Garth Hill College

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 12/05/2004 Inspector Name Marilyn Joy

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name LYMINGTON PRE-SCHOOL Setting Address LYMINGTON INFANTS SCHOOL AVENUE ROAD LYMINGTON HAMPSHIRE SO41 9GP

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of LYMINGTON PRE-SCHOOL

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name LYMINGTON PRE-SCHOOL Address LYMINGTON INFANT SCHOOL AVENUE ROAD LYMINGTON HAMPSHIRE SO41 9GP

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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

Lymington Pre-school opened in 1992. It operates from a purpose built room community room within the Infant School. It serves the local and surrounding area. There are currently 26 children from two years to five years on roll. There are 13 funded three-year-olds and 13 funded four-year-olds. There is a small number with special educational needs and none with English as an additional language. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 until 12:00. There are six members of staff who work with the children. There are three who have early years qualifications and one is currently working towards a recognised early years qualification.

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How good is the Day Care?

Lymington Pre-school provides satisfactory care for children. The pre-school offers a warm and friendly environment where children feel confident and secure. The purpose-built room is well equipped for pre-school children and displays of children's work make it bright and welcoming. A good variety of resources are used to stimulate and challenge children indoors and outdoors. Equipment is low level and ideal for promoting independence. Key staff are qualified and experienced. Most documentation is in place. Staff have a good awareness of health and hygiene. They observe good hygiene practices and encourage children to develop regular routines for themselves. Staff are aware of safety issues but do not have a formal system of risk assessment. They are very good at encouraging children to develop an awareness of safety when using equipment and playing outside. Staff have a sound knowledge of children's

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How good is the Day Care?

individual dietary requirements and a positive attitude to caring for children with special educational needs. They have an awareness of child protection issues but

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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 have not updated their knowledge and procedures. A wide range of topics are planned to stimulate and challenge children in all areas of learning. Children enjoy regular outdoor play and have opportunities to explore the adventure play equipment as well as learning to ride bikes. Staff are developing effective behaviour management strategies and encourage children to play co-operatively with each other. Parents are provided with a range of information about the pre-school. They receive copies of the policies and procedures with the prospectus as well as regular newsletters. Some policies and procedures, however, are not up-to-date. Staff communicate with parents daily regarding children's care and well-being. They have

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How good is the Day Care?

a good knowledge of children's individual needs and respect parent's wishes regarding their care.

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What is being done well?

• Parents involvement in the pre-school is given a high priority. Committee newsletters keep parents up-to-date with current issues as well as fundraising and social events. Staff newsletters provide parents with details of topics and activities children will be participating in. Termly

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What needs to be improved?

• documentation • knowledge and understanding of child protection issues • risk assessments.

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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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WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE 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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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 6 Conduct a risk assessment on the premises identifying actions to be taken to minimize any risks identified. 13 Develop staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. 14 Ensure documentation and policies are up-to-date and accurately maintained, including complaints and child protection policies and appropriate documentation regarding staff changes.

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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?

The provision for nursery education at Lymington Pre-school is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. They are making very good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff plan a varied curriculum. They create an inviting environment with displays of children's work and exciting activities. There is a wide range of resources and many are stored in accessible units, although some opportunities are missed for self-selection. Staff present activities in a lively manner extending children's language and understanding well. Most staff have a good knowledge of the stepping stones and good support is provided for children with special educational needs. Activities are well-planned and evaluated, although children's progress is not always effectively recorded. Staff work well together and

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How effective is the nursery education?

form easy and trusting relationships with children. Leadership and management is generally good. The pre-school has clear aims and high expectations for children's learning. Strong leadership on a daily basis supports staff and maintains clear links with the committee. The curriculum is regularly evaluated and formal systems to review the provision overall are being developed. The pre-school is committed to improvement through ongoing training and quality assurance. Partnership with parents is generally good. Parents value the friendly and approachable staff. They appreciate the formal and informal opportunities to discuss their child's progress with their key worker. They are provided with a good range of information about the pre-school, it's policies and procedures.Information about the early learning goals is less comprehensive. Termly newsletters include details of the planned topics and activities that parents can encourage at home.

