Whitney Crocodiles Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 22/06/2004 Inspector Name Juliette Jennings

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Whitney Crocodiles Pre School Setting Address The Village Hall Whitney-on-Wye Hereford Herefordshire HR3 6EG

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Whitney Crocodiles Pre School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Whitney Crocodiles Pre School Address Whitney Village Hall Whitney-on-Wye Hereford Herefordshire HR3 6EG

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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

Whitney Crocodiles Pre-School is located in the village of Whitney-on- Wye, near Hay-on-Wye in Herefordshire. The pre-school operates within the village hall. The group serve the local area and is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 until 15:00. There are currently 38 children on role, of whom 17 are funded 3 and 4 year olds. The group has appropriate procedures in place to support children who have special needs or who speak English as an additional language. Children can access a variety of sessions and follow a routine which accommodates a mixture of free play and structured activities. They have access to an enclosed grassed area and a paved area adjacent to the village hall for outdoor play. There are five members of staff who work with the children, three of whom hold suitable early years qualifications. They access regular training on early years issues and receive support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Whitney Crocodiles Pre-School is providing good quality and standard of care. Children are supported well by staff to develop and learn in an interesting and stimulating environment in which they are happy and comfortable. Children have access to a range of age-appropriate resources and activities which help them to learn and progress. Opportunities for children to play are good, with free play an important and valuable part of the daily routine. Staff support children well in their play, asking questions, listening to what they have to say and allowing them to make choices and become independent. They manage behaviour very well, dealing with unwanted behaviour effectively whilst praising and encouraging positive behaviour. Staff access regular and on-going training in early years issues and current good practice guidelines and this helps to ensure that children are cared for in a

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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 child-orientated and secure environment. The high staff ratio ensures that children are supervised and supported well, however there were three safety issues highlighted at the time of the inspection. In addition, staff would benefit from updating their knowledge and understanding of current child protection guidelines and procedures. Policies and procedures are in place and have recently been reviewed and updated to ensure that these are working documents. They are specific to the setting and are thorough, however some policies would benefit from additional information to ensure that they are comprehensive and in line with requirements. The group maintain a positive partnership with parents, with verbal feedback given

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How good is the Day Care?

on a daily basis. Staff inform parents about their child's progress towards the early learning goals and encourage them to become involved in pre-school activities. The address of Ofsted as the regulator should be available for parents within the complaints policy.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Not applicable, as there were no actions raised at the previous inspection.

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What is being done well?

• Staff manage behaviour well. They use appropriate techniques to deal with unwanted behaviour, whilst using positive praise to encourage good behaviour. • The high staff to child ratio ensures that children are supported well in their play and that children's individual needs are met effectively. • Children have excellent opportunities to develop, explore and investigate within a stimulating, interesting and exciting environment which has a focus on valuable, meaningful play and well planned structured activities. • Staff provide a broad range of resources and activities which promote learning, provide challenge and support creativity and imagination. • Children's independence, confidence and self-esteem is developed effectively. Staff give children choices about what they want to do, value their efforts and support them well in their play.

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What needs to be improved?

• the detail within the illness procedure, the medication procedure, the behaviour policy and the child protection procedure • the complaints policy so that it includes contact details of Ofsted as the regulator • the procedures for ensuring that the kitchen is inaccessible to children, fluorescent light strips are safe and that there is sufficient safety matting

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What needs to be improved?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 around the climbing equipment • staff's knowledge of current child protection guidelines and procedures.

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 6 Seek advice with regard to the safety of the fluorescent strip lights and the safety matting around the climbing equipment. 6 Ensure that children do not have access to the kitchen except with direct staff supervision. 13 Develop knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. 14 Update policies and procedures so that they are in line with requirements.

