Forget-me-nots Pre-School

Forget-me-not Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY342712 Inspection date 02/07/2010 Inspector Jane Mount

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Setting address Tring Community Centre, Silk Mill Way, TRING, Hertfordshire, HP23 5EP Telephone number 01442 890192 Email tringcc@dsl.pipex.com 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

Forget-me-not Pre-school was newly registered in 2007 although has been in operation as a pre-school for many years. It is situated within the premises of Tring Community Centre, Tring, Hertfordshire and the setting has use of a base room and a small and large hall and associated facilities, including toilets and a kitchen. There is a secure outside play area.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register only. A maximum of 20 children may attend the pre-school at any one time with none under the age of two years. There are currently 25 children on roll and the setting provides funded early years education. Forget-me-not Pre-School supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 12 noon. There is a lunch club which operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12 noon to 1.15pm. The setting operates term-time only.

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Description of the setting

Three permanent members of staff are employed to work with the children, including the manager, all of whom hold early years qualifications. There are also two additional relief staff who provide cover when needed.

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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

The setting provides effectively for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. An inclusive and welcoming environment is provided to all and a committed staff team effectively implement the setting's policies and procedures to ensure children are safe and their welfare is fully protected. Partnerships with parents, carers and others positively contributes to the settings knowledge of individual children and ensures children's needs are met. Staff support children well in their learning and development and generally effective planning and assessment systems ensure children are making progress towards the early learning goals. The provision has a positive attitude to improvement and are aware of their key strengths and areas they wish to develop further in the future. Systems to effectively monitor the quality of the service offered, such as self-evaluation, are used to ensure continued improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further planning systems to ensure children's individual learning needs are clearly identified and addressed and include some evaluation to assist future planning and assessment. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Arrangements for safeguarding children are robust and children's welfare is protected because effective procedures are in place to safeguard children. For example, recruitment and vetting procedures ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Also, all staff are expected to undertake safeguarding training to ensure they have a secure knowledge of child protection and there is a designated member of staff responsible for ensuring the correct procedures are followed if there were any concerns. Children's safety is paramount and staff ensure children's safety and well-being are fully protected at all times. For example, staff closely supervise children and procedures such as written risk assessments ensure the environment is safe and any potential hazards are identified and minimised to keep children safe at all times.

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the early years provision

Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and are committed to fully implementing the framework. They are guided by a manager who has a clear vision for the setting and who values her staff team and utilises their skills well. Communication is good and effective systems such as a clear induction programme for new staff and regular staff meetings ensure staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities. Consequently, they work well together as a team which has a positive impact on outcomes for children. The setting have processes in place to monitor the quality of the provision and the service they provide to ensure continued improvement. For example, parental feedback is sought through the completion of parent questionnaires and a system of self- evaluation is used as a way to reflect on and extend effective practice. All documentation required for the safe and efficient management of the setting is in

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the early years provision

place and records, policies and procedures are informative and overall well- organised. Continuous professional development is encouraged and most staff have attended a variety of courses and workshops to ensure they are well- informed and their childcare knowledge is kept up-to-date. Further training has also been identified and booked.

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the early years provision

Good use of space and resources and effective staff deployment ensure an environment that is safe and fully inclusive. As a result, children are confident in their play and develop a strong sense of belonging as they feel included and welcomed into the pre-school. All children and their families are valued and appreciated and staff have developed positive relationships with parents and carers which ensures information is effectively exchanged. A key person system is in operation and effective settling in procedures ensure children quickly feel at home in the pre-school environment. Daily verbal communication with parents and carers ensures children's individual needs are met and children receive continuity in their care and learning. Notice boards and newsletters are other ways used to effectively share information with parents and carers and the setting's policies and procedures are also made available. Parents are kept informed of their children's

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the early years provision

progress and achievements and are encouraged to take an active role in their learning. For example, parents are kept informed of the planned activities, including current themes and topics, and children's development records are shared with parents on a regular basis. The setting liaises with other agencies and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 professionals such as the area special educational needs co-ordinator and health visitor to ensure children and their families are fully supported and their individual needs are met. The setting also has links with other early years providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage, including the local schools, to fully promote the integration of care and education.

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and outcomes for children

Children's learning is overall promoted and they are making progress towards the early learning goals. Staff understand that every child is unique and have systems in place, such as an effective key person system, to ensure they work closely with parents to meet children's individual needs. Generally staff monitor children's learning through regularly observing and assessing individual children to identify their progress and achievements over time. Staff know the children in their care well and plan activities and play experiences which take account of children's interests. Planning is generally informative and covers the six areas of learning although does not always identify individual children's learning needs or have clear learning intentions. Consequently, there are missed opportunities to fully engage some children as they are not suitably challenged by the learning experiences provided. Some evaluation of activities takes place with plans to develop this in the

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and outcomes for children

future. Staff support children in their play with adult-led and child-initiated activities well-balanced.

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and outcomes for children

The environment is welcoming and children's personal, social and emotional development is fostered. For example, resources are organised to develop children's independence skills as they can freely make choices in their play. Children have opportunities to express themselves creatively and to explore varied materials and media on a regular basis, such as painting, cutting and sticking, drawing and sand and water play. For example, children enjoy exploring the feel and texture of paint and observing the changes to paint as they mix the colours together. Children's communication, language and literacy skills are supported. For example, they listen and respond with enjoyment when looking at books and listening to stories. Children are beginning to develop confidence and understanding in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy with mathematical concepts reinforced through a range of activities which involve numbers, shapes,

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and outcomes for children

patterns and problem solving. For example, children's numeracy skills are fostered when singing songs that involve numbers and when playing with playdough they are able to confidently count how many shapes they have cut out. Children have access to resources and activities that help to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world and technology. For example, children learn about the wider world and other cultures and religions and staff promote a positive awareness of diversity through discussion and some activities. Children learn about the local community on a regular basis. For example, they recently enjoyed a bus journey to the local library and a visit to the park.

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and outcomes for children

Staff are proactive in implementing some effective strategies to promote and safeguard children's health and well-being. For example, staff are fully aware of the correct procedures to follow if a child becomes unwell or has an accident when This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 attending the pre-school. Consequently, children's health is protected. Children are beginning to learn about how to stay healthy and about personal care routines. For example, staff remind children to wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet and talk about the reasons for doing so. Also, children are aware of the need to use a tissue to wipe their nose and know how to dispose of it appropriately. Consequently, the risk of cross-infection is minimised and children's health is promoted. The setting have a healthy eating policy which is shared with parents and children learn about healthy eating as staff encourage discussion

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and outcomes for children

about the benefits of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables at snack time and at lunch time. Children participate in a range of activities which positively contribute to their physical health and fitness. For example, they develop self-confidence in their physical skills as they use a varied range of indoor and outdoor equipment on a daily basis and are learning that exercise can be fun. They enjoy music and movement sessions and confidently negotiate around obstacles while pushing buggies or riding scooters. Children are confident and self-assured in the setting and positive relationships between staff, children and parents enable children to feel secure. Overall, children behave well and are learning how to co-operate and share with others. Staff regularly reinforce sharing and taking turns and discuss with children how their behaviour can have an impact on others. Children are valued as individuals and in turn are learning to respect each others differences and to

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and outcomes for children

manage their own behaviour. Children feel safe in the pre-school environment and are learning how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, children recently participated in a variety of planned activities which related to safety including learning about how to cross the road and how to use scissors safely. Children are reminded by staff of the potential dangers of running indoors or throwing items in case they hurt themselves or others. Children participate in regular fire drills and therefore learn how to stay safe in an emergency. 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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