Saints Fisher and More High School

Mill Grove Pre-School Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 128475 Inspection date 17/11/2011 Inspector Jill Nugent

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Setting address 10 Crescent Road, South Woodford, London, E18 1JB

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Telephone number 020 8504 2702 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

Mill Grove Pre-School Nursery is run by Mill Grove Christian Charitable Trust and registered in 1992. It operates from a large hall attached to the Mill Grove community complex. Access to the building is via a short flight of steps from the adjacent pathway. Children use an internal staircase to access the outdoor play areas. The provision is open from 9.15am until 3.15pm every weekday during term-time.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 30 children under eight years can attend at any one time, all may be in the early years age group. Currently there are 50 children on roll.

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Description of the setting

A team of seven staff are employed to work with the children and all are suitably qualified. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language.

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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 offers a welcoming play environment for children where they enjoy a variety of learning experiences. Staff promote children's welfare effectively and work closely with parents to ensure children's individual needs are met. Staff encourage children to acquire new skills and consequently they make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. A strength of the pre-school is the positive approach to inclusion, resulting in children with special educational needs being very well supported. The manager is proactive in driving improvement, encouraging staff to reflect on practice and to take opportunities for further development.

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further?

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

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further?

 establish fully the system of observational assessment so that the day-to-day activity plans offer a selection of learning experiences  review the use of indoor play space and deployment of staff, in order to encourage children to participate in a wide range of play activities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Documentation is well organised and provides a good framework for staff practice. Policies are reviewed at regular intervals and parents are well informed about any health and safety issues. There are effective procedures in place to promote safeguarding of all children. Staff are particularly vigilant about conducting risk assessments, which include all indoor and outdoor areas used by children. Staff have recently updated their training in safeguarding and know what to do if they have any concerns relating to child protection.

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the early years provision

The manager is relatively new in post and has put plenty of effort into improving outcomes for children. She makes good use of self-evaluation to create action plans, which are used to drive and monitor improvements in the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is successful in motivating staff to work together as a team. She has contributed to several new developments, including the introduction of systems, equipment and better lines of communication. Her current development plans include relevant targets for the future, for example, exploring more ways to include children's interests in activity planning.

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the early years provision

Staff follow a daily routine that allows children time to explore both indoors and out. Special group times focus on helping children increase their skills in literacy and numeracy, according to age and stage of development. The main hall is set out with a variety of interesting play activities each day. The outdoor play areas offer large open spaces, as well as more intimate quiet corners. The resources and equipment are arranged so that they are attractive and stimulating for children; for example, in colourful dens or handy containers. However, staff do not always make optimum use of the play space to actively encourage children's learning in different play situations.

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the early years provision

Parents and carers receive clear and up-to-date information about the pre-school's provision for children. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their children's learning, for instance, visiting the pre-school to talk about a skill or profession. They have good opportunities to view their children's learning profiles and to exchange information about their children's learning. Staff work in partnership with other professionals to support children with special educational needs. They often seek extra help so that all children feel valued as individuals.

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the early years provision

The pre-school celebrates diversity. They encourage an awareness of other cultures and religions as well as events in the Christian calendar.

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and outcomes for children

Children play happily. They enjoy the accompanying background music as they try out different activities. They listen attentively to staff and respond appropriately to instructions. They are often reminded of the rules so that they learn to respect the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 boundaries, particularly when moving between the indoor and outdoor areas. Children enjoy opportunities to use their imagination. They explore creatively while, drawing, colouring and sticking. Staff support children well to manage tools and materials and ask questions that encourage them to think. Consequently, children develop good skills in writing, number recognition and counting. Children's interest is generally well maintained. They participate in play activities indoors, although occasionally children disengage from purposeful play and become a little boisterous.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have in place an effective system of observational assessment. They collate their observations, photographs and examples of work to create a visual record of children's individual progress. This system is monitored closely to ensure staff use it consistently and it meets the developmental needs of all children appropriately. Staff work closely with support workers to provide a varied programme of learning for children with special educational needs, so they are integrated into the daily routine of activities. Staff take account of children's developmental needs when planning activities related to themes. Group time offers a mix of stories, games and songs that children enjoy. However, the day-to-day planning sometimes lacks structure and consequently children's choices can be limited at times.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop self-confidence. They become absorbed in exploration and concentrate hard at their chosen activities. They develop close relationships with others and enjoy playing with friends. Children are always well supervised and learn to behave responsibly. Staff ensure that safety measures are in place and safety guidelines followed correctly, so that children feel secure in their care. Children especially enjoy playing in the garden. They participate in a variety of physical activities such as climbing, balancing and riding. Staff help children develop control and coordination when using different types of equipment. Children are encouraged to adopt good hygiene practice and to bring healthy packed lunches. They benefit from opportunities to grow vegetables and to join in the lunchtime experience, sitting in small groups with others as they eat and talk. 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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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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