Kings Hill Pre School

Kings Hill Preschool Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY345804 Inspection date 14/03/2011 Inspector Susan scott

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Setting address Kings Hill Centre, 70 Gibson Drive, Kings Hill, WEST MALLING, Kent, ME19 4LG Telephone number 01732 840180 Email info@kingshillpreschool.co.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

Kingshill Pre-school was registered in 2007 and is committee run. It is set in the Kingshill community centre, near West Malling. A maximum of 30 children may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open from Monday to Friday, term time only, from 08:45 to 15:45. Children have access to the main playroom, a set of three toilets, a disabled toilet and a secure outdoor area.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 73 children, aged from two years to under five years, on roll. Of these 24 receive funding for nursery education. Children attending with special educational needs and/or disabilities are welcomed. The pre-school supports children who have English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

Nine staff work directly with the children, six of whom hold a recognised early years qualification and two member of staff are completing their qualifications. The group are members of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. the pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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 feel safe because there are extremely good systems in place to safeguard their welfare and to ensure they feel secure and happy at the setting. Frequent observations and assessments promote a good understanding of children's needs and well organised systems enable staff to promote their progress and development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities experience a service that is sensitive to their individual needs and enables them to achieve individual targets. The staff and management committee welcome parental involvement and successfully encourage their ideas and contributions. Children benefit from excellent partnerships with parents and carers which are used to provide consistent support. Procedures are regularly reviewed and checked. Staff promote children's welfare through effective evaluation which includes obtaining parental views and comments.

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further?

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

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further?

 provide time and space to enjoy energetic play daily, either indoors or outdoors  review the environment to ensure that it is interesting, attractive and accessible to every child so they can learn independently This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The stable and professional staff team work very effectively together to complement each others skills and provide excellent safeguards for children. For example, the administrator shares information promptly with staff and ensures that all agencies are contacted over any concerns about children. The management committee are keen to support staff and take a keen interest in the provision, sharing information where appropriate and providing parents with god information. Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and provide a safe, stimulating environment for the children to play, learn and explore. Comprehensive, well maintained policies, procedures and records are fully in place and followed consistently by all staff to safeguard the children. For example, three staff supervise the departure and arrivals of children, ensuring that all children are kept secure once they enter the building. Good vetting procedures and well

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the early years provision

organised records ensure that the adults are suitable to work with children. Thorough risk assessment procedures help keep the children safe.

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the early years provision

The staff organise the premises, resources and equipment to meet each child's needs and offer plenty of choices. Resources are age-appropriate and accessible to all children. They are well organised and stored in transparent boxes in low units so that children who attend often are able make informed choices about their play. However, children who are new to the setting may not be familiar with the range of toys and resources available to be able to request those they cannot easily see or reach. The staff are vigilant so that children are well supervised at all times, both indoors and outside. The staff offer a good balance of adult led and child initiated play. Daily safety checks and regular cleaning rotas ensure that toys and equipment meet safety standards.

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the early years provision

The accurate self-evaluation process has enabled staff to contribute their ideas and observations for further development. Well organised staff meetings enable staff to take an active part and review and monitor practice in various areas of their work. The staff and manager attend a wide range of courses to support their professional development which ensures that they keep up to date with good practice.

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the early years provision

All staff promote equality and diversity, they offer good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who are learning to speak English. Staff use individual plans to enable children with special educational needs to achieve targets which are agreed between staff and parents. An interesting range of resources supports the children's understanding of different cultures and the society in which they live. Dressing up clothes, dolls and cooking utensils representing different cultures help children develop an awareness of and respect for differences.

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the early years provision

The setting has established excellent partnerships with parents. Parents are well informed through newsletters, good information on the notice board and regular consultations. They say that the setting is very safe and the children settle in well and enjoy the activities offered to them. They are involved in their children?s learning and development and contribute to their 'learning journeys' as well as the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 contact books. Parents are welcome to join the committee or just to help at specific events like fund raising. They can sign up to take a teddy home or on special outings and then write an account of Barnaby Bear's experiences; this recently include a visit to a lambing event at a farm. Good partnerships with a range of health and education professionals ensure targeted support, resulting in good outcomes for the children.

