St. Peters Pre-School

St. Peters Pre-School Nursery Bradfield Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 508013 Inspection date 01/03/2011 Inspector Carol Willett

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Setting address St. Peters Church, Southend Road,Bradfield, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 6EU Telephone number 0118 974 4000 Email teachers@stpeterspreschool.org.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

St. Peters Pre-School Nursery opened in approximately 1975. It operates from the church annex in the village of Bradfield Southend in West Berkshire. Children have access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. The setting is open each weekday from 9.15am to 12 noon. A lunch club operates on a Wednesday and Thursday where children bring packed lunches. The setting provides additional care on Wednesdays and Thursdays until 3pm. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 26 children may attend the St. Peters Pre-School Nursery at any one time. There are currently 28 children aged from two years in the early years age group on roll. Children aged three and four years are able to receive funding for free early education. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also supports children who speak English

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Description of the setting

as an additional language. Children attend for a variety of sessions and come from a wide geographical area. The pre-school nursery employs seven staff. The manager is a qualified teacher and two staff hold appropriate level 3 early years qualifications. In addition, two staff are starting further training to gain a childcare qualification. 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

Children are happy and settled and they confidently play in the friendly and generally well organised pre-school. Overall, staff work well as a team and they are friendly and caring. They know each child well, which enables them to plan for their future development. Staff share information effectively as they form positive relationships with parents to ensure they meet the needs of the children.

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further?

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

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further?

 provide staff with guidance and access to advice to enable them to effectively manage all children's behaviour  increase children's opportunities for moving towards independence; for example by ensuring hand soap is within their reach.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is promoted well as staff have a good understanding of safeguarding issues and procedures. They attend training to update their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 knowledge. The preschool has effective policies and procedures in place that are shared with parents so they are aware of the preschool's roles and responsibilities. Annual risk assessments are completed and daily checks ensure the premises and resources are safe and suitable for use. Children show a strong sense of security as they are closely supervised both inside and out and security of the premises is good. Staff are caring and attentive and have suitable qualifications. There are effective systems in place to notify the regulator of changes in staff and for vetting staff to ensure they are suitable to work with the children. Staff mostly work well together and give good support to each other as they care for the children. Staff

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the early years provision

ensure all visitors are recorded so there is an accurate record of adults on the premises.

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the early years provision

Staff are caring and enthusiastic and the key person system enables them to have a clear understanding of the children in their care. Staff develop good links with families and there are flexible settling in procedures. The range of documentation and discussions with parents enable staff to have good understanding and information about children's individual needs. This ensures staff can promote an inclusive service for children and provide continuity of care. They work closely with parents to meet any medical needs effectively by obtaining further training as necessary. Children's individual details are recorded and all records remain confidential at all times. The preschool is generally well organised and there is a wide range of good quality resources that ensure children make good progress in their development. Staff are effectively deployed to ensure children are safe. There are strong links with the local community. Volunteer helpers come in to help to

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the early years provision

prepare the snacks for the children. Other volunteers along with parent representatives form the committee to support the work of staff. Staff and parents share their special cultural days so children learn about their local community and knowledge and understanding of the wider world.

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the early years provision

The preschool is commitment to continual development. Recommendations set at the previous inspection and feedback from early years advisors are effectively acted upon. The new staff team have been proactive in evaluating the provision, identifying some areas which need, such as the outdoor area and planning. Staff attend training to update their knowledge and skills and newly appointed staff are keen to obtain relevant childcare qualifications. Staff have effective links with parents who are happy with the provision. Parents get to know the staff during introductory visits and speak to them daily at handover. They are invited to meetings every half term with their child's key person to discuss their children's progress. This helps them share and build on children's learning at home.

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the early years provision

The preschool has all required documentation in place. Children's registers, medication, accident and incident documentation and parental written consents are all maintained appropriately. The preschool has a full range of policies in place which are shared with parents. These are in the process of review as they have not been updated for a while. Although no children currently attend other providers, the preschool has a good understanding of the need to build effective partnerships with other agencies and with other settings that children attend. Children visit the local school prior to joining in order to help their transition. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children play and learn happily and they make good progress in their development as staff provide a welcoming child-friendly environment. Staff organise the playrooms well and there is an emphasis on free play where children actively explore and choose from the suitable range of interesting activities and toys. Staff ensure these support children's progress in all areas of learning and development. They set up the outdoor area to provide a wide range of learning opportunities as they are aware some children learn best outdoors. Staff use a traffic light system to show when the children can play outside. Children engage in energetic activities; they skilfully use the wheeled toys and run around and kick balls and enjoy digging in the mud and bark areas. The new climbing frame will provide additional, opportunities to further develop their skills in climbing and balancing. Small group activities encourage children's skills in a more structured way, for

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and outcomes for children

example they develop phonic awareness through rhymes and singing songs linked to a phonics scheme. Children show perseverance as they explore a suitable range of materials indoors including when using sewing cards and do threading. Most staff extend children's learning well as they use effective questioning techniques to increase their skills in counting and naming shapes. Staff use their written observations well to plan for children's learning and these show clear links to the early learning goals. Regular summary reports ensure parents are updated with children's progress and the book of photographs provides a lasting record of children's progress whilst they play and learn.

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and outcomes for children

Children show they feel safe as they interact confidently with adults. They become aware of differences through activities that positively reflect other cultures and religions. They try and write Chinese symbols and make friendship bracelets in red and white as staff share their special cultural days. Children learn safe behaviour through daily routines and staff reminders, such as not throwing toys. They learn to identify and manage risk, such as when riding on wheeled toys outside without colliding. Children generally behave well and they are made aware of class rules, which include being kind to their friends. However, not all staff respond effectively to children's inappropriate behaviour with clear explanations so they learn right from wrong. Children learn about healthy lifestyles and they enjoy healthy snacks of fruit and breadstick or crackers with water or milk. They have good opportunities to enjoy the fresh air as they play outside in all weathers and

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and outcomes for children

participate in energetic games taking of coats as they get hot, showing an awareness of their bodies. Children generally learn about good hygiene as they wash their hands after using the toilet and before snack. However, they are not able to freely reach the soap so some children do not bother. Overall, children make good progress in their development learning good skills for the future and are well prepared for the transition to school. 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 3 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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