Hemblington Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 06/10/2004 Inspector Name Christine Ann London

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Hemblington Pre-School Setting Address Heathlands Woodbastwick Road,Blofield Heath NORWICH Norfolk NR13 4RR

p.1

REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Hemblington Pre-School 1042639

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Hemblington Pre-School Address Heathlands Woodbastwick Road,Blofield Heath Norwich Norfolk NR13 4QH

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

Information about the setting

Hemblington Pre-School opened in 1980. It operates from Heathlands Community Centre in Blofield Heath, Norfolk. It serves the local community and surrounding villages. The pre-school opens four days a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 09:30-12:00 and Wednesdays 12:30-15:00. There are currently 25 children from 2 years to 5 years of age on roll. This number includes 17 funded 3-year-olds. The pre-school currently supports one child with special needs and has no children with English as a second language. Four staff work with the children at each session. Two hold early years qualifications and have attended additional short courses related to the care and education of children. The other staff members are working towards qualifications. The pre-school receives support from the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA) and the Norfolk Early Years Support Network, their advisory teacher and the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

p.2

How good is the Day Care?

Hemblington Pre-School provides good care for children. The pre-school creates a welcoming environment in which children are happy and settled. Staff work well as a team and the key worker system ensures children receive constant attention therefore they are secure and confident. An excellent range of equipment is provided to maintain children's interest and furniture that enables them to sit, play and eat in comfort. Very good documentation is in place to ensure the safety of the children and to raise parental awareness. Staff show a good awareness of children's safety. They assess possible dangers well to ensure children play with minimum risk inside the hall and outside in the enclosed play area. Children are encouraged to have healthy eating habits by being

p.2

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 served a choice of different snacks. Staff support all children within the pre-school and have an awareness of child protection issues and good contacts with their area SENCO should they need additional support and guidance. Children have access to an outstanding range of good quality resources ensuring they are well occupied and interested in their play. However the resources raising children's awareness of disability are only available at limited times. Staff interact well with the children, observing and assessing children's progress to ensure their needs continue to be met. Clear boundaries are set for the children, teaching them to be aware of right and wrong, their behaviour is very good. Partnership with parents is very good, a notice board and newsletters keep parents

p.2

How good is the Day Care?

well informed of topics and forthcoming events. The initial prospectus details the pre-schools operational plan and requests parent involvement in assessing their child's learning. The parents express their continued satisfaction of the care being provided and appreciate the parent evenings arranged by the pre-school.

p.3

What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the last inspection the pre-school has met the two identified areas of improvement. They have obtained written permission from parents to seek emergency medical advice or treatment for their child and have updated their Child Protection policy to include procedures they will follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff or a volunteer. These actions ensure standards are maintained, that staff and parent awareness has been raised and that children's needs continue to be met.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Staff are deployed well and are very observant, they use positive techniques to broaden children's development. Good use is made of resources, many of which children can freely choose themselves. • A sound and interesting range of equipment ensures children's interest is maintained and supports learning. • Effective risk assessments are carried out both inside and outside of the premises. Premises are secure and a doorbell outside of the locked doors prevents unsupervised access to the pre-school • Children have choices from a selection of healthy snacks, such as bread sticks, fruit and crisps. They pour their own drinks with care and are supported well in doing so. • Resources raising children's awareness of culture and gender, such as posters, small world, celebrating seasons and festivals are available and well displayed throughout the pre-school. • The excellent, operational plan in place is comprehensive, all other

p.3

What is being done well?

documentation is of a high standard and is accessible on a daily basis to all staff. Parents can ask to see their child's documentation at any time and

p.3

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 regular feedback is available to parents on a daily basis.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• Resources raising children's awareness of disabilty.

p.4

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.

p.4

by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 9 Ensure resources demonstrating positive images of disability are developed, to raise children's awareness.

p.4

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

p.4

How effective is the nursery education?

