Valley View Nursery School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 24/06/2003 Inspector Name Margaret Moffat

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name St Francis Pre-School Setting Address Coronation Road South Ascot Ascot Berkshire SL5 9HG

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REGISTERED PROVIDER 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 Francis Pre-School opened in 1990. It operates from a self contained portacabin with one main activity area, kitchen and toilets, in the grounds of St Francis school, South Ascot. The pre-school have access to a large outdoor area and the school hall. The group serves the local community. The pre-school is registered to provide care for twenty children aged two to five years, of these not more than four may be under three years. There are currently 46 children on roll. This includes 23 funded three year olds and 18 funded four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There is currently one child with special needs and no children for whom English is an additional language. The group opens five days a week during school term time. Sessions are from 09:00 to11:30 and 12:30 to15:00. There is also a lunch club Tuesday to Friday from 11:30 - 12:30. Two full time staff and five part-time staff work with the children. Three have early

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Information about the setting

years qualifications. Three are currently on training programmes. Four staff hold First Aid Certificates. There are also three members of staff who work on a supply basis. The setting receives support from the local school, nursery and the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

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How good is the Day Care?

St Francis Pre-School offers good quality care for the children. The pre-school is clean and well maintained. Staff organise space effectively and display children's art work and photographs providing a warm and welcoming environment. High ratios of staff ensure children have support and individual attention if required. Staff have a good knowledge of safety issues and encourage good hygiene practices. The staff promote children's awareness of the wider world. Staff offer a wide range of age appropriate fun activities that develop children's

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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 abilities. Children have access to all equipment. Staff support children's play and interact well with them. Staff set consistent boundaries for children's behaviour. Staff have very good relationships with the parents and carers. Staff provide parents with regular updates about their children's progress and development. All necessary documentation is in place although some lacks detail.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The last inspection was a transitional inspection and did not highlight any areas for improvement.

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What is being done well?

• Provision for all the children in the pre-school is very good. They have a large range of activities and resources which meets children's developmental needs. Children are happy, have fun and stimulated. (Standard 3) • Staff give high priority to children's safety both indoors and out through comprehensive risk assessments. Children are encouraged to be independent by being allowed to make their own choices. They are aware of good hygiene practices - p.e. and washing hands after touching animals and without prompting after going to the toilet. (Standards 6 & 7) • The staff are committed to promoting equal opportunities, children are offered a full range of activities. Toys and resources reflect positive images and staff value and respect each child's individuality. (Standard 9) • Staff provide good role models for children's behaviour. They set clear and consistent boundaries and use praise and encouragement to reinforce these.

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What is being done well?

Children know what is expected of them and are well behaved. (Standard 11)

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What needs to be improved?

• behaviour management policy to include procedures for bullying; • complaints procedure to include name and relevant information of regulator; • review and update all policies on a regular basis.

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Outcome of the 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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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

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

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 14 improve policies and procedures for behaviour management and complaints

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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 Francis Pre-School offers a very good quality provision were children make very good progress towards the early learning goals. Teaching is generally good with some very good aspects. Staff's sound knowledge of the early learning goals enables them to provide an interesting and appropriate range of practical activities to help children learn. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to extend activities for more able children. There is an excellent range of resources and equipment which staff use well to support children's progress in all areas of learning. Children behave very well due to the high expectations and excellent role models provided by staff. A planning system is in place which is used well to evaluate activities to inform future planning. An assessment system is in place to evaluate children's individual progress, however this is not always used effectively to determine what children

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How effective is the nursery education?

need to learn next. This results in some lack of challenge for the more able. Effective systems are in place to support children both with special needs and English as an additional language. Leadership and management is very good. There is a supportive staff team in place who benefit from strong leadership. Management and the committee provide good opportunities for staff development. There is an appraisal system in place which is currently being updated to ensure regular feedback to staff. Partnership with parents and carers is very good and this contributes to children's learning. Relationships with parents are excellent. Parents share in the activities and contribute resources to support children's learning. There is an effective parental committee and parents help out in the pre-school. Valuable information is shared on a daily basis and parents are well informed about the foundation stage and the

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How effective is the nursery education?

pre-schools activities and routines. Parents share their observations about their child with the staff and regularly discuss their child's progress.

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What is being done well?

• Children's personal, social, and emotional development is very good. The children are confident, interested and able to work independently. They are well behaved and share toys and resources readily, taking turns. Children show high levels of concentration when working independently. • The wide range of activities and resources in all areas ensure children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. • Staff excel in the use of effective explanation and questioning to encourage children's thinking. • Leadership and management is very good. Staff work well as a team and are

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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 committed to the improvement of nursery education. • Partnership with parents is very good. Parents and staff are committed to working together to support children's learning.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for more able children to further extend mathematical concepts. • use of children's individual assessment to determine their next stage of learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The pre-school has made good progress since the last inspection and both weaknesses have been addressed. The planning system is now regularly reviewed and updated and all staff are included in it's implementation. Children now have an abundant range of good opportunities for counting in everyday situations.

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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's personal, social and emotional development is very good. Children are involved in and enjoy their learning, showing high levels of concentration. Children develop very good relationships working well together and independently. They share resources and behave well responding positively to the praise and encouragement of staff. Children are developing very good independence skills.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children's development in communication, language and literacy is very good. Children are confident speakers, able to listen well and engage in effective conversation with each other and adults. Staff provide good opportunities for children to practise writing and to recognise and write their own names. Children are given many opportunities to understand that print carries meaning and that text is read from left to right.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children's progress in mathematical development is generally good.Children confidently use number in familiar contexts; many can count up to ten and beyond.Children have numerous opportunities to compare numbers and make simple calculation through practical activities. Staff provide excellent activities for children to explore measure, shape and size. However, staff miss opportunities to extend mathematical concepts and language for more able children.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children's progress in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good.Children experience an excellent range of activities through first hand experience. Children enjoyed and learned from pet week, observing an interesting selection of animals at close range, including chickens and a horse.Children learn about events in their own lives and have a growing awareness of other cultures and traditions.Children are very confident in their use of technology where staff support them effectively.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children make very good progress in physical development. A very good range of both structured and spontaneous physical activities, both indoors and out are provided supporting children's skills. Children are confident and capable when undertaking routine activities; dressing themselves and dolls. Staff convey instructions effectively so that children understand how to play games. Many children have good scissor control and use a range of tools confidently.

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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's progress in creative development is very good. Children have access to a very good range of resources and materials to explore creative ideas and enjoyed making animal homes. Children express their imagination in a variety of role play situations such as home corner and pet shop, staff interact effectively to support learning. Children have opportunities to respond to what they see, smell, taste, touch, and feel through activities such as cooking.

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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: • increase mathematical challenge for more able children ; • develop ways to determine next stage of learning for more able children. 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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