Tutbury Preschool

Tutbury Pre-School Playgroup

Inspection report for early years provision

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Tutbury Pre-School Playgroup

Unique Reference Number EY218984 Inspection date 17 January 2006 Inspector Sally Ann Smith

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Tutbury Pre-School Playgroup

Setting Address Tutbury Youth & Community Centre, Cornmill Lane, Tutbury, Staffordshire, DE13 9HA Telephone number 0798 0044727

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E-mail

Registered person Tutbury Pre-School Playgroup Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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E-mail

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?

Tutbury Pre-School Playgroup opened in 1973. It operates from two rooms in the Youth and Community Centre in Tutbury. A maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday morning from 09:00 to 11:30 and from 13:15 to 15:45 on Monday afternoons. There are currently 35 children on roll aged from 2 years to under 5 years. Of these 35 children, 28 receive funding for nursery education. The setting currently supports

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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 children with special needs. The pre-school employs six staff, three of whom hold an early years qualification to NVQ level two or three. The remaining staff are working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's self-care skills are particularly well fostered and they demonstrate a good awareness of appropriate hygiene routines. After messy play and using the toilet, children wash their hands without prompting. They wipe their noses and discard tissues in the bin provided. They understand that germs can be prevented from spreading if they put their hand to their mouth when coughing. Staff are fully conversant with communicable and notifiable diseases and the necessary responses and there is a very clear policy for children who are unwell to minimise infections being passed to the other children and staff. Children are provided with a varied range of snacks, all of which are healthy and nutritious. They regularly eat fresh fruit and vegetable sticks such as cucumber, celery and carrot. Children have a choice of water or milk with their snack but can independently access water throughout the session. Children and staff sit together

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Helping children to be healthy

whilst eating and discuss the merits of a healthy diet. Children understand that milk is good for their bones and teeth and vegetables are good for their skin and help them to grow up strong. For example, one child said 'I eat lots of carrots because I want to be strong like my granddad.' All dietary requirements are catered for in consultation with children's parents or carers. Children are engaged in a variety of healthy exercise both inside and outside. They practice their balancing and climbing skills on the wooden equipment and help each other as they skilfully walk along the beams. Children enjoy the opportunity to run around outside and play on various wheeled toys and bikes. A particular favourite is using the outside wall as a backdrop for their pictures drawn in chalk.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for by staff who ensure that safety is a priority in all areas of children's care. Emergency evacuation procedures are regularly practised and children demonstrate a clear understanding of their implementation requiring little instruction from staff. Access to the pre-school is closely monitored and all visitors are requested to produce identification before entering the building. Thorough risk assessments ensure that toys and equipment are in good condition and safe for children's use. Children's safety is paramount on outings and good adult child ratios are maintained. Written consent is obtained from the children's parents or carers and staff are familiar with procedures should a child become lost. In addition, children are required to wear high visibility strips so that they can clearly be seen. Staff have a

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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 good understanding of child protection procedures and know the signs of abuse. They are fully aware of their responsibility to report any concerns to the relevant agencies. This means children are well protected from harm. Children learn how to stay safe through a range of planned activities and games. Staff convert the outside play area into a 'road' with a zebra crossing and 'lollipop person' to help consolidate children's understanding of road safety. They learn the colours of traffic lights and understand that they cross the road when the lights are green. Whilst playing inside, children learn to move around the room safely, walking rather than running and using equipment properly. They know that they must sit on chairs correctly so that they do not fall and hurt themselves. Effective policies and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

procedures are in place to ensure that children are safe and well cared for.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enter the pre-school enthusiastically and select activities and resources that they enjoy. Children are provided with a range of activities that effectively promote all aspects of their development. Staff encourage the children to be interested in what they are doing and motivated to learn. Children's personal independence is nurtured well and children are keen to demonstrate their skills such as pouring drinks at the water station. Children generally listen to staff instruction well and they know how to behave appropriately. Children respond well to the help and guidance from staff to support their learning and play. Children enjoy listening to stories and rhymes although at times the younger children are disruptive, making it difficult for the older children to concentrate. Without exception, all children are happy and industrious in their play. Nursery education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff demonstrate a good understanding

