Sutton Pre-School

Sutton Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 254300 Inspection date 27/06/2011 Inspector Lindsey Cullum

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Setting address New Road, Sutton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR12 9RB

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Telephone number 07984 954726 oth 01692 580746 Email bopsavage@intamail.com 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

Sutton Pre-school opened in 1974 and is run by a committee of parents. It operates from Sutton 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 38 children within the Early Years Foundation Stage on roll and the setting is in receipt of government funding for nursery education. The pre-school opens each morning from 8:45am to 11:45am, plus Wednesday and Thursday afternoon from 12:15pm to 3:15pm, term-time only. Children may attend for a variety of sessions. Overnight care is not provided. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

Five members of staff are employed to who work with the children. All of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications for their positions. The pre-school receives support from the local authority and part of the Norfolk Quality Assurance Scheme.

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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 caring and enthusiastic staff. The pre-school has a positive ethos of inclusion that ensures all children's care and learning needs are actively met. Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the pre-school and benefit considerably from the broad and interesting range of activities provided. Generally effective systems to evaluate and improve practice are in place. Excellent partnerships with parents and other professionals have been firmly established, ensuring children's needs are fully supported. A further key strength is the pre-school's commitment to supporting children and families through the transition process.

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further?

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

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further?

 consider further ways of assessing children's starting points which involve parents  improve the use of self-evaluation and use this as a basis for ongoing internal review and the development of an action plan to target areas identified for future improvement. 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 well protected because staff have a very good understanding of safeguarding procedures and know when to take action to safeguard children in their care. Staff regularly update their training and follow detailed policies and procedures which are easily accessible within the pre-school. Rigorous checks ensure that staff are vetted prior to employment and are suitable to work with children. Ongoing suitability is monitored through a yearly appraisal system. Induction procedures for all new staff, volunteers and students ensure that they are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. Detailed risk assessments are completed and cover all aspects of the learning environment and any outings. Furthermore, staff are extremely vigilant and ensure any hazards are quickly identified and appropriate action is taken. 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. The premises are secure to prevent unauthorised access or children leaving the premises unsupervised. 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

A well-qualified and experienced staff team work closely with a supportive committee. Staff are very motivated, have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, work effectively as a team and strive to improve practice at all times. They are committed to continuing their own professional development, embrace the system for peer observation and regularly attend courses which develop their knowledge and skills further. Information and ideas from training are tried out and implemented if they prove successful. For example, a course on 'Sounds and Letters' has provided ideas when planning for children with speech or language difficulties. There are good systems in place to evaluate the effectiveness of the provision, which is further enhanced by the local authority framework for quality improvement. However, an action plan is not in place to fully target areas identified for further development in order to build upon the pre-schools already

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and others are excellent. The pre-school actively sets out to engage all those connected with the children in making sure their needs are met and securing their learning. Parents are warmly welcomed by staff and clearly feel very comfortable within the setting. Staff dedicate time getting to know children and their families, fostering excellent relationships and helping to ensure children feel safe and secure. A wealth of information is easily accessible which reassures parents that their children's welfare and learning is given high priority by the setting. Parents are very complimentary about the setting, stating that staff are 'professional, friendly and helpful' and their children are 'eager to attend'. Parents are kept very well informed about their child's care and are aware that they can speak to their child's key person at any time. They regularly help on the parent

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 rota and attend 'family fun' mornings, ensuring they are actively involved in their children's learning and pre-school experience. Staff produce informative newsletters which provide an outline of the activities offered and ideas parents can use to continue their children's learning at home. The pre-school also works exceptionally well with other professionals involved in the care of the children. For example, they work with speech therapists or local childminder's to exchange information and ensure that children's care is consistent and their development is promoted. A further key strength of the setting is their commitment to working with the local schools. Their excellent partnership working to support children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, during transition to school, has been documented in a county-wide publication as an

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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. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities that result in children being active learners. Key workers know their children very well. They observe children frequently as they play, assessing this information and using it to inform planning, thus ensuring that children are offered appropriate activities which nurture their individual development and learning. Whilst staff obtain some information on the children as they start attending the setting, children's starting points are not fully discussed with parents so staff can use this information to build

