Holmes Chapel Community Preschool

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 07/06/2004 Inspector Name Rachel Ruth Britten

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Holmes Chapel Community Pre-School Setting Address Holmes Chapel CP School Middlewich Road Holmes Chapel Cheshire CW4 7EB

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name Holmes Chapel Community Pre-School 1017112

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Holmes Chapel Community Pre-School Address Holmes Chapel Primary School Middlewich Road, Holmes Chapel Crewe Cheshire CW4 7EB

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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

Holmes Chapel Community pre-school opened in 1970. It is administered by a committee. The pre-school operates from one large room within a self contained building in the grounds of Holmes Chapel Primary School. It serves the local community and beyond. There are currently 52 children aged from two to five years on roll. This includes 21 funded three year olds and 17 four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children with special needs and who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday 09:00 to 11:45 and also offers afternoon sessions in their Abacus group for children due to start school each September. These sessions are from 12:30 to 15:00. All sessions are term time only. Eight part time staff work with the children, seven of whom have an early years qualification to NVQ level two or three. No staff are currently working towards a

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Information about the setting

recognised early years qualification, although staff attend relevant short courses offered by Sure Start. The setting receives support from a teacher from Sure Start.

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How good is the Day Care?

Overall the quality of the day care is judged to be good. The organisation of the day care is good, with policies, procedures, staff and children's files, risk assessments, planning, and assessments all being well kept, up to date and accessible. Staff are well qualified and work in high ratios to maximise children's development potential. The equipment is well organised and accessible, using labelling to encourage children to identify items by word or picture. Storage indoors and outdoors is versatile and accessible for children, and the activity areas indoor and out are also

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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 well organised to allow ease of movement between activities. The safety and care of the children is generally good, with all areas kept clean and tidy during sessions. Children's personal care and table hygiene and manners are being well taught to encourage independence in these areas. Safe entry and exit procedures are in place, and safe play promoted by supervision and small groups using outside play. Snacks and drinks are healthy and nutritious, taking account of any special requirements. Child protection training and knowledge is sufficient amongst staff, although some contact information should be added to the policy. The range and quality of the activities is good, benefiting from good planning and use of resources to provide a stimulating and interesting session which children are

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How good is the Day Care?

eager to participate in. Behaviour is good as a result of this and because the staff praise children's achievements and kindness. Children with special needs are welcomed and well integrated because staff have planned the environment and the activities in an accessible way and are committed to equal opportunities. Partnership with parents is good, based on the quality of written information given to parents about their child, and the welcoming atmosphere created by staff to enable parents to ask questions. A number of positive questionnaires were returned.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Three actions were raised at the Transitional Inspection in 2002. These related to amendments required to the register and the complaints policy and the need for an uncollected child policy. These matters were all promptly addressed so that the policies have been produced or amended where necessary. The register now shows session times and exact times of arrival and departure are noted if a child comes in late or leaves early for any reason. These actions protect children, parents and staff in the event of any emergency or dispute and have been notified to parents.

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What is being done well?

• The training and experience of staff so that they are well prepared to provide a well organised and stimulating session for each child. • The provision of high staff ratios and a well organised environment indoors and outdoors, where children are carefully grouped so that they can access a wide range of activities yet also have plenty of free choice in a safe environment. • The partnership with parents where key workers can communicate to parents

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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 about their child's progress, as well as producing clear information and evidence in written, photographic and assessment form. • The provision of activities, routines, and adult role models that promote children's emerging independence and encourage them to be kind and responsible. • The integration of children with special needs and the attention to equal opportunities issues, so that children have their individual needs met and learn to be accepting and positive towards one another. • The use of high quality, well set out and varied toys and equipment in an imaginative way, so that children are interested and can experiment and choose, while their learning is extended in all areas.

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An aspect of outstanding practice:

Staff promote children's emerging independence and social skills by much encouragement and praise for children's achievements in these areas. They build numerous opportunities into the session for children to experiment and to do things for themselves and others, so that children learn to be enquiring, independent in self care, and helpful to others. (Standard 3)

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What needs to be improved?

• the child protection policy so that it contains the contact numbers for the local police and social services child protection team.

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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 Ensure that your child protection policy contains contact numbers for the local police and social services.

