Brierley Playmates Pre-School Nursery

Brierley Playmates Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 302824 Inspection date 05/02/2010 Inspector Tracey Jane Outram

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Setting address Community Pavillion, Brierley Park, Brierley, Barnsley, S72 9HN Telephone number 07738055344 (vicky ray) Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Brierley Playmates Pre-school was registered in 1993. The group is managed by a voluntary committee and operates from the pavilion building in Brierley Park, Brierley, near Barnsley. The children have access to two adjoining playrooms and there is an enclosed outside area. The group opens five days a week during school term time. Sessions currently run from 9am to 11.30am. However, the opening times and sessions may vary, to address the needs of the local community.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The group may provide a service for a maximum of 21 children, aged from two to five years. There are currently 11 children on roll. There is support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for those children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are three permanent members of staff working with the children, of whom, two hold appropriate early years qualifications and one is working towards the qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The environment is safe and inclusive. The children's good health and welfare is promoted effectively, by sensitive and perceptive members of staff, who value their contributions. Staff are respectful towards parents and take positive steps to plan an effective and interesting curriculum, which provides support to individual children, as they progress towards the early learning goals. The setting has a strong desire to achieve the 'Every Child Matters' outcomes for children and has a good capacity for further development. There are some informal, but appropriate methods of self-evaluation in place, which are instrumental in driving continuous improvements.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend the use of self-evaluation, to include the contributions of others  encourage parents to add to children's profiles and include them in making plans for the next steps in children's learning  enhance and further develop the outdoor play area.

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the early years provision

The leadership of this setting is very good, because the manager is highly skilled and knowledgeable about the regulations of the Early Years Foundations Stage. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 She, together with the staff team, take positive steps to ensure that the premises are extremely safe and secure. This is achieved through the implementation of rigorous risk assessments, which successfully meets the requirements of individuals and the group as a whole. A clearly written and frequently reviewed child protection policy is in place and members of staff are extremely aware of the indicators of child abuse and neglect. Importantly, they have a firm understanding of how to record and report any worries or concerns about children, which may potentially have a detrimental impact on their safety and welfare.

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the early years provision

The pre-school provides children with a light, airy and welcoming environment. Space is used effectively and the children benefit from independent access to the outdoor learning environment, which is currently in the early stages of development. In addition, stimulating play materials are well-organised, to give the children responsibility for making choices and extending their own play. This successfully supports their individual enjoyment and autonomy. The cohesive, competent and caring staff have a strong commitment to equality and diversity. Consequently, the children benefit from a high quality provision, which gives careful consideration to their individual needs and unique learning styles. In the same way, partnerships with parents are secure. They are confident and comfortable to share all relevant information about the children with their key workers, who are both welcoming and friendly. This ensures that the children’s

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the early years provision

welfare is prioritised and their good health and well-being carefully planned for. However, there are currently few systems in place to include parents in their child’s learning, or take account of their wishes for the future development of the service.

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the early years provision

The dedicated and enthusiastic staff have some effective systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the provision. They have high standards and have set themselves some clear targets for improvement, in order to develop the service and support individual children. They work closely with staff from the local authority and have rigorous policies and procedures in place to support children, by working with a range of other early years professionals.

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and outcomes for children

The children are extremely happy at this welcoming setting, from which they are respected and valued. Members of staff are highly attentive and they carefully consider children’s individual needs, patterns of attendance and the group dynamics, in order to provide an inclusive environment. Most recently, staff have made changes to the learning environment, in order to meet the unique needs of particular groups of children, who learn effectively through large scale activities, physical and outdoor play. This has involved staff, successfully utilising children's interest in contemporary television characters, to encourage them to communicate verbally, show an interest in mathematics and represent their ideas on paper. This positively overcomes barriers to learning, shows respect for difference and shows the children to be active learners.

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and outcomes for children

The children's development records are robust and reveal that they are making good progress towards the early learning goals, based on their starting points. The This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 four themes of the Early Years Foundation Stage are deep-seeded within the flexible and child-centred learning environment. Consequently, all children take part in a wide range of carefully targeted activities, which offer a richness of learning possibilities. This includes modelling and constructing with different materials, completing puzzles, playing games, dressing-up, role-play and the use of musical instruments, which helps develop a knowledge of sounds and rhythms. Members of staff are supportive, knowledgeable and extremely skilled at encouraging sustained shared thinking, through sensitive questioning and the provision of thoughtful and imaginative play experiences. In order to correlate with

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and outcomes for children

the recent topic of ‘Humpty Dumpty’, the children have enjoyed a range of experiments with eggs. The children have been encouraged to touch, shake, smell and roll the eggs, in order to guess which are cooked and which are raw without breaking them. The children are curious to know more about the world around them. They happily embrace new ideas and make connections in their learning. For example, after playing outdoors in the snow the children are animated and keen to bring the snow indoors, where food colourings are added to explore colour exchange. The children also correctly describe and predict how the indoor temperature will affect the snow and turn it back to water. This type of hands on learning activity, motivates the children to become creative thinkers, extend their vocabulary and introduce them to science. Overall, the children are developing extremely good skills for the future. The setting is print rich and language freely

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and outcomes for children

flows. This helps the children to distinguish sounds and increase their vocabulary, as they read books and play games that support their developing phonic knowledge. Similarly, they use the computer with confidence and have a strong interest in numbers, shapes and patterns.

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and outcomes for children

The children learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They have a strong sense of self-reliance and happily attempt to put on their own outdoor clothing, before they enthusiastically engage in vigorous physical play. This includes running, jumping, balancing and group activities, such as, ‘what time is Mr Wolf’, which encourages counting and an awareness of space and safety of others. The children know how to minimise the transfer of infections, by independently washing their hands before eating and in most instances put their hands over their mouths when they cough or sneeze. They discuss the foods they like and have a very secure understanding of the benefits of eating healthy snacks, such as fruit. Aspects of children's personal, social and emotional development are met very well, they are well behaved and make positive contributions to the setting, by participating at group times, sharing equipment and helping to tidy away the

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and outcomes for children

resources. In addition, they have a strong sense of belonging, which supports their good emotional health. They develop firm friendships and learn how to acknowledge and deal with a range of different emotions. 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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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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Stage

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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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