Maulden Lower School

Nutley Pre-School Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 109472 Inspection date 06/07/2010 Inspector Alison Weaver

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Setting address Nutley War Memorial Hall, High Street,Nutley, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 3NL Telephone number 07535 655013 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 .

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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

Nutley Pre-school Playgroup opened in 1984. It operates from a large hall and two smaller rooms in the Memorial Hall in the centre of Nutley. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9.00am to 1.00pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The group opens from 9.00am to 3.00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The provision is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 24 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 30 children on roll in the early years age range. Children come from a wide catchment area. The setting currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs five staff; four staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. There is one member of staff who is working towards a recognised qualification.

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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’s individual needs are met well by a caring and supportive staff team that values them as individuals and celebrates their achievements. This results in children being happy, settled, confident and making good progress in their learning and development. Strong partnerships with parents and other professionals effectively promote children’s care and education. The leadership of the setting demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement by the regular reviewing and evaluation of the provision in order to improve outcomes for children. Various well-targeted plans are currently in the process of being implemented to improve the standards of the setting.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the use of systematic observations and assessments of each child's achievements, interests and learning style in order to plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child  develop more opportunities for children to select resources independently both indoors and outdoors. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Good safeguarding procedures are in place to protect the welfare of children. Staff demonstrate a good awareness of their responsibility to report any possible cases of child abuse or neglect. Robust recruitment procedures are carried out to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Security and safety is given high priority in the setting and the necessary safety precautions are taken to minimise any hazards. The broad range of safe, suitable and challenging toys and resources are used well to support children’s learning. Overall, good risk assessments are carried out on the premises and for outings so that children stay safe at all times. All the required documentation to help protect and promote children’s well-being is in place and well maintained. The written policies and forms have a few slight weaknesses but generally demonstrate clear procedures and suitable practices are in place for the setting.

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the early years provision

The setting forms very good partnerships with parents. Staff work very hard at developing a two-way sharing of information so that parents feel included and well informed about their child’s progress. Parents’ contributions are valued and good use is made of initial forms to get their input about their child’s interests, family background and abilities. The key person uses this information effectively to settle new children. Helpful ongoing information is provided to parents about how well their child is developing in the areas of learning. Good use is made of communication books and reports to keep parents regularly updated about their child’s achievements and learning priorities. The use of the ‘stars of the week’ is an effective way of giving parents the opportunity to share what their child achieves at home.

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the early years provision

The setting works closely with other providers who share the care and education of individual children. They also communicate effectively with outside agencies for those children with additional needs. This enables the staff to provide consistent care and good support for every child. Overall, staff provide an environment that is accessible to all parents and children. Staff actively seek ways to provide positive support to children who are making the transition to school. This is particularly evident in the way they form strong links with the relevant special needs teacher, so that appropriate strategies and support can be put in place before a child with additional needs starts at the school.

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the early years provision

The setting effectively identifies strengths and weaknesses in the childcare provision. They take positive steps to address areas they feel need improvement so that children benefit from the implementation of these changes. The strong staff team work well together and are committed to developing their knowledge and skills. They access training and advice from the local authority so that they can continue to improve. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children happily leave their parents after they have registered, using the numbered pockets. They greet adults and friends and quickly settle at activities laid out for them in the well-organised setting. Children safely and freely explore the environment and the resources. They make their own choices from a wide variety of fun and stimulating activities that engage their interest and promote their learning. These include activities where they explore using their senses and learn to use different forms of simple technology, such as torches and music players. Children enjoy the opportunities to dress up and use their imagination well as they play with large empty cardboard boxes. However, the opportunities for them to self-select resources are not fully exploited.

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and outcomes for children

Children are gaining a good understanding of diversity through planned activities and sharing their home backgrounds with the rest of the group. They are encouraged to respect and value differences in each other. Children play well on their own and with others. They often join in activities together and generally share well. Adults help children learn to resolve disputes themselves. Children develop a good understanding of safety through activities and discussions with staff.

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and outcomes for children

Children’s health is promoted well as they adopt good personal hygiene routines. They develop an awareness of the importance of having a healthy diet and how food gives them energy to play. Children enjoy a wide variety of healthy snacks and have easy access to drinks. Children with allergies are catered for and any individual medical needs are met.

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and outcomes for children

Staff make very good use of the outdoor area as a learning environment for the children. Children thoroughly enjoy the freedom and space to run around and explore in the fresh air. They show a growing confidence and good coordination, when using their bodies to complete the mini assault course and play on the wheeled toys. They weave different materials on the fence, grow produce to eat and have fun playing in the mud. They love playing in the cornflour and spend a long time pouring and stirring the mixture. Children learn about the importance of re-using resources as they recycle different items, collect water and make use of the compost bin.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from being cared for by friendly and caring adults who are skilled at promoting children’s learning as they play. Staff make good use of everyday activities and free play to promote children’s awareness of numbers and problem solving. They are very supportive and show sensitivity to children’s individual needs. They use very good questioning techniques that encourage children to think about what they are doing and express their ideas. They value children’s contributions and this results in children being confident to share their thoughts and effectively builds their self-esteem. Children’s independence is developing well as they help do simple tasks such as hanging up the towels and preparing the snacks. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Staff develop a good awareness of their key children and successfully identify the learning priorities for each child. They ensure that children’s individual interests

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and outcomes for children

and abilities are taken into account when planning activities that will help them make further progress. Children with additional needs receive good support and effective procedures are in place that enable them to be fully included. Staff are in the process of improving the use of the formal learning records; so that they assess children’s ongoing individual progress and the tracking of identified next steps for each child more clearly. 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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