Coombe Dean School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 04/11/2004 Inspector Name Susan McCourt

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Hurstpierpoint Pre-School Setting Address Village Centre Trinity Road Hurstpierpoint West Sussex BN6 9UU

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of Hurstpierpoint Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Hurstpierpoint Pre-School Address Village Centre, Trinity Road Hurstpierpoint Hassocks West Sussex BN6 9UU

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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

Hurstpierpoint Pre-school was registered to provide sessional day care in 1967 and is a registered charity run by a committee of parents. The pre-school operates in the new wing of the village centre in Hurstpierpoint. The setting is registered to care for 26 children aged two to five years and is open from 09:00 to 11:45, Monday to Friday, term time only, with a lunch club until 12:45 on certain days of the week. Afternoon sessions start in the spring and summer terms. There are currently 25 children on roll, of whom 18 are funded three-year-olds. The setting supports children with special needs and those with English as an additional language. The accommodation is a large room with adjoining kitchen. The outdoor area provides a secure place to play. The pre-school has sole use of the premises during opening hours. There are six members of staff, four of whom are qualified and a further two are in training. The pre-school is supported by the Early Years Development and Childcare

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Information about the setting

Partnership and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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How good is the Day Care?

Hurstpierpoint Pre-school provides good quality care for children. The staff have a good combination of qualifications and experience and regularly update their training. The premises are light and spacious with access to a secure outdoor area. There is a good range of equipment available, although currently children do not have easy access to choices within certain activities. The policies and procedures that guide the practice of the group are based on good practice and records are well-maintained. The committee and staff are very safety conscious and keep the risk assessment up to date. Children learn about the importance of good hygiene from the established routine. The group has a healthy eating policy. Children who stay for the lunch club

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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 eat food provided by their parents and it is promoted as a social occasion. Staff are committed to equal opportunities and the equipment levels reflect a diverse world. Two staff are trained as Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO) and all staff work to support the needs of children attending. The staff are aware of their responsibilities under child protection and know that the welfare of the child is paramount. Staff have arranged the routine to include opportunities for free play, small group work and large group sessions for singing, circle time and stories. Children are given good support in order to feel confident and have a good range of activities to choose from. Staff encourage children to be independent and play alongside children to help

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How good is the Day Care?

them learn new skills. Staff work closely together to ensure that individual children's needs are met. They show good insight into the age and stage of development when dealing with children's behaviour. Parents can join the committee and can help in the group on a rota basis. Staff are on hand at the beginning and end of sessions to talk about the child's day and there is a parent's evening for a more focussed discussion of the child's progress.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There were four minor recommendations made at the last inspection, all of which have been met. In addition to this, the setting has moved into a new wing of the building with its own outdoor area. The committee and staff have taken full advantage of this move to review policies and procedures, and update equipment.

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What is being done well?

• The policies and procedures are very well-organised and maintained with regular reviews and are all based in good practice. • There are excellent opportunities for parents to be involved in all aspects of the group. • The setting has only recently taken over the new premises and staff demonstrate great enthusiasm for putting into practice their ideas for arranging the learning environment both in and out of doors. • The staff team greatly value children's feelings of security. They arrange the autumn term sessions to start with small groups of children and a higher staff ratio. The emphasis is on free play, and staff carefully expand the children's skills over the year.

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What needs to be improved?

• the children's access to play equipment with particular regard to the craft and role play area.

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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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inspection or 1st April 2004 whichever is later.)

Since 1 April 2004 Ofsted have not received any complaints about this provider.

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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 5 increase the children's access to play equipment.

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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 Hurstpierpoint Pre-school is acceptable and of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals in all six areas of the curriculum. The quality of teaching is generally good. Staff are familiar with the Foundation Stage and get to know the children well. They each have a small key-group of children which meet for specific activities. The supervisors decide on the themes and all staff contribute to devising activities. However, while the resulting timetable of activities ensures a mix of activities and refers to some stepping stones, there is no more detail available of what an activity is intended to teach, or how it might be differentiated for individual children. Staff share their observations of children and complete the profile assessments but there is no link into planning to ensure that children's learning is being consolidated and extended.

