St. Osmund's Preschool

St. Osmunds Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY357437 Inspection date 26/04/2011 Inspector Marilyn Joy

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Setting address St. Osmonds Pre-School, Exeter Street, SALISBURY, SP1 2SG Telephone number 07988574206 01722 329238 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

St. Osmund's Pre-School registered in 1985 and is managed by a committee of parents. The pre-school and out-of-school clubs operate from a large classroom in the grounds of St Osmund's School in central Salisbury. The school playground provides space for outdoor play. Children attend from the local and wider community, particularly during the holidays.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register for a maximum of 26 children at any one time. There are currently 98 children attending the pre-school and sunshine club, of these 51 are in the early years age group. The pre-school receives funding for free early education for children aged three and four years. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who learn English as an additional language. The pre-school is open five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm Monday to Thursday and 9am until 12noon on Fridays. The Sunshine Club operates from 7.30am until 8.50am and 3.15pm until 6.15pm Monday to Friday during term time. The Sunshine Club also operates during half-terms, the Easter holidays and the first three weeks of the summer holidays from 8.45am until 3.15pm,

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Description of the setting

There are seven staff working with the children and six of them are qualified. The manager has Early Years Professional Status and one member of staff is working towards an early years qualification. 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 happy and settled in the welcoming and well-resourced environment where their health and individual welfare needs are supported well. Extremely positive relationships are developed with parents which helps to provide a secure foundation from which children become well-motivated and independent learners who make good progress overall. Most documentation and procedures are well- organised and generally support staff in ensuring the smooth operation of the pre- school. Robust self-evaluation processes identify areas for further improvement and contribute towards the pre-school to sustaining high standards overall.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the systems for tracking children's progression in each aspect so that their next steps are identified in all areas and incorporated within the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 planning and, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, plans are consistently monitored  review safeguarding arrangements to ensure the written policy and staff knowledge is fully up-to-date.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is appropriately safeguarded because there are suitable procedures in place to keep children safe and protect them from harm. Staff have attended training and have an appropriate understanding of child protection issues to ensure they know what to do if they are worried about a child in their care. A flow chart clearly details the steps to be taken in the event of an allegation being made, although they are not clearly reflected within the written policy. Suitable risk assessments and vigilant supervision help staff maintain the safety and security of the premises. Robust recruitment and induction procedures ensure the staff team is suitably qualified and fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. All the required documentation is in place to provide staff with the information they need to assist them in effectively meeting children's individual health and welfare needs.

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the early years provision

Management has high expectations for the pre-school and there is a clear commitment towards maintaining good quality care for children. Evaluation processes engage the views of staff and parents, and support from local authority advisors is used effectively to help them identify and address areas for continued improvement. Recommendations raised at the last inspection have been addressed and, as a result, outcomes for children improved. For example, information is shared with parents to extend children's learning at home and specific activities are planned to support children who are learning English as an additional language. Generally the premises are organised extremely well to provide an exciting and vibrant atmosphere where children enjoy learning. They clearly benefit from the overall range and accessibility of resources, the high ratio of adults to children and the effective deployment of staff. As a result, children demonstrate high levels of

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the early years provision

independence and confidence as they move freely between indoors and outdoors.

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the early years provision

Strong partnerships are developed with parents. They are well-informed about the pre-school and their child's care through a range of written and verbal communications with staff. Parents are encouraged to be involved in the pre- school through the committee and involvement in their child's care and learning. Parents comment on how satisfied they are and how much they appreciate the information they receive. For example, children's learning journeys can be viewed at any time, the notice board is updated daily with details of their activities and informative newsletters include diary dates and menus. Effective relationships are developed with other settings children attend and clear arrangements are in place for liaising with parents and other agencies to support each child's individual needs. Although, some systems for monitoring support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are in the process of being securely

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the early years provision

established. Staff get to know children and parents well. They ensure they are able to reflect different languages and cultures in the resources and activities they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 offer, so that all children feel valued and respected.

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and outcomes for children

Children arrive at the pre-school with enthusiasm and quickly settle as they greet their friends and decide what they want to do. They benefit from supportive and friendly relationships with staff who naturally extend their language and understanding as they play. They easily introduce mathematical concepts during practical activities and talk about size, colour and position as they encourage children to match different objects and explore capacity when filling containers with sand or water. Staff make good use of training to help them focus on the promotion of language and listening skills. A bingo game helps introduce letter sounds and reinforces vocabulary which is particularly helpful for children who are learning English as an additional language. Effective circle time activities give children the confidence to join in and contribute. They identify one another's names, count how many are present and check this matches the number on the

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and outcomes for children

board. They listen to stories which are read well and are familiar with a wide repertoire of songs and actions. Children are successfully encouraged to solve problems and think for themselves. Effective questioning and thinking time helps them to work out what resources and equipment they might need and they are familiar with where to find them. Children flourish because of the support they receive.

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and outcomes for children

A broad range of activities are available which enables children to make good progress overall in their learning. They learn about living things when planting seeds and on nature walks. They begin to find out about different celebrations and an abundance of signs reflect the different languages children speak at home. Creativity and imagination is promoted through a range of craft activities, role-play resources and regular music sessions. A strong emphasis is given to promoting children's personal, social and emotional development. Resources are clearly labelled and easily accessible which encourages independence in making choices and selecting equipment. Children develop extremely positive relationships with staff and one another which is clearly demonstrated in how much they cooperate and play together. For example, toy cars are collected from indoors when a small group find some guttering and conduct simple experiments to find a suitable place

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and outcomes for children

where they can create a slope for rolling their cars down. Children thoroughly enjoy sharing multi-seat wheeled toys and excitedly ride around the playground as they chatter to one another. Many develop increasing concentration and hand-eye coordination when creating intricate designs as they use small nails and a hammer to secure different shapes to a board. Staff value how proud children are of their work and display their achievements for parents to see when they arrive to collect them.

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and outcomes for children

Parents regularly view their child's records and discuss progression with their individual key person. A termly overview as well as written observations, photos and examples of children's work provide a colourful picture of their achievements. Staff focus on children's interests when planning their next steps in key areas. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 However, the system for tracking their progression against the expectations of the early learning goals does not clearly show their next steps in each area of learning or reveal areas where they are achieving less well to ensure these are also included within the planning. Well-targeted individual education plans are prepared for children who are identified as needing additional support so that they receive the assistance they need.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health is carefully promoted through consistent health and hygiene procedures and daily routines. Free-flow between indoors and outdoors means they enjoy plenty of fresh air and the good range of small and large physical play equipment helps them to become increasingly skilful in developing control over their bodies. Children enthusiastically participate in weekly physical exercise sessions with a peripatetic sports coach who introduces them to a variety of team and individual games. Staff have a thorough knowledge of children's individual dietary requirements and freshly prepared meals and snacks contribute towards children's understanding of the importance of healthy eating. Children attending the breakfast club animatedly chatter with their friends as they make their breakfast and afterwards enjoy active play in the fresh air before school starts. However, this requires vigilant supervision from staff and clear boundaries to keep

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and outcomes for children

them safe as other children begin to arrive for school and share the playground. Pre-school children develop a good awareness of how to keep themselves safe through well-organised routines and safety arrangements. Children display a strong sense of belonging and security within the setting and all appear comfortable and at ease. Frequent praise and encouragement, as well as clear guidance, helps them to understand what is expected and, consequently, they behave very well. Children become well-equipped with the skills they need for future learning. 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 3 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 3 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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