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of the Foundation Stage for children' s learning and they capture the children's imagination and interest by providing a range of activities to cover the six areas of learning. Activities are adapted so that all children are provided with sufficient challenge and yet move at their own pace. Staff work well as a team to create an environment which is stimulating and fun. Deployment of staff is very effective to ensure that children are purposefully engaged and get the most out of activities. Staff provide opportunities for children to become independent learners but also initiate more focused activities to observe children in their play and extend their knowledge and understanding. These observations are used to complete profiles for each child to assess what they can do and identify areas for development. Expectations for children's learning are high and staff know the children well so that their individual

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

needs are met. Staff employ positive methods to ensure that children respond appropriately to instruction and behave well. Children are able to choose from the activities available and initiate their own play. They utilise resources such as cardboard tubes and chairs to make horse jumps and develop their own imaginary game pretending to be riders. Their independence is encouraged as they make their own sandwiches or chop up fruit for a fruit salad.

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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 work well in groups, taking turns and generally showing consideration for others. Children are confident to express a range of feelings and 'whoop' with delight when they play in the newly constructed outdoor area. They are eager to play on the new equipment and sit chatting animatedly on the wooden boat. Children relish the opportunities to sit quietly in the well organised book area where they curl up on cushions or sit on chairs reading books of their choice. Children are beginning to understand the sequence of stories and often finish sentences, for example, 'Hairy McClairy from Donaldson's Dairy. However, there are few opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the elements of stories such as the title, author, illustrator, beginnings and ends and rhyming words. Whilst

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children see some labels and captions in their environment, these are limited. Children enjoy making marks in a variety of ways and regularly paint and use chalk. They attempt to write their names whenever they complete a piece of art or creative work and access the writing trolley independently. Staff help children to recognise initial letters and sounds in words such as the first letter in their name. Children know how to hold pencils correctly and they are encouraged to use both hands. During planned activities children write shopping lists or send letters but do not always have opportunities to write for a purpose in their general play. Children interact well and are happy to share their experiences. For example, children talk about which supermarket their parents shop at and how they travel there. Children are able to count reliably up to ten and enjoy singing songs such as 'Five little monkeys' which introduce children to the concept of counting back. Regular

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

activities are used to develop children's awareness of simple number operations in addition and subtraction, for example building towers with the bricks. Children know which tower is bigger, smaller, taller or shorter. Children use appropriate language such as 'more' or 'just a little bit' when pouring drinks. They play in the shoe shop and match shoes into pairs and then group them by size, colour and style. Children know many shapes and can confidently recognise a rectangle, square, circle, triangle, moon and star. The computer is used to further consolidate mathematical concepts such as matching, sorting and sequencing. Children weigh and calculate when cooking or playing in the water but have few opportunities to measure. Children are introduced to a range of topics that help to develop their awareness of their environment and the world in which they live. Children learn about the significance of different festivals and customs and taste foods from various countries.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They visit baby clinics and a doctors surgery and have visits from the police so as they can develop an understanding of how people help in the community. The children go on bug hunts and have fun scrutinising ants, spiders and caterpillars using magnifying glasses. Staff respond to children's curiosity when playing outside, for example, when they find a worm. Children are encouraged to study the worm in close detail and talk about it's preferred habitat. Regular modelling sessions using recycled materials enable children to develop their cutting, joining and building skills. Children are competent when using the computer, independently selecting programmes and manipulating the mouse with increasing control. Children are keen to demonstrate their skills in operating programmable toys such as 'Bee-Bot' where they manoeuvre the bee backwards, forwards and in circles. Children move confidently and imaginatively both indoors and outdoors. Children use

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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 a range of small and large equipment to develop various skills. Balls, hoops and beanbags help to develop their throwing, catching and general coordination and they learn how to peddle a variety of wheeled toys. A range of balancing and climbing equipment is available to test the children's skills. Children particularly enjoy action rhymes that involve moving their bodies in different ways such as rolling, crawling, putting their hands on their heads and behind their backs. Children and staff respond spontaneously to events as they happen such as a change in the weather. for example, they go outside and use the parachute to catch snowflakes as they fall from the sky. Children use a variety of different materials, painting and printing techniques to develop their creativity and imagination. They make 'welly' prints and compare the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

