Manor Road Resource Centre

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 09/06/2004 Inspector Name Heather Fletcher

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Odiham Pre-School (Leapfrogs) Setting Address Recreation Hall Recreation Road, Odiham Hook Hampshire RG29 1NU

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of ODIHAM COMMUNITY PRE-SCHOOL COMMITTEE

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name ODIHAM COMMUNITY PRE-SCHOOL COMMITTEE Address RECREATION HALL RECREATION ROAD,ODIHAM HOOK HAMPSHIRE RG29 1NU

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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

Odiham Pre-school [Leapfrogs] has been registered in its current premises since September 2000. It operates from a community building owned by the Parish Council, which includes an entrance hall, large main classroom, quiet room, large play area with kitchen, office and storage rooms. There is a grassy outdoor area at the front, a large tarmac basketball court to the side, and the building is adjacent to the local recreation ground. There are separate toilet facilities for adults and children. The Pre-School serves the local area. There are currently 50 children from 2 to 5 years on roll. This includes 16 funded 3-year-olds and 25 funded 4-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special needs, and those who speak English as an additional language, although none attend currently. The group opens 5 days a week during school term times. Sessions are from

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Information about the setting

09:05-11:35 each morning and from 12:10-14:40 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. One full time and eight part time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to NVQ Level 2 or 3. Three staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher/mentor from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. The group is currently working to achieve Pre-School Learning Alliance accreditation.

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How good is the Day Care?

Odiham Pre-School [Leapfrogs] provides good quality care for children. Most staff are well qualified. There are effective procedures in place for appointing and vetting staff. There are high staff:child ratios, and good use is made of staff, space and resources. A welcoming, bright and colourful setting is provided. Children have plenty of space to play and move around, and they enjoy activities outside if the weather permits. Children are mainly independent in the environment, and there is a wide range of easily accessible furniture, toys and resources to support children's

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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 needs. Comprehensive policies are in place, although some minor revision is required. Safety provision at the pre-school is carefully monitored through regular risk assessments. Staff are vigilant and are deployed well to ensure children's health and safety at all times. Children are encouraged to develop good personal hygiene habits, and they are reassured and well cared for if they are taken ill during the session. Staff ensure children have regular drinks, however snack time is not always organised as a sociable time for both adults and children to share. Children are confident and self-assured, for example, they happily sing solo in front of the group. They chat readily to adults and friends and enthusiastically join in with

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How good is the Day Care?

discussions. They make good progress in all areas of learning through interesting well planned activities. Staff show interest in what children say and do, and ask challenging questions. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement, and unwanted behaviour is dealt with in a developmentally appropriate fashion. Children behave well and show consideration for others. Parents receive good quality information about the provision and their children's activities and accomplishments. They are warmly welcomed and encouraged to play an active role in the Pre-School, with many opportunities to contribute their knowledge and skills.

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What is being done well?

• Children are involved in a wide range of activities which support their language, mathematical thinking, imagination and creativity. • The pre-school is well organised and staff, space and resources are used effectively to support children's learning. • Children are encouraged to be independent and develop skills relating to good personal hygiene, such as washing their hands regularly and covering their mouths when they cough. • Children behave well. They show consideration, and they are confident and self-assured. Children respond positively to the interest, praise and encouragement which they receive from staff. • Clear policies and procedures support the effective management of the Pre-School. • There is an effective partnership with parents, who are given good quality information about their children's care and learning. Parents are encouraged to help out at the group. A warm and welcoming environment is provided for

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• the organisation of snack time and the consistent provision of opportunities for children to be independent • policies relating to the administration of medicines and the procedures to be followed in the event of a complaint against the provider.

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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 8 Encourage children consistently to be independent at snack time. 8 Organise snack time to include both adults and children to provide a more sociable interlude. 14 Revise and update policies relating to the administration of medicines and the procedure to be followed in the event of a complaint against the provider.

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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?

