Beeches Preschool

Beeches Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY267088 Inspection date 19/01/2011 Inspector Lynn Dent

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Setting address Iqbal Family Centre, 157 Cromwell Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 2EL Telephone number 01733 707 658 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

Beeches Pre-School opened at its present premises in 2003 but has been operating since 1993. It operates from a large room in the Iqbal Family Centre in central Peterborough. Beeches Pre-School serves the local community. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 12.00 noon to 3.00pm each weekday. There is no extended lunchtime provision. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The playgroup is registered on the Early Years Register and compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of 26 children at any one time. There are currently 50 children from two years six months to five years on roll. The setting is in receipt of nursery education funding. Children attend for a variety of sessions each week. The setting currently supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The playgroup employs seven staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications. The setting is a member of 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 receive good quality care in an environment which is stimulating and displays their art work making it meaningful to them. Staff plan and provide a good range of experiences and use the outdoor play area well to extend children's learning and development. Children's computer skills are progressing and mathematical concepts are not always promoted although they are making good progress overall due to the effective interaction from staff. Extremely effective partnership working with parents, carers and specialist services enables staff to very effectively provide consistency for the children in their care. The management have developed good systems for self-evaluation which enable them to review and improve the provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the use of spontaneous opportunities and daily routines to further promote children's learning; this is with regards to problem solving, reasoning and numeracy  develop further opportunities for children to extend their skills in using information and communication technology. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is fully protected because staff clearly understand the effective procedures in place for identifying any child at risk of harm and liaising with the appropriate child protection agencies. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures ensure the suitability of staff to work with the children. Students receive clear guidance regarding what is expected of them and are supervised at all times. The effective deployment of staff means that children are well-supervised at all times. The required risk assessments are completed ensuring that children are cared for in a safe environment. Indoor and outdoor play are organised to enable children to make choices about where they play and which activities to engage in. Toys and resources are in good condition and children can access these at will, thus promoting their independence. Children also benefit from a very well-equipped sensory room.

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the early years provision

Very successful relationships with parents and carers begin with home visits by staff before the children attend. This results in all children receiving highly personalised care. Regular exchanges of information, sharing of records and meetings keep parents fully informed of their children's progress. Parents add their comments to the children's records of achievements resulting in staff having additional information to help them plan effectively for the children. Excellent partnership working with an extensive range of specialist services mean that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the highest possible support and care to meet their individual needs. Detailed individual education plans and care plans are in place and regularly reviewed with parents who are very effectively supported by staff during review meetings.

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the early years provision

The effective systems for self-evaluation ensure that the opinions of parents, children and staff are taken into account. Areas for improvement have been identified and are being addressed. The management show a real commitment to improvement as they have recently re-visited the self-evaluation and updated this to review the improvements being made and reassess the provision as a whole.

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and outcomes for children

All children are very settled at the pre-school. They have well-developed social skills. As a result they play harmoniously with their friends. Although the pre- school is based in an area of high deprivation and the majority of children speak English as an additional language, they all have a good understanding of the English language because staff are bi-lingual, speaking to them and singing in a range of languages. Children can accurately identify initial sounds and letters as they practice these during group times. More able children use their language very well to explain their drawing and to express themselves. Children have access to a good range of resources to be creative. These include glue, tape and scissors enabling them to cut and fix things together. Children are surrounded by positive images and celebrate a range of festivals throughout the years. Consequently, they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

are learning to respect differences on the world in which they live.

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and outcomes for children

All children make good progress in their learning and development overall. They are learning to count and can identify some colours. However, overall children's mathematical skills are not as developed as other areas of learning. Children use electronic cash registers in the role play area and programmable toys. However they are in the early stages of developing their computer skills. The management and staff are committed to providing good quality care and stimulating learning experiences for the children. Staff clearly understand the Early Years Foundation Stage, planning an interesting range of activities that engage children,s interests. Regular observations of children at play enable staff to carefully monitor children's progress and identify their learning priorities. These are used to well to inform future planning resulting in individual learning programmes for all children.

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and outcomes for children

All children are developing their independence as they develop their own personal hygiene and serve themselves at snack time. Children can freely flow to the outdoor play area which is well-resourced and used effectively to extend children's learning, for example, they learn how things work as they use lights to see in a covered area. They have small flashing lights and a range of torches that work using batteries and those that need winding up. Staff also provide cellophane paper and coloured paddles for children to experiment with and see different colours. Other outdoor activities include playing musical instruments, planting, physical play and mark making activities. Children are learning safe practices as staff remind them how to use scissors safely and help them cut up fruit for snacks using a child-sized knife. All children take turns and sit down for snack time. This time is used well to develop good table manners.

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and outcomes for children

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 1 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 1 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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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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