Kings Road Pre School

Kings Road Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY355558 Unique Reference Number 21 May 2008 Inspection date Amanda Shedden Inspector

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Wessex Province United Reformed Church, Kings Road, Chandler's Ford, EASTLEIGH, Hampshire, SO53 2EY

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E-mail

Amanda Jane Kennett 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 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?

Kings Road Pre-school is a privately owned pre-school. It opened under new ownership in 2007 and operates from various rooms in a church building in the Chandlers Ford area of Hampshire. It serves the local area. A maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 54 children on roll, 43 of whom receive funding for early education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school is open during school terms, from 09:00 to 12:00 each weekday, and from 12:30 to 15:00 on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. All children share access to an outdoor play area, which is closely supervised when in use. Children come from a wide catchment area and are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The setting is able to support a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also children who speak English as an additional language.

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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. Children are becoming independent in their self care skills. They take themselves to the toilet and wash their hands at appropriate times. They blow their own noses and dispose of the tissues in nearby bins. There are several bowls placed at a low level in the pre-school for the children to rinse their hands, for instance, after messy play. However, children also wash their hands in a communal bowl before snack, which does not fully protect them from one anothers germs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Snack time is cafeteria style. The children have a choice of drinks and they pour their own carefully. They wash and dry their cups and place their name in the box when they have finished. A member of staff sits with them, making it a social occasion. The children are offered a range of fruits to choose from, for instance, strawberries, bananas, oranges and kiwi fruit. Children are confident in helping themselves to drinks. Jugs and cups are laid out in both the playrooms, enabling the children to quench their thirst during the sessions.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children with allergies and food intolerances are well cared for. Staff ensure that children do not have access to foods that may not be suitable for them. There is a sick child policy in place and parents are aware that their child cannot be cared for if they are unwell.

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Helping children to be healthy

Most documentation regarding medication and accidents is in place and completed correctly. Parents are kept fully informed, but parental permission has not been obtained to administer emergency first aid. All staff have a suitable first aid qualification and some staff have had additional training to allow them to administer Epipens.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's physical development is enhanced by the broad range of activities provided for them. Children enjoy the challenges when outside; they throw balls and hoops, enjoy playing with the bats and balls, and concentrate hard when learning to walk on the low level stilts. Children have great fun laughing and jumping as they use the large parachute, running underneath, exchanging places with each other, shaking it softly and hard to move the bean bag around. Children become skilled at using tools and materials. They roll, cut and manipulate the play dough, and they use a range of different size paintbrushes to create butterfly pictures. They enjoy using the collage materials, using scissors, glue and sticky tape to make whatever they wish. Children enjoy the freedom of using a range of media to create their pictures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children and parents are welcomed warmly by the staff. The children settle quickly and are eager to see what there is to play with today. All areas of the pre-school are safe and the staff are vigilant in ensuring that the children are supervised in the room after being dropped off and only go home with the correct parent.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All areas of the pre-school are safe. Strategies are in place to ensure that only people who should have access do so. Daily risk assessments are in place and used to ensure that risks are minimised for the children. There is a fire policy in place, however, it is not practised regularly to ensure that all adults and children are familiar with the evacuation procedure.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The pre-school has a wide range of resources that are suitable to the ages and stages of development of the children attending. Staff ensure that the resources are rotated each day.

