Welland Pre-school

Welland Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number EY402179 Inspection date 01/10/2010 Inspector Rachel Wyatt

p.1

Setting address The Pavilion, Spittlesfield, Marlbank Road, Welland, Worcestershire, WR13 6NE Telephone number 01684310690 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.

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the setting

Welland Pre-School is an established setting that has been running since 1971. It moved to the present purpose-built community building in 2010. The pre-school is in Welland, near Malvern, Worcestershire. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area and to other nearby local amenities and open spaces. The pre- school is open each weekday during school term times from 9.00am until 3.00pm.

p.4

Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 24 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 17 children aged from two to under five on roll. The pre-school is also registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register to offer care to children aged over five to eight years. The pre-school currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and is able to support children who speak English as an additional language.

p.4

Description of the setting

There are five members of staff who work regularly with the children, four of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to Level 2 or 3. One member of staff is working towards a Level 3 qualification. The pre-school is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and provides funded early education.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children thrive, their needs are met and they progress well at pre-school. Priority is given to reflecting their individual choices and interests in the setting, so children are happy, confident and feel valued. Successful partnerships with parents, carers and other agencies ensure staff know children well and that everyone works together to safeguard them and promote their welfare. The committee, manager and staff have worked hard to ensure a successful move to new premises. They demonstrate a commitment to the continuous improvement of the pre-school, by encouraging and promptly responding to parents' and children's suggestions, and by implementing other generally effective monitoring systems and associated well- targeted action plans.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 consolidate the use of observations and assessments to effectively monitor each child's progress, to identify individual learning priorities and to share this information with parents and carers  improve the organisation of group story times to ensure all children listen attentively and can contribute to discussions. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.4

the early years provision

Children are fully safeguarded. The pre-school has robust safeguarding policies and procedures, which the manager, who has designated responsibility for safeguarding, and staff understand and follow. Effective staff induction and training ensures all staff have an up-to-date knowledge of how to protect children from harm and how to take prompt, appropriate action if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. There are clear procedures covering the reporting and management of any allegations of abuse against staff. Children's welfare is further supported by the pre-school's robust staff recruitment and vetting arrangements. This ensures all adults working with the children are suitable and have the relevant knowledge, skills and experience. Documentation is well-organised so that all required agreements and information about children and their families are obtained before a child starts.

p.5

the early years provision

The pre-school is effectively led and managed. The manager and staff, supported by the committee, understand their roles and responsibilities and work well together. An effective key person system ensures good individual support for children and positive interactions with parents. Children thrive in a welcoming and nurturing environment where inclusive practice is given priority. The new premises are accessible, child-friendly and inviting, and each child's interests and learning styles are key factors in the way toys and activities are planned and organised. Sound partnerships with parents, carers and other agencies ensures each child's needs are fully understood. For example, information provided by parents and carers really helps staff to get to know children, and from the outset parents are well-informed about how the pre-school operates. They have regular newsletters and weekly updates about topics and activities. These are also given to providers

p.5

the early years provision

of other settings children attend in order to promote continuity.

p.5

the early years provision

The outcomes for children are consistently improved as the committee, manager and staff are committed to driving improvement. Following a move to new premises, they have been proactive about revising safeguarding, safety and other procedures and reviewing the effectiveness of these. The pre-school has a clear action plan with targets for improvement which are promptly addressed. For example, parents' feedback since the move to the new building has resulted in improved collection arrangements and longer sessions to offer families more choice. The outcomes of the pre-school's evaluation of activities and of a recent Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale assessment have also resulted in improvements, such as, reorganising the management of some whole group activities and altering arrangements for children's free-flow play indoors and outside at the start of the daily session.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Children enjoy learning and make good progress. The manager and staff are welcoming, encouraging and support children well so they are eager to take part in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 activities and remain involved. Staff know children's interests and their learning and development starting points as a result of their regular observations, and discussions with them and their parents. This information is used to help the manager plan a varied and rewarding programme of activities which includes a good balance of free-choice and more adult-led experiences. However, there are some inconsistencies in assessment. As a result, children's individual learning and development priorities are not always clearly identified. This potentially inhibits accurate planning for each child and effective sharing of information with parents about their child's developmental milestones and next steps.

p.5

and outcomes for children

Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. The manager, the pre-school's special educational needs coordinator and other staff all sensitively work with parents to identify where children need additional support. Effective partnerships with other agencies mean that clear targets are set for children, and resources and planning are adapted to reflect and promote their individual learning, development and/or care needs. For example, all adults working in the setting successfully use a range of visual prompts, puppets and some signing. These methods have had a positive impact on certain children's speech and language development and are also used successfully to promote all children's good behaviour, recall and awareness of the daily timetable.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children develop good skills for the future. They confidently make choices and decisions, such as, helping themselves to toys and contributing to planning activities for the next day. Staff effectively support children's play and interactions so they settle quickly, often concentrate well and persevere. Whole group activities are generally well-managed and provide children with opportunities to welcome each other, share news, talk about the weather and discuss the days activities. Children's attention, listening and turn taking in speaking are aided by splitting some circle time activities into smaller groups. However, not all children pay attention or fully join in story times where they meet as a whole group. In other respects, the well-equipped 'quiet' room offers children an appropriate atmosphere for enjoying music, books and stories. Children think critically, using numbers for counting and simple problem solving, and compare and match items according to

p.6

and outcomes for children

type, colour, shape and size. They are interested in features of the natural world and how things work, change and react. For example, they busily explore sand, water and dough; confidently build with construction toys and other materials, and enjoy finding conkers, acorns, cones and bark displayed on the autumn-themed interest table. Children increasingly use programmable toys, sound equipment and computers to support their learning. They are creative and imaginative, expressing their ideas through role play, paintings, drawings and craft work. Children enjoy songs, rhymes and music and develop an appreciation of rhythm and beat.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children behave well. They respond to the expectations and requests of staff, play harmoniously and are kind and helpful. They look after their possessions and assist with tidying up and other tasks. For instance, during preparations for snack time a member of staff and two children discuss good hygiene as they wash their hands and then clean the table. They talk about healthy eating, identify and count the different fruits they have chosen, and then name these in German. Children's respect for each others differing backgrounds is further extended by taking part in activities focussing on their families or different celebrations, such as, St David's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Day, Chinese New Year and Diwali. They help with fundraising for the pre-school and take part in events at the nearby school or in the village.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children's welfare is promoted well. Their care, health, dietary and cultural needs are fully understood and effectively met. If they have an accident, become unwell or need medication, children have prompt, appropriate treatment from staff who have current first aid qualifications. Clear accident, medication and incident records are maintained and parents are kept well-informed about these and other matters relating to their children's health and care. Children develop a sound awareness of the importance healthy lifestyles. They adopt good hygiene practices and make healthy choices about what to eat and drink during sociable, relaxed snack and lunch times. They relish being outside and are physically active, confidently using wheeled toys in particular. Children are kept safe. They are effectively supervised and robust risk assessments and safety checks are implemented to ensure the premises are secure and free from hazards. It is clear children feel emotionally

p.7

and outcomes for children

secure at pre-school and have positive relationships with the caring staff. Children also behave in ways that are safe for themselves and others. Staff talk to them about safety issues, such as, how to use equipment correctly and what might happen if toys are left on the floor or if they wear unfastened shoes. Children and staff also take part in fire evacuation drills. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.8

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

p.8

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.8

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

p.8

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

p.8

Stage

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

p.8

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

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

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

p.9