Aldermaston C.E. Primary School

Beaumont Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 109947 Inspection date 19/05/2011 Inspector Heather Morgan

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Setting address The Old Guard Rooms, Beaumont Grove, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1YH Telephone number 01252 328375 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

Beaumont Pre-school is run by a parents' management committee. It opened in 1988 and operates in a hall in the Old Guard Rooms in Aldershot, within a residential area of Hampshire. Children have access to a gated outdoor play area. There are ramps to aid access to the building.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It provides care for up to 42 children aged between birth and the end of the early years age range, at any one time. It is open during school term times on Mondays to Thursdays, from 9.00am to 3.15am, and on Fridays from 9.00am to 12.15pm. There are currently 60 children in the early years age group on roll. The playgroup receives funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who learn English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

A team of 12 staff work with the children, nine of whom hold appropriate childcare qualifications. The manager holds a foundation degree in early years childcare and education.

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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 staff team work well together to plan a broad range of activities that interest the children; consequently most children are making at least satisfactory progress in their learning and development. The staff regularly review and evaluate the service they provide and take effective steps to improve outcomes for children. They have clear plans in place to continue improving their practice. Excellent attention is paid to implementing robust and rigorous procedures to ensure children are safe and secure. Good partnerships with other professionals support staff in meeting the individual needs of children. Staff develop sound relationships with parents to promote continuity in their children's care, although they do not fully engage with them in working together to support their children's learning.

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further?

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

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further?

 analyse observations to help plan what individuals and groups of children need to learn next in order to build on what they already know and can do  develop systems that involve all parents regularly in the review of their children's progress and contribute to their child's learning and development record This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  review the organisation of large group activities to ensure they engage and sustain the interest of all children in the group

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the early years provision

Children's safety and security is given the highest priority. Exemplary policies and procedures, such as those for recruiting and vetting staff, are implemented very effectively to ensure that all adults working with children are suitable to do so. Staff attend regular training to keep their knowledge up to date and are very knowledgeable about established procedures to keep children safe. This enables them to quickly identify any concerns and deal with them effectively. Staff carry out regular checks of the premises and evaluate any risks associated with activities and outings, so that they can take any necessary steps to maintain the safety and security of children's play areas.

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the early years provision

Staff plan a wide range of activities that capture children's interests and provide opportunities for them to make progress in each area of learning. Good attention is paid to ensuring children have plenty of opportunities to make independent choices in their play. For example, children can choose to play indoors or outdoors. There is a good balance between activities that children initiate themselves and those that are directed by adults. However, adult-led activities for large groups of children do not always take account of the individual needs of all children. Consequently, some children are not able to sustain their interest in the activity and become restless.

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the early years provision

Staff observe children as they play and make some evaluations of the progress they are making. They keep records of children's progress and illustrate them with photographs and examples of children's artwork. However, they do not make effective use of this information to plan each child's next steps for learning. Consequently, planned activities do not ensure that children are building on what they already know and can do, so that they are all supported in achieving their full potential. Records of children's progress are not used to regularly exchange information with parents and promote effective partnership working to further support children's learning and development.

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the early years provision

The manager provides good leadership for the staff team, who all demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement. They share ideas about how to achieve their goals and enthusiastically implement new ideas after accessing training. For example, the staff acknowledge that they have a high ratio of boys attending and have improved access to activities in the outdoor environment to engage them in all areas of learning. Current plans for development include effective methods to improve the areas staff have identified for improvement. For example, there are plans in place to improve children's records of progress so that they are more manageable, informative and include information regarding children's learning at home.

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the early years provision

Children have access to a wide range of resources that they can access independently. Staff regularly review how they are stored and presented to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 encourage children to make best use of the equipment available. Very good use is made of the outdoor play environment where children have more space to explore, investigate the natural world and extend their physical activities. Staff are deployed effectively to support children's play. Younger children attending have regular opportunities to join the older children and get to know all members of staff. This supports them well when they are old enough to transfer from their small unit to the larger area of the nursery.

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the early years provision

The staff team reflects the cultural diversity of the local community and provides good role models for the children. Children enjoy learning about each other's cultural traditions and celebrations. Good attention is paid to narrowing the achievement gap for some groups of children, such as boys. Improvements to the play environment, such as adding a digging area and providing more activities outdoors, engages them well and promotes their learning and development. Less attention is paid to other groups of children, such as those learning English as an additional language, to ensure that they too are fully supported in maximising their learning opportunities. An effective partnership with other professionals enables staff to support children with some specific additional needs. Staff also exchange information with other early years providers to promote continuity in the care and development of children attending more than one setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children are safe and secure in the nursery and greet members of staff enthusiastically when they arrive at the beginning of each session. Younger children settle particularly well in their small, dedicated unit, where they develop close relationships with the familiar adults caring for them. This gives them the confidence to enjoy participating in activities with the older children at certain times of the day.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing healthy lifestyles as they often choose to play outdoors in the fresh air. They enjoy physical challenges and take care to ride their wheeled toys safely around the outdoor play area. They respond well to adult guidance regarding playing safely, for example, when they experiment with climbing and jumping from large tyres. Children understand the importance of good personal hygiene as they carefully follow routines such as washing their hands before they sit down to eat. They help to clean the tables before meals are served. Children make their own choices about when to have a drink or snack as they learn to recognise and respond to feelings of thirst or hunger.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children's behaviour is very good. From an early age they are supported well in learning the necessary rules for harmonious play, such as sharing and taking turns. They develop good relationships with each other, often choosing to play together in small groups. They treat one another with respect, and sometimes remind others to use good manners, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Children are proud of their achievements and enjoy helping out with daily routines, such as helping to prepare the snack table or tidying away at the end of the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 session. They engage in a range of activities that help them learn about the diversity within their own community and the wider world. Children enthusiastically engage in the wide range of activities that are available to them each day. They are independent and able to initiate their own play. Overall,

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and outcomes for children

they are making satisfactory progress in their development because staff plan activities that broadly support their learning in all areas. For example, they enjoy mark making for different purposes as they explore paints or attempt to imitate adult writing to describe a picture they have drawn. Most children are able to recognise their name cards and find their named place mat at the lunch table. Children use the computer and develop the necessary skills to enable them to complete simple programs, such as matching objects. They use a variety of equipment of different sizes to construct large and small models. For example, they build a tower with large rubber tyres or use blocks to make more intricate constructions. They like to explore the natural environment and find out how to transfer water between different containers and what makes their plants grow. Children are creative and like to experiment with the sounds they can make using

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and outcomes for children

different musical instruments, or discover what happens when they mix different coloured paints together. They regularly engage in role play which is extended well as staff introduce new ideas, such as transforming their role play area into a hairdresser's shop.

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and outcomes for children

Staff take account of which activities interest the children most, and use this information to plan future activities that support them in making satisfactory progress in their learning. However, they do not pay sufficient attention to each child's individual development to enable them to focus on building on what children already know and can do, in order to identify their next steps for learning. Consequently, children's progress and development is not sufficiently well planned to ensure that each child achieves their full potential. 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 1 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 3 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 3

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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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