St Mark's RC Primary School

Lunsford Park Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 127354 Inspection date 18/05/2010 Inspector Susan Jennifer Scott

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Setting address The George Holding Centre, Chaucer Way, Larkfield, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 6SS Telephone number 01732 848926 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

Lunsford Park Pre-School is a sessional group that opened in 1986. It operates from a purpose built building attached to an 'occasional' GP's surgery, consisting of one large room with toilets and a kitchen. The pre-school is a registered charity and run by a management committee made up of parents. The pre-school is open each weekday during school term time from 09:00am until 11:30am and from 12:35pm until 15:30pm. All children share access to a secure, enclosed, outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 50 children aged from two to five years on roll. The pre-school is registered for a maximum of 24 children at any one time. Overnight care is not provided. This provision is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children with English as an additional language are welcomed.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs eight staff, including the supervisor. Six staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 feel safe because there are good systems in place to safeguard their welfare and they enjoy selecting activities for their own play and learning. The partnerships with parents and other agencies are significant in enabling staff to meet the needs of all children, along with any additional support needs. This means that all children progress well, given their age, ability and starting points. All staff and the committee assist in the evaluation process by identifying improvements and reviewing the provision. The stable staff team ensure that priorities for development are identified and acted on, resulting in a provision that ensures children’s experiences are positive.

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further?

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

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further?

 continue to develop use of systematic observations and assessments of children’s achievements, interests and learning styles in all areas of learning to plan challenging, relevant and motivating play experiences for each child indoors and out, across all areas of learning and development  plan activities that offer physical challenges and plenty of opportunities for physical activity. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff have a very good understanding of child protection and there are secure procedures in place to refer any concerns to the appropriate agency. Staff attend a very wide range of training which enables them to gather and use a variety of information and expertise that they can refer to and use to support children and families. This provides safeguards for the welfare of children, as does the clear information provided for parents on how to raise complaints or concerns. Staff use thorough, clear and accessible procedures which support parental confidence in the provision. Children are safeguarded by a really good range of safety measures, vigilant staff and well documented risk assessments and procedures. For example, there are very good security measures in place, which means that children enjoy their play in a very secure and safe environment.

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the early years provision

Staff have taken positive action to address any previous recommendations and to keep improving the provision. The staff have contributed to the elf-evaluation and use the feedback from children and parents to identify improvements they can make. Changes are monitored so that adjustments can be made to the quality of the provision. Staff have participated in a good variety of training and use their knowledge and skills well to provide a varied programme for children to enjoy. They share the knowledge and experience they gain to bring about improvements. Staff place good emphasis on noting children's individual needs and including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that they can feel fully involved in the activities. Children with English as an additional language are welcomed into the setting and are able to access a variety of resources reflecting different cultures, languages and needs which supports the welcome they receive.

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the early years provision

Staff promote children's experiences of varied lifestyles by providing resources that reflect different cultures. These items are incorporated in everyday play plans which are varied and provide access to a large range of equipment. This results in children who are developing a good understanding of the world around them and feel confident about themselves.

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the early years provision

Parents confirm that children benefit from the close links with the pre-school and all the staff. The required documentation required is all in place and parents receive regular information in the newsletters which share a variety of helpful information. There are systems to enable parents to become familiar with the policies and procedures as samples of these are sent out with the newsletters. Parents are encouraged to contribute information about their children at the start of their attendance and this continues throughout, using the effective use the unique story document. Parents are able to share their expertise though visits; for example, a parent was invited to show her salsa dancing skills to children and this builds upon children's enthusiasm for their play and learning. Parents have good opportunities to see examples of work their children have done, and receive regular updates on their progress. The pre-school provides helpful information

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the early years provision

about the curriculum and activities that children enjoy. Questionnaires have been used to ascertain levels of satisfaction and suggestions for improvement which have been acted upon. For instance, the pre-school provided further resources to reflect diversity and information to benefit users of the service. The partnership This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 with other agencies is something staff have been working on and have enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a local project bringing together some schools and providers, there are strong relationships with local childminders.

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and outcomes for children

Plans promote a variety of play and learning experiences using interesting resources, such as outdoor apparatus, varied imaginative play resources and a range of construction and craft media. Staff ensure children are able to fully participate and learn from their play by ensuring activities are developmentally appropriate and accessible to all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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and outcomes for children

There is a clear and well understood system for recording what children do and achieve, and staff plan for the next steps in their learning by using their observational assessments. The unique story records enable staff to discover children's interests and preferences, which are used to guide their choices of play and learning. Key staff use the children's records to plan for their next steps and enable their progress. However, there is not a systematic approach to assessing children across all areas of learning and recording their development in all six areas. The staff offer good opportunities for children to progress by discussing all the activities and ideas that children select for their own play. However, there are occasions when the oldest, and most able children are not fully challenged by the activities available. This is mainly because some children who are about to leave for school are keen to engage in energetic physical activity and the outdoor play

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and outcomes for children

has not been arranged to provide such challenges early on in the session.

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and outcomes for children

Children’s understanding of right and wrong is successfully promoted through consistent boundaries which enable them to learn desirable behaviour, developing their confidence to take turns and share. They assist staff in tidying up and have very positive relationships with adults who employ consistent and sensitive strategies to deal with any behaviour difficulties. These positive strategies build the children's confidence. Children are encouraged to learn how to keep themselves safe, through reminders given and through a healthy emphasis on choices and decisions. For example, staff enable children to decide what they should wear according to the weather. Children benefit from good procedures to protect their health at all times, independently using the toilets and wash their hands. They learn about exercise and rest to support their understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children benefit from safe food preparation and storage as some staff have trained

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and outcomes for children

in food safety and ensure the group use practices advised by health professionals. This safeguards children who have special dietary or health needs.

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and outcomes for children

Staff make it clear that children's contributions and ideas are listened to and valued. Children are able to make choices about their play, using a selection of picture cards which enhances their independence and self esteem. The organisation of the sessions is good, with a varied balance of individual choices, small and whole group activities. Children also enjoy frequent and regular opportunities for active or quiet play and learning in the interesting outside This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 environment. They sometimes experience visitors from the local community who come and talk to them, including the firemen and local police officer.

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and outcomes for children

Children's independence is promoted during many routines; for instance, they look after their personal needs, such as pouring themselves drinks, buttering bread and spreading jam during the snack times. They learn how to treat each other with respect from using a variety of resources reflecting diversity; as a result, they play harmoniously together. They learn how to negotiate in their play and make friends. Children also learn to share, which promotes the development of social and emotional skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children extend their understanding of their environment, family events and outings because staff skilfully promote conversations during routines and when talking to their key children. As a result of the extremely supportive interactions with staff throughout the sessions all children are making good progress in their learning. Children grow plants, measure these to see how far they have grown and compare the measurements with their own height, using words like higher and taller, which supports their understanding of numbers and measures.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop good communication skills through sharing books and extending their vocabulary which is nurtured by staff who use descriptive words well during activities. For example, staff use the story of Jack and the Beanstalk to talk about climbing and chopping, which children discuss and re-enact. They benefit from the imaginative play opportunities inside and out. For example, they are able to use the playhouse as an opticians and other scenarios to support their understanding and extend their ideas. 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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