The McAuley Catholic High School

Bledlow Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Bledlow Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 140865 Inspection date 17 January 2006 Inspector Cordalee Harrison

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Bledlow Pre-School

Setting Address Bledlow Village Hall, Bledlow, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP27 9QF Telephone number 01844 352684 E-mail william.stevenson5@nttworld.com Registered person Bledlow Pre-School Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Sessional care

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Bledlow Pre-School

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 outstanding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Bledlow Pre-School has been open for over 30 years and in its present form since 1998. It operates from the Village Hall in Bledlow Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. The pre-school is managed by a committee of volunteers. The pre-school opens week days term time only. Sessions are from 09.30 until 12.00, except on Tuesdays when the pre-school may operate from 09.00 until 13.00. The premises are comprised of the main hall, a side room, entrance hall, kitchen and toilet and washing facilities.

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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 There is an enclosed outside play area that links to the village adventure play area. There are currently 28 children on roll aged from 2 to under 5 years. Of these, 24 children receive funding for nursery education. The pre-school serves families from the local community and the surrounding area. No children with special needs attend, and there are no children who speak English as an additional language on roll. Six staff work with the children, five are qualified in childcare.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children gain a great deal of benefit from the extensive range of physical activities that challenge their gross and fine motor skills. They develop extremely good balance and co-ordination, which they demonstrate as they climb, jump, hop and kick with control. They run outside and learn to recognise the changes that take place in their bodies after vigorous exercise. They use small tools, such as, scissors, staplers, glue sticks and pencils with precision. Children have a good understanding of the value of healthy eating and are able to describe healthy options. They are able to identify the benefit of certain food. For example, a child explains that milk makes your hair grow. Children have access to regular drinks of water throughout the session. They eat a balanced range of snacks which include fresh fruit, salad vegetables, as well as some savoury and sweet products. Children have good understanding of different ways to keep themselves healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

They know the importance of good hygiene practice. For example, they are familiar with the routine to wash their hands before snacks and after using the toilet. A child explains we wash ours hands before eating to stop us getting germs. Older children use the tissues independently and dispose of them properly. The good hygiene procedures followed by staff protect children from cross infection. Staff qualified in first aid use appropriate first aid equipment to deal with minor accidents involving children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are extremely confident in the safe and secure environment. For example, staff are highly vigilant and use risk assessment to promote children's safety in most areas. However, the area of garden where the oil tank is located is not completely inaccessible to children. Children make their own choices from an exceptionally good range of toys and play materials, which are of excellent quality.

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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 Through discussion, topic work and practice, children learn the boundaries to keep themselves safe indoors and outside. They develop their understanding of road safety when they talk about traffic and simulate the movement of traffic in role play. They put what they learn into practice crossing the road under the guidance of staff and extend their understanding of safe behaviour. Through regular practise of the fire drill children learn what to do when the whistle sounds. Older children know that they practise to evacuate the premises safely and quickly. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the child protection policy and procedures to safeguard children's welfare. The detailed policy and clear lines of communication ensures consistency for dealing with child protection in the setting

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children enjoy their time in the pre-school. They are happy and extremely confident in their ability to self-select. All of the children are purposefully engaged in activities that are tailored to their varying stage of development. Experienced and qualified staff that are highly skilled ensures that children's activities are differentiated for the younger and older children. They make excellent use of the opportunities that arise in child initiated activities to extend children's learning. Children's emotional security is promoted exceptionally in the calm and purposeful pre-school environment. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Teaching is rooted in the adept knowledge of the Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage and stepping stones; staff are imaginative and resourceful. Excellent use is made of assessment and evaluation that are rigorous and used effectively to guide plans for children's

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

individual achievement. Extensive planning provides children with exciting and challenging activities which keep them engrossed in learning. Skilful deployment of staff ensures that all children greatly benefit from the play provision. Activities that are fun make children eager to participate. For example, children recount the experience of a pre-school session focused on messy activities. They experience the contrasting textures, and got messy with shaving foam, jelly, compost and paint. Children speak of these activities with a sense of excitement and pleasure. Children's communication skills are well advanced; they speak clearly and make themselves understood. Children have a firm understanding of the phonic sounds of letters and give many examples. They are captivated at group story times. They follow the writing, listen keenly, repeat key words and predict what will happen next. They understand the humour in the story and laugh out loud. They make marks to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

convey different meaning and put their mark making skills to practical use. For example, children mark their name on the rota to show that they have had their turn as helper, they write their names to identify their work. Children demonstrate an excellent understanding of numbers. Purposeful use of rhymes, puzzles and number problems encourage children to add, subtract and calculate. Children's understanding is enhanced as staff use every opportunity to extend children's

