Old Catton Pre-School

Old Catton Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY356538 Inspection date 18/10/2011 Inspector Janet Keeling

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Setting address Lodge Lane First School, Lodge Lane, NORWICH, NR6 7HL

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Telephone number 01603 928 337 Email Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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 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

Old Catton Pre-school opened in 1962 and re-registered in 2007. It is run by a voluntary management committee. It operates from facilities at Lodge Lane First School in Old Catton, Norwich. Children have access to an enclosed, outdoor play area. The pre-school serves children and families from the local and surrounding areas.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 22 children from two years to five years may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 53 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 11.45am and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. The pre-school operates during school term times only.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school has procedures in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and is able to support children for whom English is an additional language. The pre-school is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are seven members of staff who work directly with the children. Of these, four staff hold National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at level 3 and three staff hold NVQs at level 2. 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 thoroughly enjoy their time at this welcoming and child-friendly pre-school where their safety and security is promoted very well. Staff provide a range of enjoyable activities which take account of children's interests and learning needs and, as a result, children make good progress in their overall development. Staff work well as a team and offer a fully inclusive service where all children are valued and successfully integrated into pre-school life. Excellent partnerships with parents and good links with other early years professionals have been established, ensuring children's needs are fully supported. All staff demonstrate a positive commitment towards the sustained and continuous improvement of the pre-school, which is well placed to develop further in the future.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the process of self-evaluation in order to gain the views of all staff  improve opportunities for children to explore their local community in order to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Good priority is given to safeguarding and protecting children. All staff have a good understanding of safeguarding issues and are fully aware of the procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child in their care. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures are in place, together with induction procedures for new staff. The manager maintains comprehensive policies, procedures and records to support the effective management of the pre-school. Detailed risk assessments of the premises are completed and reviewed yearly. Staff also complete daily checks to ensure that potential risks to children are minimised. Staff routinely verify the identity of all visitors and have robust systems in place for the safe arrival and collection of children. The learning environment is well organised and allows children to move freely between the indoor and outdoor areas. Good quality resources are accessible and well maintained. Staff are deployed effectively to

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the early years provision

ensure that children are supervised safely at all times.

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the early years provision

Staff are positive role models. They are friendly, caring and warmly interact with children during play and, as a result, children feel safe and secure. Staff work well as a team and have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The manager and staff are committed to improving outcomes for children and demonstrate a positive attitude towards the sustained and continuous improvement of the club. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the service are in place, although, not all staff have been able to fully contribute their ideas. Staff demonstrate a good commitment to working with external agencies to support the inclusion of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is a shared vision for inclusive practise, ensuring that every child can achieve as well as they can, regardless of their background. Consequently, children are successfully integrated into pre-school life. Regular staff meetings provide valuable

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the early years provision

opportunities for staff to discuss planning, while yearly appraisals enable managers and staff to reflect on their practice. All staff hold an early years qualification and are encouraged to enhance their own professional development through ongoing training.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. Staff demonstrate an exceptional commitment to working in partnership with parents and provide excellent opportunities for parents to become involved in the life of the pre-school. Staff dedicate time getting to know children and their families, fostering excellent relationships and helping to ensure that children settle and feel secure. Through the use of regular questionnaires parents are able to share their views about the running of the pre-school. Feedback is valued and used to improve the provision. Parents are very well informed regarding their child's care and learning. This is successfully achieved through the use of the 'sharing books' and access to their children's learning documents. Parents are also aware that they can speak to their child's key person at any time. Parents expressed excellent views of the pre-school during the inspection. Comments included, 'staff are excellent', 'the sharing book is

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the early years provision

wonderful' and 'my child is happy, kept safe and looks forward to being at pre- school'. Staff work successfully in partnership with the foundation stage teacher at This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the host school, ensuring that children have a smooth transition as they move on in their education.

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and outcomes for children

Children happily enter the pre-school and receive a very warm welcome from staff. There is a true sense of belonging as children immerse themselves in their surroundings. Space, both indoors and outdoors, is welcoming and stimulating. Children are able to make choices about their own learning and play. They respond to challenges with great enthusiasm and show good levels of independence, curiosity and imagination. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities that result in children being creative and active learners. Staff know the children very well and skilfully interact and support them as they play. On admission to the pre-school information about each child is gathered through discussion with parents and carers. Staff know the children very well. They observe and assess them as they play and use information gained to support each child's ongoing learning. All children have an individual learning folder, which contains

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and outcomes for children

both photographic and written information of their learning and achievements. These folders are available for parents to see at anytime.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy a range of enjoyable and challenging activities. They relate well to each other and to adults and are confident, enthusiastic and eager to learn. They are developing a love for books as they freely access a range of picture books and enjoy story time. There is enormous excitement as a group of children sit on the mushroom seats outside and listen to a well-told story. They thoroughly enjoy music and join in with a range of songs and action rhymes. Outdoors, children enthusiastically explore musical instruments and work together to produce wonderful sounds. Their creativity is fully supported through access to a range of role play equipment, construction toys and to a wide range of media. For example, they relish exploring ice, jelly, water, corn flour and spaghetti. In the role play area children pretend to run a hairdressers' shop. Children answer the telephone, take bookings and cut and style the customers' hair. The children chat happily together

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and outcomes for children

as they cooperate and take turns with equipment. Their mark making is fostered successfully, with many opportunities to draw, paint, make marks in different media and practise emergent writing during role play. Their understanding of numbers, size and shapes is developing well through everyday activities. For example, they count how many beads have been threaded onto the lace, talk about shapes as they run their fingers through the sand and compare the size of their brick towers. They enjoy being in the fresh air and relish outdoor play activities. They have good opportunities to explore their natural environment as they help to plant herbs and collect leaves for their collage pictures. Their physical development is supported very well as they confidently pedal bikes, skilfully throw and catch balls, eagerly crawl through the caterpillar and competently negotiate the climbing frame.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well and respond positively to the boundaries set, such as helping to tidy away. Gentle reminders from staff also help children develop a sense of This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 right and wrong. They are encouraged to share, take turns and be kind to each other. Children begin to develop an understanding of the wider world through access to resources that are representative of diversity and by celebrating festivals throughout the year. However, opportunities for children to explore their local community are more limited. Children demonstrate a good awareness of their own health and hygiene needs. They enjoy healthy snacks which have been provided by their parents and are fully aware of the importance of washing their hands before snacks and after using the toilet. Children have good opportunities to learn how to stay safe as they discuss the appropriate use of equipment and engage in

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and outcomes for children

regular emergency evacuation procedures. Children demonstrate that they are acquiring skills that will help them in the future and prepare them for their transition into school. 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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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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