Whickham School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 26/04/2004 Inspector Name Laura Brewer

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name St Paul's Beckenham Pre-School Setting Address St Paul's Church Halls Brackley Road Beckenham Kent BR3 2NF

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of The Committee of St Paul's Beckenham Pre-School 1037127

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name The Committee of St Paul's Beckenham Pre-School Address 74 Kings Hall Road Beckenham Kent BR3 1LS

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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

St. Paul's Pre-School opened in 1980. It is connected to St Paul's Church and is operated by a management committee comprising of church representatives and pre-school parents. It runs from the church halls and situated in a residential area in Beckenham. The group have use of two halls, toilet and kitchen facilities. There is also a fully enclosed garden to enable the children to have outside play opportunities. The service is available to anybody within the community and is open during term times 9.15am to 11.45am, except on Thursdays when it opens from 12.30pm to 3.00pm. There are eight members of staff employed including the leader with a minimum daily attendance of four staff. A minimum of 50% of staff have a recognised childcare qualification. The pre-school is registered with the Local Authorities EYDCP to receive the nursery education grant for funded 3 and 4 year olds. Presently there are 29 children on the

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Information about the setting

role, of whom 18 are funded 3 year olds and 9 are funded 4 year olds. The group supports children who have special needs and those who are learning English as an additional language. Activities are pre-planned in accordance with the Early Learning Goals.

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How good is the Day Care?

St Paul's Pre-School provides good quality of care for children. The environment is clean, well maintained and safe. The organisation of staff ensures all areas are well supervised at all times. The staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities, although presently there is not a named deputy in place. Polices are well written and accessible to staff and parents, a few records lack the required detail. The group focus on providing a stimulating environment where children learn

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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 through play and exploration. In line with this philosophy, there is a wide range of activities for all areas of children's development. Staff have a good knowledge of each child's individual needs and interests. They effectively use observations of what children can do to inform future planning. The organisation of the sessions enables children to take part in small group work, specific to their needs. Parents receive good information about the setting. Staff are available to talk to parents on a daily basis and provide regular updates about their child's progress. Parental involvement is positively encouraged and parents are very happy with the quality of care provided.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection, the pre-school agreed to keep a record of significant incidents. A system has been introduced to record incidents, enabling significant issues to be monitored more effectively.

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What is being done well?

• Children take part in a wide range of interesting and well planned activities. They explore their environment energetically and play enthusiastically with the good selection of resources. • The staff have developed good relationships with children and are aware of their individual needs. They interact in a caring, supportive manner, enabling children to feel happy, settled and confident in their care. • The environment is welcoming and child friendly. Procedures ensure the setting is safe and well maintained. • Staff have experience of caring for children with special needs and have effective procedures in place to support their learning. Good liaison with parents and outside agencies enable children's individual needs to be met well. • Staff have a consistent and fair approach to behaviour management issues. Clear guidance and praise ensures children are familiar with behavioural expectations. Children are confident with the well established routines.

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What is being done well?

• Staff provide parents with good information about the setting, enabling parents to have clear guidance on the curriculum followed. Parents have the opportunity to look at their child's developmental records and are welcomed into the pre-school to be involved in their child's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• systems for ensuring there is named deputy who is able to take charge in the absence of the leader • record keeping, to ensure the hours of children's and visitors attendance is

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What needs to be improved?

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 maintained.

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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 there is a named deputy who is suitably qualified and is able to take charge in the absence of the manager; 2 Ensure a record of the hours of attendance for children and visitors is maintained.

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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?

St Paul's Pre-School provides high quality nursery education where effective teaching helps children make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is very good. Staff plan effectively to provide a good variety of activities, and understand the learning opportunities children gain. Staff are skilled at questioning children to challenge them and extend their learning. Activities, time and resources are well organised to provide many opportunities for children to learn, explore and communicate ideas, and children benefit from good support in small groups. Children's personal, social and emotional development is well supported through positive relationships, clear expectations of behaviour, and good opportunities to develop confidence. There are effective systems in place to support children with special educational needs. Leadership and management is very good. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities

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How effective is the nursery education?

and they are well supported to develop their experience through training. Staff work well as a team. There is a clear commitment to continual evaluation and improvement. The partnership with parents is very good and contributes to children's overall good progress. Parents are well informed about events and activities, and they receive ongoing feedback about their child's progress. Parental involvement is actively encouraged and valued.

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What is being done well?

• Children are motivated to learn due to well planned and interesting activities that cover all areas of the curriculum. • Children are confident, eager to join in with activities, and relate well to adults and peers. • Children are very good communicators and develop confidence due to good interaction with staff. • Children's behaviour is good due to positive relationships with staff and their consistent expectations. • Assessments of children are effectively used to guide teaching and inform future planning. • The nursery has a clear ethos and staff work well as a team. • Parents are well informed about the curriculum and their child's individual progress.

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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?

• opportunities for children to access information and communication technology resources. • opportunities for children to use self expression during all creative activities.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made very good progress in response to the points for consideration from the last inspection. Children have access to a range of resources to refer to during activities to promote their skills in language and maths. Children are provided with increased opportunities to explore independently within the pre-school .They energetically investigate their environment and have good opportunities to learn about the natural world.

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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 are confident, behave well and are familiar with the pre-school routines. They show care and concern for themselves and others. They are keen to try new activities and are motivated to learn, which supports their progress in all areas of the curriculum.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak confidently, have a very good vocabulary, and use language to talk about real and imagined experiences. Children know letter sounds and can read and write simple words. They show an interest in books and use them independently to support their play and learning.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children show a keen interest in numbers and count confidently up to 10 and beyond. Children learn about number, shape, size and position through practical activities, and develop confidence in solving simple number problems. Their learning is reinforced through good support in small groups.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children show curiosity about why things happen and how things work. They build and construct with confidence using a variety of materials, and with a purpose in mind. They frequently talk about past and present events in their own lives and learn about the lives of others. The planning for information and communication technology does not consistently allow children to access resources on a day to day basis.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move confidently with co-ordination and control due to the good opportunities to use a range of small and large equipment. They have an understanding of health and bodily awareness which is supported through the daily routines.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children show imagination in role play with others and use representation as a means for communication. They actively explore media and materials in a variety of ways. Some craft activities prevent children from developing their self expression.

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CREATIVE 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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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 high quality. Children are making very 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

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following: • Plan to include more opportunities for children to use information and communication technology resources; • Ensure all creative activities enable children to use their self-expression. 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

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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