Bretforton Preschool Playgroup

Bretforton Pre-School Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 205253 Inspection date 16/03/2011 Inspector Sally Wride

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Setting address Village Hall, Main Street, Bretforton/ Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 7HY Telephone number 07841985814 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

Bretforton Pre-School Playgroup opened in 1981 and is run by a parent committee. It operates from two rooms within Bretforton Village Hall in the village of Bretforton, near Evesham. The setting serves the local area and has strong links with local schools. There is a fully enclosed play area available for outdoor play. The setting has a village allotment which children visit on a regular basis. Children are also taken on weekly Forest School sessions at the nearby school. A maximum of 26 children may attend the setting at any one time. There are currently 40 children attending who are within the early years age range. Of these, 19 children receive funding for early years provision. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The group operates at ground floor level and the building is accessible via a ramp.

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Description of the setting

The group opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9am until 1pm on a Monday and Friday, from 9am until 12pm on a Tuesday and Thursday and from 9am to 3pm on a Wednesday. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs five members of permanent child care staff and an additional four members of temporary staff. Of these, five members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications to National Vocational Qualification Level 2 and 3. The manager of the setting has recently trained in 'Nursery Talk' and children's speech and language development. The setting 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

Children enjoy their time at the inclusive pre-school and benefit from care and learning experiences that are tailored to meet their individual needs. They make good progress and benefit from a wide range of activities that support all areas of learning. Whilst children are cared for in a safe and secure environment by appropriately vetted staff, some required records are not in place. Positive relationships with parents and other professionals ensure effective partnership working arrangements for the benefit of the children who attend. Effective systems are used to monitor and evaluate the setting's performance and clear plans are in place for the future development of the group. The committee, manager and staff team work together very well and demonstrate ongoing commitment in relation to continuing to drive improvement.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  keep records that include the unique reference numbers of CRB disclosures and the date on which they were obtained (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 23/03/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further opportunities for children to help plan the layout of the environment and extend their freedom of access to resources  develop children's access to resources that reflect positive images of diversity.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is promoted and safeguarded within this pre-school setting. Safeguarding policies reflect Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures and all staff have a clear understanding of the known indicators of child abuse and the action to be taken in the event of a concern about a child in their care. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures are implemented to ensure the committee and staff team are safe and suitable to be in contact with children. However, whilst all committee members and staff have been subject to Criminal Record Bureau Disclosure checks, a full record is not maintained of the unique reference numbers of the Disclosures and the date on which they were obtained. Whilst this is a breach of welfare requirements, the impact on children is minimal as checks have been conducted and other evidence is in place to demonstrate their suitability. In other respects, required documentation, policies and procedures for

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the early years provision

the safe and efficient management of the setting are in place and well maintained. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. Annual risk assessments are conducted which cover everything with which a child may come into contact and positive action is taken to risk assess outings to ensure children are kept safe. Visual daily checks of the indoor and outdoor areas ensure prompt action is taken to identify and minimise risks to children.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from leaders, managers and staff who work together as a strong and supportive team. All staff place children's best interests at the heart of their work and are committed to promoting positive outcomes for children. They engage in daily discussions to review and evaluate children's progress and to make plans for their future learning and development. Formal staff meetings are regularly held to reflect on the strengths of the pre-school and to identify areas in need of development. Staff proactively seek the views of parents, children and other professionals and feed their comments and suggestions into the effective self- evaluation system. Clear plans are in place for the future which are aimed at bringing about improvements for the children who attend. For example, staff are currently working to develop the planning systems to ensure children's individual learning needs are fed into all planned activities and events. The setting

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the early years provision

demonstrates good capacity to make and maintain continuous improvement. They This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 have proactively actioned all recommendations raised at their last inspection which has positively impacted on outcomes for children. Staff undergo annual appraisals which successfully identify their training and development needs. They have good opportunities to extend their skills and knowledge through regular access to short training courses which are aimed at supporting the children who attend. For example, the manager has recently accessed 'Nursery Talk' and speech and language training to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need. Staff are well deployed within the setting which ensures that children receive good levels of support in their care, learning and development. The setting has a good range of toys and resources that are fit

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the early years provision

for purpose and support children's learning and development. However, the organisation of these does not fully promote children's independence in terms of them being able to freely select from the range that is available.

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the early years provision

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress and are fully included within the life of the pre-school. Staff take positive action to secure additional support for children as required and share information and records with other professionals and parents. This ensures that each child receives the support they need. Managers and staff proactively engage with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage. For children attending more than one pre-school provision they operate a three-way diary with other providers and parents to ensure information is effectively exchanged in relation to children's welfare, learning and development needs. These systems are used very well to promote continuity and cohesion in children's early years experiences. Parents receive good quality information about the pre-school and benefit from daily exchanges of information with staff in relation to their children's current abilities

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the early years provision

and care needs. Parents are valued as partners in their children's learning and are kept well informed about their children s well-being, achievement and development. They receive a prospectus which sets out how the care of their children is organised in addition to information about the Early Years Foundation Stage and the six areas of learning. They are able to view their children's observation and assessment records at any time and planning documents are displayed for their attention to ensure they have full information about planned activities and events. They are invited to attend and take part in an annual sports day and are welcome to spend time with their children in the setting at any time.

