Aspull Pre-School

Aspull Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY416220 Inspection date 14/02/2011 Inspector Vickie Halliwell

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Setting address Aspull Branch Library, Oakfield Crescent, Aspull, WIGAN, Lancashire, WN2 1XJ Telephone number 01942831457 Email aspullplaygroup@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 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

Aspull Pre-school is run by a voluntary committee. It was established in 1985 and registered at its current location in 2010. The pre-school operates from a designated building adjacent to Aspull library. Children have access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and serves the local area. It is registered for 32 children aged between two and five years and there are currently 46 children on roll. The setting provides funded early education for three-and-four-year-olds.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is open five days a week from 9.15am until 3.45pm during term times only. The pre-school is all on one floor so is accessible to all children and their parents. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and children who speak English as an additional language. There are a team of seven staff including the manager of whom five hold a National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 or equivalent and two members of staff hold a National Vocational Qualification at Level 2. The manager is working towards a Foundation Stage Degree. The setting is supported by the local early year's team and an advisory teacher.

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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's individual needs are expertly met by a caring and dedicated staff team who work very effectively to promote all aspects of children's welfare, learning and development. Children are highly motivated and make very good progress in all areas of learning. Staff support children exceptionally well, they have a clear understanding of individual capabilities and encourage children and their parents to contribute to personalise planning. Partnerships with some external agencies are excellent, although links with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation stage are less well developed. The settings capacity to improve is strong, the manager and staff have a shared vision for the future and have some good systems in place to evaluate the effectiveness of the provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the vetting and recruitment procedures to ensure references are always considered when making suitability decisions  further develop partnerships with other providers who also deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage to help ensure continuity in children's learning  improve the accessibility of policies and procedures to ensure all parents understand and have the opportunity to contribute to the policies in the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 setting  complete the Ofsted self-evaluation form and use this as the basis of ongoing internal review, assessing what the setting offers against robust and challenging quality criteria

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded; staff and students understand the setting's safeguarding procedures and are clear about their role and responsibilities. The designated child protection officer completes an annual refresher course; as a result she has a secure knowledge and is able to implement appropriate procedures to protect children from possible harm. Recruitment and vetting procedures are generally good, all adults have undergone checks to ensure their suitability and good systems are in place to safeguard children within the setting. However, additional references are not always sought when newly appointed staff are already known to the setting. Effective systems are implemented to ensure children's safety within the setting, rigorous well documented risk assessments are conducted and appropriate action is taken to minimise any hazards. As a result, children move and play safely within a very well resourced and accessible child

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the early years provision

centred environment. Comprehensive, risk assessments are conducted before outings and to ensure the safety and suitability of invited visitors, for example, zoo lab.

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the early years provision

Space and resources are very well used, furniture, equipment and resources are of a high quality and effectively support children's learning and development. Children move freely between the in and outdoor play areas, making meaningful choices about where and how they spend their time. The established and consistent staff team work exceptionally well together to ensure children are well supported in their area of choice. Communication is very good, staff routinely meet to evaluate the effectiveness of their practices and share their views and ideas for future improvement. For example, developing a tracker system so they can see at a glance how well each child is progressing towards each of the early learning goals. The staff team are supportive of one another and work together very closely, promptly exchanging relevant information to ensure children's individual needs are met on a daily basis. As a result, children benefit from high level of support when

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the early years provision

they need it most. The manager works directly with the children leading the staff team by positive example. Staff benefit from regular training and the manager is committed to further developing her own expertise by completing a Foundation Stage degree in early years. The manager knows her staff team well and designates specialist roles according to their strengths and experiences. As a result, the designated SENCO ensures children with special educational needs are promptly identified and the setting work closely with external agencies to ensure children receive the support they need.

