Beddington Park Primary School

St Nicholas & St Faith Pre- School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 102974 Inspection date 01/02/2011 Inspector Dinah Round

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Setting address St Nicholas & St Faith Church rooms, Alexandra Square, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6AN Telephone number 01752 846674 or 01752 518488 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

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

St Nicholas and St Faith Pre-school opened in 1986 and operates from the main hall of the St Nicholas and St Faith church premises, situated in Saltash town centre, in Cornwall. The pre-school is managed by a voluntary committee and serves the local area.The pre-school provides funded early education for children aged three and four years. The pre-school is open from 9.15am to 12.15pm on Monday to Friday during term time only.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 24 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 32 children aged from two to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The pre-school welcomes children with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities and children who have English as an additional language. The pre-school has five staff, four of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least level 2.

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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 happy and settled in the welcoming and child-oriented environment. Staff take positive steps to ensure children's individual needs are met and that they promote inclusive practice. The broad range of interesting and stimulating play opportunities means that overall children are making good progress in most areas of their learning and development. Children's welfare is promoted well, they benefit from the strong partnerships developed with parents to support their individual needs. The pre-school has effective systems in place to evaluate their practice and continue to reflect on ways to enhance the learning outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further observation, assessment and planning systems to incooporate children's current interests into planning of future activities to support them effectively in the next steps of their learning and development increase opportunities for children to use mathematical language and skills within their play and everyday activities and routines.  develop resources and play opportunities further to provide children with stimulating and imaginative role play activities 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 effectively promoted. Policies, procedures and records are well organised and updated frequently to support the provision and to meet children's needs. Clear recruitment and vetting procedures are followed to check that staff are suitable to work with children. The small team of experienced staff know children well, which means that children feel comfortable, settled and secure. Ongoing risk assessments, including daily checklists are carried out to identify and minimise risks to children enabling them to move around freely and safely. Staff have a secure understanding of the possible signs and symptoms of child abuse and procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child in their care. This contributes towards safeguarding children. The play environment is well-planned and provides opportunities for children to follow their interests, with the ability to free-flow between the indoor and outdoor

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the early years provision

play areas in the summer months. Resources are clean, well maintained and age appropriate. Children benefit from being able to freely access many of the resources to make independent choices about their play. Children develop a good sense of belonging as they select their name card displaying their photograph as they arrive at the setting. They are gaining awareness of the needs of others and the wider world, for example, they learn to greet each other in Chinese by saying 'Ni hao' during Chinese New Year. Staff work together well as a team maintaining the smooth running of the sessions to ensure that children are well supported. Effective systems are in place to continue to evaluate and reflect on areas for improvement, and staff seek parents views and suggestions on ways in which to improve their provision through sending out questionnaires. For example, a weekly menu plan is now displayed following parents request for information on the daily

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the early years provision

snacks provided. Staff have established good working relationships with parents which helps support them in meeting children's individual needs. Detailed information about each child's starting points and abilities is provided by parents on the 'chat wheel' record, and the induction sessions are tailored to children's individual needs. This helps support children's transition from home to the pre-school so that they feel settled and secure. Daily informal discussion between staff and parents alongside the formal meetings to view their child's learning journal, ensures that there is a regular two- way exchange of information about children's care and development. Parents are encouraged to get involved in their child's learning by contributing 'Wow' observations on their child's achievements at home. Parents are provided with clear information about the provision, through regular newsletters, notices and

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the early years provision

access to the pre-school website. Parents comment that they feel they are kept well informed about their child's care. There are effective systems in place to link with other early years settings children attend which provides continuity for children's care and learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children come into the group well, they generally settle quickly and happily get involved in an activity. Staff interact with children in a sensitive and caring manner, providing reassurance and support for less confident children to help them settle. Staff get involved in children's play offering good support to help children progress and develop, making effective use of spontaneous learning opportunities. For example, when children show excitement as they discover an insect on the play house outside, staff skillfully ask questions to encourage children's thinking and develop their understanding about nature and living things. Regular observations and assessments are carried out to monitor children's progress and achievements. However, these are not yet being used to feed into planning to effectively support children in moving onto the next step in their learning. Children behave well. They know the tidy up routine and quickly find a job to do when they hear the music

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and outcomes for children

playing, co-operating and helping each other. The regular praise and encouragement by staff helps to boost children's confidence and self-esteem. Children are developing good independence in practical skills as they pour their own drinks and choose their own food at snack time. They use their senses to explore and investigate a varied range of objects and materials. For example, children have fun feeling the noodles and trying to use the chopsticks to lift them up. Children use language well to communicate their needs and are confident to share their news with others during circle time, such as talking about the 'Brachiosaurus with a swishy tail'. Staff make effective use of puppets to stimulate children's conversation, and group story times are thoughtfully organised in small groups so they are geared to children's individual needs. For example, the older children have great fun joining in the actions and repeating the words of the

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and outcomes for children

familiar story of 'Going on a Bear Hunt'. Children have good opportunities to use mark making tools, and are encouraged to write their names on their artwork which helps to develop their emergent writing. Children have access to a variety of resources to explore shapes in various ways, however, they do not regularly use mathematical language or solve problems during their play or everyday activities. Children have access to a wide range of creative play experiences, such as paint, sand and frequent baking activities. However, resources provided in the role play area are uninviting, which limits opportunities for children to use their imagination and express their creativity. Children take part in outings around their local community which helps to raise their awareness about their local community. Children's health and safety is promoted well. They learn about keeping themselves safe through the gentle reminders from staff and taking part in

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and outcomes for children

emergency evacuation practises. Staff follow clear daily routines to maintain an hygienic environment and children are taught the importance of leading healthy lifestyles and washing their hands before eating. Children take part in growing and planting activities, which helps to raise their awareness of where food comes from. They enjoy a variety of healthy and nutritious snacks, such as apple, raisins, cheese and cereals. Children have great fun joining in the 'mini movers' warm up exercises at the beginning of the session, which introduces them to the importance of keeping active and healthy. 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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