Walkington Pre-School

Walkington Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 503384 Inspection date 23/03/2011 Inspector Christine Tipple

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Setting address The Pavillion, The Playing Fields, Beverley, North Humberside, HU17 8SE Telephone number 07722 561116 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

Walkington Pre-School has been registered for 25 years. It is managed by a voluntary committee. It operates from the village sports pavilion. The pre-school serves the local and surrounding area. There is provision for outdoor play on the adjacent playing fields. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during school term only. Times of opening are Monday to Friday from 9am till 12noon and lunch break 12noon to 12.30pm and the afternoon session from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Children may attend for the full day.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 20 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 37 children attending all are in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds and supports children with disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs seven members of staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at Level 3 and the manager has Early Years Professional Status. The pre-school 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 secure at pre-school due to the caring and supportive relationships formed with the staff. Children's safety and well-being is managed very effectively by the staff. Children are interested and motivated in what they do which overall enables them to make good progress in the areas of learning. Most records and documentation are in place and reflect pre-school practice well. The staff have positive relationships with parents, the local school and community. The staff and committee have taken positive steps to evaluate their practice which has identified areas to improve and develop for the future.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the assessment details for children's specific medical needs  review the allocation of resources and space for the children during the session, particularly in the areas of creative and construction  improve the organisation of the information systems in place to ensure these effectively support the ongoing management of the pre-school. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff have a good understanding of the importance of safeguarding children in their care. They have updated their safeguarding training and full details are in place of the relevant agencies to contact if a concern is raised about a child. The risk assessments cover all areas children come into contact with including outings. The staff have received training in relation to the emergency requirements to follow for children attending with specific medical needs. However, this is not sufficiently detailed as part of the children's individual risk assessment plans. The policies and procedures are shared with the parents and are reviewed with the management committee and staff. The recruitment and selection process is robust and all checks are completed. Staff have an induction as they start and all staff have yearly appraisals as part of their self-development plan. Documents and other records support the management of the pre-school effectively. However, some

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the early years provision

information systems are not fully established to ensure a more efficient approach overall. The staff work effectively as a team to monitor and assess their practice and provision for the children. The detailed self-evaluation provides a clear approach to what the pre-school does well and areas to improve which take account of the children and parents' comments. This has resulted recently in improving the staff's support in developing children's interests during the sessions and how this impacts on their observation and assessment of those children.

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the early years provision

The space and facilities provided are good overall and enable the children to make choices in what they do. They access a variety of well-presented resources and equipment through the day which supports them in their learning and development effectively. However, some areas are not fully utilised and resources sufficiently extended particularly in creative and construction activities. Children take part in various activities which celebrate different occasions through the year. Parents bring in artefacts and information to share with the children which reflect their culture, such as, a parent sharing their Chinese New Year celebrations with pre- school. Other activities and resources are incorporated into children's everyday play which promote other cultures and traditions. The staff have secure information in relation to supporting children with additional needs and in working with other support agencies, such as, speech and language and health.

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the early years provision

The partnerships established with parents are good. They receive a range of relevant information when their children start pre-school. The allocation of a key person for their child ensures there is a consistent approach to sharing information including the observation and assessment of their children. Parents have regular newsletters and reports each term on how their children are progressing. Opportunities are in place for parents to share their knowledge, such as, coming into pre-school to talk with the children about their job which includes police officers, nurses and dentist. The management committee is another way parents can take an active role in the operation of the pre-school. Parents' comments are much appreciated by the staff and these are very positive. Parents are very happy with the excellent service their children receive and how very approachable and supportive the staff are. The children talk about pre-school at home and how much

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the early years provision

they enjoy coming. The pre-school's link with the school are very good. The This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 manager liaises with the early years teacher to organise visits for new starters and in sharing information. The pre-school visit the school each year to watch their Christmas play and this is reciprocated with the school visiting pre-school. The children who are to start school in the next term visit the classroom and teacher for two afternoons. This helps to familiarise the children and lessen any fears for them as they move onto school.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and implement this through the variety of daily activities and provision for the children. This supports them to be confident and independent learners. Staff regularly observe and assess their key children to ensure they support their immediate interests and identify their next steps to progress. This is used to inform the pre- school's short-term planning for the children. The manager monitors these to ensure individual children's progress is ongoing and supported with relevant resources and activities. All photographs, comments and assessments are kept in children's learning journey files and scrapbooks which are accessible to parents. Children have secure relationships with the staff and the key person system is successful for parents and the children. Good information is sought as children start which enable staff to know their immediate needs and interests. The children

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and outcomes for children

behave well due to the staffs support and guidance which ensures they feel secure in their surroundings. Children are encouraged to be considerate, helpful and to share and take turns. The staff through example encourages the children to show respect and consideration towards each other. Positive praise and reinforcement are very much a priority in the setting.

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and outcomes for children

The staff use appropriate open-ended questioning to develop the children's vocabulary and conversation skills. Children bring something special from home which they share at 'show and tell' time. This engages all the children to listen to each others interests and develop their confidence in group situations. The staff work with the school to follow the same phonic system to ensure continuity when the children move on. Books and other props and resources enable children to act out the stories together, such as, 'Goldilocks and the three bears'. There are good opportunities for the children to develop their mark making and early writing skills. Children enjoy using water and brushes on the path outside to formulate shapes and letters. The children have ongoing opportunities to count, such as, how many children are present. Games and puzzles develop children's understanding of objects and number and to use other resources, such as, making a clock and dates

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and outcomes for children

on the calendar. Children sequence using shapes and size. Water play introduces the children to 'sink and float' and to use language, such as, full and empty. Children construct patterns with different colours by using a peg board. They have daily access to computers and other programmable resources. Children enjoy role play and small world activities, such as, making a garden centre or a shop this enables them to extend their imagination as they play together. Children plant bulbs and visit the local area where they can observe nature, such as, walks in the wood and visit the chickens. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The space outside enables children to run around freely and be energetic and active. The staff provide games and equipment to develop children's skills, such as throwing balls and making obstacles courses. Children enjoy music which supports

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and outcomes for children

them to express themselves, such as dancing. Children access various resources which overall offer good opportunities for them to be creative with. Children make models and have various materials and mediums which they can use to design and make their creations with and use tools to cut and stick with. Children are confident in managing their personal care, to wash their hands regularly particularly after using the toilet and before eating. The pre-school provide snacks for the children which offer a variety of healthy choices which are discussed with the children as part of healthy lifestyles. Parents provide their children's packed lunches and staff share guidance on nutritious choices for their children. Information is shared with parents on the exclusion periods when children are ill to minimise cross-infection at pre-school. Safety is managed effectively with the children by staff. A policy is in place for the evacuation of the premises which is

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and outcomes for children

practised with the children. Throughout the day the children are regularly reminded of safety issues, such as, wearing their indoor shoes to prevent slipping. They are instructed by staff to use resources and tools appropriately and to be aware of safety issues. Games and outings enable children to learn about how to cross the road safely. 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 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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