Langley Infant School

East Farleigh Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 127160 Inspection date 22/09/2011 Inspector Sara Garrity

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Setting address Church Hall, Lower Road, East Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 0JL Telephone number 07586439018 Email admin@efpreschool.net 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

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

East Farleigh Pre-school has been registered since 1972. It is a registered charity managed by a board of trustees made up of parents. The pre-school operates from the church hall in the village of East Farleigh near Maidstone. Children have access to an enclosed outside play area. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary part of the Childcare Register for a total of 30 children. Children attend for a variety of sessions and the pre-school serves the local area and surrounding area. There are currently 29 children on roll aged from two to four years. The pre-school is funded to provide free early education to children aged three and four years. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school is open Mondays to Fridays from 9.15am to 12.15pm and Wednesdays and Thursdays there is a lunch club option until 1.15pm, during term time only. The pre-school employs

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Description of the setting

seven staff. Of these, six 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

The pre-school is committed to promoting all aspects of children's welfare and development effectively overall. Children demonstrate they are happy and confident in the secure, friendly and supportive environment. The pre-school has a well established team of staff who have a good understanding of the children's individual needs and interests. They reflect on their practice regularly and show a good capacity to maintain continuous improvement. Children progress well overall and their individual needs are met effectively. Partnership with parents is well- developed. The pre-school has built up strong links with local schools and the groups, to ensure the children attending engage in the wider community.

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further?

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

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further?

 extend the opportunities for older and more capable children to practise their skills, such as by providing more challenging experiences for early writing, problem solving, reasoning and numeracy  extend the risk assessment so that it covers all areas with which a child may come into contact. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The staff are committed to keeping the children safe and protecting them from harm. All staff have received up-to-date safeguarding training as part of the pre- school's commitment to continuous professional development. Good recruitment procedures are in place to make sure staff are suitable to work with children. Risk assessments are carried out both inside and outside on a daily basis, however not everything the children come into contact with is covered. A high percentage of staff hold up-to-date paediatric first aid certificates. Staff take time to get to know the children well, this enables them to provide a safe and stimulating environment that reflects the individual needs of the children. The children in the pre-school feel safe and secure due to the close relationships the staff have with them. The staff use self evaluation well to reflect on their practice. They have regular staff meetings to discuss the children and review planning. This supports the pre-

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the early years provision

school to monitor and revise procedures, thus further supporting the needs of the children. They encourage parents to play an active role in the pre-school environment and take time to listen to their views and opinions. Questionnaires are used to find out parents' views on extending the pre-school day; this results in the pre-school offering two lunch clubs each week. Partnerships with parents are excellent. Parents have a real 'voice' in the running of the pre-school through becoming members of the committee. Broader partnerships are extremely strong and contribute exceptionally well to getting the right support for children with additional needs. Other outside professionals also visit the pre-school to help review and evaluate aspects of the pre-school environment and play provision. The pre-school staff have taken on board the recommendations of the previous inspection and positive improvements have been made.

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the early years provision

There is a good range of activities and resources for the children to choose from which promote all areas of learning and development well overall, and reflect different cultures too. The majority of children have recently started at the pre- school and effective settling in procedures are in place to enable them to form good relationships with staff and friends. As most of the children are new to the pre -school group, many resources are geared to providing for the needs of the younger members. Currently, there are fewer for older and more able children to help them practice the useful skills they are learning for the future. The pre-school provides excellent support to children as they move on from the pre-school, having established extremely good communications with the local school.

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and outcomes for children

Children arrive excited and are keen to explore the resources and activities on offer. The outdoor area is opened as soon as the parents leave. The easy flow between the inside and outside environment enables the children to choose which activities they wish to undertake. Bubbles appear to be a firm favourite, with This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children taking turns to blow them as well as eagerly pointing and watching as they move through the air. Staff extend the children's learning by asking questions and encouraging the children to predict what will happen next and where the bubbles will go. Children enjoy being outside, using mini trampolines to bounce on and a wide selection of trikes and push along cars to explore the outside area and develop their physical skills. The children practice early writing outside, with pots of water and paintbrushes to paint all available surfaces, although such

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and outcomes for children

opportunities to use these developing skills are not fully extended. The environment is set out to reflect all areas of learning. Staff provide a wide range of learning opportunities which reflect the children's interests. Creativity is evident in the planning and through observing the activities the children are undertaking. For example, pirate ships are set out on the floor where children use their imaginations to make the small figures climb on board and jump into the 'sea' below. Adults work with children individually to enable them to gain a sense of achievement, such as learning to use scissors safely and an array of creative resources for sticking and gluing. The children place pictures in a safe place ready to take home, understanding the pre-school's routines and staff expectations. There is a good balance of both adult led and child initiated activities. The children benefit from a wide variety of media offered to them, for example, sand, and a

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and outcomes for children

variety of textures. There is a comfortable reading area where they can choose from a variety of books, with staff available to read with the children. Story time is important and the children have a group story before snack time. Parents provide a healthy snack for the children, as well as equally healthy food for those staying to lunch club. Children are encouraged to have a drink throughout the session. They all have their own named cups which are kept within easy reach. Children remind each other to wash hands before snacks and after using the toilet. Children behave extremely well and know the routine of the session, reminding staff when it is time to tidy up. They take turns with the toys and share resources. Staff use praise to develop the children's self-esteem and confidence. Children develop their communication skills conversations with staff, who allow the children time to think about their responses. Visits from different agencies, as well as

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and outcomes for children

celebrating special events throughout the year, broaden children's experiences well. 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 1 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 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 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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