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What is being done well?

• Staff ensure children have time and space to focus on activities and develop their own interests such as making patterns with cars. They respond spontaneously to children's interests to maximise learning opportunities, for example exploring the pond to look for snails. • Staff provide positive role-models and clear guidance to help children develop confidence and form relationships with others. Children are motivated and keen to learn. • Children are developing increasing control over their bodies. They move confidently when indoors and outdoors. They demonstrate increasing competence in using a wide range of tools and equipment.

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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 • Partnership with parents is given a strong emphasis. Parents are consulted and encouraged to be involved in the pre-school. Effective settling-in arrangements help parents and children feel confident and secure.

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What needs to be improved?

• staff's understanding of the stepping stones • opportunities for self-selection of resources • the book area • opportunities to become more familiar with written numerals.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The pre-school has made generally good progress since the last inspection when they were asked to address the following: Staff should develop a policy to support consistent behaviour management and staff deployment to enable children to conform to group rules. Strategies for behaviour management are continually being reviewed and developed to suit the needs of the group and individual children. Training has been arranged for all staff to develop skills further. Staff are usually deployed effectively to respond to issues as they arise. Children are becoming aware of what is expected of them. Staff should consider what vocabularly will be emphasised during particular topics to ensure all children have appropriate opportunities. Staff effectively extend children's vocabularly during most activities. Staff should ensure an understanding of the purpose or learning objective for an activity, which allows children a full experience even in teacher-led activities.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Learning objectives are clearly defined for focus activities although there is no indication of objectives for individual children. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the overall learning intentions and effectively extend children's skills and experiences. Group sizes should sometimes be pre-determined to give a full range of experiences of different size groups for different purposes. Children have opportunities to work in groups of various sizes, and with different children, throughout the session. Priority should be identified on the planning documents for specific areas of learning. This is no longer relevent as all areas of learning are given equal emphasis.

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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 motivated and interested in learning. They are developing confidence. Many seek others to share their successes or to seek guidance. Many concentrate for extended periods on self-chosen activities although some opportunities are missed for them to select their own resources. Many form positive relationships with others and work co-operatively for example when constructing elaborate roadways and bridges with wooden blocks. Many show respect and care for others.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children enjoy listening to stories and predicting what will happen next. Many confidently contribute at circle time and initiate conversations with others. Many are beginning to use talk to describe what they are doing. They learn to differentiate sounds when listening to music and letter of the week. A good range of reference and storybooks are available although children rarely choose books for pleasure. Children engage in a variety of activities to develop their hand/eye co-ordination.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are interested and enjoy number activities. They enthusiastically join in with familiar number rhymes, taking one away and counting how many are left. Many count confidently and some recognise groups of objects. Some opportunities are missed to link numerals to counting. Many children identify shapes in the environment and explore how they fit together when constructing with blocks and making patterns. Practical activities introduce mathematical concepts such as sequencing and size.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are interested in the world around them. They excitedly explore their environment. They examine living things and identify some of their features. They talk about similarities and differences and learn about time when looking at life cycles. Children use a wide range of construction resources to build or balance and staff effectively extend their ideas. Children are interested in technology. They use battery toys in the role-play area and complete simple functions on the computer.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children demonstrate increasing control and co-ordination when running, jumping and throwing. They use a variety of small and large equipment skillfully such as climbing and balancing apparatus, scissors, screws and brushes. Two-wheeled bikes have been introduced and many have successfully grasped how to ride. Most children are developing an awareness of space when moving around confined areas indoors and manoevering equipment outdoors. Staff reinforce how to carry and use tools safely.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children explore a variety of media and materials. They mix colours and talk about shapes and patterns when painting together. They make collages and model from clay. However, some opportunities are missed to freely select resources to create their own designs. Children enjoy music. They differentiate sounds and rhythm and join in with familiar songs. Children use their imagination and own experiences when developing stories in the role-play area. They visit the doctor's and make the dinner.

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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 staff's understanding of the stepping stones so that effective observations are used to assess children's progress and plan for progression • provide opportunities for children to develop independence in selecting their own resources and creating their own designs • develop the book area to encourage children to select books for pleasure. 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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