Roberttown Community Centre Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 4 Oct 2007

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 311343 Inspection date 04/10/2007 Inspector Hilary Mary Mckenning

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Setting address Roberttown Community Centre, Church Road, Liversedge, West Yorkshire, WF15 7LS

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Registered person

The Trustees of Roberttown Community Centre Pre-School Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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Registered person

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be freely reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided the source and date of publication are stated.

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The provider must give a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must give a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Day Care and Childminding (inspection) (England) Regulations 2005 No 2300 Regulations 5 and 6).

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Roberttown Community Centre Pre-school opened in 1972. It is managed by a committee and operates from within the local community centre. Children access the main hall, bathroom facilities and outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school provides care during term time, between 09.00 and 12.30 on Monday and 09.00 to 15.00 on Tuesday to Friday. There are currently 52 children and of these, 26 children are receiving funding for nursery education. The pre-school supports children with learning difficulties, and there are systems in place to support children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school employs eight staff, most holding recognised early year’s qualifications. The pre-school liaises closely with the local primary school. They receive support from the Pre-school Learning Alliance and the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy playing within the environment both indoors and outdoors where they access a variety of activities. Children move with co-ordination and control as they adjust speed and change direction to avoid obstacles, for example, when playing on wheeled toys.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children enjoy a good range of healthy snacks and this contributes significantly to the children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle. Menus are on display and take into account children's dietary needs and parents' wishes. Children are confident and develop some independence. However, the organisation of snack times does not fully promote independence for older children, for example, with opportunities to serve themselves. Children are well rested and alert and so enjoy their play.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well protected from illness and infection. Older children know the importance of personal hygiene as they readily follow good practice and daily routines. For example, they wash their hands frequently throughout the session, in particular after accessing the toilet, before eating and after outdoor play, without reminders. Children manage their personal needs effectively, for example, they obtain tissues to wipe their own noses. Staff hold current first aid certificates and there are clear details for the exclusion of sick children to prevent cross infection. Arrangements for first aid and administering medication successfully meet requirements and protect children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are cared for in a secure, welcoming environment because of staff having a secure understanding of their role in keeping children safe. Children are protected from potential hazards as daily checks of the premises are made and steps are taken to minimise identified risks. This enables children to move around freely and safely, indoors and outdoors. Effective safety and security precautions are in place, such as the main door having a keypad. Children are familiar with keeping themselves safe when out and about as they are introduced to road safety through topics and discussions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff give high priority to children’s welfare. This is because staff understand their responsibilities for protecting children. Policies and procedures are in place and follow Local Safeguarding Children Board guidelines. However, they do not record existing injuries to children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are aware of procedures to follow in the event of a fire as drills are held regularly. These are recorded and assessed in order to address any issues and ensure children’s safety is maintained. Children independently select activities from a wide range of good quality toys and equipment stored in child height furniture. The staff carefully monitor children’s toys to ensure they are safe and appropriate for their age and stage of development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy their time at the nursery. They arrive happy and eager to participate. Close and caring relationships increase children's sense of trust and help to develop children's self esteem. Children make their own choices about their play from a range of good quality resources and activities. Staff use the 'Birth to three matters' framework, to provide interesting, daily experiences that stimulates their curiosity and promotes younger children’s learning. Children are supported sensitively by the staff’s calm manner. They have a clear understanding of right from wrong, as they learn to share toys and take turns. They confidently make choices about their play, selecting resources and undertaking tasks from the broad, challenging, and stimulating range available. They demonstrate good independent skills and successfully plan their own time, making decisions about what to do. They put on aprons to paint and help themselves to a broad range of quality resources.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Nursery education. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff's good knowledge of the Foundation Stage ensures that children progress well in all areas of development. Children are interested and motivated to learn through well planned, spontaneous activities and experiences. They show good concentration skills as they carefully examine the plate of fruit before starting their observational painting. They build and design, extending their imagination and their natural creativity using a wide variety of craft materials and resources.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are confident speakers and listen intently to each other when playing and in groups. They discuss the day's weather as well as the letter, colour and shape of the week. Children manage their own behaviour well, using language to resolve conflict, encouraged and supported by skilled staff. Children have an understanding that print has a meaning. Some children write for a purpose as they write their name on their work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are motivated to learn through the planning of activities that capture their imagination and interest. They are confident and assured to work and play independently or in groups.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from individual support to help them to recognise shapes, colours and sizes. For example, in group activities they can recognise, match and name shapes, such as circle, square and triangle. Children have good counting skills and carry out number operations in focused activities. However, staff do not maximise opportunities in everyday activities to consolidate children's mathematical awareness and solve simple problems.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Priority is given to getting to know children and their families well. Staff gain a beneficial understanding of children's interests by talking to parents and observing children as they play. They regularly assess children's progress through the stepping stones, providing a clear picture of their progress for parents. Staff interact well with children and involve them in some planning activities. They make good use of open- ended questions to develop children's thinking, stimulate curiosity and encourage them to use their imagination. Planning is flexible enough to respond to children's interests, which ensures they enjoy their learning. Overall children make good progress in all areas of learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have a strong sense of belonging and feel at ease within the environment. They are warmly welcomed by staff who are sensitive to their needs and value their individuality. Staff work closely with parents to find out what is important to children, such as special events in their lives. Children know they are valued, as staff listen attentively to what they say and ask questions about their experiences and interests. For example, they make sure they greet each child individually on arrival and talk to them about what they have been doing at home. This contributes effectively to children developing self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. Children play well together, as they are aware of their own needs and show consideration for the needs of others. For example, older children assist younger children when playing on the balancing beams. Children confidently share information about themselves and listen with interest when others share their news. This is due to staff planning opportunities for them to be together in group times. Activities and resources help children become aware of similarities and differences, which in turn increases their understanding of the wider world. Children enjoy exploring outdoors to broaden their knowledge of the environment and their local area.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents and carers is good. Priority is given to getting to know children and their families well. This ensures children are cared for in an environment that is sensitive to their individual needs and home routines are followed. Parents are confident in approaching staff and regularly share their views through a suggestions box. Parents are kept informed about what their children are doing and learning through newsletters, photographs and a notice board. Parents and staff share daily information about the children’s day. This encourages parents to become involved in their children's learning in meaningful ways.

