Hope Pre-School Ltd

Hope Pre-School LTD Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY395513 Inspection date 10/02/2010 Inspector Karen Cockings

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Setting address Hope Pre-School LTD, Loxley Hall, Market Place, Hope, Hope Valley, S33 6RG Telephone number 01433 621 835 Email hopepre-school@hotmail.co.uk 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

Hope Pre-School first opened in 1982 and was re-registered last year under the ownership of a non-profit making limited company. The pre-school operates from the village hall which is centrally situated in Hope, Derbyshire, serving families who live in the village and surrounding areas. The setting has the use of the main hall, a smaller room, toilets and kitchen facilities, all located on the ground floor. There are two outdoor play spaces.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register for a maximum of 25 children and there are currently 25 children aged between two and five years old on roll. It is open every weekday morning during term time between the hours of 9.15am and 12.15pm. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for three and four-year-old children.

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Description of the setting

There are seven members of staff, more than half of whom hold relevant qualifications. The pre-school is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and is supported by the local authority.

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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 children are cared for in a secure and welcoming environment, where their health, safety and well-being are given high priority. Staff work closely with parents, but opportunities for sharing children's records and involving them in evaluation systems are not yet fully exploited. Staff are steadily developing their systems for observing and recording children's progress, to comply with the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and to help them to meet children's individual learning needs. Required documentation is in place, although some procedures lack necessary detail. There is a clear commitment to a process of continuous improvement and a willingness to work with other childcare professionals towards this end.

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further?

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

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further?

 consolidate skills in using observations to identify learning priorities and to guide planning for individual children  consider further ways of involving parents in their children's learning and building on partnerships with other settings involved in children's care  review and develop policies and procedures, with particular regard to the safeguarding policy, to ensure they reflect current requirements, including the need for notification to Ofsted where necessary.  review children's registration forms to include information about who has legal contact with children and parental responsibility This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  explore further ways of promoting opportunities for problem solving and exploratory play.

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the early years provision

The children's welfare is safeguarded due to staff having a secure understanding of roles and responsibilities, together with appropriate vetting procedures, which ensure staff suitability. They are vigilant in their supervision of children, taking positive measures to maintain children's security and to raise their awareness of safety issues. For example, children become familiar with emergency evacuation procedures because they are regularly and sensitively practised with them. Staff make good use of opportunities to remind children about hazards, so that they demonstrate in their play and conversations, the need to take care. They talk about how to use equipment safely, such as scissors and knives, because they can be 'very, very sharp'. Thorough risk assessments and daily checking systems are in place and implemented well. Required records, policies and procedures are maintained satisfactorily, promoting the safety and well-being of children.

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the early years provision

However, some policies lack important details such as the need to notify Ofsted of allegations of abuse. Systems for recording accidents have been improved to ensure that they are always shared with parents and to maintain confidentiality. There is a good understanding of issues with regard to parental responsibility, although information about this has not yet been incorporated into registration forms.

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the early years provision

Staff get to know children and their families well, liaising closely with parents in order to meet children's individual needs. Information about the provision is shared effectively through the use of notice boards, newsletters and welcome packs. There is friendly dialogue with parents at arrival and collection times, with plans in place to provide more opportunities for the sharing of information about children's progress more formally, perhaps at parents' evenings. Parents are invited to share what they know about their children, by completing an 'I can do' form, which gives staff a better understanding of children's starting points and aids the settling in process. Parents speak very positively about the provision and are confident to share any concerns. However, there is potential to involve them more extensively in evaluation systems and in their children's learning. Satisfactory partnerships are

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the early years provision

also developing with other settings involved in children's care, such as childminders and the local school.

