Oakengates United Church Pre-school

Oakengates United Church Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 208242 Inspection date 09/12/2009 Inspector Shirley Amanda Wilkes

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Setting address The United Church, Stafford Road, Telford, Shropshire, TF2 6JN Telephone number 07788 678582 mobile Email hillizzy@aol.com (manager) 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

Oakengates United Church Pre-School opened in 1968. It operates from the hall and meeting room in the United Church Hall in Oakengates which is a suburb of Telford. The setting serves the local area.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 24 children may attend the pre-school at any one time, and currently they have 17 children on roll. Of these, four children receive funding for early education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting does support children with special needs and can support children who have English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school opens five days a week during school term time. Sessions are from 9.30 am to 1.00 pm, Monday to Thursday and 9.30 am to 12.00 Noon on Friday. There are three full-time staff who work with the children, all of whom have early years qualifications. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The staff know the children well and are inclusive in their practice. Children are helped to make progress in their learning and development. The environment generally promotes children's welfare and the required documentation is in place. Staff form positive relationships with parents. The staff and parent committee are well established and work closely together as a team. There are satisfactory systems in place to evaluate the provision, however, areas of strength and continuous improvement are not yet fully identified.

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further?

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

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further?

 reconsider the management when children take part in large group activities in order for it to be made into a meaningful experience for all children (this relates to group circle time)  develop further methods of observation and assessment and link these to planning in order to ensure that children progress to the next steps of learning and development at a pace suitable to their individual needs  reconsider the organisation of snack time to increase opportunities for children to solve problems and develop independence in practical skills. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff work well together as a team. They implement policies and procedures to promote children's welfare and safety. Staff carry out risk assessments to ensure that children play and learn in a safe environment. Overall, staff have a sound understanding of safeguarding children, which includes recognising signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow if there are concerns. All staff are suitably checked and vetted. Risk assessments are carried out on a regular basis to ensure that hazards are identified and minimised to safeguard children. Children take part in regular emergency evacuation procedures which help the children feel safe.

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the early years provision

Staff arrange the main room into various areas of play, providing a selection of equipment and resources for children to access freely. Staff are well deployed to supervise children's play and provide good support for their activities. However, the organisation of snack time does not always fully support children's learning as they are not fully involved, for example, in pouring drinks or helping with preparation. Staff know the children well as individuals and generally encourage them to extend their own play and learning, allowing them to move resources around to develop their own ideas. Resources are generally deployed effectively as children can choose from the activities set out and from a range of resources that are easily accessible. Equality and diversity is promoted through the selection of toys and resources, as well as various festivals which are part of children's planned activities. Visitors to the pre-school include the animal man when children are able

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the early years provision

The management team is beginning to use self-evaluation to identify areas for improvement, for example, searching funding for the provision of a portable hand washing unit to encourage children's independence. However, self-evaluation is still in its infancy and at present and does not currently take into account the views of children, parents and care staff. Staff engage with parents and they are given information about how their child is progressing verbally at the end of each session. They have access to the nursery's policies and procedures and receive regular newsletters.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, settled and secure. They play and learn in a friendly and welcoming environment where they are valued as individuals. Children make good relationships with staff and each other. Children generally behave well. They know what is expected through familiar routines and clear explanations. They are encouraged to display good manners and help pack away equipment. Children receive regular praise and encouragement for effort and achievement, which helps boost their self-esteem. Children are cared for in a large hall which is adapted to their needs where they are able to move freely between activities. The staff observe children's starting points and activities. However, observations are not This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 always used to plan for all children's progression across all areas of their learning, thereby possibly compromising children's achievements.

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and outcomes for children

Older children are able to access writing materials and resources while younger children enjoy exploring sand which enables them to practise their mark making skills. Children develop an interest in books from a very early age, staff read books and talk about the pictures to the youngest children whilst the older children access a variety of books in the comfy book area. Print and numbers are displayed with most of the equipment labelled. Children are able to take part in art activities both as adult-led activities and as child led activities which enables children to be fully creative. Their technology skills are generally promoted, as they enjoy using the computer with suitable programmes. Staff are keen to promote a positive approach to managing children's behaviour, lots of praise and encouragement is given to the children, who are confident in beginning to know the boundaries. However, children's listen skills in large group activities need developing further in

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and outcomes for children

order for all children to experience the activity taking place. Small tasks are given to the children in order to enhance their self-esteem and confidence throughout the morning for example, handing out the plates at snack time. Children are encouraged to identify their name when self registering on arrival at the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn good procedures for their personal hygiene. They understand that they need to wash their hands to 'make sure they don't get germs on their food'. They make choices from a wide variety of healthy options at snack time, which includes fresh fruit. Children are able to take part in more physical play when using the climbing frame and trampoline. Children learn about aspects of their own safety as they understand how to move around in a way that will not hurt themselves or others, such as walking, not running, when inside. They get to know what is expected if they must leave the building in an emergency because they are involved in regular practices of the evacuation plan. 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 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 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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