Little Oaks Pre School

Little Oaks Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY246821 Inspection date 03/06/2010 Inspector Gillian Walley

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Setting address 47 Wretton Road, Stoke Ferry, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE33 9QJ Telephone number 01366 502150 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

Little Oaks Pre-school opened in 1996. It operates from one room in a mobile building, which they moved to in 2002, in the grounds of the James Bradfield Primary School in Stoke Ferry. The pre-school serves the local area and outlying district.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 24 children from two to under five years on roll, some of whom receive funding. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children with learning difficulties and those who are learning English as an additional language. The setting is on the Early Years, compulsory and voluntary Childcare registers. The pre-school opens five days a week, for 50 weeks a year. It is open Monday and Wednesday to Friday between 8:30am and 3:00pm, and is open 8:30am to 12:30pm on Tuesday. During the summer holidays the setting will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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Description of the setting

There is one full-time and two part time members of staff who work with the children and a lunch supervisor. The manager is qualified to degree level and has early years practitioner status. The other two staff members have early years qualifications to NVQ Level 2 or 3. The setting receives support from a early years support teacher from Norfolk County Council and works closely with the adjoining primary school.

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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

All children make good progress at Little Oaks Pre-school because the manager and her staff know them well and provide very good care for them. The pre-school is inclusive and meets children's needs well. The manager and her staff review the provision regularly to identify how they might improve it further. The adults extend their skills by attending a wide range of training courses and they apply this new knowledge, for example by providing good learning opportunities in the outdoor area and supporting children in developing their creativity. Consequently the manager and staff show a sound commitment and ability to sustain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 keep evidence that all staff have been vetted appropriately on site at all times  extend the tracking system further so that staff can analyse and compare the progress of differnet groups of children and progress in different areas of their learning  ensure that the children are protected from the sun when playing outside. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The children are safe because the procedures for safeguarding and protecting children are good and all adults are very vigilant. The manager has an evacuation plan and the children and staff know what to do in an emergency because they practise regular fire drills. There are daily checks throughout the premises before each session to reduce the risk of an accident. If a child needs to be given medicine or has an accident two adults take responsibility and share the information with parents, and all staff have first aid qualifications. All staff can refer easily to information about children who have allergies. The manager monitors incidents carefully and makes good provision for children who may need additional support so that they are completely included in activities and can make good progress. All staff are appropriately vetted and trained to ensure that children are safe, although the evidence of these checks is not kept on site for all adults.

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the early years provision

Visitors sign in, gates and doors are locked and all policies and procedures are reviewed regularly. The manager and her team are experienced and work well together so that the children interact with all adults besides their own key person and feel that all adults care for them. Methods to promote equality and diversity thread through the whole setting and supports the inclusion of children with special needs and or disabilities.

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the early years provision

There have been significant improvements since the last inspection report. The staff are now better trained in managing children's behaviour, and they take more responsibility for planning the activities and intended learning for the children in their groups. There is more challenge for the older children, for example through focussed sessions for learning letters and sounds and for understanding numbers. Adults now plan activities in greater depth and make extremely good use of careful assessments of the children's learning so that they know exactly what their next steps are, and they incorporate activities which the children suggest so that the children are enthusiastic about their learning and enjoy coming to the pre-school. However they do not use this tracking to compare the progress of different groups of children or to compare how much progress they make in different areas of learning. Adults supervise the children closely at all times and they question the

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the early years provision

children well to encourage them to explain their learning and to solve problems. The pre-school works well with parents who speak highly of the staff's care for their children and the progress they make through a wide range of activities, particularly in gaining confidence and playing well with other children. Parents can always talk to the staff if they wish to. They like 'stay and play' days and parents' meetings when they can see their child's records and receive written reports about their progress. They receive newsletters frequently so that they know what is going on, and have a notice board which shows menus, community events and other useful information.

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the early years provision

The manager uses surveys to ask parents for their views about the procedures and activities because she values their involvement, and she responds to their suggestions, for example by changing the starting times of sessions. Parents are invited in to talk to the children, for example about the types of work that they do This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and this gives the children a wide range of experiences and good opportunities for extending their vocabulary. The pre-school works very closely with the adjoining primary school, for example the children attend special events and the older children make visits to the Reception class. This helps the children to settle when they move on to primary school and is reassuring for their parents. The staff also work closely with other agencies including the children's centre to provide good support for children who may have additional needs so that they can make good

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the early years provision

progress. They encourage the children to be very involved in the community, for example by fund-raising for a local hospital and by organising events such as a Pancake race and an Easter egg hunt which the children's families can support.

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and outcomes for children

When children start coming to the pre-school parents provide detailed information about their interests so that the staff can plan activities which they will enjoy and this helps children to settle easily. The children enjoy the range of activities they can choose from, especially playing in the exciting outdoor area where they grow many plants for their new sensory garden and develop their physical skills well by climbing, riding vehicles and playing with balls. They also grow vegetables to cook and taste. They have built a willow den and a 'bug hotel' so that they can identify mini beasts, and they can watch birds using their bird table. The children learn about concepts such as the way water flows by playing with pipes and gutters. They learn how to measure and compare their sunflower plants. The staff make extremely good use of the outdoor area to help the children to develop many skills, and they can read the labels showing key words. They can invent imaginary games

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and outcomes for children

using dressing up clothes and cardboard boxes. There is some shade and the children wear sun cream to protect themselves from bright sunshine but they do not wear sunhats. The children play well together, share toys and take turns. They concentrate well, for example with puzzles, and they develop good relationships with one another. They behave very well and the adults are good role models for them, using positive language to encourage them to make good choices and to try new experiences. The children have talked about how to behave well and have decided on their own rules. There are many creative tasks which help them to develop skills such as using scissors and threading. The children take pride in their paintings, for example they have made a frieze about the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Children develop their skills in solving problems by playing with shapes, counting and measuring. They learn to write and to recognise sounds.

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and outcomes for children

The children learn about different cultures through talking about countries, finding them on a map and by cooking traditional foods. They learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle because they eat healthy snacks and meals and they can drink water when they wish to. They can explain when and why they need to wash their hands. They take responsibility for their own safety, for example by talking about how to make a safe gang plank for their pirate game, and they learn to become independent, for example by pouring their own drinks, laying the table and choosing when to have their snacks. 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 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 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 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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