The Grove Pre-School

The Grove Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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EY361998 Unique Reference Number 14 July 2008 Inspection date Cathryn Parry Inspector

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The Birtley Centre, Harras Bank, Birtley, Chester le Street, County Durham, DH3 2NL

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E-mail

The Grove Pre School 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?

The Grove Pre-School is run by a board of directors. It opened in 1992 and moved to its current premises in 2007. It operates within the Birtley Centre in Birtley, on the outskirts of Gateshead. A maximum of 30 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. It is open each weekday from 09.15 to 11.45 during term time.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 36 children on roll aged from two years to under five years. Of these, 21 receive funding for early education. Children come from the local area. The pre-school currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and disabilities. They also support children with English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs five paid members of staff and have two regular volunteers. All of these hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards a further qualification.

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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. Children are welcomed into clean and well-kept premises where they have ample space to play. They flourish as they access good opportunities for physical play, including using large climbing equipment and low-level balancing beams. Children are encouraged to develop their body awareness through planned and spontaneous music and movement activities, such as 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes'. They are encouraged to enjoy healthy snacks, including a variety of fresh fruit, nutritious cereal and toast. This is complemented with free access to drinking water throughout the session. Activities, such as planting and nurturing carrots and then eating them at snack time, further develop children's knowledge and understanding of where their food comes from. All relevant documentation with regard to health, including specific dietary needs and consent forms, is in place and up-to-date. This positively safeguards children’s

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff implement sound hygiene routines, such as wearing gloves when changing nappies, regularly cleaning the toys and wiping the tables with anti-bacterial spray before snack time. Children demonstrate a good awareness of routines that promote their health. They competently undertake tasks such as washing and drying their hands and using paper tissues to blow their noses. This is further promoted through appropriate discussions and the use of effective visual reminders. An example of this is where action pictures for hand washing are in the toilet, which enhances children's awareness. Clear records are kept in respect of accidents and these are shared with parents and carers. Children do not attend if they are sick, which enables staff to protect others from illness. Staff can respond appropriately if children have an accident as all staff are trained to administer first aid. Written permission from parents and carers to seek

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Helping children to be healthy

emergency medical advice or treatment is also in place. Consequently, tchildren's welfare is safeguarded well.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming setting where positive steps have been taken to promote their safety and security. They are safeguarded well through good procedures for entry to the building, including staff greeting each parent and carer with their child at the end of the session. The staff take pride in the appearance of the pre-school environment, resulting in an array of lovely displays. This is complemented with children's artwork and low-level pictures and posters for them to enjoy. Large windows in the playroom enable children to benefit from natural light whilst playing indoors. Comfortable cushions in the book area and the flexible routine give children the opportunity to enjoy quiet play or rest whenever they want to. This enhances their well-being. They are able to explore confidently using high quality resources appropriate to their age and stage of development. Children participate in activities fully as furniture and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

equipment are of an appropriate size. Those who go on outings are kept safe as staff carry out risk assessments and are vigilant.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children experience good levels of supervision and appropriate safety equipment is in place to ensure hazards are reduced. This includes smoke detectors, electrical socket covers and radiator protectors. Children's knowledge about personal safety is encouraged by gentle reminders from staff to pick up the toys so they do not trip, visits from the road safety officer and regular fire drill practices. This positively contributes to children developing a sense of danger and how to

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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 keep themselves safe. Children are protected well as the staff have a sound understanding of child protection issues. All required procedures and documentation are in place to ensure that children’s welfare is safeguarded and promoted.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Staff create stimulating play areas to capture children's interest. They are enthusiastic and activities are undertaken with a sense of fun. The resources are interesting and sufficiently challenging, which helps to develop appropriate levels of concentration. Children enjoy their time at the pre-school and are eager to participate in the variety of activities provided. These include building with construction toys, sharing books and playing with the track and small cars. Children have access to a wide range of resources, including natural materials such as shells and pine cones. All children have opportunities for creative and exploratory play as they paint and play with sand, water and dough. Staff offer good levels of help and support to ensure that all children receive maximum enjoyment out of the activities. Children freely move from one area to another and are spontaneous in their play and interactions with other children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and adults. Their self-help skills are encouraged within the pre-school, for instance, when using the toilet and putting on and taking off dressing up clothes. However, at snack time staff do not always sit at each table with the children and they are not given the opportunity to pour their own drinks. Consequently, these skills are not always effectively fostered. Use is made of the local area giving children a breadth of opportunities. An example of this is where they visit the library. This is complemented with visitors coming to see the children, including fire fighters, the police with their dogs and someone from the hedgehog hospital. Children delight in using their imagination as they pretend a cushion is a steering wheel, dress up as cats and manipulate the small figures on the pirate ship.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of the teaching and learning is good. Staff have a secure understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and provide a good range of activities to support children's play and extend their learning. Displays and previous plans show that all areas of learning are being covered well. Children settle quickly and happily on arrival at the pre-school and demonstrate familiarity with group routines. They are independent and helpful, for example, when the two chosen leaders for the session instigate tidy up time with the shake of their tambourines and a call to the other children. Children’s communication skills are fostered well through various activities, including songs and rhymes. This results in competent speakers and listeners. There are displays containing the alphabet and some resources are labelled. However, this is not effective throughout, which has a negative impact on raising children's recognition of words