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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 mathematical thinking in their daily play. Free access of equipment, such as, the abacus enables children to practise freely and consolidate their learning of numbers. Children explore their creativity in many and varied ways. Children use malleable materials, junk and construction sets to create two and three dimensional models, they make complicated designs. They use their creative activities to extend their learning. For example, they make skeletons to progress their understanding of bones and mobiles to reflect their families. Children make music with a variety of instruments, they mark time, sing and play the instruments with gusto. Children enjoy their activities and are enthusiastic in their play and learning. Children bring their topic work to life and extend their understanding of the world as they venture out into

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the community to visit the Roald Dahl Museum and interact with others in the community, such as, the Librarian and make pasta with a visiting Chef. They progress their understanding of the natural, as they explore nature on their spring walks, identify and examine the insects they find. They further develop their understanding of the natural world and learn about insects that are not familiar to them, as they work with visitors from Zoo Lab. Children use modern technology in their everyday activities. The telephone and many interactive play resources that they stop and start help them to understand how machines work. They use the computer frequently and manipulate the mouse to achieve interesting patterns in their design work.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children's record forms contain all of the necessary information to safeguard their welfare. Their record of achievement which includes careful planning for the next step in their achievement enables staff to continue to meet their individual needs. No children with special needs attend the setting. However, the setting has made excellent provision to meet the care and education requirements of children with special needs. The Special Education Needs Coordinator demonstrates excellent knowledge of the systems that are in place to support children. Through excellent and wide ranging activities children learn about themselves and others. They learn about different cultural celebrations and use practical resources that reflect disabilities and cultural diversity. They learn to value themselves and others. Children behave well through the clear boundaries and extremely good role

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Helping children make a positive contribution

models that are a consistent part of the daily routine. They learn to be considerate of others; they are polite, they say please and thank you. They know when they have done well through staff’s acknowledgement and praise. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. The partnership with parents is outstanding. Staff involve parents to consolidate the children's learning and extend activities between home and pre-school. For example, to support the topic 'My Home' parents are encouraged to talk to their children about their village, town and their unique address. This is to start the children's thinking about where they live in support of the next topic they will study in pre-school. Parent’s views and input is valued. Parents welcome the imaginative ways in which

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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 staff engage the children and keep them interested in learning. Children benefit from the understanding their parents gain, that is relevant to how they learn and how they spend their time in pre-school.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are welcomed into a very well organised pre-school environment. Children's care and education is promoted by staff who are qualified in childcare. They use excellent resources set out accessibly to support children's emerging independence. Children experience challenging and engaging activities. Children are grouped appropriately and supervised well. Children benefit considerably from the very high level of staff qualified in childcare. Staff embrace new ideas and are quick to implement ideas from guidance, such as, Birth to three matters framework to enhance the care and learning of the younger children. A sound recruitment procedure and good induction for new staff ensures that the standard of care is good. However, the risk assessment is not comprehensive. All of the documentation that is required to assure children’s welfare in the setting is in place. Leadership and management are outstanding. They ensure that staff are highly

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Organisation

qualified to deliver the highest standard of nursery education. The pre-school manager demonstrates a professional attitude in the day-to-day management of the setting. The setting’s policies are known to staff and familiar to parents. The provision for nursery education is exceptionally resourced to achieve high quality learning experiences for children. Effective systems for review and evaluation of practice ensure that the setting plans in advance to progress all areas of the nursery education. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to make sure that the plants in the outside area do not pose a risk to children and to further develop the procedure for the collection of children. The garden has been cleared and systems are is in place to ensure that the area used by children is free of plants that pose a hazard to their health. The provider how has a good system in place to ensure the safe collection of children from the setting.

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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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Complaints since the last inspection

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 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 outstanding.

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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 sure that the area where the oil tank is located is completely inaccessible to children.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of nursery education are outstanding.

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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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