Gorefield Pre-School

Gorefield Pre-school Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 221881 Inspection date 09/12/2010 Inspector Sue Rogers

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Setting address 69 High Road, Gorefield, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 4NB Telephone number 07765 342 940 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

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

Gorefield Pre-school opened and registered with Ofsted in 1994. It operates from a purpose built building within the grounds of Gorefield Primary School, Gorefield, Wisbech in Cambridgeshire. The pre-school is open Monday and Tuesday 09:00 until 15:00, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 09:00 until 12.00 and also run an afternoon session on a Thursday 12.45 until 15.45 for 2 year olds.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 26 children under eight years may attend the pre-school at any one time. Currently, the pre-school admits children aged two to five years. There are 25 children on roll within the early years age group. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for early years education. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs five members of staff. Of these, three hold an appropriate early years qualification to level 3 and one member of staff is qualified to level 2 and working towards a level 3 qualification. The pre-school is in receipt of 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

Children's learning is promoted well through a knowledgeable and supportive staff team. Their individual needs are effectively met through activities which are motivated by their own interests and preferences. Effective partnerships with outside agencies further support children's learning, as this ensures children have access to support that closely meets their individual needs. Staff largely communicate well with parents and carers and have established some good systems to share information. Documentation, policies and procedures relating to children's safety are all in place and fully protect the needs of all the children. The system for measuring the effectiveness of the pre-school is ongoing and developing, demonstrating that the setting is well placed to improve in the future.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further self-evaluation systems to better identify the setting's strengths and weaknesses  increase opportunities for parents access to all written records about their children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and provide effective arrangements that protect children. Staff recruitment procedures are well managed, with all staff being suitably vetted before they start and effectively deployed whilst at the pre-school. Staff are well supported in their roles and access frequent training opportunities to further their professional qualifications and update their skills. All risk assessments are well documented, are regularly completed and ensure all risks to children are identified and minimised. Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and the staff maintain a secure and safe site, ensuring that children are safeguarded well throughout their time at the pre-school. The well organised environment supports children's learning and is adapted regularly to meet children's changing needs. Access to the outdoor area is well managed, so that children can access this area

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the early years provision

whenever they wish in order to further their learning opportunities. Through the effective 'key worker' system, each child is assigned a member of staff who offers individualised support for the children in their care.

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the early years provision

The system for measuring the effectiveness of the pre-school is in place and staff have identified areas to improve. However, this does not yet fully incorporate the opinions of other agencies. Staff are committed to improving the pre-school further and are currently looking at ways to increase the number of people involved in the self-evaluation process so that they can further add to their understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. Staff value their partnership with parents, and regularly communicate with them. They are committed to caring for the children according to their parents' and carers' wishes. This fully inclusive approach ensures staff remain focused on meeting children's individual needs. Staff take the time to get to know children and their parents and carers. This ensures that equality and diversity is effectively promoted. Although the assessment systems are well documented, a few parents are not aware that these are readily available for them

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the early years provision

to read and contribute towards. However, parents do feel that staff are highly approachable, should they need to talk through any issues or ideas.

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the early years provision

Children are actively encouraged to explore the well-resourced environment, which is attractively laid out for their benefit. Staff work well with other agencies to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. This ensures that all children are cared for and develop well in relation to their starting points, as staff are skilled at planning learning opportunities and providing additional support when needed.

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and outcomes for children

Children's learning is well supported by a caring and committed staff team. Children are encouraged to be self-reliant, by having access to activities that This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 promote their independence. They spread butter on their crackers, pour their own drinks at snack time and eagerly put on their coats and boots before playing outdoors. Children extend their knowledge of the world around them through the many outdoor play activities. They learn about healthy eating as they grow their own vegetables and fruit. The children then harvest their crops when they are ready, before making them in to homemade soup. Different festivals, including Christmas and Chinese New Year, are celebrated with sensitivity and encourage children's awareness of their local and wider communities.

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and outcomes for children

Children's learning points and preferences are closely monitored by staff, who use these progress observations to plan for next steps in their learning. Children enjoy being able to freely select the equipment and resources they wish from the accessible storage areas. The well-resourced play areas provide exciting experiences for children, who use purpose built dens to create imagined scenarios. Their frequent use of the home corner promotes their creativity and allows them to use their advanced communication skills to describe what they are doing. Children's play activities are enhanced as they know that their enjoyment increases when they include their friends. They balance on beams and use a variety of wheeled toys to devise further play opportunities. Children also learn about numeracy through action songs, which help them to understand that you can add to and subtract from a number. Children who have special educational needs

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and outcomes for children

and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language are ably supported through a range of considered strategies.

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and outcomes for children

Comprehensive settling-in procedures encourage beneficial outcomes, as parents and staff work well together to support children very well. Children feel comfortable, confident and develop a sense of belonging. They share the equipment, are very considerate to one another and learn to negotiate maturely. A combination of adult-led and child-led activities enable children to choose self- initiated play and to value the time they spend working together in groups. They enjoy exploring sensory experiences as they experiment digging in sand and enjoy mark-making with 'gloopy' materials and shaving foam. They enjoy fulfilling literacy experiences as they listen carefully during group story time, and enjoy mark-making with pens and paper during creative play.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about the community they live in by visiting the local library, church, shops and post office. Staff ensure that children have a good understanding of healthy eating and the importance of diet and exercise. For example, by providing nutritious snacks, opportunities for physical play and through careful discussion about staying fit. They also take the time to discuss with children the importance of staying safe and acting responsibly. Staff offer children good levels of support and supervision, which ensures that they feel very safe. 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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