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and letters. Children develop good counting skills through a variety of activities and daily routines. They further develop their mathematical thinking when they measure themselves against a height chart, play dominoes and use geometric moulds in the sand. Their creativity is nurtured as they experiment with different media and explore their own ideas, for instance, when building models out of recyclable materials. They use information and communication technology to support their learning, for example, when accessing the computer, calculators and programmable toys. Staff make excellent use of open-ended questions to encourage children to think.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. A short induction period, including visits with parents and carers, enables children to settle into the new environment. The gradual settling-in procedure ensures children's emotional well-being is met. This is further complemented when children are moving on to school as their future teachers visit the pre-school. The affectionate and gentle care given by the staff enables the children to develop a sense of belonging and trust. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Their good behaviour is actively encouraged through positive role modelling, meaningful praise and valuing good behaviour. Consistent encouragement ensures children are developing a good knowledge of what is right and wrong. The staff’s confident approach to equal opportunities actively contributes to children’s positive attitudes towards the wider community. There is a range of toys and resources to help children to develop

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Helping children make a positive contribution

an understanding of culture, gender and disability, such as jigsaws, dolls, posters and books. Staff also celebrate a range of festivals with children that represent their own and other cultures, such as Christmas, Divali and Chinese New Year. Consequently, this raises children's awareness and understanding of different beliefs and traditions. Adult support for children with learning difficulties and disabilities is good. As a result all children are included in a breadth of activities, which fosters a sense of achievement and enjoyment. Staff work effectively with other professionals where necessary, in order to support children to help them to achieve their full potential. This is complemented by staff attending relevant training, such as a Makaton sign language course. They are sensitive to the individual needs of children and their families and respond positively.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. High emphasis is put on this relationship, which has a positive impact on children’s overall well-being. Parents and carers share information about their child’s individual needs, interests and experiences with the pre-school staff at the outset. Consequently, individual needs are met. Information is shared effectively about the provision verbally and by means of a policies and procedures booklet, noticeboards and newsletters. This is complemented with parents evenings and daily diaries. Good parental involvement is highly beneficial to the continuity of care that the children receive. This includes them being invited into the pre-school to help at snack time, as well as sharing books at home with their children from the pre-school library. The links are further strengthened as the children take a cuddly toy dog and his kennel home. Parents and carers help to complete a diary of its

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Helping children make a positive contribution

stay with words and photographs. Parents and carers are keen to share their skills with the pre-school.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Leadership and management are good. The setting is managed by two key members of staff who jointly lead their enthusiastic team, and who complement each other well. The managers show a commitment to the professional development of their staff, encouraging training in all areas. They have a clear understanding of the Foundation Stage and links with the 'Birth to three matters' framework for the younger children, which enables them to foster good practice throughout. Regular team meetings enable them to monitor the pre-school and to have time to value ideas from individual staff members. The managers recognise one of the main strengths of the setting as being their highly motivated, caring and enthusiastic staff. This is reflected in the welcoming, friendly and comfortable atmosphere evident throughout the pre-school. Policies and procedures are reviewed regularly and individual documentation stored

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Organisation

confidentially. This ensures children’s well-being and privacy are respected throughout. They

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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 are aware of the setting's current registration requirements and adhere to them. This has a positive impact on children's well-being.

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Organisation

Children’s play opportunities are maximised through the effective organisation of space, time and resources. Space is used well, with clear, defined areas for different types of play. This is easily adapted for large physical play or special events such as concerts for parents and carers. The flexible routine enables children to complete their chosen activities. It also incorporates time to visit places of interest. Staff are deployed effectively, enabling children to develop good relationships with them through regular contact and a key worker system. Attractively set out resources and activities inspire children to play and have fun.

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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. 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): • further develop the organisation of snack time to nurture children's self-help skills.

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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): • further develop labelling in the environment.

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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 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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