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Organisation

Children are cared for in a homely environment where they can move around and explore freely. Familiar staff are always on hand to offer support and reassurance to children and parents. This contributes to children feeling secure and content within the environment. The organisation of the different play areas encourages children to develop independence and initiative. All staff are appropriately vetted and have suitable skills and experience to work with children. Most required documentation, which contributes to children’s health, safety, and well-being, is in place and regularly reviewed. Parents' wishes regarding their child's care influence day-to-day practice and clear written agreements are recorded.

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Organisation

Children benefit from the cohesive staff team who are enthusiastic and clearly committed to self-evaluation and improvement of their practice. They share a clear understanding of good early years practice through a comprehensive induction process. Polices and procedures are used to promote the welfare, care and learning of children that contributes to their well-being. However, some records are not consistently completed. There is an appraisal system in place to identify staff training needs and ensure the policies and procedures are consistently applied.

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Organisation

Leadership and management of the nursery is good. The manager leads a staff team who have a high regard for children's welfare. She acts as a role model as she frequently works alongside staff. Children benefit from a staff team who are committed to self-evaluation and improvement of their practice. For example, staff recently attended the 'Birth to three matters' framework training. This commitment to improvement ensures the continuing development of the educational provision. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to address several issues relating to documentation. The provider has reviewed and revised all the policies and procedures. The behaviour management policy now includes a section regarding bullying. Although there is also a clear expectation regarding the process for recording accidents this is not always consistently followed.

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Complaints about the childcare provision

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

 further develop children's independence and self help skills in daily routines, such as snack times  ensure the recording of existing injuries is maintained  ensure consistent recording of accidents.

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WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

The quality and standards of nursery education

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WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):  consider further ways for children to solve simple problems in everyday activities.

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WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

procedures set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted’s role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2473) which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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