Bramhall Methodist Church Pre-School

Bramhall Methodist Church Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY360030 Unique Reference Number 22 April 2008 Inspection date Janice Shaw Inspector

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Methodist Church, 23 Bramhall Lane South, Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire, SK7 1AL

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E-mail

Trustees of Bramhall Methodist Church 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?

Bramhall Methodist Church Pre-School is run by a committee. The setting has been registered since 2007. It is situated close to the centre of Bramhall Stockport. The setting operates from dedicated first floor rooms within the church building. The children have access to the first floor playrooms rooms and the rear hall.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The group is registered to care for 30 children from two to five years. There are currently 65 on roll, of whom 55 receive nursery funding. The setting cares for children who have learning difficulties and also for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The facilities operate from 09.15 to 11.45 Monday to Friday and 12.30 to 15.00 Monday to Wednesday term time only.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are nine staff who care for the children, six of whom, hold recognised early years qualifications. The pre-school are members of the Stockport Pre-school Providers and they receive support 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. Healthy and nutritious food is offered to children at snack time, such as fresh fruit and raw vegetables, children particularly enjoyed the strawberries, cucumber and brown bread and butter which they could help themselves to. These times are used as social occasions for children to sit around small tables with their key group. Children are confident to inform staff about their food preferences and willing to try new options. Children have access to water throughout the session to quench their thirst and keep them hydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from some regular daily exercise in the second playroom where they can develop a satisfactory range of physical skills, such as playing with hoops, riding bikes and skilfully using the balancing pots. Children have opportunities to develop their hand and eye co-ordination when using small table top equipment, pencils and using glue sticks.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn through regular daily routines, such as snack and meal times, about the importance of personal care, washing their hands before they eat their snack, after using the toilet and messy play. Each child had their own individual towel which helps promote their good health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Effective implementation and monitoring of health and safety procedures, including formal and informal risk assessments, ensure children's safety is given high priority. Children are encouraged to learn about safety in their environment and help keep themselves safe, such as sitting on chairs properly, not running indoors and not to sit on the tables. There are stringent procedures in place for the collection and arrival of children to ensure they remain safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are able to move around freely within each room. A large variety of equipment is stored at child height to allow children the freedom to choose alternative choices of activities, from those pre-selected by the adults. They are familiar with the toys and they are able to play with equipment which is suitable for their age and stage of development. Occasionally the table top toys do not provide children with sufficient challenge with which to further develop their imagination and increase the depth of their play. Children are protected and safeguarded from harm because staff have a sound knowledge of child protection issues and know how to implement local authority procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children make very good progress because staff recognise the uniqueness of each child. Close and caring relationships increase children’s sense of trust and help them develop a strong sense of self. They enjoy their time at the setting participating in child-led and adult-led activities, with a variety of resources to engage their interest. Children are confident and motivated learners. They are beginning to develop their concentration skills at their chosen activities with good staff support. For children who find this difficult, they are sensitively supported. The key worker system is very well established, giving children the reassurance to feel safe and cared 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 All staff have a secure understanding of the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework and successfully include it in their practice. Children under three benefit greatly from the planning of activities which are specifically geared to enable them to become fully involved and engrossed in a wide range of stimulating activities. Their interest in books is successfully nurtured as there is always a member of staff readily available to be a story teller.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children make good individual progress in their learning because staff have a secure knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum. They plan activities within a structured planning system to promote children's ongoing development and constantly carry out planned observations of their key worker groups, to record their individual development on assessment records and use this knowledge to plan further activities for the children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are all well settled and confident at the pre-school. They learn to share and take turns, such as using the glue sticks in collage, or waiting to have a turn with a particular favourite toy. An understanding about their own and others beliefs, needs and differences is gained during stories, festival celebrations and topic work. Good relationships have been built with adults and their peers and develop their independence skills in all areas, such as putting their own painting aprons on, their outdoor shoes and washing their cups and plates after snack.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children communicate effectively with each other and their peers and approach adults to have their needs met. They use a good range of vocabulary to describe their game, pictures in a book or name the flags they are making. Children are motivated and interested in their learning and show good concentration in self-chosen activities and adult-led activities. Regular use is made of the book areas as children choose to read to themselves independently or share them with an adult. They love stories and excitedly join in with favourites and eagerly anticipate the next part to the story helping to promote their skills in literacy. This interest in books helps them gain an understanding that print carries meaning. Most children can successfully find their name card when arriving each day. Children are developing good pencil control and enjoy making marks on paper. The amount of printed labels around the room encourages children to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

