Canon Palmer Catholic School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 19/01/2004 Inspector Name Margaret Rose Sully

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name St Eval Pre-School Setting Address Lincoln Row St Eval Wadebridge Cornwall PL27 7TR

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The Committee of St Eval Pre-School

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name St Eval Pre-School Address Lincoln Row St. Eval Cornwall PL27 7TR

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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 Eval Pre-school has been running for approximately 30 years. It operates from its own purpose built premises within St Eval RAF airbase. The pre-school serves the local area. There are currently 36 children aged from 2 to 5 years on roll. This includes 17 funded 3-year-olds and 5 funded 4-year-olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week during school term time. Sessions are from 9.15 to 11.45 and for two and three-years-olds from 12.45 to 14.45. Six staff work with the children. Staff have early years qualifications and one member of staff is currently working towards an NVQ 2. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

St Eval Pre-school provides good care for children. The space and resources within the premises are well organised and children can choose from a wide range of activities. Staff have relevant early years qualifications and one member of staff is working towards a qualification. Space is organized and children are able to move around freely. They have plenty of choice from a wide range of interesting activities and resources; however, the organization of the afternoon session does not ensure that all children's needs are met. All the required documentation is in place and reviewed regularly. Staff are aware of safety and most hazards are minimized. Children's personal hygiene is promoted through the encouragement of appropriate hand washing. Staff have attended child protection training and are aware of child protection issues and

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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 of their responsibilities. There is a good range of resources and equipment available to children. Staff spend time with the children, listening and talking to them. They promote children's self-esteem by using frequent praise for achievement, and children's behaviour is generally good. The pre-school's relationship with parents is good. The staff ensure that parents are kept up to date with their children's progress through daily discussions and sharing assessments on children each term. Information about the pre-school is available on the notice boards, through regular newsletters and the policies.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provider agreed to devise a system to record times of arrival and departure of staff, children and visitors; to conduct a risk assessment of the premises; to ensure consent forms for medication are kept and to ensure staff training is provided for staff administering medication which needed specific knowledge; to provide fresh drinking water at all times; to devise a system to record incidents and to ensure policies and procedures with regard to behaviour management, complaints, lost and uncollected children and sick children are updated and comply with the National Standards. Most policies and procedures have now been updated, however, the special needs statement refers to the Code of Practice 1994, which has now been updated. Staff have received training to administer specific medication and consent forms for medication are now available. Fresh drinking water is in each room at each session

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What has improved since the last inspection?

and available to the children. There is a system for recording times of attendance of children, staff and visitors, and this is kept up to date.

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What is being done well?

• A wide range of activities and play opportunities is provided, helping children develop their emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities. • Healthy, nutritious snacks are provided for children with drinking water available throughout the session. • There is a good exchange of information with parents through newsletters, parent/committee meetings, daily discussions with staff and termly assessments, which are discussed with key workers. • Staff have attended child protection training and are aware of the procedures and of their responsibilities.

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What needs to be improved?

• the organization of the afternoon session for the younger children to ensure all children's needs are met and the ratios are maintained

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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 • the trip hazard caused by the mats in the playroom • the special needs statement.

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 2 Ensure that the afternoon session, when younger children attend, is organized to meet the children’s needs effectively and ratios are maintained at all times. 6 Ensure mats in the playroom are safe. 10 Ensure that the special needs statement refers to the Code of Practice 2001.

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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?

St Eval Pre School provides generally good nursery education for children. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals in personal social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. Children are making generally good progress in communication language and literacy, mathematics and physical development. The programme for the older children is very good and children respond well to the interesting activities provided. Children benefit from the small group size, enabling children to engage in good conversation. Teaching is generally good. Staff are well trained and have some good skills. They have a good understanding of the children and relate to them well. The staff have an established system for recording observations and use this to help children make progress in each area of learning. There is a weakness in the planning for the

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How effective is the nursery education?

afternoon session, as younger children attend and distract the older children from their activities. Some planned activities are inappropriate for the younger children. Leadership and management is generally good. The setting is led by a voluntary committee formed from parents and RAF personnel. However the frequent posting of forces families means that there is a regular change in committee. Therefore a manager is responsible for the day to day running of the group. The manager has high standards and offers a warm welcome to everyone. The manager is keen to continue improving the setting. However there is no system for the group to assess its own strengths and weaknesses, which would identify any areas for improvement. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are pleased with the information they are given on the themes and activities children will be covering. The detailed observation records are shared with parents each term and parents are invited to

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How effective is the nursery education?

discuss their child's progress with staff at any time.

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What is being done well?

• Children are confident and are able to work independently. They are forming good relationships and work co operatively especially when helping to tidy away activities. • The setting is welcoming, generally well organised and provides a stimulating environment for children. • Children regularly use a wide range of technical toys and equipment, such as the computers and remote control vehicles, developing their knowledge and skills. • Detailed assessments are maintained which are used well to inform the staff and parents of children's progress.

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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

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What needs to be improved?

• the programme and arrangements for the afternoon sessions, to ensure that children receive an equally good standard of education, which provides activities that are suitable for children's age and development • children's use of books and enjoyment of story time, especially for older children • systems for assessing the setting's strengths and weaknesses and to monitor the educational provision.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The setting has made generally good progress since the last inspection when two key issues were raised. These were for the group to provide further opportunities for children to recreate mathematical patterns, and for the planning to be monitored to ensure all areas of learning are covered. To address these issues the group has established a maths table in each room, which has a variety of sequencing and matching puzzles and games. Children have opportunity to freely access this and it is also included in planned activities. The planning at the setting has recently been altered to utilise the information given in the Foundation Stage guidance. This has simplified the process and ensures that the early learning goals are reflected in the key learning intentions in each area of learning. This is still in the early stages of development, but is already proving to be popular and a benefit to staff and children.

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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 making very good progress in personal, social and emotional development. Children are confident to access activities independently and are helpful and willing to tidy up equipment afterwards. Children are beginning to form good relationships with both their peer group and with the staff at the setting.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are establishing some good communication skills, and are well supported by the high adult ratio, which provides good opportunities for conversation. Children have regular opportunities to recognise their names and practice writing skills. The arrangement of the book corner and the story time, for older children, does not entice them to enjoy books and stories. Some planned activities for younger children room are inappropriate for the age of child.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have regular opportunities to count and recognise numbers. They enjoy activities such as baking and play dough, which develop their mathematical language and understanding of shape and size. Children have opportunities to calculate in some practical situations such as snack time.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children engage in many activities that help develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. They use information technology in both rooms well, and are confident to use computers and a selection of remote control toys. Children are developing inquisitive minds and regularly ask questions about how things work, such as the kaleidoscope. As both English and American children attend the setting, both countries' festivals are celebrated, increasing their understanding of others.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children have regular opportunities to access the outdoor play area to develop large muscle movement. All children join in with the activity to move like vehicles, learning to start, stop and negotiate space well. Children are able to freely access a wide variety of tools and materials to increase their skills and control.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

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

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have lots of opportunities to develop their imagination and creativity through a range of activities. There are good displays of children's artwork throughout the setting, which demonstrate children's use of a variety of materials and methods. Children enjoy role-play and expressing themselves through dance and physical tasks.

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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 the educational programme to reflect the needs of all children, at every session, to ensure that the activities are appropriate to the age and development of children attending • develop a system for the setting to assess its own strengths and weaknesses and monitor the educational provision.

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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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