Odiham Pre-School [Leapfrogs] provides good-quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for their personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, and their creative development, is particularly strong, and they make very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff use open-ended questioning techniques which challenge children to think deeper. They provide a happy, stimulating and colourful learning environment, with a range of activities which supports children's learning in all areas, and encourages them to be independent and creative. Staff act as sound role models to instil courtesy and consideration for others, and children behave well in response to the interest, praise and encouragement which they receive. However, observation and assessment systems

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How effective is the nursery education?

currently do not efficiently track children's progress through the stepping stones. There is very good leadership and management of the pre-school. The supervisor is efficient and well organised. Staff are mutually supportive, and all are aware of their responsibilities throughout the session. Adult:child ratios are high. Staff are well supported by a hard working Chair and management committee, and comprehensive policies and procedures are in place. Regular staff meetings are held to monitor the effectiveness of the educational provision, and the pre-school is well resourced with sufficient and suitable furniture, toys and equipment. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents receive good quality information about the pre-school, and their children's achievements. They meet the staff at parents' evenings and social events to discuss progress and view their children's work. They are encouraged to support their children's learning at home. Parents are

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How effective is the nursery education?

invited to take an active role in the group and share their knowledge and skills.

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What is being done well?

• Children behave well and show consideration for others. They model the good behaviour shown by staff and they are curious, enthusiastic, good natured and well mannered. • Children are confident and self assured. They readily join in discussions and conversations with adults and peers, express opinions and ask questions. • Children are encouraged to use their imagination and express their creativity through a range of well planned artistic and musical activities. • Children are given opportunities to play and explore, both independently, and with effective adult support, in a well planned bright and stimulating learning environment which supports development in all areas.

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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 • Staff interact well with the children throughout the session. They pose challenging questions to make children think deeper and extend their vocabulary. They revisit topics to consolidate learning. • Parents are kept well informed about their children's progress, and there is an effective partnership of staff, committee members and parents which works well together for the benefit of the children.

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What needs to be improved?

• the use of incidental opportunities to extend children's mathematical awareness of simple addition and subtraction, and shape and space • the recording and monitoring of children's progress through the stepping stones, so that it is clear what individual children need to achieve next.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The pre-school has made generally good progress with regard to the points for consideration which were raised at the last inspection. Children are now given more opportunities to explore and investigate, for example mini beast habitats, and they learn about the beliefs and cultures of other people. They have regular exercise sessions, and they learn about their bodies and how to keep them healthy. Some progress has been made with regard to the way children's progress through the stepping stones is recorded and developed to inform future planning, although this remains an area which still needs to be improved.

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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 enthusiastic, excited, interested and motivated to learn. They form warm relationships with adults and peers, and show consideration and respect for others. Children are confident and self-assured. They collaborate and negotiate with peers, and show concentration and perseverance. Children behave well and display good manners. They are independent in the environment, though there are missed opportunities for greater independence at morning snack times.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident speakers. They initiate and maintain conversations. They are beginning to link letters and sounds. They recognise their names and simple words and print in the environment, although sometimes labels are difficult to decipher. Children enjoy browsing at books and listening to stories. They show an understanding of character and sequence. Children are developing emergent writing skills through book and card making, and they can form recognisable letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children confidently count and recognise numerals to ten. They are learning to form numerals. Children explore the concept of pattern as they design and construct. They are learning about time. They sort items, discuss size and investigate capacity, for example, during sand and water play. There are, however, some missed opportunities during activities to further develop children's understanding of simple addition and subtraction, shape and space.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children investigate different objects and compare similarities and differences, for example mini beasts and their habitats. Children show interest in their local environment. They find out more about people in their community, and make a junk model of their village. Children display curiosity. They ask questions about why things happen and how things work, and they are able to suggest explanations, for example, the reason why a snail has a hard shell.

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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: Generally Good Children move confidently, and they display balance and co-ordination during a music and movement session. They allow others room to manoeuvre, and space to join the queue and the circle. Children understand the importance of good health and hygiene, and recognise that exercise makes them feel hot and thirsty. They know to wash their hands before they eat and shield their mouths when they cough. Children are developing good hand-eye co-ordination by exploring with a range of small tools.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children explore different colours and textures when they design, construct, and select materials for collages. They explore sound patterns and match movements to music. Children investigate a range of musical instruments and sing songs solo and together. Children show imagination when they pretend to be other people and animals. They introduce story lines to their collaborative role play. Children paint, draw and make collages which reflect their own ideas, for example, the 'Friendship' quilt.

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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

• make greater use of incidental opportunities to develop children's understanding of simple addition and subtraction, and shape and space • introduce an effective system to track children's progress through the stepping stones, so that it is clear what individual children can do and need to achieve next.

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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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