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How effective is the nursery education?

The leadership and management is generally good. The committee and staff have clear, shared aims which are reflected in the policies and procedures. The committee have taken steps to ensure that new members are clear about their role and responsibilities which aids continuity. The supervisors work alongside other staff in all areas of the setting and all staff receive appraisals and regular training. The partnership with parents is generally good. Parents can help in the group and stand on the committee. Staff are always available to talk to parents about their child and following consultation, a parents evening was set up in the autumn term. Curriculum information is posted on a specific notice board. Parents can see the records held about their child's achievements at any time.

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What is being done well?

• Children have good links with the community. Visitors to the group include crossing patrol and the police. Staff take children on outings to local amenities such as a farm and the post office. Children also help to decorate a float for the annual village carnival. • Staff set up an interest table relevant to the current topic. They include a variety of objects and pictures and children bring in other objects from home. The children showed great curiosity over the objects on the theme of time and frequently went over to pick up and examine the different time pieces. Staff took opportunities to talk with the children there and build on their learning. • Staff have planned a good routine that includes a range of play activities and which provides a good balance between having time to explore and keeping children's interest. The visual timetable uses real photographs of the activities so that children can clearly see the relationship between the timetable and

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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 activities.

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What needs to be improved?

• the planning, to clarify learning goals across the curriculum • the observations of children's achievements and the link into plans

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The improvement since the last inspection is generally good. Three key issues were raised. The first was regarding the short term planning. Staff made one attempt to address the issue but did not persist and a similar key issue remains. The second key issue was about disruptive children. The setting has since moved from a large hall to a smaller room, which in itself has had an impact as children are now more contained. Staff have developed strategies to get to know each child and share techniques with each other. Staff also talk with parents to ensure continuity. The third issue was about opportunities for children to use books, take part in dance and movement to music. Staff attended training and disseminated techniques, including new activities regularly in the timetable. The book corner is inviting and friendly and continues to be developed.

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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: Generally Good Children are confident and well-settled. They speak up in circle time and story time, asking questions and sharing experiences. They build friendships with other children, learning to take turns, share and co-operate. Children are encouraged to be polite and they help with tasks such as tidying up. They learn to be independent in personal hygiene and are helped to follow the 'golden rules' of acceptable behaviour although these are not always referred to.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children learn to listen and take turns in talking, enjoying the rhymes or repeated phrases in a story. Children talk about what they want to do and can talk about imaginary situations when playing. They learn about the alphabet and link sounds with letters. Children recognise their name at registration and snack time, but they have limited opportunities to see print in the environment. Children regularly handle books and enjoy stories. They have regular opportunities to make marks and write.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children join in with counting the children in the group and also count spontaneously in their play. Children recognise numerals and use number names confidently. Children learn about simple addition and subtraction in counting songs and games such as snakes and ladders. Children use mathematical language frequently when talking about size and shape. Children learn about capacity and measurement in a variety of practical activities and can identify simple patterns.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children learn about growth and change by planting seeds and in projects about baby animals. Children enjoy the excellent interest table. They have a range of construction equipment, including junk modelling. Children can operate technological toys such as tape players. Children learn about time and history in simple projects and themes and take part in local outings to learn about their environment. They build strong links with the community and take part in the annual village carnival.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children use a climbing frame safely and with confidence, trying out new things, persisting and taking turns. They learn to move in different ways, throw or catch and dance with ribbon-sticks to a variety of musical accompaniment. Children use the space well, but occasionally overcrowd when using new play equipment. Children use different tools in dough play and use scissors safely. They learn about how their bodies work in themed activities such as healthy eating.

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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: Generally Good Children use a variety of textures such as sand, gloop, paint and foam and enjoy craft activities. Children build a repertoire of songs and join in with the actions. They play simple instruments and see large musical instruments played, such as the accordion. Children hear a variety of taped music from around the world. Children organise spontaneous role plays using dressing-up outfits. All children's work is valued by staff and children have free choice in most activities.

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

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

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

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

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• devise and use a planning format to clarify learning goals across the curriculum • ensure that observations of children's achievements are linked into plans 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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