Alpington & Yelverton Pre-School

Alpington & Yelverton Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 253995 Inspection date 23/05/2011 Inspector Lindsey Cullum

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Setting address Alpington Village Hall, Church Road, Alpington, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 7NU Telephone number 07880592862 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

Alpington and Yelverton Pre-school opened in 1972 and is run by a committee of parents. It operates from two rooms within Alpington Village Hall in Norfolk. There is access to an enclosed area for outdoor play. The setting serves children and families from the local and surrounding areas.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and both the voluntary and the compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 26 children from two plus to under five years may attend at any one time. There are currently 26 children within the Early Years Foundation Stage on roll and the setting is in receipt of government funding for nursery education. The pre-school is open Monday to Thursday from 9.15am to 12.15pm and Thursday from 12.15pm to 2.45pm, term-time only. Overnight care is not provided.

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Description of the setting

Five members of staff are employed to work with the children. All of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications for their positions. 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 are well provided for in the Early Years Foundation Stage and are making good progress in their learning and development, supported by a caring and enthusiastic staff team. Staff build extremely effective partnerships with parents and are developing links with others who provide care and learning for the children. A positive approach to inclusion ensures children's individual needs are identified and taken into account. Most records are effectively in place to support children's safety and welfare. The pre-school demonstrates a sound commitment to continuous improvement through self-evaluation in order to promote better outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the system for recording all accidents and informing parents of any accident or injury sustained by the child whilst in the care of the provider  develop further opportunities to share information about individual children's learning and development with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly when children attend more than one setting or are progressing to school  improve the links between observations, assessments and planning in order to ensure that identified learning priorities are consistently used to plan for individual children's progress. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are effectively protected as staff demonstrate a clear commitment to their role in safeguarding children. They attend regular training in safeguarding to ensure that they are able to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and know how to report concerns. Staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the setting's safeguarding policy and a wealth of information is accessible for reference. All staff undergo the required checks and records which demonstrate their suitability. Ongoing suitability is monitored through a yearly appraisal system. The premises are secure to prevent unauthorised access or children leaving the premises unsupervised. Detailed risk assessments are in place for the premises and for outings and daily checks are conducted to minimise the risks to children and to ensure the premises are safe. Fire exits are clear and the evacuation procedure is practised so that children and staff know what to do in the event of a

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the early years provision

fire or emergency. Staff are vigilant and quickly identify potential hazards such as sand getting into children's eyes on a very windy day, swapping this activity for compost and minimising the hazard. Most of the required records are in place and stored confidentially. Whilst significant incidents or accidents are appropriately recorded and parents receive a copy of any entry, the same system is not followed for minor accidents requiring no treatment, which may compromise children's wellbeing. Considerable care is taken by the staff each day to create a welcoming, child-friendly environment which enables children to play in comfort and make choices in their play, consequently developing children's independence. Resources and equipment are effectively monitored by the staff so these are of a high quality and remain safe and suitable for children's use.

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the early years provision

The manager and staff work as a motivated and cohesive team. They have a firm commitment to training and professional development, completing a range of courses and workshops to compliment their early years qualifications. Ideas from training courses are tried out and implemented if they prove successful. Staff are keen to improve the provision for children, taking time to discuss their practice at the end of the session and during regularly team meetings. This is fully supported by a strong committee who regularly seek the views of parents and act upon any feedback received. The pre-school shows a sound capacity to improve. Recommendations identified during the previous inspection have been addressed and work is in progress to carry out areas for improvement, which were identified as part of the self-evaluation process. For example, the recent development of the outdoor provision so this may be used in all weathers enhances children's learning

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the early years provision

Children benefit significantly from the strong, trusting partnerships which develop between the staff and their parents. An effective key person system ensures that children's needs are known from the point of entry in to the setting, children are fully included and able to work and play at their own level of development. Friendly, daily liaison ensures that parents are fully involved in their children's learning and development. They are able to access their children's 'Learning Journey' at any time and are offered consultations to discuss their children's progress in more depth. Furthermore, parents contribute to their children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 assessment records with photographs or by completing sheets detailing what they did during the holidays or during special events. Parents provide very positive feedback and comment that they particularly enjoy the opportunity to help out

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the early years provision

regularly on the parent rota as they are able to view assessment records, observe their child interacting with others and be a part of their child's pre-school experience. The pre-school has effective systems to support children as they move on to their local primary school with an ongoing target to establish links with a greater number of schools to aid the transition process further for children who will attend schools outside the local area. They are also developing their systems to work with other early years settings, aware of the importance of sharing information when appropriate to support continuity of care.

