Princess Louise Pre School Nursery

Princess Louise Pre-School Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY355191 Inspection date 01/02/2011 Inspector Lynne Pope

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Setting address Isabella Community Centre, Ogle Drive, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 5EH Telephone number 01670 546 099 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

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

Princess Louise Pre-School opened at the current venue in 2007 and is run by a committee. It operates from the community centre building in Blyth and has access to an enclosed outdoor play area. It is situated in the Blyth area of Northumberland. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 9.15am until 3.45pm during school term time. They are registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register for a maximum of 20 children at any one time with no children aged under two years. There are currently 41 children from two to five years on roll, some in part time places. The setting is able to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who have English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs four staff. Two staff hold an Early Years Qualification of National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2, one member of staff holds a NVQ Level 3 and the manager holds a Level 5 Foundation Degree. The provision is registered to accept government funding for three- and four-year-olds and receives support from the Early Years Support Team.

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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 settle very well in the pre-school and receive a good level of care because the staff work very closely with individual children and their families. Staff have a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children develop and learn through play. Children are cared for in a very safe and secure environment and most of the required policies and procedures are in place to meet requirements. There is a strong capacity for sustained improvement. The highly effective partnership with parents ensures that they communicate well to put the children's needs first.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 amend the complaints procedure so that it relates to the requirements that complainants will be notified of the outcome of the investigation within 28 days of having received the complaint (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 22/02/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 analyse observations to help to plan what next for individuals in the learning journals This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  support the development of independence skills at snack time so that children seek to do things for themselves such as pouring their own drinks or serving their own food.

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the early years provision

Effective record keeping systems, policies and procedures are in place and are well organised and regularly reviewed. However, the written complaints procedure does not include the timescales that would be involved in investigating a written complaint. This is a breach of requirement. Staff have a good understanding of the policies and procedures, in particular, they have a clear understanding of the action to be taken to safeguard children from harm. Effective recruitment procedures ensure that staff have appropriate qualifications to care for children. Their ongoing suitability and learning needs are identified through the manager working closely with them and staff identifying their own learning needs. They are deployed very effectively throughout the provision with thorough measures taken to cover staff absence. Possible hazards for children have been identified through a clearly written record of risks which is supported by a daily checklist for all areas.

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the early years provision

The pre-school is well maintained and attractively presented to help children to settle happily. Displays of children's work and age-appropriate resources create a child-friendly environment. Children have easy access to the outdoor area and can choose whether they want to carry out their activities inside or out. Staff review the environment and resources on a regular basis to ensure that it remains interesting, attractive and accessible so that children can learn independently. Each child is recognised for their uniqueness and staff encourage all children to learn to value differences and diversity, through activities and sharing information. Staff have a strong commitment to self-evaluation of practice which also incorporates input from parents and the local authority, which ensures all aspects of the provision are monitored and evaluated, therefore supporting ongoing improvement. Staff demonstrate a commitment to promoting positive outcomes for

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the early years provision

children by developing their own knowledge through ongoing training. For example, they have attended courses for developing imagination, outdoor play on a shoestring and mentoring and appraisal.

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the early years provision

The excellent liaison with parents contributes to improvements in children's achievement, well-being and development. The pre-school places great value in ensuring that parents develop a sense of belonging to the setting and have a say in the care and well-being of their children. For example, when they arrive with their children they are encouraged to stay and do the first activity with their child. This helps them to extend children's learning at home. They have access to their child's learning journal at any time and it is sent home at the end of each half term. There is space for them to write their own comments on their child's progress, likes and dislikes. A summary is written by staff three times a year on each child's development and parents are invited in to discuss it and any concerns they might have. The pre-school is run by a committee and parents are invited to be members which enables them to have an input into the settings policies and

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the early years provision

procedures. Children's learning journals are shared with other provisions that This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children attend as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage which ensures continuity of learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Staff plan and organise the systems to ensure that every child receives an enjoyable and challenging learning and development experience that is tailored to meet their individual needs. Consequently, children have the opportunity to participate in a good range of activities and experiences and the staff are able to plan and promote their individual development and learning requirements. Comprehensive weekly written plans make it very clear what the learning outcomes are for children each day. Observations of children's achievements are noted by staff and sheets are placed in each area so that staff can jot down children's particular interests, which are incorporated into the following week's plan. Individual learning journals are maintained with observations and photographs of children's activities entered. However, staff do not evaluate what the next step will be for the child in the journal. A tracker is updated once a term

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and outcomes for children

which clearly shows the progress that children are making against the learning goals. This results in children being supported to make good progress in all areas of their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children quickly settle into the pre-school and show their enthusiasm and increasing independence as they select from the available activities. Letters, sounds and numbers form the basis for a lot of activities. For example, they look at the written first letter of someone's name and are asked what the letter is. They are able to identify it. They are asked how many children do they think are present and then count the number. At snack time they count how many children are at the table so that they know how many cups they need. All children love to play outdoors. They construct using large construction pieces as they build a robot. They fill jugs and buckets with water and watch the water being poured. The water is poured into a tray on the ground and they jump into it with great enthusiasm. Musical instruments are available and children bang them to listen to the sounds that they make. Indoors they take part in creative activities as they

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and outcomes for children

glue collage materials onto a calendar. They enjoy using the white boards to draw a picture and felt tips as they use a stencil to make a pattern. Positive images are available around the provision. Books, jigsaws and lotto games develop children's understanding further of inclusion and diversity. Activities such as celebrating Chinese New Year help children to learn about different cultures as they taste different foods.

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and outcomes for children

Every child's welfare needs are given close attention. Warm and caring relationships with the staff help children to feel safe and secure in their surroundings. They learn about possible dangers and how to keep themselves safe through routines such as fire evacuation procedures. Children are protected from infectious illness and they develop clear understanding of how to promote their own good health. They receive regular reminders from staff about the importance of flushing the toilet and washing their hands. At snack time they share a selection of fruit and have a drink. However, they are not encouraged to pour the drink for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 themselves or help to prepare the snack which would help to develop their independence. Children are encouraged to develop the habits and behaviour appropriate to good learners, their own needs and those of others, and have

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and outcomes for children

excellent self-esteem. Boundaries are explained to them encouraging them to understand their limits and to build confidence. They receive a lot of praise for their efforts, either verbally or through stickers. They learn to respect each other and take turns as staff give guidance on sharing resources which supports the development of skills they will need for the future. 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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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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