Holden Park Pre-School

Holden Park Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Holden Park Pre-School

Unique Reference Number EY307672 Inspection date 09 January 2006 Inspector Felicity Gaff

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Holden Park Pre-School

Setting Address Holden Park Gospel Hall, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0EH

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E-mail

Registered person Holden park Pre-School Limited Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care, Out of School 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Holden Park Pre-school opened in 2005. It is run by Holden Park Pre-school Ltd and operates from a converted chapel in Southborough. There is a small, secure area for outdoor play. A maximum of 26 children may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday during term time from 09:15 to 15:15. The Out of School Club opens from 08:00 to 09:00 and from15:30 to 17:30 during term time and from 08:00 to 17:30 during school holidays. Children from the pre-school may also attend the

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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 breakfast and after school sessions. The setting serves families from the local residential area. In the pre-school there are currently 65 children aged between 2 and under 5 years on roll. In the out of school club there are variable numbers of children under eight years on roll and children aged up to 12 years may also attend. The setting currently supports a number of children with special needs or who speak English as an additional language. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are 12 members of staff, 4 of whom hold early years qualifications. There are 4 staff members currently working towards a relevant recognised qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority. The out of school holiday club was not inspected.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's wellbeing is suitably promoted because staff follow effective health and hygiene procedures. Children learn to safeguard their own health; they independently remind each other to wash their hands before snack time and choose from healthy options. Children's dietary requirements are met because staff liaise closely with parents and fully understand specific needs. Staff safeguard children's welfare by following appropriate procedures for dealing with minor accidents or administering any necessary medication. Opportunities for children to develop their physical skills are restricted. The outdoor space is very limited and staff do not ensure the available indoor space is arranged to provide sufficient opportunities for vigorous physical activity. Plans do not show regular provision for children to develop their skills systematically.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in secure, well maintained and welcoming premises and they choose from a suitable range of good quality and age-appropriate play resources. Staff follow effective policies and procedures to promote safety. For example, there are excellent procedures to keep children safe when walking to and from the nearby school. Children are effectively excluded from hazardous areas such as the kitchen because staff provide and use safety gates conscientiously. Children are able to reach their toys easily and safely from low level storage units. Although children benefit from some excellent play resources such as the high quality home corner these are not always used safely. Children scatter their toys while they play with them so there are many small items on the floor by the end of a session. This puts them at risk of accidental trips and falls. Staff have an acceptable awareness of child

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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 protection issues and how and when to report concerns although the written procedures are incomplete which limits their ability to protect children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are relaxed and confident within the setting because the staff create a welcoming environment. They are happy, friendly and keen to attend. Staff offer a great deal of individual attention and engage the children in good quality conversation as they play. Children in the pre-school develop high levels of self-esteem as they select their play resources and learn to take care of their own needs. For example, a child took delight in managing to put on his own coat with encouragement from a member of staff. Children choose their own activities confidently and play co-operatively in extended and satisfying role play. Staff do not always ensure group activities are adapted to meet the needs of all the children. The whole group story and singing sessions do not engage the attention of all children and staff are inconsistent in their handling of any resulting unwanted behaviour.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff seek the views of children attending the out of school club on what they wish to do which helps them to feel their opinions are valued. Staff offer a range of activities selected according to the known preferences of the children attending. As planning for the out of school club is informal and unwritten the provision can become repetitive and does not ensure the particular needs of children of different ages are fully met. There are too few books that are likely to interest school aged children. NURSERY EDUCATION The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children make adequate progress in most areas of learning. Although staff provide a limited range of planned activities they identify spontaneous learning opportunities well, for example during 'small world' or imaginative role play they sometimes use good questioning techniques to move children forward in their learning. They model social conventions effectively so that

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children learn to use expressions such as 'please' and 'excuse me' spontaneously to both adults and each other. Children make acceptable progress in communication, language, literacy and in mathematical development. They enjoy sharing books informally in small groups with interested adults in the book corner and enthusiastically bring items from home that begin with the letter of the week. Older children learn to recognise their own names and those of their friends and some children count and compare numbers confidently up to 10 or more. They benefit from occasional outings where they can learn about the world from direct first-hand observation and practical activities. They express their own ideas as they regularly engage in open-ended creative tasks using a range of materials in two or three dimensions. Staff provide limited opportunities for active physical play although children practice some small ball skills with apparatus such as

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

footballs or skittles. However, the progress children make is restricted because staff do not clearly identify what children are to do and learn from planned activities. For example, staff

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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 had not planned how to use a role play café and so missed opportunities to promote children's understanding of number, reading and writing for real purposes, social skills and healthy eating. Staff plan interesting activities such as exploring musical sounds with jam jars and water but do not build on these systematically to develop children's skills and understanding. Although staff make observations of what children do and understand these are not yet used effectively to inform future planning. Staff concentrate on one 'adult directed' activity per session and pay insufficient attention to what children will learn from other options provided. Consequently some areas of learning are infrequently reinforced and children's progress is erratic.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children learn to understand their own needs and those of other people because staff treat them with respect and show them that they are valued, for example by displaying their work attractively. Staff receive any necessary training to ensure they understand and are able to meet children's specific needs and they adjust pre-school routines imaginatively to ensure children are able to participate fully. Children behave very well. Children in the pre-school play together harmoniously, negotiating skilfully to resolve disagreements and organising satisfying group games. In the out of school club older children reflect the nurturing and caring attitude of the staff. They are considerate and supportive towards the younger ones, offering assistance when needed and ensuring they are included. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Partnership with parents is good. Parents receive clear information about the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

pre-school and out of school service offered before children attend together with clear information about the foundation stage of education. Staff provide regular newsletters as well as details about themes and topics so that parents are able to support their children's learning at home. Pre-school children are proud to take home reading books to share with their parents. Parents feel welcome to exchange information informally with staff at arrival and collection times because they find staff friendly and approachable. Staff develop the relationship with parents by arranging opportunities for parents to discuss their children's progress formally by arranging consultation times with children's key workers. They use an easily accessible suggestions book to seek parents views on improving the service they offer.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. There are clear, comprehensive policies and procedures which provide a suitable framework to support children's welfare. Well understood routines and responsibilities ensure regular cleaning and supervisory tasks are carried out to a high standard. The proprietor puts effective administrative support in place to support staff members working directly with children. She makes appropriate arrangements to ensure staff are suitable and have the training, skills and ability to provide acceptable care for

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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 children. She supports the professional development of her staff by encouraging them to undertake training and by introducing an appraisal system. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides. Leadership and management of the nursery education is satisfactory. The supervisor provides a positive professional role model to the staff who reflect her example in the way they interact with the children. All areas of learning are considered in the plans although they are not yet effectively delivered to ensure children make consistent progress. Group activities such as singing and story sessions fail to engage all the children and superficially planned routines mean children spend too long in passive, adult-directed activities. This limits the effectiveness of the good practice shown by

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Organisation

staff as they work with individual children. However, the proprietor and the supervisor have identified weaknesses in the provision and are addressing these in order to enhance the service they offer.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration. 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 satisfactory. 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 satisfactory.

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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): • plan and provide play activities in the out of school club to ensure they meet the social, intellectual and physical needs of all the children attending

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • update the policies and procedures for child protection and for recording complaints, accidents and incidents

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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): • plan and provide a stimulating range of first hand play opportunities covering all areas of learning which enable children to make decisions, plan, explore, experiment and learn from their mistakes

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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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