Plymouth High School for Girls

Hopscotch Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 113532 Inspection date 09/02/2011 Inspector Christine Clint

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Setting address Aldingbourne Community Centre, Olivers Meadow,Westergate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 3YA Telephone number 01243 543948 or 01243 544681 Email hopscotchpreschool@btinternet.com 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

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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 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

Hopscotch Pre-school opened in 1981 and is privately owned and managed. The pre-school operates in Aldingbourne Community Centre, in Westergate, near Chichester, West Sussex. Children and staff have sole us of the large hall with access to toilets. There is an outdoor play area where children are fully supervised because this is not secure. The pre-school serves the local community and the surrounding areas; it is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 30 children in the early years age group may attend the pre-school at any one time. The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9.30 am until 12 noon on Monday to Friday mornings and a lunch club from 12 noon until 1 pm. Afternoon sessions are from 1pm until 3.30pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. There are currently 72 children aged from two years to the end of the early years

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Description of the setting

age group on roll. The pre-school provides funded educational places for children aged three and four years old. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children with special educational needs and any who speak English as an additional language. The pre-school employs 10 members of staff including the manager. Seven staff hold appropriate early years qualifications, including three staff members who have Foundation degrees in Early Childhood Studies. The setting is an accredited 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 satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Hopscotch Pre-school provides soundly organised systems to promote children's individual development and learning needs. These are adequately supported and promoted through play and through clear links with parents and carers. The pre- school is not meeting all the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework in relation to some missing or incomplete documentation. Security measures and the supervision and safety of children are satisfactorily promoted overall. The recommendations from the last inspection have been effectively met and there is a clear commitment to continuous improvement across many areas of the provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 provide and maintain a record of risk assessment for each outing and for the premises, environment and equipment, clearly stating when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Documentation) 02/03/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  ensure the safeguarding policy includes the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 02/03/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 develop the risk assessment to include anything with which a child may come into contact .

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the early years provision

The leadership is soundly established with generally well-developed systems to meet the needs of children and parents in the community. Children are safeguarded through the efficient recruiting systems that the pre-school has developed and maintained. All new staff follow induction procedures and promptly attend child protection training. There are written procedures in place to show how any concerns will be referred. The provider is clear about the action to be taken in the event of any allegations against staff, although this is not included in the written procedure. This is a regulatory safeguarding requirement, although children's welfare is not compromised because the provider is clear about the necessary action to take should this situation arise. The provider has established an operational manual with policies for many areas of the provision including a procedure for recording any complaints. The daily routines and organisation of the

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the early years provision

children's indoor and outdoor play is planned and managed effectively to maintain safety and security. For example, the setting does not have sole use of all areas of the premises and therefore, children are fully supervised when using the toilets. Staff ratios are accurately maintained and dedicated supervision takes place at arrival and departure times. Despite these clear safety and security measures that help to promote children's safety, the pre-school does not maintain a record of the risk assessment. This is a specific welfare requirement. Without this written record, staff cannot be fully confident that risk assessments cover anything with which a child may come into contact to minimise risks to their safety.

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the early years provision

The pre-school shows a clearly planned commitment to driving improvement because staff have introduced successful systems to monitor children's development since the last inspection. There are daily objectives for children's learning through play, which are organised on a rota system by key worker staff. These are fully linked with each child's next steps in learning and closely shared with parents at organised review visits. Staff also have regular meetings and records show how daily practice is evaluated and ideas for improvements are considered. For example, changes have been introduced following a parent questionnaire, one of which suggested using separate doors to enter and exit at collection time; this has improved the daily routines for parents and children. Staff training is ongoing and planned according to need and according to staff appraisals. The provider and staff are strongly committed to meeting the individual

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the early years provision

needs of children. For example, newly acquired furniture and apparatus has been This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 included to enable and support individual children's progress. Ongoing solutions for equipment storage and for widening and enabling children's access to resources are in progress. Evaluation processes have been carried out on the provision and all staff have contributed by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses they have recognised. Dailyroutines for group time are being reviewed to ensure children's listening skills are extended.

