Swineshead Pre School Centre

Swineshead Pre-School

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Swineshead Pre-School

Unique Reference Number 253656 Inspection date 17 January 2006 Inspector Janice Broddle / Katherine Powell

p.1

Swineshead Pre-School

Setting Address The Pre-School Rooms, The Youth Centre,Station Road, Swineshead, Lincs, PE20 3NX Telephone number 01205 820395 E-mail a40cpf@901.com Registered person Swineshead Pre-School Committee Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

p.1

Swineshead 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

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Swineshead pre-school is a committee-run provision which opened in 1985. The group operates from the youth club building in the centre of the village and has the use of 3 play rooms, toilet facilities, an office and storage areas. There is an enclosed outside play area. A maximum of 36 children may attend the provision at any one time. It is open each weekday during term time from 09.00 to 15.00. Children are able to attend either on a

p.2

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 sessional or full day basis. There are currently 46 children aged from 2 to under 5 years on roll. Of these 31 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attending live in the village or surrounding rural areas. The nursery currently supports a number of children with special educational needs. All children speak English as their first language. The nursery employs 11 staff, most of whom work on a part-time basis. The Supervisor and Deputy hold appropriate early years qualifications and 5 staff are working towards a qualification. The pre-school is a member of the pre-school learning alliance and is a registered charity.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children learn the importance of good personal hygiene through daily routines, such as washing hands after the toilet and before eating and using tissues to blow their noses. This helps to prevent the spread of infection. Sufficient staff hold first aid qualifications to enable them to deal with any accidents appropriately and documentation is in place to safeguard children. A sick child policy is in place and parents are provided with good information about infectious diseases. Good written records are in place to ensure children’s health and dietary requirements are met. Children are provided with regular drinks during the day and water is freely accessible during some sessions. Children have some opportunities to develop their awareness of healthy eating, for example through planned activities. However, healthy options are not always available at snack time and parents are not

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

fully supported by staff to ensure children are provided with a nutritious meal if they are attending all day. Several staff have completed food hygiene training to ensure snacks are prepared safely and appropriately. Children enjoy using the large physical equipment to promote their whole body movements and join in circle games and action rhymes which encourage movement. For example, children enjoy marching around the room whilst playing musical instruments. The outdoor play area is not currently suitable for children to use but staff compensate by taking children on walks around the village to ensure they have some opportunities to get fresh air. Children are developing good small hand skills through the use of scissors, play dough cutters and threading equipment.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The setting has good measures in place to ensure that risks to children's safety, both indoors and outdoors, are minimised. For example, staff greet parents and children at the entrance to ensure children arrive safely in to the main play area and appropriate

p.3

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 safety equipment is in place. Staff carry out thorough risks assessments to ensure potential hazards to children are identified and appropriate action is taken. Children are able to move around safely and independently as space, furniture and equipment are organised effectively. Children develop a good awareness of fire safety issues through regularly practising emergency evacuation procedures. They learn about how to keep themselves safe when walking around the village. For example, they watch and listen carefully for traffic before crossing the road. Staff have a sound awareness of child protection procedures and the designated member of staff has undertaken relevant training to develop her knowledge and understanding of issues. Staff are aware of procedures to follow if they have any

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

concerns and know the relevant agencies to contact. As a result, children are protected from possible abuse or neglect and their welfare is safeguarded.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time at the setting. All children arrive happy and eager to participate. Those who are new to the setting are helped to settle by staff who are sensitive towards their individual needs. Staff have developed warm and effective relationships with the children, enabling them to feel secure and develop a strong sense of their own self-worth. On the whole, younger children are making good progress and benefit from taking part in a stimulating range of practical experiences. Although staff are skilled in adapting activities to meet the needs of the younger children, they have not yet started to fully use the 'Birth to three matters' framework when planning and assessing children's progress. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Experienced staff have a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage and less experienced staff benefit as they all

