Cross Hayes Pre School

Cross Hayes Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY406092 Inspection date 18/01/2011 Inspector Beverley Blackburn

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Setting address St Mary's Hall, The Triangle, MALMESBURY, Wiltshire, SN16 0AH Telephone number 07884 284897 Email chair@crosshayes.org.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

Cross Hayes Pre School opened in 1979 and moved to these new premises in 2010. It operates from twos room within St Mary's church hall in Malmsbury, Wiltshire. Children do not have access to an outdoor play area. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday from 9.15am to 13.15pm during term time. The pre- school are registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of 26 children from two years to under eight years at any one time. There are currently 48 children from two to five years on roll; of these 33 are receiving nursery funding, some in part-time places. The group can support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. There are nine members of staff, six of these hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least a National Vocational Qualification at 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 cared for in a safe and welcoming learning environment where they are happy and relaxed and their individual needs are met effectively. They are making good progress in their learning and development. The staff have a positive and enthusiastic approach to their work; they demonstrate a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the setting is not consistent in how the 'next steps' in the children's learning is recorded and observations and assessments are not always used effectively to plan activities that are focused on the individual needs of the children. Overall, children's welfare needs are supported well. Strong links with the parents help to involve them in their children's care and education. The quality of the provision is effectively monitored and evaluated and staff share a commitment to continually improving outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 strengthen the links between planning, observations and the children's profiles to ensure all children consistently move through the early learning goals and the next steps in their learning are effectively planned  develop the outdoor play area to increase the opportunity for children to develop their physical skills and to explore the outdoor environment  increase the range of information and communication technology resources available to the children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The pre-school environment is safe and secure due to an effective risk assessment process. The staff ensure all areas of the premises accessible to the children are checked daily. This enables the children to make good use of the space and move around safely during play. Staff are aware of the indicators of child abuse and neglect and the procedure to follow if they are concerned about a child being abused. Effective procedures are in place for identifying any child at risk of harm and liaising with the appropriate child agencies. All staff have recently updated their knowledge by attending in-house training on safeguarding children and behaviour management. The manager makes sure the required checks for adults working directly with children are carried out, and that children are always appropriately supervised, as a result the arrangements for safeguarding children are robust.

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the early years provision

The pre-school has a good commitment to ensuring all information, which underpins effective management, are shared with the parents. Policies and procedures are updated and available to all parents. The staff ensure children's progress is monitored to ensure they all move forward from their starting points. They routinely support every child to ensure their individual needs are met and that no child is disadvantaged. Activities are planned to ensure all children are included and that they receive interesting, enjoyable and challenging experiences across all six areas of learning and development.

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the early years provision

The pre-school promotes equality and diversity well. An interesting range of toys and play resources, such as books and dressing up clothes and the celebration of different festivals, help children learn the value of diversity to understand and embrace differences of cultures and religions. All children are encouraged to enjoy the full range of play opportunities offered, such as both boys and girls enjoying the craft activities. Staff are aware of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and where needed children receive good support from the staff. The pre-school work with other settings, such as the local schools, visits from the local schools and return visits from the pre-school, to help in the preparation for transition from the setting to school.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the well-managed resources indoors which are used effectively to achieve the planned goals in the children's learning and development. The staff are deployed well and ratios are maintained to ensure children are supported and their individual needs met.

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the early years provision

The pre-school's self-evaluation procedure is effective in raising the standards. The pre-school has identified aspects for improvements; increasing more information and communication technology equipments such as a computer, developing the outdoor play area in order to provide suitable outdoor play for the children, and increasing links with childminders and other settings that provide the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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the early years provision

The staff have a good relationship with the parents, they work very well together, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 enabling an effective two-way communication where information is shared effectively. Daily discussions, newsletters, learning journeys ensure parents are closely involved in their child's pre-school experiences. The information on the children is comprehensive, significantly enhancing continuity in both care and learning. From discussion with the parents, they are very happy with the care and education their children are receiving. Children benefit from the effective partnership between parents and staff.

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and outcomes for children

Children are provided with good quality care in a happy, relaxed and calm atmosphere. Their learning is well supported through the provision of a wide range of toys and resources, and well-planned, interesting environment. Staff work well as a team to plan a range of stimulating activities and experiences which links to all the learning areas well. For example, children learn expressive story telling as they listen attentively to staff reading to them, using expressive tone of voice. Children enjoy predicting what is going to happen next in the story. Staff interact well with the children, giving enthusiastic praise and using prompting questions effectively. Consequently, children are motivated to learn and persist at their chosen tasks. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a variety of activities such as creative play, building with cardboard boxes, stacking them and seeing whether they are taller than the stack of boxes. Consequently, children are helped in developing their understanding of problem solving, reasoning, numeracy, sharing and taking turns. Children have good opportunities to develop physical skills through a range of activities such as music and movement, using the climbing frame, or sometimes going for walks in the town. Children lack the opportunity of the enjoyment of playing in the garden, where they can explore and experiment. This is due to an unsafe outdoor area. There are plans in place to develop the outdoor play area. Children enjoy the experience of using marking materials, art and craft or using their imagination and creative skills during their imaginative play. They use a range of programmable toys, such as digital cameras and remote control cars, however, currently they do

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and outcomes for children

not have access to technology such as a computer. Children count well, both with help and independently,and at circle time children are encouraged to count, add and take away, developing their number skills. Letters are linked to sounds when talking about the letters in their name or the letter for the week. They have good opportunities to self-select activities which ensures that they are fully engaged and able to take part at their own level. The staff use their knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage well to plan activities, make observations on children's progress and record in their learning journeys, However, the staff are not consistent in how they record the next steps in the children' s learning journeys; this is not always used effectively to indentify any gaps in children's individual learning needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children's independence is well supported; they are able to confidently chose their activities successfully, building their confidence and self-esteem. Resources are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 arranged so that they are easily accessible to them. A very positive approach to managing behaviour is in place. Age-appropriate methods are used such as distraction, golden rule and clear boundaries. Praise and enthusiastic encouragement are used consistently to give positive feedback to all the children. Children are well behaved and are good at sharing and taking turns.

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and outcomes for children

Children's healthy lifestyles are supported well. They have good opportunities to develop and practise their coordination skills, such as throwing and catching, when they take part in indoor planned physical activities. They enjoy learning independent skills such as helping to tidy away at the end of the sessions. Children enjoy healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables. Children have a choice of drinks during snack time. Any special dietary needs are known and well supported due to clear information gathered from the parents regarding allergies or other requirements. Children are helped to manage their personal hygiene by washing their hands regularly, this helps to reduce the risk of cross infection. Children learn to keep themselves safe through the frequent practising of the evacuation procedures. Staff are aware of their responsibility in promoting a safe environment and helping children understand how to keep themselves safe.

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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 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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