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and outcomes for children

Children happily engage in all aspects of play and learning in this welcoming environment. Key persons plan interesting and challenging learning experiences, allowing for children to follow their own interests. These are based upon frequent and informative observations made by staff which are used to assess their progress and plan for their next steps. There is an effective system for promoting children's development as the identified next steps for their progress are copied and displayed in the relevant areas learning in the environment. This assists all staff in extending individual progress and ensures that children achieve well in all areas of learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

The setting is very secure and children understand that they can only access the cloakroom when the inner door to the lobby is closed. Frequent and regular evacuations are practised which enable children to understand how to leave the building in case of a fire. They are taught about road safety by a police officer who visits. Children play safely as they are reminded to use equipment with care. They know that they should wash their hands after using the toilet and cover their mouth when they cough. Tissues are and paper towels are available to minimise the risk of infection.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to eat healthily and make healthy choices from a variety of foods at snack time. They happily discuss the different foods and learn where they come from as well and grow their own vegetables, such as broccoli. The easily accessible outdoor play area provides good opportunities for all types of play although there are not always daily opportunities for children's vigorous play. There are two slides and a climbing frame but these are not used every day to promote children's gross motor skills though they do use balancing equipment and balls and hoops. The all-weather play surface protects children and the canopy means that they can play outside in all weathers. They pour themselves drinks of water if they are thirsty and help themselves from bowls of food and jugs at snack time.

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and outcomes for children

Children happily participate in all activities. They share, take turns and support each other in their play and when using the computer and are interested to ask what the inspector is typing on her computer. Children have secure and trusting relationships with the staff and show their confidence and trust in adults who visit the pre-school by talking freely to them. This shows they are self assured and independent. Close relationships with the key person results in children who feel valued, well-cared for and safe. Children's behaviour is harmonious because they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 understand the rules and boundaries. For example, one child notices two children have left the gate to the cloakroom open in their enthusiasm to get outside and she closes this unasked. This good behaviour is rewarded with thanks and praise as the staff represent good role models, managing children effectively.

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and outcomes for children

Children particularly enjoy participating in activities alongside adults who enable all of the them to make choices and express their opinions. For example, children make a variety of models of space ships out of materials of their choice. They enjoy drawing aliens and are keen to show these to adults and explain how they made them. These activities are successfully supported by the praise and encouragement of the staff who acknowledge the skills of the children doing this activity. For example, the staff encourage children to write their names on their work and remark how well children write and draw. They discuss the colours and shapes of things they draw and children enjoy guessing how many children are present at the session. For instance, staff ask the children if they think there are ten or more children singing songs and encourage them to use language such as 'lots'. Therefore, children build their skills by writing for a purpose, and develop

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and outcomes for children

their understanding of quantity and numbers.

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and outcomes for children

Children also develop their understanding of time and place and participate in a variety of celebrations, such as the Hindu festival of Holi. They explore various themes and enjoy making displays of these. It is clear that staff value every child's contribution from the many displays in the setting. Staff effectively support children's developing communication skills by skilfully asking questions and prompting children to talk about their ideas and choices. For example, children are asked to show the inspector the things they have drawn and made which promotes their feelings of pride. Children enjoy choosing their own activities from the wide range available and are able to request staff provide a favourite resource for them if it is stored above the units which they can access easily. Children enjoy a variety of play outside; for example, they like playing with the soft blocks and use these to construct imaginary space craft. All children benefit from the choice they have

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and outcomes for children

whether to play inside or out and decide to go out when it suits them, taking play resources out with them. They experience good opportunities to engage in a variety of sports each week when they can join a session of football, tennis, rugby or even jumping hurdles delivered by staff from Arsenal football club.

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and outcomes for children

Children explore their senses by using scented dough and using vegetables which they prepare in their imaginative play; this enables them to learn about textures and properties. They enthusiastically participate in singing and movement activities and show their confidence by shouting out when appropriate and even asking staff to speak louder when they whisper as part of the activity. Children are developing their fine motor and technical skills by using a computer and selecting their preferred software programmes. This promotes their learning such as, their listening skills and how to follow instructions. They enjoy responding to the challenges set by the computer programme and readily help each other to select the answers to questions posed on each programme. 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 1 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 1 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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