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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 effectiveness of the education is very good. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. They participate in a wide variety of activities and are supported well to become independent, confident, explore and investigate through valuable play opportunities. There are suitable arrangements in place for supporting children with special educational needs. The teaching is very good. Staff access regular training and have a very good understanding of the Foundation Stage. Detailed written plans are developed that highlight the learning focus for children, including differentiation, and these are used effectively to inform assessments and future planning. The keyworker system enables staff to focus on individual children's needs within adult-led activities or through free play opportunities. Staff are committed to providing the children with an extensive range of learning opportunities that are stimulating and interesting. They

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How effective is the nursery education?

use appropriate methods to extend learning, challenge and support children. The leadership and management of the setting is very good. Staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities, which encourages smooth running of the daily routine. Committee meetings are held regularly and policies and procedures are reviewed to ensure that they work in practice. Weaknesses highlighted by the committee and staff are addressed quickly and support from other professionals is sought where appropriate. The partnership with parents is very good. The setting provides parents with good information about the provision, parents are encouraged to be an active part of the group and staff are continuing to develop more formal arrangements for parents to be regularly informed about their child's progress and achievements.

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What is being done well?

• Children aged three and four years of age have time and plentiful opportunities to re-enforce and extend their learning through meaningful, valuable child-initiated free play. • Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. In creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world they have substantial opportunities to explore, investigate and use their imagination in role play. • The teaching is very good. Staff are good at supporting and challenging children in their play, encouraging them to become independent, explore and extend their learning. • Activities are age-appropriate, stimulating and hold children's interest. Children are motivated to learn in a child-orientated, relaxed environment.

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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 • The partnership with parents is very good, with clear information given to parents about the setting and the activities children access. Staff encourage a friendly, informal relationship with parents, supporting them to be involved in their child's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to practice early writing skills in free play • opportunities for children to become more independent at snack time.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Improvement since the previous inspection is very good. The setting was asked to consolidate the well established and effective monitoring of planning to maintain high standards. The pre-school leader continues to update the format of planning and assessment so that they are effective. Secondly, the setting was asked to provide parents with more detailed information about the education provision. The prospectus has been improved so that it now contains detailed information about the early learning goals and the education provision. Finally, the setting was asked to incorporate word and sound recognition into the language and literacy programme to develop children's awareness of letter sound and extend children's knowledge of language. Plans show that staff accommodate word and sound recognition into the daily routine and structured activities. No weaknesses were highlighted in this area at this inspection.

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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 aged three and four are confident and interested to learn, accessing a variety of child-initiated and structured play opportunities. They are developing self-confidence and self-esteem, becoming increasingly independent, although independence at snack time could be improved. Children are beginning to understand what is right and wrong and are developing an awareness that people have different views, needs, cultures and beliefs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children speak confidently, listen and respond in a range of circumstances and situations. They play imaginatively, expressing their thoughts and feelings in role play. Children aged three and four are beginning to recognise familiar letters within simple words or sentences and write their own names. They develop their early writing skills in structured activities, however have limited opportunities within free play. Three and four year olds enjoy using books.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have access to numbers in a variety of formats and use numbers in familiar contexts. Children aged three and four can count confidently to ten, with more able children beginning to count beyond. Children access activities where they can learn about space, shape and measure and are beginning to understand the concept of more and less. Older or more able children are developing their problem-solving skills using mathematical ideas.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Three and four year olds use the wide range of equipment and resources within free play and structured activities. They are beginning to use construction toys with meaning, selecting equipment and tools. Children have opportunities to use everyday technology in free play and within structured activities. They talk about events in their lives and are developing a sense of time, place, cultures and beliefs.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move confidently, with control and can run, walk and use a variety of equipment which helps them develop their physical skills. They frequently access planned activities, both indoors and outdoors, which help them to develop climbing and balancing skills. Three and four year olds use a range of materials, tools and equipment with increasing meaning and control. They are beginning to have an awareness of their own bodies.

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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 Three and four year olds use their imagination within a variety of structured and free choice activities. They enjoy role play, dance and music, using resources to extend their play and learning. Children have access to a wide range of materials so that they can explore texture, form and shape and are beginning to respond use their senses and communicate their ideas and thoughts.

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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 key issues, however there are two points for consideration. • Increase the opportunities for children to practise their early writing skills within free play. • Develop children's independence at snack time. 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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