Yardley Gobion Pre-School

Yardley Gobion Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 219971 Inspection date 14/06/2011 Inspector Hazel White

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Setting address Yardley Gobion Children's Centre, School Lane, Yardley Gobion, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 7UL Telephone number 01908 543456 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

Yardley Gobion Pre-School is a well-established group which is committee led. It registered in the current setting in 2002 and operates from a room in Yardley Gobion Children's Centre. The group serves the local area and has strong links with the school. The pre-school is accessible to all children and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The group opens Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 9am until 12 noon, with a lunch club open until 12.30pm when numbers permit. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 28 children may attend the setting at any one time, all of whom may be on the Early Years Register. There are currently 34 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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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 confident, independent and clearly enjoy their time at the pre-school. They are provided with good levels of care and make steady progress in most areas of their learning and development. Staff offer an inclusive and welcoming service, supporting all children to actively participate in activities which meet their individual needs. There are secure relationships with parents and well-established links with the local primary school and others involved in the children's care. The management team have a clear vision for the pre-school and they use self- evaluation as a tool to identify a variety of areas for further development.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further resources which help children to find out about and identify the uses of everyday technology and use information technology and programmable toys to support their learning  enhance the parents involvement in their children's learning by further encouraging their contribution to assessment records, leading to more opportunities to their learning at home. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Careful consideration is given to promoting children's welfare and keeping them safe. Staff know that they must respond promptly to any concerns and the whole team have attended child protection training. Therefore, their knowledge is up-to- date. A comprehensive safeguarding children policy is shared with parents ensuring everyone involved with the pre-school has a good understanding of their responsibilities with regard to protecting children from harm. Well-organised recruitment procedures help to ensure all staff complete the required suitability checks and are deemed suitable to be in contact with children. Risk assessments are routinely undertaken to limit children's access to potential hazards within the premises and during outings. In addition, the effective deployment of staff means that children remain well-supervised during their time at the pre-school.

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the early years provision

Children's individual needs are known because a key person system is in place. Staff work closely with parents to gain information and understanding regarding children's requirements. Parents complete an 'all about me' document which gives staff an insight into children's interests and starting points in their learning. Ongoing information about their development is shared verbally with parents and more formally during open days. Each child has a Learning Journal which records their ongoing progress. These journals are generally accessible to parents. However, they are not actively encouraged to contribute to them. The staff team recognise that this is an area for development and are considering ways in which to further engage parents so that children's learning is fully supported at home. Children who will be transferring to the local primary school benefit from the close links with the school. They enjoy opportunities to meet their future teachers or to

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the early years provision

visit the school for special events. Children attending other early years provisions have continuity of care because information is effectively shared between providers.

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the early years provision

A positive equality and diversity policy outlines a commitment to promoting inclusive practice, ensuring all children can achieve as well as they can regardless of their background. The manager demonstrates a commitment to working with others to support the inclusion of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Good systems are in place to support those who speak English as an additional language. Children use an interesting range of resources in their play and many of these are stored in low-level units so that they can self-select. These include toys that reflect our wider society, such as books, puzzles, musical instruments and role-play toys from other cultures.

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the early years provision

The committee, manager and staff are working together to evaluate their provision and they have recently, with the support of the early years advisor, drawn up an action plan. This identifies a number of areas for further development. They aim to serve the children from the local area with a homely, well-run pre-school where their welfare and learning needs are met effectively. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been generally well addressed. Parents' consultation meetings have been introduced so that they can discuss their children's progress. Children's individual needs are beginning to be incorporated into planning and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 parents are notified of themes topics and events via a newsletter. The manager is trying to develop effective ways to encourage parents to contribute to their children's learning journals. Morale is high amongst the staff team, as they feel

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the early years provision

that their professional development is supported and their contributions to the setting's self-evaluation processes are valued. All records required for the safe and efficient management of the setting are routinely and effectively maintained.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a good rapport with staff and develop strong friendships with their peers. All are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how young children learn. Effective planning is in place which covers all of the six areas of learning. Resources are plentiful and stored at a low level so that children can make independent choices. However, programmable toys and resources which help them to find out about information technology are limited which could reduce children's learning in this area. Each child's Learning Journey reflects their progress and shows that children are involved in a wide range of interesting play opportunities and experiences. Observations are generally well used to help ensure learning priorities are identified.

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and outcomes for children

Children are imaginative and thoroughly enjoy role play. They assume adults roles, such as shop-keepers, and draw upon personal experiences. Children write shopping lists and bring props, including empty food packets, into their play. They have fun as they explore the world around them and learn about living things. They care for the fish and Giant African Land Snail, as well as feeding the birds in the garden. In addition, children grow plants and various vegetables. Through the use of art and craft activities, children are developing their creativity. For example, when making a Father's Day gift they carefully glue coloured shapes onto a tie template and collectively make displays for the garden, such as caterpillar paintings. Children listen attentively to stories and willingly join in with songs and rhymes. More able children skilfully use the laptop to play their favourite tunes and excitedly dance to them with their friends, giggling and having great fun.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well and show a good awareness of responsibility. For example, they independently access toilet facilities, help themselves to snacks, select activities and tidy away their toys. Children of all ages actively explore their surroundings with interest and receive praise and encouragement form staff. They know what is expected of them and good quality interaction and well-organised routines help them to become secure and confident. Diversity is reflected well. Children enjoy easy access to a variety of resources and experiences that help them to develop a knowledge and understanding of the wider community. They explore similarities and differences in meaningful ways, for example, through good use of books. They also celebrate some major festivals and special days such as Mothers Day, Chinese New Year and Christmas.

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and outcomes for children

Children's understanding of safety is demonstrated through their play and communication. For example, they know that they must not run inside because This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 they might fall and hurt themselves or others. They are sensible when climbing trees in the garden and know that they must be very careful and watch where they are placing their feet. Children are gaining an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles. They demonstrate a very positive attitude towards eating healthily, routinely wash their hands and learn about germs. They prepare and help to make vegetable soup for their snack and have in-depth discussions about why too many sweets are bad for their teeth. Children have excellent opportunities to be in the fresh air and willingly participate in an exceptional range of physical activities, both indoors and outside. There is plenty of space for vigorous free play and children

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and outcomes for children

test their physical skills as they climb trees, use a climbing frame, slides, balancing beams and ride-on toys. Children have great pleasure exercising and dancing to music, and learn about the effects of exercise on their bodies. 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 1 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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