Herlington Pre-School

Herlington Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 256771 Inspection date 17/05/2011 Inspector Emma Bright

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Setting address Herlington Community Centre, Orton Malborne, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE2 5PW Telephone number 01733 390115 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.

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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

Herlington Pre-school opened in 1980. It is run by a voluntary management committee made up of parents whose children attend the setting. It operates from Herlington Community Centre in the Orton Malborne area of Peterborough. The pre-school is open five days a week from 7.45am to 3pm in school term times and 8.30am to 3pm during the school holidays (except for two weeks in the summer and Christmas holidays). A transport service is offered for children who live in the Hampton area of Peterborough. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 108 children may attend the pre-school at any one time and there are currently 217 children on roll who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who have English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs 27 members of staff; 18 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications and six are working towards a qualification.

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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

Good communication between staff, parents and others means children's individual needs are effectively met and they achieve well in their learning. Resources are well deployed to ensure children's safety and enable children to become active learners. Children are valued and acknowledged as individuals because staff develop close and nurturing relationships with them. Effective leadership and management of the setting enable the staff to identify areas for improvement to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 maximise the use of the outdoor environment to further enhance children's learning in communication, language and literacy  develop further the use of information about children's learning so that parents have additional opportunities to contribute to the record of their child's progress towards the early learning goals. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children procedures and help children to understand how to keep themselves safe. They attend child protection training regularly to ensure their knowledge is up-to-date. Rigorous recruitment and induction arrangements ensure staff and students who work with children are suitable to do so. This also ensures they are very clear about their roles and responsibilities. Thorough risk assessments are carried out on a regular basis to ensure that hazards are identified and minimised to safeguard children. Comprehensive documentation is in place for the safe running of the pre- school and underpins the good practice; policies and procedures are implemented effectively by all staff and shared with parents. All these factors contribute to the setting safeguarding children effectively and ensuring they are kept safe from harm.

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the early years provision

Staff work well in partnership with others and share information to promote children's learning, development and welfare. Staff have clear strategies in place to care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with parents, carers and other agencies to support the children's needs so that they are effectively included in the life of the setting. Children learn about their own cultures and those of others, and resources are in place that help children celebrate the diverse society in which they live.

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the early years provision

The management team provide strong leadership; they communicate clear expectations to staff to drive and secure improvement. Systems are in place to effectively monitor and evaluate the provision to identify priorities for improvement; there is a strong emphasis on raising standards, continually improving the provision and self-evaluation is good. All staff work well together as a team and this has a positive effect on children's welfare and learning, and consequently outcomes for children are good.

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the early years provision

Staff work well in partnership with parents and carers and they demonstrate a good understanding of the benefits of working closely with parents. Parents are kept informed about their child's progress and achievements. However, they have fewer opportunities to contribute to their child's record to share what they know about their child on a regular basis. Parents speak highly of the setting and staff, and the supportive and enjoyable environment their children benefit from. Very good settling in procedures based around children's individual needs help to support children in the transition between home and the pre-school.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage; this enables them to offer a range of activities and experiences to support each child's learning and development. Flexible planning is in place and is based on children's interests and this means staff can be responsive to children's changing This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 needs and interests. However, the outdoor area is less developed in supporting children in their communication, language and literacy skills. Staff carry out regular observations of the children as they play and these are added to children's individual records. This information is used effectively to identify the next steps in each child's learning and extend their learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is good because staff set clear boundaries and have high expectations for all children in the pre-school. Staff use positive language and actions to reinforce the rules of the pre-school so that children learn to take responsibility for their behaviour. As a result children develop good relationships with one another and work harmoniously together. Children enjoy a range of creative activities; they work together to make papier mache insects and they make 'wiggly worms' from playdough. Children enthusiastically take part in spontaneous singing sessions outdoors as they sing 'the dingle dangle scarecrow' and re-enact scenes from Goldilocks and the three bears.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about nature, the environment and recycling in the outdoor area. For example, they place food scraps in the compost bin and explain that 'worms turn the food into mud'. Children competently use the computer and a range of electronic toys and equipment. For example, they use the digital camera to take photos of their work and each other. Children develop good problem solving skills particularly in the woodland garden where they use a pulley system to raise and lower the bucket in order to remove the balls or they stack crates to create a den to hide in. Children learn about their own cultures and those of others; staff value children's home languages to ensure cultural diversity is embraced and respected. Children are confident communicators and they readily initiate conversations with adults and each other. They have daily opportunities to share and enjoy books, and their continuing interest in books is encouraged through a library system

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and outcomes for children

which allows them to take a book home to share with their parents. These simple activities lay firm foundations for children's future learning.

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and outcomes for children

Clear and detailed information is gathered about children's dietary requirements and health care plans are in place for children with specific health needs so that they can eat safely. All children enjoy healthy snacks which they competently help to prepare. They carefully cut up fruit and butter toast which promotes their independence skills and confidence. Children learn to feel safe because staff allow them to take some risk and ensure they can do so safely which means children are challenged to extend their physical skills and learn to take acceptable risks in a safe environment. Children free-flow between indoor and outdoor throughout the day which gives them ample opportunities for energetic play. Children practise a range of movements as they climb the grass covered hill, balance on beams and crawl through the tunnel. This helps them to develop good muscle control, feel relaxed and develop a sense of overall well-being.

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and outcomes for children

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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