Shafton First School

St. Barnabas Pre-School Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 127578 Inspection date 21/10/2011 Inspector Liz Caluori

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Setting address Church Centre, Tile Kiln Lane, Bexley, Kent, DA5 2BD

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Telephone number 07889 190000 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

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

St. Barnabas Pre-School Nursery is committee run and opened in the 1970's. The nursery operates from St Barnabas Church in Bexley Kent. The nursery has use of the church hall, a number of adjacent rooms as well as kitchen and toilet facilities. There is also a garden available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and may care for a maximum of 35 children from two years to the end of the early years age group, at any one time, twenty of which may be under three years of age. There are currently 55 children on roll attending a variety of sessions throughout the week. The nursery is able to provide care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as those who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is open during term time from Monday to Friday with morning sessions running from 9am to 12pm and additional afternoon sessions operate on Wednesday and Friday from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs nine staff, of whom seven hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education.

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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 have fun playing and learning in the safe and very welcoming environment. They benefit from the extremely good arrangements in place to engage with their parents and carers. The importance of working in partnership with other professionals is also fully recognised. Arrangements to reflect children's individual needs are generally effective despite a minor weakness in the procedures to disseminate some of the information shared by parents and carers to the whole staff team. Children make good progress in all areas and are generally well supported to become independent in their learning. A strong commitment to self-evaluation and ongoing staff training supports the management team to identify areas for improvement and to constantly improve the service provided.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase the encouragement and support for children to develop independence in their learning by providing opportunities them to take an active role in selecting and organising resources This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  improve the arrangements to fully establish details children's ethnicity, cultural and religious beliefs in order to ensure that this information is shared with all staff and acknowledged in the play opportunities provided.

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the early years provision

Children's safety is effectively prioritised within the nursery and risk assessments are undertaken to identify any potential hazards. Respect is also given to the concerns of parents and carers and this has resulted in changes to ensure that there are two members of staff positioned near the doors to manage the safe arrival and departure of children. Vigorous recruitment procedures ensure that children are cared for by suitably vetted and appropriately qualified staff. One member of staff also takes lead responsibility for child protection and has attended training to support her in this role.

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the early years provision

The management and staff team work very effectively together to create a positive and very caring environment for the children. A strong commitment to ongoing improvement and self-evaluation supports them to identify and prioritise areas for development. Clear and detailed written policies and procedures outline the nursery's aims, objectives and working practices. These are shared with parents and carers and are regularly reviewed to ensure that they continue to reflect current legislation and developments in early years practice. Parents and carers are very vocal in their praise and support for all aspects of the service offered. They receive a very warm welcome and are encouraged to take an active part in the day to day life of the nursery. The importance of working in partnership with other practitioners involved in delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to the children attending is also recognised. Children also benefit

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the early years provision

from the good relationships in place with the primary schools that most of them are likely to attend when they leave the nursery.

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the early years provision

The nursery has worked hard to develop the service offered in order to accommodate the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage and has largely been very successful. Children's individual needs are identified well and are reflected in planning. They are provided with a range of interesting activities and experiences to cover all areas of their learning and development. The majority of each session is available for children to engage in freely chosen play with the staff on hand to extend their learning and enjoyment. The benefits of this are limited slightly as staff generally select the resources set out and do not routinely involve children in organising the environment. Similarly, whilst children have regular opportunities to take part in creative art and craft activities, at times there is a tendency for staff to offer a degree of direction and this does not encourage children to value their own imaginative ideas or express themselves artistically.

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the early years provision

Children's individual personalities, likes, dislikes and abilities are well recognised and, as a result, their self-esteem is effectively promoted and their care and learning needs are well met. Space is provided on their registration forms for parents and carers to record details of their child's ethnicity and religion should they wish to do so. There are one or two cases in which this information has not This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 been effectively shared with the staff team. This has not impacted significantly on the children to date as their individual cultures and beliefs have been reflected within the good range of toys and books which promote positive images of diversity and in the discussions and activities aimed at teaching all children about different cultures and traditions. However, the weakness in the arrangements to communicate this information does not support staff to ensure that they are

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the early years provision

acknowledging children's religious beliefs and cultural heritage.

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the early years provision

Robust systems are in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are trained to recognise any concerns in relation to children's development and to work with parents, carers and other professionals to provide care which is aimed at helping all children to reach their full potential. Appropriate arrangements are also in place to work with children and families for whom English is an additional language.

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and outcomes for children

Children demonstrate a good sense of security in the pre-school, interacting warmly and easily with their trusted carers and confidently expressing their opinions. They move safely and sensibly around their environment and have a good understanding of the boundaries in place to ensure their safety.

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and outcomes for children

Nutritious snacks are provided mid-way through each session and these include a good selection of fruit and salad as well as items such as bread sticks. Drinks are also provided for the children to access independently. Children are well supported to understand the importance of good personal hygiene, for example washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Good opportunities exist for children to play in the fresh air and to take part in a broad range of physical games. They make very good use of the equipment provided outside to develop their coordination and balance. They steer cars and bikes with confidence and take pride in conquering challenges such as throwing, catching and kicking a football.

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery and make good progress. Activities such as looking at the seasons and the natural world help to extend children's knowledge and understanding of the world and to learn about their local community. Children's communication and language skills are promoted during spontaneous conversations as well as daily planned opportunities such as 'show and tell'. They have constant access to mark making equipment to promote their writing and pre-writing skills. Similarly good support is offered for children to gain an understanding of number and mathematical concepts. They learn to count and recognise written numerals using resources such as wooden clocks. They also enjoy exploring a good variety of construction material.

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and outcomes for children

Children are enthusiastic learners and generally concentrate well on their chosen tasks. They enjoy dressing up in costumes which not only supports their imaginative play but also helps them to develop self care skills. They are also becoming very skilled in using the computer to operate a variety of programs. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children are extremely polite and friendly and are developing charming social etiquette and manners. These skills, along with the support they receive during their transitions to school ensures that they are well prepared 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 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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