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the early years provision

Staff work hard to overcome some of the challenges and constraints of shared premises. They create a welcoming environment with provision for a variety of activities, both indoors and outside. For example, there are cosy book corners and a specific area in the hall for active play. Outdoor space at the setting is fairly limited, but staff are taking more advantage of their wonderful rural location to develop children's physical skills and knowledge of the world around them. They visit a nearby eco-trail, build dens and go for walks and outings in the surrounding countryside. However, some materials, such as sand and water, are not continuously available for children, which limits opportunities for exploratory and investigative play. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The staff work well together and demonstrate a strong commitment to the future development of their setting. Recommendations from the previous inspection have

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the early years provision

been suitably addressed, with a positive impact on the outcomes for children, although work on observations and planning is ongoing. Staff welcome the support and advice of other childcare professionals, they devise action plans to help them focus on specific areas for development and take part in audits as a way of evaluating what they are offering. They are beginning to use other forms of self- evaluation to build on their strengths and to target areas for improvement.

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and outcomes for children

The children benefit from this small and friendly setting, where they build trusting relationships with the attentive adults who care for them. Most children arrive happily and are familiar with daily routines. For example, they confidently find their name label to post in the post box on arrival. Any children who are a little upset are comforted, and efforts are made to engage their interest. Children behave well, play cooperatively together and are polite in their interactions with staff and each other. They respond with a loud 'good morning' at registration time and ask politely when they are ready to leave the table after snack time. Their growing independence is nurtured as they take turns to set the table, pour their own drinks and try to put on their coats, although unfortunately the coat rails are too high for them to reach by themselves. Children find out about their local community through outings, such as to see the well dressings or to buy stamps at the post

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and outcomes for children

office. They take part in some well planned activities to raise their awareness of the wider society in which they live.

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and outcomes for children

The children's health and welfare are promoted effectively within the setting. They enjoy nourishing and substantial snacks, which include fresh fruit and vegetables and often reflect a current theme. For example, they tuck into a delicious stir-fry while learning about how Chinese children celebrate their New Year. Children are often involved in baking and food preparation activities, so that they learn how foods are produced and about the safe use of utensils. They know, for instance, what a spatula is and its purpose. They help to cut up vegetables to make soup, and bake scones and biscuits. As part of these activities and daily routines, children are encouraged to follow safe hygiene practice, which helps to protect them from the spread of infection. There are notices posted above sinks to remind them about hand washing and they have their own separate small towels. The children's good health is further promoted through opportunities for active play,

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and outcomes for children

either indoors, outside in the garden or as part of walks and outings. They develop physical skills and confidence as they use the climbing frame, carefully balance as they walk along the balancing beams and throw balls and bean bags.

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and outcomes for children

A key-worker system is in place, together with systems for observing and recording children's engagement with activities. Staff use their observations to make an initial assessment of children's interests and abilities and are developing systems of ongoing observation to guide their planning. However, they are not yet fully confident in using their observations consistently to identify the next steps in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children's learning and any gaps in their provision. For example, opportunities for children to solve problems and to explore the properties of materials are not always fully promoted. At times also, role play areas are not sufficiently well resourced to stimulate and extend children's learning. However, staff are really working hard on this and are considering ways in which specific areas can be further developed. They consider the needs of the younger and older children they

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and outcomes for children

care for, adapting activities such as story times to suit each age group.

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and outcomes for children

Children use language well as they play and interact with each other. They join in enthusiastically with songs and rhymes, and listen intently to stories. Many recognise their own names, finding them on arrival and looking for their labelled place mats. They also show interest in other scripts, such as Chinese writing, and are keen to find familiar letters in their environment. For example, they spot what looks like a letter 'T' amongst their noodles. Some interesting activities promote the children's awareness of number and counting. They have made a simple graph to show which pets they all have and they make dough sausages to match the numbers in their frying pans. Children work together to set up the beams outside to make their 'coloured river', jumping on and off according to what colour clothes they are wearing. There is a happy atmosphere in the pre-school; children build friendships, enjoy each other's company and engage well with the activities

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and outcomes for children

provided. 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 3 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 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 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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