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and outcomes for children

upon what children already know. Each child has a learning and development record which contains examples of children's work, photographs of their achievements and longer written observations which, over time, build up a clear picture of children's progress. Children take pride in their achievements and often ask staff to record these through photographs which successfully build children s confidence and self-esteem. Ideas for projects come from the children themselves which leads to enthusiastic, motivated and independent learners. For example, children's interest in firefighters led to staff planning a visit from the fire service, enhancing children's learning opportunities. Activities are adapted so that all children are able to participate at their own level.

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and outcomes for children

Children show high levels of concentration during their play and are actively involved in their learning by making choices independently. Low-level, accessible storage enables children to freely select what they would like to do and they request additional items to add to their play. For example, children request the cones so they can create an obstacle course to ride around on their scooters. Staff are very supportive and immediately seek resources, enabling children to set this up using their own ideas. Children are developing a good vocabulary as staff introduce new words during activities. They are confident communicators, eager to share their news during 'show and tell', ask questions and join in conversations. Children listen avidly to stories, particularly enjoying those which include props. They are able to re-tell familiar stories' such as Snow White' and thoroughly enjoy This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

creating their own version of the book with assistance from staff. Children's own words are recorded along with their pictures to create the book which is well used in the book corner. Children are learning to link sounds to letters. Each week a letter is selected and children bring in items from home which begin with the letter. This also reinforces the link between pre-school and home life. Simple mathematical concepts are threaded throughout children's activities. They frequently count how many, compare size and capacity and confidently join in number rhymes. Staff are skilled in supporting children at play. They show a genuine interest in what children are doing. Activities are adapted so that all children are able to participate at their own level, offer encouragement and get involved in the thinking process that children undertake when playing. This actively supports children in developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. For

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and outcomes for children

example, children experiment with bamboo tubes and work out how to transfer water from buckets along the bamboo tubes to the water tray. Children enjoy exploring nature and search for insects and bugs outside which they carefully put into magnifying containers so they can observe these closely. They are freely creative, making their own ladybirds for the large wall display, painting or drawing, carefully selecting the resources they need. They are developing a good understanding of information technology and confidently set up their chosen programme on the computer, using the mouse with increasing dexterity.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good behaviour contributes significantly to the happy atmosphere of activity. They refer to the 'rules' which are attractively presented as a poster, using photographs of the children to demonstrate the behaviour encouraged such as being kind to each other. Children are helpful, very polite and considerate of others as staff model good behaviour and respectful attitudes to others. Children use tools and equipment sensibly as staff provide gentle reminders when necessary. They have visits from the Police and Fire Service to reinforce their understanding of safe places to play and learn about safe road crossing when the Crossing Patrol lady comes in to pre-school to practise this in a role-play environment. Children thoroughly enjoy time outdoors each day, with some children choosing to play outside for most of each session. They are fully aware of the need to dress appropriately for the weather, helping to apply their suncream and finding their

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and outcomes for children

hats before going outdoors in sunny weather. Children frequently help themselves to drinking water, aware of the need to drink plenty during warm weather and exercise. 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. Children are successfully encouraged to develop their own hygiene skills, such as automatically washing their hands before eating or after using the toilet. They are encouraged to make healthy choices at snack time and enjoy sitting in a group chatting with their friends. Children are developing a positive understanding of the wider world as they access a range of resources that are representative of diversity and also celebrate cultural festivals throughout the year. The setting's thoughtful involvement in a number of events helps promote children's awareness of the needs and lives of others. For example, staff and

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and outcomes for children

children raise money for various national charities as well as funds for their own setting. Children are also actively involved in the local community, regularly visiting the mobile library, a local garden, the Church and Infant school. During group time, children are given an opportunity to share their news and views and are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 encouraged to listen to each other. This helps children to respect the needs of their peers and supports the development of skills they will need for the future. 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 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 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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