St Marie's RC Primary School

Daisy Chain Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 128461 Inspection date 20/10/2011 Inspector Sharon Henry

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Setting address Hermon Hill, Wanstead, London, E11 2AR

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Telephone number 0208 530 1230 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

Daisy Chain pre-school has been registered since 1991. It is a registered charity and is run by an elected parent management committee. The group operates from a Methodist churchhall in Wanstead, London. The group serves the local and surrounding areas. The pre-school is open during school term-time only. Sessions are from Tuesday to Friday from 9.30am to 12.15pm and from 8.30am to 12.15pm for those children who are eligible for nursery education funding.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered to care for a total of 32 children. There are currently 27 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are six members of staff, including the manager, who work directly with the children. Of these, five hold a relevant childcare qualification. The pre-school receives support from the Local Authority Early Years Pedagogy and Advisory team.

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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 cared for in a warm and welcoming environment. They are offered a wide range of activities and excellent resources that capture their interest and support them in making good progress overall. Inclusion is a real strength within the pre-school where all children are well cared for, valued and made to feel special. Children's individual needs are effectively met through outstanding partnerships with parents and effective links with other professionals. The pre- school demonstrates a strong commitment to the continuous improvement of outcomes for children using good self-evaluation systems.

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further?

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

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further?

 support children's growing independence, with particular regard to allowing them to pour their own drinks at snack time. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff are conscientious about safeguarding matters. All adults who come into contact with children have been checked to ensure that they are suitable to do so. Staff make robust risk assessments for all areas of the premises and also for any outings. They supervise children carefully both indoors and outdoors to help ensure their safety. They have a good understanding of their responsibilities in protecting children from harm and they fully understand the procedures for reporting and monitoring their concerns. The pre-school runs smoothly on a day- to-day basis because of the enthusiastic and committed staff who work well as a team. The manager uses a thorough induction process and regular observations and appraisals to monitor staff's ongoing suitability and to identify their future training needs.

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the early years provision

Staff develop excellent relationships with parents. Parents appreciate the care and attention given to their children and value the happy, friendly atmosphere. They have confidence that any queries or concerns about their child will be swiftly addressed. Key workers carry out interviews as part of superb settling-in procedures. Parents are actively encouraged to share what they know about their child and are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning. They can access their learning journals so that they can see first-hand how their children learn and the progress they are making. The partnership working extends into the local community and staff have developed effective links with schools to ensure that children experience a smooth transition when they leave the nursery.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from a vibrant environment that is bright and welcoming and offers an extensive range of resources. These are appropriate to children's stages of development and offer lots of challenge and the chance to explore. The nursery promotes inclusive practice well. Staff fully support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. For example, they request key words of the children's home language to help children communicate. Additionally, they work well with outside agencies and other professionals to meet all children's needs. Children regularly use resources that reflect diversity, such as ethnic musical instruments. This helps them to develop an awareness of the wider world.

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the early years provision

The manager has a clear vision of what she wants to achieve in terms of outcomes for children and is supported well in this by the dedicated staff team and the committee. Effective self-evaluation systems are in place which helps all involved to identify relevant strengths and weaknesses. The pre-school has successfully addressed the recommendations set at the last inspection which shows it's capacity to continually improve and it's drive to move forward. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from the staff's good understanding of child development and the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. This enables staff to support children well. They focus on children's individual interests and use this information effectively to make children feel nurtured and highly valued. As a result children thoroughly enjoy what they are doing and make good progress. Staff are becoming increasingly confident in using what they observe about individual children to guide their planning and help them to identify the next steps in children's learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children of all ages look at books and enjoy group story times. They are starting to recognise letters, numbers and shapes due to effective labelling and displays around the pre-school. Effective use is made of the available outdoor area to add a further dimension to children's play activities and learning experiences. Children's knowledge and understanding of the world is supported well as they use resources such as cameras, telephones and microphones. A vast range of creative materials and equipment provide children with many different ways of using their imaginations. For example, children spend a considerable amount of time in the role-play area where they pretend to iron and prepare meals. Staff support children's learning very well. They use sensitive questioning techniques to great effect which extends children's learning and promotes their problem solving skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is good and appropriate for their ages and stages of development. They learn about the importance of sharing, taking turns and respecting others through play, consistent boundaries and positive role models. Staff regularly praise the children's achievements and behaviour and this contributes to children having good self-esteem and a positive self-image. Staff generally encourage children to do as much as they can for themselves. For example, they are encouraged to put on their coats before going outside. However, children's growing independence is not fully supported at snack time since staff pour their drinks for them.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning about healthy lifestyles. They are developing good hygiene skills, such as washing their hands before meals and after using the toilet. A portable sink is used in the main room so that children can easily wash their hands before snack time. This helps children learn about self care. They choose from healthy options at snack time, such as fresh fruit. They can access a varied range of play equipment that allows them to exercise and develop their physical skills, such as balls and bikes. They are learning about how to keep themselves safe. For example, visitors to the pre-school include the lollipop lady who talks about road safety. 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 1 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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