Holy Family Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 9 Jan 2006

Holy Family Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Holy Family Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 131537 Inspection date 09 January 2006 Inspector Alison Jane Kaplonek

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Holy Family Pre-School

Setting Address Holy Family School, Mansel Road West,Millbrook, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 9LP Telephone number 023 8039 9675

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E-mail

Registered person Sharon Kesby 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?

Holy Family Pre-school has been open for a number of years. It operates from 2 rooms in a building in Holy Family Primary school in the Millbrook area of Southampton. It serves the local area. There are currently 51 children aged from 2 years 9 months to 5 years on roll. This includes 50 funded 3 and 4-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports a number of children with special needs or who speak

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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 English as an additional language. The group opens 5 days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:15 until 11:45 and 12:30 until 15:00. There are 11 staff who work with the children. There are 5 staff who have early years qualifications to NVQ level ll or lll and 5 are working towards these. The setting receives support from a teacher mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare partnership (EYDCP).

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children play an active part in keeping themselves healthy by independently taking themselves to the toilet and washing their hands. They are provided with individual hand towels to avoid the spread of infection. They are well protected by staff who follow effective procedures and practices, such as recording accidents or the administration of medicines. Children's individual needs are well met, as staff ensure that any allergies they have are taken into account. Children are provided with a nutritious range of snacks such as a selection of fruit or toast, at each session. They are also regularly offered drinks. They enjoy the social interaction with their friends and staff during snack times. Children develop a range of skills during their physical play. They can access a good range of equipment which enables them to practice skills such as, climbing, scooting and balancing. They also confidently use a wide range of small equipment to

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Helping children to be healthy

increase their manipulative skills, such as scissors, rollers and pencils and are gaining control and co-ordination.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are well cared for in a safe, secure and welcoming environment. Good use of the available space enables them to move freely within the pre-school, confidently accessing a good range of well maintained toys and play materials. Staff are vigilant and reduce the risk of accidents by carrying out regular, visual risk assessments on the premises and equipment. Children are familiar with the fire evacuation procedure which they practice regularly, quickly lining up at the back door. Children are well protected by staff who have a clear understanding of child protection procedures and keep local contact numbers accessible. Parents can access information about the pre-school's child protection policy from the folder provided. Staff regularly share information about accidents and incidents with parents.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are provided with a wide range of resources and activities which cover all areas of learning and provide good play opportunities for all, including those with special needs. Staff are aware of the Birth to three framework should they need to adapt activities for the younger children. All children are able to self-select from the range of activities which have been planned for them, often initiating their own learning. They are interested and involved and enjoy their time at pre-school. Staff are attentive, listen to what the children say and encourage them to think about the activity they are taking part in. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are motivated to learn by the provision of the good range of stimulating resources and activities provided. The majority of children are able to operate independently within the learning environment, confidently selecting new activities which support their learning across

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

all areas. Some younger children take a while to settle in and find the whole group times a little difficult. However, with the support of the staff they are able to choose and enjoy an activity. The older children are able to set their own challenges and progress at their own pace while learning through their play. Some children are confident speakers using language to initiate and organise their play. Others need a little extra support from staff . They all enjoy activities which encourage them to practice their listening skills, such as playing with musical instruments or listening to stories and rhymes. They are learning the sounds of letters using the Jolly Phonics system. Children use marks to represent their ideas during planned activities but have limited opportunities to attempt writing during their play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children take part in a good range of games and activities to develop their number skills and some count and recognise numbers to five. Children use mathematical language such as bigger or smaller, during planned and routine activities. They learn about shape, size and quantity through practical activities such as cooking, puzzles and playing with sand and dough. They are encouraged to count or practice the concepts of more than or less than, during everyday activities such as snack time, when they ensure that they have enough cups. Children use their imaginations well in numerous play situations, for example, during role play and when creating art and craft work. They explore colour and texture when painting or mixing the dough together. Children are interested in the world around them. They design and build with construction kits and look at the changes which occur when taking part in cooking activities. Children are interested in information

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

technology and most are able to operate simple equipment such as a computer mouse. Some very confidently complete simple programmes on the computer. Regular observations help assess children's interests, skills, and learning needs. This information is used for future planning and covers all areas of learning. Plans include some more structured activities which children work on during the key worker times, and include extension activities for the older or more able children. Staff deploy themselves well providing support for all children.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are welcomed and fully included in the routine of the pre-school. They play an active part in the selection of activities and resources, and help to tidy up. They are learning self-care skills such as taking themselves to the toilet, dressing themselves or buttering their own toast. Their individual needs and personalities are valued by staff, who praise and reward good behaviour. As a consequence, children behave well. Children are gaining in confidence and self-esteem. They often show respect for each other, and are learning to share and take turns. They are beginning to form good relationships with adults and their friends. Children with special needs or English as an additional language are welcomed into the pre-school and provided with the appropriate support to enable them to access the range of resources and activities. Children have access to a well labelled and accessible selection of

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Helping children make a positive contribution

resources which promote equality of opportunity. They talk about the festivals and cultures of others. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. The partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents are kept well informed about the policies and procedures, topics and activities provided, through regular newsletters and clear information boards. They are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning in a number of ways. They share books and alphabet sheets which their children take home from pre-school and sometimes bring in objects from home to support their children's learning. They are welcome to stay and settle their children or volunteer to help at a session. Parents feel able to approach all staff and discuss their child’s care and welfare at any time .

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are happy in the well organised environment. They are cared for in secure premises where staff are appropriately checked and either qualified or working towards qualifications. Children benefit from organised and committed staff who provide all children with a good level of support. There is a good ratio of staff who work directly with the children, are well deployed and understand their roles and responsibilities, ensuring that children's individual needs are well met. All essential records are kept for each child and shared with the parents, ensuring that children's welfare and care are of a good standard. Staff know the children well and know which children are due in at each session, completing daily registers each time. A good range of policies and procedures which are continually updated and shared with both staff and parents, means that the pre-school meets the needs of the

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Organisation

range of children for whom it provides care and education. Leadership and management is good. There is a clear management structure within the pre-school. All staff and management are committed to providing care 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 education of a good standard. They ensure that evaluation is carried out during regular team meetings. Staff receive regular appraisals to identify their training needs, and there is an informal induction procedure for new staff. The pre-school supervisor receives support both from the Early Years and Childcare Partnership and teachers at the school .

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the pre-school were asked to ensure that all recorded accidents were countersigned by the parent, and to make available to parents a written statement that provides details of the procedure to be followed if they have a complaint, including details of Ofsted. They were also asked to ensure that children were developing an understanding of adding and subtraction during everyday routines, for example, snack times. Staff make sure that all accidents are now countersigned by parents or carers. The pre-school now have a written statement that provides details of the procedure to be followed if parents have a complaint, including details of Ofsted and parents can see this in the folder of policies and procedures on the notice board. Children are now helped to develop an understanding of adding and subtraction during the everyday routines such as snack times. Staff ask how many more cups

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Improvements since the last inspection

are needed, whether every child has one or if there are too many.

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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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should

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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 take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure the child protection statement includes procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or a volunteer.

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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): • re-organise the whole group activities to ensure that all children are fully engaged in the learning opportunities available. • increase the opportunities for children to write for a purpose during their play.

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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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