Pre-School Academy

Pre-School Academy Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY419610 Inspection date 16/05/2011 Inspector Victoria Vasiliadis

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Setting address Dawlish Drive, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 9SF

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Telephone number 07961128877 Email mundeep3@hotmail.co.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. 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

Pre-School Academy was registered in 2010. It is located in a residential area of Ruislip in the London borough of Hillingdon. The setting is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year, excluding public holidays.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of 86 children, of whom no more than 24 children may be aged under two years at any one time. There are currently 23 children on roll within the early years age range, who attend various sessions. The setting is funded to provide pre-school education for three and four year olds.

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Description of the setting

There are nine members of staff employed who work directly with the children, including the Registered Person/manager. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications and three staff are currently attending further training.

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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

The children apear settled, happy and content within a warm and welcoming pre- school. Overall, they are provided with a good range of learning opportunities and experiences which complement their development in relation to the Early Years Foundation Stage. The systems for self-evaluation are ongoing and the setting continues to work on areas for development to improve outcomes for children. There are effective systems in place to promote partnership working; this ensures that the children's welfare and learning needs are well met and consistency of care is promoted.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase children's opportunities to write for a variety of purposes and to experience mark making in a wider variety of ways  further support staff understanding of the importance of asking open questions to encourage and extend children's thinking and help them make connections in learning.

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the early years provision

The management team are clear about their roles and responsibilities in relation to child protection. Staff understand the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about the welfare of a child in their care. There is a designated person in This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 place to deal with safeguarding issues. There are effective risk assessments in place which are routinely reviewed and action taken to manage or eliminate any identified risks. The children's safety is a clear priority at the setting. The adult:child ratios that the setting maintain ensure that the children are safe and well supported. There are clear staff recruitment and vetting procedures in place. For example, all new staff are subject to an induction process which includes ensuring that they are fully aware of the settings policies and procedures in relation to child protection and safeguarding. All records required for the safe and

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the early years provision

efficient management of the setting are in place to ensure all children's needs are met. Subsequently children's safety and welfare is well promoted.

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the early years provision

Although the setting has only been in operation for a short time, the management team has a clear vision and know where their strengths lie and where improvements are needed. They are able to identify realistic but challenging steps for improvement. For example, they are currently working on developing an Eco - Garden to benefit the children's learning in this area. The views of parents and carers have been actively sought and they are able to make positive contributions to how they would like the service to be developed. Staff are supported in seeking further professional qualifications. They are able to enhance their skills and knowledge which impacts positively on their ability to improve outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

The children are provided with an environment that is rich in signs, notices, numbers, words, books, pictures, music and songs that take into account children's different interests, home backgrounds and cultures. They are enabled to make choices in their play and readily help themselves to toys and equipment from the low-level cupboards. Consequently, the children feel included and valued as individuals.

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the early years provision

There are good systems in place to promote partnerships with parents and others carers. There are informative notice boards in place which provide parents with information about the Early Years Foundation Stage, policies and procedures and details about the staff caring for their children. All parents have opportunities to meet with staff to discuss their children's achievements and progress. Each child has their own personal developmental record, which clearly shows how they are making progress towards the early learning goals. Parents are unanimous in their positive feedback about the care and education their children receive within the setting.

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the early years provision

The setting continues to develop links with the adjoining school and other local child-care settings. For example, regular meetings take place with the school about mutual funding issues and the sharing of ideas. The setting is currently working on their transitional documents in preparation for when children leave to go on to primary school. In addition, the setting is part of their Local Authorities Lead staff Initiative scheme. This enables the lead practitioner from the setting to share practise issues with other settings, which has positive results on the setting's development and consequently on the children's learning and development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning about the importance of hygiene and caring for their own health. For example, the older children are aware of the need to wash their hands before eating or after using the toilet.

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and outcomes for children

The children's dietary requirements are supported as staff are aware of any allergies or religious observances that must be respected. Children are provided with healthy snacks and meals such as jacket potatoes with baked beans and cheese. Mealtimes are used as an opportunity to support the children's understanding of the origins of the foods they eat. For example, staff talk to the children about where milk comes from and how potatoes are grown.

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and outcomes for children

Children's physical skills are developing as they regularly access the outdoor area where they can run around freely and play with the equipment available. For example, they enjoy practising their balancing skills as they manoeuvre themselves across the tree stumps.

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and outcomes for children

The children are cared for in a safe and secure environment and are learning the importance of how to keep safe. For example, children are reminded to not to run indoors as they may hurt themselves. Babies develop confidence in exploring their surroundings and enjoy finding out what they can do. The babies demonstrate through their body language and gestures that they feel happy, safe and secure. Babies snuggle into staff for comfort when they are upset or tired.

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is managed in a calm and sensitive manner by staff who set clear, reasonable and consistent boundaries. This helps children to learn respect for others and develop appropriate behaviour. For example, sand and egg timers are used as a visual aid for children so that they know when it is their turn next. Children receive lots of positive praise when they achieve something so that their self-esteem is promoted. They are learning to share and enjoy playing either by themselves, with or alongside their friends.

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and outcomes for children

The pre-school is committed to promoting equality and diversity. It acknowledges and celebrates a range of festivals and events such as Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year festival, Easter and the Royal Wedding. As a result, the children are supported in developing a respect and understanding of their own and others cultures. Dietary needs are respected, and a supportive environment is provided for all children and their families regardless of background.

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and outcomes for children

There are effective systems in place to identify children's starting points and staff planning, observation and assessment are successful. Overall, children are achieving well in all areas of their learning, their individual needs are met and they are making good progress against the Every Child Matters outcomes. Clear observations and individual learning plans identify the progress that individual children are making. This indicates the staff have a good understanding of each child's development and how they can promote their further progress. Clear plans help to identify the next steps in the children's learning and ensures children are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 actively engaged whilst in the setting. In addition, parents are encouraged to share ongoing information about their child's interests and activities away from the setting. This enables the children's learning and development to be complemented

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and outcomes for children

Children's competency in communicating, speaking and listening are developing appropriately. Children are eager to participate in conversations with the staff and with other children. They are beginning to negotiate and take turns when speaking. The older children eagerly talk to the staff about their families and what they do when away from nursery. However, some staff, especially those in the Babies Room, are not using open questions and conversation as a way of extending children's vocabulary and spoken language skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy having stories read to them in groups or individually and are beginning to understand that print carries meaning. Overall, staff pose open ended questions to support and encourage children's thought processes, but some staff are more skilled than others. Children are provided with a good selection of resources that enable them to practice their early mark making skills using pencils, crayons and a selection of painting tools.However, they are not routinely encouraged to write for a variety of purposes.

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and outcomes for children

Children are challenged and encouraged to extend their learning as they actively explore and take delight in playing with the resources available to them. For example, the children enjoy pouring and transferring sand and water from one container to another. They also investigate how things work as they use programmable toys and many of the more able children competently use the computer and mouse. Children's problem solving and numeracy skills are well supported by staff who encourage them to construct models using the different sized bricks and to explore shape and size. 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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