Leyland St James Church of England Primary School

Fairway Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 119476 Inspection date 11/11/2011 Inspector Jennifer Beckles

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Setting address Fairway Primary School, The Fairway, Leigh on Sea, Essex, SS9 4QW Telephone number 01702 421180 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

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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

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

Fairways Pre School registered in 1978. It operates from two classrooms in the grounds of a primary school Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. They also have the use of two enclosed outdoor play areas and, twice a week, the school hall. The pre-school serves the local area.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 63 children aged from two to five years on roll, some of whom receive funded education. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities those who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week during school term time. Sessions are from 8.40am to 11.40am and 12.50pm to 3.20pm. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

Eleven part-time staff work with the children. Of these, 10 have early years qualifications and one is unqualified. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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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 make good progress in their learning and development because staff have a detailed knowledge of the children and work effectively with parents, carers and others. This also helps to ensure that children's individual needs are met. Overall, children's learning is supported well through the range of toys and resources available to them. In general, policies and procedures ensure the safe and efficient management of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The setting regularly evaluates the quality of its provision and has astute awareness of its strengths and weaknesses. It is committed to continually improving its provision for the future.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve access to resources so that children can select and use these independently.

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the early years provision

Overall, children are kept safe because staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding procedures and there are designated child protection coordinators. Formal staff induction ensures that staff understand all policies and procedures. This means that they are aware of the appropriate course of action to follow if they have a concern. All required records, policies and procedures and children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 records are in place for the provision, including accident, medication and attendance records. All staff members are suitably vetted. Staff-to-child ratios are appropriate, which means that children are well supervised. Risk assessments covering all areas of the setting, resources and equipment are regularly reviewed, which helps to ensure children's safety. The children are well protected in the setting and when using the resources and equipment and on outings.

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the early years provision

The environment is well organised and there are a good range of interesting activities and resources which children can choose from, such as operating a programmable robot or using pulleys and levers to transport sand-filled buckets in the garden sand house. Regular self-evaluation, which includes input from staff, parents and children, generally reflects what the setting does well and what it needs to improve. For example, the setting plans to have more male role models to support children's learning. The setting has addressed previous actions and recommendations promptly and effectively. For instance, they have installed cubicle doors in the children's toilet to provide more privacy. The setting offers caring support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities because they have individualised planning and a special educational needs coordinator to manage learning and care. For example, the setting liaises with

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the early years provision

parents and the area special educational needs coordinator so that they can provide and adapt activities to meet the needs of individual children.

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the early years provision

Staff have effective working relationships with parents and carers. When parents first register, they provide details on their child's individual needs. This helps staff to get to know about the child and means that parents' wishes and children's individual needs are well met. Staff share information with parents on their child's well-being and progress through learning journals, which are collections of observations and periodic assessments. Additionally, parents contribute to learning journals at twice-yearly meetings with staff to discuss progress. Furthermore, they are given sheets with ideas for activities to do at home to support children's learning. This means that parents can become very purposefully involved in their child's learning and each child is well supported in making good progress towards the early learning goals. In addition, parents' views on the provision are sought through a yearly questionnaire, which means they can influence key priorities for

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the early years provision

development of the setting. Working relationships with the local schools and the area special educational needs coordinator are good and contribute well to supporting children's welfare and learning. Links with the local community include 'grandparent's week' where grandparents are invited in to the setting to support children's learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children really enjoy being in this setting. They display confidence in exploring their environment, which is underpinned by familiarity with routines and staff. Children learn to support their own safety and show understanding of rules, such as no running indoors and to be kind to each other. Staff help children to keep themselves safe by showing them how to use tools and equipment properly. Children's good health is promoted well by the setting. Children wash their hands This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 readily before eating, after visiting the bathroom and when they have completed messy activities. Healthy, appetising and nutritious meals and snacks are carefully prepared to represent the five main food groups. Children have use of the school hall and outdoor area so have good opportunities to get fresh air and exercise. They develop various skills by using the apparatus and equipment, such as

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and outcomes for children

Staff use their knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage to support children's learning. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals because the setting utilises information from informal observations and their knowledge of the children to provide a range of effective activities. Babies practise their creative skills as they paint with water on the ground. Language development is promoted through use of role play where children negotiate roles, question and respond to each other. It is supported further by games using object cards where children think of the initial letter sound of words, and rhyming songs to encourage sound differentiation. A good variety of books promote early literacy skills as children turn the pages of their favourite story and talk about the pictures. Listening skills are supported through use of a range of musical instruments, which also aids creative and musical development. Personal and social development is promoted through

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and outcomes for children

participation in nationwide events, such as silences to honour the war dead and circle time discussions on behaviour. Number rhymes, board games and a range of construction sets and puzzles help to develop numeracy and problem solving skills. Children happily share resources and cooperate well with each other. They learn about the world around them and develop skills for the future as they confidently use programmable robots and computers to access game software that supports different areas of learning effectively. This is further supported through use of small world resources, such as road sets and railway kits. Furthermore, children learn about plant life cycles through digging and planting in the garden. Children have choice in what they would like to play with, however, this is sometimes restricted by lack of access to resources.

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and outcomes for children

The setting positively welcomes children of all abilities and offers individual, nurturing support. Close involvement with parents and the area special educational needs coordinator, along with regular observations, provide individualised planning to support any child with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Good practice regarding development of positive attitudes enables children to respect and accept each other's differences. This includes talking to parents to gain understanding of traditions, festivals and dietary needs. They also share information about children's backgrounds with each other so that they respect and accept differences. This is reinforced through stories, role play, meals, music and a wide range of stimulating resources. Children behave well in the setting because staff have drawn up ground rules for behaviour with visual reminders. Staff manage undesirable behaviour by offering explanations of why behaviour is

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and outcomes for children

unacceptable and use age-appropriate strategies, such as 'time out' from an activity. Children learn to share, cooperate and join in during different activities. 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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