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and outcomes for children

Children s learning and development is promoted well through a topic related curriculum which consistently covers all six areas of learning. Topics such as the local village, the climate and Chinese New Year are appealing to children and are well planned to ensure that all children make good progress in their learning. A clear picture of children's learning, progress and future learning needs is identified through individual education plans and the effective use of observations and assessments. Key workers have a good understanding of children's individual learning needs and use this to inform current and future plans. However, whilst this ensures children's next steps for learning are known by staff, the frequency of next steps identified in planning documents are yet to fully reflect staff knowledge. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children are provided with many opportunities to consolidate their learning in

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and outcomes for children

addition to developing new skills and knowledge and are very well supported by staff who enthusiastically engage in their play and games. Children happily arrive at the setting, quickly settle into their play and enthusiastically explore the range of toys and activities on offer. They engage in self-chosen and adult-led activities, both indoors and outside and make some independent decisions about their play. However, children are not fully involved in helping to plan the layout of the environment and opportunities for them to freely select what they wish to play with is somewhat limited due to the storage and organisation of resources.

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and outcomes for children

Children self-register on their arrival at the group, confidently recognising, selecting and displaying their names. They have good opportunities to make marks on the chalk board and demonstrate their developing pencil control as they draw around their hands and create self-portraits. They enjoy seeing these on display, which positively fosters their self-esteem. Children's language skills are developing well. They engage in conversation as they play with peers and staff. They confidently join in with action rhymes and songs and enjoy reading books alone and listening to stories read by enthusiastic staff. They see text and numbers displayed within their learning environment which helps them to understand that print carries meaning. Children's problem solving skills are developed as they operate programmable toys, working out which buttons they need to press in order for the toy to work its way around a course they create from blocks. During

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and outcomes for children

such games they successfully use positional language such as left, right, forwards and backwards. They show interest in educational computer games and develop mouse control skills as they operate the game, solving simple clues in order to hunt for and rescue animals. Their creativity is fostered well through arts and crafts, imaginative role play and small world play. They enjoy group music sessions where they explore loud and quieter noises they can create with a range of musical instruments.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about their local environment as they take regular trips around the village. They visit places of interest, such as the local church and enjoy regular outings to the park and weekly Forest School sessions at the local school. Each year they are taken to a village farm to visit newly born calves and they help to feed them and learn about their care. Their sense of safety is developed during these trips as they learn about the importance of road safety. Children wear fluorescent jackets to ensure they are visible and hold onto a walking line to ensure they stay together as a group. They engage in charity events, raising money for good causes through activities, such as, fancy dress and balloon releases. Children learn about the wider world as they explore cultural festivals. For example, they have recently celebrated Chinese New Year. They enjoyed tasting Chinese food, created a large dragon and acted out a traditional Chinese

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and outcomes for children

dragon dance. Whilst the setting has a suitable range of resources that promote positive images, these are not always available to children in every day play situations. This limits opportunities to challenge children's thinking and help them to embrace differences in society.

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and outcomes for children

Effective steps are taken to promote children's understanding of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. They follow good hygiene routines and understand why it is important to wash their hands at appropriate times. They benefit from daily This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 opportunities to access fresh air and develop and extend their physical skills and control as they pedal on bikes, throw, catch and kick balls. Their understanding of the importance of taking regular exercise is developed as they engage in physical education sessions run by an external fitness instructor. During these sessions children practise forward rolls, hopping, running and jumping. Staff promote children's awareness of the importance of keeping their bodies hydrated by ensuring they have ongoing access to fresh drinking water. Children enjoy healthy and nutritious snacks which meet with their individual dietary needs and offer

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and outcomes for children

variety and choice. They make independent decisions about when they would like their snack in the newly developed cafeteria and enjoy their snack as a sociable occasion with their peers. Children who stay for their lunch consume packed lunches from home, which are appropriately stored before being offered to children. The pre-school has recently acquired a village allotment which children regularly visit. They learn about sustainability as they plant, tend and harvest a range of vegetables which they enjoy preparing and eating whilst at the setting and also take home to share with their families. They make very good use of recycled materials, such as cardboard boxes, in their play. Children behave very well and are busy and occupied during their time at pre-school. They respond well to the clear expectations of staff and follow the agreed rules of the setting. Positive praise and encouragement fosters their self-esteem and they cooperatively

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and outcomes for children

play, share and take turns with their peers. 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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