The Croft Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 20/11/2003 Inspector Name Debra Elizabeth Jean Dahlstrom

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name The Croft Pre-School Setting Address Gutterscroft Centre Haslington Crewe Cheshire CW1 5RJ

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REGISTERED PROVIDER 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

The Croft Pre-School is a administered by a parents committee. The pre school operates in a single storey building sited within the village of Haslington adjacent to playing fields. It consists of one large room, kitchen, toilet facilities, store room and outside play area. The building is also used by the community for other activities in the evening. The pre-school is registered for 24 children aged from two to five years, although it is the policy of the committee not to accept children until they reach the age of two years and six months. The pre-school opens five mornings from 09:15 to 11:45 and four afternoons each week from 12:45 to 15:00. There are currently 42 children on roll, of these 23 are funded three year olds and there are are no funded four year olds. The staff at the pre school are experienced in caring for children with special needs and children for whom English is an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are six members of staff who work directly with the children, of whom four hold relevant qualifications and two who are currently working towards a qualification. The pre-school receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

The Croft Pre- School provides good quality care for children. Staff work well as a team and are clear about their roles and responsibilities. There are clear policies and procedures in place to form an effective operational plan. Records and documentation are in order although a minor necessary detail for one record is needed. The environment is warm and welcoming to children with familiar routines to make children feel secure. The Pre- School has a good range of toys and equipment to meet children's individual needs. Staff take all reasonable steps to ensure the physical environment is safe and

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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 secure for children. Staff implement good hygiene practices and encourage children to learn about personal hygiene through everyday routines to promote their good health. Children benefit from a variety of nutritious snacks to promote their growth and development. There are clear child protection procedures in place which are understood by staff. Staff plan and provide a broad range of activities and learning experiences to help children make very good progress in all areas of their development. Children are happy, confident and have secure relationships with staff. Staff recognise and meet the individual needs of children well. Children with special needs are fully integrated and staff work with parent and other parties to ensure children's needs are met

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How good is the Day Care?

successfully. The well planned and interesting sessions have a positive impact on children's behaviour. They play and work contently and co operate well with on another. There is a strong partnership with parents. Parents are very happy with the quality of care provided to meet their children's individual needs.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection there were two actions, the first was to undertake a risk assessment of the building and to ensure all medication is recorded and signed by parents. A risk assessment was carried out and a system is now in place to ensure this is undertaken regularly and all hazards are recorded and reported accordingly. This procedure is to be included in the revised Health and Safety Policy to ensure all staff are clear in order to ensure children's safety. There is now in place a separate record system to log any medications given to children along with parents prior consent and signed by them at the end of the session. This will ensure that an accurate record is maintained to benefit children.

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What is being done well?

• Children are well behaved and respond well to staff's clear guidance and praise. Staff place emphasis on children being kind, friendly and respectful towards each other. Children are familiar with the routine of the day, take turns and tidy away activities. • There is a good range of imaginative play and tactile experiences for children. Children can readily choose from activities such as sand, painting and dough on a daily basis. Thus creating an appealing, stimulating and comfortable environment to meet the individual needs of children. • Staff work well as a team , they dedicate their time playing and talking with the children to promote their overall development. Language and mathematical thinking are well supported through constant discussion of everyday activities. • Staff value all children and divide attention equally to meet their individual needs. Children settle quickly and have formed good secure relationships

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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 with the staff. • Staff are vigilant about children's safety and welfare on or off the premises. There are good systems in place to ensure children are cared for well and these are fully understood by staff. • There are open and friendly relationships with parents. They are warmly greeted and provided with useful information about the pre-school. Parents are happy about the positive impact the pre-school has on their children, the individual care provided by staff and the progress their children are making.

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What needs to be improved?

• the arrangements to include contact details for Ofsted in the complaints procedure for parents

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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 12 Ensure contact details are included for Ofsted in the complaints procedure for parents.