Hemblington Pre-School, provides good quality nursery education overall, which enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of development. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff provide positive role models and interact with children in a calm, relaxed manner to build good relationships. Staff work well together and organise the space and resources imaginatively, to create an interesting learning environment that promotes children's independence. They have a sound understanding of the early learning goals and take into account the children ages and development. Staff observe the children and assess their learning against the stepping stones, this information is used to provide challenges for the children and to identify the next stages of learning for them. Not all staff are confident in identifying the next stages of children's learning and to use the findings to effectively

p.5

How effective is the nursery education?

inform planning. Leadership and management of the pre-school is very good. There are good recruitment procedures in place. Regular staff meetings and staff appraisals involve staff in making decisions about their own training needs. The support of the advisory teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership is valued and used accordingly by the pre-school. Staff have a positive attitude to training, they attend courses and workshops to increase and update their knowledge when possible. Partnership with parents is very good. A comprehensive prospectus provides information about the pre-school, the early learning goals and the assessment process used. This encourages parents to access policies and to contribute to their children's assessments and learning. A notice board and newsletters inform parents of daily plans, future topics and events.

p.5

What is being done well?

• Children's personal, social and emotional development is excellent. They are confident, interested and able to work alone or with little support. Behaviour is very good. • Children's physical skills are promoted effectively by sound teaching and through the stimulating range of indoor and outdoor activities. • Relationships between staff and the children and their parents are good. These help children develop their confidence and support all aspects of their learning. • Staff's clear understanding of the early learning goals leads to well planned activities which engage and sustain children's interest and efforts.

p.5

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

p.5

What needs to be improved?

• Development of some staff so that they are able to evaluate observations and assessments of children, ensuring they identify the next steps in children's learning and inform planning effectively.

p.6

What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the last inspection the pre-school have made generally good progress in response to the three key issues raised. They have developed a manageable system of recording children's attainments, ensuring they are supported by an effective assessment system. Their advisory teacher assists them in updating their systems when necessary and gives support to staff. These ensure the needs of the children are met. They have extended children's opportunities to recognise words by producing labels for items within the pre-school and by encouraging children to make marks on their own work to develop writing skills. They have provided technology resources for children to use as a regular part of their learning in free play and focused activities. The changes have ensured that children are appropriately challenged within their daily activities.

p.6

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

p.6

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident to separate from parents and settle well into activities. They learn to co-operate and take turns, such as sharing sieves in the water play; large boxes in the imaginative area. Children behave well and are developing friendships. They are beginning to be aware of their own needs and are encouraged to choose their activities, pour drinks and change their outdoor clothes and shoes. Children access multi cultural resources to assist their knowledge of the wider community.

p.7

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy listening to and joining in with stories and rhymes. Some children recognise their names and labelled items in the hall. Imaginative language is in use during role-play, small group and independent activities. Children use writing implements meaningfully and have use of paper and sand on which to make their marks. They speak confidently to staff and each other; they are skilful in trying new words such as Gruffalo, from the story and sticky spaghetti from the water play.

p.7

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children self select from an extensive range of games and practical resources, which promote learning in this area. They sing number rhymes to practice basic subtraction and addition, such as "ten little men". They have good opportunities to recognise and use number in everyday situations throughout the session, such as counting fruit pieces at snack time. The staff, helping children recognise shape, size and colours, encourages mathematical language.

p.7

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have daily experiences to explore natural products; the current topic is the five senses, they taste vinegar, lemon, chocolate and crisps, all children eagerly take part. They are encouraged to think about the world in which they live through topics, such as celebrating festivals and observing seasons. The children notice weather changes and comment on them. A child's computer, calculators and programmable toys are incorporated within free and focused activities.

p.7

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

p.7

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have a good sense of space and are able to negotiate around furniture and each other, inside and outside. They confidently use large and small equipment, demonstrating skill in hand eye coordination when using pencils and scissors. They enjoy malleable materials such as dough mixed with dried rice, corn flour and clay; they use the accompanying tools competently. A planned daily activity for physical outdoor play is adapted for indoors during inclement weather, such as parachute games.

p.8

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good A rich variety of materials are available for children to explore their ideas and promote their sensory development. Good opportunities in constructive resources for dimensional creations, such as using painted tubes, joining with masking tape, encourages children to create the whole experience of the plumbing activity. The children develop the making marks in sand activity, the sand is sieved from the pre placed shingle, into a shallow tray to produce a suitable medium for making marks.

p.8

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

p.8

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.

p.9

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; • staff use of the observation and assessment system, to ensure all staff are able to evaluate children's progress, identify the next steps for learning and use this to inform planning.

p.9

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

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.

p.9

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

p.9

STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

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

p.10

NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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

p.11