Quarry Bank Primary School

Parkwood Christian Fellowship Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 103830 Inspection date 24/03/2011 Inspector Jane Wakelen

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Setting address Parkwood Green, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 9PN

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Telephone number 01634 366574 (am only) 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

Parkwood Christian Fellowship Pre-School opened in 1969 and operates from three rooms in a church building. It is situated on a large housing estate on the outskirts of Gillingham, Kent. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9.15am to 12.15pm term time only. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 67 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 87 children aged from two to under five years on roll. The pre-school currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 25 staff which includes at least four support workers for individually named children. There are 22 staff, including the manager, who hold appropriate early years qualifications and two of these have completed the Foundation Degree in Early Years. One of these members of staff is in the process of completing the Early Years Professional Status. The pre-school provides funded early years education for three and four-year-olds.

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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 play in a safe, secure setting where staff give high importance to safeguarding children. Children make good progress in their learning and development because of the staff's excellent knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All children are fully integrated into the setting, with some children receiving additional support to ensure all children's needs are met and they reach their full potential. Partnerships with other agencies and parents are exceptional because of the proactive manner of the staff and the management team to support each child individually. The setting has carried out an effective and thorough self-evaluation. This reflects the managements clear understanding about where their strengths and weaknesses are and action plans have been put in place to address these weaknesses.

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further?

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

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further?

 enhancing the planning to reflect individual children's learning intentions  extending opportunities for children to easily access equipment to support their ICT skills and natural materials. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The management team place high importance on safeguarding children within the setting. They ensure all staff have read the comprehensive policy and implement it effectively to protect children's well-being. All staff have attended training in child protection and update this every three years to maintain their understanding and ensure processes are current. All new staff have extensive vetting procedures carried out and have a thorough induction and probationary period to ensure their suitability. The setting's collaborative working with other key agencies is exemplary. This ensures all children's needs are identified and the relevant agency contacted to fully protect children's well-being. All staff place high emphasis on ensuring children play in a safe environment and monitor this through daily risk assessments, both indoors and outdoors. Documentation such as the accident and existing injuries books are kept up-to-date with all relevant information and shared

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the early years provision

The whole staff team are highly effective in making sure all children feel valued, are treated with respect and their individual needs met. Children with special needs are given additional support by a member of staff who works alongside them, to ensure they benefit from the learning experience being offered. This results in nearly all children making good progress in their development with regard to their starting points. All children learn to use 'signing' to help communicate with their peers, through singing rhymes, learning their letters and sounds and in group sessions. Resources to reflect the wider community can be found around the pre-school in books, dressing-up clothes, puzzles and small world toys. However, posters and displays are limited due to the setting not being able to use the walls for display. The excellent relationships with parents and external agencies enable every child to receive high levels of support where necessary at an

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the early years provision

early age. Children have access to a good variety of exciting activities using a wide range of resources. These are all well maintained and suitable for the ages of the children attending the pre-school. However, some resources have to be shared between the different rooms, and this results in children not always having access to some types of equipment on a daily basis, such as the sand and water and the computer. Children have a wide range of resources to select from and can use the choices book, to select additional equipment with the support of a member of staff. However, due to the storage problems additional equipment is not easily accessible, preventing children making free choices.

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the early years provision

Partnership with parents is outstanding. All parents are extremely happy with the provision and this reflects in the results of a recent questionnaire that staff sent out. Parents' views and opinions are sought on an on-going basis to ensure the setting is meeting the needs of the users. Parents are invited to the setting before their child starts, to allow the child to become familiar with the environment to support the settling-in process. Parents are asked to complete personal information about their child, to support the key person's knowledge, to enable them to plan effectively to meet the child's needs. The regular observations and assessment records are shared with parents every half a term keeping them well-informed This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 about their child's progress. Parents are invited to contribute to this record through photographs, pictures or written information. Children also get the opportunity to

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the early years provision

take home a special bear and record his adventures with them whilst away from the pre-school, providing a strong home and pre-school link. All parents are given copies of the policies in the comprehensive prospectus and sign to say they have read them. This allows them to have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the setting. Each room sends out newsletters, relating to the activities for that group of children, enabling parents to contribute to the activities or topic to support their child's learning. The setting as a whole also sends out newsletters informing parents of future events, important dates and any other global information.

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the early years provision

Partnership with outside agencies is exemplary. The setting is known as an 'autism friendly' and 'inclusive setting' and welcome children who have special or additional needs. The setting have a fully qualified Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator who works with a dedicated team of support workers, outside agencies and the parents to meet children's individual needs. The management team place high importance on keeping comprehensive notes on each individual child, ensuring that all relevant information is recorded in the event of an emergency. Detailed individual educational plans, care plans and medical details are recorded, in partnership with the key person and parents or carers promoting extremely positive outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

