Chelford Village Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number EY398808 Inspection date 26/03/2010 Inspector Rachel Ruth Britten

p.1

Type of setting Childcare on 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 . 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.

p.1

Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the setting

Chelford Village Pre-School was registered at this setting in 2009. The setting is committee run and operates from Chelford C of E Primary School situated in Chelford, near Macclesfield. Children are cared for within a designated room within the school. There are secure areas available for outdoor play. A maximum of 18 children aged two to five years may attend the setting at any one time. The setting is open five days a week for five morning and three afternoon sessions during term time. Children attend from the local community and surrounding areas.

p.4

Description of the setting

There are currently 30 children on roll aged from two to four years, all of whom are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The setting receives funding for nursery education. The setting is not currently supporting any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, but it is supporting children who speak English as an additional language.

p.4

Description of the setting

The setting employs four members of staff including the manager. Three staff are qualified to level 3 in early years. The setting receives occasional support from the local authority early years advisory team.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

All staff know children very well and recognise their uniqueness. Key workers support each child well and ensure that no one is disadvantaged. All children are making outstanding progress in their learning, and the standards of health, enjoyment and achievement are excellent. Safeguarding procedures are highly effective, as are partnerships both with parents and in the wider context. Commitment, enthusiasm, good organisation and team work assure the capacity to improve and to sustain high standards, although self-evaluation tools are less well used.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 extend the usefulness of the individual learning record by making more regular periodic summary assessments and next steps plans to share with parents and other providers  ensure that behaviour incident records maintain confidentiality where more than one child is involved  extend the use of formal setting evaluation systems in order to plan clear, timely improvements. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.4

the early years provision

Standards of safeguarding are outstanding. Staff are knowledgeable and well organised with respect to child protection procedures, the implementation of health and safety advice, use of risk assessments and the maintenance of essential staff and child records. For example, a well-organised pack of all necessary child information, policies, procedures and consents is used alongside parents to ensure that all aspects of how the setting runs, as well as children's individual needs, are clearly known and documented by all parties before the placement starts. Parents are extremely confident that staff are suitably vetted and trained, that the setting meets all safeguarding requirements and that staff know their child's individual needs from the outset. Arrival and departure routines allow parents and carers to come into the setting at both ends of the session to facilitate good liaison without compromising robust registration, accident and medication administration

p.5

the early years provision

procedures. However, behaviour incident records compromise confidentiality by naming both parties in one record, which is then copied and added to each of those children's files. Parents have full copies of all policies, including the complaints and child protection policies, and these are all reviewed and updated as necessary.

p.5

the early years provision

The whole staff group have an ambitious vision for the continuous improvement of the setting and work together with great enthusiasm and commitment. They regularly plan and review the effectiveness of their strategies and the routines and activities offered, tailoring their input constantly to the requirements and interests of individual children. They audit their health and safety procedures. They make the most of their new setting within the local school by using the play and nature areas to the full and undertaking activities jointly with the school and reception class, so that children's transition to school is confident and seamless. Children and parents can easily understand how the setting works because their child has a named drawer, coat peg and registration card. Children can easily see and choose most of the resources, including books, computers, role play and mark-making equipment. However, a large storage cupboard houses many things which children

p.5

the early years provision

need to ask staff for because the shelves are high. All staff attend frequent training and strive to improve the way they plan and provide for children's individual interests and needs. They actively praise, share, record, photograph and celebrate children's achievements. Their Ofsted self-evaluation document details recent improvements, such as rolling snack and increased outdoor play. However, staff have not found the document helpful in identifying and planning further improvements.