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the early years provision

Children's daily opportunities for play and learning are encouraged through the wide selection of activities available to them. These are prepared and ready on tables and in different corners of the hall. The pre-school has developed the daily routines to ensure that children have free-play for the majority of the session, However, daily outdoor activities are timed and fully supervised because the outside area is not secure. Children do have opportunity for outdoor play at every session. The pre-school show a strong ability to promote and include all children in their care. They have changed furniture and included the use of supportive apparatus to ensure that differences do not preclude children from taking part. This positively promotes children's individual needs and extends all children's understanding of differences. Resources reflect diversity and celebrations from other cultures are included at times. Staff have used books in other languages to

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the early years provision

encourage children's understanding and learning; including introducing children to Braille.

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the early years provision

The pre-school has established very effective partnerships with parents and carers. Parents are introduced to the written procedures at their first visit to ensure they understand the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. There are rota systems in place to encourage parents to spend time in the setting where they can observe their children's play and progress. All parents have settling visits with children and they complete full details of their child's ability levels, their preferences and any individual needs. There are planned review sessions with all parents and key workers every six weeks, to enable parents to see children's records and to contribute to these. Parents can have home visits if there are any difficulties in attending the pre-school and any other carers can attend with parental permission. There are regular newsletters and parent's views are sought; key staff have recently begun to use email when sharing information

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the early years provision

with parents. There are good links with support agencies and with other groups in the wider community. This develops and promotes staff understanding and knowledge and enables them to meet the individual needs of children and families.

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and outcomes for children

Older children show confidence and seek activities immediately when they arrive because the setting is well-prepared and activities are ready and available. Children know the routines for finding their own name and placing their snacks alongside and hanging up their coats and outdoor clothes. Children are greeted by staff and parents can mingle to settle any children who need support. Staff respond well to their key children, they show a clear understanding if children are unsure and need time to settle. Children practise making sounds with the musical This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 instruments, for example, as they learn to hold the triangle by the plastic attachment to enable the sound to be clear. Children show enthusiasm for joining cardboard and plastic containers to make rockets. Some children spend a long time planning and creating, using spatulas with glue and painting their models. They

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and outcomes for children

show clear levels of thinking by explaining where the men sit in the rocket. Children are free to choose their craft materials and to initiate and develop their own ideas.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to recognise and match size and shape, for example, as they match compare bears to outlines on paper. They show enthusiasm for role play in the home corner and develop their imaginations as they put the baby dolls in buggies and push them on pretend walks. Children are learning to be sociable and to interact with each other. Older children show increasing confidence in talking and responding, for instance, as they say their favourite activity is the dolls or the play dough. Children are eager to play outside on the wheeled toys and to ride the bikes. They often have mark making activities outdoors and painting, developing their pre-writing skills. Children's physical development is promoted, for example, as they play with balls and run around. They often go to the field where there are grassy dips and children can hide and play 'going on a bear hunt'.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about safety because they follow the daily routines which promote their well-being and staff explain the pre-school rules as children play. For example children know the boundaries during outdoor play and they know how far to go on the wheel toys. They understand about not running indoors. They use scissors sensibly and staff assist when they practice cutting with knives at snack time. Children are fully encouraged to follow routines to maintain health, they wash hands before snack time and staff supervise this well because they take small groups of children to the toilets. Children eat healthy snacks and they can drink water at any time. They have daily opportunities for exercise and fresh air. Children know where to find tissues for their nose and they responsibly place these in the nearby bin.

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and outcomes for children

There are daily opportunities for making friends and spending time in a small group with key staff during snack time. Children are developing friendships and help each other, especially putting coats on for outdoor play. They are very interested in looking at the records of assessment and recognising the photographs of previous activities or events. Children are keen to understand and develop skills of mouse control when using the computer, they watch each other and learn. They know and recognise when technology is included and keenly ask to open the door with the electronic key fob. Older children are sounding the letters of their name and show they are able to write these competently, they also recognise the sound of letters in each other's names. Younger children are eager to show how they can make marks to depict writing and they confidently say they can draw straight lines. All children join together with staff to take part in the large

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and outcomes for children

group singing session, they take turns to play roles during action songs. Children count and learn to recognise number symbols when singing 'five current buns'. Children settle to finish the session by listening to a story, they show interest and ask questions when looking at the pictures with staff, they are keen to give their opinions; staff encourage them to find out what happens in the story through This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 listening. 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 4 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 3 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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