Thurlton Pre School

Thurlton Pre School Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 254321 Inspection date 03/02/2010 Inspector Gill Thornton

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Setting address Norton & Thurlton Village Hall, Beccles Road Thurlton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 6JQ Telephone number 01508 548 342 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 0300 123 1231, 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: 0300 123 1231 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

Thurlton Pre-School Playgroup is managed by a voluntary management committee, made up of parents of children at the pre-school. It opened in 1992 and operates from Norton and Thurlton Village Hall in the village of Thurlton in Norfolk. The building is accessed via an incline of shallow steps.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 20 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. It is open each weekday during term-time only. Tuesdays and Fridays from 9.00am to 3.30pm and Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9.00am to 1.15pm. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. Children who attend this rural pre-school live in Thurlton and the surrounding villages.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 38 children aged from two to under five years on roll. The setting is in receipt of funding for nursery education and is registered on the Early Years register. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

There are six members of staff, three hold appropriate early years qualifications and three are working towards an appropriate qualification. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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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 cohesive staff team use their in-depth knowledge and understanding of each child's individual needs, family circumstances, interests and abilities to ensure children are motivated to learn and enjoy their time at the pre-school. Strong partnerships with parents and the local school lead to effective continuity of care and learning. Effective arrangements are in place to promote children's health and safety and encourage their involvement in the local community. The excellent use of self-evaluation and a strong drive for continuous improvement ensures that priorities for development are accurately targeted to significantly improve outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend the use of observation to further support staff in planning for individual children's next steps in learning and development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

There is a comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues among adults at all levels within the setting and they all attend regular safeguarding training. As a result they are all confident in their own duties and responsibilities and the procedures to follow to protect children. Clear recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that all staff working with children are suitable to do so. Staff supervise children closely, and carry out appropriate risk assessments to identify potential hazards and the action required to ensure children's safety at all times.

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the early years provision

Strong leadership and management and a common sense of purpose ensures that all groups of children have the opportunity to achieve as well as they can in relation to their starting points and capabilities. The pre-school works well with parents and other professionals to ensure that each child is included and able to take an active part in the pre-school. Self-evaluation is highly effective and responsive to the views of all staff, users and other interested parties and the manager and staff team are very receptive to support provided by the local authority. As a result actions taken by the pre-school successfully bring about sustained improvement. The recent construction of a safe and secure outdoor play area will provide a stimulating addition to the continuous provision. Children benefit from good levels of adult support. Staff are well deployed and work together as an effective team. The pre-school makes good use of available space

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the early years provision

and resources to provide a stimulating and welcoming environment which successfully promotes children's wellbeing, learning and development.

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the early years provision

The pre-school ensures parents and carers receive clear information about the running of the provision to establish strong working relationships. Parents' views are used to inform important decision making, such as to provide longer opening hours. Children have good opportunities to share their views about the provision and be involved in some of the decision making processes. Parents and carers are kept well informed about their children's achievements, well-being and development in a variety of ways including home diaries, coffee mornings and report afternoons. The pre-school has established strong links with the local school to support children's transitions. Systems of working in partnership with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage are being developed to support progression and continuity of learning. Parents praise the caring and approachable staff and the meaningful information they receive about their

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and successfully reflect the principles of the framework in their practice. Good quality interactions and well organised routines ensure children settle well and are happy and secure. Planning is firmly based on the use of continuous provision which reflects children's current interests with focused activities used to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 provide further adult-led learning opportunities. As a result children are eager to learn and spend the majority of their time engaged in purposeful play. Staff are working with the local authority support teacher to broaden their use of observation to provide a firmer basis for planning for children's next steps in learning and development. The recently re-organised learning environment provides children with clearly defined areas in which they can confidently follow

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and outcomes for children

their own interests and experiment with their own ideas.

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and outcomes for children

Children form close relationships with staff and each other and they are caring and sensitive towards the needs of others. They play together well on their own or in small groups, sharing ideas and negotiating, for example, in the well resourced home corner discussing what 'to cook for tea'. Children participate in well- organised whole group activities, enthusiastically joining in with the familiar 'welcome' song which helps them develop a sense of belonging and become familiar with each others' names. They join in readily with action rhymes and the repetitive lines of popular stories. Children enjoy exploring sounds and become engrossed in experimenting with the interesting range of musical instruments. Festivals such as Chinese New Year are brought to life by exploring food and different artefacts shared by parents.

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and outcomes for children

Most staff provide good opportunities to promote children's understanding of mathematical concepts and encourage them to work out simple problems for themselves, such as how many chairs they need so that there is enough for everyone. Children freely access the interesting range of mathematical resources during their play. Most older children say and use number names reliably and know which number comes next. Children enjoy the large creative area where they freely explore their own ideas while creating designs they find pleasing. They have many mark-making opportunities and many are beginning to explore writing and form recognisable letters. Children are becoming active, curious and inquisitive learners. They develop a good understanding of their local community and the wider world. Children are well equipped with the skills they need to secure future learning. They access books freely during the session, sharing them with staff and each other and

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and outcomes for children

clearly understand how books work, for example, two children 'read' their favourite books to each other and finish by saying 'the end'. Children have meaningful opportunities to develop their skills in information and communication technology while demonstrating their skill with the electronic art workstation connected to the laptop and confidently show adults how it works.

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and outcomes for children

Children know what is expected of them and they are beginning to learn to settle minor disputes for themselves. Staff handle children's behaviour calmly and consistently and share behaviour management strategies with parents to promote consistency of approach. Children confidently follow well-established hygiene routines and learn healthy eating habits, such as not to eat much salt. They engage in a wide range of physical play experiences, both indoors and outside. They excitedly initiate their favourite action games in the outdoor area and staff join in with enthusiasm to promote their fun and enjoyment. Many opportunities are used, such as feeling their hearts beating faster after they have jumped about, to promote their understanding of the effects of exercise on their bodies. As a result children learn the importance of physical exercise as part of maintaining a This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

healthy lifestyle. Overall children make good progress towards the early learning goals given their starting points and capabilities. 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 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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