Briary Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 20/05/2004 Inspector Name Malini Parmar

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Briary Pre-School Setting Address Greenhill Road Herne Bay Kent CT6 7RS

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Briary Pre-School Address Greenhill Road West Greenhill Herne Bay Kent CT6 7RS

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents. If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

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Information about the setting

Briary Pre-School opened in 2001. It operates from a mobile on the grounds of Briary Primary School in Herne Bay. The pre-school has access to three rooms, an office, toilets, a kitchen and an outside area. The pre-school serves the local area and surrounding towns. There are currently 64 children on roll. This includes 44 funded children. Children attend a variety of sessions each week. There are 5 children on the special needs register. Currently none of the children speak English as a second language. The pre-school opens five days a week term time. Sessions last from 08.45 to 11.30 and 12.15 to 14.45.

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Information about the setting

Five staff work with the children. Four have early years qualifications and attend short courses. The nursery receives support from a Pre-School Learning Alliance fieldworker and a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Briary Pre- School provides satisfactory care for children. The Nursery school is small and staff work effectively as a strong team to create a harmonious environment for the children. They are deployed effectively and skilfully move around the rooms to support children's needs. Staff give regard to ensuring children's safety and systems in place for safe arrival and collection of children are effective. Attention to health and hygiene are satisfactory and children learn about personal hygiene through the routine. Children know when and why they need to wash their hands. There are a set of polices and procedure in place and the group are working towards ensuring these accurately reflect their practice and ensure correct detail. Some mandatory records are currently being updated Space is used effectively; the environment is prepared to promote informed choices.

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How good is the Day 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Children move freely from room to room. Children have access to a variety of interesting play opportunities and resources, to support their learning. They confidently select these and are having fun. Staff share responsibility for providing a range of activities for the children. However, the group currently use the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, to plan for children under three years, as well as those over three. Staff consistently use open-ended questioning techniques to support learning. Staff have a firm knowledge of equal opportunities and the environment reflects positive images. Staff have a good knowledge of behaviour management and use positive strategies consistently to retain self-esteem and

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How good is the Day Care?

encourage good behaviour. Children are happy, settled and confident. Partnership with parents and carers is effective. Parents are provided with useful information upon entry and effective settling in procedures promote healthy partnerships. Parents have regular programmed opportunities to look at developmental records and are invited to contribute to their child's learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group agreed to: update all necessary policies and procedures, give regard to the Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs, ensure all parents are given details of the activities provided for the children, obtain written parental permission for seeking emergency medical advice, develop planning and record keeping, ensure all staff have induction training, produce and implement procedures to be followed for the safe conduct of any outings, give parents access to all written records about their children, ensure that children have an appropriate range of activities and resources to promote equality of opportunity make the complaints procedure available to parents, ensure that children belong to a group which has consistent staff and ensure all staff have a knowledge and understanding of child protection and procedures are followed. All, but the procedure for Child Protection are now in place. The group have a

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What has improved since the last inspection?

member of staff whom has received training in the Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs. Parents now have regular access to current information and children's developmental records. All children belong to a key group with consistent staff and staff give high regard to promoting equality of opportunity.

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What is being done well?

• Staff work effectively as a strong team and are deployed effectively. They skilfully move around the rooms to support the children's needs. • Space is used effectively; the indoor environment is prepared to promote informed choices. Children confidently select from all the interesting opportunities available. They move freely form area to area and are having fun. • Effective settling in procedures promote healthy partnerships with parents.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Staff closely monitor and report on children's development during their first few weeks. These records are shared with parents to ensure a smooth transition into the nursery. • Staff use positive behaviour management strategies well, they are consistently applied to retain children's self esteem and encourage good behaviour

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What needs to be improved?

• documentation; to ensure policies and procedures accurately reflect practice, • attendance to be recorded according arrival and departure, all mandatory records to be in place, all necessary permissions to be in place, the complaints procedure to include the correct address and children's records to include all necessary details • emergency evacuation procedures to ensure that emergency contact details are carried • fresh drinking water to be available at all times • planning for children aged between two and three years • safety; all electrical appliances to conform to safety requirements.

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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The Registered Person must take the following actions by the date shown

Std Action Date 13 Ensure procedures to be followed in the event of allegations made against members of staff or volunteers are in place. 06/06/2004

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The Registered Person should have regard to the following recommendations

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 2 Ensure children’s attendance is recorded according to arrival and departure times. 3 Devise a system for planning and implementing a range of activities for children aged form 2 to 3 years, which is appropriate for their stage of development and based on their needs. 6 Ensure all electrical appliances conform to safety requirements and do not pose a hazard to children. 8 Ensure children have access to fresh drinking water at all times. 14 Ensure all polices and procedures in place accurately reflect practice.