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the early years provision

Each child is recognised for their uniqueness and staff encourage children to learn and value differences and diversity through everyday play opportunities, planned activities and involving parents. There are no children attending who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, the manager is fully aware of the importance of working closely with outside agencies to support children's welfare and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, secure and settled within the pre-school. They make good progress in their learning and development as staff have a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this to effectively plan a diverse range of activities that are derived from children's interests and are well matched to their abilities. When children start attending, the staff ask parents for very detailed information so that they can plan activities and experiences children will enjoy, and this helps them to settle easily and to thoroughly enjoy the time they spend in the setting. Regular observations and assessments are made by the key person and recorded within the 'Learning Journey'. These, along with photographs, examples of children's work and contributions from parents help to build a clear picture of each child's progress. Next steps are identified; however these are not always systematically used when planning future activities so that plans are targeted to

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and outcomes for children

meet individual children's needs. Ideas for topics often come from the children themselves which leads to enthusiastic, motivated and independent learners. For example, children's interest in the farm led to staff planning the cress planting activity and providing planting resources such as compost in the outdoor tray. Staff are very skilled in supporting children at play. They show a genuine interest in what children are doing, offer encouragement and get involved in activities. They are skilled in asking questions which seek out what the children know and help them to think critically.

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and outcomes for children

Children's independence is very well promoted. They are able to make lots of choices and decisions about their play and know where to find toys and equipment they want to use. For example, when they want to make an octopus they go to the writing area as this is contains a wealth of resources. They choose paper, scissors, tape, glue and coloured crayons and are able to achieve with little adult support. Children's confidence and self-esteem is highly promoted. Younger children are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 encouraged to try activities, observe as staff demonstrate, then try for themselves with high levels of support. They persevere and practice, displaying pride in their achievements. Staff use this growing confidence by encouraging children to share their new skill with others, and children blossom. Children talk and communicate with exceptional ability. All children develop their early letter sound recognition

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and outcomes for children

skills through games and activities with staff. They frequently refer to the letter board, for example, when sounding out the letters of their name or when attempting to write. Children understand that print carries meaning as they find their name card for snack-time or listen to stories. They enjoy familiar rhymes and join in with enthusiasm. Children use their imagination and are freely creative. They carefully select coloured paint and create recognisable pictures, describing clearly what they have painted. Children eagerly explore a range of materials such as sand, water, compost, dough, or cornflour mix. They experiment with the textures as they feel these with their hands or use tools to make patterns. A range of resources promote children's understanding of technology as they freely play with an electronic laptop, keyboard, microphones or programmable resources. Children delight in looking through magnifying glasses, looking carefully at the

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and outcomes for children

flowers or seeking out insects. They plant cress seeds and talk about what the seeds need to make them grow.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy time outdoors each day, with some children choosing to play outside for most of each session. They know that in warm weather they need hats to protect them from the sun and drink water to stay healthy. Children frequently select toys to take outside and staff plan activities for this area, recognising the importance of outdoor play in broadening children's experiences. Everyday routines encourage children to develop good personal care and hygiene routines. For example, children independently wash their hands before eating snack or after toileting. They energetically use the larger physical play equipment which develops their physical abilities and coordination skills. Children know the rules for the safe use of equipment and are learning how to keep themselves and others safe. They are encouraged to make healthy choices at snack time and enjoy sitting in a small group chatting with their friends. Children's social skills are well developed for their

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and outcomes for children

young age and they are very well behaved. They are encouraged to listen to staff and show a good understanding of the boundaries of the setting. Friendships are evident and children freely share resources with their friends. They learn to cooperate, take turns and consider the needs of others with the positive support and encouragement of the staff. Children are encouraged to develop positive attitudes to others and staff promote the wider world, helping children to learn about their own customs and cultures as well as those of others. Regular outings, for example, to the school, church or home for the elderly, help children learn about their local community. As a result, children are developing positive skills for future life. 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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