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

work closely together. They use their knowledge to plan a broad range of activities that help children to make progress along the stepping stones in learning. However, planning systems are not yet fully effective in ensuring that all areas of learning are adequately covered and some areas, for example, physical development are not comprehensively covered at certain times of the year. Time is mainly well planned and resources are used effectively with a good emphasis placed on free-play, which encourages children’s independence. Staff support children with special educational needs very well and ensure that they are fully included in the provision. Practical learning opportunities that arise through routines, such as counting at registration and story times, are well used to support children’s learning. Staff know the children well and regularly assess their development. However, they do not sufficiently

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

understand the link between planning and assessment and as a result, do not routinely use this knowledge to adapt activities to set clear challenges, especially for children that are more able or for those requiring more support. Initial assessment systems do not clearly ascertain children’s starting points and are therefore not fully effective in informing planning for future learning or evaluating children’s progress.

p.4

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 Children are happy and settled in their environment. They have very good relationships with staff who offer high levels of support and reassurance. They have developed firm friendships; they greet each other warmly and play co-operatively in pairs and small groups. Children are openly affectionate to each other, spontaneously giving and sharing hugs and cuddles. Older children show care and consideration to younger ones. For example, when a younger child joins others at the play dough table, an older child organises for those with the most dough to give a share to the younger child. Children’s independence is fostered through daily routines such as their free movement around the activities, buttering their own crackers and pouring their own drinks at snack time. Staff offer high levels of support

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to children with special needs who are fully included in the range of activities. Children’s behaviour is very good because of the clear expectations set by staff. The atmosphere this creates enables children to become involved in what is on offer and begin to share their ideas and views with their peers and carers. Children confidently talk to each other and adults, engaging in meaningful conversations, asking questions and seeking support when necessary. Children enjoy story sessions; they listen intently and eagerly contribute to ensuing discussions. They freely select from a wide range of age appropriate books, which helps to foster their enjoyment of reading. Children are beginning to recognise their written name through good daily routines, such as finding their name card at the snack table. They use a wide range of materials to make marks and practise writing for different purposes, for example, in

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the role-play area. Some children are able to write their name independently. Children make steady progress in their mathematical development. Older children use numbers during practical activities and daily routines and recognise some number symbols. They are beginning to solve simple addition and subtraction, which they practise through number rhymes. Children explore concepts of size and capacity during sand play and correctly use a range of mathematical language to describe these. Children learn about patterns through activities such as bead threading and are able to recall the days of the week in sequence. Children enjoy exploring and finding out about the natural world. They enthusiastically speak about their experiences of bringing their pets to pre-school and recall how to care for them. They are developing a good awareness of the use of information technology in everyday life. They confidently use the computer and explore the use of phones, cogs and

p.5

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

battery toys. Children eagerly talk about their own lives and those of people they know. They have good opportunities to develop their awareness of the local community and learn about the cultures and beliefs of other people. They enjoy physical activities although progression of large physical skills are less well planned for. They explore a range of craft and malleable materials, creating pictures and freely exploring the paint by mixing colours and painting their hands. They enjoy making models out of construction materials, persevering for lengthy periods to create their designs. Children develop a repertoire of songs and eagerly explore the sounds of the instruments they play. They play collaboratively and imaginatively in the role-play area, the good range of equipment encourages them to explore and extend their imagination.

p.5

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 Children benefit from being cared for by staff who work closely with parents to meet their individual needs and ensure they are fully included in the group. Children feel a sense of belonging and their self-esteem is promoted as a result of staff showing an interest in them and their families and through their work being displayed for parents to see. Children learn about their own and diverse cultures through a range of appropriate activities, such as stories and visits to the local community. Children enjoy food tasting activities linked to festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year. This positive approach helps to foster children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children settle quickly at the provision as they receive good support and reassurance

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

from staff. Children are very well behaved and show care and consideration for others. They learn to play co-operatively and to share toys and resources. Their understanding of right and wrong is promoted sensitively by staff through gentle reminders to care for their environment, the equipment and each other. The special needs co-ordinator has undertaken appropriate training which enables her to provide good support for children with identified special needs. Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure children's individual needs are met and appropriate learning targets are identified. Staff develop good relationships with parents and carers. They provide them with some useful information about the setting, for example, through regular newsletters, notice boards, a brochure and informal chats with staff. Partnerships with parents and carers of funded children are satisfactory. The staff are developing some good

