Oakley Preschool

Oakley Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY269261 Inspection date 01/10/2009 Inspector Sheila Boyle

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Setting address Oakley Pre School, C/o Oakley C of E School, Worminghall Road, Oakley, Buckinghamshire, HP18 9QY Telephone number 07791 226473 Email nickandviv@webb88.plus.com 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 .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as 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

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

Oakley Pre-School Group is committee run and opened in 1966 on split sites in the village of Oakley. In 2008 the sites amalgamated and moved to accommodation within Oakley Combined Church of England School in Buckinghamshire. In addition to its own room and outdoor play area, the playgroup has access to the school’s toilets and first-aid room. It also has access to the hall, library and outdoor playground on a timetabled basis. The combined provision has been re-registered for up to 20 children between the age of two and five years. Currently there are 15 children on roll aged two to four years. This includes 12 who are in receipt of educational funding. The provision supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Strong links exist between the play group and the school’s Early Years class. The provision is open five mornings per week in term time between 09.00 and 11.45. It is also open on Mondays for a lunch club from

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Description of the setting

11.45 until 12.45. Five staff are employed and all work part-time. Two have appropriate qualifications and one is currently working towards an NVQ level 3 qualification. The other two have relevant experience. At the time of the inspection the playgroup was registered on the Early Years Register only. Although there is no access for disabled persons at the entrance to the pre-school group, access is available via the school’s rear entrance.

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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 quality of provision is good overall. It has some outstanding features including the quality of care and the way that children are kept safe. The staff promote inclusion and show respect for each child and their families. Strong links with parents ensure children make a smooth transfer from home and enjoy their time at the playgroup. The children also benefit from the good links and relationships that have been established with Oakley school; regular contact with the older children helps them grow in confidence and self-esteem. Although they are not yet fully confident at using self-evaluation, the staff have made considerable improvement since the last inspection and have identified relevant areas for improvement, indicating a positive outlook for continual development.

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further?

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

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further?

 record the dates of fire evacuation drills and note the length of time taken over each evacuation.  implement the new methods of planning and assessment to ensure all staff are confident in supporting children towards their individual next steps in learning.  develop skills in using self evaluation to identify strengths and weaknesses and priorities for development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The staff take very seriously their duty to keep children safe and they have very effective safeguarding procedure in place. These include risk assessments of the premises, equipment and trips off site, an up to date policy on child protection and a record of checks made on adults working in the pre-school provision.

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the early years provision

Staff successfully build positive relationships with parents. A number of parents spoken to, report that they are very happy to leave their children at this club. Strong links have also been established with Oakley School and the children benefit from using some of the school’s good early years resources. They have weekly opportunities to play alongside the Reception children and join them for story time. This makes an effective contribution to the children’s smooth transition to the school. Additionally, the sharing of information with other providers ensures continuity of learning and contributes well to the children’s good learning and development.

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the early years provision

There is a positive approach to diversity and inclusion within the provision, Staff raise children’s awareness of their own and other cultures by celebrating major festivals such as harvest, Easter, Christmas, Diwali and the Chinese New Year. The provision has successfully updated its policies to reflect the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements and all the regulatory requirements are in place. The learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are understood by staff. Their weekly planning shows the good range of learning opportunities and activities that children experience when they attend the provision. Termly planning covers the six areas of learning. Weekly topics and experiences offered to children are suitably linked to the early learning goals. The setting gives suitable attention to promoting children’s language and numeracy skills through daily circle time, story times and through focused sessions and the

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the early years provision

use of computer presented activities. Staff and resources are used well. Each child has access to a key worker who oversees their learning and development, and records evidence of their achievement in their individual diaries. However, children do not yet have individual learning plans because staff are not identifying the next steps in learning for individual children and this slows their learning.

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the early years provision

Although there is no structured system of self-evaluation in place, the leaders have identified several areas for development. They have a clear vision for the future development of the provision and are determined to improve the outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

Although regular fire drills are undertaken, the provision does not record information such as the date of the evacuation or the time taken to evacuate the building. 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, confident individuals who enjoy their time at the setting and feel extremely safe. This is because they are provided with a warm and welcoming environment and a good range of activities, both indoors and outdoors which reflect their needs and interests. As a result all children quickly learn new vocabulary and grow in confidence and self esteem. At registration time, for example, the children show good levels of concentration by listening to adults and responding to their name call. Most can count the number of children present and some know the days of the week. Children regularly use the outdoor climbing facilities and mobile toys safely. They develop good physical skills as well as coordination and social skills by playing ball games, jumping, climbing on the equipment and playing cooperatively. Their social skills and independence are enhanced when they join the Reception class for playtime weekly. Children play

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and outcomes for children

imaginatively and, develop good language skills by using the dressing up costumes to role play characters such as a fire officer, a policeman, a nurse or a prince. In free play time, children explore different materials such as sand, water, play- dough, paint and various types of paper. They persevere for long periods often working independently on a topic of interest to them. For example, one child built a tractor and trailer with building blocks, another made a farm yard with animals using play bricks. Another drew a picture of a scooter using a paint programme on the computer. When in groups children demonstrate the ability to take turns and share with each other. At snack times, for example, as children sit around a table they pour a drink of milk for themselves from a jug and pass it on to their neighbour. Children eat healthy snacks and some can name the fruits that have been given to them, including strawberries, raspberries, apples, oranges and

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and outcomes for children

bananas. In a planned creative activity children were colouring pictures of vegetables they had helped to plant in the vegetable garden. Many demonstrate good hand to eye coordination skills by cutting out shapes and objects from magazines accurately. Children use equipment safely. Activities to enable children to practise their writing and counting skills are in place. As a result children demonstrate appropriate early writing and number skills. Some can write their name and copy words and the date correctly. Some of the younger children are beginning to trace over the letters of their name. Many can count from one to five and some of the older children can count beyond ten and know the primary colours. Counting skills are reinforced through singing nursery rhymes and by using computer presented activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children’s economic well being is well assured as they are developing an appropriate range of literacy and numeracy skills in preparation for school. They demonstrate a good awareness of health and hygiene by washing their hands after using the toilet and before meals. Children show affection and respect for staff by listening to them, behaving well and following instructions. Children quickly learn to tolerate, respect and support one another. Through visits off site and visitors to the school children learn about the wider world. For example, they learn about their local village by drawing a map and putting on it the names of the streets where they live. By celebrating major festivals such as the Chinese New Year they learn about other cultures. When celebrating the festival of Diwali for example, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 they learnt about the importance of light and made candle holders. Children’s good

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and outcomes for children

development in all areas, including their personal and social skills, means they are well prepared for the next steps in their learning. 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 1 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 1 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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