Puffins Preschool

Puffins Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Puffins Pre-School

Unique Reference Number EY278341 Inspection date 09 December 2005 Inspector Christine Coram

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Puffins Pre-School

Setting Address Immanuel United Reformed Church, 120 Southbourne Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH6 3QJ Telephone number Hall 01202 431185 E-mail Puffins Mob:0777 3006478 Mgrs Home No 01202485585 Registered person Puffins Pre-School Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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Puffins Pre-School

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 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?

Puffins Pre-School opened in 2004. It operates from a church hall and ancillary rooms in Southbourne, Bournemouth and serves the local community and surrounding area. There are currently 21 children on roll. This includes 11 funded three year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special educational needs.

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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 The pre-school opens five days a week during term time. Sessions are from 09.15 until 12.15 with an optional lunch club from 12.15 until 12.45. The setting employs seven staff who work directly with the children. Four staff hold a recognised early years qualification.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health promoted very well through the staff's vigilant attention to good hygiene procedures. These include the use of kitchen roll for hand drying and the careful wiping of tables before snacks. Children effectively learn about healthy practices and the reasons for them. For example children put their hands over their mouths when coughing. When asked why, they comment 'so that other people don't catch our germs'. Children are protected well from illness and injury through the carefully thought-out procedures. Several staff have first aid qualifications. Accident and medication records are clear and correctly completed. Children's need for regular intake of fluid is met well. Children can ask for a drink at any time. A jug of water and cups are within their sight. Children are confident to ask for a drink and it is immediately given. Children's nutritional needs are effectively met

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Helping children to be healthy

through the healthy snack of milk, fruit and crackers. Their understanding about nutrition is promoted through projects about healthy eating where children are asked to bring in healthy foods.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The premises are suitable for use. There is a good sized hall used at each session, a larger hall for physical play and a small room for group activities or speaking with parents. This provides safe areas for different activities. Children are welcomed into clean, child-friendly and welcoming rooms with pictures and displays made with the children. Safe storage is close at hand. Children benefit from play in the fresh air in an appropriate outside area which is easily accessed. Children develop well using a good range of equipment which is made for the purpose. All the equipment is appropriate to the stage of development of the age range of children who attend. Children are protected through vigilant maintenance of equipment. For example each

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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 half term checks are made of all large equipment. Any broken toys are removed from use until mended. All the equipment is cleaned regularly ensuring that children are not exposed to any health risks. Children are also protected well as suitable safety equipment such as socket covers are in place. Staff are vigilant about safety routines. For example, they ensure that there are always two adults with a group of children. Staff are well deployed to keep children safe. They have clear rolls and supervise the children very effectively. Children are protected well from possible harm or abuse because clear procedures are in place and staff are aware of their own responsibilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children benefit from the good range of toys available for free play. For example, a large selection of activities are set out for the children to choose alongside the supervised craft activities. A rota for these activities ensure that there is a large variety offered throughout the week. Children's interest is stimulated, and all areas of their development promoted well. Planning is well thought through and takes account of the whole age-range. Nursery Education The quality of learning is good. Children have a positive attitude towards new experiences and are confident in the setting. They show curiosity, coming to the tables to see what staff are doing and queue up to join in chosen activities. They remain at tables for some time to finish their work. Children are sociable and make relationships within the group. They love to chat to their peers and call across the room to other: 'will you come and play with me - come and play with me'. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

behave well and negotiate with each other with good support from staff. Children are very confident communicators. They share in conversations, telling their peers 'I've got two sleeps before we put up our Christmas tree'. They express their desires in words, for example: 'I want to do the same as that one - there's one over there'. Children develop a good understanding of the links between sounds and letters. They confidently state that Wednesday begins with 'w'. They know that other words beginning with 'w' and give examples such as 'walk', 'wall' and 'windows', when prompted. Children greatly enjoy books and stories. They listen to stories with interest and choose to look at books. They handle them carefully and with interest. They know that the writing contains a story. Children draw and paint with confidence, sometimes giving a clear meaning to their marks. Children demonstrate a growing confidence with numbers. They willingly count and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

can recognise some numbers. They show an interest in number problems. They count the girls then the boys and correctly state that there are more boys. They are very interested in shapes and talk about these in their play for example stating 'I'm going to make a circle' and indicating the shape with a large sweep of their arm.

