The Billericay School

Young Foundation Pre-school Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 115384 Inspection date 29/04/2010 Inspector Sarah Morfett

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Setting address Yarnton Way, Erith, Kent, DA18 4DR

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Telephone number 020 8312 4700 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 . 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

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

Young Foundation Pre-school opened in 1998 and operates from Emmanuel Baptist Church, South Thamesmead. The setting is supported by a steering committee, which includes representatives from Emmanuel Church and parents. The pre- school is registered on the Early Years Register only. The pre-school is easily accessible and has use of the main hall and a second smaller adjoining room. All accommodation is on the ground floor. There is a fully enclosed outside play area.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 34 children may attend the pre-school at any one time, four of whom may be under three. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9.15am to 12.15pm for 38 weeks of the year. There are currently 34 children in the early years age group on roll. All children receive funding for nursery education. The pre-school is well established in the community and serves families from the surrounding residential area. They currently support a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also support a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs six staff. All of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are two staff working towards the foundation degree, one staff working towards a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 4 and one staff working towards an NVQ at level 3.

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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 pre-school staff meet the uniqueness of each child through their well developed knowledge of the children's individual needs. They effectively promote their welfare and learning through a broad range of activities which are based on the Early Years Foundation Stage, this helps children to make good progress. The group’s capacity for maintaining ongoing improvement is good and they are realistic in identifying their strengths and areas for development. The partnership with parents and other agencies is excellent and ensures that the ongoing learning and development needs of the children are fully met.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the daily routine gives time for children to pursue their learning without interruption and enables them to complete activities to their satisfaction  continue to develop the ongoing observational assessment to inform planning for each child’s continuing development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's safety and welfare is promoted through a well developed range of polices and procedures. All staff have attended an introduction to safeguarding training and follow a well written policy should they have any concerns about the children in their care. Daily risk assessments are carried out, signed and dated to ensure the environment is safe for children to play in. Further checks of equipment are carried out on a regular basis and any issues are dealt with promptly. The manager ensures that all staff are suitably vetted and qualified to work with children. They access regular training opportunities through local authority run courses to keep their knowledge of children's development up-to-date.

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the early years provision

The pre-school deploys resources effectively. Furniture, equipment and toys are of good quality and suitable for the ages of children to support their learning and development. Staff set out the play areas making them inviting to the children. They ensure that children can move around freely and make choices about what they play with. Experiences for children are generally good. However, the way the daily routine is organised means that children do not always have time to pursue their learning without interruption or complete activities to their satisfaction because of the stop-start nature of the session.

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the early years provision

The pre-school gives high importance to promoting equality and diversity. They celebrate festivals from the varied cultures of the children attending, drawing on parent and carers experiences to develop children's understanding of the world around them. Their ability to promote inclusion within the setting is strong, they work closely with outside agencies; such as, the area Special Educational Needs Coordinator, local health visitors, community police officers and early years advisory teachers. This means that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as children with English as an additional language are supported well and make good progress in relation to their starting points.

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the early years provision

The partnership with parents is exceptionally strong. Each morning, staff take time to talk to parents about their child's needs. There are systems in place for parents to share their views; for example, through a suggestion box and a parent questionnaire. The setting has also arranged a parent’s coffee bar where different speakers are invited to talk to the parents about issues important to them. There is a wide range of written information available to the parents keeping them well informed of the service the group provides. Parents say they are very happy with the pre-school and feel included in their child's development because they receive good feedback. Particularly welcoming is the regular report on the progress the children are making.

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the early years provision

The staff team work well together and through regular meetings take time to evaluate the effectiveness of their setting including the learning and development requirements. They are realistic in identifying areas for improvement and use the local authority self-evaluation system to guide them. They have recently changed the observational assessment system and are making steady progress in moving this forward. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled in the warm and friendly environment. A good range of toys and resources provide opportunities for them to explore and investigate as they make independent choices about what they play with. Activities are well thought out and meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage well. Staff use a variety of effective teaching methods throughout the session, they know when to join in and guide children's learning and when to sit back and let them experiment for themselves during the activities. They use open questions with the children to extend their learning; for example, asking 'how' 'why' and 'where' as they play.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about the world around them; for example, following the lifecycle of the frog in real time as they watch a batch of frog spawn turn into adult frogs. They begin to experiment and learn how things work as they use programmable toys and resources. Children very much enjoy using the computer and sitting listening to tapes using earphones. They express themselves freely through a varied range of materials such as, play dough, paint and recycled resources for modelling. There is a good amount of labelling around the room which means children begin to recognise familiar words. Through familiar songs and rhymes, children begin to learn simple addition and subtraction. They are taking part in the project 'Every Child a Talker' helping to promote children's language and communication skills in partnership with their parents. Activities are designed to promote this through games, stories and rhymes. Therefore, children become

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and outcomes for children

The staff team recently identified that the observational assessment system was not working effectively for them or the children. So with support from their early years advisor they have adopted a new planning and observation system. This is in its infancy, but is beginning to show how children are making progress. This still requires some development; for example, next steps are not always consistently recorded. However, regular evaluation of the planning at the end of the week helps staff to include activities based on the children's individual needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children begin to learn about safety by following simple rules. For example, staff remind them not to run inside and teach them how to use the equipment. Children take part in regular fire evacuations therefore they learn to keep themselves safe. They make healthy choices at snack times and can access fresh water at all times. There is a clear procedure for the administration of medicines and children are encouraged to stay at home if they are unwell. Therefore the risk of cross infection is minimised.

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and outcomes for children

Staff manage children's behaviour well. They ensure they are good role models and support children to learn to share and take turns using a timer system. They are beginning to form positive relationships as they play alongside their peers. Staff praise children constantly and offer encouragement where they see they are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 trying hard. This means that they become confident learners with good self- esteem. 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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