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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 education provision in this setting for funded three and four year olds is very good. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a sound knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage. Planning covers all areas of learning and highlights the stepping stones towards the goals. Organisation of staff and resources enables all children to make good progress. Children's behaviour is well managed. Observations and assessments are used to record children's achievements and progress, these are used as a tool to identify the next steps of learning. Staff continually evaluate the assessment system. The quality of leadership and management is very good. The parents committee liaises closely with staff to ensure its aims are carried out. There are regular staff meetings. and planning clearly identifies roles and responsibilities. The training and

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How effective is the nursery education?

development plans for staff are discussed and staff attend many courses. Monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of individual activities are recorded and all staff work hard to improve any areas of weakness identified. Partnership with parents is a strength of the pre-school and is very good. Parents receive comprehensive information about the setting including the educational programme. they are kept well informed about the activities children do and the areas of learning that these cover. through meetings and children's progress books. In addition, informal daily sharing of information and discussions about their child's progress contributes to their record. Very positive remarks are made from parent's about the setting.

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What is being done well?

• Staff use their knowledge of the foundation stage to plan activities to meet children's individual needs. They plan an effective curriculum covering all areas of learning. They support, encourage and challenge children's thinking and provide a stimulating environment, where children are clearly valued and included. • The effectiveness of the leadership and management in assessing and monitoring the provision for nursery education. • The children communicate well, both with each other and with staff. They are confident, interested and motivated to learn and demonstrate a high level of concentration and involvements in activities. • Children are happy and secure within the setting, they form good relationships with each other, living things and the environment with respect.

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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 • Children are able to select good quality and plentiful resources for themselves, allowing them to operate independently within the learning environment. • Partnership with parents is very good, they are provided with good information, well informed about children's progress and are clearly involved in their children's learning. • Staff are committed to attending training and improving the care and education for all children who attend.

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What needs to be improved?

• children's independence skills during snack time.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The Pre-School has made very good progress towards implementing the four areas for improvement in their action plan. The grouping of children, with more structured activities has been implemented, providing a separate session for the rising four's. A new system for recording the assessment of children's progress in the six areas of learning has been developed, and is used effectively to plan the next steps. Role play opportunities, resources and festivals have been introduced into the planning to promote children's understanding of other cultures. Staff have undertaken training and they fully implement and understand the procedures to follow in relation to children with special needs. These improvements have had a positive impact on 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 are happy, confident and secure within the setting. They develop their confidence from having opportunities to be independent in selecting their own activities, putting things away, and are becoming increasingly self reliant. Children demonstrate a high level of involvement in activities, however this could be further developed at snack time. Children's behaviour is very good, they are kind and considerate to each other and treat each other with respect.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good All children communicate well with each other and the staff, using language with increasing confidence and developing skill. They are confident when speaking in groups. Dialogue in role play is particularly imaginative. Children are learning to recognise their names, can match sounds to letters and letters to form words. Children enjoy stories and participating in actions. They freely select books and have many opportunities to use their writing skills.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good The children have many opportunities to count to 10, with more able children up to 20 and beyond. They count and solve mathematical problems well in planned practical activities, and have a good understanding of addition and subtraction. Children recognise shape, they use language well to describe size, shape and quantity, when completing drawings and pictures.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children learn about the environment through observing their immediate surroundings. They examine and explore a wide range of objects, materials and living things by using their senses. They look at similarities, differences, pattern and change and record their findings. They are developing an awareness of the wider world when completing their scrap book and using recourses in their role play, about people from around the world. They celebrate festivals and special events.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move around the environment with confidence and good control. They show and awareness of space, themselves and others. They have many opportunities to develop strength and balance through using climbing apparatus and wheeled toys. They understand the importance of keeping healthy through discussion. The children handle small tools such as writing implements, scissors and glue spreaders with good control. They use small equipment well, fitting construction kits with dexterity.

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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: Very Good The children enjoy exploring colour in imaginative ways through art and craft activities. They use different textured materials to create pictures. They express and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings by using a widening range of tools, imaginative role play, movement, design and singing songs with enjoyment. They respond to what they see, taste, touch and feel with enthusiasm.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following: • extend opportunities for children to be involved in the preparation of snacks and pouring their own drinks to further develop their independence.

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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.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

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

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

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

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

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

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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