St James Church School

Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 139324 Inspection date 05 December 2005 Inspector Anne Legge

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Pre-School

Setting Address Knighton Lane, Broadmayne, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8PH

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E-mail

Registered person Broadmayne and West Knighton 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?

Broadmayne and West Knighton Pre-School operates from purpose-built premises, set in the grounds of Broadmayne First School, in the village of Broadmayne near Dorchester. Children have the use of a play room, adjoining toilets and an enclosed outdoor play area. Children attend from the villages of Broadmayne and West Knighton, and the surrounding area. The pre-school was established in 1975 and moved to its present site in 1988. It is

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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 registered to care for up to 17 children, aged from 2 to 5 years and currently has 21 children on roll, including 18 funded 3- and 4-year-olds. Children with special needs are welcomed and supported. The group is open on weekdays in term-time, from 09:00 to 11:30. A lunch club operates from 11:30 to 12:45 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There are three staff members, all of whom have appropriate child care qualifications. The group receives support from the Local Authority and has close links with the school.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children's health is very well promoted as they enjoy an excellent range of nutritious snacks, such as fruit, vegetables and bread sticks. They develop a very good understanding of healthy eating as staff encourage them to try new fruits, such as plums, to bring nutritious lunches to lunch club and to eat the healthiest items of their meal first. They discuss the benefits of eating healthy foods and are able to explain why, for example, fruit and milk are good for them. They have plenty of fluids, due to an excellent system for serving themselves with water from an urn, using their own, named cups. Children enjoy many opportunities to be physically active and to develop their fitness and skills. They use their very well-planned outdoor area in almost all weathers. They climb and balance on the climbing frames, use slides, or pedal and scoot, using an extensive range of wheeled toys. They play with hoops, bean bags, bats and balls,

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Helping children to be healthy

developing very good control. They also enjoy physical games indoors, making very good use of the limited space available, to march, move to music, or play singing and movement games. Children are exceptionally safe from infection due to the staff's meticulous attention to cleanliness and hygiene. All surfaces are cleaned regularly, especially in the kitchen and toilet areas and tables used for eating snacks and lunch. Children learn very good hygiene routines, and know that they must always wash their hands before food, or after using the toilet. Children receive excellent care when they are unwell or injured. Staff have recently updated their first aid training and there are comprehensive systems for recording and sharing information concerning accidents and medicines administered. All the required consents are in place, to protect children in emergencies.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children play in a child-friendly and exceptionally safe environment, where all safety and security issues are given the highest priority. A designated staff member carries out thorough daily, half-termly and annual checks of the premises and all equipment. Accident records are carefully scrutinized in order to provide clues to problems

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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 affecting children's safety, and all hazards are addressed promptly. Repairs are carried out very efficiently, by a maintenance officer. Children are very secure as doors are locked, gates bolted and there are very good systems to monitor access to the premises. Children move around safely in the building, despite its limited space. The excellent range of resources is stored and displayed thoughtfully, so that children can choose freely and access them safely. There are very good systems for checking that toys and resources are clean and in good condition and safe for children to use. They learn to be aware of hazards, as staff remind them to ask for help with heavy boxes, or as they remind each other about waiting for parents before going through the gate. Children are very safe from abuse or neglect due to the staff's recent training and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

excellent understanding of all child protection issues and procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy a very good variety of activities, which are appropriate for their stage of development and which help to promote their progress, in all areas of learning. Sessions are well organised, to provide plenty of free play and a balance of structured activities, in large or small groups. The youngest children are well supported and planning includes aspects of the Birth to Three Matters framework, to meet their needs. All children are settled at the pre-school, and busily engaged in purposeful activities, throughout sessions. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff have a very good understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and they are skilful in their use of questioning and discussion, to extend children's understanding and language. They plan effectively to meet the needs of most children, ensuring that the whole curriculum is covered each

