Moorfield Junior School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 23/11/2004 Inspector Name Carol Cox

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Uffculme Pre-School Setting Address Uffculme Primary School Uffculme Cullompton Devon EX15 3AY

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Uffculme Pre School Address Uffculme Primary School Ashley Road, Uffculme Devon EX15 3AY

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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

Uffculme Pre-School was opened in the 1970's. It operates from a portacabin in the grounds of Uffculme Primary School. The pre-school serves the local and surrounding area. There are currently 31 children from three to five years on roll. This includes 24 funded three and four-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting has experience of supporting children with special needs. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:15 to 11:45 and from 12:45 to 15:15 except on Tuesday afternoons. Five staff work with the children. Three staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 3, one member of staff is a qualified teacher. One member of staff is currently working towards a recognised qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher/mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

Uffculme Pre-School provides good care for children aged three to five years. The supervisors are well qualified in early years care and education and other staff have good qualifications and experience. The group is well organised and staff ensure children are well cared for, however some policies are not clearly written and do not meet current guidelines. Staff have a good understanding of how to provide a safe environment for children and make daily checks of the building and the playground.Children are encoraged to learn good hygiene skills. At snack time children enjoy healthy snacks and drinks and can try new foods, which are often linked to topics to help children understand about different people's lives and celebrations. All records are stored securely and made available to parents on request. Although the behaviour management policy is clear, positive and understood by staff, the organisation of some large group

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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 activities does not offer appropriate support for all children. Staff discuss behaviour problems with parents and generally children behave well. The staff plan a range of interesting and exciting activities to help children develop and learn in all areas through play. Children are encouraged to freely choose activities and resources to explore and experiment with different play activities. Staff offer sensitive support to children in their chosen activities. The special educational needs coordinator has good experience of working with children with special educational needs and liaising with parents and other professionals. The group have a very positive attitude to extending the provision to all children.

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How good is the Day Care?

Parents feel well informed about the pre-school through newsletters and notices and staff give informal and written feedback about their children's progress. Parents are welcomed to help on a rota and support the pre-school through fundraising and the committee.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

All actions from previous inspection have been satisfactorily addressed. The group was asked to implement a medication policy, write a special needs statement and produce a behaviour management policy. The medication policy is clear and includes information and consents given by parents for the administration of prescription medication, parents sign to confirm the records of administration. The special needs policy has recently been rewritten in line with the Code of Practice and is clear and easy to understand. All children are welcomed into the group and their individual needs identified and planned for. The behaviour management policy is positive and stresses the need to praise and encourage good behaviour. The staff are currently looking at strategies to manage whole group situations better.

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What is being done well?

• Staff offer children a free choice of activities to support learning and development in all areas. There is a wide range of resources available to children to easily access to support learning through play. • Staff give good support to children, especially when children have chosen or initiated activities on their own. Staff intervene sensitively and are happy to develop children's own learning through play. • The group provide healthy and nutritious snacks and drinks which are often linked to topics to help children learn about healthy eating and other people,s lives, cultures and celebrations. • Staff practice sensible safety checks to ensure the premises and outdoor areas are free from risks to children. There are sensible policies in place to encourage children to learn good hygiene skills.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• staff's management of whole group activities • the operational plan to include clear policies and procedures which meet current guidelines.

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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

There have been no complaints received by Ofsted since April 1 2004.

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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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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 2 Ensure policies and procedures meet current guidelines and are made available to staff and parents. 11 Develop more effective ways to manage children's behaviour in whole group situations.

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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?

