St Clares Pre School

St Clares Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 305317 Inspection date 18/10/2010 Inspector Kay Armstrong

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Setting address St Clares Primary School, Hawthorne Road, Lache, Cheshire, CH4 8HX Telephone number 01244981110 or 07936 413246 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

St. Clare's Pre-school is managed by a committee of staff and parents and has been registered since 1984. It is situated in a designated classroom within St. Clare's Catholic Primary School in the Lache area of Chester. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 9.10am to 12.10pm and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1pm to 3pm term time only. Children have access to outdoor play areas.

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Description of the setting

The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 23 children from two to five years may attend the setting at any one time. Currently there are 34 children on roll all of whom are in the early years age group. This includes 13 children who are in receipt of nursery funding for free early education. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

There are six members of staff who care for the children. Four of these hold Level 3 early years qualifications and two have Level 2 qualifications and are working towards Level 3. The setting is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and gains support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children make steady progress in this inclusive environment. Their learning and development are appropriately fostered as the staff provide a range of suitable activities which sustain children's interest. Staff have a clear understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However some elements of the welfare requirements are not fully embedded and there are not enough opportunities for children to develop their independence, mathematical and information technology skills. Staff demonstrate a satisfactory capacity for continuous improvement. A self-evaluation system is in place but is not current and therefore areas for further progress are not consistently recognised.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 review the risk assessment regularly to ensure that it covers anything with which a child may come into contact.  update the system used to monitor and evaluate the service and identify areas for continuing development  provide more opportunities for children to develop self-help skills, particularly at snack time  increase access to programmable resources such as a computer and provide more opportunities for children to use mathematical concepts in everyday This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 situations.

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the early years provision

Children's safety is promoted well within the group, as staff have a good understanding of issues surrounding child protection and procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child. The clear recruitment policy ensures all staff who are employed are fully vetted for their suitability and undergo a sound induction process. Children are further protected from harm as staff follow clear safety procedures. For example, daily visual checks of the environment ensure that all potential hazards are minimised and children are able to play safely. Suitable risk assessments have been completed but these do not always cover everything with which a child may come into contact as the review does not yet address this. All records, policies and procedures which help to promote positive outcomes for children are in order. The staff ratio is maintained at all times and their effective deployment provides good levels of support to children as they play.

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the early years provision

Strong relationships with parents and other professionals promote continuity of care for the children. Staff work closely with other professionals and parents to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are planned for. As a result, the individual needs of children are recognised and taken into account, ensuring they are fully included. Equality and diversity are effectively promoted through a range of good resources and activities.

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the early years provision

The staff team work well together and demonstrate a positive commitment to developing their practice as they attend ongoing training. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been suitably addressed, which enhances children's overall well-being. There is a system in place to monitor and evaluate the service. However, this has not been kept up to-date and does not outline ongoing areas for future development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are beginning to develop a positive attitude to learning as they make choices about their play and learning. They make steady progress in their overall development because staff provide a range of activities which promote and support their learning. For example, the children enjoy rolling, kneading and moulding dough into shapes and talk about long, thin worms or short and round worms. They express themselves creatively as they, paint bright pictures, sing and play imaginatively with small world resources. Children begin to problem solve as they play with construction materials and complete jigsaw puzzles. They learn about numbers as they sing rhymes and use their fingers to count on. However, they have few opportunities to use numbers and mathematical concepts in everyday situations. Staff adopt a kind approach and cheerful manner, which encourages children to be good humoured and self-assured. They play closely with

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children, supporting their understanding and encouraging them to learn. Some children confidently link sounds and letters and they are beginning to understand that print carries meaning. They enjoy listening to stories and have access to an appropriate range of mark-making materials. Children begin to understand about the world in which they live through a range of themed activities and by celebrating some cultural festivals. However, their access to information technology and programmable resources is limited which impacts upon their overall learning. An effective key person system helps staff to get to know the children well so that trusting relationships develop. Suitable observation and assessment systems are in place and are currently being further developed to include a system to track children's progress towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

Children understand the safety rules as staff give clear explanations of the possible consequences of their actions. They are developing a clear sense of safety as they begin to understand about managing some aspects of their own safety. Staff provide a range of snacks which help to promote children's understanding of healthy eating. Snack time is a social occasion but does not sufficiently promote children's independence. Children have good opportunities to play outdoors where they learn to control their bodies and develop their coordination as they have fun. They gain great enjoyment from circle games as they cheer each other on, laugh and clap at their 'funny walks'. Their physical development is sufficiently promoted as they run around, ride wheeled toys and access different play areas where they are able to climb and balance. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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