First Steps Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 23/01/2004 Inspector Name Diane Lynn Turner

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name First Steps Pre-School Setting Address The Drill Hall 72 a Middle Street South Driffield YO25 6QF

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of First Steps Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name First Steps Pre-School Address The Drill Hall 72A Middle Street South Driffield North Humberside YO25 6QF

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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

First Steps Pre school is an established group that has been providing sessional care for over 15 years. It operates from a single storey building in Driffield town centre. The building is located behind shops on the main street and is for the group's sole use. It is run by a parent committee and is a member of the Pre School Learning Alliance(PLA). The facilities include a main play room with a smaller room that is used for quiet and focused activities, adjacent toilet facilities, kitchen and an enclosed area for outdoor play. The group is registered for 26 and takes children between the ages of two and a half and five years. Session times are Monday to Friday between 09.05 and 11.35 and 12.35 and 15.05 during term time only. The Friday morning session is for children aged three plus and the Friday afternoon session is for those aged four plus. A lunch club is also operated for those attending the Friday afternoon session. The group serves the

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Information about the setting

local community and surrounding areas. There are currently 63 children on role including 13 four-year-olds and 24 three-year-olds who are in receipt of nursery education funding. The group is currently supporting three children with special needs. There are no children currently attending whose first language is not English but systems are in place to support these needs. Seven members of staff work with the children overall, four have a level three and one has a level two qualification in Childcare. One member of staff is the special needs co-ordinator and has appropriate qualifications. The group receives support from the development workers at both the Early Years and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) and the PLA. They are currently taking part in the PLA quality assurance scheme. Children's learning is play based working within the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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Information about the setting

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 good is the Day Care?

First Steps Pre-School provides good quality care for children. The premises are well maintained and welcoming. The operational plan is clear and includes policies and procedures that contribute to the effective organisation of the provision. Staff have a clear understanding of their role. They are suitably qualified and committed to continually up dating their knowledge and practice. They work effectively together as a team. There is a very good range of resources that are used well by staff to support the children's learning in all areas. Equipment is of good quality and suitably maintained. Staff have a high level of awareness of all risks to children's health and safety. There are effective systems in place to check and maintain the safety and cleanliness of all areas on a daily basis. Children are provided with food that is varied and nutritious. Staff have good relationships with the children and meet their differing needs well.

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How good is the Day Care?

They offer a range of interesting and well planned practical activities that promote children's development and learning in all areas. Parents are made very welcome. Information they receive is clear, of good quality and well presented. There are effective systems in place to share information and they are kept well informed about their child's progress. All documentation is in place and used consistently with parents, but occasionally lacks detail.

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What is being done well?

• The premises are warm, welcoming and well maintained in all areas. The staff make best use of their time, the available space and resources to create a stimulating, orderly and supportive environment for the children. • Staff make excellent use of the outdoor area to help children develop their physical skills and learn about the environment and living things, for example growing flowers and vegetables. • Children are offered a broad range of well planned practical activities that cover all areas of learning. Staff inspire enthusiasm. They present the activities in an interesting and thoughtful way and take into account children's age and ability. Children are given time and good opportunities to explore and investigate. • There is an excellent range of good quality toys and resources in all areas that are used well to support children's play and learning. They are well organised and easily accessible to enable children to make choices and

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What is being done well?

develop their independence. There is a particularly good range of books that encourages a love of reading.

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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 provision for children with special needs is very good. Staff work effectively with parents and outside agencies to ensure children's individual needs are recognised and met effectively. They are creative in adapting activities and enabling all children to take an active part. • Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They encourage children's independence and expect them to be capable. They demonstrate a consistent approach and routinely use praise and encouragement. As a result the children work well together, are able to share, take turns, demonstrate good manners and have high self esteem. • The partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents receive good quality information about the setting and are actively encouraged to be

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What needs to be improved?

• the documentation in relation to the attendance records and the group's Child Protection policy.

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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 14 Ensure the times of arrival and departure for children and staff are recorded. 14 Ensure that the Child Protection policy for the group includes the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff.

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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?