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

systems to share information about the Foundation Stage curriculum and future plans of activities. Some ideas are included in newsletters for parents to continue to help children to learn at home. Systems for sharing details about children's development are largely informal. As a result parents do not yet have regular opportunities to view and contribute to their children's developmental assessments.

p.6

Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's care is enhanced by the good organisation at the setting. Indoor play space is used effectively ensuring that children are able to move around freely and independently access a good range of activities to support their play and learning. All legally required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place. Children benefit from being cared for by well qualified and skilled staff who undergo a sound induction procedure. Staff work very well as a team and are deployed effectively within the setting. High staffing ratios are maintained so, consequently, children are well supported and supervised at all times. Staff have a sound awareness of the written policies and procedures which are in place and they are actively encouraged to undertake further training to increase their awareness of relevant issues. However, staff have yet to fully develop their awareness of the ‘Birth

p.6

Organisation

to three matters’ framework to support them in the planning of activities for children under the age of three years. Effective systems are in place for managing staff, such

p.6

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 as staff appraisal and regular meetings. All staff are involved in monitoring and assessing the provision which ensures that areas for future development are identified and addressed. The leadership and management of nursery education are satisfactory. There is not yet a rigorous system for monitoring and reviewing the nursery education provision and ensuring that all areas of the curriculum are covered regularly and equally. Staff demonstrate a real commitment to improving the educational provision as they regularly attend training courses and actively seek and respond to advice from relevant professionals. Overall, children’s needs are met.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection one action and four recommendations were made. These related to systems for recording the attendance of children, recruitment procedures to ensure the suitability of staff, safety within the outdoor play area, child protection procedures and obtaining parental permission to seek emergency medical treatment. Staff now record if children’s hours of attendance differ from the usual session times and the child protection policy has been updated to include procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff. Staff recruitment procedures have been reviewed to ensure staff are physically and mentally suitable to work with children. Written permission has been obtained from parents with regard to seeking emergency medical treatment. The outdoor play area is not currently in use in order to protect children from potential hazards. Staff have taken positive

p.7

Improvements since the last inspection

action to address all of the issues raised which has had a beneficial impact on children’s care overall, particularly with regard to ensuring children’s safety. Nursery Education At the last inspection it was recommended that the planning of activities was reviewed in order to clearly identify what children are expected to learn, and assessment records clearly identify children’s progress along the stepping stones. The provider also agreed to ensure that the activities for physical development covered all aspects, with particular regard to health and bodily awareness. The setting has made progress with regards to the planning of activities and their assessment of children’s learning. However, systems are not yet fully comprehensive and this is carried forward from this inspection. It was also recommended to reorganise whole group activities to ensure children are able to participate effectively. The children now separate into two different groups for

p.7

Improvements since the last inspection

large group activities and they are engaged and contribute more effectively at these group times.

p.7

Complaints since the last inspection

Since April 2004 Ofsted has received one complaint relating to National Standard 4: Physical environment and National Standard 6: Safety. The complaints related to the

p.7

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 condition of the premises, fire precautions and electrical equipment. Ofsted investigated by carrying out an unannounced visit on 13/05/05 and found that the provision continues to meet the National Standards and remains qualified for registration. Two recommendations were made to improve practice, which the provision has now carried out. 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.

p.7

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.8

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.

p.8

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

p.8

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): • review the arrangements for snacks and meals to ensure all children are provided with healthy and nutritious food • develop the outcomes for children aged under the age of three years by using an approach in line with the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework

p.8

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): • ensure planning covers all areas of learning, clear learning objectives are identified and plans show how activities will be adapted to meet children’s individual needs • ensure assessment records clearly indicate children’s starting points in order to identify progress made, and increase opportunities for parents to contribute to these (also applies to care) • ensure systems are in place to monitor and evaluate the delivery of nursery education to identify its effectiveness for all children.

p.8

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 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

p.8

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

p.9