Hillside Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 19/11/2004 Inspector Name Carol Patricia Willett

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name St Johns Pre-School Group Setting Address St Johns Hall St. Johns Road, Cove Farnborough Hampshire GU14 9RH

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of St John's Pre School Group 1026648

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name St John's Pre School Group Address St Johns Hall St Johns Road Farnborough Hampshire GU14 9RH

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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 John's Pre-school Group is a registered charity and is managed by a parent committee. It has been registered since 1964. It operates from a church hall in a residential road in Cove. The group has access to the large hall and small room off with kitchen and toilet facilities. There is an enclosed outdoor play area for use in better weather. A maximum of 26 children aged from two years nine months to under five years can attend at any one time. There are currently 47 children on roll, 25 of whom are in receipt of nursery education grant. The group supports children with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school opens five days a week from 09:30 to 12:00 and from 12:30 to 15:00 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during school term time. The group employs eight staff, three of whom hold early years qualifications and continually upgrade their training, and five other members of staff are working

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Information about the setting

towards suitable qualifications. The setting is part of a support network sharing expertise with other local groups and schools. Support and advice is received from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

St Johns Pre-school provides good quality care for the children. Children are ready to learn and well cared for. Caring, friendly staff with good experience and commitment to ongoing training and updating skills work well together as a team to provide a welcoming environment. The supervisor has a good understanding of requirements of registration and appropriate documentation is in place. Staff are vigilant about safety and supervision of the children and are attentive to hygiene issues. However the provision of snacks and water and access to the toilets

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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 and kitchen need reviewing. Children can freely select from the activities laid out by staff and ask for other equipment if they wish ensuring all the children have equal opportunities. There is a good range of resources to reflect diversity. Good provision is made for children who need additional support. Staff have a good awareness of child protection procedures. Staff plan and organise an interesting range of activities that the children enjoy. They use good interactive skills to extend children's thinking and learning. They have a caring friendly manner enabling them to know and support the children and their parents well. Good behaviour is valued and encouraged and children are co-operative, can take turns and share.

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How good is the Day Care?

Parents receive useful information in the prospectus, newsletters and on the notice board. They have good regard for the friendly staff and facilities provided. Parents are an important part of the pre-school and they form a committee to assist in the running of the group and support the group through fundraising. Staff are available daily for parents to discuss children's progress and development and at regular planned meetings.

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What is being done well?

• Staff plan and provide a program of varied and interesting activities that the children enjoy and participate well in. They cover all areas of development and enable children to make good progress to the early learning goals. • The high ratio of staff and their caring friendly manner make sure children are well supported. The children are confident, settled and happy. They are well motivated and busily occupied throughout the session. • Children are well behaved and co-operative as a result of the staff's respectful attentive manner and positive praise and encouragement. • Children with additional needs are well supported with individual programs followed. Staff work closely with parents and outside agencies involved in the care.

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What needs to be improved?

• children's safety with regard to the locks on toilet doors and access to the kitchen • the availability of drinking water throughout the session • hygiene procedures at snack time where fruit is placed on tables.

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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

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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 6 Ensure that children do not have access to the kitchen except with direct staff supervision 6 Ensure children are unable to lock themselves in toilet 8 Review the provision of drinking water throughout the session and snack time to ensure hygiene 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?

Provision at St Johns Preschool is acceptable and of good quality. Children are making generally good progress to the Early Learning Goals. Teaching is generally good. Staff are friendly and caring. They form good relationships with the children giving them lots of praise and encouragement enabling them to be confident and secure. Staff plan and provide a varied program of activities that the children enjoy to enable them to make good progress. Evaluation of activities sometimes lacks depth. Some staff use good questioning techniques to extend the children's thinking and learning. Time, space and resources are used effectively. Some staff do not have sufficient knowledge of the foundation stage and learning objectives so do not always provide challenging opportunities for all the children. Staff provide very good support for children with special needs working closely with parents and other agencies involved in education and care of

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How effective is the nursery education?

the child. Leadership and management is generally good. The chair and supervisor have clear roles and responsibilities. They meet together to discuss issues. Staff are encouraged to update training. There is a good commitment to improve provision through monitoring and evaluation such as staff appraisals and an accreditation scheme. Staff are effectively deployed and work well together as a team. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents are an important part of preschool forming a committee to support the staff and children. They have a positive regard for the staff and the provision. Parents feel well informed about their children's progress. They share information informally on a daily basis to ensure children's needs are met and formally at termly meetings. Learning continues at home through the library book scheme. Parents receive useful information about the preschool via newsletters, prospectus and the notice board.

