St Leonards, Brington

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 12/05/2004 Inspector Name Clare Elizabeth Pook

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name St Leonards Pre-school Setting Address St. Leonards Hall Brington Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE28 5AD

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of St Leonards Pre-school Committee 292118

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name St Leonards Pre-school Committee Address St Leonards Hall High Street,Bringdon Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE28 5AN

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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

St Leonard's Pre-school opened in 1974 and has run since 1997 in it's current building. It operates from one main room in the community building in the grounds of Brington C of E Primary School. The Pre-school is located in the village of Brington and serves the local area. There are currently 30 children from 2 to 5 years on roll. This includes 12 funded 3 year olds and 11 funded 4 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports a number of children with special needs. At present no children attend who speak English as an additional language. The group opens 5 days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 08:45 until 11:30 and a lunch club from 11:30 to 12:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. An afternoon session is available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 12:30 to 14:45. There are 9 part-time staff work with the children. Over half the staff have early

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Information about the setting

years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. At present 1 staff member is currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from a teacher/mentor from the Early Years Development and Child Care partnership (EYDCP)

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How good is the Day Care?

St Leonard's Pre-school provides good care for children. Staff are suitably qualified and partake in on-going training to develop professional skills. The staff work well as a team and create a warm and welcoming environment for children and parents. Resources are used effectively and children have some opportunities to self select. Good paperwork and procedures support the day-today running of the group. The Pre-School is part of the PLA accreditation scheme. Staff have very good awareness of safety issues and effective systems are in place

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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 to ensure the safety of the children indoors and outdoors. Thorough risk assessments are undertaken before outings to reduce risk of hazards and keep adults and children safe. Children understand the importance of healthy eating through being provided with healthy nutritious snacks. Staff promote hygiene well as a result children have a good understanding of why they need to wash their hands before eating. Staff have a good awareness of child protection procedures, although some elements of the policy need developing. Children are provided with a range of appropriate activities to support their play and learning. Children are encouraged to make choices about how they spend their time at Pre-school. There are secure relationships within the group and behaviour is

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How good is the Day Care?

well-managed. The resources available include positive images of race, culture and disability so children can learn about equality through their play. Staff are sensitive to the individual needs of children and are supportive where necessary. Partnership with parents is good. Parents have full access to information about the setting and policy documents are made readily available. Parents are encouraged to take active roles within the pre-school, but it is not compulsory. Parents have several options to choose from e.g. parent rota, help with cleaning or mending duties, committee member, use their personal skills within the group e.g. art or dance.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

All previous actions have been satisfactorily addressed. Policies and procedures have been updated as necessary. Staff have gained additional and appropriate qualifications. The outdoor play area has been made safe.

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What is being done well?

• Policies and procedures are good and the operational plan is effective in practice. •• Safety of the children is a high priority indoors and when playing outside. Staff are vigilant. Outings are well organised and effective procedures are in place to ensure the safety of children, staff and parents. • A warm and welcoming environment is provided creating a secure environment for children to learn through play. • Partnership with parents is a strength within the group. Parents individual skills are valued and acknowledged. Good communication and relationships between parents and staff are fostered.

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What needs to be improved?

• child protection policy to include in more detail procedures to follow in the event an allegation is made against a staff member.

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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 13 Develop the child protection policy to include in more detail procedures to follow in the event that an allegation of abuse is made against a staff member.

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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 provision for nursery education at St Leonard's Pre-School is generally good. It enables children to make very good progress towards the early learning goals in their personal, emotional and social development and generally good progress in all other areas of learning. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff have a generally good knowledge of the Early Learning Goals in all six areas. A good foundation in the planning has been set, however it does not show clearly how the learning intentions are linked to the six areas of learning. Spontaneous activities and questioning is used effectively to extend learning for most children as well as the introduction of new vocabulary. Planning does not always show how activities are adapted for the more or less able child. A system for assessing and observing the children is in place but as yet is not used to plan the next steps for children's individual progress. Staff interact well with

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How effective is the nursery education?

the children and children are clearly making progress towards the Early Learning Goals. At present no children with English as an additional language attend the group. Children with special needs attend. Staff are aware of their needs and work well as a team to support them and help them progress. Leadership and management is generally good. The management team is relatively new and is committed to the progress of the group. Staff communicate and work well together. Staff individual skills are valued. The pre-school is part of an accreditation scheme which reflects good policies, procedures and systems for staff monitoring. Partnership with parents and carers is generally good. Good information on the foundation stage is provided. Verbal communication is effective and parents have good access to their child's records. Regular reports are issued, however opportunities are missed for parents to contribute to the assessment process and

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What is being done well?