recognise familiar words or develop letter recognition, for example, at snack time labels are put out for the food and children make very good attempts to read them, sensitively supported by staff. Whilst on the mark making table, where a vase of blossom illustrates the spring theme, other word cards, such as blossom, spring and flowers helps children recognised different words.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

During mathematical activities they show a good understanding about repeating patterns and are able to match objects by colour, shape and size. Some children count up to 10 with good understanding and are able to sight recognize these numbers from labels. However, opportunities for children to count as part of a group and independently are not maximised. They are beginning to use mathematical language in their play, such as big, small and the same. When using table top games they can successfully compare two objects and clearly identify similarities and differences. The use of number is not always well promoted in everyday routines to help children to gain a better understanding of the use of number and quantity.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show enjoyment singing songs and nursery rhymes and can sing a significant number from memory. They explore with paint, glue and other media, freely selecting different materials to make their pictures and experience a range of textures. One child designed and made his own lantern which he remembered how to do from a past activity. Children competently handle tools, including glue sticks, paint brushes and scissors. Children have opportunities to develop

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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 their curiosity and learn about the world around them by planting seeds, handling leaves and playing with large shells in the water play tray.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children settle well in the setting and the effective key worker system helps establish a positive relationship between the staff and children, whilst also helping children gain a sense of belonging. They learn about differences in today's society through planned activities and topics and a reasonable range of resources to support equal opportunities. Children with special educational needs are fully integrated into the setting, with excellent relationships between external agencies, parents and the pre-school which ensures that continuity of care is provided. Staff have a very good awareness of the Code of Practice and ensure this is adhered to when identifying any concerns with children's development or behaviour. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Behaviour is very good as children have a good understanding about the rules of the setting. They listen to guidance from staff and are able

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Helping children make a positive contribution

to help the younger children who have recently started to gain an understanding of acceptable behaviour, such as how to line up or where to put certain equipment at tidy up time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents is good. All policies are made available to parents and a regular newsletter helps keep parents informed about any forthcoming events or topics their children will be doing. Parents are well informed about their child's observation records and receive regular reports on their progress and development. Children benefit because staff have a good knowledge of children's individual needs and family circumstances and ensures their welfare is maintained and promoted at all times. Parents speak very positively of the provision. This strong link with parents enables children to develop their confidence and to feel secure within the setting enabling them to flourish and develop their full potential.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from being cared for by friendly and experienced staff, who have a good understanding about the needs of young children. It is a newly formed staff team that has developed a cohesive approach very rapidly. All staff are secure in their knowledge of their day to day responsibilities to provide children with a stimulating and challenging play environment. Children's development is fostered through good procedures and policies that are fully implemented into the setting. All the required documentation is in place updated and confidentiality is maintained. Vetting procedures are secure ensuring children are safeguarded.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the nursery education is good. The manager of the setting is constantly working with the staff to monitor the effectiveness of the care and education being offered to the children. This is achieved by regular staff meetings, formal appraisals to identify areas for staff development and informal evaluation of activities and topics provided. This ensures children receive good quality care in a safe and welcoming environment, where staff work with parents to provide continuity of care for all children. Overall the setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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

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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): • provide children with sufficient challenge with some of the equipment to enable them to further develop their imagination and increase the depth of their play.

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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): • increase children's opportunities to count as part of a group as well as independently.

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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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