Chollerton Pre-School Ltd

Chollerton Pre-School Limited Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY403248 Inspection date 04/04/2010 Inspector Janet Fairhurst

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Setting address Chollerton First School, Barrasford, HEXHAM, Northumberland, NE48 4AA Telephone number 07974786486 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

Chollerton Pre-school Limited has been registered since 1990 and moved to the first school in 2010. It is run by a management committee and is situated within Chollerton First School, Barrasford, Hexham. The pre-school operates from a self- contained unit in the school which consists of a main play room, toilets, a cloakroom and its own entrance. Children have access to the playing field and yard within the school grounds. The group opens from 9.30am to 12pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, during term time only.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the Childcare Register. A maximum of 20 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 11 children aged from two-and-a-half years to under eight years on roll. There are three members of staff employed to work with the children, of whom all hold relevant childcare 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 are cared for in a warm and welcoming environment where they respond well to the care and support they are given. Staff have a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to promote children's welfare, learning and development through meeting their individual needs. Activities are well organised and all children are fully included in these. The staff work very well with parents, carers and the host school to promote an integrated approach to the children's care and learning. Self-evaluation is in place and is evidence of continuous improvement under the current leadership and management.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further ways to demonstrate how children's next steps are supported.

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the early years provision

All necessary documentation and good policies and procedures are in place to safeguard children. The designated member of staff responsible for safeguarding has recently attended training to ensure her knowledge is kept up-to-date. The children's welfare is effectively promoted through the clear recruitment procedures in place to ensure suitable staff are employed. Staff follow an induction process, which promotes awareness of the setting's operational policies and procedures to help protect children. In addition, risks are competently managed to create a safe environment in which children have a good level of independence. Staff have This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 regard for their own professional development and take advantage of the opportunities to attend training to further develop their childcare practices.

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the early years provision

Staff and resources are well deployed so that the needs of every child are met. Children’s individual personalities are very well understood and respected within the pre-school. They are developing good self-esteem as a result of the individual attention, praise and positive re-enforcement they receive. They are supported to develop a respect and understanding for others through discussions and activities to mark a range of festivals and special days.

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the early years provision

The importance of maintaining strong and positive relationships with parents and carers is very clearly recognised within the pre-school. Parents and carers are kept very well-informed of their children’s progress by key staff. They can ask to see their child's achievement records at any time and attend planned meetings each term to discuss their child's progress. Parents state that they feel comfortable in discussing any issues with any member of staff, which helps to create an atmosphere that enables a two-way flow of information between staff and parents. Parents are involved in their children's learning. For example, there is a parents rota which enables parents to come and help in the pre-school. Children benefit from the strong and effective partnerships in place with the host school, which effectively support children’s welfare and learning and development well. This helps to promote smooth transitions for all children.

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the early years provision

The committee, manager and staff team work extremely effectively together. They are highly motivated, enthusiastic and have a positive attitude towards ongoing improvement. The manager has made a good start with self-evaluation to enable her to reflect on current practices. This will be shared with the committee and the staff team to enable them to make their valued contributions. The pre-school has already successfully identified areas which they wish to address. For example, alterations to the premises are currently underway to provide access to the building via a ramp. In addition, work has taken place to review and update all written policies and procedures. Parents also have opportunities to express their views through the use of questionnaires. This all contributes to the group’s ability to continuously improve practice.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled in this bright, busy and stimulating environment. They are fully absorbed in their activities, which is due to their secure relationship with the staff team and their enjoyment of learning through interesting and fun activities. Children are offered a broad range of activities and experiences to ensure that they make good progress across all areas of learning. Observation, assessment and planning procedures support the children's ongoing development and learning. Next steps for individual children are identified, however, the ways staff plan to meet their next steps are not documented in their achievement files. A good balance of adult-led and child-led activities are provided, and staff know when to stand back and allow children to initiate their own games. For example, children used a variety of materials and resources to create what they called a This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

'den'. Using the rugs, crates and cardboard tubes they worked together successfully to build a construction which they could crawl and sit inside.

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and outcomes for children

The children are confident communicators. They talk about what they are doing and express their preferences. During circle time they talk about what they have enjoyed doing at home. Staff really value children's contributions. For instance, when a child brought a snail and worm into the group, staff showed their excitement and interest by talking about them and asking questions about where they had found them and what they like to eat. This creates very good discussions and allows staff to ask questions to promote children's thinking and check their understanding of the meaning of words. This is further extended by staff who encourage the children to use reference books to find out the specific names of the creatures. The children go on to study the worms and other insects using magnifying glasses. A wide range of mark-making materials are easily accessible and children make their own story books. Activities present children with

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and outcomes for children

opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills. For example, as they construct using different types of materials, they work out whether the crates, blocks or lengths of materials are best used to make a roof for the den. Children make decisions about their learning, for instance, a child confidently requests a specific programme on the computer. This helps children become competent in computer skills as they follow age-appropriate computer programmes. They listen to the instructions, and control the mouse and keyboard. Everyday routines, such as setting the table, lining up and number songs, help children practise their counting skills, as well as develop awareness of simple addition and subtraction.

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and outcomes for children

Equality and diversity are promoted well at the setting. Festivals such as Diwali and the Chinese New Year enrich their experiences. The children enjoy participating in physical play activities outdoors. This area gives them opportunities to be energetic and to move their bodies in different ways. They happily balance on the large scale fixed play equipment and are delighted when they successfully reach the end of the rope bridge. The children learn to be careful and look after themselves, for example, when using sharp tools, such as scissors in their creative activities and knives when they help prepare their snacks. The children learn to value differences and diversity through staff acting as positive role models, through their play and through a range of planned activities. Children are fully aware of routines, for instance, when the tidy up song or line up song is sung all the children know what

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and outcomes for children

to do. Children behave very well and share their resources sensibly. They are fully included in the setting and develop very good relationships with staff.

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and outcomes for children

Children's safety is paramount. All areas used by the children are checked daily to ensure they are safe and secure. Children become aware of their own safety as they are involved in regular evacuation procedures. They also understand that the boundaries put in place also help to keep them safe, for instance, they know they must not go beyond the cones when outdoors. There are appropriate systems in place to ensure that medication, accidents and incidents are routinely recorded. Children become aware of healthy lifestyles. For example, they are aware of the need to wash their hands before eating. Individual water bottles are readily available for the children to access independently when they are thirsty. 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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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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