Village Centre Pre-school

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 05/10/2004 Inspector Name Elizabeth Juon

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Village Centre Pre-school Partnership Setting Address The Village Centre Beech Tree Road Holmer Green Buckinghamshire HP15 6TD

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of Village Centre Pre-school

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Village Centre Pre-school Address The Village Centre Beech Tree Road Holmer Green Buckinghamshire HP15 6TD

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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

The Village Centre Pre-School has been open over 30 years. It operates from the hall in the 'Village Centre' building in Holmer Green. They have use of two other rooms plus kitchen and toilets. There is an outside play area. Holmer Green is located on the outskirts of High Wycombe. The group serves the local area. A maximum of 40 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 34 children from two years six months up to five years on roll. This includes 5 four-year-olds and 18 three-year-olds who are in receipt of nursery education funding. Children attend for a variety of sessions. At present there are no children with special needs or children who speak English as an additional language attending the pre-school. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09.15 until 12.00.

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Information about the setting

Eight part-time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early years qualifications to level two or three. Two staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

The Village Centre Pre-school provides good quality care for children. The staff team are well organised and deployment in the group is good; children are well supported. The staff arrange the space to be welcoming to the children, creating a stimulating and fun environment. Space is not always organised to meet the needs of the differing ages of children who attend. There is a good range of toys and equipment available to the children. All the necessary paperwork is in place to comply with regulation and to underpin the working practices, however, confidentiality is not maintained in the written record of incidents.

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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 The staff maintain a safe environment for the children both inside and outside. Staff promote good hygiene practices and there is an appropriate procedure for occasional nappy changing. The staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs and of the possible requirements of children with special needs. The staff understand the need to protect children and appropriate procedures are in place to follow if concerned about a child. The staff ensure all children have access to a range of interesting activities but these are not always suitable for very young children aged under three. The activities are easily accessible to the children. Staff provide a selection of resources which promote positive images of society. There are regular opportunities for outdoor play

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How good is the Day Care?

and local outings are undertaken. The children's behaviour is generally good and encouraged through the effective use of praise and encouragement. Staff act as good role models. The group has a very good relationship with parents. Staff work closely with parents to provide the care needed for their child. There are appropriate systems in place to share information with parents, covering all aspects of care, however, the address of the registering authority has not been made available to them.

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What is being done well?

• The majority of the staff team hold recognised early years qualifications and continue to update their knowledge and skills by attending regular training. • The staff and children form close relationships. The staff have a good understanding of the children and respond to their individual needs well. A high adult to child ratio is maintained so children are well supported in their activities. • The selection of toys and activities is accessible to the children. The range of resources encourages development in all areas of learning and promotes positive images of society. • The partnership with parents is good which is reflected in the positive responses on the parental questionnaires. The group provides good written information to parents.

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What needs to be improved?

• information to parents, to make available the address of the registering authority • the organisational plan to meet the needs of children under three years • confidentiality in written record of incidents.

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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

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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 3 Ensure sufficient and appropriate facilities and activities are available for children under 3 years. 12 Ensure entries in the incident book remain confidential.

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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 Village Centre Pre-school 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, as well as communication, language and literacy, mathematical and creative development is well planned and they make very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff plan weekly activities and have a satisfactory and improving, knowledge of the early years curriculum. They organise and set out a good range of activities to develop children's learning in all areas. Staff use good consolidation techniques through repetition, questioning and revisiting activities to extend children's learning. Staff miss some opportunities to challenge children during physical play and planning is not evaluated to ensure these activities have a clear learning outcome. There are systems in place to support children with

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How effective is the nursery education?

special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. Leadership and management are generally good. The staff work together as a team and are deployed well to support children. Staff are encouraged through regular meetings and the appraisal system to attend training to further develop their knowledge of early years. Staff have clear defined roles and responsibilities within the setting and are able to plan activities and take a lead role. There is no system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the early years curriculum. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents receive a prospectus informing them about the setting and the education their child will receive. This information contains details of the policies and procedures in place and how parents can access them. Information regarding the children is shared verbally at the beginning and end of each session.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident, motivated and eager to participate in all of the activities. They relate well to each other and adults, are well behaved and able to share the resources and take turns in the activities offered. • Children's spoken language and writing skills are developing well as a result of the good range of activities and adult interaction. Children are able to recognise their names and are beginning to understand that print carries meaning. • Staff provide a good range of activities to promote children's knowledge in number, counting and shape. They ensure children learn through a range of activities that are fun. • Children are given opportunities to learn from first hand experiences and enable them to use their senses within the activities offered. Staff use

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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 consolidation techniques through repetition, questioning and re-visiting topics and activities to enhance children's learning. • Staff work well together as a team. Children benefit from this and receive support and encouragement throughout each session.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to participate in planned physical activity with a learning outcome • opportunities to introduce children to cultures and celebrations other than their own. • evaluation of the curriculum planning and its effectiveness, to monitor children's progress towards the early learning goals.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection in 1999. Two key issues were raised for improvement: to enhance staff's understanding and approach to the desirable learning outcomes by placing more emphasis on attending curriculum related courses, and to improve the programme for mathematics by providing more opportunities for children to recognise and recreate patterns, undertake problem solving activities in everyday situations and to perform simple addition and subtraction. Under the leadership of the supervisor the staff have improved their knowledge of the foundation stage curriculum and the early learning goals and attend relevant training courses. The staff provide a good range of activities for children's mathematical development.

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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 relate well to each other and adults. They behave well and share toys and resources. Adults are good role models and encourage children's good manners. Children are confident and motivated and interested in the activities and resources set out for them. They are eager to try new experiences. They play independently and cooperatively.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children's spoken language and writing skills are developing well as a result of the good range of activities and staff interaction, interest and engagement in the children's play and conversation. Children listen to and respond to stories with enjoyment. They are fully engaged in story time using props to bring the story to life. Children practise emergent writing skills and write for a variety of purposes in role play.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children count confidently to 10 and beyond. Children have the opportunity to recognise written numerals when counting. Children are beginning to do simple calculations in rhyming songs such as 'five little ducks'. Children confidently recognise shapes, can recreate simple patterns when threading and construct using magnetic bricks.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children are beginning to know about their own culture and traditions through outings and planned activities such as harvest assembly, but there are few opportunities to increase awareness of other cultures. Children explore and investigate a variety of natural objects and materials including fruit, vegetables, conkers and leaves. Children notice the weather outside and understand that leaves fall off trees in the autumn. Children build and construct using a variety of materials.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children show good co-ordination and spatial awareness. They move around the setting with confidence and show consideration for others. Children show independence in their personal care. They use small tools, construct with a variety of materials using increasing control. Not all children are extended to develop their gross motor skills.

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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 Children enjoy role play and use their imagination when acting out stories, playing shops and using small world figures at the dolls house. Children sing nursery rhymes and match music to movement using musical instruments to make the sound. Children create spontaneously and show their imagination in paintings and art and craft activities.

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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

• devise a system to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the early years curriculum and quality of teaching to show how children progress towards the early learning goals • provide further opportunities to encourage children to participate in physical activities that have a clear learning outcome • increase children's awareness of cultures and beliefs other than their own. 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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