p.5

the early years provision

Engagements with parents, carers and relevant others are excellent. Key workers and parents make an initial 'including me' assessment of children's immediate interests and needs upon entry to pre-school. Thereafter, key-workers make regular observations to provide evidence of each child's progress. Parents can easily access their child's progress file. In addition, a home liaison book and special certificates facilitate sharing what children have done at home. The pre-school participates in school and community events and advertises themselves well. They have evolved good information exchange with all schools to which children may This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 move on to, and achieve consistent care and education when children are attending other childcare providers, such as childminding. Staff use newsletters, emails and regular key worker discussions to ensure that they are planning and

p.5

the early years provision

providing together with parents for the next steps each child needs to take. They make good use of a pre-school website and responsibly use photos with children's faces blurred for child-protection reasons. Summary assessment reports are given to schools to further facilitate consistent care and education, but summative assessments are not completed very regularly during the child's time at pre-school, when they could be used to facilitate consistent and complementary care.

p.6

and outcomes for children

All children are making significant gains in their learning, and their achievements are outstanding in relation to their starting points. Staff plan and provide extremely well for each child to progress in all the areas of learning. They provide a really enjoyable blend of indoor and outdoor play, and balance adult-led and child- initiated activity so that children are active, motivated and competent learners. Children take on small responsibilities to find their name card, hang their coat up and bring something in for the 'show and tell' each day. Staff make sure that the activities of the day are discussed with children at circle time before the session starts and that there is time at the end of the session to review and discuss what has happened. This provides children with good opportunities to consolidate and review their experiences and learning as well as develop their confidence as members of a social group.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children's literacy and numeracy are very well fostered because staff weave questions and challenges throughout activities, and encourage an atmosphere where children are pleased and proud to participate and experiment for themselves. They greet one another at circle time in various languages, take turns to work out how many people there are and what the date is, and sing their weather song and discuss what it is like outside. They talk about their items from home which start with the letter of the week, counting how many brought in keys for the 'k' letter and looking to see how the kaleidoscope works. They take turns and listen well. Parents' completed 'little stars' certificates are shown to the group and everyone praises the achievements their friends have made outside pre- school. Children go to play eagerly and many choose to be outside digging, climbing, searching for mini-beasts or pretending to be pirates or hero characters.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Other children choose to sit and make their Easter egg hunt envelopes, carefully decorating and drawing on them, and some putting their names on them ready to use later when they must find four chocolate eggs around the setting.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Each half term, staff evolve new individual next steps plans for each child, based upon a review of their recent progress. Staff then carefully ensure that they take every opportunity to work on these throughout the activities the child chooses. For example, pencil grip and writing skills, more challenge on numbers, and improvement in turn taking and sharing are next steps priorities for some children. The general activity planning is also based upon children's interests, for example, Greek mythology characters and pirates. Staff make sure that role play equipment, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 books, construction, messy play media, small-world toys, mark making, tools and investigative equipment are all accessible to support active play and problem solving along the themes of children's own choices. As a result, children are creative, expressive and increasingly confident as they 'fix' the shed and fence

p.6

and outcomes for children

outside with the screwdriver, bounce and hop like frogs or steer their tricycle tightly along the painted hopscotch squares in ascending number order. Indoors they pretend to make lentil soup or pie in the scoops and containers in the lentil messy tray and listen to the rain-like sound that it makes when poured. They make sausages with the play dough tools, play with the pirate ship or cars and complete increasingly complex puzzles.

p.7

and outcomes for children

Children's social and independence skills are good and their understanding of healthy lifestyles is outstanding. They choose and help to prepare healthy snacks and drinks. They are active and outside for most of the session and have a good concept of the effect of exercise and the weather upon their bodies and how to dress appropriately for this. They laugh at how the cold wind is blowing the box along and making it harder to ride and throw balls into the box. They are competent at tidying the setting and behaving safely indoors, as well as protecting themselves and others from illness by using good personal hygiene. For example, they sweep the lentils off the floor and wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating their snack. Their understanding of the natural world and community around them is good and they are learning more about how to take care of the environment. They frequently explore the natural areas around the school and go

p.7

and outcomes for children

to local venues. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.8

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

p.8

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.8

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 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

p.8

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1

p.8

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

p.8

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

p.8