Overton Playgroup

Overton Pre-School Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 507966 Inspection date 30/06/2010 Inspector Sheena Bankier

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Setting address The Community Centre, Winchester Street, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG25 3HS Telephone number 01256 770370 01256 773327 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

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

Overton Pre-school Playgroup opened in 1974. It is operated by a parent management committee. The preschool operates from two sites. This registration is based at the community centre in Overton, near Basingstoke. The preschool has use of one room in the centre and has access to a dedicated garden area. The preschool also operates from a classroom at the local primary school. The manager and deputy lead alternate sessions at both sites. The preschool operates five days a week during school term times from 9.00am to 3.15pm, offering a variety of attendance times.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school can care for a maximum of 26 children under eight at any one time. There are currently 93 children on roll in the early years age group. Children attend from the local area. The pre-school supports children with Learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 10 staff currently working with the children, eight of whom hold a recognised early years qualification. Two staff are currently furthering their qualifications.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children thrive at the pre-school. They benefit from a wide range of innovative resources that significantly stimulate children's interest and self-motivation for learning. Excellent teamwork ensures all staff have an in-depth understanding of children as individuals. Overall, practice and documentation are exceptionally good and they embrace inclusion purposefully. Excellent reflective practice and evaluation leads to proactive sustained improvements. Partnerships are highly effective with parents, other settings and professionals.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 extending further children’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe, such as when coming in and out of doors  extending monitoring systems to ensure all policies use up-to-date terminology. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate a thorough understanding of their responsibilities to children's safety and welfare. They undertake proactive risk assessments of the premises and equipment. Staff hold current first aid certificates and undertake safeguarding training to keep up to date with current practice. They have a comprehensive understanding of potential signs and symptoms of abuse and the steps to take in the event of concerns arising. The safeguarding policy and procedure is effective. The preschool demonstrates a very clear understanding of safeguarding changes including current terminology, although the policy is not currently up to date with these. Staff model excellent safe behaviour to the children, for example, when introducing a small stepladder with two steps, for use in role play. Therefore, children learn to use challenging equipment safely. All these useful measures contribute to children being safeguarded extremely well.

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the early years provision

The committee and staff work purposefully together and have clear roles and responsibilities established. Staff evidently relish their roles at the preschool and demonstrate high levels of dedication and commitment. Excellent team working practices ensure consistency for children. This benefits children's learning and development outcomes extensively. The preschool systematically reflects on progress and areas to improve. The actions taken clearly enhance the provision very well and result in extensive continuous improvements. The preschool staff evaluate their service, ensuring parents, children and staff can contribute, such as, through questionnaires. Local authority advice and support is effectively utilised to extend practice and promote improvements, for example, staff regularly access training that extends their good practice. As a result, practice is evaluated accurately and useful targets set for the pre-school’s future development.

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the early years provision

Children are integrated very well at the preschool. The preschool highly value the children's individual backgrounds and their diversity, for example, print on display is in English and other languages, and parents read stories in their home language to the children. This encourages all children to value diversity and provides very good support to children who speak English as an additional language. Resources are highly imaginative and wide ranging. They are fully considered for their impact on children's learning as well as sustainability, such as, purchasing a proper metal tea set for role play and provide intriguing malleable materials for children to explore. As a result, children become active and curious learners.

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the early years provision

Excellent information is available to parents. The preschool operates an 'open door' policy and fully welcome parents at all times. The preschool has purposeful and exceptional open communication with parents. This actively supports the preschool in effectively meeting children's individual needs and enables them to work purposefully with parents. The staff work extremely closely with other professionals and maintain cohesive partnerships with them. This leads to consistency and continuity to meet children's care and learning needs effectively. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children feel very safe and secure at the preschool. They develop a strong and clear sense of belonging. Children form excellent relationships with their peers and with staff. Children demonstrate significant confidence in approaching staff and other adults, for example, to chat with them and ask questions. Children mostly behave in ways that are very safe for themselves or others, for example, they respect the one way system when riding bikes and cars in the garden. Staff provide good reminders to children, such as, to carry chairs carefully. Children benefit from activities to support their understanding of safety, for example, road safety role play.

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and outcomes for children

Children work independently and cooperate with their peers, for example, taking turns to ride or pedal bikes. Children have an excellent understanding of routines, telling each other it will soon be 'carpet' or 'tidy up' time and know that they need to move their name card once they have had their snack. Children contribute to the care of their environment; they help clean and tidy up, handling equipment effectively, such as a dustpan and brush. Children's behaviour is mainly of a very good standard. Children clearly demonstrate understanding of the rules and boundaries of the preschool. They use good manners, respecting others and the resources. Staff recognise children's achievements and provide plenty of praise and encouragement. As a result, children are very confident and develop high levels of self-esteem

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from food and activities that effectively promote a healthy lifestyle. Children enjoy and make full use of the 'free-flow' play, enabling them to access the outside area by choice. As a result, children benefit from plenty of fresh air and activities that extend their physical skills. Many children know why they need to drink and they have access to water or milk throughout the day. The 'café' provides a full variety of healthy options that help extend children's tastes, such as pitta bread, hummus, fruit and vegetables. Snack times are sociable and underpin children's independence skills well, for example, children spread crackers and pour their drinks. Staff rarely need to prompt children to wash their hands as most demonstrate a very good understanding of the importance of good personal hygiene. Staff fully understand children's individual health needs. Clear documentation protects children's good health, for example, the potential signs of

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and outcomes for children

allergies and action to take in the event of these symptoms occurring.

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and outcomes for children

The wide range of stimulating and interesting activities and play experiences motivate children's learning extremely well. Children learn through their chosen play and staff provide very good interaction and support, such as questions to support children's critical thinking skills. Children have lots of fun and benefit from challenge to support and extend their development. Staff know children well as individuals and work very closely as a team. This enables staff to tailor their support and interaction exceptionally well to meet children's needs. As a result, children make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Children's learning journeys provide an accurate record of their progress. The learning journeys document children's achievements very well with photographs and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 observations. Observations clearly link to the Early Years Foundation Stage and

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and outcomes for children

reflect children's achievements and progress towards the early learning goals. Staff track children's development thoroughly using the Early Years Foundation Stage to guide and support them effectively. This enables staff to accurately identify children’s next steps of learning. Parents openly contribute their understanding of their children's progress with staff and have very good opportunities to discuss and comment on the next steps of learning. As a result, this contributes to excellent consistency in meeting children’s learning and development needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop significant skills for the future. They concentrate extremely well during carpet times and benefit from activities that fully support and consolidate their learning. For example, they count the number of boys and girls and total number of children present, identifying numbers on the number line in correspondence. Staff promote and extend children's learning through following children's interest, such as, encouraging children to count play dough cakes and sausages and use tools to make patterns to observe and reflect upon. This increases children's ability to problem solve, count and reason. Children sing songs enthusiastically and listen to stories with enjoyment. They have free access to a range of print and writing materials within the environment. This enables children to write or mark make for a purpose, and to understand that print carries meaning, for example, children take a diary to the role play hairdressers to ‘make an

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and outcomes for children

appointment’ and use a self-registration system. The preschool forges excellent links with others involved with the children. For example, ‘Chatterbox’ sessions with a specialist professional help increase children’s confidence with language skills. Close, useful liaison with childminders and local schools aid exceptionally smooth transitions, which help children settle quickly. 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 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

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