First Steps Pre-School provides a happy and welcoming environment where children make very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. The quality of teaching is very good overall. Staff demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and provide a very good range of activities to help children learn. They integrate all six areas of learning into everyday routines and activities and extended these effectively for the more able children. Staff work well alongside the children. They give high priority to developing children's personal independence and concentration skills and have high expectations of their behaviour. This has a positive impact on the relationships in the group. The group is currently supporting two funded children with special needs. There are effective systems in place to ensure their needs are met in all areas. There are currently no children attending whose first language is not English but systems are in

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How effective is the nursery education?

place to support these needs. The leadership and management of the group is very good. The committee is well organised and supports the manager and staff effectively in ensuring children's safety and well being. They are committed to developing and improving practices. Staff work well as a team. They are suitably qualified, well organised and fully involved in all aspects of the provision. The partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents and staff have a friendly relationship. Information that parents receive is of good quality and varied. This is evident through both the nursery prospectus, newsletters and one to one contact with staff as key workers. Parents are encouraged to be effectively involved in their child's learning and are kept well informed of their progress and development in all areas.

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What is being done well?

• Staff give high priority to children's personal, social and communication skill. As a result relationships are very good. Children settle well, initiate conversations and concentrate well during focused activities. They are confident, sociable and have caring relationships with each other and staff. • All staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. They use this effectively to plan a very good range of activities that cover all areas of learning. They ensure children are given sufficient time to explore and learn through practical experiences, for example using malleable materials such as clay and dough.

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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 •• There is an excellent range of resources that are used well by staff to support children's learning in all areas. Children are able to make choices and select resources independently to complete their ideas, particularly mark making resources. • The support for children with special needs is very good. Staff work effectively with the child's parents and other professionals to ensure their needs are met consistently. They are creative in adapting equipment and activities to enable all children take part. • Children's behaviour is very good. Staff have high expectations of all children. They provide very good opportunities for them to take responsibility and develop their self esteem, for example at tidy up time. The children are able

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What is being done well?

to share, take turns and demonstrate good manners. • The partnership with parents and carers is very good. Parents are able to discuss all aspects of their child's development and are actively encouraged by staff to be involved in their child's learning, for example through the parent rota system. There are effective systems to enable parents to share what they know about their child, for example a home visit is made by staff before the placement begins. Staff use this to help them assess and plan effectively for the child's individual learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• the opportunities for more able children to develop their counting skills.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

No key issues or points for consideration were raised at the last 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 are keen and motivated to learn. They enthusiastically try out new ideas and experiences and show good levels of concentration in both large and small groups. They are confident in all aspects of their self care and are able to select and access their own resources. They are very settled and have good relationships with adults and each other. Their behaviour is very good. They are learning to negotiate and know right from wrong and are able to share, take turns and use good manners

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children demonstrate good speaking and listening skills. They initiate conversation, enjoy listening to stories and know that print carries meaning. They have access to a very good range of books which they use independently and handle carefully. The older and more able children are learning to recognise letters, sounds and words and most children can recognise their own name. They are confident in mark making and use this in other areas to support their play, for example role play.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good All children can count reliably to five and many up to and beyond ten. Most can recognise, identify the differences between, and correctly name a number of shapes. They are beginning to use size and positional language confidently. They can sort objects correctly by colour, are beginning to make comparisons and use simple calculation. The more able are beginning to use mathematics to solve simple problems. They have some opportunities to use number such as counting in everyday situations.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good They have good opportunities to explore and investigate a variety of materials and build constructively with a good range of resources. They show an interest in, and talk confidently about the local environment and are developing an understanding of time. They learn about different cultures, growth and caring for living things through good practical activities. Their use of information technology is developing well. They use the group's computers confidently to complete simple programmes.

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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 They move confidently around the premises demonstrating good body control and co-ordination. They demonstrate an awareness of other's personal space during group activities and can move in a variety of ways. They show an awareness of the effect of activity on their bodies. Their fine motor skills are developing very well. They have opportunities to use a range of small equipment throughout the session such as scissors, brushes and pencils which they do so confidently and effectively.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good They can sing a number of songs from memory and can use musical instruments effectively to create a range of sounds. They explore colour, shape and texture on both a large and small scale through good practical activities. They respond in a number of ways to what they see, smell, touch and feel. They use their imagination to express and communicate their feelings through role play, movement and dance, using resources effectively to recreate both real and imagined experiences.

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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: • provide more regular opportunities for the children to use counting in everyday situations, particularly larger numbers for the more able children.

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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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