Writtle Green Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 05/10/2004 Inspector Name Anita Bartram

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Writtle Green Pre School Setting Address Longmeads Community Centre 12-14 Redwood Drive,Writtle CHELMSFORD Essex CM1 3LY

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Writtle Green Pre-School Address Longmeads Community Centre 12-14 Redwood Drive,Writtle Chelmsford Essex CM1 3LY

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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

Writtle Green Pre-school opened in 1994. It has operated from the current premises since 1999. It operates from mainly one large room, within Longmeads House community centre in Writtle. The pre-school serves the local and wider area. There are currently 48 children from 2 to 5 years on roll. This includes 29 funded three year olds and 9 funded four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports a small number of children who have special needs or who have English as an additional language. The group opens for 10 sessions a week during school term times. Morning sessions are from 09.15 until 11.45. Afternoon sessions are from 12.15 until 15.45. A total of eight part and full time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. One member of staff is currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives some

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Information about the setting

support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

Writtle Green Pre-school provides good care for children. The organisation of the setting is good and staff are deployed effectively to work directly with the children. Staff ensure a warm and welcoming environment through colourful display of children's work, posters and notices. Activities are prepared and ready for children to use on arrival into the group. There is a wide and stimulating range of resources that are planned well to cover all areas of the children's learning. Children have access to the outdoor play areas most of the year round. Due to physical constraints of the building children have to be escorted to one of the play areas in small groups. Most documentation is in place. The staff provide a very secure environment for the children. All staff are aware of the children's safety and measures are firmly in place to minimise hazards to

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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. There are good fire evacuation procedures in place. All staff have current first aid certificates. Children are able to try a variety of nutritious and healthy foods at snack time. Staff use snack time effectively to extend the children's language skills. All staff are appropriately aware of their child protection responsibilities. Staff provide a very caring environment where children's individual needs are considered well. Staff follow very effective working practices to meet the specific needs of children with special educational needs. There is a valuable range of resources to promote positive images of diversity to children. Children play purposefully and co-operatively. Children's behaviour is very good, they appreciate

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How good is the Day Care?

right from wrong and staff have a good understanding of the reasons behind children's unwanted behaviour. Staff are readily available to speak with parents at either end of the day. Parents are welcomed into the group at any time and are invited to special days in the group's calendar such as 'sports day' and Christmas celebrations.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection, the provider agreed to ensure all persons working with the children have been vetted. All staff and committee members are currently undergoing vetting through the Criminal Records Bureau. A policy has now been devised about the exclusion of children who are ill or infectious. This helps to prevent cross-infection. An operational plan has been developed which is clear and sufficiently detailed to enable parents to have a good idea about the way the group is organised and run. The range of activities are now planned around the foundation stage. The curriculum offered to the children now covers the six areas of learning which are; personal, social and emotional, communication, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical and creative development. There is now a clear break between sessions and no children are in the care of staff between the morning and afternoon sessions.

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What is being done well?

• There is a wide and stimulating range of activities and equipment to enhance children's learning both inside and outside. Resources are planned well and are of high quality. The range includes both wooden and plastic toys and valuable core activities such as sand and playdough are available. Maximum use is made of the outdoor areas. • The premises are safe and secure. The person in charge is vigilant about fire procedures. She keeps an accurate log of any children who have not experienced a fire drill, and so plans drills to coincide with their attendance so that they would have some awareness should it happen in an emergency. • Staff follow very thorough procedures to prevent the spread of infection, both

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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 during sessions and between them. Staff actively encourage children to use tissues and a high emphasis is placed upon children washing hands before and after snack. • Staff provide a good variety of healthy and nutritious foods at snack time. They use opportunities to increase the children's awareness of different foods and make good use of food to help children learn. For example, children spread lemon curd on toast and drink banana milkshake at snacktime to follow the theme of yellow. • Staff follow effective working practices to support children who have special educational needs. The person in charge puts her past work experience to good use and all staff have an appropriate awareness of the requirements

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What is being done well?

under the Code of Practice (2001). Staff apply positive strategies when helping children develop speech. For example, they sensitively repeat back what some children say to help them learn the structure of speech or the correct sounds. More individual programmes are put in place for children with more complex learning needs.

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What needs to be improved?

• the complaints procedure, to Ofsted's contact details • the procedure to be followed by all staff in the event of a child going missing or is lost • the detail within the child protection policy about procedures to be followed should an allegation be made against a member of staff.

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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 14 Provide more detail within the child protection policy about procedures to

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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 be followed should an allegation be made against a member of staff, and provide Ofsted's contact details within the complaints policy. 14 Devise a procedure to be followed by all staff in the event of a child going missing or is lost.

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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?

