The White House School

Southdown Methodist Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 123615 Inspection date 22/03/2011 Inspector Hilary Preece

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Setting address 130a Southdown Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 1PU

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Telephone number 07950614504 Email 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

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

Southdown Methodist Pre-school is run by a committee. It opened in 1983 and was registered in 1992. The pre-school is located in the Southdown area of Harpenden, Hertfordshire. It operates from a church hall situated on the first floor and is accessed by stairs and a lift. There is no outdoor play area but an additional hall is used for physical play and an allotment is used on a regular basis. The pre-school serves the local area.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school opens on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays during school term times. Sessions are from 9.10am to 12.10pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. A maximum of 28 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 36 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs eight members of child care staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications Level 3 or above. 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

Effective working relationships with parents and exemplary partnerships in the wider context enable all relevant parties to work together in supporting children's needs. A generally secure and well-planned environment allows children to develop well and enjoy and make good progress in their learning. A commitment to reflective practice and generally accurate self-evaluation ensure that continuous improvement is maintained.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 take steps to prevent intruders entering the premises; this refers to security of the door to the pre-school room which is not locked while other hall users and members of the public are on the premises (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 15/04/2011

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  provide opportunities for parents to review children's progress records more regularly, and seek parents' views in order to contribute to self-evaluation.

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the early years provision

There is a rigorous safeguarding children policy and all levels of staff and management understand their roles and responsibilities in following procedures to safeguard and protect children from risk of harm. Safe recruitment procedures ensure that all staff are vetted and have suitable qualifications or skills to work with children. Daily checks of the premises and equipment and risk assessments carried out for each type of outing ensure that children keep safe. Staff are vigilant in supervising children when using areas of the building shared by other users and ensuring that safe procedures are followed as children arrive and depart. Children cannot leave the premises unsupervised, as they cannot reach the latch to undo the door themselves, but there is a risk that unwanted visitors could gain entry as there is no security system in use on the main door to the pre-school room. However, the management has agreed to review security arrangements in light of

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the early years provision

Parents are warmly welcomed and encouraged to get involved through volunteering to help at sessions and on outings. Effective arrangements for sharing information with parents and carers initially contribute to children settling well and their individual needs being met. This includes finding out about any specific health or developmental issues and putting in place particular plans or additional support that is required. Parents report that children settle quickly and really enjoy attending the pre-school. They are kept informed verbally by staff and offered a formal consultation session once a year. They have recently been invited to contribute items to their children's learning journal records by reporting on particular achievements or events from home to encourage further sharing of information. Although parents know they can ask to see their children's records, they are not given particularly frequent access to them and so are not fully

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the early years provision

involved in working together to support and extend children's learning and development. Some special events are planned to involve fathers and grandparents who may not normally have the opportunity to visit the pre-school. An example of this is opening on a Saturday morning to allow fathers to attend and help their children make cards for Mother's Day. Very well-established and effective partnerships exist between the pre-school, external agencies and local schools. This ensures children with additional needs are fully supported and enables all children to make a smooth transition as they move on to nursery or school. In addition, it enables staff to develop further skills and share good practice with other early years settings and support groups.

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the early years provision

Staff are well deployed throughout the session to support and extend children's learning. Their personal skills and attributes are assessed thoughtfully when deciding which staff member would make best use of a particular training course. Information from training is then cascaded to all staff in order to maximise learning opportunities for children. They make good use of available indoor space to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 provide children with large-scale physical play opportunities and to bring the outdoors inside. A paddling pool filled with autumn leaves, for example, enables children to explore the natural world. The acquisition of an allotment very close by has also meant children can go on outings in the fresh air and be active learners. The whole staff team is encouraged to be reflective in order to evaluate what works well and what needs to improve. They all contribute to the self-evaluation

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the early years provision

process. Parents are invited to make suggestions or leave comments about the service but the staff team has not fully considered how to gather their views on whether the service fully meets their needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children's learning and development is promoted well by the broad range of exciting and stimulating activities and play opportunities provided. There is a good balance of adult-led activities and child-initiated play so children have chances to become confident, active learners. Arrangements for observation, assessment and planning have recently been reviewed in order to provide a greater focus on planning for individual learning based on observations of children. Staff also take account of the needs of particular groups of children. An example of this is how they have encouraged boys to broaden their imaginations by providing a greater range of dressing up clothes and hats so they can explore different roles and characters to those they normally choose. Frequent observations are made of children that show their achievements and identify some next steps in their learning. Records are monitored closely to ensure all children, given their starting

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and outcomes for children

points, make good progress across all areas of learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children make secure relationships with the staff and many are forming friendships and playing with other children. They play particularly well together in role play and imaginative games in which they apply their developing knowledge and skills. For example, a group pretends to make a space rocket by lining up chairs, counting how many seats there are and deciding how many people they can take in the rocket. Staff support children's imaginative play by introducing props to turn the climbing frame into a rocket in which another group of children count down as they blast off to the moon. Children behave well, show positive attitudes to learning and take active roles in the setting. They learn to be respectful of others and their surroundings by taking turns to be the daily helper and actively contributing to tidy up routines. They are keen to make sure that every last grain of sand is swept up, for example. Each day the child who is the daily helper is

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and outcomes for children

allowed to take a photograph using the digital camera of a subject of his or her choice which they then display on the board for parents to see. The children love to watch the photograph being downloaded from the camera to the mini printer and are encouraged to operate the equipment under guidance. They are fascinated to see the image appear as a printed photograph. This gives children a real sense of belonging to the setting, ownership over their learning and encourages their use and understanding of technology.

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and outcomes for children

Children's communication and language is supported very well, regardless of their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 ability or individual needs. For example, use of Makaton sign language throughout daily routines enables children to understand language through visual gestures which allows full participation in group activities such as songs and rhymes. This is helpful to all children and particularly to those who are less confident or have speech and language difficulties. Children generally listen and respond to stories and instructions very well. They join in with familiar text and actions, predict what happens next and offer their own thoughts and ideas. They experiment with mark making by tracing their fingers in the cornflour gloop, using paint, pens and crayons.

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and outcomes for children

Children lead healthy and active lifestyles in pre-school and develop high levels of independence as they manage their own needs. They decide when they are ready to eat their snack and effective staff deployment at the snack table means children consistently follow good hygiene practices to clean their hands and faces. They pour their own drinks skilfully because small jugs are provided that they can manage. Staff talk to them about different foods so they begin to recognise which foods are good for their health and which are not so good. They enjoy being physically active each day as they use indoor apparatus or musical movement sessions to develop gross motor skills and coordination. Staff ensure that children become aware of the impact of exercise on their bodies as they feel their racing heart beat and recognise the need to let their bodies rest after exertion. Children also enjoy regular outings to the pre-school allotment or local shops where they

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and outcomes for children

enjoy fresh air and learn about keeping safe. Risk assessments are managed well by staff to ensure children are kept safe. Adult to child ratios are high and consideration is given to minimising potential risks. Children practise using the zebra crossing safely and become aware of the potential dangers of traffic as they cross the busy car park to reach the allotment. Children find out about the natural world and where some food comes from through first-hand experiences as they plant and nurture seeds, watch them grow and then harvest the vegetables to make soup. They take part in activities and use resources to help them understand the wider world and diversity. These include celebrating Christian festivals and finding out about other faiths and cultures, and taking part in charitable events, for example to help less fortunate children in Africa. 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 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 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: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the premises (Suitability and safety of premises). 15/04/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the compulsory Childcare Register (Suitability and safety of premises). 15/04/2011

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