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by the time of the next 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

Briary Pre-School provides a range of worthwhile activities, in a friendly and secure environment and children are making generally good progress overall. Teaching is generally good. Staff have a secure knowledge of the foundation stage, which enables them to plan and provide a stimulating programme of activities. Using long term plans; staff contribute their ideas at formal planning meetings and these are transferred into weekly plans. Staff make observations on the children's progress and the process of identifying next steps to inform planning is developing. Staff know children well; they are effectively deployed and provide clear explanations of activities. They consistently employ effective questioning techniques to enable meaningful learning to arise form opportunities provided. Staff skilfully enable play to evolve and coordinate activities to maximise on every opportunity to reinforce the agreed learning objectives. The indoor environment is carefully prepared to enable

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How effective is the nursery education?

children to initiate their own play. Occasionally, children receive inconsistent opportunities. The pace and routine of the session does not successfully retain motivation and children spend too long waiting in whole group situations, including snack time. Staff are respectful to the children and have high expectations of their behaviour, their sensitive support and encouragement is reflected, in the children's generally good behaviour. There are effective procedures in place to support children with Special Educational Needs and for children with English as an Additional Language. Leadership and Management is generally good. The leader is committed to ensuring children's progress. Staff are encouraged to attend regular training. Systems in place to evaluate the setting and monitor the effectiveness of the educational programme are informal. Partnership with Parents is generally good. They receive useful information and are

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How effective is the nursery education?

systematically provided with developmental records.

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What is being done well?

• Staff behave as effective role models. They work well as a team creating a calm and respectful environment for the children to emulate. Children respond well to staff's high expectations of their behaviour and generally behave well enabling them to be successfully engaged in their learning. • Staff consistently employ useful questioning techniques and enable meaningful learning to arise from opportunities provided. • Staff consistently use mathematical language and provide regular opportunities for children to understand the meaning of numbers through play. They maximise on every opportunity to use mathematical language to describe shape, size, position and quantity.

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • Children enjoy the inventive and imaginative use of the role-play area. Staff support children well in this area enabling play to evolve and use this area well to facilitate children's learning in all areas.

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What needs to be improved?

• inconsistencies in the programme • the continued use of assessment in order to identify next steps and use these to inform future plans • the pace and routine to reduce the length of time children spend waiting • opportunities for challenging physical exercise.

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What has improved 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident and enthusiastic learners. They make choices about their play and take initiative. Firm relationships are established as children learn to share, take turns and work co operatively. They show good levels of concentration and motivation in their chosen tasks for example when making clocks. Children behave well. Children become restless and bored waiting for their turn in whole group situations.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children speak clearly and confidently as they engage both adults and their friends in conversation. They listen attentively to stories. Children regularly absorb themselves in books and successfully identify their names. Children are introduced to letter sounds via songs. They are insufficiently encouraged to notice print and the sounds of letters in words. Children enjoy writing for a different purpose for example writing tickets. They receive inconsistent opportunities to label their work.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently. They benefit from the consistent use of mathematical language and receive good support to recognise shapes, and sizes. Numbers are displayed and children have regular opportunities to recognise numbers as part of the routine. Children are encouraged to solve simple problems through the routine, for example at snack time.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have daily opportunities to develop a sense of time through the routine. They clearly enjoy comparing sand timers with the second hand, on the school clock. Children enjoy using the tills and telephones but few other programmable toys are available. There is a regular programme of visitors to the nursery. There are few opportunities to explore and investigate features of the locality. Children successfully build and construct with a variety of objects.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children handle tools and equipment confidently and successfully to develop fine manipulative skills. They gain increasing control and dexterity as they, for example, transfer objects using tongs and tweezers. Children move freely and skilfully manoeuvre around objects to stay safe. Children do not receive consistent opportunities to raise health and bodily awareness. Opportunities for challenging physical exercise are limited.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children participate enthusiastically in the music sessions, dancing freely. Role-play activities are varied and interesting and children delight in being the train driver or the repairman. Children clearly enjoy exploring musical sounds in their secret jungle; they ably beat the drum from loud to soft to match the tune of songs. Some opportunities lack sufficient challenge and opportunities to freely experiment and explore a range of resources are insufficient.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• ensure the routine and pace of the sessions effectively retains children's motivation particularly during whole group times • continue to develop the existing planning process, to ensure assessment informs future plans in order to consistently meet the needs of all the children • plan and provide for more challenging physical activities on a more regular basis.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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