Provision for nursery education at Writtle Green Pre-school is good. It enables children to make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical development. Children are making generally good progress in the other three areas of learning. The quality of teaching is good. Staff offer exciting and stimulating activities linked to their current theme of yellow. Staff talk and listen attentively to the children. This has a positive impact on children's very good personal, social and emotional development. Planning covers all six areas of learning and the person in charge has a very thorough understanding of the foundation stage. However, short-term planning is not sufficiently detailed to provide focus in activities to fully support different children's levels of understanding or stage of learning. This restricts less experienced staff in fully extending more-able children's knowledge and skills,

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How effective is the nursery education?

particularly in areas where children can be more independent, for example in writing their own name or solving simple number problems. The leadership and management of the group is clear and thorough. Staff work well as a team. The person in charge is an effective role model for both staff and children and is committed to providing good quality provision. Final assessment of children's achievements at the group encompasses the six areas of learning, although ongoing records are limited in identifying gaps in children's progress to accurately inform planning. Partnership with parents is good. Parents are provided with high quality information about children's activities. Future activities are displayed to enable parents to support their child's learning at home. However, the limited access parents have to their child's development records means parents are not readily able to fill in or monitor their children's achievements.

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What is being done well?

• Children's skills in information and communication technology are excellent. Staff provide high quality software for children to use. The organisation and use of the full-sized computer is valuable. Older or more-able children sit alongside less able children to act as effective role models. Children are skilled in operating the mouse and navigating their way around simple programmes. • Children are confident and keen to learn. They delight in new experiences and show high levels of curiosity. For example, they peer closely into the sunflower to see the bug someone has found or persistently repeat new skills they have learnt when playing a new game, such as fishing. • Staff offer a wide and stimulating variety of good quality toys 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 Activities are linked purposefully to the theme of the week. For example, within the theme of yellow, children try lemon curd sandwiches at snack time and play with banana smelling playdough. They make yellow collages and use yellow pencils. Children are actively encouraged to bring in yellow items from home. • Children are skilled in using both large and small equipment. Children develop their skills through the high levels of concentration they acquire within their personal, social and emotional development. They competently move the computer mouse around the screen to pick out particular colours of their choice. In the outdoor area children throw beanbags purposefully into hoops and balance carefully on the low equipment.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities for children to practice and develop their early writing and number problem solving skills during everyday meaningful experiences • the detail in planning to ensure all staff are aware of how to support or challenge different children according to their age or stage of development.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made in implementing the action plan drawn up to address the two key issues identified at the previous inspection, resulting in some good improvements being made to the educational programme. Children now have a very clear awareness of different cultural and religious events. The group celebrate various festivals of all faiths. There are also positive images displayed around the group, and within the toys that children play with, to promote positive images of diversity. The assessment system has been improved. Valuable observations are completed on children to assess their achievements and progress. This information serves to support judgements staff make in their assessments. Parents can see their child's records at the annual AGM of the committee and are free to ask at any time. However, this limits the partnership between the staff and parents in recording and monitoring the child's achievements at home as well as in the pre-school.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Development records do loosely inform planning although the format of the ongoing records restrict staff in being able to clearly pinpoint gaps in children's learning.

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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 high levels of concentration. They persist for valuable amounts of time whilst looking at books alone or whilst making intricate models in playdough. Children are keen and enthusiastic to learn. They are curious and confident to initiate tasks and make meaningful choices in their play. Children are self-confident, and are forming strong and secure relationships with each other and familiar adults. Children show good self-control when dealing with disputes.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children use speech for a wide variety of purposes. Most use complex sentences to question, communicate needs or resolve disputes. Staff seize apt moments to extend children's vocabulary resulting in children's good conversational skills. Children's opportunities to write purposefully are limited. There are insufficient opportunities for children to 'write' during role-play and the system of sticking adult written labels on children's work restricts children's chances to 'write' independently.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children's counting skills are secure. Children rote count past ten and more-able children count purposefully to ten. Children use simple mathematical language in play, describing the toy going up, up, up or the biggest and smallest. Children's awareness of shape is sound and more-able children name cubes. Staff are not sufficiently confident to extend children's early number problem solving skills. Everyday routines such as snack time or free-play are not used to pose simple number challenges.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children's access and use of the computer is excellent. More-able children are developing a good sense of time and place. They reflect on past significant events and many children notice and comment on the changes in weather. Children's skills to construct with 3D materials such as playdough are very good. They make familiar models of ducks with the cutters provided and more-able children make more abstract structures such as their name

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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 use movement competently to express themselves, jumping with excitement and pleasure. Their fine physical skills are progressing well. They ably manipulate small pegs into holes and complete simple puzzles. They try hard to master magnetic fishing rods to get fish out of the pond. Children purposefully use tools. They confidently roll out playdough or use spreaders to stick collage materials. They delight in throwing beanbags outside, celebrating boldly when hitting their target.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are developing a good awareness of the differences in colour through their effective use of the computer. However, opportunities for them to readily explore and mix colours for themselves are not frequent enough. Children enjoy singing. They sing to themselves whilst playing or looking at books alone. Opportunities for children to make meaningful marks on paper are sometimes limited. Resources are not always readily available for children to draw or write.

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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

• provide more opportunities for children to practice and develop their early writing and number problem solving skills during everyday meaningful experiences • increase the detail in planning to ensure all staff are aware of how to support or challenge different children according to their age or stage of development.

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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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