More House School

St Barnabas Pre-School Play Group Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 100521 Inspection date 11/05/2010 Inspector Janet Armstrong

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Setting address St Barnabas Church Hall, Mount Pleasant Drive, Queens Park, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH8 9JN Telephone number 01202 253471 Email john.family@virgin.net 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

St Barnabas Pre-School Playgroup has been open since 1969 and operates from the hall of St Barnabas Church in the Queens Park area of Bournemouth, Dorset. The preschool is committee run and provides care for up to 38 children from age two to under six years. The preschool is open Monday to Friday, term time only from 9am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. A breakfast club for children attending the preschool is offered from 8am to 9am.

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Description of the setting

The preschool is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 94 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The preschool is in receipt of the government funding for early education. They cater for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have English as an additional language. The preschool has links with other early years settings in the area and the local Sure Start Centre.

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Description of the setting

The premises is currently accessed via steps and is set out on two levels. It offers use of a spacious hall with toilets, a kitchen and store room. There is an enclosed garden to the side of the hall.

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Description of the setting

The preschool employs a qualified play leader who holds NVQ Level 4 in Management. She is supported by 10 members of staff, of whom six hold a recognised childcare qualification and two who are working towards one. The setting has achieved their Bournemouth Quality Standards assessment and Bronze Healthy Early Years status and are now working towards the Silver award.

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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

Children are very happy, settled and show extremely high levels of self-esteem and confidence. They are fully engaged in a range of interesting activities, experiencing a broad curriculum, with some challenges. They receive positive interaction from the staff team who support their individual needs well. This is due to the effective working relationships that have been formed with parents and other professionals involved in the children's lives, that enables them to work closely together to cater to specific needs. There is a strong capacity to monitor the effectiveness of the setting and make ongoing changes and improvements to benefit the children and parents.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop staff's effectiveness so that children are provided with further challenges and opportunities to problem solve in their chosen activities; and make better use of the craft resources on offer so that they are able to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 initiate their own ideas and express themselves creatively  further develop the records of assessment so that they identify children's key next steps in their learning to help focus staff's support and extension.

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the early years provision

Children's safety is promoted well. Staff have a secure knowledge of child protection issues and the correct procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child in their care. There are secure systems in place for ensuring staff are suitable to work with children and for monitoring their ongoing suitability through appraisals and addressing any training needs. A safe environment is provided, where supervision levels are high and risk assessments are effective to ensure that children are able to explore and play safely in a secure environment.

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the early years provision

There is good organisation of the environment and play areas. The environment is warm, welcoming, child-orientated and interesting. This is due to the friendly, positive staff team and the set up of the play spaces to ensure that they appeal to the children and offer them opportunities to engage and explore in their self- initiated play, based on their own interests and ideas. A wide range of resources are available and accessible to children to encourage them to make independent choices. Although, they do not always make good use of the craft trolley to initiate and follow their own creative ideas.

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the early years provision

Children are very well behaved, polite and aware of the needs of those around them. They independently say 'excuse me', 'please' and 'thank you' during the session. They share, take turns and have formed positive relationships with others. This respect and awareness of others helps them to accept the differences and diversity they see around them. This is positively reinforced by the staff team who ensure that the children's questions about what they see around them are answered honestly and clearly, for example, when the children notice differences in hair and skin colour.

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the early years provision

All the necessary written policies, procedures, records and documents are in place to support staff and parents and promote a consistent approach. Effective partnerships with parents and other professionals involved in the children's lives means that all parties concerned are able to work together, for the benefit of the children. Parents are well informed and kept up to date about their child's progress through daily discussions with staff and opportunities to view and discuss their children's learning journals. They receive regular newsletters that gives them information and suggestions for activities and ideas for them to follow at home. The setting regularly seeks the views and opinions of parents to ensure that they are meeting any specific requests or needs of individual families.

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the early years provision

Leadership and management is strong. They are effective in the support and encouragement they give to staff, valuing skills, and ideas for future developments. They support staff in gaining further qualifications and attending short courses, enabling staff to act on new learning. For example, the project to develop the outside play area by two staff members who are working towards This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 gaining a Forest School qualification has meant an interesting and valuable play space has been provided where children are fully engaged in exploratory play and learning. This means the staff team are highly motivated, enthusiastic and positive in the active role they play in the setting. Effective self-evaluation systems means that management are open to suggestions and ideas for change and new ways of working, always looking to the future.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time at the setting. They are fully engaged and busy throughout the sessions, involved in their own initiated play, supported by positive staff's interaction, as well as enjoying some adult-led activities. The children make good use of the different play areas and wide range of activities on offer. They make 'cherry pies' using the 'clove' scented play dough, care for their babies in the well resourced home corner, 'barbeque' their food whilst 'camping' and explore the effects of using scales. A four-year-old experiments with the scales and some small play figures and bears, explaining that they are trying to 'get the people up in the air', by 'putting lots and lots of bears in the other end'. They decide this will take 'four handfuls' to make it 'heavier'. The child tries to use only the 'bigger bears' and shows a sense of achievement and pride as the task is accomplished.

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and outcomes for children

Children have high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem, secure in the knowledge that caring and supportive staff are always on hand to get involved. Staff support the children well in their activities, initiating conversations that means children are confident communicators, able to negotiate and share their thoughts and ideas clearly as they play with others. Whilst staff are very supportive of the children and interact positively with them, they do not always fully challenge the children in their learning to encourage them to develop and use problem solving skills in their play and general routines.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit greatly from the regular opportunities to play outdoors in the interesting and exciting garden. The children busy themselves in a range of activities as they water and tend the fruit, vegetable and herb gardens. They talk about the different smells and what is happening to the plants. They enjoy digging in the compost, using diggers, spades and other tools. They practise ball skills as they learn to throw, kick and catch. Children enjoy the logs to practise balancing. They pile them one on top of the other to make a tower. Although, this is not extended on, by staff, to encourage the children to talk about how tall, how many and what if, to allow the children to think processes through and develop their problem solving language and skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a positive introduction to leading healthy lifestyles and keeping themselves and others safe. They enjoy lots of exercise both indoors and outside, and eating healthy snacks and meals at lunchtime. This is due to the proactive approach the setting takes when working with parents so that lunch box contents are also healthy, which gives children consistent messages about keeping fit and healthy. Children learn about expectations to keep themselves safe as they play. They are able to take risks in their play under the watchful eye of staff. For This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 example, they move the low balance beams and barrel around to make an obstacle course and test out new skills as they hop, jump and roll on the equipment.

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and outcomes for children

Planning ensures that children experience a wide range of learning that covers all six areas of learning and allows staff to provide and support a range of activities based on the children's own ideas. Observation and assessment systems are used to record each child's learning journey through a journal and book that shows their creative and mark making skills. The records use photographs and staff's observations of the activities the children are engaged in. Current systems do not always successfully identify or use key next steps in the children's learning to inform staff, so that they can focus their support and provide challenges to further promote children's progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage. 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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