Pinchmill Primary School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 16/03/2004 Inspector Name Susan McCourt

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Kingston Pre-School Group Setting Address Kingston Village Hall The Street,Kingston Nr Lewes East Sussex BN7 3NR

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of The Management Committee

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name The Management Committee Address Kingston Pre-School Group The Village Hall,The Street,Kingston Nr Lewes East Sussex BN7 3NR

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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

Kingston Pre-School is in Kingston village in the village hall. The group is run by a committee and is also a registered charity. The pre-school caters for children in the local community and that of the surrounding villages including Lewes. Kingston Pre-school is registered to care for 24 children aged from two to five years, and is open term time only between the hours of 09:00 and 12:00, Monday to Friday, apart from the Wednesday session which runs until 12:30 and is for rising-fives only. There are six staff who have a range of qualifications and experience. There are 33 children on roll, 14 of whom are funded three-year-olds, and 7 are funded four-year-olds. There are two children aged three who have a special educational need and none have English as an additional language. The pre-school receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Kingston Pre-school provides good quality care for children. The hall is arranged to make a warm and welcoming place to play and resources are well-used to provide an excellent range of interesting and inviting activities. The record-keeping is efficient and confidentiality is maintained. Staff take lots of opportunities to teach the children about safety, health and hygiene. The snack and lunch times are social occasions and a variety of healthy foods are available, particularly when children are learning about different cultures. Staff know the children well and are attentive to their individual needs. One member of staff is undergoing the training for the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator's post (SENCO). The staff are clear about their duties regarding child protection and the welfare of the child is paramount. Staff ensure that children feel settled and secure within the group. Staff plan an

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How good is the Day Care?

excellent range of activities to support the Foundation Stage and children can join in at all stages of development. Children are independent and choose what they want

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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 to do with confidence. The rising-fives session is used to provide particular experiences to prepare children for school. There are a range of meaningful activities about different cultures and festivals, but the hall has few images of diversity in terms of posters and books. The staff give lots of praise and encouragement and devise the rules with the children to ensure their participation. The pre-school is committed to providing good information to parents and they have policies and procedures always available at the door. The newsletter gives information about the themes and ideas for activities at home. Parents meet with staff twice a year to discuss their child's progress and staff are able to talk to parents

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What is being done well?

• Staff make the hall a stimulating and inviting place to play. • Staff devise activities which allow children of all abilities to learn and develop at their own pace, providing support and challenge appropriately. • Staff teach hygiene, health and safety very well. • Good information is given to parents about how the group is run.

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What needs to be improved?

• the amount of images that reflect diversity.

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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

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 Std Recommendation 9 Increase the amount of appropriate resources that reflect diversity.

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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 provision for nursery education at Kingston Pre-school is acceptable and of generally good quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. Children are making generally good progress in communication, language and literacy and creative development. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and know the children very well. Staff plan activities which are interesting and take every opportunity to ensure that children are learning across the curriculum in a meaningful way. Staff support children to join in at their own level and tailor the challenges, maximising children's learning. However, the staff knowledge of the children's progress and their ability to adapt activities for each child, is not

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How effective is the nursery education?

reflected in the plans. The leadership and management of the setting is very good. The staff receive annual appraisals, and there is an annual development plan. The committee and chair have clear objectives and defined roles and responsibilities. Sub-committees are identified to tackle particular areas. There is a clear induction process, and volunteers are well-informed about their responsibilities. The partnership with parents is generally good. The policies and procedures are available at all times and parents receive copies of the most important ones. There are two staff-parent meetings a year when children's progress is discussed. Children's work is compiled into a book which goes home at the end of the year. As yet, the parents have a limited opportunity to contribute to the assessment process and the group is keen to address this.

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What is being done well?

• Staff know the Foundation Stage and each child's abilities very well and can adapt the activities to ensure that each child is learning at their own pace. • Planning ensures that all six areas of the curriculum are covered effectively and staff are flexible, adapting them accommodate the children's interests and ideas. • Children are very active and confident. They move between activities and often co-operate with each other to develop their own role play ideas. • The committee and staff team are fully committed to developing the good practice of the pre-school.

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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 link between assessment and planning; • the opportunities for parents to contribute to assessments; • the labelling of storage boxes.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There were five key issues to address at the last inspection. The provider agreed to develop the support given to children with special needs and a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) was trained. However, staff changes have meant that this role is not currently filled, although the deputy is now undergoing the training. Children's concentration in large groups has been developed well. The staff involve the children in making the rules and make the story times interesting with the use of props and story tables. Children are actively involved in songs and take a full part in circle time. The records system has been improved in that now staff complete children's assessments through the use of observations and a scrapbook of work with comments. This combination gives a rounded picture of the child's progress. The children's learning about the made world has been increased by use of topics. Children learn about how objects work, and their production or manufacture. This is

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What has improved since the last inspection?

done in stimulating ways, building on the children's curiosity. The children's use and enjoyment of books has been fostered by creating a special book time within the routine. The book corner is cosy and inviting and children select books and tell each other stories. Children have also helped make large books which are kept in the book rack.

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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 Staff ensure that children are well-settled and secure. They listen to children and value their ideas, ensuring that children are confident and active learners. Children are involved in setting the rules and staff maintain a positive atmosphere with lots of praise and encouragement. Children learn to take care of themselves in terms of going to the toilet and washing hands. They help tidy up, and learn to take turns and co-operate.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Staff frequently take opportunities to extend children's vocabulary in practical activities. Children link sounds and letters and have fun making up rhymes. Children see a lot of print in the environment in the form of lists, messages and recipes and they enjoy looking at books and acting out the stories. Labels on storage boxes would enhance this further. Staff give lots of opportunities for children to learn to write in role play and at specific daily activities at the writing table.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Staff take every opportunity to extend the children's mathematical vocabulary. Children learn about measuring, comparisons and ordering in a range of practical activities. Children have opportunities to make simple additions and subtractions in counting songs and cooking. They learn about capacity and weight and can reproduce simple patterns in art and threading. Staff take children on outings and children produce maps of their journeys.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are very curious and are interested in the world around them. Staff and children explore the natural world on outings and make collages and paintings of what they have seen. Children chart the growth of plants and see the changes ingredients undergo during mixing and cooking. Staff introduce children to the diversity of the world in different festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year. A computer is available to the rising-fives.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Staff include physical play as part of the daily routine. Children learn to balance, climb, throw, catch and hit a target. Children are enthusiastic about action songs and join in confidently. Staff take every opportunity to teach the children about how their bodies work and how to take care of themselves. Children use a wide variety of tools and equipment in art and craft and construction activities. The rising-fives group change in and out of their PE kit.

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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 play with a wide variety of materials and can use all their senses to identify and describe them. Children sing and move with the rhythm of the songs and the use of musical instruments is to be further developed by staff. Children use the role play areas well and devise their own role plays with the dressing-up materials. Staff value children's work and take photographs of constructions. Children's work is attractively displayed.

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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

• develop the link between assessment and planning • develop parents' contribution to the assessment process • label the storage boxes to increase the amount of print in the learning environment.

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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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