Upton Methodist Church Pre-School

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Upton Methodist Church Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 153445 Inspection date 03/06/2009 Inspector Dinah Round

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Setting address Dorchester Road, Upton, Poole, Dorset, BH16 5NN

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Telephone number 01202 631915 or 01202 625417 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10). This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Upton Methodist Church Pre-School has been established for approximately 37 years and operates from the Methodist Church Hall in Upton, Poole. The accommodation consists of a hall and play room with access to kitchen and toilet facilities. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area laid to grass and paving.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is open Monday to Friday, term time only from 09.00 until 11.45, with afternoon sessions on a Monday and Friday from 12.45 until 15.30. In addition, a lunch club operates on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11.45 to 12.45. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register to provide care for 26 children from two years to the end of the early years age group. There are currently 46 children on roll, of whom 30 are receiving funding for nursery education. The pre-school currently supports children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The preschool is run by a church committee and employs a qualified play leader who has an NVQ Level 3 in Childcare and Education. There are five other members of staff, of whom four hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good. Children are happy, settled and well cared for as staff have a good understanding of their individual needs and liaise closely with their families. Children are provided with a good range of age appropriate activities which helps them progress well in their learning and development. Children benefit from accessing a welcoming environment where health and safety issues are generally well promoted. The staff are pro-active in developing their own skills and practices and continue to evaluate the provision to improve the outcomes for children.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 review the current system of risk assessment so that risks are identified and minimised for all activities and outings.  continue to develop the assessment systems to help identify children's next steps, and make greater use of open-ended questions to enhance children's learning  review the organisation of large group activities to ensure they are effective and support all children's learning and development This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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provision

The setting maintains clear policies and procedures for all aspects of the provision. These are followed consistently by staff to promote the smooth running of the group and support children's health and welfare. The effective security measures and close supervision by staff during arrival and collection times ensures that children cannot leave the premises unsupervised. Risk assessments are completed, however, these do not include all activities and outings. For example, risks are not always minimised as not all children wear helmets when riding bicycles. Records, such as daily registers, incident, accident and medication reports are generally well maintained to support children. Staff have a sound understanding of child protection issues which helps to ensure children are safeguarded.

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provision

The effective key person system means children are cared for by staff who know them well and helps children feel secure. Staff work together well as a team regularly communicating during the session to ensure children's individual needs are supported. Most activities are organised well and maximise the use of space, promoting children's independent play and learning through the provision of easily accessible resources. However, group activities are not sufficiently well organised to fully promote all children's enjoyment and learning. For example, during large group stories some children have difficulty listening and distract others.

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provision

Good partnerships are established with parents and carers which helps to ensure children are cared for according to their individual needs. Parents are provided with useful information about the setting which is updated through newsletters and information on the parents' notice board. Information about children's progress is shared with parents both informally and through parent consultations. Parents are encouraged to get involved in their child's learning by sharing children's interests and taking home story sacks and books to share with their child at home. Effective steps are taken to evaluate and monitor the provision with a focus on improvements for children's care and learning. This includes seeking parents' views and ideas through simple questionnaires.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children are happy and settled and relate well to familiar adults who know them well and value them as individuals. They benefit from freedom to choose their own activities from the easily accessible resources and use free flow opportunities to access outdoor resources which fosters their independence. Staff organise interesting topics to support all areas of children's learning and development, such as the 'snowmen week'. Children's interests are included in the planning of activities and they enjoy access to a good range of activities and learning opportunities. For example, a hairdresser's salon set up in the role play area was initiated by the children. Staff are always close by to offer support, but the use of open-ended questioning is not maximised to find out about what children already know to enhance their learning. Staff use ongoing observation and assessments to effectively monitor children's learning, although, there are inconsistencies in

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

identifying children's next steps to help them progress. Children with additional This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 needs are well supported as staff liaise closely with parents and other agencies to ensure that their individual needs are met.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children develop a sense of identity as they have their own coat peg and find their name cards to self-register on arrival. Most children communicate well, they have fun meeting 'Sammy the Seal' which staff use effectively to encourage children's listening and thinking skills during small groups. Children have regular opportunities to use mark making materials, they are encouraged to have a go at writing their own names on their artwork and to record their choice of drink on the tally sheet at snack time. Children are introduced to simple problem solving games as they count the numbers of children present and work out how many plates are needed at snack time. Children are developing their coordination and balance as they learn to ride the bikes around the safety surface area outside. Children enjoy exploring the wide range of creative activities available, such as finding the treasure in the sand and paddling in the water in the beach role play. Children are

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

helped to learn how to behave as they receive clear and consistent messages from staff. The effective behaviour management strategies by staff support children in learning to share and take turns, for example, through the use of egg timers when children are waiting to have a go on the computer.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Children's health and welfare is promoted well. They take part in regular fire evacuation practises to ensure they are all familiar with the procedures, and the local police have visited to talk to children about stranger danger. Children are developing healthy lifestyles through following good personal hygiene routines and learning about healthy eating habits. Staff borrowed the 'large teeth' from Treats toy library to reinforce the importance of looking after their teeth. Children enjoy a good range of healthy snacks including fresh fruit daily and are able to access drinks of water both inside and outside. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 2 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

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Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 3

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 2 How well are children helped to be healthy? 2 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 2 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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