Heronsgate School

Micheldever and Stratton Preschool Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 110389 Inspection date 12/05/2011 Inspector Loraine Wardlaw

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Setting address East Stratton Village Hall, Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 3DT Telephone number 07968 524694 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

Micheldever and Stratton Pre-school opened in 1999 and moved to it's new premises in 2009. It operates from East Stratton Village Hall and serves the local area. The main hall and toilets are used by the pre-school, and there is an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. The group is registered for a maximum of 24 children aged between two and five years old but it is the groups policy to take children aged two years and nine months of age. There are currently 30 children on roll. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for three and four-year-old's.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school operates five days a week during term-time only. Sessions operate between 9.15am and 12.15pm on Mondays and Fridays, between 9.15am and 12.45pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and between 9.15am and 3pm on Thursdays. The pre-school employs six members of staff to work with the children. The manager has Early Years Professional status, two practitioners are qualified to level three, and one is qualified to level two in early years.

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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 relish their time at this stimulating and nurturing pre-school. The knowledgeable and experienced staff, overall, meet children's learning and welfare needs well. Since the last and recent inspection there has been a lot more emphasis on safeguarding. Close relationships between the key person, families and children mean that staff tune in successfully to each unique child. Well- established evaluation systems are in place to monitor and further improve the care and learning provided.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure that children do not leave the premises unsupervised (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 06/06/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 offer tailored guidance and regular information about precise ways parents can support their child's learning across different areas. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff and the management committee are now committed to prioritising safeguarding. All staff hold a clear Criminal Records Bureau check and all committee members are known and checked by Ofsted. Staff are becoming more vigilant with regards to risks and hazards to children and undertake opening and closing checks each day alongside more formal written risk assessments. However, a couple of risks still remain such as security to the indoor premises and low hanging tree branches in the garden. The former is a specific legal requirement. When identified during the inspection they were quickly addressed. Staff have undertaken child protection training and have a good understanding of their role and responsibility with regards to reporting any concerns, and what happens next. Each day the adults work hard to create an enabling environment, with inviting display areas such as the song board with a basket of props for children to use and

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the early years provision

open storage units with labelled toy resources for children to select. There is very good emphasis on indoor and outdoor free flow play with staff ensuring that all areas of the curriculum can be accessed outdoors. Boys in particular reap the benefits of being outdoors; of using the wheeled toys with a friend and then sitting together on the grass to draw pictures on wipe boards with markers.

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the early years provision

The setting engages with it's parents well. Parents talk and write of their positive and communicative relationship with staff and strongly value the setting and what it offers their child. Good information sharing takes place with many parents now receiving the informative 'weekly news' by e-mail and have daily chats with the children's key-person, wherever possible. A feedback questionnaire informs the management team of the parent's views; development points are noted and included in the settings action plans for good continuous improvement. For example, the setting wish to improve parental involvement even further by adapting the system of informing parents of children's next learning steps and gaining advice from the local school teachers on further steps for the more able children. Tailored guidance and regular information about precise ways parents can support their child's learning across different areas is not fully in place.

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate a positive attitude to inclusion and meeting the needs of different social groups and abilities of children. They recognise the uniqueness of every child and, if a child feels comfortable, will incorporate a bi-lingual child's additional language into their practice to ensure all children gain a positive sense of identity. The well established staff team and management committee demonstrate good commitment and team work. Since the last inspection there has been a sub-committee set up and action plans in place to address the weaknesses identified; most of which have been successful. On other aspects of their work such as effectively promoting children's learning, the setting continually reflects and evaluates on the practice that takes place. Staff regularly attend training and bring new ideas and good practice into the pre-school such as their recent enrolment on the enabling environments project.

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children arrive at the setting keen and excited to participate in the morning's activities. They are well-motivated and safely go about their self- chosen play with confidence and contentment. For example, a girl spontaneously stands carefully on a crate in the garden, and ties a scarf on a tree. Areas have been set up and organised by staff to promote purposeful, active learning which children are eager to explore. Children are able to spend a long time at their child-initiated activities; many demonstrate they are able to work collaboratively and harmoniously together. For example, a small group sit on the grass outside making models out of a plastic construction set, negotiating with one another about the design; some work closely to the instructions on the pamphlet. The staff are attentive practitioners and are alert to the learning and care needs of all the children; as a whole team they are skilled at interacting purposefully with children and building

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and outcomes for children

on what children know and can do. They offer them good challenge and consistently ask open ended questions to encourage critical thinking and verbal expression. For example, they encourage children to wear their sun hats in the garden, rub sun cream on their skin and before an exuberant ring game ask what do we need to keep our hearts healthy? Which meets with the response 'exercise'. Children talk about being hot and sweaty after running in the garden and help themselves to drinking water placed on the side.

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and outcomes for children

Story time is differentiated according to abilities. Younger children thoroughly enjoy a story telling of the 'Three bears' by a practitioner with props and active involvement by the children to fully engage them in listening and learning. Well- targeted adult-led activities are planned with particular children in mind. For example, children have glass beads in a bag and estimate how many they have in their hand. They then count to see if their estimation was correct and match onto a number card with pictures they selected that are tied around the garden. The adult talks about more and less encouraging calculating. Staff know children's capabilities extremely well and can effectively implement their next learning steps. For example, during a spontaneous story in the garden an able child changes the end of the rhyming story with a different rhyming word because the adult encourages children to predict the last word on the page. The practitioner praises

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and outcomes for children

them highly and says perhaps they should re-write the story with the slightly different ending, which effectively promotes their literacy skills. Children eagerly talk about their growing projects; they understand when the strawberries are ripe to pick, which are cut up into pieces for each child at snack time. They look with interest for their named pot and their lettuce plants. Children are making gains in their problem solving reasoning and numeracy skills because the staff are adept at promoting this area of learning in all routines and activities. For example, a three year old looks at her very few lettuce plants growing and says there are only two. She spontaneously says she hopes that more will grow and then there will be three the same age as her.

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and outcomes for children

The adults are very aware of those children with allergies and have successful systems in place to maintain children's good health. For example, they took part in cascade training on the use of the epi-pen and emergency, named boxes of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 medication are close to hand in the kitchen. Children feel secure, have a very strong sense of belonging and demonstrate they can keep safe. They understand and follow the safety rules. For example, they know the sign in the garden is the fire assembly point and talk articulately to the visitor about practising the fire drill to keep safe in the event of an emergency. Although intruders cannot enter the premises because the front door is locked from the outside, determined children could leave the building unsupervised, as many children use the toilet facilities independently and staff are very engaged in promoting children's learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about cultural diversity through the 'celebration board' which displays the topic work they have done on Chinese New Year, St Patricks day and the Royal wedding. Children are gaining an awareness of the French language through regular adult- led, group teaching from a French member of staff. 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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