East Didsbury Pre School

East Didsbury Pre School

Inspection report for early years provision

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East Didsbury Pre School

Unique Reference Number 500073 Inspection date 27 February 2006 Inspector Barbara Christine Wearing

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East Didsbury Pre School

Setting Address Parrs Wood Road, East Didsbury, Manchester, Lancashire, M20 5QQ Telephone number 0161 445 0934

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E-mail

Registered person Julie Bell Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day 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 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?

East Didsbury Pre School has been established for 27 years. It operates within a church hall adjacent to East Didsbury Methodist Church in the suburbs of Manchester. It is a ground floor building with suitable disabled access. It serves a wide population of the local community. There are currently 29 children on roll. This includes 18 funded 3 and 4 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children who

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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 speak English as an additional language and children with special needs. The pre-school opens for six sessions per week over four days during school term-times. Sessions run from 09.15 to 12.00 Tuesday and Friday and 09.15 to 15.00 Monday and Wednesday. Three full-time and two part-time staff work with the children. The manager and the deputy hold a Nursery Nurse Examination Board qualification and one part-time member of staff holds the Pre-School Learning Alliance Diploma. The playgroup receives support from a mentor from the Pre-School Learning Alliance and Sure Start.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are protected from the spread of infection and cross contamination as staff follow appropriate procedures that maintain good levels of hygiene. They support children as they develop their independence and understanding of simple good health and hygiene practices, such as washing their hands after using the toilet and before eating, applying sun cream in warm weather and learning about different foods. Children are well taken care of if they have an accident or are ill because staff follow the clear sick child, accident and administration of medication procedures and some staff have a First Aid certificate. Children are nourished. They are provided with a healthy snack, sometimes relating to a celebration or special day such as pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and noodles during Chinese New Year. Children who stay for lunch enjoy their packed lunches from home. Staff work closely with parents and are therefore aware of and cater for

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Helping children to be healthy

children's individual health and dietary needs. If children feel tired they are able to spend time relaxing in quieter areas of the room, which have large floor cushions for them to sit or lie on. Children greatly enjoy taking part in the wide variety of physical activities available to them. Good use is made of the inside space, allowing children to use equipment which develops their coordination and large muscle skills. They are skilled in climbing, balancing, negotiating objects and moving their bodies to crawl or crouch down to play in a den or go under a bridge. In fine weather children have opportunities to explore the outside grounds.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit greatly from the well organised, inviting environment within the playgroup. They move safely around the room and take delight in choosing from the good range of well maintained, imaginatively set out activities and resources available to them. Toys and resources provide good stimulation for children in all

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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 areas of play, using all their senses. Staff carry out regular risk assessments and follow clear procedures including the collection of children and fire evacuation. They supervise children well, however at times children are able to access other areas of the building, therefore compromising their safety. Children learn about keeping themselves safe as they discuss dangers such as ice in winter, heat and burning, 'stranger danger', bullying and practice road safety using toy cars, bikes and a pedestrian crossing. Children are protected from harm as they are cared for by adults who are vetted and have relevant experience, knowledge and skills. Staff have a thorough understanding of the area child protection procedure and of their role within it, however the written policy does not include all necessary information.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are fully engrossed in their play and take delight as they extend their activities, adding to and moving resources around the room. They develop their imaginations, language and learning as they freely choose and explore. Children thoroughly explore items from the yellow table. They feel, smell and some taste the lemon, grapefruit, pepper, banana and soap. One child moves the vase of daffodils into the home area and another spends the session wearing the yellow shoes. Children independently fill the washing up bowl from the home area with water, add water to the sand and take cooking utensils from the home area to use with the play dough. Staff observe and support children sensitively during this play, while allowing them opportunities to follow their own interests. Children are therefore eagerly involved in purposeful play and staff have a good knowledge of children's

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

development and needs. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children enjoy the freedom to fully explore the wide range of resources and experiences on offer and staff are skilled in presenting activities and resources in innovative and exciting ways. Staff interact closely with children at planned activities and ask some questions to extend their learning within these. However, staff miss opportunities to further challenge children, particularly during their free play. Long, medium and short term plans show topics to be covered. They include all areas of learning, planned outcomes, resources to be used and staffs role, but do not show how activities can be adapted to provide further challenges for more able children. Assessments generally show progress children are making towards the early learning goals. However, they do not show the next steps for the children, are not used to inform short term planning and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

are not shared with parents. Children are enthusiastic and motivated to learn. They regularly use their initiative, extending their play activities. They are secure within the routines of the playgroup and have many opportunities to take responsibilities within these, such as independently putting on and taking off play aprons, helping to tidy toys away and

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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 collecting cups after snack time. Children chat to each other throughout the play session and form close friendships. They develop excellent communication skills as they share news from home during group time, describe their feelings and talk to each other as they share ideas for play, negotiating and taking turns. Children show an interest in books and stories. They handle books carefully when looking at them independently in the well set out book area, enjoy a cuddle as they share a story with a member of staff and show an understanding of stories as they act out Cinderella with a member of staff, using puppets. Some children show an interest in stories during group times, however other children quickly lose interest and chat amongst themselves. Children enjoy making marks at the writing table and in

