Athelstan First School

Teynham Community Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 127676 Inspection date 10/06/2011 Inspector David Hatchett

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Setting address Station Road, Teynham, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 9BQ

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Telephone number 01795 522004 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

Teynham Community Pre-School opened in 1993, and most of its children come from the local area. It operates within the grounds of Teynham Primary School. The pre-school has access to two main rooms, toilets and a large outdoor play area, which is partly covered. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 28 children may attend at any one time. The pre-school is open each weekday from 8.50am to 12pm, Monday to Friday, and from 12.10pm to 3.10pm each week day except Wednesday. There are currently 54 children aged from two to under five years on roll attending for a variety of sessions. Of these, 34 children receive funding for early years education. The pre-school supports a number of children on roll with special educational needs and/or disabilities and one child who speaks English as an additional language. There are six qualified members of staff working directly with children and a 'relief' member of staff who

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Description of the setting

provides occasional cover. Staff hold appropriate qualifications and the manager is working towards a foundation degree. The manager was appointed in January 2011. The pre-school is a member of the local authority's leading early years' team.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Teynham Community Pre-School provides an outstanding quality of education and care for children. It is a fully inclusive setting that enables children to settle quickly, feel safe and happy. Staff have an excellent knowledge of individual children's needs, which ensures that they plan activities and experiences which promote their welfare and learning. The provision manager provides outstanding leadership, and ensures high outcomes for children in all areas. There are excellent partnerships with parents and external agencies, who all come together to ensure that every child benefits from the highest quality provision. Self-evaluation is very thorough and informed by an exceptional understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development and, as a result, the capacity to sustain improvement remains outstanding.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 further develop the setting's tracking systems to include children's progress towards the five Every Child Matters outcomes. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The pre-school manager, ably supported by the deputy supervisor, provide a strong lead and have been instrumental in driving the continual improvement of the pre-school. Safeguarding procedures are robust and meticulously implemented by all staff. As a result children are extremely safe. The manager has recently introduced additional safeguarding guidance and packs available for all staff to use. The manager has received enhanced safeguarding training, and she ensures that all staff, including casual and relief staff, have also received appropriate training. Comprehensive risk assessments in all areas and for any educational visit ensures children are protected from all potential risks.

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the early years provision

Staff are well trained and there is an effective appraisal process. Planning within the setting is excellent, and ensures that each term's themes cover all areas of learning and development. This ensures that children make excellent progress over time. Individual education plans and targets are in place for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The manager has introduced rigorous methods of tracking children's progress in the areas for learning based on observational assessments and evidence from within each child's 'unique journey' folder; however this has yet to be fully extended to the five Every Child Matters outcomes. Excellent evaluation of provision on a short and medium term basis ensures that provision is continually improved. Support and advice from the local authority's Early Years team is used well and appreciated by the manager, and the setting also shares its strong practice with other settings in the county. The setting

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the early years provision

also has highly effective links with committee members, who meet regularly and provide strong support and challenge to the manager and staff. The manager attends all committee meetings, which ensures excellent communication between key stakeholders.

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the early years provision

Parents and carers report how happy they are with the setting and how much their children enjoy their time in the pre-school. Parents and carers feel they are kept well-informed of what is happening through an informative notice board and a monthly summary of development in each of the six areas of learning for their child. A parent and carer questionnaire is used twice a year and the outcomes inform future planning of provision. Parents and carers have excellent opportunities to contribute to their children's learning. They meet with their child's key person and share their 'unique story' folders, which are evidenced with observations and photographs, and they can contribute by sharing their child's achievements from home. Conversations at drop off and pick up time provide a constant channel of informal communication. Equality and diversity are promoted extremely well within the setting. Resources reflect a range of cultures, backgrounds and religions, including those not reflected

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the early years provision

amongst the children. For example, photographs and records show a recent visit by a Hindu parent to teach children about the festival of Diwali and share some cultural food. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and English as an additional language are well-integrated into the setting, and make This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 excellent progress because of the specific attention given to their individual needs.

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and outcomes for children

Children make outstanding progress in relation to their capabilities and starting points in all areas, including the five Every Child Matters outcomes. This is because teaching is meticulously planned at an individual level, and informed by expert knowledge of the learning, development and welfare requirements. .

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and outcomes for children

Early Years staff are well qualified and effectively deployed. They use their detailed knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage to provide a range of activities covering all areas of learning and development. Staff work well with the children to help them develop ideas in their play. There are very good relationships between adults and children. The welcoming, colourful and well-displayed rooms are well resourced to cover all areas of learning and development. Children use the quiet areas for looking at books and the tables for painting or experiencing materials. Recent improvements to the site, including a partly covered outdoor area, further enhance the quality of provision. The secure outdoor area includes resources such as a slide, water and sand trays and a garden area where vegetables are growing. An outstanding session was observed in the garden, in which the adult skilfully utilised children's observations and interest in a bee, to develop their

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and outcomes for children

understanding of honey and insects. Children use the adjoining school's playground each day for energetic physical play and this is monitored very well by staff.

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and outcomes for children

Children gain an excellent understanding of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They eat and choose from a variety of healthy snacks and drinks, and their 'unique story' folders show evidence of their growing understanding of the importance of diet and exercise. Children also know the reasons for, and the importance of, adopting rigorous hygiene practices. They feel safe at the pre-school and gain an excellent understanding of issues relating to staying safe. Children behave in ways that are safe for themselves and others, confidently moving freely between the inside and outside areas. They take responsible risks in controlled circumstances when using real-life tools such as scissors, or plastic table knives when putting butter on their crumpets. Children enjoy their learning immensely and show a strong desire to participate and make choices, for example when moving between outdoor and indoor activities. The staff are highly skilled and sensitive in their management of children

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and outcomes for children

and their behaviour. As a result, children behave very well and they respect and cooperate with others. During their time at the pre-school, children develop the skills to self-care for themselves and work independently, so they are ready and confident to move on to the next stage of their education and development. 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 1 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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