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

year. They are currently revising planning systems, to increase challenges for the most able children. This process is not yet complete and some able children are not yet consistently challenged in all planned activities. Staff observe children's achievements and record their progress towards the early learning goals, using this information to plan appropriate activities, to help their future development. Overall, children make very good progress across the curriculum. They concentrate extremely well at chosen and adult-led activities, such as role play or when sharing stories. They develop a very good understanding of letter sounds and begin to recognise familiar words, through a wide range of routines, such as finding their name at registration, or discussing letters buried in the sand. The most able children are sometimes challenged to recognise other familiar words, such as labels for the daily routine. They write confidently for different purposes, such as when compiling

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

lists, and they enjoy books and stories, sometimes using drama to bring them alive. Children count in many daily routines and activities, such as counting Christmas decorations. They recognise numerals and begin to discuss number patterns. This is sometimes extended, to challenge able children to compare groups or explore patterns. They discuss shapes and fractions in practical tasks, such as when cutting

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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 up fruit. Children successfully develop their understanding of the world as they discuss family events with staff, or re-enact their experiences, such as going to the doctor, in role play. They learn about technology, as they use the computer, tills and tools, such as drills and saws. They explore a variety of substances and textures, such as paint, glue and stony sand. They become extremely independent and imaginative in their role play, as they co-operate in making up stories about selling cars, building houses or caring for babies. They create freely with paint, drawing materials and collage resources, and activities are sometimes planned to extend the most able children. They enjoy making music or singing familiar songs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children behave very well. They respond to the calm and positive approach of staff, and to the clear routines within the pre-school. They enjoy plenty of praise for their efforts and for good behaviour. They learn to share resources, such as dough, and to take turns with equipment, such as tape measures, as staff encourage them to resolve their own differences. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. They reflect quietly before their snack, and learn to respect the needs of others as staff explain, for example, why they should allow others to share. They learn to value cultural and individual differences, as they use excellent resources, such as world games, books, puzzles and dolls, which reflect diversity and as they celebrate a variety of festivals. Staff know children and their families very well and aim to meet each child's needs. Children with special needs are effectively monitored and supported. Partnership with

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Helping children make a positive contribution

parents is good. Children benefit from the good communications between staff and their parents. Parents receive clear information about policies and procedures, and about the curriculum. They are able to be involved in their child's learning and in the work of the group, due to regular communications and consultations, such as questionnaires about healthy eating. They are well-informed about their child's progress towards the early learning goals, as they meet regularly with key workers and share progress records. However, they do not always share targets for the next steps in learning, which limits their ability to support their child in achieving these targets.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children enjoy the care of a well-qualified, competent and experienced staff team. Staff are supported by a very efficient committee, who ensure that children's care is underpinned by appropriate policies and procedures, which are completely up-to-date. The pre-school is committed to the highest standards of care, and is exceptionally strong in promoting children's health and safety. All the required documentation is in place, although registers lack sufficient detail. Space, time and

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 resources are very well organised, to provide a good range of play experiences for children. Good staff ratios ensure that children receive plenty of adult attention, to promote their development. Leadership and management are good. There are effective systems for monitoring the quality of nursery education, including regular staff appraisals. Staff are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of provision and have sought help from the Local Authority, to address planning issues. They are committed to constantly improving their practice, so that children's progress is maximised. The pre-school meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, staff have greatly improved children's safety, by implementing excellent risk assessment systems, which are carefully monitored by the committee and all hazards are addressed. Staff have successfully increased children's awareness of diversity by providing excellent resources, such as dolls, games, books and puzzles, which reflect positive images of differences. Since the last nursery education inspection, good systems have been introduced, for monitoring the strengths and weaknesses of provision, including staff appraisals and consultations with other professionals. Staff have increased opportunities for children to solve practical problems, such as by providing planks and tools, for them to build. Children now work independently, especially in their role play, confidently solving problems which arise. Children make good progress in recognising familiar words, especially their own name and the names of others. Labels around the room

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Improvements since the last inspection

encourage them to recognise other words, although the most able children are not consistently challenged in this area.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints 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 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 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

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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): • update attendance registers, to include times of attendance of children, staff and visitors.

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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): • continue to develop planning systems, to include clearly identified learning objectives for children of different abilities, especially the most able, to ensure that they are always challenged appropriately • share children's targets for learning with parents, so that they can effectively support their child's development.

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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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