Cholsey Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 23/09/2004 Inspector Name Joanne Graham

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Cholsey Pre-School Setting Address Church Road Cholsey Wallingford Oxfordshire OX10 9PP

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Cholsey Pre-School 900441

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Cholsey Pre-School Address Church Road Cholsey Wallingford Oxfordshire OX10 9PP

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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

Cholsey Pre-School opened in 1968 and moved to its present building in April 2003. It is situated in its own room within Cholsey Primary school premises. They have shared use of an enclosed garden. There are currently 45 children on roll. Of these 22 are nursery education funded three year olds there are no funded four year olds at present. The provision is open Monday to Friday 09.00 to 11.30 and Tuesday and Wednesday from 12.45 to 15.15 for the older children. There is a lunch club offered Monday to Friday from 11.30 to 12.45. The setting is open term time only and supports children with special needs and who have English as an additional language. There are six part time staff working with the children. Three hold relevant childcare qualifications. The setting receives termly visits from the local authority early years department.

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How good is the Day Care?

Cholsey Pre- School provides good quality care for children. The staff work well as a team. They employ a domestic assistant who prepares snacks, drinks and the room before and after activities. This ensures the children receive good adult supervision and support from the other staff, moving their learning forward. The group does not always have 50 percent qualified staff working at all sessions. The premises are very clean, tidy and welcoming to the children and parents. The children's work is displayed attractively. All regulatory documentation is in place although some lacks necessary detail and confidentiality is not always maintained. Staff deployment is good and children are supervised well both inside and outdoors. The group carry out daily visual health and safety checks; these are not recorded and there are no written risk assessments. The staff are active in maintaining high standards of hygiene and reinforce this to the children through the daily routine.

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How good is the Day Care?

Snacks are healthy, varied and nutritious. Dietary needs and religious requirements

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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 are respected and valued. Staff have a satisfactory knowledge of child protection. The children can access a wide range of interesting and stimulating activities. These provide sufficient challenge to develop the children in all areas of learning. The staff sensitively support and extend the children's learning well. They are aware of each child's learning capabilities and treat them all with equal concern, meeting their individual needs. The children's behaviour is very good. They have clear boundaries and staff are good role models. There is a satisfactory partnership with parents and carers. They are welcome at any time and know what is going on in the pre-school through regular daily exchanges, parent's notice boards and various correspondence. They do not have regular

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How good is the Day Care?

access to their child's developmental records.

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What is being done well?

• Activities are well resourced and planned to provide sufficient challenge to all children and to engage their interests. Staff sensitively support and extend learning well and respond to children's interests effectively. The children confidently self select activities and persist at these chosen tasks to fulfil their needs. • The environment is warm, welcoming and well maintained. There is sufficient space for the children to move freely and play comfortably inside and outdoors. The children's work is valued and displayed attractively. • Staff provide suitable activities to engage the children's interests and support their individual needs. Children are treated with equal concern and their differences are respected. • Children respond well to staff's expectations regarding behaviour. They share, take turns and negotiate well. Staff are good role models and consistently reinforce boundaries.

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What needs to be improved?

• the system to ensure 50 percent qualified staff are present during all sessions • the methods to ensure accidents are recorded with more detail and confidentiality is maintained • the system to record daily health and safety checks and produce a written risk assessment.

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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 2 Ensure 50 percent of staff are qualified during all sessions. 6 Develop methods to record daily health and safety checks and ensure risk assessments are made for the provision. 7 Ensure more details are noted when recording accidents and that confidentiality is maintained.

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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?

