Little Stars Preschool

Little Stars Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 127343 Inspection date 06/05/2010 Inspector Victoria Turner

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Setting address South Borough Primary School, Stagshaw Close, Postley Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6TL Telephone number 01622 203438 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 .

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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

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

Little Stars Pre-School opened in 1997 and operates from a mobile unit in the grounds of Southborough Primary School. It is situated in the town of Maidstone. A maximum of 24 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 31 children on roll from two years to five years. The pre-school is open each weekday from 8.55am until 11.55am and on a Tuesday from 12.10pm until 3.10pm for 37 weeks of the year. Children have access to a secure outside play area. Children come mostly from the local area. They support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school employs four members of staff, of which three hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There is no disabled access at present.

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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 quality of provision is good. Excellent partnerships with external agencies and good parental support means that children are well supported to make good progress. The self-evaluation process at all levels has enabled the setting to set priorities for improvement. The recommendations from the previous inspection have been addressed and the capacity to improve is good.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure the computer is placed in a more accessible position to enable access for all  continue to develop the outdoor area to provide more learning opportunities  ensure resources are more accessible to the children.

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the early years provision

The manager leads an effective team of knowledgeable staff who share the vision of a safe, stimulating and fun environment for children to play and grow. Children are encouraged to be independent and are very confident. Clear policies and procedures help keep children safe. There are effective recruitment procedures in place to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. The premises are secure. Annual risk assessments and daily checks both inside and outdoors minimise the risk of potential hazards. The setting engages in self-evaluation process at all levels which enables them to set priorities for improvements. Annual staff appraisals offer opportunities to discuss their training needs.

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the early years provision

The setting is well resourced with suitable attractive resources which meet safety This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 standards. The accommodation is suitable for its purpose but some shelving restricts free access to all activities. Children access resources independently and are confident to ask adults for resources that they need. Staff are effectively deployed to ensure a high level of supervision at all times.

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the early years provision

The setting welcomes all children and is particularly proactive in meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is a strength of the setting. Signalong is used throughout the setting to support children with communication difficulties. Children learn about differences through the celebration of various festivals, multicultural dolls, dressing up clothes, stories, books and posters. They are aware of differences in each other. A complaints policy is available to parents.

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the early years provision

Excellent partnerships with the school, the other nursery on site and a wide range of external agencies means that children receive the support that they need to enable them to make good progress.

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the early years provision

The setting has developed good relationships with parents who are kept well informed through daily verbal communication, the notice board and termly newsletters. Parents receive an information pack when their children start at the setting and are encouraged to come in to discuss their children’s progress and to support topics. Parents help with fundraising activities, make costumes and story bags for the children. They are happy with the provision and parents made comments including, ‘Teachers in the pre-school are fantastic!’, ‘I like the bond the teachers create with the children’ and ‘I like the friendly caring atmosphere, small class and the outside’.

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and outcomes for children

Children happily choose from good a range of interesting activities. The outdoor learning environment offers a range of learning opportunities but is still developing. Each child has a key person who ensures that the children’s welfare and learning and development needs are well met. Regular observations, photographic evidence and samples of work are recorded in their progress book which informs planning for the next steps. Children make good progress, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. There are good systems for tracking children and termly progress reports are shared with parents.

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and outcomes for children

Children play safely and are confident to approach an adult if they are unhappy or if someone is not playing safely. They learn how to keep themselves safe through group discussions about real life scenarios. They learn about road safety through role play and stories. They practise the emergency evacuation procedures once a term and, therefore, become familiar with the routine of safe evacuation.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to eat healthily and make healthy choices from a variety of pieces of fruit and raisons and drink orange, blackcurrant or milk. Children participate successfully in a hydration programme and develop a good awareness of the importance of drinking water. Parents are encouraged to make healthy This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 lunches. Children develop good hand washing routines and are encouraged to dispose of tissues appropriately. The outdoor play areas are still developing but provide plenty of opportunities for children to engage in active physical play. They thoroughly enjoy playing football, riding scooters and tricycles.

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and outcomes for children

Children have developed strong bonds with their adults and behave well. They have a good awareness of others’ needs and look after each other. They help themselves to their water bottles, pour their own drinks, help chop up fruit, put the toys away and help tidy up. They learn to look after their environment by watering the garden.

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and outcomes for children

Circle time, role play, discussions, games and purposeful dialogue with their adults offers good opportunities for ‘talk’. Children listen to stories on CD and enjoy listening to ‘Dear Zoo’. They enjoy taking story bags home. They learn to link letters and sounds and experiment with a variety of writing materials and tools to develop good early writing skills. Children enjoy singing number rhymes and engage in daily counting and problem-solving activities. The setting has one computer, programmable toys, a CD player, ‘Bee-Bot’ and a karaoke machine. However, the computer is not always fully accessible to the children. Children develop a good knowledge and understanding of the world by growing runner beans and other vegetables. They enjoy hunting minibeasts and are beginning to observe and talk about the characteristics of living things, for example, ‘It’s purple, it always moves, it lives in the dirt’. Visitors to the setting, such as the road safety,

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and outcomes for children

police and fire officers and the dental hygienist, contribute to children’s good understanding of the world. 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 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 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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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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