Manor Farm Pre-School

Manor Farm Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 253644 Inspection date 14/02/2011 Inspector Carly Mooney

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Setting address Manor Farm, Barholm, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 4RA

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Telephone number 01778 560887 Email manorfarmnursery@hotmail.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. 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

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

Manor Farm Pre-School has been registered for 21 years. It operates from stone farm buildings situated on the owner's working farm in the village of Barholm, Lincolnshire. There are three separate classrooms - two for pre-school children and one for children under three. Children have access to two enclosed areas for outdoor play, including the owner's large garden. The setting is open on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.15am to 2.15pm term time only.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of 44 children in the early years age range. There are currently 33 children on role. Staff are able to support children who may have learning disabilities and/or difficulties.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs 5 members of staff to work with the children, all of whom hold level three or above early years qualifications. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's needs are met very well by caring, attentive staff who value each child's contribution. Children are provided with a stimulating range of activities which they truly enjoy and which allow them to make excellent progress in their learning and development. Very effective procedures for observing and assessing children's progress are in place and plans of activities are based on children's interests. Strong relationships with parents are extremely effective in meeting children's individual needs. Effective procedures are in place for self-evaluation and all staff demonstrate an excellent commitment to improving and continuously developing the provision.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 reviewing the use of the outside environment during the winter months to further enhance children's experiences across all areas of learning.

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the early years provision

Leadership and management are a real strength of the pre-school. The manager leads and manages her staff team extremely well. They are very well supported in their roles and work closely together as a cohesive team to provide children with a safe and happy environment in which to thrive. Children are safeguarded by very This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 knowledgeable and experienced staff, who implement clear procedures to protect children in their care. Robust recruitment systems ensure all adults are suitable to work with children. Children's safety is paramount. Staff are vigilant and deployed effectively at all times to ensure the safety of children as they play. Thorough risk assessment procedures enable any hazards to be identified and minimised. A number of comprehensive policies and procedures which underpin the excellent practice at the setting are available.

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the early years provision

Children access classrooms which provide them with great stimulation and interest. Resources are clearly labelled and easily accessible to provide children with very good opportunities to direct their own play. Walls are covered with a variety of children's work and photographs, which gives them a true sense of belonging. They enjoy spotting themselves in photographs and recalling what they were doing at the time. Children create a calm and relaxing atmosphere as they busily engage themselves in their chosen activities, such as sand play or using a program on the computer. Staff ensure the setting is fully inclusive for all children attending and that no child is disadvantaged. They address the needs of the children very well due to their thorough knowledge of all children and their families. Staff have a clear understanding of the need to enable children to become aware of similarities and differences in people and teach children about values and respect through

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the early years provision

resources and activities. Children gain an understanding of other cultures and religions through participating in activities such as food tasting.

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the early years provision

Staff have formed excellent relationships with all parents, especially through a key worker system. They are fully aware that building good relationships benefits children's time at the setting and ensure parents are well informed about all aspects of pre-school life through newsletters and a very informative noticeboard. Parents receive constant feedback about their child and have very good opportunities to keep updated about their progress through their 'busy books' which are sent home every half term. Parents comment positively about the content and some provide their own photographs and observations from home to complement them. Parent's views are welcomed and sourced yearly through leaver's questionnaires. They are extremely enthusiastic about the pre-school and describe it as 'fantastic'. Strong relationships have formed with the local school and children attend a number of events, such as the Christmas play, to ease their own

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the early years provision

Effective systems for monitoring and evaluating the practice have been established, using all of the staff's knowledge and expertise. A detailed action and improvement plan shows when clear areas for development have been identified, prioritised and implemented. Staff demonstrate a positive commitment to improving their knowledge through professional training and have a good working relationship with the advisor from the local authority. The manager has extremely clear vision for the future and, as a result, her ability to maintain continuous improvement is excellent. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Staff respond very well to children's needs and provide an exciting and stimulating environment for children to enhance their learning. Children make excellent progress in their learning and development due to the staff's extremely sound knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and how to implement it effectively. There is a clear balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities, which are adapted very well to suit children's different abilities and ages. This is down to the staff's clear understanding of children's individual learning needs gained through an excellent system of observing and assessing children's progress. Planning is very effective, based on what children are interested in and evidenced very well through photographs of the learning that has taken place.

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and outcomes for children

Children's personal, social and emotional development is promoted extremely well throughout all aspects of the pre-school. Children are supported very well in their chosen activities and are developing good self-esteem because staff are attentive and interested in what they have to say. Children are constantly busy and occupied, which results in excellent behaviour. Children are given ample opportunities to develop a variety of independent skills such as preparing their own snacks, participating in tidying up routines and attempting to put on their wellington boots and coats for outdoor play.

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and outcomes for children

Children play in a word-rich environment and show a good appreciation of books. They enjoy listening to familiar stories such as 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear', excitingly anticipating what comes next. A group activity provides great conversation as children think about and discuss what is wrong with scenarios displayed on cards. Children learn to recognise their own name through routine activities such as self- registration, named coat pegs and individual drawers. Counting is introduced naturally in all activities such as counting the number of boys and girls present at circle time. Children use mathematical language, such as 'more than', as they correctly identify which group has the most children in it.

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and outcomes for children

The pre-school operates from a working farm, providing children with a fantastic natural environment to experience. They gain knowledge of growth and life cycles as they see tadpoles, kittens and ducklings growing. During the summer months, most of the children's learning takes place in the large and stimulating garden where all areas of the curriculum are provided. For example, children help to grow and tend to a variety of fruit and vegetables and listen to stories in front of the story time chair. Children have regular access to outdoor play during the winter, with the main focus on excellent physical development as they climb the lower branches of trees and access apparatus such as slides and swings. They have an abundance of space in which to run about and enjoy playing games such as hide and seek in the bushes. The manager is now considering how she might incorporate all areas of learning during these particular months.

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and outcomes for children

Children's welfare is effectively promoted. Children learn about healthy eating through the range of balanced and nutritious snacks provided. Snack and meal times enable children to share a relaxed, social experience with each other and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 with staff. Records which safeguard children's health are maintained to a high standard and children are cared for in a clean environment. Children are aware that they need to maintain their own personal hygiene to prevent the spread of germs through hand washing and do so with minimal reminders from staff. Children feel very safe and secure in the setting and participate in a range of safety procedures, such as fire drills, which enable them to learn about keeping themselves safe. Children display a happy and confident disposition and clearly thrive in a well organised and stimulating environment.

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and outcomes for children

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 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 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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