St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, Prudhoe

Jumpstart Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 141828 Inspection date 10/10/2011 Inspector Anahita Aderianwalla

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Setting address Heronsbrook Meeting Place, 5 Wadesmill Lane, Walnut Tree, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK7 7ED Telephone number 01908 232296 or 0798 1396422 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.

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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

Jumpstart Pre-School was registered in 2000. It operates from a hall in the community centre situated in Walnut Tree, which is south east of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. All children share access to an enclosed, outdoor, play area. The pre-school is on the Early Years Register. It is registered to care for up to 30 children from two years to the end of the early years age group at any one time. There are currently 29 children on roll in the early years age group. The pre-school is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9.30am to 12.35pm and on Wednesdays from 11.45am to 2.30pm during term time. There are six members of staff employed to work with the children. Of these, three hold relevant early years qualifications. A further three staff members are working towards a Level 2 or 3 qualification in early years.

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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 benefit from a safe and secure environment in which their individual needs are well met. Procedures are well written and staff have a good working knowledge of these to enable them to support and protect children at all times. Staff plan a wide range of activities which encourages children to become clear, critical thinkers and to extend their learning at a good pace. Overall, the range of resources provided for children is good. However, these do not fully support children to become aware of differences and resources for children to investigate are not freely available in all areas. The staff and manager understand the importance of evaluating the provision and have good capacity to improve the services for children and their parents.

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further?

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

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further?

 increase the range and the availability of resources that help children to become aware of, and embrace differences, for example, in gender, language and culture  improve the availability of resources for children to investigate objects and materials by using all of their senses as appropriate.

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the early years provision

All staff have a good understanding of the pre-school's policies and procedures regarding child protection and how to safeguard the children. Full risk assessments are in place so that the children are kept safe while at the pre-school and on This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 outings. The children participate in regular, recorded and evaluated fire drills so that they are aware of what they must do in an emergency. All staff have current and updated Criminal Records Bureau checks in place so that children are cared for by suitable adults.

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the early years provision

Resources are effectively managed so that children have safe access to a wide range of enticing and stimulating activities to help promote their good progress. However, the organisation of tools and resources for children to investigate means that these are not fully accessible during daily free play. Children celebrate a good range of festivals from around the world. Planned activities follow themes, such as Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah and Eid so that children learn about the world through involvement from parents and visiting adults. As a result, children have access to some resources that reflect diversity. However, the setting does not make sufficient resources that promote cultural diversity available to children in daily activities.

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the early years provision

Staff provide activities at different levels so that all children are able to progress well in their development. The registered person and the manager take good steps to evaluate all aspects of the provision and have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the pre-school. This mature attitude towards securing improvement helps to underpin the good level to which they meet children's individual needs. Staff keep themselves up to date with their knowledge of early years through ongoing training.

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the early years provision

The pre-school works well with the parents and other agencies so that children have continuity of care. Parents are given developmental reports on their children's progress and there is an open door policy so that all families feel welcome. The key carers also check that parents are aware that they are the key contact in the setting for their child's needs. The staff work with closely with parents to gain details of the children' starting points. This enables them to effectively plan and support the learning and development of children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. They are supported by a team of well informed staff who have secure understanding of how children develop and learn. Staff plan activities that cover all areas of learning and comprehensively support children's understanding of a range of challenging ideas. Planning shows the learning intentions for activities so that staff are fully aware of why they are carrying out the activities with the children. Key carers are responsible for settling the children and make detailed observations that include the next steps in learning to inform planning for all children. As a result, activities meet children's individual needs and help support the good progress they make.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop good skills for the future. They demonstrate considerable enthusiasm and explore new ideas during group and individual work. They are inquisitive and ask questions that are answered sensitively and patiently by staff. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Staff, in turn, use a range of questions to encourage children's critical thinking, for example, 'Which items will sink or float in the water?' Children are developing good language and literacy skills. They confidently express their ideas when engaged in a wide range of creative pursuits, including indoor play at the dressing-up box. Outdoors, children sit on plastic crates holding hoops as they pretend to drive a farm tractor outdoors. They enjoy referring to photographs of previous activities and joining in story-time sessions when their comments are valued. They also have tremendous fun dipping different fruits in various colours of paint that feature in a

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and outcomes for children

story. They have good opportunities to practise early writing skills in their play. Older children name their work and some draw pictures on the large, garden chalkboard. Children develop good problem solving skills. For example, they learn about size and volume at the water tray and count blocks as they build complex constructions.

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and outcomes for children

Staff are calm and talk to the children at a level they can understand. As a result, children are well behaved and are polite. They are respectful towards each other as they learn the importance of taking turns. Children feel safe due to the vigilance of the staff and are reassured to established secure and trusting relationships with them. Their understanding of safety issues is enhanced through ongoing topics and explanations of correct ways to move around and handle resources. Children effectively earn about a healthy lifestyle through discussion about the nutritious snacks provided and healthy packed lunches brought in. Their independence skills are well nurtured as they often make their own snacks and pour their own drinks. Staff gently remind children to wash their hands before they eat to protect them from cross infection. Children are encouraged to engage in activities that promote healthy lifestyles. For example, the setting won an award called the 'Smile Award',

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and outcomes for children

encouraging children to learn about better dental hygiene. 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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