Runnymede Pre-School

Runnymede Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 203722 Inspection date 12/10/2011 Inspector Chrissie Pittman

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Setting address Kiln Road, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1TF

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Telephone number 01268 799 101 Email runnymede1@hotmail.co.uk 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

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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

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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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

Runnymede Pre-School is run by the Runnymede Pre-School committee and operates from a large and small hall within council buildings in Benfleet. A maximum of 41 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre- school is open each weekday during term time from 09.15 to 12.15 and also operates a lunch club from 12.15 to 13.15 daily. The pre-school has access to an outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 25 children aged from two to under five years on roll. Of these, 16 children receive funding for early education. The pre-school serves the local area.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs 9 members of staff. Of these, 8 hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 making good progress in their learning and development in this challenging environment. Staff are very reflective, skilled in meeting children's needs and have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Managers use self-evaluation to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. Overall, partnerships between providers, parents and other agencies are developing well to ensure that individual children's needs are met. These good relationships maintain children's capacity to make continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 Review the organisation and planning of the outdoor learning environment to provide children with more opportunities to initiate their own play and follow their own interests when playing outside.  Develop a systematic and routine approach to using observations in order to better plan the next steps in children's developmental progress.

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the early years provision

Children are safeguarded effectively because they are cared for by adults who have been checked through robust recruitment procedures. Comprehensive policies and procedures enable staff to take the necessary steps to safeguard and promote children's well-being. This includes parents completing personal documentation with their child's key person to share information regarding allergies, medication and any other issues to ensure that children's needs are well This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 met. Staff are vigilant that the arrival and collection of all children is closely monitored. The setting conducts effective risk assessments, and fire drills are regularly practised with the children so they know what to do in the event of an emergency.

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the early years provision

The manager is committed to the promotion of high-quality childcare and implements action plans to constantly build upon the work of the setting for the benefit of the children and their parents. Since the last inspection, reviews of the provision have resulted in improvements to the resources, more training courses and routines adapted to meet children's varying needs. Meetings, evaluation of activities and questionnaires ensure that all staff and parents can comment on the provision. There is an impressive commitment by staff to further training and they have attended numerous courses including safeguarding to improve the provision. However, although the manager is well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the setting, the monitoring of practice to evaluate what could be done better is not as vigorous. For example, the system operated to assess children's progress is time consuming and does not use staff resources efficiently.

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the early years provision

Children are able to access resources in all six areas of learning to effectively meet their individual needs. The manager has undertaken a review of the setting, with further improvements identified to simplify the planning and assessment procedures and increase the provision of outdoor play. Parents are provided with good quality information through newsletters, displays and reports advising on their children's progress both formally and informally. The setting also engages with parents through regular questionnaires and fund raising events, such as the Christmas nativity, Easter bonnet parade and sponsored obstacle course. Without exception, parents compliment the staff on how happy and settled their children are and how much progress they make in so short a time.

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the early years provision

Staff actively promote equality and diversity by removing barriers to participation and by supporting children's language, communication and social skills. Good systems allow staff to identify a child's needs for additional support as early as possible. They share this information with colleagues, parents and the appropriate consultants. Resources also effectively support the diversity of children, for example, many festivals are celebrated and the setting has toys from different cultures.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident and eager to learn. They are provided with very good opportunities to help them make good progress across all areas of learning in relation to their individual starting points. Progress is discussed with parents and staff constantly review their planning to respond to children's next steps and individual styles of learning. Regular assessment of children's learning supports the planning of each child's progression towards the early learning goals. This is documented by photographs and notes written by the key person in children's learning journeys. However, there are weaknesses in recording observations meaning that next steps are not consistently recorded in all six areas of learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children are grouped according to age and development to meet their individual needs although outdoor play is not timetabled to take place every day in the

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and outcomes for children

nearby play area. This impacts negatively on the balance of child-initiated activities delivered through outdoor play. However, resources inside are well matched to children's needs. The stimulating learning environment promotes children's interests in all areas of learning very well. Younger children enjoy tactile experiences, such as playing with dough or painting with their hands. They respond well to music and know several nursery rhymes. All children have good opportunities to practise writing and mark-making. Older children can form the letters of their name correctly. They benefit from the freedom to explore materials, such as paints, brushes and scissors to create and experiment enhancing their creative skills. They also develop their knowledge and understanding of the world by evaluating the mini-beasts they have collected.

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and outcomes for children

Children know and understand how to stay healthy and are used to making healthy choices. They appreciate the benefits of physical activity. They butter their own bread and pour their own drinks, actively choosing fruit, such as apples and pears at snack time. Older children cut and prepare the fruit and like to taste different types of food. Snack and meal time arrangements are effective in supporting children's social skills and independence. Water is always available to ensure they remain hydrated at all times.

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and outcomes for children

The environment in which children are cared for is safe and supportive. Children are taught to be safety conscious without being fearful. They show a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe demonstrated by their awareness of not running in the hall and picking up things that fall on the floor. Children behave very well and understand they have to take turns and be considerate to each other when playing. They enjoy dressing up in role and share the clothes sensibly. Consequently, they are provided with good opportunities to develop the necessary skills they will need to become independent. 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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