Kirtlington PFSU

Kirtlington Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY293057 Inspection date 07/07/2011 Inspector Lynne Kauffman

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Setting address Kirtlington C of E Primary School, Heyford Road, Kirtlington, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 3HL Telephone number 01869 350210 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

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

Kirtlington Pre-School was first established in 1989 and is a voluntary group managed by a committee of parents and carers. The intake of children comes from the village of Kirtlington and the surrounding rural communities. In 2004 the pre- school moved into premises at the Kirtlington Church of England Primary School and now operates as a Partnership Foundation Stage Unit within the school and is registered on the Early Years register. The unit opens every day from 8.30am to 3pm during school term times and children attend for a variety of sessions. A maximum of 30 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 30 children on roll and 27 of them are in receipt of 15 hours nursery education funding, extra hours are paid for by parents and carers. The unit supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. A qualified teacher, employed by the local education authority, coordinates early years including the unit. The pre-

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Description of the setting

school employs four members of staff, a team leader holding a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 3, one member of staff who has qualified teacher status and two who hold NVQ at level 2 and are working towards level 3.

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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

Kirtlington Pre-School provides good care for its children and has good capacity for further improvement. Safeguarding is a priority, all adults adhere strictly to the robust policies and, as a result, children feel safe and confident in all adults in the setting. Good provision is made for children's learning to develop through a wide range of stimulating activities that enable good progress; however recording of assessment needs revising to record children's progress accurately. The setting's link with the primary school is very strong because of its integrated relationship as a Partnership Foundation Stage Unit. In addition its strong liaison with parents and carers ensures the needs of all children are met. The school coordinator and setting manager work in unison and effectively target any issues identified by the setting's self-evaluation although parents and carers are not fully involved in this

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further?

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

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further?

 actively involve all stakeholders in reviewing the accuracy of the setting's self-evaluation  revise the management and order for keeping records so that progress can be recognised easily to aid individual target setting. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Leadership and management of the setting is good and strengthened by the close work between the primary school early years coordinator and the pre-school manager. Policies and procedures for safeguarding children are robust, including training to ensure statutory requirements are met for vetting all adults working in the setting. There are substantial links with the primary school including training staff in all aspects of safeguarding. The setting has successfully rectified issues identified in the previous report. Record keeping for accidents, incidents and attendance are efficiently organised. Good planning ensures that circle (island) time is relevant and time limited. Planning and practice integrates numeracy and problem solving into all aspects of the children's day. Children's progress is established and recorded in each child's personal file. The pre-school's inclusive approach to equality and diversity is well established

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the early years provision

through all policies and practice. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well integrated. The setting works effectively with external agencies such as physiotherapy to ensure children's needs are met. The pre-school has few children from other cultural backgrounds but there is good planning to raise awareness of the needs of children with English as an additional language. Kirtlington pre-school and the primary school work in tandem. For example, older children join the main school for their phonics (sounds and letters) work while younger children remain in the setting to start addressing sounds and letters. Good quality resources support children's learning and development in all areas. Leaders embed ambition and drive improvement well. Staff are dedicated and morale is high because of the strength of teamwork and the way all team members are valued. Individual review has encouraged staff to strive to develop

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the early years provision

their personal qualifications and as a result half of the team are working towards their level 3 qualification. Staff are excellent role models that have a good impact on children's attitudes and good behaviour. There are very productive staff links with the primary school, attending training sessions, sharing resources and collaboration over transition. There are missed opportunities to link with primary schools in other villages where some children move onto. Links with parents and carers are regular and fruitful. Eight parent and carer helpers support the setting in daily activities and pre-school trips. Parents and carers hold the pre-school in high regard because of its flexibility and the obvious progress they see in their child's learning and development. 'We are so lucky to have this pre-school; my only sadness is that my child will have to go to our village school next and I wish he could stay here'; 'the staff are marvellous and stay the

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the early years provision

course so there is continuity' are comments that are a reflection of the views of many parents and carers. Comments from the 'Kind Thoughts' folder that illustrate parents' and carers' positive feelings about the setting. Parents and carers have daily discussions with staff where needed and some respond to questionnaires. Managers know the strengths and weaknesses of the setting and are developing a more formal approach to self-evaluation. Managers are well aware of the need to try to involve more voices in the feedback into the self-evaluation and the resulting This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 action plan.

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and outcomes for children

This lively, challenging and safe setting has a good impact on children's enjoyment of school, and their confidence in their safety. They show a good sense of personal responsibility and good hygiene habits at snack time remembering to wash their hands before eating. The contents of snacks and lunch boxes show children can recognise healthy foods. Children love their free activity sessions because of the wealth of exciting activities that challenge their physical development and social interaction. For example using the huge building blocks in the outdoor play space to create a castle, enabling reflection on their previous day's visit to a local castle. The imaginative play that ensued involved running, jumping and rehearsing the stories from their visit. The quiet reflection of 'island' time, used on most days has a positive impact on learning and thinking skills. Children learn to care for each other. They enjoy the many opportunities to have visits from Year 1 children for

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and outcomes for children

paired reading. When children join the pre-school staff offer a home visit to establish contact on the child's home ground, although not all parents and carers take up this opportunity. Once children have settled staff review each child against early year's development stages in collaboration with parents and carers. From this point staff track small-steps progress made by each child. Children have confidence in their key person who has responsibility for tracking their development. Staff retain a file of notes that track improvement and progress. Information is regularly reviewed and discussions held to identify the next-steps for each child, giving a personalised approach to their learning. However managing the records is not sufficiently refined to identify progress and next steps in learning. Good planning ensures that visits into the local community provide a stimulus for different activities. Children were fascinated by the chance to rear day old chicks

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and outcomes for children

and eventually this developed into some excellent observational drawing and good literacy opportunities to write about the experience. Similarly the visit to the castle this week allowed children to explore writing, construction, mathematics, storytelling and role play. Feedback in class was witness to the learning that had come from the visit. Children gain confidence through developing their communication and problem solving skills, helping to prepare them well for the next stage of their learning. The setting's activities promote equality and diversity well. The wide range of activities for learning and development enable children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make good progress towards their early learning goals, particularly in relation to their social development. The development of regular active observation of children at play or in whole class sessions keeps tracking up-

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and outcomes for children

to-date. Children are very confident with a happy outlook on life at school. They play well in mixed age groups and have fun exploring the outdoor area- 'we love school' reflects the children's views of their time in the pre-school. They are well prepared for their future learning because of the very close links with the school. Visitors help them understand about the world around them as demonstrated by This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the visit of a father who shared his building and art skills with the 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 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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