Canon Palmer Catholic School

St Eval Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 102862 Inspection date 30/11/2009 Inspector Linda Janet Chauveau

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Setting address Lincoln Row, St Eval, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 7TR

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Telephone number 01841 540076 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 08456 404040, 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: 08456 404040 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

St Eval Pre-school is a committee run group. It has been running for over 30 years and operates from its purpose-built building in the centre of the village of St Eval, in Cornwall. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9.00am to 3.00pm during term-time only.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 32 children may attend the group at any one time. There are currently 47 children aged from two to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The pre-school currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are 11 members of staff; all, bar one, hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least NVQ level 2. One member of staff is training for her Early Years Professional Status. The setting provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds.

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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

Staff successfully promote children's welfare and learning; key persons responsible for each child demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of their child’s individual needs. This means that children are well cared for and make good progress given their age, ability and starting points. Children are safe and secure in this busy pre-school. Partnerships with parents and other agencies are strong. Regular in-house self-evaluation by the pre-school manager and her staff team, and the systems to seek parents' opinions ensure that priorities for development are identified and acted on, resulting in improved experiences and outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 provide Ofsted with details of changes to members of the registered body, in this instance the committee, in order that their suitability can be assessed (suitability of adults) 14/12/2009

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further?

 make a record of risk assessments clearly stating when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident 14/12/2009 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 provide positive images that challenge children’s thinking and help them to embrace differences in gender, ethnicity, language, religion, culture, special educational needs and disabilities  continue to develop the outside play area to enable children further opportunities to freely explore, use their senses and be physically active and exuberant across all areas of learning.

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the early years provision

St Eval Pre-school is run by a committee of parents who have effective systems in place to ensure the suitability of all staff and volunteers working on the premises. The committee has recently changed and at the time of the inspection, Ofsted had not been notified of changes to its members in order to assess their suitability; this is a breach of a specific legal requirement. However, staff who work with children are appropriately vetted and monitored to ensure their ongoing suitability and clearly understand their responsibility to safeguard and protect children. Operational policies and procedures are currently being reviewed and adopted and are excellently presented to ensure that all staff will know what to do if they have concerns about a child's well-being. The pre-school manager is designated to be responsible for child protection and has undergone relevant training courses. Required adult to child ratios are met, and regularly exceeded, with the additional

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the early years provision

support of the supernumerary manager at the group.

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the early years provision

The pre-school is a bright and secure environment. Indoors, it is well resourced with a good range of age appropriate toys and activities. The outside areas are less inviting and, although they can be used in all weathers, the layout of the play spaces means that children cannot use them freely or without high levels of staff supervision. Children are kept safe in the pre-school and on outings as staff risk assess these areas thoroughly. Staff carry out daily safety checks indoors and out to ensure that all areas of the pre-school are safe before children arrive. There is a record available to show when the last full review of the safety of the outside areas was carried out but, at the time of the inspection, no evidence was available to show when this risk assessment had been completed for the inside areas; this is a specific legal requirement.

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the early years provision

The pre-school has good relationships with parents, information is shared informally each day and regular access is provided to children's developmental records. Parents are invited to share their thoughts on their child's progress at home by completing 'Wow' forms to share with children's key persons. A selection of useful information for parents, which includes staff photos, is displayed in the reception area, helping parents familiarise themselves with the pre-school staff and routines. Parents are invited to comment on the pre-school by completing questionnaires or using the comments box. Parents state they are pleased with the information they receive; they know who their child's key person is and are really delighted with the standards of care and support offered. Staff work effectively with other professionals to support all children. They make full use of their advice This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

to help develop their practice. There are good links established with the local school to help with transition into reception class and regular visits are made between school and pre-school to use facilities and take part in school events.

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the early years provision

The pre-school has set up systems to evaluate strengths and weaknesses. Regular staff meetings reflect on the effectiveness of current practice and plan for future improvements. All recommendations from the previous report have been successfully addressed, particularly the content of operational policies and procedures and planning for all children across all areas of learning. The pre-school has identified, and parents have also commented, on the condition of the outside play spaces as an area for improvement. As a result, funds have been raised and planning is in place to develop this area in 2010.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time at the pre-school and get on well with each other. Younger children are fully engaged in their play and are keen to try new experiences, for example, exploring the texture of gloop. Older children are given many opportunities to initiate their own play, but on occasions are not sufficiently engaged with the activities they choose which can lead to some behaviour and concentration problems. Children are confident communicators using group times to chat with staff and learn about the pre-school rules for good behaviour and keeping safe. They competently use a range of small tools, scissors and paint brushes during their play, developing early writing skills and manual dexterity.

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and outcomes for children

Staff are confident in using both spontaneous opportunities and building on child initiated play to develop children's learning. For example, when children discover a spider in a toy box, staff pick the spider up to look at with the children, talking about it and counting its legs before releasing it outside. Younger children develop their imaginations using role play clothes and props. Staff work well with children during play, examining the contents of a basket a child has filled with fruits and vegetables encouraging the child to identify and count the contents of the basket. Children learn about their local environment, discussing the trees in winter and how they change during the seasons. Visitors from the local community, such as the fire brigade, come into the pre-school to share their experiences and parents are invited to bring in pets from home for the children to see. Children also go on

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and outcomes for children

trips to local areas of natural beauty and attractions such as the nearby zoo. The pre-school has some resources to teach children about the wider world, but children do not readily use these at all times.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to keep themselves safe, through planned activities and everyday routines, for example, during safety week children took a walk in local streets to learn about traffic and road safety. In pre-school children are fully aware of the safety rules including 'walking feet' and know they do not run. Staff provide gentle reminders and explanations as to why children should not climb on chairs or go under the table. Children benefit from opportunities to enjoy fresh air and exercise, they put on waterproofs to play outside in most weathers, using bats and balls, hitting pots and pans and watching how balls roll down chutes. However, the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 outside areas are not well presented and lack challenge and interest for some children. Children know about personal care and good health. They are all learning to visit the toilet independently and know to wash their hands before snack time.

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and outcomes for children

They know they need to use soap because of the germs they can only see under a microscope. At snack times children enjoy a menu which is varied each day; they have breadsticks, cream cheese and fresh fruit. Staff are teaching children to respect the environment as they compost uneaten food and put all paper and cardboard in the recycling boxes. Children have grown and eaten their own vegetables and the pre-school has received a bronze Eco Award for their commitment to sustainability.

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and outcomes for children

Staff work well in two teams to support specific age groupings of children. They demonstrate a good understanding of children's development and the EYFS. Children are encouraged to share their likes and dislikes and are involved in suggesting ideas for themed planning. Good systems are in place to assess children's capabilities and set targets for the next steps in their learning. Staff use observations of children at play to inform weekly planning and ensure activities relate to individual children's learning objectives. As a result, the pre-school successfully promotes children's learning and development through the provision of purposeful play activities and daily routines. Lively records are maintained in the form of 'Learning Journals' which contain written and photographic observations and examples of children's work showing how they are progressing. These records are made readily accessible to parents. However, there are inconsistencies in the

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and outcomes for children

use of these systems as not all key staff have been able to find the time to keep their records up to date. 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 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Suitability of adults) 14/12/2009

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Suitability of premises, environment and equipment) 14/12/2009

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