St John's Pre-School

St John's Preschool Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY402776 Inspection date 13/05/2010 Inspector Daphne Prescott

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Setting address The Church Hall, Ripley Road, Worthing, BN11 5NQ

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Telephone number 07708830733 Email stjohnspreschool@ntlworld.com 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 . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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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

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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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

St John's Pre-School first opened in 1970 and re-registered in 2009. It is run by a governing body appointed by the church. The pre-school operates from the main hall and two meeting rooms in St John's Hall in Worthing, West Sussex. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 26 children aged from two to the end of the early years age group may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open from Monday to Friday, term time only from 9am to 12pm.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 32 children aged from two to four years on roll; children attend different times of the week. The setting is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years old. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs eight staff including the manager; six staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The group 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

Children enjoy attending this friendly and welcoming setting where they are supported by caring staff. The setting works in close partnership with parents and other providers towards meeting the unique needs of each child and helping them to fulfil their individual potential. Overall, all of the required documentation is in place. The staff team have begun to monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision and identify areas for improvement, such as developing outdoor play facilities for the children. They demonstrate a very keen commitment to continuously improve the service for children and their families.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop ways of displaying numbers and words in the environment and take into account children and other people's different additional languages  develop further opportunities for children to select their own resources to express their ideas and to ensure they gain more learning opportunities  develop further the link between the indoor and outdoor environment so that children can move freely between them throughout the session and ensure that they have daily opportunities to play outside  continue to implement the new assessment systems, giving parents every This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 encouragement to contribute to their children's learning records and recording achievements related to the child's experiences at home  develop further the daily registration system to ensure the children and staff's attendance is accurately recorded.

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the early years provision

The manager gives high priority to safeguarding children and she ensures that all staff attend child protection training to promote children's safety. Staff are fully aware of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about children in their care. A clear written safeguarding children policy is available for parents and carers, including the process to be followed should an allegation be made against a member of staff. Robust recruitment and vetting systems ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. The safe arrival and collection of children is promoted with staff waiting by the door to meet and greet the children and their parents. All staff are aware of children's individual backgrounds and family members to ensure children leave with the correct adult. All visitors to the setting are required to sign in and out using the visitors' book; this ensures an accurate record of everyone coming into contact with the children is maintained. All the

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the early years provision

required documentation is in place. However, staff do not consistently record in the daily register their own and children's hours of attendance. Daily safety checks and written risk assessments are in place and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure the premises provide a safe place for children to play in.

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the early years provision

The established staff team work well together to provide a warm and welcoming environment for all children and their families. They are deployed effectively which ensures that children are supported appropriately in their learning. The layout of the play hall enables children to move around with ease as they help themselves to a satisfactory range of toys and resources. However, the range of resources offered limits children's play experiences and does not provide sufficient choice to encourage independent learning. For example, there are limited art and craft materials freely available preventing children being able to fully develop their imagination and creativity independently. The staff team have begun to monitor and evaluate their practice to identify priorities for development that will improve outcomes for children. There are clear plans for the setting's future that pinpoint the significant areas for development. The staff team are committed and are

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the early years provision

consistently striving to make ongoing improvements. For example, they have ideas to provide better opportunities for children to access resources for themselves, improve the outdoor area and extend opportunities for children to develop skills using information and communication technology. The setting works closely with the early years advisors to help promote children's learning outcomes. The setting is also currently in the process of reviewing all their policies and procedures; they have recognised that some of them require updating to further promote the efficient and safe management of the setting.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the effective working relationship between parents and staff. There are effective systems for obtaining information which enables the staff to provide for the individual needs of each child. For example, the setting establishes This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children's starting points as they first enter the provision through discussions with parents and by observing what children can already do. Parents can see their child's individual learning journals, which shows their child's progress towards the early learning goals and identifies next steps in their learning. However, the system requires developing as it does not always ensure that all parents discuss their children’s progress reports and make contributions to their child's learning and development. Parents receive regular newsletters informing them about the topics and activities their children will be doing over the future term. They have access to

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the early years provision

the setting's policies and procedures and the notice board to keep them well informed about any events happening in the setting. The staff team have also established good partnerships with other providers. Where children attend more than one setting, staff go to visit the other providers and share information about the children's progress. They have good links with the local school which ensures an easy transition for children when they move on to primary education. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are cared for appropriately. The setting has two staff that are special educational needs coordinators who work closely with other agencies, parents and staff to ensure that each child is supported in reaching their full potential. Parents feel welcome and valued and speak very positively about the setting. They are very happy with the care and education their children receive and find the staff very approachable and caring.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy attending the setting and settle quickly into the routine. Staff are very kind and caring towards the children and help them to settle by providing cuddles and reassurance. Children behave well and are guided by staff when their behaviour is not acceptable, helping them integrate within the setting. Staff support children's learning appropriately and offer them praise and encouragement and talk with them about what they are doing. They are beginning to make regular written observations of children's progress and also use photographs as evidence of children's achievements. The staff team are able to link their observations to the different areas of learning and show the next steps that each child needs to take.

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and outcomes for children

Children take part in an appropriate balance of planned and free play activities and enjoy using a sufficient range of toys and equipment. Children show good concentration completing puzzles, while helping them learn names of different shapes. The sand activity provides opportunities for all ages of children to learn volume and enjoy pouring sand from one container to another. Children role play familiar roles from home in the play kitchen, dressing the baby dolls and making each other dinner and cups of tea. Books are always available in the book area and children enjoy looking at books on their own or sharing it with staff. Children are beginning to develop skills for the future as they find out how things work using magnifying glasses and a camera. They are confident communicators; they initiate conversations and verbalise their actions. Children are beginning to write for a variety of purposes. For example, they enjoy using writing pads in the role play

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and outcomes for children

area and write their first poem for a competition. However, there are few words or numbers around the room to encourage children to recognise familiar, everyday words or numbers. Planned activities such as celebrating Chinese New Year, along This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 with a range of resources, help children develop an understanding of difference in relation to culture, gender and disability. However, there are limited signs or labelling in other languages to assist further an understanding of other languages and to further promote and value diversity.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to develop an awareness of how to stay safe and healthy through their play and daily routines. They learn the importance of washing their hands and putting their used tissues in the bin, helping to prevent cross infection. Children are learning about staying safe as they take part in regular fire drills and discuss why they must not run indoors. They also show a feeling of safety as they approach staff when they feel upset or worried, helping to promote their security. Children participate in a group snack time where they enjoy a selection of freshly chopped fruits and wholemeal toast. They have access to an outdoor play area where they go outside to run around in the fresh air and play with the toys and equipment provided. However, they do not always have daily opportunities for outdoor play and the outdoor area is not used fully to link the indoor and outdoor environments so that children can move freely between them throughout the

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and outcomes for children

session. 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 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 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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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