Doddinghurst Community Pre-school

Doddinghurst Community Preschool Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 508826 Inspection date 10/11/2010 Inspector Patricia Champion

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Setting address Doddinghurst Village Hall, Church Lane,Doddinghurst, BRENTWOOD, Essex, CM15 0NJ Telephone number 01277 822108 Email chair_dcpreschool@hotmail.co.uk 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

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

Doddinghurst Community Pre-school is run by a committee. It opened in 1962 and operates from a village hall in Doddinghurst, Essex. All children share access to a secure, enclosed, outdoor play area. A maximum of 32 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions operate between 9am and 1pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; from 9am until 12 noon on Wednesday and from 9am to 2.50pm on Friday.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 51 children aged from two to five years on roll. Children aged three and four years receive funding for early education. Children attend for a variety of sessions or a full day on Friday. The pre-school serves the local community and surrounding areas. The setting supports a small number of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs 14 staff, 10 of whom, including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are two staff currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are active learners and delight in taking part in a wide range of stimulating experiences that cover all areas of development. They make effective progress because staff offer an inclusive setting and work closely with parents and early years professionals to meet individual welfare and learning needs. A high regard is given to keeping children safe and secure. The management committee and staff team work together effectively to identify and plan future improvements and are committed to enhancing outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 review and revise the written policies and procedures to ensure that they reflect current practice and are in line with the statutory guidance  ensure that parents have more frequent opportunities to add their comments to the development records. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are effectively protected because the staff have a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures and know what to do if they have concerns about a child. There are clear recruitment procedures to ensure that children are effectively cared for by adults who are vetted through the Criminal Records Bureau and have the relevant experience, knowledge and skills. Children play in a safe environment because risk assessment effectively details the areas of the premises to be checked and steps taken to minimise hazards. Risk assessment is also undertaken regarding any outings. Adults and children regularly practise fire drills, so that they all know what to do and how to stay safe if evacuation of the premises is necessary. The majority of staff hold current first aid and food hygiene certificates so that they can efficiently deal with children's health and care routines. They consistently gather

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the early years provision

information about any special dietary requirements and procedures regarding dealing with food intolerance or medical needs are well known.

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the early years provision

Self-evaluation accurately details the strengths of the pre-school. The manager and staff team make good use of feedback from parents to monitor and evaluate the provision and identify priorities for future improvement. All staff are very motivated and enthusiastic about attending training courses to update their knowledge and skills. Significant improvements have been made since the last inspection. The pre-school has wholeheartedly acted on recommendations from development workers to ensure that any improvements are well targeted to improve outcomes for all children. The staff also work effectively with teaching staff from the local primary school to ensure that children confidently start full-time education.

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the early years provision

Staff work closely with parents to ensure they have a good understanding of children's background and needs. They use effective strategies to ensure all groups of children achieve well and provide additional support when required, for example, one-to-one support for children with special educational needs. Activities are organised to suit children's most effective learning styles and all their contributions and efforts are treated positively by staff. This ensures that all children feel valued and equality and diversity is promoted.

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the early years provision

Parents and carers receive wide-ranging information about the setting through the pre-school website, notice boards and verbal discussions when children arrive and leave. The policies and procedures available to parents are generally well-written. However, parents may not be fully informed as not all the written policies reflect current practice or are in line with the statutory guidance within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Parents are encouraged to become involved in the children's learning by contributing items for the interest table or borrowing books to take home. Parents are invited to join the committee or enrol on the parents' rota to support children and staff during sessions, for example, during cooking activities. Their views and suggestions are strongly valued and they know that they can discuss their children's progress with the key persons at any time. Parents are keen to express their comments about the pre-school and say that they are

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the early years provision

delighted with the care and education their children receive. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are very happy, confident and spontaneous. They develop positive attitudes towards learning and follow the good examples set by the staff team. They thrive in the stimulating environment, which has defined areas for different types of activities. The improvements to the routine and increased use of the outdoor area give children greater ability to make decisions and select their resources. They are now able to sustain long periods of uninterrupted play where they participate with high levels of involvement, both indoors and outside. The staff are calm and encouraging and actively develop language skills and promote children's enjoyment of books as they ask open questions and share stories. Children are building a repertoire of familiar songs and enjoy practising for the Christmas concert. They are learning how to use Makaton sign language to enhance their communication skills. Children show respect as they learn about the

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and outcomes for children

wider world through investigating other cultures, customs and traditional events. For example, children learn why people wear poppies and mark Armistice Day with a period of silence.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals given their starting points and capabilities. The staff have reviewed the system for observation and assessment and now complete thoughtfully presented 'learning journey' records that effectively recognise children's progress and achievements and clearly identify their next steps in learning. The positive observations are supported by a wealth of photographs and examples of the children's work and contain initial child profiles completed by parents. The staff are now looking at ways of encouraging all parents to share more frequently what they know about their children and add further comments to the development records.

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and outcomes for children

Children show good awareness about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. They learn about nutritious food as they prepare the menu by choosing from a range of fruit, yoghurt, pancakes or crumpets at the successful rolling snack bar. They also learn to manage opening lunch boxes and eat their midday meal in social groups with the staff. Children's physical development is well supported as they use their energy on climbing apparatus or take part in music and movements sessions. They recognise the effects that exercise has on their bodies as they take part in cooling down exercises or independently pour themselves a drink of water. Children's understanding of safety issues is demonstrated through their play. They discuss the possible consequences if they run while indoors and behave responsibly when fire drills are carried out. Children play harmoniously and immediately stop and listen to the staff's instructions when there are changes in the routine.

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and outcomes for children

Children's progress in communicating, literacy and technology skills is developing well. They independently access the computers and confidently demonstrate how they manoeuvre the mouse to control movements on screen. Children use their imagination and problem solving skills as they use a range of natural, sensory and recycled materials and extend absorbing activities in ways that make sense to them. Practical activities such as cooking are effectively used to develop children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 understanding of everyday mathematical ideas when counting, weighing or comparing sizes and shapes. Consequently, children are effectively developing the skills they need for future learning. 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 2

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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

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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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