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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 is acceptable and is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals, in all six areas of learning. They are happy and confident within the setting and demonstrate a high level of involvement and enjoyment in activities provided. The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage. There is a planned programme of activities and experiences across all areas of learning. Organisation of staff and resources enables all children, including children with special needs to make very good progress. Children's behaviour is well managed. Observations and assessments are used to record children's achievements and progress, these are used as a tool to identify the next steps of learning. Staff continually evaluate the assessment system. The quality of leadership and management is very good. The committee liaises

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How effective is the nursery education?

closely with staff to ensure the pre-schools aims are carried out. There are regular staff meetings, which clearly identifies roles and responsibilities, this ensures children's learning potential is developed. The training and development plans for staff are discussed and staff attend many courses, which further enhances the existing good teaching practices. Monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of individual activities are recorded. All staff work hard to improve any areas of weakness identified. Partnership with parents is very good. Parents receive comprehensive information about the setting, including the educational programme. They are kept well informed about the activities children do and the areas of learning that these cover, through parents evenings and children's progress books. Although some informal sharing of information takes place, there is no system on a regular basis for parents to share

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How effective is the nursery education?

what they know about their child, which would contribute to their child's record.

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What is being done well?

• Staff use their knowledge of the Foundation Stage to plan activities to meet children's individual needs. They provide an effective curriculum covering all areas of learning. They support, encourage and challenge children's thinking and provide a stimulating environment, where children are clearly valued and included. • The effectiveness of the leadership and management in assessing and monitoring the provision for nursery education. The observations and monitoring of children's achievements, ensure the planning of future activities are based on the individual learning needs of the children. • Children are happy and secure within the setting, they form good relationships with each other, they treat living things and the environment

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 with respect, as they collect and observe mini beasts they have collected from the outside. • Children are able to select good quality and plentiful resources for themselves, allowing them to operate independently within the learning environment. • Children enjoy the various activities provided in the outdoor play area. They have lots of fun as they climb, balance, and use wheeled toys with excitement, aware of other's as they weave their way with skill and control. • Sessions are very well organised to allow children to learn effectively. Resources and accommodation are used very effectively to promote all children's learning

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What needs to be improved?

• the system for parents to share what they know about their child and record this information on their child's developmental profiles.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The pre-school has made very good progress towards implementing the one area identified for improvement, made at their last inspection. All staff have a full understanding of the Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of children with special educational needs. They have attended training and developed a clear special needs policy which is followed in practice to the benefit of the children attending.

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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, confident and secure within the setting. They develop their confidence, independence and self reliance as they select their own activities and resources. Children demonstrate a high level of personal independence such as washing their hands and dressing themselves. Children's behaviour is very good. They are kind and considerate to each other and treat each other with respect. They enjoy celebrating festivals and special events.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good All children communicate well with each other and the staff, using language with increasing confidence and developing skill. They are confident when speaking in groups. Dialogue in role play is particularly imaginative, for example when using large empty cardboard boxes as space ships. Children are learning to recognise their names, can match sounds to letters and letters to form words. Children enjoy stories, they freely select books and have many opportunities to use their writing skills.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good The children have many opportunities to use their counting skills, they count to 10 with more able children counting to 17 and beyond. They count and solve mathematical problems well in planned practical activities. They have a good understanding of addition and subtraction, as they sing songs such as five green bottles. Children recognise shape, they use language well to describe, size, shape and quantity, when using utensils in the water tray.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children learn about the environment through observing the immediate surroundings around them. They examine and explore a wide range of objects, materials, and living things by using their senses. They look at similarities, differences, pattern and change as they look for mini- beasts and place them in the bug viewer. They are developing an awareness of the wider world as they celebrate festivals and special events. They have access to computers where they show confidence and use them well.

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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 Children move around the environment with confidence and good control. They show an awareness of space, themselves and others as they use the outdoor play area. They have many opportunities to develop strength and balance through using climbing apparatus and wheeled toys. They understand the importance of keeping healthy through the theme 'our bodies'. They handle small tools such as writing implements, scissors, brushes, rolling pins and cutters with good control.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good The children enjoy exploring colour in imaginative ways through art and craft activities. They use many different textures and materials as they recreate various displays, including hot, cold, night and flowers. They express and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings by using a widening range of tools. They are creative in their imaginative role play, movement design and singing songs with enjoyment. They use small equipment well, fitting, building and construction kits with dexterity.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There are no significant weaknesses to report, but consideration should be given to improving the following: • develop a system to record and include parents comments on what they know about their child, to help plan the next steps of learning for their child.

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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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