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

other areas of the room where opportunities are being developed to write for a purpose, such as in the home and role play areas. Children are beginning to recognise and some can write their own name. More able children are encouraged to write their names on their pictures and can recognise the initial letter sound of their own name. However, they rarely link sounds to letters at other times. Children count spontaneously during play, comparing how many pieces of biscuit they have left and counting to five before sliding down the slide. Some children can recognise numerals and are beginning to understand simple calculations. Plans demonstrate that these skills are developed during planned activities throughout the year. However, staff rarely spontaneously challenge more able children in these areas of maths. Children develop a sound understanding of shape and size. Staff provide a good range of activities which children explore and investigate. They eagerly examine objects and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

changes as they build mountains with sand that they have added water to and blow bubbles off their hands in the water play. Children develop an interest and understanding of the world around them as they grow plants and have ducklings and a tortoise visiting the playgroup. Through going on local trips, being involved in some of the church's festivals and acknowledging celebrations from a variety of cultures, children develop a sense of community and an understanding of the beliefs of others. Children develop their design and making skills as they build and construct using a wide variety of large and small conventional building blocks and construction sets and make models from boxes and cartons. They have excellent large muscle skills and coordination and demonstrate their good fine motor skills as they handle tools such as scissors, crayons, play dough and threading. Music and movement sessions are greatly enjoyed, children enthusiastically copy actions and move in rhythm to the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

music. Children create complex role play situations as they are given the resources and opportunities to use their initiative and imagination to develop their play. They act out being fire fighters, dressing up and using piping as hoses to put out the fire in the tower that they have built using the large bricks. Their individual creativity is developed as they enjoy free painting, drawing and making models from play dough, thoroughly exploring their materials. A child proudly announces that she has painted a princess dress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are confident, independent, have a strong sense of belonging and a high self-esteem. They are given many opportunities to make choices and decisions and

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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 are respected as individuals. Staff work closely with parents and carers when settling children into the playgroup and gain a good understanding of children's individual health, dietary, social and emotional needs, religious and cultural beliefs. They ensure that these are reflected and well catered for within the provision. A home link book is available for each child, to pass on general information between parents or carers and the playgroup on a daily basis. Information regarding children's progress and development is generally discussed verbally on an informal basis. Children learn about the diversity of our society as resources portray positive, non-stereotyped images and as they acknowledge various celebrations and festivals. Children with special needs are given excellent support, enabling them to fully participate in the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

playgroup and make good progress. Staff work closely with their parents, carers and other professionals and are committed to providing a service which meets their needs. Children learn appropriate codes of behaviour and remind each other of these. They generally play together harmoniously, are polite and enjoy the freedom to explore within appropriate boundaries. Staff are consistent in their behaviour management and children respond well. The setting has a satisfactory partnership with parents, helping to provide consistency for children. Information regarding the provision is shared in a variety of ways such as a parents booklet, which includes policies and procedures and some information regarding the curriculum. The notice board shows basic information regarding the Foundation Stage and early learning goals as well as registration details and other child related issues. Parents have some opportunities to become

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Helping children make a positive contribution

involved in their children's learning as children take work home, via the home link book and as they bring items from home related to the current theme. However, long, medium and short term plans and children's individual development and assessment records are not generally shared with parents, therefore limiting the opportunity for them to continue and extend their children's learning at home. The children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Staff organise the room very effectively. They have a good daily routine, which ensures that children have opportunities to engage in a variety of stimulating activities covering all areas of development. At times, staff deployment and the organisation of groups limits the benefits of the activities planned for children, such as story time and the opportunities for staff to present children with further challenges in their chosen activities during free play time. Children are safeguarded as they are cared for by staff who have undergone a rigorous vetting procedure and who are aware of the playgroups' policies and procedures. However, these policies are not readily accessible and not all records are kept up-to-date. They therefore do not provide evidence that the policies and procedures are always adhered to. The quality of the leadership and management of the nursery education is

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Organisation

satisfactory. The manager works closely with the staff and all staff are involved in

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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 planning on a weekly basis. Established staff attend regular, relevant training in order to continually develop and improve the provision and the playgroup works closely with their early years advisors. Discussions regarding staff's personal development are held on an informal, irregular basis. However, any issues or concerns are dealt with as and when necessary in an effective, sensitive manner. Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection the provision agreed to ensure that the equal opportunities policy was in place and to set up a system to record the risk assessments carried out in the playgroup. Both of these recommendations have been carried out, therefore ensuring that the equal opportunities policy can be shared with everyone involved in the playgroup and applied consistently and providing evidence that necessary risk assessments are carried out on a regular basis, thereby minimising the risk of accidental injury to children. As agreed at the last inspection, the group have reviewed their procedure for hand washing and children now use wet wipes or fresh running water to clean their hands before eating, therefore reducing the risk of cross-infection. Some progress has been made with regard to the recommendations made in relation to the nursery education. The playgroup have developed their planning and provide

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Improvements since the last inspection

some opportunities for children to use their developing mathematical ideas to solve simple practical problems in every day routines and activities.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that children are unable to access areas of the building not included in the registration • ensure that the deployment of staff enables children to be grouped more effectively and benefit fully from activities, particularly during group and story times (also applies to nursery education) • ensure that records, policies and procedures are organised, accessible, kept up-to-date and that the child protection policy includes the action to be taken in the event of an allegation against a member of staff

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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): • identify and take further opportunities throughout the play session to present children with further challenges in areas of maths, linking sounds to letters and mark making • develop the assessment procedures, including the next steps for each child, ensuring that these are used to inform short term planning and are shared with parents • share more information regarding the Foundation Stage and curriculum with parents and enable them to become more involved in their child's learning.

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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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