Halton Lodge and Grange Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/12/2004 Inspector Name Janice Shaw

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Halton Lodge and Grange Pre-School Setting Address The Mobile, Woodside Primary School Whitchurch Way Halton Lodge, Runcorn Cheshire WA7 5YP

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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

Halton Lodge and Grange Pre-School opened in 1973. It operates from a mobile unit within the grounds of Woodside Primary School. The pre-school has its own outdoor play area which is separate from the main school outdoor areas.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 41 children from 2 to 5 years on roll. This includes 32 funded three year olds and no funded four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children who have special needs. There are currently no attending children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 08:55 until 11:25 each morning and 12:25 until 14:55 on Monday to Thursdays. There is one part time and four full time members of staff who work with the children. Three have early years qualifications and one is currently on a training programme. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. The Pre-School is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

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How good is the Day Care?

Halton Lodge and Grange Pre-School provides good care for children. It is very well organised, and the quality of care is enhanced by staffing levels which exceed minimum requirements. Staff take care to organise the playroom to create a welcoming and stimulating environment. They supervise the children effectively and encourage purposeful play. All policies and records are in place; and the staff are committed to continually revising the documents to reflect current practice and legislation. The children benefit from the manager's commitment to improving the service offered, which is demonstrated by the training course which staff continue to access. All aspects of health and safety are in place and all the staff team have current First

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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 Aid certificates and show a sound awareness of how to keep children safe. Children develop a good sense of personal hygiene as they are encouraged to wash their hands after using the toilet. Children enjoy the varied range of healthy snacks and drinks provided. Snack time is a very social occasion. Staff have a secure understanding of child protection issues and procedures. Relationships between staff and children are supportive and based upon kindness and a commitment to providing interesting experiences. The quality of the activities and their impact upon children is very good, with children having time to undertake all the activities on offer. Children are learning to manage their own behaviour well. Children with special needs are supported sensitively, and the staff are committed to

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How good is the Day Care?

offering a very inclusive service. Parents and carers receive clear and detailed information about the service provided, and about the type of activities enjoyed by the children. Staff are approachable and friendly and welcome parents and children into the setting each day. The settings book loan service is popular with both children and parents.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection there was one action raised. The pre-school was required to make the physical environment safe and prevent children accessing the kitchen. Good progress has been made in addressing this; a gate has been fitted to prevent children gaining access to the kitchen area which has improved the safety of the premises.

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What is being done well?

• The children are very involved in their play, and clearly enjoy their activities. They play co-operatively, and share and take turns well when playing games. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated play activities. Children make many choices throughout the session which promotes their independence. • The physical environment is stimulating and inviting to children with eye catching displays and posters adorning the walls. Staff are friendly in their approach towards parents and children, which aids the settling in process and helps children feel secure and at home within the setting. • The setting is active in promoting equal opportunities. Within planning are themed activities which help raise children's awareness of our multi-cultural society and understanding of the wider world. For example, children produce interesting collage work relating to the current topic of Buddhism. Positive

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What is being done well?

images are displayed attractively around the room and there is a good range of books available which promotes equality of opportunity.

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An aspect of outstanding practice:

The staff team are very proactive in assessing and identifying children who may have additional needs and they liaise well with other agencies. They have designed sensitive information sheets for parents explaining clearly the role of both the key

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An aspect of outstanding practice:

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 worker and SENCO. The setting is situated within a Sure Start area and demonstrates a strong commitment to maximising the help that children could access through this project. Several children have attended speech therapy sessions and have been very well supported by the setting in their language development. This liaison with the project has heightened staff awareness and they actively encourage other families to take advantage of what help is available.

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What needs to be improved?

• Continue to develop existing skills and knowledge in caring for children.

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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 2 Continue to develop staff skills and knowledge in caring for children.

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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?

