Stockton House School

Stockton House School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY299577 Inspection date 02/02/2010 Inspector Hazel Stuart-Buddery

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Setting address Stockton House School, Stockton Avenue, Fleet, Hampshire, GU51 4NS Telephone number 01252 616323 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

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

Stockton house School first opened in 1968. It operates from four classrooms on the ground and first floor of a mansion house, in Fleet, Hampshire. The nursery uses the first floor and the ground floor. The school is open each weekday in term time between 8.30am and 3.30pm. All children have access to a large secure outside play area.

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Description of the setting

The school is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 66 children aged between two and under five years attend the school at any one time. There are currently 98 children on roll, some in part-time places. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four. Children attend from a wide area. The school supports children with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The school employs 16 staff to work with children, 15 of which are qualified and additional staff to teach French, dancing and to cook, clean and maintain the premises.

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Description of the setting

The school have regular meetings with other early years providers and uses the Early Education and Child Care Unit services including the Area Inclusion Coordinator.

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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

Children are happy and settled within a stimulating environment where they have access to a good range of activities which promote skill development in all areas. Staff are generally kind, caring, and professional and good partnerships are formed with parents and other agencies, as applicable, to ensure children's individual needs are met. The school’s policies and procedures promote inclusive practice in most areas. The manager evaluates the practice on a regular basis, identifying areas for development and includes the views of parents and children. This contributes to the school's ability to make continuous improvement.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 obtain written parental permission, at the time of the child’s admission, to the seeking of any necessary emergency advice or treatment.(Safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare) 15/02/2010

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  develop the systems for assessing children's progress by using structured observations to identify where children are in their progress towards the early learning goals and their next steps of learning; use this information to identify and plan personalised support for every child  develop systems for valuing linguistic diversity and opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in their play and learning.

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded and protected because the school have good systems in place for identifying and responding to concerns about children's welfare. Effective recruitment systems and procedures to check ongoing suitability ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Written risk assessments are in place and hazards are identified and minimised. The premises are secure and all visitors ring a bell to gain entry. Parents wishes may not be fully respected as written permission to seek emergency medical treatment has not been obtained. This is a breach of the regulations.

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the early years provision

The manager has a clear vision for the school and works hard to provide an inclusive provision in most areas. Informal procedures are in place to evaluate the provision and make changes, where necessary, to improve the outcomes for children. For example, some rooms within the school have been reorganised to provide children with free and independent access to all areas of learning. The manager talks confidently about the strengths of the school and feels that children are cared for in a happy and nurturing environment. Children have access to a good range of activities and resources that are freely available to them. Resources are used well to help children make good progress towards the early learning goals. All rooms are laid out well, with examples of children's work, pictures and posters and are conducive to learning, safe and well cared for.

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the early years provision

The setting promotes equality and diversity. Information is sought from parents and carers about the individual backgrounds and specific needs of children. However, linguistic diversity is not always valued and opportunities for children to develop their home language are not always provided. Learning needs are generally identified and staff work with outside agencies to ensure individual needs are catered for, however, weekly plans do not consistently differentiate activities for individuals. The school has established good channels of communication between childminder's and other agencies, these partnerships make a sound contribution to children's achievements and well-being. Regular news letters and relevant information on the notice boards keep parents informed of what is happening at the school. Formal meetings held every six months gives most parents an opportunity to discuss and agree their child's future learning targets. A

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the early years provision

full set of policies and procedures are shared with parents. Parents report that they are very happy with the care and education provided and feel their children receive 'fantastic' experiences This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and relaxed throughout the school and make good progress in their development in relation to their starting points. Broad planning is completed in advance and weekly planning takes into account the general interests of the children. In most cases spontaneous observations are completed on a regular basis, and this information is used to update the summary records of achievements towards the early learning goals. However, most observations do not link clearly to the areas of learning, the early learning goals or identify what the child's next stage of learning is. Structured observations to identify the level that children are at are not currently used consistently throughout the school. Activities and experiences are generally group planned and do not take in account specific needs of children, as a result an individualised learning programme is not fully in place. Development files are maintained for all children and a summary of their progress

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and outcomes for children

clearly shows their achievements or any gaps in their development. A special book showing examples of children's work is also maintained. Staff are continually working with new ideas to find a system of assessing and recording children's achievements effectively, this is an area that is still developing within the school.

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and outcomes for children

Children are inquisitive learners and confidently approach visitors to show them what they are playing with. Staff are deployed well and use appropriate questions to help children think. Children happily move between rooms and take responsibility for what they want to play with. They begin to take care of themselves independently as they try hard to put on their own aprons to make clay spiders. Children excitedly sit together and listen carefully to instructions given by the member of staff. They look at pictures of spiders and confidently count how many legs and eyes they have. Clay is used to form the spider’s body and children develop their physical skills as they carefully manipulate the clay into a ball; glitter pipe cleaners are used for the legs and each child counts our eight, smiling proudly as they are praised. Children enjoy painting and creating their own pictures and these are valued by keeping some of them in their 'special book'. They develop

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and outcomes for children

their communication as staff constantly talk to them and key word labels around the room helps them to learn that print carries meaning. Weekly music and movement sessions and regular access to the outdoor areas ensure children physical skills are developing

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate through their play a sense of how to keep themselves safe and use equipment appropriately. They confidently approach adults and visitors for help and support and talk freely about their home life experiences. Home-cooked meals are prepared on the premises and enjoyed by all. Older children help to prepare snacks and under adult supervision learn how to use knives correctly. Children show an awareness of healthy eating as they understand eating fruit and vegetables help their bodies to grow. Not all children have independent access to water throughout the session. Children are well behaved, polite and courteous, they cooperate during play as they share resources and take turns. They respond well to the praise and encouragement and show good levels of self-esteem. Children learn about the wider world as topics covering diversity are planned in advance and a range of resources that reflect differences are readily accessible.

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Experiences provided, resources available and interaction from the staff helps to ensure children develop good skills for the future.. 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 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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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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