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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 Children show intense curiosity as they explore and investigate a range of objects. They are fascinated by a magnetic ball game, watching intently as balls are moved with magnets. They show a great interest in technology. They use excellent programmes on the computer to help to learn to control the mouse. There are plenty of challenges for the more able children but they can be enjoyed by all with the good support from staff. Children move in many different ways and negotiate space with accuracy. They hop, jump, crawl, slither and take tiny steps with enthusiasm and confidence. They enjoy using their bodies in a variety of ways and moving in large spaces. They use equipment, both large and small, with control and confidence. They are competent and enthusiastic climbers and use tools such as hammers to produce a desired

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

effect. Children experiment with different media. They enjoyed free painting and organised craft activity. They compare colours as they work. Children sing joyfully and are building a repertoire of songs. Children use their imagination in role play and imitation. When playing with the parachute they imitate a gentle stream and an increasing storm. They respond with excitement to the 'storm'. The quality of teaching is good. Staff involve themselves in the children's play with a keen interest in what they say and do. They give clear instructions and support without taking over and are hugely encouraging at all times. They have a good understanding of child development but not all the staff are confident about the Early Learning Goals. Each activity is effectively set with support for less able children and challenges for more able children. For example, phonics sessions clearly provide challenges for more able children but all the children enjoy and participate in them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Planning is very detailed and includes a good variety of learning experiences. It clearly links with the Early Learning Goals and stepping stones. There is clear documentation about what children are to learn and suggestions for staff concerning what to discuss with children at different stages. The activities are evaluated at staff meetings and action plans set for the future. The routine is varied and time is used well. There is flexibility to change the routine to meet needs of children where appropriate. Staff are well deployed and work directly with children at all times. Records of achievements are evaluative with detailed observations. They clearly show the progress of the child and link to future development plans. Effective behaviour management techniques are used. For example, staff change their tone of voice to a whisper to quieten children. They skilfully defused difficult situations by

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children benefit from many positive images of different cultures in the toys and books which help them to have an open and accepting view of the world. For example there is a beautiful poster displayed about 'People Like Us'. It shows pictures of a variety of

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 people, including members of staff, with different skin tones and disabilities. Children's individual needs are met. For example, those who are not confident to hold the parachute take turns in choosing the colour for the ball to land on so that all are involved in the game in different ways. Children with special needs progress well because staff have a clear understanding of their needs and work other professionals to support them. Children understand what is expected of them and learn to behave well. Gentle explanations are given. Staff are firm but clearly understand the children's ability and their expectations are very appropriate. Children have limited negotiation skills but they look to staff for support. For example: 'I haven't got one of them - he's got them'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The guilds for behaviour at the setting are gently re-enforced by staff in a very positive way. For instance, they say 'take care of the toys and books', 'we do listen' and 'let's share'. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fosterd. For example, they are able to show a 'cross' face to express anger and learn about emotions. Partnership with parents and carers is good. Children benefit from very good liaison between staff and their parents. The newsletters are informative and enthusiastically invite parents to talk and ask questions and to be involved. Parents are each invited to a parent consultation to discussion the curriculum and stepping stones. This provides the opportunity for them to ask question and make sure that they understand their children's learning. This is an excellent means of communication.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for by suitable staff members as there is a thorough system for selection of staff. Secure induction procedures ensure that staff are well aware of all policies and their responsibilities. The setting is very well organised with the children's interests in mind . All staff are very clear about their roles. They are a happy team and work particularly well together. The leadership and management of the setting are good. The person in charge gives very clear leadership by example. She demonstrates excellent skills which influence the practice of other staff. Staff meetings are held frequently and from these discussions, action plans are created to improve the setting. The person in charge is very committed to improving and developing the setting. Effective methods are in place to assess and address it's strengths and weaknesses.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the setting was asked to review and address the risk posed by the other users of the building, make sure that more able children were sufficiently challenged and obtain written consent from parents to seek emergency medical

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 advice or treatment. The risk assessment has been successfully undertaken to highlight issues and tighten procedures. The risk to children is minimised effectively, ensuring that they are safe in the building. The person in charge has introduced additional activity to provide sufficient challenge for more able children. Staff clearly have expectations of the children based on their individual abilities. This means that all children are effectively and appropriately challenged. Consent for emergency medical advice and treatment is now part of the general consent sheet and signed by parents prior to children starting at setting. Parent's wishes can now be met.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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): • develop a procedure for recording complaints from parents.

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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): • ensure that all staff are confidence about the Early Learning Goals and the stepping stones.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website:

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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 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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