patterns, sizes, similarities and differences. Children often participate in large group activities where they are given a large piece of paper and left to create their own designs. Children enjoy using the musical instruments and pretend to read the sheet music as they play the keyboard. Children have fun as they tap out rhythms and beats and play the instruments loudly or quietly. Role play is a daily feature and a variety of different scenarios such as the shoe shop or doctors surgery are planned to stimulate children's interest.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children play in an environment which is warm and welcoming and staff are friendly and approachable. Staff are aware of children's likes and dislikes and plan the routine taking these into account. They liaise closely with parents to ensure that the individual needs of each child are met. For example, they organise and provide resources that maintain all children's interest and provide opportunities for children to initiate their own play. Staff help children to feel settled by ensuring that their favourite toys are laid out at the beginning of the session. Children participate in activities of their choosing and are given time to complete tasks, particularly when they are fully engrossed and absorbed in their play. Children feel a sense of belonging as they hang their coats on their named pegs and have personalised bags in which they place their creative work in readiness to take home. Parents receive

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Helping children make a positive contribution

good quality information regarding the pre-school to include all the relevant policies and procedures. They have regular discussions with their child's key worker regarding their child's progress. Parents benefit form an 'open afternoon' held on Wednesday when a Health Visitor is in attendance to provide help and support. Children are very well behaved and know the routine well. When the 'Hi Ho' music is played they shout 'it's tidy up time' to each other and proceed to put the toys away with little prompting from staff. Children learn to be kind and helpful and pour drinks of water for each other. Children take turns when playing with toys and generally listen to each other when speaking in a large group. Staff create a calm atmosphere where raised voices are discouraged. Children learn about different religions, festivals and cultures through a range of planned activities. They are fascinated as they learn about mosques and make their own prayer mats. Children taste foods from

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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 around the world and discuss their preferences. Labels and pictures around the room reflect people with different skin tones and disabilities. This means that children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well. The partnerships with parents whose children receive nursery education are good. Parents are well informed of their child's progress and have regular opportunities to discuss the educational programme with staff. They receive good quality information regarding planning, the stepping stones and how these are linked to their child's learning. They attend open days where they can observe and be involved in activities which cover the six areas of learning. This helps parents understand the learning intentions and how they can help their child in the home environment. A regularly

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Helping children make a positive contribution

updated notice board keeps parents informed of the programme for nursery education and a resource pack is available for their perusal.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for by staff who have relevant experience and qualifications and demonstrate a good understanding of the needs of all children to promote their well-being. All staff have been appropriately vetted. Staff work well together to ensure that the routines run smoothly and children feel settled and secure. They are aware of their roles and responsibilities and consequently deploy themselves effectively to ensure that children are interested in their play. Staff have a very good understanding of the setting's policies and procedures and are effective in their implementation. Leadership and management is good and the manager ensures that staff feel valued and included in all aspects of decision making regarding the running of the pre-school. The manager provides a positive role model and motivates the staff with her enthusiasm. Staff discuss and share ideas for children's learning so that the

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Organisation

activities are varied, fun and stimulate their interest. Weekly meetings enable staff to discuss all areas of the routine and plans to evaluate practice. They determine which activities have been successful or unsuccessful for whatever reason and revise future plans accordingly. Staff are committed to developing and improving all areas of their practice. This means that overall the needs of all children who attend are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, considerable progress has been made in providing children with regular outdoor play opportunities. At the last inspection, the pre-school were required to develop the outside area so that it can be used regularly and incorporate the six areas of learning when planning for play. Children now play outside on a daily basis, regardless of the weather and have fun as they splash in puddles, play with the parachute catching snowflakes and participate in a variety of different games. They catch, throw and kick balls and develop their climbing and balancing skills on the new wooden play equipment. Children go on bug hunts and plant and grow seeds. A garden has been designed by a parent to provide children with opportunities to grow their own fruit and vegetables and plant flowers in bands of colour such as blue to represent the sea. Children draw designs with chalk on the

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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 wall and play with a variety of wheeled toys. Written plans incorporate the six areas of learning when considering outdoor play.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration. The provider is required to keep a copy 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): • improve the organisation of story-time so that all children's interest is maintained. (also applies to nursery education)

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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): • increase opportunities for children to write for a purpose as they play and see labels in their environment • increase opportunities for children to develop an understanding of measure in practical activities.

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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: 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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