St Joseph's College

Hart Plain Church Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number 110111 Inspection date 25/05/2010 Inspector Lisa Jane Cupples

p.1

Setting address 59 Hart Plain Avenue, Cowplain, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 8RG Telephone number 023 92254452 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

p.1

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

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the setting

Hart Plain Church Pre-School opened in 1968. The provision is run by a church committee and operates from Hart Plain Church Hall in Cowplain, near Waterlooville. The pre-school has the use of a large hall, a smaller room, a kitchen and toileting facilities. There is an enclosed garden area for outdoor play.

p.4

Description of the setting

The setting is registered to provide care for a maximum of 44 children at any one time, all of whom may be in the early years age group. Currently, there are 61 children on roll in the early years age group. It is the group's policy to accept children once they reach the age of two years. The provision is open each weekday morning from 9am to 12 noon, with a lunch club available until 12.45pm. The setting also runs afternoon sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12.45pm to 3.45pm. All sessions operate during term time only. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register.

p.4

Description of the setting

The pre-school employs six members of staff including an apprentice. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications. The manager, who is already appropriately qualified, is working towards a Foundation Degree in early years.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are happy and settled during their time at the pre-school because the staff team take the time to get to know them and their families well. Clear policies and procedures are implemented effectively to ensure the children are safe and secure. Children are making sound progress towards the early learning goals. However, the children's learning is sporadic and the systems in place to track and monitor their progress are not yet fully developed.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 extend the information shared with parents to include the children's next steps to fully involve them in their children's learning  continue to develop the planning and extend the evaluation of activities to monitor the outcomes of planned learning intentions to effectively track children's progress and identify areas of success or improvement  ensure all areas of learning are delivered through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities to extend their learning and sufficiently challenge the children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.4

the early years provision

Children are safeguarded effectively because all staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures and know how to implement them to protect the children in their care. All staff have been vetted to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Comprehensive risk assessments are carried out to ensure the children benefit from a safe and secure play and learning environment. All visitors are required to sign in and out of the visitors book to ensure an accurate record of everyone coming into contact with the children is maintained.

p.5

the early years provision

The pre-school has addressed most of the recommendations made at the previous inspection in full. For example, children now have access to fresh drinking water both inside the hall and in the garden area. The layout of the hall has been changed since the last inspection and low-level storage units have been obtained, enabling children to self-select resources throughout the day as part of the continuous provision. The systems to record and track the children's progress and to plan the curriculum have been reviewed and adapted several times. However, the latest system is not fully in place to enable the staff team to monitor if the planned learning intentions are being met, limiting their ability to identify areas of success or improvement. The staff team work closely together to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the provision and are beginning to identify strengths and areas for development. For example, the pre-school are extending the outdoor

p.5

the early years provision

play area to include an allotment for children to grow vegetables to promote sustainability and further develop the children's understanding of the living world.

p.5

the early years provision

All children have access to a range of resources and play materials that are suitable for their age and stage of development. Children are developing a good understanding of diversity through planned topics and themes and the introduction of links with a pre-school in Tanzania. Children communicate with the pre-school via email and share photographs to extend their knowledge and understanding of the wider world. Children show curiosity, asking many questions and are keen to learn more about how the children in Tanzania live. They look at the differences between the pre-school buildings, the resources that are available and the types of food the African children have. The staff team are extending the children's learning each week, introducing different aspects, such as the wildlife, the weather and the environment.

p.5

the early years provision

Parents are able to talk to their children's key people at any time and have access to their children's records on request. Parents are able to make contributions to the records and share information about their children's progress. However, information about the children's individual next steps is not shared regularly with parents to fully involve them in their children's learning. Good systems are in place to support children who have special educational needs and strong links have been developed with other agencies to ensure children's individual needs are being met. For example, Portage workers and speech therapists work closely with the staff developing strategies to fully support the children. Children also benefit from staff attending additional training, such as Makaton. Links are in place with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure children who attend more This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.5

the early years provision

than one setting receive consistent care and learning. Children's transition into school is supported and children visit the local school to build their confidence in preparation for the future changes. The reception teacher also visits the pre-school to develop relationships with the children, ensuring the transition to school runs as smoothly as possible.

p.6

and outcomes for children

All children have access to a range of activities to promote their development across all six areas of learning. The continuous provision promotes the children's independence and decision-making skills well. Children have opportunities to mark- make, developing their emergent writing skills in a variety of ways and handle books correctly. They show an interest in stories and enjoy acting out the stories during large group activities. Children express themselves creatively during art and craft activities and create their own characters during role play. However, the high levels of child-initiated play are not always balanced with adult-led activities, and the free choice of activities are not consistently extended by staff through interaction and support to sufficiently challenge the children. This often leads to missed learning opportunities and children wandering between activities with little focus during the sessions. At other times, the children are supported well and staff

p.6

and outcomes for children

engage them in purposeful play, organising interesting activities and making the most of incidental learning opportunities. As a result, the children's progress is sporadic. Children learn about the living world as they examine baby spiders on the outdoor slide and handle the giant African land snails with care. Children enjoy baking and count out the spoonfuls of ingredients as they make carrot muffins to take home. They talk animatedly about the different ingredients and watch as the mixture changes as different things are added. Children explore different textures as they use a range of media, such as play dough, gravel and shaving foam. They have access to a computer during sessions and use programmable toys, such as Bee-bots, to develop their understanding of technology.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children learn the importance of keeping themselves safe through discussions and routines. For example, children know they should not run inside the hall and they practise regular fire drills with the staff team. Older children are able to describe what happens during a fire drill, showing they have a good understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. Children show an awareness of how to protect themselves from the sun, wearing hats outside, drinking plenty of water and talking about the importance of suntan lotion to stop them from burning. Children are developing good self-care skills and wash their hands at appropriate times to help prevent the possible spread of infection. They have access to the outdoor play area throughout the session, reaping the benefits of the fresh air daily. Children ride wheeled toys around the chalked pathways and climb the ladders to the slides with ease promoting their physical development well.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children talk about the types of food that are good for them during snack time and are provided with a range of fresh fruit and vegetables. Children behave well and staff implement the clear rules and boundaries consistently, helping the children to develop an understanding of right and wrong. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.6

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.7

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

p.7

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.7

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 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

p.7

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

p.7

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 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 3

p.7

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

p.7

Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

p.8