Tillingham Pre-School

Tillingham Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 203701 Inspection date 06/12/2010 Inspector Lynn Smith

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Setting address Village Hall, Vicarage Lane, Tillingham, Essex, CM0 7TW

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Telephone number 01621 778803 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. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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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

Tillingham Pre-School is run by a committee. It opened in 1963 and operates from the village hall in a rural setting, close to the school. All children share access to an outdoor play area. A maximum of 26 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 09:00 until 12:00 every morning and from 13:00 until 15:30 on Monday and Friday.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 39 children aged from two to five years on roll. Of these, 16 children receive funding for nursery education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school serves the local community and surrounding villages. The setting supports a small number of children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs 10 staff, of whom four, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are five staff currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority and the Pre School Learning Alliance.

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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's welfare, learning and development needs are effectively met by a stable team of dedicated staff. Children's individual needs are well-known and staff use information about the children's likes and interests to plan effectively for their learning. The setting constantly reviews and evaluates its provision and is developing its systems for self-evaluation to enable a more rigorous review of improvements for children. Staff work well in partnership with others to promote children's safety and well-being.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the organisation of snack and meal times to ensure every child receives an enjoyable and challenging learning and development experience that is tailored to meet their individual needs  develop partnership working to provide further opportunities for parents to share in their children's learning and consider ways of liaising with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure progression and continuity of care  ensure that fresh drinking water is available at all times. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The setting has clear procedures in place to safeguard and protect children. Staff have undertaken recent safeguarding training and continuously review their training needs in line with current good practice. All adults involved in the children's care are appropriately vetted and proof of their clearance is held on file. Written safeguarding policies are implemented well as staff demonstrate a clear understanding of their responsibilities with regards to protecting children. Effective risk assessments are carried out indoors and outdoors to ensure that children are cared for in a safe and secure environment.

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the early years provision

The staff and committee have evolved a system for reviewing and evaluating the provision to enable them to identify areas for improvement or training needs. The Ofsted self-evaluation form is completed and updated on a regular basis using feedback from parents, staff and committee members. The current manager and staff team have ambitious plans for the future of the setting which will ensure that they are able to strive for improvements in the outcomes for children. Resources are effectively presented to enable children to self-select equipment and play materials. Staff set the hall out each morning in a bright and interesting way. They are able to make the premises exciting and welcoming by placing wall displays and examples of the children's creative work on large folding display boards. The high adult-to-child ratio ensures that children are well-supported in their learning. Annual staff appraisals are carried out to enable staff to identify and progress their

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the early years provision

personal development. A clear training action plan is followed to ensure that all staff have good opportunities to pursue and undertake training.

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the early years provision

All children are valued and their individual needs respected within this pre-school. Staff are very knowledgeable about the children and their families as many come from the local and close surrounding areas. Staff work well with parents to establish a clear knowledge of the children's interests and home backgrounds. This information is effectively use to promote children's learning and to enable staff to meet their individual welfare needs. Children have opportunities to learn about other people's cultures and beliefs through books, resources and festivals. Staff encourage parents to come in to the setting to share their experiences with the group.

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the early years provision

Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection express complete confidence in the abilities of the staff to care for and educate their children. Their comments include praise for the way in which staff are open and encourage a two-way flow of information. Staff ensure good communication through verbal discussions at the end of the session and through a home to pre-school diary. Staff are knowledgeable about the other settings in the area which cater for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have clear systems in place for communicating with these settings and sharing information about individual children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children excitedly enjoy their pre-school experience. They actively participate in a range of play and learning opportunities which enable them to experience all six areas of learning. Their welfare needs are met through the setting's clear policies and procedures. Children confidently chat together and share real and imaginary experiences. They thoroughly enjoy becoming new characters as they dress up in the exciting selection of dressing up clothes and role play materials, for example, a wild animal moves gracefully around the room showing his friends his fine costume and practicing his roar. Children have fun making strawberry and chocolate flavour biscuits from the sparkly pink playdough. They bake their biscuits by placing them underneath the plastic table cloth and then proudly remove them and offer them to the other children. Children creatively decorate boxes with a range of sparkling shapes and glitter to take home at Christmas. They listen carefully to stories and

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and outcomes for children

participate enthusiastically in songs and rhymes. Staff observe children's play and use their observations to plot their progress and to identify their next steps in learning. This system is currently being further developed to provide each child with a visual learning journey created from photographs as well as written observations. Opportunities to enable parents to play an active role in their children's learning are currently being further developed.

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and outcomes for children

Children move very confidently around the setting demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. They excitedly come to the door when the doorbell rings to see who is visiting them. They approach staff with confidence and enjoy a cuddle when they want one. Staff encourage children to adopt a healthy lifestyle, for example, they are reminded about the importance of hand washing before preparing or eating meals. They are fit and active and have regular opportunities to experience fresh air and exercise when they access the outdoor area, the school playgroup and the field and open spaces around the village hall. Children are provided with healthy snacks during their pre-school session and are offered milk or water to drink. They sit together to share this time and are able to develop some aspects of independence as two children from each table are chosen as 'monitors' to collect plates of pre-prepared snacks for their friends. They, however, have limited

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and outcomes for children

opportunities to develop other aspects of independence such as pouring their own drinks or preparing the snack on offer. Children ask staff for a drink of water if they are thirsty, however fresh drinking water is not currently readily available at all times.

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and outcomes for children

Children understand the setting's simple rules, such as walking carefully indoors and waiting patiently to wash their hands before snacking. Staff remind them about being kind to each other and encourage them to share and take turns by using a timer. Children understand the setting's routine as they follow the visual time-line displayed on a low level notice board. They develop a good sense of well- being as they receive constant praise and encouragement from staff. The selection of toys, resources and activities offered to children enable them to develop essential skills for the future. For example, they have opportunities to develop their knowledge of problem solving, reasoning and numeracy as staff sit with them and enable them to explore mathematical equipment, such as weighing scales and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 compare bears. They are encouraged to develop their love of books and they each

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and outcomes for children

look carefully at a selection of books whilst waiting for their friends to wash their hands before snack time. 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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