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the early years provision

The manager and staff are very committed to the continued development of the setting. In practice effective steps and taken to evaluate the settings provision for children's welfare, learning and development, although this is not fully reflected in the setting's documentation. The setting have started to complete the Ofsted self- This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 evaluation form and intend to use this as the basis for ongoing internal review, but this is not yet fully implemented. Attention to documentation is good, all records which are records for the safe and efficient management of the setting are satisfactorily maintained. Operational policies and procedures, for example, in relation to safeguarding, complaints and behaviour management are in place and are well known by staff. However, some parents are not fully aware of the settings policies and procedures. Parents do receive an informative prospectus which

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the early years provision

provides an insight into the setting and are advised that policies are available. Partnerships with other providers who also deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage to children attending the setting are emerging but are not yet fully developed.

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and outcomes for children

Children thrive in a safe, secure and challenging child centred environment. Relationships are a key strength and children benefit from gentle and nurturing relationships with the staff, who value each child as an individual. As a result, children of all ages show a strong sense of belonging, almost all enter the setting confidently and eager to engage in activities. Children's care needs are exceptionally well met, staff know individual children well and continuously meet their individual needs. They provide additional care and support for children who are new to the setting or are experiencing change in their lives. For example, waiting for the arrival of a sibling. Children who are quieter than normal are closely monitored, staff provide gentle encouragement, but respect children's choices if they prefer to sit and watch.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles, they make healthy choices at snack time and the setting work closely with parents to encourage healthy lunch boxes and healthy options for birthday celebrations. For example, sending in fruit for children to make fruit kebabs. They have excellent access to outdoor play and enjoy playing in the fresh air and sunlight. Planned activities help raise children's awareness of other aspects, such as, dental hygiene. Small group discussions help children consider dental hygiene and help them think about why they brush their teeth, food that are bad for teeth and what happens when they visit the dentist. Children then help plan what they need to create a dentist surgery in the role play area. Children also enjoy a visit by the dental hygienist. Dance, music and movement sessions and challenging outdoor apparatus help children to be physically active and develop their balance and co-

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and outcomes for children

Children display extremely high-levels of independence; they participate fully in the tidy up process, eager to complete tasks thoroughly. Children request areas they would like to tidy and are given a pictorial card which helps them understand what they need to do within each area. Children enthusiastically, remove paint pots and brushes, before collecting cloths to clean excess paint off the easel. They happily rinse out cloths and scrub enthusiastically until they are satisfied the easel is clean and ready for use again. Children set themselves high standards and after completing their tasks, check under tables to make sure nothing has been missed. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 They ensure all puzzles are completed before storing them away, explaining they won't be any good if a piece goes missing. Children have a strong sense of right and wrong, they readily solve simple disputes through negotiation and give simple

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and outcomes for children

explanations which stem from rules within the group, for example taking turns and sharing.

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and outcomes for children

Children are highly motivated by their surroundings. They benefit from an exceptional range of activities and experiences on a daily basis, which continuously promote all aspects of their learning and development. Children play a dynamic role in their learning, they are routinely consulted, for example, when planning a new role play area and older children routinely selecting additional resources to complete or extend activities. For example, using the cups from the home corner to make a drink for the 'customers in the hair dressers', or choosing alternative colours to paint their picture. Children regular contribute to their individual learning plan, each half term staff ask children what they like or would like to do and ensure this is included in future plans. For example, one child states they would like to paint, read, dress up and dance. Parents are also consulted and help agree planned learning objectives, they then meet with key workers at the end of term to

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a sound knowledge of individual children's capabilities, they know which children are exceeding their expected level and ensure these children are sufficiently challenged. Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of child development and how children learn, they plan learning journeys but implement them flexibly to ensure they can respond to children's interests. They promptly identify which children need additional support and excellent systems are in place to help narrow the achievement gap and ensure these children achieve their potential. Planned activities are linked to individual learning needs and subsequently woven into the continuous provision, this provides children with excellent opportunities to practice and refine new skills. Children delight in the opportunity to repeat a previously adult-led activity; they spontaneously make size comparisons and work out if a piece paper will be big enough to wrap the box they

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and outcomes for children

have selected. Children skilfully use a range of small tools, for example, knives, scissors, tape dispensers and pencils. In relation to their starting points, children are rapidly developing key skills for the future, for example in communication, literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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