Beulah Pre-School

Beulah Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY265718 Inspection date 29/06/2010 Inspector Cathleen Howarth

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Setting address Hollinwood Youth Centre, Withins Road, Oldham, Lancashire, OL8 3QD Telephone number 0161 681 6152 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

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

The childcare service was established in 1934 and it was re-registered in 2003 as Beulah Pre-School. It operates from rooms within Hollinwood Youth Centre, which is in Oldham. The pre-school usually has sole use of the purpose built building when sessions run on weekdays during term time. On Monday and Tuesday it is open from 9.15am to 11.45am and on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday it is open from 9.15am to 2.15pm. There is provision for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register to provide care for a maximum of 40 children at any one time. Currently there are 43 children on roll aged from two to five years. Of these, nine children receive funding for early years education. There is provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for children who speak English as an additional language. The pre- school is also registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register, of which there are no children on roll.

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Description of the setting

The management committee oversees the work of 11 voluntary members of staff, of whom seven hold appropriate qualifications. Parent helpers and other volunteers are welcome. Student placements and apprenticeships are considered.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is affiliated to the Pre-School Learning Alliance and has attained an award for promoting healthy eating. Staff work closely with Oldham Early Years Services and they are linked to a local Sure Start Children's Centre in Hollinwood.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

A distinct feature is the camaraderie between staff who are working hard in the children’s best interest to develop the pre-school’s long tradition of childcare in the area. The children's individual needs are appropriately met in a relaxed environment where everyone is included and involved. Recommendations are raised to build on the improvements that have already been made with support from the local authority. As a result, they have a good capacity to make continuous improvements.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend existing risk assessments to include all aspects of the pre-school  develop selection, recruitment and vetting procedures and include arrangements for staff induction and appraisal to inform staff development and training  use training made available by the local authority and other sources to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the statutory framework for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the Early Years Foundation Stage and to develop the role of the special educational needs coordinator  develop links with other Early Years Foundation Stage providers to promote a seamless approach to delivering the framework  use snack time to consistently develop children's self-help skills and independence  link children's assessments to the evidence in their development files to inform activity plans.

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the early years provision

Children are appropriately safeguarded. Staff are sufficiently aware of safeguarding issues and they understand their roles in child protection and the procedures to follow should a concern arise. They promote safe practice well and children's personal care routines, such as nappy changing, are carried out in a considered and respectful way.

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the early years provision

Staff are clearly motivated and high priority is given to developing the service. There are more applications than available places at the pre-school as it is a popular and valued service in the local community. Staff are currently receiving intensive support from the local authority, and as a result, significant progress has been made in keeping with the requirements of the statutory framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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the early years provision

Children’s progress is clearly attributed to how staff make good use of space and resources. However, existing written risk assessments do not cover all aspects of the pre-school and this hinders children's overall safety. Sustainability grants have been obtained to enhance provision for outdoor play.

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the early years provision

Staff place the promotion of equality of opportunity at the heart of all their work. Non-stereotypical attitudes effectively foster respect for others. As a result, children’s behaviour is good and a calm, friendly atmosphere prevailed during the inspection.

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the early years provision

In relation to reflective practice, staff demonstrated how the local authority has been instrumental in helping them devise and implement action plans to enhance childcare practices. It was noted how officers from the local authority appropriately supported staff through the inspection process, as staff's knowledge and understanding of the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage is not yet fully secure. A recommendation is raised to develop staff's understanding of the framework. It was demonstrated that some background checks on staff, such as police checks, are completed and maintained for parents to view. However, the information held on staff files is minimal, and selection, recruitment and vetting procedures are limited, in addition to procedures for staff induction and appraisal. As a result, training is not always prioritised to support staff in particular roles, such as the role of the special educational needs coordinator.

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the early years provision

There are appropriate transition arrangements in place to introduce new starters to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the pre-school and to prepare children for school. However, in relation to children who attend other settings that deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff have not made links with them to promote a seamless approach to delivering the framework.

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the early years provision

There are strong and trusting levels of engagement with parents at the pre-school. Many parents and family members volunteered to take part in the inspection. They all confirmed they are routinely involved in decision making on key matters affecting their children at the pre-school. All are on first name terms with their child's key person and they are delighted with their children’s care and development. Children are proud to show parents what they have achieved, for example, the picture frames they made out of card and glittered lollipop sticks.

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and outcomes for children

Staff give children their full attention and they clearly value what children say and do. Their questioning methods usually challenge and support children to achieve as much as they can. However, the assessment tool used to track children’s progress towards the early learning goals is not clearly linked to the evidence in children’s development files. In addition, in relation to children’s activity plans it is difficult to see how staff use the information obtained in children's development files to methodically support them to take the next step towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

All children feel safe within the pre-school. They show a real understanding of what standards of behaviour are expected and apply these in order to keep themselves and others safe. Staff are vigilant and all activities are well supported. This includes one-to-one support when required, such as when early stage children use scissors. Children know not to run indoors in order to minimise the risk of accidental injury.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to understand and follow good personal hygiene routines. Without prompting, some children know to wash their hands after using the toilet and before they eat their snack. Staff promote healthy eating well and they provide a good mix of five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day. However, there are some missed opportunities at snack time to consistently promote children’s personal, social and emotional development. Sometimes adults do most of the preparation, serving and clearing away, and this hinders children's independence. There are appropriate opportunities for children to engage in a sufficient range of physical activities, both indoors and outdoors. For example, children use the slide and they run around outdoors kicking footballs.

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and outcomes for children

The inclusive ethos of the pre-school is reflected in the children's positive attitudes. For example, the way in which they embrace diversity, clearly respecting people’s differences, such as gender, disability, ethnicity, culture, different family backgrounds and lifestyles. The diverse staff team effectively promote anti- discriminatory practice through age appropriate resources and activities. Some examples include storytelling, role play, music and movement, and food tasting. All children are valued and treated with equal concern. There are effective systems in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 place to provide for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff signpost parents to relevant support agencies, such as the speech and language therapist, as they know that early intervention can help narrow any achievement gaps.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing a positive attitude towards learning. They look forward to going to pre-school because there are lots of interesting things to do and see. They can choose to play indoors or outdoors and they look forward to celebrating birthdays with their friends. The main activity room is usually set out to support children’s progress in all areas of learning. Children are encouraged to recycle things from home, such as paper, cereal packets and kitchen roll holders, to use in craft sessions, like model making. The current theme is holidays, which staff use to reinforce children’s overall development. They have made three dimensional fish tanks out of paper plates using pipe cleaners to secure the cut-out fish in the tank. Children have great fun splashing around in the water trays. They are clearly excited when they huddle around the travel brochures in the small world 'Beulah Travel Shop', using their imaginations fully to plan holidays by the sea. Children

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and outcomes for children

are making sufficient progress in communication, numeracy and literacy, in addition to the use of information and communication technology. The above measures provide children with the foundations to develop knowledge, understanding and skills that are required for later life. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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