Manor Farm Pre-School

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 28/06/2004 Inspector Name Christine Bond

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Manor Farm Pre-School Setting Address Manor Farm Barholm Stamford Lincolnshire PE9 4RA

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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

Manor Farm Pre-School is a privately run provision situated in a rural village between Stamford and Market Deeping. The pre-school operates from two converted barns which are situated adjacent to the proprietor's residence. The premises consist of three activity rooms and two cloakrooms on two floors. Staff facilities are provided on the upper floor. There is an enclosed courtyard at the front of the barn for outdoor play and the children also have the use of the proprietor's garden. There are parking facilities for staff and parents. The pre-school is open from 09:15 to 15:00 on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 09:15 to 13:15 on a Tuesday and Thursday each week during the academic year. There are 56 children currently on roll at the pre-school. Of these, 13 children are in receipt of nursery funding for four year-olds and 28 children are in receipt of funding for three year-olds. The setting has experience of supporting children with special

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Information about the setting

needs. No children speak English as an additional language. The pre-school employs eight members of staff. Of these, five have completed child care qualifications and three are enrolled on courses. The pre-school is involved with the Lincolnshire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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How good is the Day Care?

Manor Farm Pre-school provides satisfactory care for children aged from two to five years. The bright and welcoming premises provide scope for a variety of indoor and outdoor activities although current arrangements for room use are not fully effective in supporting children's learning. Staff work well together as a team and have a positive attitude towards further training and development. Staff ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place and are vigilant about

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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 security of the premises with effective systems in place for the safe arrival and collection of children. Good hygiene routines are maintained to prevent the spread of infection and reinforced through daily routines with the children. Mainly effective procedures are in place to deal with emergencies. Staff ensure they are aware of children's individual dietary needs when providing a variety of snacks and drinks. However, drinking water is not readily available and children are not encouraged to develop independence skills at snack time. Staff plan and provide a broad range of activities to support children's learning and overall development. A good range of resources and play equipment is available and very good use is made of the outdoor areas for children's physical and imaginative

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How good is the Day Care?

play. Staff interact well with the children and support them effectively in their activities, valuing and praising their efforts and achievements. Children's behaviour is managed well using consistent and generally positive approaches. The pre-school has formed effective partnerships with parents who are welcomed into the setting. A range of written policies, procedures and records is in place but some lack sufficient detail and need to be reviewed.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the provision agreed to develop a written policy for the administration of medication and ensure glass doors in the outside area were made safe. A written policy has been developed and safety film applied to glass doors, thus further ensuring the safety of children.

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What is being done well?

• A very good range of toys and play materials is available to support staff in offering a broad range of stimulating activities and opportunities to promote children's learning and development. • Staff have a good awareness of safety and ensure that through a combination of supervision and protection from hazards children are able to play safely. • Staff have developed good relationships with parents and seek to work in partnership with them to meet children's needs.

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What needs to be improved?

• organisation of rooms and children's access to activities • systems for administering medication • the registration system for staff and children and the visitors' record • equal opportunities policy • the organisation of snack time and children's access to drinking water.

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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 2 Review the organisation of space and resources to ensure that the children's needs are met effectively. 2 Make sure the registration system shows the times of attendance of staff and children and that a record of visitors is maintained. 7 Improve systems for administering emergency medication. 8 Review the organisation of snack time so that children have opportunities to pour their own drinks and ensure drinking water is available to children at all times. 9 Devise an equal opportunities policy that is consistent with current legislation and guidance. Ensure that this is understood and implemented by all staff and shared with parents. 3 Review the organisation of snack time to further develop children's independence skills.

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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?

Manor Farm Pre-School offers a welcoming and stimulating learning environment where children feel happy and secure. Overall, the children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals and in the areas of mathematical and physical development they are making very good progress. The quality of teaching is generally good and staff have developed a sound understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. They provide a suitable range of activities to cover the six areas of learning, although sessions, activities and resources are not organised effectively to encourage children to make independent choices about their learning and play. Some focused activities are adapted effectively to meet children's varying abilities and provide good challenge or support. However, planning systems do not clearly identify the main learning objectives or how children will be grouped for daily activities. Staff know children well and they

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How effective is the nursery education?

regularly assess children's progress, although recording systems are not clearly linked to the stepping stones. Procedures are in place to provide support for children with special needs. Staff interact effectively with children and extend their learning through careful questioning, particularly when promoting children's mathematical skills. The pre-school has a good range of equipment and staff make very good use of the garden for outdoor play and physical activities. However, children have insufficient opportunities to develop their awareness of diverse beliefs or to practise their writing skills during role-play activities. Leadership and management are generally good. Further staff training is valued and encouraged. Staff work well as a team and have clear roles and responsibilities. The partnership with parents is generally good. Staff regularly talk to and share information with parents about their child's progress. Parents receive useful

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How effective is the nursery education?

information about the provision and the curriculum.

