St Joseph's Pre-School Playgroup

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

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Unique reference number EY408045 Inspection date 17/06/2010 Inspector Jacqueline Patricia Walter

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Setting address St. Josephs Primary School, Davey Drive, BRIGHTON, BN1 7BF Telephone number 07757865277 Email roopal.gordon@googlemail.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 .

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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

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 Joseph's Pre-School Playgroup was registered in 2010. It operates from a prefabricated building situated in the grounds of St. Josephs Primary School, in Brighton in East Sussex. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The provision is open each weekday from 09.00 a.m. to 2.45 p.m. during term time only.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 20 children in the early years age group, may attend the setting at any one time, of these, not more than four may be under three years and none may be under the age of two years. There are currently 34 children aged from two and a half to four years on roll. The setting receives funding for free early education for children aged three and four years and is also currently piloting free educational funding for children aged two years. Children attend from surrounding areas. The provision supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities and those with English as a second language.

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Description of the setting

The provision employs four permanent members of staff. All, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 are very safe and secure and enjoy their learning. Extremely good knowledge of each child’s needs, good quality interaction and an effectively organised learning environment, ensures that staff successfully promote almost all aspects of children’s learning and welfare outstandingly. An extensive clear planning and assessment system, which provides stimulating rich and varied experiences, and acknowledges children’s interests and individual learning needs is implemented extremely well. The partnerships with parents and other agencies that are involved with children is extremely effective in providing tailored guidance about precise ways parents and staff can support children’s learning and in making sure that the needs of all children and families are fully met, including any additional support. This means that children make good progress, given their age, ability and starting points. The drive for improvement and self evaluation is

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

outstanding with innovative ideas being implemented to encourage parents to be involved in evaluation, thereby ensuring that issues for future development are identified and promptly acted on.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the planning system, with regard to providing additional guidance for practitioners on children's individual learning needs This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  ensure sufficient staff receive appropriate training regarding specialised medical equipment, to ensure individual medical needs of children are met in the event of staff absences

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the early years provision

Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues and as result safeguard children very well. They have all completed training, are fully aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and are confident and thorough in knowing and implementing the procedures to follow when concerns are raised with the children in their care. For example, there are clear systems in place that record any items of concern, written guidance is displayed for staff and emergency contact numbers are available for all staff to access. They provide a welcoming, effectively organised environment within the restrains of limited space, which helps children progress extremely well towards the early learning goals and promotes independence and decision making skills. All of the required documentation regarding the Early Years Foundation Stage is in place, professionally presented, confidentially maintained and stored appropriately.

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the early years provision

Staff actively and effectively challenge stereotypical views. For instance, they bring and discuss pictures of male chefs after hearing girls say that only girls cook and talk about people who cook in restaurants and take-away establishments to dispel this myth. There are outstanding partnerships in place with parents and other agencies, which in turn is extremely effective in supporting the care and learning of all children. For example, well established links with the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service enable the translation of both verbal and written opinions to be discussed by both parents and staff and tailor the needs of individuals. There is a wealth of information on the setting available both electronically and on paper and regular reports and meetings both formal and informal are conducted to discuss the children’s progress. Parents' opinions are valued and they are effectively involved with children’s learning. For example, they participate

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the early years provision

successfully in a diary wall display and complete interest sheets, which allows them to share information on what is happening at home and enable staff to then use this to inform their planning. In addition to this, the staff receive funding from the local authority to run Family Learning courses, which enable parents to develop further understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and how they can use it to promote their children's development; becoming effectively involved in their children's learning. For example, implementing activities, such as making a picture book reflecting food and visiting a supermarket to allow their children to find and match the pictures.

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the early years provision

There is an extremely strong commitment to evaluating and improving the quality of the setting. Management is highly motivated into seeking further improvement. For example, they send out parent questionnaires and ensure they are successful in encouraging high rate of return by offering a cash prize. They have very successfully addressed all previous recommendations and through effective systems involving staff, parents, children, other professional and the local authority conduct a rigorous monitoring and searching analysis of what they do well and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 what can be improved. This has resulted in a great deal of children’s learning and care, being effectively enhanced. For example, staff have introduced rolling programmes regarding toy cleaning, which in turn has promoted children’s health, they have obtained software programmes, which help children develop knowledge

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the early years provision

and skills in information technology and documents have been adjusted to highlight individual needs. For instance the new parents form now requests written information on other settings that children attend and staff are able to approach other settings in order to support children’s individual and special needs. In addition to this staff have attended additional training course to improve their own skills and knowledge and have been extremely successfully in completing the local authority quality assurance scheme.

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and outcomes for children

Staff provide a welcoming, bright, very child-friendly environment where a wide range of stimulating resources and activities are made easily accessible. Children demonstrate a strong sense of security and self belonging. They are familiar with routines and make a lot of decisions and choices. For example, they discuss and make rules about the expected behaviour, choose their own snacks from a range of healthy food, as well as when to have their drinks and where to sit during their group activities. Children play and work alongside peers extremely co-operatively. They enjoy physical activities and show an appropriate understanding of the importance of regular exercise. Their behaviour is extremely good and more able children are able to show awareness of responsibility. For example, they warn others of the dangers, such as stinging nettles. Children show a great interest and enjoyment in learning. They are keen and enthusiastic in joining in with predictions

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and outcomes for children

and phrases during story time and enjoy exploring malleable materials using their senses. Adults are skilled in promoting positive attitudes to learning with all of the children. They provide rich and varied experiences that meet the needs of children exceedingly well. For example, a specialist music teacher comes in once a fortnight so children are able to enjoy a creative musical session, which involves dancing and exploring a variety of musical instruments. They use additional resources to promote understanding in many areas of learning and encourage extremely good communication language and literacy skills. For example, children are able to select pictures of characters as they read a story and effectively use Makaton sign language as well as visual time tables, which helps them to relate words with actions. This also means that children with English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties, are able to effectively join in and feel included.

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and outcomes for children

Additional learning and developmental needs are identified promptly and there are excellent, established partnerships with outside agencies, which in turn, support children’s individual needs extremely effectively. For example, on the advice of professionals from the Sensory Needs Service furniture is moved and blinds are drawn to help a child with a visual impairment make effective use of contrasting colours. Information from observation and assessment is extensive and used extremely well in guiding planning. However although regular planning meetings are held where staff discuss and plan to meet the individual learning needs of children, the actual planning documentation does not include guidance for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 practitioners on how they can support individual learning. As a result, cover staff or volunteers who are not involved in these meetings are not always able to challenge

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing a very good understanding of keeping themselves safe. For example, they make it known when they realise that balancing equipment is not connected correctly. As a result of the fire authority visiting the setting and participating in emergency evacuation drills they are confident in knowing what to do in the event of fire. Almost all aspects of children's health are promoted very well. However, despite various attempts to access training for more than one member of staff only one member has managed to obtain medical and technical training from a qualified health professional. There is a strong emphasis on healthy eating and living. For instance, a dentist regularly visits the setting and the children are able to select their snacks from a healthy selection of food as well as their own drinks when both inside and outside the building. As a result, they are developing a very good knowledge on what foods are healthy or unhealthy and the impact

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and outcomes for children

that eating some foods has on their bodies. For example, they know that too many sweets can make their teeth go bad. In addition to this, they engage in everyday good routines in personal hygiene and know why they must do this. For example, they confidently know that by washing their hands they are removing the germs. 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 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 2 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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