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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 The two rooms are laid out to ensure that all areas of the curriculum are covered, but children's choices are limited to the resources on the table each day. The rooms are organised to allow children to move freely, safely and independently, encouraging children to move freely between the rooms.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are learning about staying safe. They know not to run in the rooms and to hold onto the rails when going into the garden. They know they need to wear sunhats to stop themselves from burning and to stay within the boundaries when going outside.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All required documentation is in place and understood by staff to ensure the child's welfare is safeguarded. Staff have a good understanding of the procedures to be followed if they had concerns over a child. Most staff have attended specialist training to ensure they are confident in their knowledge and understanding.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. The environment is child-friendly and welcoming. Most children feel relaxed and comfortable; parents are encouraged to stay with their child until they are fully settled. The children settle quickly into the friendly atmosphere, and feel secure as they settle into the routine of the session. They readily sit for circle time where they sit for a few minutes looking at the days of the week, the weather. They count how many children are in, and what activities there are today, which enables them to make their own choices about play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff get to know the children well, and are sensitive to their needs. They support young children in their play by talking quietly to them and helping them to make choices.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Most staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and how children learn. Activities are planned linked to the six areas of learning. Children are able to free flow between the rooms and activities. Most staff interact with the children in a positive manner, helping the children to progress in all areas of learning. However, this is not consistent and opportunities are missed to consolidate or extend the children's learning. Observations are made on the children, but the records of achievement are not always kept up-to-date and therefore it is not always possible for the staff to identify areas of progression for individual children. Children show interest and enthusiastically take part in the activities on offer. They concentrate and persevere on their chosen task, enjoying the range of challenges from construction to collage work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children play well together and have positive relationships with each other and the staff. They are becoming confident speakers and they enjoy reading books and listening to stories. Children learn to read their name and they make their mark or write their name using the resources that promote word and letter recognition. Staff encourage children's understanding of sounds at circle time and through incidental play activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Each day the children have a range of resources to gain an understanding of mathematical development. They use pegs, blocks, and threading beads to make patterns. Staff encourage the children to count through routine and incidental activities, for example, each day they count how many children are present. Children know how many can sit and eat together. They play games such as dominoes, learning through 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 Children respond enthusiastically to the role play area. They use their imaginations as they turn the large cardboard box into whatever they wish, from a boat to a spaceship to a train. They use the tools to fix, repair and change its use. They cooperate with each other, deciding what it is going to be next, sharing and taking turns to climb aboard when it is a train. They use the construction toys well. Using great skill, some children create elaborate models, which they explain in detail to the staff, who ask them open ended questions about their creations.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are interested in learning about the life cycle of a butterfly and they are offered many activities linked to this topic. They look at books, complete puzzles and undertake many craft activities where they are able to use their own skills using a range of resource to create their own butterflies or caterpillars. Staff encourage children to think and contribute their own ideas ensuring that each creation is unique and reflects the individual child's knowledge, skills and imagination.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are respected and valued as individuals. The staff have a good understanding of, and are sensitive to, children's individual needs. Children develop an understanding of other cultures through the range of resources and activities they have explored, for instance, Chinese New Year. The children were still excited as they looked at the photographs and talked about when they dressed up in costumes and painted a box, turning it into a dragon's head. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children's behaviour is very good and children respond to gentle reminders to care for each other. They listen to staff and are quick to apologise to their friends after disagreements. Children know the rules and remind each other not to run in the rooms and to take turns. If necessary, staff will work with parents and other agencies to support children's behaviour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents and staff have positive relationships. All parents are kept informed of the experiences their child is having through conversations and newsletters. They complete detailed information sheets about their child, enabling the staff to respond to the children's individual needs. They are invited to participate in the pre-school parents' rota, where they come and help at sessions enabling them to see what the children are experiencing. However, parents are not given clear instructions which would enable them to contribute to, and fully participate in, the sessions. The partnership with parents for children who receive nursery education is satisfactory. Parents are aware of the educational progress their child is making, through daily discussions and by looking at their child's records with members of staff at formal meetings twice yearly.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The pre-school offers a welcoming environment for the children. Both rooms are attractively laid out with a range of resources and activities for the children to participate in. There are colourful posters around the room with relevant information, such as colour, shape and letters. The photographs of themselves and staff members give children a sense of belonging, helping them feel secure in their environment.

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Organisation

The organisation of the day allows children to become independent in a range of skills. They choose what to absorb themselves in and for how long, they decide when then are hungry, when they need to use the bathroom and who to play with. They are able to move across the

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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 two rooms with ease, fully aware of what resources are displayed in each room. The staff's good supervision of the children ensures that they are safe, use the resources appropriately and have their play extended when appropriate. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The pre-school is under new ownership and the owner has clear aims in place to improve the provision. Staff work well as a team, and support each other for the benefit of the children. Staff are encouraged to undertake training to keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date. Staff have appraisals where those training needs are identified. All of the policies and procedures are being reviewed to ensure the efficient running of the pre-school. At present they are displayed in the room for parents to refer to if they wish. This does not ensure that parents are fully aware of the policies and procedures. There are robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure that only appropriate staff are appointed.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Not applicable: this is the first inspection since registration.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration, there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that require the provider or Ofsted to take 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 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that all staff and children are aware of the evacuation procedure • allow the children more independent access to the resources • obtain parents' written permission to administer first aid • ensure children are able to have clean hands before snack • ensure helpers are fully aware of their role when working in the pre-school • ensure that parents are fully aware of the policies and procedures.

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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

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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 that adults are aware that activities have purpose to ensure that each child can consolidate their learning or progress • ensure that the children's records of achievement and observations are kept up-to-date to ensure that staff can identify areas of progression for the children.

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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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