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What is being done well?

• Children's physical development is very good. Staff plan activities well and make good use of the garden and equipment to promote children's skills. • Staff work well as a team and plan an interesting range of activities to cover all areas of learning. They are good role models and provide a stimulating learning environment. • An effective partnership with parents is promoted through good written and verbal communication. • A strong emphasis is given to the area of mathematical development. Staff use effective questioning during practical activities and daily routines to extend children's learning.

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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 • Children are confident, sociable and have formed effective relationships with each other and staff.

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What needs to be improved?

• the organisation of sessions, activities and resources • opportunities for children to practise their writing skills, particularly during role-play activities • assessment and curriculum planning systems • opportunities for children to develop their awareness of diverse beliefs and festivals.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the last inspection the setting has made generally good progress in addressing the four key issues raised. Staff ensure that boys and girls are equally encouraged to participate in all activities and children have formed effective relationships with each other. They play co-operatively with one another and learn to share resources. All children are given equal opportunities to use the computer to support their learning. Staff provide children with regular opportunities to use musical instruments, tools and different materials to express their ideas. Children also use resources such as scissors, tape, split pins and glue to cut and join materials when building and making. A good range of construction toys and recycled materials are provided for model-making activities. However, art and craft activities are generally adult-directed and as a result children have limited opportunities to select and explore a wide range

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What has improved since the last inspection?

of materials and tools during free-play activities. This restricts the children's ability to make independent choices during self-selected activities and has been raised as a key issue following this inspection. Staff keep detailed attainment records for each child and have a sound awareness of children's individual abilities and stages of development. However, the current assessment system has not been reviewed and updated in light of the implementation of the Foundation Stage curriculum and as a result children's progress is not clearly matched to the stepping stones for learning. This has been raised as a key area for development following this inspection.

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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 motivated to learn. They have formed effective relationships with each other and staff. They understand the rules of the group and are learning to take responsibility for their own actions. They show care and concern for others and learn to work co-operatively with others during group activities. Children are not able to freely select from a wide range of activities, resources or tools due to the organisation of sessions and activities.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children engage easily in conversation and their thoughts and ideas are valued. They read their name cards and a rich variety of print around the setting. Children are developing good pencil control but have insufficient opportunities to practise their writing skills or to write for different purposes during role-play activities. They are learning the conventions of reading and listen with interest to stories during group activities.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children have regular opportunities to count in sequence to ten and beyond and are learning to sequence the days of the week. They can recognise and record some numerals. They are developing their understanding of addition and subtraction through practical activities, daily routines and songs. Children use a wide range of mathematical language to describe shape, size, quantity and position. They use resources such as coloured beads to make simple repeating patterns.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Generally Good Children talk about their own lives and recount past and present events. They have regular opportunities to explore the garden and to observe and care for living things. They use their senses to describe materials. Children use a range of technology resources, including a computer, to support their learning. Through topic work children learn about diverse cultures but have limited opportunities to develop their awareness of the beliefs of others.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children's small hand skills and whole body movements are developed through effective use of equipment both indoors and outdoors. They have opportunities to practice a range of skills, including balancing and climbing, and use the apparatus with confidence and co-ordination. They are developing an awareness of the effect that healthy eating and exercise can have on their health.

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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 Opportunities are provided for children to play a range of musical instruments and to explore different sounds. They have learnt a range of songs and join in with enthusiasm. They draw on first hand experiences when engaging in role-play activities. Children use a range of media to explore colour, shape and texture, however, adult-directed activities restrict children's ability to freely select from a wide range of materials and tools.

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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

• review and improve the organisation of sessions, activities and resources to ensure all children are able to participate effectively, so they can make their own choices about play and learning and are able to select from a wider range of activities, materials and tools. Ensure that a balance of child and adult-initiated activities is provided throughout each session • extend opportunities for children to practise their writing skills, particularly when engaging in role-play activities and provide more opportunities for children to develop their awareness of diverse beliefs and festivals • further develop the system for monitoring children's progress so that records are clearly linked to the stepping stones towards the early learning goals. Improve daily activity plans so that clear learning objectives are identified and staff have opportunities to consider the most effective methods for grouping children and evaluate their practice.

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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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