The setting has addressed all recommendations from the previous inspection and has continued to make outstanding progress to ensure children receive a highly stimulating and educational provision. The staff show commitment, enthusiasm and motivation to provide interesting activities and experiences to enhance children's learning opportunities. They welcome all children, promoting equality and constantly monitor the provision to ensure all children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Regular room meetings, whole pre- school meetings and group leader meetings all have a positive impact on the quality of the provision, together with the self-evaluation of the setting to promote excellent outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children arrive confidently and with great enthusiasm. They are greeted warmly by staff and parents have the opportunity to talk to their child's key person if necessary. Children self-register and eagerly find an activity from the range pre- selected by the staff. They show enjoyment playing in the role play area, serving their customers, using the till, or in the cafe, taking orders from the menu card. Younger children act out familiar roles from home, making cups of tea and others use equipment such as the wheelbarrow and flowers using their imagination for the garden nursery. Opportunities to sing songs from memory, play musical instruments and partake in art and craft activities allows children to develop their creativity. Children have lovely opportunities to learn about their environment, going on nature walks to the woods and use the camera to take pictures of the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

changes. They use small world toys in imaginative ways, for example playing with the space ships and space stations in the coloured sand. Children grow plants from seeds, pot small plants as gifts and the younger children grow cress, supporting children's understanding of growing and the natural world. Children use many different resources to support their knowledge of communication technology, using the tape recorder with the headphones to listen to stories, programmable toys and the computer and printer. However, the computer has to be shared between all rooms and therefore is not always freely accessible to all children.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate good communication skills both with their peers and the staff. They 'sign' during group time, when singing songs, or looking at books, supporting children with no verbal communication. Children of all ages show a love of books, sitting looking at them individually, or sharing them with a member of staff. They show excellent concentration skills and confidently join in with telling the story, or joining in with the next sentence, showing familiarity with the book. Story sacks are used to give children the opportunity to tell stories or use resources to support their understanding, expanding children's language skills. Many children are beginning to write letters in their name or label their pictures with their whole name. They understand marks carry meaning as they happily take their friend's order in the cafe using paper and pencil. Daily opportunities to make marks, both indoors and outdoors, support children's fine motor skills and prepare

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and outcomes for children

them for writing. Children complete peg puzzles and jigsaws showing good hand and eye co-ordination. Daily opportunities to use large play equipment are a firm favourite of the children, who show enjoyment in the fresh air. They are able to visit the local play park or go on walks to the woods, giving a wide range of physical activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children show strong numeracy skills as they count the bricks in the tower, or count how many cars have rolled down the piping. Many children recognise their numbers and reflect this as they point numbers out in the environment, on the cupboards and on the tills in the shop. Children use their numeracy skills in everyday routines, identifying the shape on the card they have been given or the number. They are able to compare shapes and learn 3D shapes using the bricks and recyclable materials. Good quality resources throughout the pre-school support children's numeracy skills in all aspects. Children are able to make excellent progress in developing their skills for the future.

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and outcomes for children

Staff plan a highly stimulating and welcoming environment to fully reflect children's backgrounds and the wider community. They regularly discuss different activities for the children, or how they can extend opportunities to ensure children continue to have an exciting variety. Assessment through high quality observations is rigorous and informs future planning. The plans are used flexibly to meet children's individual needs using each key worker's knowledge of their key children. However, planning does not always reflect children's learning intentions on an individual basis. Parents are able to fully contribute to this process and have formal and informal opportunities to view their child's file. This partnership ensures children continue to make good progress in their development.

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and outcomes for children

Children show a strong awareness of foods that are healthy and foods that are not. They make pizzas, learning the importance of hygiene procedures, washing This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 hands before they start and not licking fingers until they have finished. They use tissues for noses and understand the importance of putting the tissue in the bin to prevent the germs spreading. Snack time is promoted as a sociable time for children to sit together, making a choice of healthy options, such as fresh fruit and talk about their families, experiences or an activity they particularly enjoyed. The majority of children understand why they must exercise and the importance of fresh air to promote a healthy lifestyle. Staff ensure hygiene routines are implemented by staff and children to prevent cross infection. A comprehensive health and safety policy is implemented to protect children's well-being and safety.

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and outcomes for children

Children show a strong sense of security and feel safe within the setting. This is reflected in the confident, independent manner in which children move around the setting, playing co-operatively with their peers and approaching adults to share information. Children are able to explain how to keep themselves safe, for example, in the role play area children talk about the kettle being hot and dangerous and to use oven gloves when taking the cake out of the oven. Staff support children in learning how to keep themselves safe by reminding them of simple rules, especially when on outings. They learn about stranger danger and have had talks from the local community police officer to understand his role within their community. Adults play great importance on ensuring children are safe and their environment is child-friendly. Children's individual ages and stages of development are taken into account when talking to children so that they can

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and outcomes for children

understand safety issues. Regular fire drills are carried out, ensuring children know how to evacuate the building in an emergency.

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and outcomes for children

All children demonstrate an extremely strong sense of security and belonging within the setting. They are confident, independent and settle well, due to the excellent procedures in place for settling children into the pre-school. In the younger rooms parents are encouraged to bring in photographs or pictures of their child's family or favourite things to stick onto their place mat for snack time. This is then used as a talking point for children to establish a sense of belonging. All rooms seek full information from the parents and use photographs around the setting and in books for the book corner, for children to look at and become animated when they see someone they know or themselves. Children behave extremely well, showing excellent negotiation and sharing skills with the various resources. Relationships between the children, their peers and the staff are excellent. 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 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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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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