Uffculme Pre-school offers good quality nursery education and children are making generally good progress overall, but are making very good progress in creative development, communication, language and literacy, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. The quality of teaching is generally good, staff have a clear knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum and plan effectively for all areas of learning. Plans clearly identify what children are intended to learn and detail resources and adult roles. Children have a free choice of well planned activities and access to good resources to stimulate their imagination and promote independent learning, but little use is made of the local environment. Although staff know children very well and plan informally for individual children, there is no clear system yet in place to record observations of children's learning and to use these to plan new challenges for

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How effective is the nursery education?

individual children. Staff use the Code of Practice frameworks well to plan for children who have special educational needs and liaise with parents and professionals involved. Children generally behave well but staff do not always manage whole groups effectively. The management of the group is generally good, the staff work well together and are supported by a parent's committee who offer regular staff appraisals to identify training needs of staff. Staff make evaluations of daily sessions but these are not yet used to monitor and evaluate the provision as a whole. Partnership with parents is generally good. The prospectus includes brief information about the foundation stage curriculum and parents are given regular informal and written reports about their children's progress. Parents are invited to contribute to identify next learning targets for their children.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide many opportunities for children to experiment and express themselves using a wide range of tools, equipment and materials. • Staff have good relationships with children which encourage children to feel safe and make independent choices about their learning knowing they will be well supported by staff. • Children have good access to a wide range of exciting resources and their opportunities to learn to choose the right tools and materials for their activities. • Staff have a clear knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum which informs planning and ensures all areas of learning are covered. • Staff have good relationships with parents and information shared with them

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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 about their children's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the assessment system to include regular observations of children's progress and the use of these to identify next steps in learning for individual children to ensure all children are well supported and challenged • opportunities for children to use and learn more about their local environment.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Staff have made very good progress in addressing the key issues identified in the previous report. These required the staff to improve planning, provide more opportunites for children to use information and communication technology, to develop the provision for children with special educational needs with regard to the Code of Practice and to encourage parents to contribute to the assessment system. Planning now clearly covers all the areas of learning and identifies specific learning intentions to help children make progress through the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Children now have daily access to a computer which is supported by a member of staff and offers children opportunities to use the computer to promote learning in all areas, they are learning good keyboard and mouse skills and know how to load discs. The group have a special educational needs policy and children are assessed and

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What has improved since the last inspection?

monitored using the framework laid down in the Code of Practice. Parents are now invited to share assessment records and contribute towards identifying new targets for learning, these records are not yet clearly linked to the stepping stones towards the early learning goals.

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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: Very Good Children have many opportunities to become independent in a safe environment. They separate happily from their carers and build close relationships with staff and other children. They learn how to look after themselves and to consider other people and their needs. Children are confident and talk happily about themselves with adults and can also sit and concentrate to complete tasks.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children use language well to communicate their ideas and needs and are able to describe emotions and feelings in response to different situations. They enjoy songs and rhymes and join in happily in response to familiar stories. Books are used as reference to support different topics and children freely choose to sit and read to themselves and in small groups. More able children are starting to write their names clearly and most children attempt writing in their play.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have many opportunities to practice mathematical skills in everyday play. Most children can count 1 - 5 , some using their fingers, more able children can count much higher. Children use mathematical language to describe shapes and position and enjoy games involving matching and pattern making. More able children are beginning to make simple additions and subtractions but are not always sufficiently challenged to extend their skills.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children use a wide variety of tools and materials to design and build. They are able to explain their ideas and demonstrate how to use the computer and different programs. Children are developing a sense of time and more able children talk accurately about the past, present and future. They learn about the lives and beliefs of their own and others cultures and enjoy simple celebrations. At present there are few opportunities for them to explore their own environment.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children learn to become confident and competent at using a range of large and small equipment and tools. They move confidently in different ways using large play equipment and enjoy learning how to use small sports equipment and develop ball skills. They are aware of space and are considerate of others when moving around both inside and out. Children learn about their bodies and can explain how to meet their physical needs.

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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: Very Good Children have freedom to explore and experiment with different materials and media. They are able to mix these to achieve a variety of effects. They make their own resources to their own designs and enjoy using different objects to represent props in role play. Children enjoy singing and freely use musical instruments to make up their own songs and they learn to follow simple rhythms. They enjoy recreating scenarios from their own lives and act out their own stories.

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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

• develop a system to make regular assessments of children's learning based on observations of children's progress and use these to identify next steps in learning for individual children to ensure all children are well supported and challenged • provide more opportunities for children to learn about and use their local environment.

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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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