• Children are happy and motivated to learn. They concentrate well and preserve at tasks. Children are aware of behaviour boundaries and clearly understand what is expected of them. • Children's knowledge of patterns is good. They are able to re-create patterns and enjoy creating their own. Children can recognise and name patterns on clothing. • Good sensory experiences are provided through media play e.g. sand, dough, flour, salt. Other senses are being stimulated through activities such as tasting fruits.

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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 • Staff interact very well with the children and their knowlegde of individual children is good.Impromptu activities are used effectively to challenge children.

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What needs to be improved?

• planning and assessment to show clearly how the learning intentions relate to the six areas of learning, how activities are adapted for the more/less able child and how assessments are used to plan the next steps for children • planned opportunities for children to develop skills to climb, balance and travel • opportunities for children to use resources and different techniques for joining and assembling.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Generally good progress has been made since the last inspection. There was one point for consideration regarding developing opportunities for different purposes of writing. Children use different purposes for writing in many ways e.g. in the home corner writing lists, menus, messages, also write in flour, salt and take part in free painting. Staff intend to develop this further by ensuring mark making materials are made more readily available.

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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 happy and settled within the group. They work independently, ask for help where needed and persevere well at a task e.g. threading. Children co-operate and work well together to tidy up. Through resources and topic work children are learning to respect other cultures and learn about our diverse society. They have a good sense of community encouraged by local walks and outings. Trusting relationships are being formed between staff and children.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident speakers. They concentrate and listen to stories well. Children show a good understanding of letter sounds and an awareness of rhyme through songs and stories, however opportunities to extend these activities for the more able child are missed. Children's mark making skills are promoted through free painting and role play, however free drawing is not always provided. Some children are able to copy or write their own name. Younger children are encouraged to attempt to do so

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use mathematical language in their play. Early calculation is promoted well. The value of one more or less is being explored through songs. Children have a good awareness of pattern. They can name and use shapes to create and re-create patterns. Children are learning to put names to patterns e.g. check, stripe. Older children count well and can recognise many numbers, however opportunities for the younger children to be familiar with simple counting out and number work are limited.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children build on a large scale using a variety of construction toys with good skill, however opportunities to explore ways of assembling and joining are limited. Children have a good sense of place and explore their local environment through walks and visits, although evidence to show that children look closely at similarities , patterns and change in the natural world was lacking. IT is used well to support learning. Children take part in a variety of festivals and celebrations.

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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: Generally Good Children handle small equipment with good control .e.g. cutting. Children engage in activities that require good hand/eye co-ordination with good concentrate and skill. e.g. threading, bat and ball games. Ways of moving are promoted through impromptu activities. Children understand that they don't need their coats when they feel hot due to exercise. Children have good access to outdoor play, however planned opportunities to develop skills for climbing, balancing and travelling are limited.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children can name and recognise colours. Some children are beginning to colour mix. They enjoy painting activities. Children enjoy taking part in singing. Children use their imagination well to create their own models e.g. interstars. Topic work provides good opportunities for children to use their senses e.g. tasting fruit, college. Various media play provides added sensory experiences. Opportunities for children to use their imagination to draw on a regular basis are limited.

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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

• develop planning and assessment to show clearly how the learning intentions relate to the six areas of learning, how activities are adapted for the more/less able child and how assessments are used to plan the next steps for children • provide planned opportunities for children to develop skills to climb, balance and travel • Increase opportunities for children to use resources and different techniques for joining and assembling

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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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