Thurton & Ashby St. Mary Pre-School

Thurton & Ashby St. Mary Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 257946 Inspection date 13/01/2011 Inspector Glenda Field

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Setting address Thurton Pre-School, Thurton Village Hall, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 6AX Telephone number 07771845621 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

Thurton and Ashby St. Mary Pre-school opened in 1969. They are managed by a voluntary committee. The pre-school operates from the village hall in Thurton, Norfolk and serves the local area and neighbouring villages. The setting has access to a main play hall, quiet room, toilets, cloakroom, kitchen and an enclosed outdoor area.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school opens Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 9am until 12pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. A maximum of 24 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 22 children on roll all of whom are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs four members of staff. Of these, one holds appropriate early years qualifications at Level 2 and three at Level 3 or above.

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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 with ease in the welcoming and inclusive environment of the setting and consequently make good progress in their learning. All policies and procedures are in place to ensure that the safety and welfare of all is effectively promoted. Staff have developed an extremely strong partnership with parents and involve them in all aspects of their children's learning and development. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the provision, to identify priorities for development, have been established to continue to improve the quality of the provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 provide opportunities for children to experiment with writing for different purposes in their role play activities  develop further opportunities to work in partnership with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure progression and continuity of care for individual children.

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the early years provision

The staff demonstrate a clear commitment to their role in safeguarding children. They have completed safeguarding training and their practice is guided by the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 settings written safeguarding policies. Robust recruitment arrangements are in place to ensure all staff who work with children are suitable to do so. Children are cared for in an extremely safe and secure environment. Staff help children to understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, they remind children of safe ways to use scissors so they do not hurt themselves or others. Written risk assessments and daily checks of all areas that children use ensure that hazards are identified and minimised to safeguard children. In addition, risk assessments are completed and recorded before children are taken on outings in the local area. All necessary policies and procedures are in place to ensure the effective management

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the early years provision

of the setting. They are robust and effective to support the welfare and development of children.

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the early years provision

The pre-school has developed partnerships with parents that are very effective and make a significant contribution to children's achievement and well-being. They maintain systems of communication using children's individual assessment records, scrap books and daily discussions with parents. All these systems are used very well, promoting a two-way flow of communication and enabling parents to be part of their children's daily achievements and developmental milestones. Parents speak very highly of the setting and readily assist staff in clearing away equipment at the end of the sessions. Effective systems are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school are currently looking at developing links to liaise with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage, to ensure continuity of care and learning for individual children.

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the early years provision

Children benefit as the management committee and staff strive for high quality practice, continuously monitoring and evaluating the standards of the setting. They share a vision for the improvements they plan for the provision, such as developing the layout of the outdoor play to provide a covered area. Thus, enabling children to play outdoors during inclement weather. All recommendations from the previous inspections have been acknowledged. The committee and staff are very receptive to support provided by advisors from the local authority and ensure that staff training needs are prioritised during annual appraisals.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress in their learning and development, skilfully supported by staff who demonstrate good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. An effective key person system ensures that staff and children develop strong bonds, helping children to feel settled and secure. Staff are well aware of the children's individual progress as they regularly observe their developmental needs and interests. These observations are collated in the children's individual learning records, along with meaningful photographs. This information is linked to the aspects of learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage and is used effectively to identify the next steps in children's learning. Staff work very well with parents and external professionals to provide effective support for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. For example, the staff access specialised equipment and resources from the local authority.

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children benefit from a welcoming and child-friendly learning environment. The large hall, quiet room and outdoor play area afford children with ample space to explore the good quality play materials in safe and secure surroundings. Imaginative play areas inspire children's role play, for example, children enjoy caring for the animals in the veterinary surgery. However, resources for children to experience mark making during role play are not always readily available.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident communicators and are eager to share their experiences with visitors. For example, a child told about her Christmas dress which was purple in colour and had spots and sequins, whilst another shared her experience of her first ballet lesson. They enjoy exploring their creativity as they create their own paintings and drawings, with some children able to write their own names on their finished art work. Children's physical development is supported well. In the outdoor area children enjoy parachute games, large physical play equipment, digging and growing vegetables plus a range of pipes and guttering for children to make their own water way. Through this children learn to work together to try out a range of techniques for joining and extending the items.

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and outcomes for children

Strong emphasis is placed on encouraging children to learn about aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Children are offered healthy snack food such as fresh and dried fruit along with milk and water to drink. The staff plan meaningful opportunities for children to grow a range of vegetables, which they then harvest and prepare for snack. Children understand the importance of washing their hands and confidently help staff put the toys away to avoid trips and falls. Children are also supported to develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe by taking part in regular fire drills. 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 1 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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