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What is being done well?

• Children's personal, social and emotional development is well promoted. Staff are kind and caring and give children good attention. They are good role models encouraging good behaviour and good manners. Children behave well, they can share resources and take turns at activities. • Staff provide very good support for children with special needs working closely with parents and other agencies involved in education and care of the child. They make sure children can fully participate in all activities and make progress in all areas of development. • Children's counting skills are developing well as staff provide interesting activities to enable children to recognise and order number which are fun and the children enjoy.

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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 • Good relationships are formed with parents and an effective partnership is formed so children are secure and confident in the preschool and make good progress to the early learning goals.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities to link letters to sounds to develop phonic awareness, write for a variety of purposes and access books to locate information • opportunities to use calculation in practical situations • knowledge of the foundation stage early learning goals and stepping stones for all staff, to make sure activities provide sufficient and challenging opportunities for all children and evaluation of activities to identify which skills and concepts need further development for individual children • adult led craft activities, to enable children to independently select their own materials, resources and tools to develop their own imagination and creativity.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the pre-school were required to develop planning to show how activities can be extended for children learning at different rates. They were also required to develop staff skills in questioning so children were challenged to think about their work. The pre-school has made generally good progress in planning of activities with plans showing how to extend activities. The impact of this is not always evident as some staff do not have sufficient knowledge of the stepping stones, are not aware of learning objectives and therefore have not prepared to extend activities to provide sufficient challenge for all children. This is still an area for improvement. The second issue to develop staff questioning skills to challenge children's thinking about their work has been mainly addressed with most staff using good questioning skills to develop children's understanding and knowledge of their work.

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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 well motivated. They come in happily to the group and settle quickly into the session. Staff give children good information about all the activities that are available. Children are very co-operative and behave well. They know the rules and respond to staff asking have they got their listening ears and sensible head. They remind staff when timer has finished and its time to pack away. Children's independence is limited by inability to freely select some resources.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident to speak at group times and share their ideas and experiences of home. They are given good opportunities to develop and use language for imagination in the role play area. Children recognise their names during everyday activities. They see a good range of writing in the environment. Children need more opportunities to develop phonic awareness and write for a purpose in the role play area. They have limited opportunities to use information books.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are familiar with numbers up to ten. They count above ten at registration. Counting is reinforced throughout the session at the playdough table and during craft activities. Children know basic shapes which are used well in craft and physical activities. Children recognise and order numbers to ten through fun activities such as children holding numbered snowmen. Children need more opportunities to use practical situations to develop calculation skills.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children have good opportunities to use technology. They enjoy the computer using good programs to support learning and are developing good mouse control skills. They explore growth and change when they plant bulbs and seeds and explore the local area on walks and learn about living things when chicks and dogs visit the group. Children have limited opportunities to develop design making skills with recycled materials independantly selecting materials, resources and tools.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children move confidently and safely around the room showing good balancing skills when they complete obstacle courses over the climbing frame and through the tunnel and hoops. Children handle and manipulate construction toys, jigsaws and small tools such as rolling pins, glue sticks, paint brushes with increasing skill and safety. They have good pencil control colouring well between lines. The provision of pre-cut shapes in craft limits opportunities for children to develop scissor skills.

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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: Generally Good Children have suitable opportunities to explore colour and texture through craft activities. They use their imaginations well in role play in the home corner and when playing with the trains and zoo animals. Children enjoy singing and join in with enthusiasm matching words and actions and playing instruments. They enjoy listening to stories. Some activities are very adult directed so the children do not select materials, resources and tools to be creative from their own imaginations.

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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 opportunities for children to link letters to sounds to develop phonic awareness, write from a variety of purpose and access books to locate information • develop more opportunities for children to use calculation in practical situations • increase the knowledge of the foundation stage, early learning goals and stepping stones for all staff, to make sure activities provide sufficient and challenging opportunities for all children and review observations and evaluation of activities to enable children's next steps for learning to be planned • adult led craft activities, to enable children to independently select their own materials, resources and tools to develop their own imagination and creativity.

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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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