Halton Lodge and Grange Pre-School offers provision which is acceptable and of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a very good insight into how young children develop and progress. Children are provided with a commendable programme of activities and experiences across all areas of learning, Organisation of staff and resources enables all children to make very good progress. Staff challenge, encourage and support children in a meaningful way, to promote their individual learning. Full use is made of the information gained from children's assessments to inform future planning. Staff proficiently develop children's language by maintaining a dialogue with them and use skilful questioning techniques to promote and extend their thinking. Staff have regard for the Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs. Good photographic

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How effective is the nursery education?

records are kept and included in the settings files, together with clear supporting evidence of children's achievements. The quality of leadership and management is very good. Staff are valued and are clear about their roles and responsibilities. They work very well as a team, guided by confident and well-informed supervisors. There is a strong commitment to improving the care and education of all children. The supervisors monitor and assess their provision, practice, and children's progress thoroughly together with efficient evaluation of the impact on children's learning. The relationship with parents is very good. The pre-school serves it's community well and is effective in promoting partnership with parents in the best interests of the children's achievements. The quality of information given to parents, especially regarding their children's development is very good.

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What is being done well?

• Children love music as they play, responding to the timing of the music played in the background. In the home corner one child improvised and used a metal dish as a drum and another was observed rocking the doll's buggy, both in time with the c.d. Children skip and dance spontaneously as they move about the room from one activity to another. The relaxed happy atmosphere within the pre-school successfully encourages this aspect of children's development. • As a staff team, they have thought carefully how and when to group children in different ways. This allows them to focus on their skill-based teaching and at other times allows the more advance children to help and demonstrate techniques to younger children. When children were using complex

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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 programmes on the computer, one inexpereinced child was gently coached through each stage, whilst more able children independently operated the programme themselves with only an occasional prompt by an adult. • Communication, language and literacy is a strength of the setting. Children are encouraged to use emergent writing in meaningful situations. At the mark making table they write notes to each and understand how to place their finger beneath the words as they make very good attempts to read their favourite books to friends and visitors. Two three year olds eagerly told a visitor the tale of the "Bunnies Lunch", virtually word for word, using all the correct intonations of voice. In circle time the group read aloud together the

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What is being done well?

small captions on each page of the pre-schools hand made big book of the "Brown Square". At another large group time a three year-old read the "Tale of the Hungry Caterpillar" in his own very articulate way captivating the children's interest.

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What needs to be improved?

• the further development of the outside play area giving children additional opportunities to travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection there were two points raised for consideration. Very good progress has been made in addressing them. The first one recommended accommodating the Early Learning Goals within the assessment guidelines. The Early Learning Goals are now effectively included in the assessment systems. The second point suggested increasing the opportunities offered to the children to understand simple technology. Children have developed many competencies when using the computer and use torches, magnets and tape records very skilfully.

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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 develop their confidence, independence and self reliance as they select their own activities and resources, such as pouring their own milk at snack time and taking responsibility for telling the story to the group in circle time. Children's behaviour is very good. They are kind and considerate to each other and treat each other with respect. Children understand that people in the wider world have different cultures and beliefs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children have a great love of books and enjoy reading stories to the friends whist playing and also during circle time. Strong emphasis is placed on the development of children's language, resulting in imaginative dialogue being used in role play. For example when they are using the mark making area, they quickly convert it to a shop and then the vet's explaining everything to each other as the plan changes. Children are learning to recognise their names, particularly during self registration.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are given many good opportunities to use mathematical language through well planned activities. Through activities such as counting the water babies, children successfully sort and match by patterns and shape. They enjoy singing number rhymes such as "Five Little Monkeys" which helps them to calculate and solve simple number problems. When mixing play dough and when using the computer children successfully sort and match by colour and shape.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children competently use the computer and display great excitement and enthusiasm when they print their design. Children are developing an awareness of the wider world as they celebrate festivals and learn about other cultures. The thoughtful use of construction sets and junk materials progress children's design skills well. During a recent topic on Buddhism, children successfully built a copy of a temple with bricks and supported the topic with meaningful drawings and creative work.

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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: Very Good Children show obvious enjoyment in physical activities. They handle jigsaws and construction apparatus adeptly. Children place bricks on top of each other successfully to build a tower and skilfully use scissors to cut paper. Outdoor play activities at times do not always offer children appropriate challenges to climb and balance. Music and dance provides good opportunities for children to learn to move imaginatively and develop co-ordination skills.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy singing in tune with friends at circle time and make huge efforts to learn the Christmas songs. Children are interested in and clearly enjoy re-enacting stories and experiences imaginatively. More than one child was observed competently mimicking staff roles. Children experience frequent stimulating opportunities to use paint in different ways, to cut and stick materials for collage and models. Children can successfully differentiate colours in all their creative work.

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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 the following: • pursue the development of the outside play area, giving children good opportunities to travel around and under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment.

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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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