Alfriston Pre-School

Alfriston Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 507907 Inspection date 10/02/2011 Inspector Alison Weaver

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Setting address Alfriston War Memorial Hall, The Tye, Alfriston, Polegate, East Sussex, BN26 5TL Telephone number 07812 335981 Email alfristonpre-school@hotmail.co.uk 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

Alfriston Pre-School opened in 1971. It operates from the War Memorial Hall in the centre of Alfriston village. It has access to a large hall with an adjoining kitchen and toilets. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9.30am to 12.30pm, with a lunch club that operates at varying times. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 24 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 22 children on roll in the early years age range. The provision provides funded early education for three- and four-year olds. The provision also offers care to children aged over five years to under eight years. Children come from a wide catchment area. The setting currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs five staff. There are four staff, including the manager, who hold appropriate early years qualifications. The other member of staff is working towards a recognised qualification. The manager has Early Years Professional Status.

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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 have a very enjoyable time at the setting and have fun as they learn. Their individual welfare needs are met well and they are all helped to make good progress in their learning through effective staff interaction, good planning and the accessing of additional support where needed. Strong partnerships enable the setting to promote continuity of care and learning for individual children. Overall, children's awareness of safety and appropriate behaviour is promoted effectively so that they play harmoniously with others. An area of ongoing development is the more formal systems for the evaluation of the setting in order to continually identify areas for improvement that will benefit children.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further a culture of reflective practice, self-evaluation and informed discussion to identify the setting's strengths and priorities for development that will continue to improve the quality of provision for all children  support children further in understanding the consequences of their actions. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Rigorous recruitment procedures help ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. All staff undertake a formal induction that includes helping them understand the importance of safeguarding procedures to help protect children in their care. Staff show a clear awareness of possible signs of abuse and their responsibility to report any concerns they may have about a child. They give high priority to ensuring the premises are safe and secure for all children, including those with physical disabilities. Thorough risk assessments and daily safety checks help minimise hazards effectively so that children can play freely and independently without coming to any harm. All other required documentation that helps support children's welfare is in place and well maintained.

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the early years provision

The wide range of toys and resources are kept in good order and are suitable for the children present. These resources and the premises are used well to support children's learning. Staff make good use of display screens to divide the hall into different play areas so that all areas of learning are covered on a daily basis.

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the early years provision

Staff encourage, and actively promote, a strong partnership with parents. The views of new parents are sought about how they feel their child is developing and the information they give is used as a starting point for the key person to help settle the child. Children's individual home backgrounds and needs are respected and valued. All children are helped to learn about others and the wider world through planned activities and links to another nursery in Uganda.

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the early years provision

A variety of very helpful ongoing information is provided for parents to make them aware of what their child is learning and how well they are achieving. They are also given practical suggestions of how to continue learning at home and several parents said how inclusive and helpful they found this. The setting also works very closely with other providers and professionals to help support individual children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Effective systems are put in place to give these children the care and input they need so that they all make good progress.

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the early years provision

Staff development is encouraged through accessing additional training and regular appraisals. The staff team works well together and they make good use of regular staff meetings to evaluate and assess the setting so that they can continue to improve outcomes for children. They also seek advice and input from the local authority, for example, when reviewing their assessment systems. They have started a quality assurance process where they are more formally evaluating the overall practices of the setting in order to further develop. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Staff create a safe, warm and welcoming environment for children and parents. A wide range of interesting and fun activities are set out for the children including painting with wheeled vehicles and exploring the oats. Staff plan and provide activities that they know will interest children and support their learning. There are effective systems in place to record and assess observations of individual children and to use this information to plan for future learning. This enables every child to make good progress and develop skills for the future. Children with additional needs are well supported and activities thoughtfully planned to take into account their needs so that they are fully included.

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and outcomes for children

Children arrive happily and quickly settle at activities of their choice. Their independence is promoted well as they have the opportunity to make alternative choices from the self-selection trolleys made accessible to them. They generally play well together and are very good at sharing and taking turns. Children show they feel secure as they build strong, positive relationships with peers and adults. They are developing a good awareness of safety through everyday practices and planned themes. However, they are still developing their understanding of the impact of their actions on others.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident speakers and readily share their own experiences. Children's imagination is developing well and is actively encouraged by effective adult questioning to help them extend their thoughts and ideas. Children show an interest in technology as they like to take a turn using the laptop. They are given good support from adults when needed but many of them are able to successfully use the laptop with very little input. Children enjoy varied opportunities to make marks and show that their fine motor skills are developing well as they form letters and numbers. They like to look at books with friends and adults. They have fun taking part in singing activities and action songs where they practise their numbers. As they play with kitchen items, they bang wooden spoons together to make their own music, recognising and copying the beats.

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and outcomes for children

Children show an interest in the wall displays as they take a friend to measure themselves on the height chart and talk about how they are growing. They learn to solve problems as they play with the different construction sets, working out how to make a structure stand unsupported. Children thoroughly enjoy playing in the tents and tunnels, chasing each other and making up their own games. They show that they are beginning to understand how to care for resources as they remind each other to take off their shoes when going in the tunnels.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is promoted well through daily exercise and healthy eating. They have easy access to drinking water so can help themselves when they get thirsty. They learn about what is good to eat through planned activities such as cooking and as they grow produce on their allotment. Children also learn about the importance of good personal hygiene and clearly understand that they need to wash their hands at certain times. 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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