Cholsey Pre-school provides good quality nursery education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Children make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, physical and creative development. Teaching is generally good. Staff have a generally good knowledge of the foundation stage. They support, extend and develop the children's learning and predictive and curiosity skills. Staff's management of children's behaviour is very good and they consistently reinforce boundaries. Good relationships are being formed and children confidently try new activities and self select equipment. Staff provide a wide range of interesting activities which provides sufficient challenge to improve the children's knowledge. There are limited opportunities for the children to access every day technology and to calculate numbers. The setting has provision to support children

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How effective is the nursery education?

with special needs and English as an additional language to ensure they are included in activities and independently supported. Leadership and management are generally good. The supervisor values the staff's contributions and commitments and they work well as a team. Staff have sufficient time to complete the children's developmental records. Training is encouraged and valued, although appraisals are not held regularly to highlight all training issues. The group are committed to improve their provision, although they have not fully evaluated the weaknesses in the provision. Partnership with parents is generally good. This contributes to their child's progress towards the early learning goals. Parents are informed of the group's policies and activities with regular newsletters and daily communication with staff. They have regular opportunities to share their observations and discuss their children's progress. They do not have a regular opportunity to access their child's

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What is being done well?

• Children have an awareness of the boundaries set and behavioural expectations from staff. They take turns, negotiate and share very well. Children are confident to try new activities and show increasing independence with self-selecting activities and helping themselves to snacks. • Children are confident to share their news. They listen well and have consideration for the speaker. Children show an interest in books and storytelling and they handle books carefully. Books are used effectively to reinforce themes and for enjoyment. • Children move freely with pleasure and confidence. They can jump off an

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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 object and land correctly and can adjust and change directions to avoid obstacles with ease. Children have opportunities to handle tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control. • Children join in and request their favourite songs. They participate enthusiastically to action rhymes. Their imaginative skills are developed well, especially in the post office. They write and post letters to their friends and sell stamps. The children participate in creative activities and develop their skills in cutting, sticking, painting and drawing. Their work is valued and displayed attractively.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for children to access everyday technology • opportunities for children to compare groups of objects and recognise the total is the same • methods to ensure parents are able to access their child's developmental records regularly • the leadership and management to provide regular appraisals for staff and fully evaluate the provision for nursery education.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. The group have purchased some more resources, which promote positive images of cultural differences, and the children have regular access to these. Celebrations and festivals from other cultures are planned and introduced within the curriculum. The children benefit from embracing these celebrations and increasing their knowledge of the wider world.

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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 eager to participate in planned activities and persist with difficult tasks. They respond positively to staff and are forming good relationships with their peers and show consideration and support for others. Children take turns, share and negotiate with each other. They have a clear understanding of right and wrong. Their confidence and independence is promoted through daily routines and good staff support.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident to communicate with staff and one another through gestures, signs and talk. Children listen well to each other and the staff, showing awareness of the speaker. They enjoy stories and handle books with care. They begin to recognise some familiar words and their own names through labelling of furniture and equipment and their name cards. Most children are writing their own name and correctly forming some letters.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children are able to count in everyday situations, including using number rhymes to count forward and back. The children are able to recognise and name simple shapes and colours. They problem solve within everyday play situations and begin to use a wide range of mathematical language, for example weighing the parcels in the post office. There are limited opportunities for children to use numbers to calculate.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children show an interest in their surroundings, notice changes in the weather and ask questions about their observations. They learn about their environment by using their senses, feeling for different shapes in the shape game. They confidently share past and present events in their lives. The children have a good understanding of their own culture and beliefs and those of other people. Children do not access everyday technology regularly.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children move confidently and imaginatively, showing an awareness of space for themselves and others in their physical play. They have access and opportunity to develop and extend their physical co-ordination in a variety of situations; for example, they climb and slide, match actions to rhymes and pedal on bicycles. Children handle tools, materials and objects safely with increasing control and enjoy digging in the garden.

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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 participate in songs and rhymes eagerly and like to select their favourites. They enjoy the opportunity of free expression in role-play; developing their imaginative skills well in the post office writing and posting letters and baking cakes using the dough. Children access a wide range of art and craft activities developing their creative skills, sticking, painting, rolling, squeezing and cutting the dough, and chalking outside.

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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

• create opportunities for children to access everyday technology • develop opportunities for children to compare groups of objects and recognise the total is the same • improve methods to ensure parents are able to access their child's developmental records regularly.

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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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