St Paul's Pre-School

St Paul's Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY248774 Inspection date 20/04/2010 Inspector Sarah Drake

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Setting address Marley Road, Poynton, Cheshire, SK12 1LY

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Telephone number 01625 858222 Email stpauls-ps@bt.connect.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 . 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

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

St Paul's Pre-School opened in 1986 and was re-registered in 2002. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. The pre-school is held in the community centre in the grounds of St Paul's Catholic Primary School in Poynton, and serves the local community. Indoors, the accommodation consists of two rooms and a foyer. Outside, the children are able to use the school’s playground and field, as well as an area designated specifically for the pre-school children.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 30 children from two to five years of age may attend the pre-school at any one time, with the management choosing to admit children from two-and-a- half years of age. There are currently 33 children on roll, of these, 26 children receive funding for nursery education. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It is open term time only, five days a week from 9am to 3pm. A total of seven members of staff work with the children. The manager has Early Years Professional Status, the deputy manager is working towards a foundation degree, four staff hold a relevant level 3 qualification and two staff hold a relevant level 2 qualification. The pre-school receives support from East Cheshire Sure Start Early Years.

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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 greatly enjoy attending the pre-school. They make the most of their time to experiment, explore and learn new things. Staff’s engagement with parents and carers is excellent. This ensures that children’s individual needs are extremely well catered for by staff. The very knowledgeable and ambitious senior management team ensures that the provision is continually improving to ensure the best outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 embed fully the arrangements for observing children’s achievements and planning the next steps in their development and learning.

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the early years provision

Highly efficient systems for recruiting staff, keeping their training up-to-date and ensuring vigilant daily practice mean that children are effectively safeguarded from harm. Staff provide children with an excellent understanding of how to stay safe. For example, the reasons for not running from one room to the other are clearly explained. Careful recording of any incidents, whether to do with accidents, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 administration of medication or behaviour, supports the high quality care that staff offer each child. Parents and carers feel fully confident about their children’s welfare while at the pre-school and say that staff are very approachable. Parents provide important information about their child, which enables them to play a large part in helping their child to settle easily at the pre-school. They also contribute information about their child’s achievements, which complement the more formal

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the early years provision

records of individual progress in learning and development. Outstanding liaison between parents and carers, staff and outside agencies, leads to exceptional support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This ensures children are included fully in all the opportunities for fun and discovery, and also helps them to develop a greater understanding of others’ needs, and acceptance of difference.

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the early years provision

Regular staff meetings and management committee meetings include feedback from parents and carers. Self-reflection and evaluation leads to continuous development of practice. For example, adaptations to the long-standing snack routine have led to children developing greater independence skills and not wasting any time waiting for ‘their turn’. In addition, recent improvement to the outdoor area has enabled continuous access for children to play and learn in the fresh air. The manager keeps herself and other staff fully aware of new developments and thinking in relation to early years provision. Excellent use is made of opportunities for further training by focusing on staff’s specific interests and skills. This leads to shared learning and good practice with other colleagues. Visits to other settings and research, for example, how school staff record children’s progress, add further depth to decisions about improvement. Most

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the early years provision

importantly, the senior staff are excellent practitioners themselves, creating an environment of high expectations in which the children thrive.

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and outcomes for children

Children arrive at sessions full of anticipation that they will have a good time. They quickly become familiar with routines, such as finding their name card and coat peg, and settle swiftly as a group. Personal and social skills are regularly practised as they talk about what day it is, how many children are present and what is on offer during the session. They then set off with very clear ideas about what they want to do. For example, a boy dressed up as a witch and a girl dressed up as superman; they demonstrated very good skills of independence and concentration, as they happily chatted side by side while using a variety of implements to manipulate play dough into different shapes. Adults build excellent relationships with children and ensure that routines run smoothly which means that children feel at ease and develop strong self-confidence. Staff constantly encourage children to think for themselves and make their own decisions, while offering them gentle,

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and outcomes for children

well-timed guidance. Children help to develop the rules of behaviour, automatically tidy away their snack time plates and cups, and generally manage to sort out for themselves any minor upsets. Their behaviour is excellent. Children become good listeners and fluent speakers who can explain, for example, which types of food are healthy or that the photograph they have just taken ‘is still in the camera case’. Older children confidently recognise initial sounds and spell their own and others’ This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 names. Helped by visual clues, most can ‘read’ the menu in the snack cafe. Children helped to plant the willow arch in the newly developed outdoor area and understand about the need to care for living things, whether vegetable seeds or a spider found on the floor. An exciting book about Drippy the Raindrop, made with the help of a parent, shows their good understanding of how rain is formed.

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and outcomes for children

Staff know children very well as individuals. They make observations of their achievements and use these well to record their progress. Some staff are highly skilled at using this information to plan the next steps each child needs to take in their learning, and ensure challenge is provided to develop their skills further, Other staff are at an earlier stage of using information about children most effectively. This has been identified by the manager and is being addressed. Planning takes excellent account of children’s preferences and provides useful opportunities for them to extend their skills at different rates. For example, those children who are confident with their numbers up to ten, recently went on an exciting hunt for numbers 11 to 15 in the outdoor wooded area. Overall, the provision provides a first rate environment in which children flourish personally, emotionally and in their all round basic skills development. They are equipped

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and outcomes for children

extremely well for the next stage in their education. 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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