and inform parents of any accidents to children. There are sufficient members

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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 of staff qualified in first aid to ensure children receive immediate and appropriate attention. Staff make sure that the premises and equipment are kept clean and children are aware of why they need to wash their hands before snacks and meals. They are encouraged to use tissues to wipe their noses independently or cover mouths when coughing. Risks of cross infection are therefore reduced.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children sit together at snack and lunch times and enjoy a social occasion. Children are offered and benefit from healthy snack options, such as fruit. However, amounts are not sufficient for children's needs and not all children have equal access to the snacks. Children bring their own packed lunches which are stored appropriately and they have regular access to drinks through the sessions to prevent them becoming thirsty.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have daily opportunities to enjoy physical exercise and a variety of equipment is made available during free play. Children are developing coordination and learning to negotiate personal space and that of others. They play outside all year round and enjoy the fresh air. This means all children benefit from these occasions to keep fit and healthy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children enter happily and confidently into a warm and welcoming environment where they settle easily and play in a relaxed atmosphere. They benefit from playing in a spacious and secure environment, this allows them to move around freely and safely. However, some staff are not always sufficiently vigilant, both inside and outside, to prevent minor accidents from happening or realise when to act to reduce the potential risk of accidents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff ensure that the inside and outside environment is safe and secure for children. They carry out recorded safety checks on the premises and there are satisfactory fire precautions in place. Children practise the evacuation plan so that they know what to do in an emergency. Children have easy access to a range of toys and resources which are appropriate to their ages and abilities. Staff have knowledge and awareness of child protection issues, which helps them safeguard and promote children's welfare. They take into consideration guidelines for the Local Safeguarding Children's Board and their policy includes the action that would be taken should an allegation be made about a member of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. As children eagerly enter the spacious environment, they are greeted warmly and helped to settle by the staff, who are sensitive towards their individual needs. Children are given opportunities to play independently and with their peers. Close and caring relationships between the staff and the children help them to develop a strong sense of self. Children play confidently with a range of toys and imaginative materials. They enjoy each other's company and make up games together, while at other times children choose to play independently. Older children are actively engaged, enjoy their play and show an interest in what they do; they ask questions, use initiative and communicate well, talking to adults with confidence and involving them in their play.

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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 quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children are making satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals. Although staff generally support children's learning and use observations, these are not sufficiently in place to help plan the next steps in children's learning. There are a lack of challenges and extending of children's existing knowledge and understanding, especially for older and more able children. There are plans in place that link well with the Foundation Stage, although focused activities and the outcomes are not always adequately planned to ensure children are progressing across all areas of learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are beginning to develop a sense of time and place as they talk about what happens when they are away from the setting. They are confident in selecting activities and toys and assume responsibility for personal care, such as, needing the toilet. Children show a sense of belonging as they confidently play together in a relaxed atmosphere. Children are good listeners and communicators. They enjoy listening to stories in a group and are eager to answer questions and join in discussions. They learn about their local community through visits from people as well as walks into the local village. There is a home corner set up and includes various 'kitchen appliances' along with a good range of dressing up. Tables have a variety of construction toys along with puzzles, pirate ship, large wooden bricks, as well as an excellent range of books for children to look at. There is a main book section in the quiet room, with a further area in the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

home corner where children clearly enjoy looking at books for their own pleasure and regularly involve adults in their stories as they sit together on large, comfortable cushions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have regular everyday opportunities for physical and outside play. They develop coordination as they kick, throw and catch a variety of toys or simply just have time to run around in the fresh air. There is a fully enclosed, purpose built, outside play area. Children have a very good variety of toys and resources to use and are able to bring the inside out. They are beginning to learn about numbers, for example, as they develop number recognition through a game of darts in the garden. Children's knowledge of how things grow is beginning to be developed as they explore the beautiful gardens, containing herbs, vegetables and flowers. They are developing confidence in the use of scissors by cutting out shapes or pieces of paper for junk modelling; they use a stapler, pull sellotape from a dispenser, have access to telephones, tills and other IT equipment. Children learn about rhythm and dance through activities, such

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

as, singing time with familiar action songs and rhymes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are developing good self-esteem and a sense of self worth through staff knowing and meeting their individual needs well. They play with other children of similar ages, helping to develop social skills. Children are beginning to learn and understand the need to share and take turns. However, staff do not always manage children's behaviour effectively or consistently, which means children sometimes become disruptive. Overall, children know when they have done well through staff's consistent acknowledgment of achievements and praise. Children benefit from the positive and friendly partnership staff have with parents, which means children receive consistent care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The group support children with learning difficulties and disabilities and have good procedures in place that ensure children settle well and are wholly included. Staff record the individual needs of all children. This information includes their dietary requirements, religion and health care information. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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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 The partnership with parents of children who receive nursery education is good. Staff build trusting working relationships with parents and carers and encourage them to become involved in their child's learning and development. They receive a good amount of information relating to the Foundation Stage through regular newsletters and the displaying of plans showing current themes and topics. Staff ensure that parents are given verbal information about their child's activities and achievements on a daily basis. Parents are also aware of observations undertaken by staff as part of the on-going assessment of their child. There are good liaisons between the manager and the committee, who have a very high involvement within the provision, which means parents and carers have good levels of confidence in the pre-school management.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are confident as they play in a relaxed and comfortable environment and benefit from suitable organisation of the provision and easily accessible toys, equipment and resources. They receive appropriate care from well qualified staff who generally support children’s welfare. There are a range of policies and procedures in place to adequately protect children and, overall, staff have knowledge and understanding of how these should be implemented. This helps to promote the outcomes for children. Correct staff ratios are maintained at all times, which supports children’s care, learning and play. All the required documentation is in place, is well maintained and shared with parents.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of children who receive nursery education is satisfactory. The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of children’s education and those of the setting. She is a positive role model and values her staff's opinions and contributions, which helps to create a happy and secure atmosphere in which the children play. Plans are in place to show how activities link to all six areas of learning, however, use of observations and forward planning of focused activities needs to be developed to ensure there are appropriate and sufficient challenges for all children. The setting meets the needs of the range of 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND 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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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 all children have equal access to snacks and that there are adequate amounts for their needs • ensure staff are vigilant at all times about children's safety during freeplay and assess the risks to children in relation to incidents, taking action to minimise these • develop staff’s awareness and understanding of effective ways to manage children’s behaviour

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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 planning and outcomes of focussed activities to ensure children are sufficiently progressing across all areas of learning and their next steps of progression are evident • develop use of observations to plan the next steps in children's learning and ensure that older and more able children are sufficiently challenged and extended

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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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