Brighton Hill Pre-School

Brighton Hill Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Brighton Hill Pre-School

Unique Reference Number EY294432 Inspection date 01 December 2005 Inspector Sue Stuart

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Brighton Hill Pre-School

Setting Address Early Years Building, Gershwin Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 4NN Telephone number 0788 408 2037

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E-mail

Registered person Brighton Hill Pre-School Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Brighton Hill Pre-School has recently been re-registered due to moving to new premises. They operate from the Early Years building in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Children have access to a secure outdoor area. The setting serves families from the local community and surrounding villages. The setting is registered to provide care for a maximum of 26 children aged from 2 to 5 years. Currently there are 25 children on roll. This includes 19 funded three year

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 olds. The setting makes provision for children with special needs and for children who speak English as an additional language They are open five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:15 until 11:45 and from 13:00 until 15:30. Children can attend for a variety of sessions. There are five members of staff who work with the children. Staff have recognised early years qualifications or are currently on a training programme; four members of staff hold a current first aid certificate. The setting receives support from the Early Years Childcare Service (EYCS).

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children follow good hygiene practices and learn the importance of routines, such as hand washing before snack. Their health and hygiene is supported by effective procedures to prevent cross infection. Children are able to help themselves to water, from a drinking fountain, if they are thirsty. Children learn about healthy eating as they contribute fresh fruit and healthy items to the daily snack. They demonstrated their enjoyment as they made choices from the snack selection of fresh and dried fruit, and of milk and juice, at this shared social occasion. Their special dietary requirements are clearly displayed, understood and implemented by staff who work closely with parents to ensure their child's individual needs are met. Children are suitably looked after if ill and protected through staff’s good knowledge of first aid, medication routines, and procedures to follow if a child has an accident.

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Helping children to be healthy

These procedures ensure the health and safety of children. Children are developing a healthy life style and benefit from daily physical activities. Children develop confidence and good co-ordination, for instance as they find a space to play a group game. Outside they have opportunities to access a selection of climbing apparatus and negotiate space using a selection of wheeled toys. They learn new skills, such as playing hoopla. Children develop good small muscle control, for instance threading sewing cards and cutting with scissors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming, bright environment. The rooms are well maintained with colourful examples of the children’s own work displayed, this makes the rooms inviting to children and their families. Children's safety is a priority and the setting has taken sensible precautions to ensure all hazards are minimised, for example a safety gate across the kitchen entrance prevents children from entering the area.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children are able to move safely around the adjoining rooms and use the well organised space properly for their chosen activities. The wide range of resources are of high quality, in good condition and suitable to meet children’s learning needs. Resources and equipment are stored effectively to allow children to access them freely and safely. Children are well protected through the staff’s secure knowledge of safety and child protection issues. Staff are aware of their role in child protection and of local procedures of how to protect the children if they were concerned about their welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children arrive eagerly at the setting and settle quickly to their chosen task. They develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem as they participate purposefully with the inviting activities on offer. They develop good social skills and have a positive relationship with each other and the staff, for example children share their experiences with staff as they manipulate play dough into shapes. The youngest children’s needs are met through staff’s understanding of the Birth to three framework combined with the Foundation Stage curriculum. They listen and respond, for example identifying colour and shape cards as part of a fun group session. All children benefit from the individual care and attention in the setting where they are listened to and valued. Their efforts are encouraged and praised, this increases their confidence to develop new skills, for instance pouring out their own drinks. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are familiar with the routine, relaxed and comfortable in the group. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children gain from the supervisor’s good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum, and how children learn. This enables staff to plan suitable learning programmes that cover all areas of learning, for instance they learn about the Christmas story through practical activities, such as dressing up and role playing the nativity characters. Children’s learning is developed through staff’s good questioning and interest in the children. Children’s progress is measured through observations and an assessment system. Staff use these observations to identify the next steps for children’s learning, to ensure their progress through the stepping stones is appropriately addressed and recorded. Children develop a positive attitude to their learning, are well motivated and able to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

work independently. They choose from a wide range of practical activities, for example pouring and filling containers with coloured sand. They are keen to develop their skills, showing curiosity in solving problems, such as fitting new batteries into a programmable toy. Children demonstrated their interest in numbers, for example as they calculate the number of beads needed to make different length laces. Children communicate their ideas and needs clearly. They are interested in books,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 choosing from a range of books both for enjoyment and information. They have opportunities to use information technology to support their learning. Children benefit from the chance to use a variety of writing materials to form letters, colour in pre-drawn pictures and draw pictures. However, children do not always have opportunities to create and express their own ideas and experiences freely. Opportunities for children to explore and experiment using a range of materials is good, for instance children constructed a large castle model using a variety of art and craft materials. All children eagerly join in songs to learn about the Christmas story. They talk about the past and present events in their own lives, and about the lives of others, for example topic work on people who help us, included a visit from the fire

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are fully included within the setting. The setting has a positive proactive approach to the provision for children with special educational needs. All children are valued and benefit from the strategies in place to ensure their individual concerns and issues are addressed effectively. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. They learn about the environment, for example studying topics connected to autumn. They are beginning to communicate their ideas and emotions and show concern for others, for example children showed both frustration and delight while joining pieces of paper together to make paper chains. They demonstrate good self care skills, for instance using the toilet facilities independently. Children behave well. They know what’s expected of them and are aware of the rules and routines of the setting. They benefit from the good role models provided by the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

staff, who promote a positive calm atmosphere. Children relate well to each other, and are learning to work harmoniously with others, for example when tidying up for snack time. Their understanding of other cultures is developed through resources and activities designed to broaden their knowledge of the wider world. They have opportunities to celebrate a variety of festivals such as Diwali. The partnership with parents is outstanding. Children benefit from the open warm welcome that families receive. Parents are given excellent detailed information about the Foundation Stage curriculum and relevant activities. They have good opportunities to discuss their children’s progress and achievements at parent meetings and through daily discussions. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child’s learning. Home link books keep parents up to date with current topic work with suggestions of activities to do at

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Helping children make a positive contribution

home. Parents are invited to share what they know about their child, and contribute to children’s learning. For example, they are given termly opportunities to complete an innovative planning sheet and ideas of what children would like to develop in the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 coming term. Children benefit from this excellent hands-on partnership, families feel well supported and children’s needs are met in accordance to their parents wishes.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom they provide. All staff are suitable to work with children, most are experienced and well qualified. Staff work well as a team, they regularly discuss planning and the children’s progress. Good staff to child ratios and effective staff deployment ensures children receive plenty of time and attention. The operational plan ensures that the sessions run smoothly and children benefit from the stable routine. All required policies and procedures to promote the welfare and care of children are in place and implemented. The leadership and management is good. The success of the setting is the strong relationship between the committee and supervisor. They have incorporated their childcare and management experience to produce a clear vision and focus on the personal development of all children. They are able to correctly identify their

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Organisation

strengths and areas for development and act on their findings. An appropriate monitoring and curriculum evaluation system for the educational programme is in place. Annual staff appraisals means staff are able identify their training needs and develop their own practice, which in turn, has a positive impact for the children’s learning.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the registration visit the provider agreed to include bullying in the behaviour policy, and include Ofsted's details in the complaints procedure. The behaviour policy now contains an appropriate statement regarding bullying. The complaints procedure includes Ofsted's details and has recently been updated to include new legislative regulations. Overall these improvements have a positive impact on children’s safety.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report since registration. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaint record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • make improvements as indicated in the nursery education section below.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • provide children with further opportunities to freely access creative and writing materials to ensure they can express and communicate their own ideas.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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