Mill Ford School

Play Centre Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 113651 Inspection date 08/03/2011 Inspector Rosemary Musgrove

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Setting address 102 The Street, Rustington, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN16 3NJ Telephone number 01903 850984 Email office@aruncc.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

Play Centre Pre-School was registered in 1992 and operates from Arun Community Church in Rustington, West Sussex. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The pre-school is open every day during term times from 9.00 am to 12 noon and 12.45 pm to 3.45 pm. The pre-school is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register to care for 15 children in the early years age group. There are currently 43 children in this age group on roll. The pre-school is also registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre- school provides funded early education for three and four-year-olds. The pre- school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. There are eight members of staff, of whom five hold appropriate 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Staff have a good understanding of each child's needs and effectively support the welfare and learning requirements. The environment is stimulating, well organised and exciting for a young child. This means children eagerly select good quality resources and take part in fun and stimulating activities. Because children are motivated to play, they make good progress in their learning and development. Effective arrangements ensure that children are safe and secure in the pre-school. Partnerships with other agencies, parents and carers make a good contribution to children's achievement and well-being. Managers have a clear vision for the pre- school and have made improvements since the last inspection. Self-evaluation identifies strengths and areas for further development.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop a robust system for self-evaluation and quality improvement in order to improve the outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

Staff complete child protection training and have a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding; this means that children are well protected. Effective procedures are in place for identifying any child at risk of harm and liaising with the appropriate child agencies. Safe recruitment and vetting procedures mean that suitable staff work with the children. Staff deployment is This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 good and adults are vigilant as children choose to play inside the building or in the outdoor area. The pre-school has the required procedures and documentation for the safe and efficient running of the early years provision. These are well maintained; for example, the daily register. Risk assessments note potential hazards and action plans ensure that children are kept safe.

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the early years provision

The colourful learning environment inspires children to explore and learn through discovery, for example, the well resourced outdoor play area. Good quality play materials are suitable for the developmental stage of the children and they independently select their favourite resources. These positive factors mean that children enjoy their explorations and find out about the six areas of learning. They are encouraged to treat resources with respect and learn about the importance of recycling.

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the early years provision

The pre-school strives to provide a service that is inclusive to all children. If children with special educational needs and/or disabilities require additional support, the staff work alongside parents and interagency teams to ensure their needs are met. This means that children make good progress in relation to their starting points. Children who speak English as an additional language get a good level of support, such as, individual sessions and a pictorial timetable. The pre- school make the most of diversity to help children appreciate other cultures. They learn about children in other countries by looking at photographs and celebrate different festivals, such as Christmas and Chinese New Year.

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the early years provision

The pre-school has a positive relationship with parents and carers. When a child starts, parents give details of their child's interests and development and complete an 'All about me' sheet, this gives a valuable insight into the child's home life and current achievements. Parents have regular meetings with key people and browse their child's learning journal. This means they know about the progress and achievements of their children. Parents are encouraged to share ideas with the pre-school; as a result, boots and rainwear have been introduced for outside play. Parents indicate they are happy with the pre-school. In particular, they comment on how well their children settle, the regular opportunities to talk to staff and the information they receive at the beginning of each term. The pre-school works well with other agencies and settings, for example, when a child transfers to school they work together to ease the transition. This makes a positive contribution to the

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the early years provision

The managers and staff are a strong, enthusiastic and cohesive team. They have a clear vision and are motivated to develop and improve the pre-school. Staff attend training courses and take part in an induction and appraisal programme. Since the last inspection, they have made a number of improvements, for example, they have improved staff deployment in the outside area and reviewed their policies and documentation. Self-evaluation demonstrates a good understanding of strengths and areas for future developments; however, the informal methods are not robust enough to systematically evaluate and improve the outcomes for children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children really do have fun at the pre-school and are enthusiastic and confident during their play. In particular, they show good levels of independence and thoroughly enjoy choosing their preferred resources and activities. Staff have a good knowledge of the learning and development and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and have a clear understanding of individual needs. Observational assessments and plans for each child's next steps are a strength. Informative learning journals clearly demonstrate that children make good progress in the six areas of learning. Staff interaction is a positive feature and contributes to the success of the children's learning and development, for example, in outdoor play and when sharing books. The outdoor learning environment is a strength and children play happily together as they discuss and negotiate different elements of their play in the large sandpit. Children's numeracy skills are

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and outcomes for children

developing well. They frequently use the language of number in day to day activities and confidently count six plates at snack time. Their language and vocabulary development is enhanced by good quality role play activities. They enjoy visiting the pretend dentist and good staff interaction makes this a quality learning experience. Children find out about their environment through a range of gardening activities. These include planting radishes, digging up potatoes and watering sweet peas.

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and outcomes for children

Children show they feel safe and secure in the pre-school. On arrival, they confidently find their name and hang their coat on a peg. They happily choose an activity, such as, cutting paper, mark making or completing a jigsaw puzzle. Staff are well deployed and children happily approach them for help and ideas. Children behave well and often talk to each other about how important it is to share and take turns. Staff are positive with the children and use genuine praise; this means children begin to develop a good self-esteem. The pre-school helps children learn about diversity, for example, during Diwali a parent talks to them about the Indian culture and the children enjoy cooking, dancing and dressing up.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their play in a safe and secure environment. The pre-school has a number of safety precautions and procedures in place. These include guidance to follow if a child is missing or uncollected, fire evacuation procedures and evaluations of regular fire drills. The pre-school has a number of staff with a suitable first aid qualification, have requested written parental permission to seek emergency advice or medical treatment and keep appropriate accident records. These factors mean that children are well cared for in the event of illness or an emergency. The good organisation of the learning areas, for example, graphics and role play, means that children make their own decisions, for example, they confidently select and use pens, crayons and glue and make cards and pictures for their parents. Staff help children to learn about keeping safe, such as, they talk about road safety awareness before they visit local amenities.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about a healthy lifestyle and show good levels of independence as they wash and dry their hands before eating their snack. They enjoy pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and add their favourite topping, such as syrup, jam or lemon. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children decide whether they would like to drink milk or water and carefully pour their drink from a jug. Outside play is a strong feature of the setting and children enjoy physical activities and plenty of fresh air. They cooperate with their friends and develop their large motor skills on the wheeled vehicles and enthusiastically shovel the sand into the cement mixer. Children develop their small motor skills as they confidently use the implements on the malleable play table and some chocolate cakes.

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and outcomes for children

Children's progress in communicating, literacy and information technology is developing well. They confidently and independently use the computer. They operate the mouse to select an animal, move it to the screen and learn its name. Children find out about the wider world and local community when they visit the library and local bakers. They have visits from people who help them in the community, such as, fire and police officers. This means they learn about different aspects of the society and environment in which they live. 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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