Davidson Primary School

Brize Norton Village Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 134449 Inspection date 05/12/2011 Inspector Rachel Edwards

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Setting address Elderbank Hall, Station Road,Brize Norton, Carterton, Oxfordshire, OX18 3PS Telephone number 07769617696 Email Chairperson 01993 844010 (Carolyn Peach) 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

Brize Norton Pre-school was registered in 1994. It is a registered charity and is managed by a voluntary committee of parents and individuals from the wider community. It operates from the village community hall in the small village of Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The premises consist of one main hall and a small second room with direct access to an enclosed outdoor play area. Children also regularly use an adjacent playing field, tennis court, play park and an allotment.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register to care for a maximum of 30 children from two years to the end of the early years age range, at any one time. The pre-school provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. There are currently 42 children on roll, aged from two to four years. The pre- school supports a small number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and some who are learning English as an additional language. The pre- school is open each weekday during term time from 9am until 12 noon. Children may stay for lunch, until 1pm on Monday to Wednesday. There are afternoon sessions on Monday and Wednesday between 12 noon and 3pm.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs seven members of staff who work directly with the children. The manager has an early years degree and has achieved Early Years Professional Status. Of the other staff, five hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and the sixth will qualify in January 2012.

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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 safe and well cared for, overall in this friendly, well-organised pre- school. The well qualified and experienced staff regularly update their knowledge, which they generally use effectively to help children make good progress, including those that need additional support. Children's individual needs are met well and this is significantly enhanced by the strong links with parents and others involved with the children. Staff are highly reflective and use effective means to monitor what they do. They have clear and achievable plans for future development and the pre-school is well placed to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 further develop sustained shared thinking between staff and children so that all children remain engaged in their learning experience and are motivated to continue This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  extend the record of risk assessment to include anything with which the children may come into contact with, with particular reference to the room heaters

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the early years provision

Staff make children's safety a priority. They follow safe recruitment and checking procedures, to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. Children are never left alone with unchecked adults. All staff have child protection training and understand their roles and responsibilities. They are confident in what to do and in working with other agencies to safeguard children. Complaints are investigated thoroughly and action taken where needed. Risk assessments are generally used effectively to identify and minimise hazards to children. However, they do not include the hall heaters, which when turned up in cold weather could burn children.

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the early years provision

Staff focus on the needs of each child, who is assigned a key member of staff, who gets to know them and their family well. They lead the monitoring and assessment of the child and liaise closely with parents and others involved in the child's care. Many children have parents serving in the Forces, who may be away from home for long periods. Staff understand the impact this can have on children and offer additional support when needed. This individual approach ensures each child's welfare and learning needs are met effectively overall. Staff know that children learn in different ways. Boys and girls have opportunities for boisterous and quieter play both indoors and outside. Children can help themselves to high quality resources that support all areas of development.

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the early years provision

Children learn to value differences and join in with celebrations from their own and other cultures. Parents are encouraged to be involved in many ways. For example, they share special knowledge for the Chinese New Year festivities and help tend the allotment. Helping out at sessions gives parents a valuable understanding of how their children learn. Some serve on the committee and all are invited to share ideas about the provision. They are well informed about their child's progress through daily discussions and meetings each term. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning. Staff are shortly to invite parents to a meeting that will explain how to notice when children are making significant achievements. Staff share information with other settings that some children attend to provide continuity in their care and learning. There are very good links with the primary school that most children move onto so that children make a smooth transition into

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the early years provision

reception class. When they are ready, children are shown how to form letters in the same style as will be taught at school.

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the early years provision

The pre-school management team are highly motivated and eager to improve. The manager sets a good example by achieving a degree and Early Years Professional Status. All staff are qualified and attend regular training to develop their skills further. They make good use of knowledge from training and outside professionals and have made significant improvements for all children since the last inspection. For example, they use ideas from a conference to plan exciting activities that This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 develop children's listening and speaking skills. The staff reflect on what they do and build on their strengths, such as their outdoor play area and generally recognise what they could do better, for example, they have improved their range of resources that appeal more to boys.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled at pre-school, they look forward to their day and generally make good progress. They have close relationships with staff who help them feel safe and secure, for example as they snuggle up for a story on big floor cushions. They learn to keep safe, for example, carefully using scissors or practicing fire drills. Staff use stories to discuss dangers like getting lost. Visits from a police officer and lollypop lady give them a deeper understanding. Children demonstrate a very good understanding about healthy lifestyles. They know which foods are good for them and eagerly prepare and serve themselves fruit. They enjoy growing their own produce on the pre-school allotment and this encourages them to taste new foods and learn about the natural world. They benefit from playing outside everyday, including visits to a large playing field and nearby play park with plenty of space to run and safely use a variety of large equipment.

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and outcomes for children

Staff understand well how children learn. They carefully note and record what children can do, their interests and what they need to learn next. They use this information to plan activities that build on what children already know. For example, on a bug hunt, children became fascinated in digging for worms. Staff provided a wormery where children could observe the worms more closely and marvel at the tunnels they made. There is a good balance between adult-led activities and those that children choose themselves. Staff generally use their time well as they move around supporting individuals or small groups as they play. However, they are less successful in engaging some of the more boisterous children in sustained activities that challenge their thinking and help them make connections in their learning,

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to use language well with an extensive vocabulary. They describe what they are doing and enjoy chatting to staff and friends. They make good progress with early writing skills, as the activities are meaningful. For example, they are motivated to have a go at writing to Father Christmas and write Christmas cards, which they take to the village post office to post home. Some boys are reluctant to draw and write but staff successfully encourage them with camouflage pencil cases and super hero boxes filled with writing materials. Outdoors they love to chalk on the walls and paint the floor with large brushes and glittery water. Children become proficient at using the computer through daily use of simple programs that support other areas of learning. Children have access to a wide range of craft materials, and they have the freedom to create individual works of art.

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and outcomes for children

Children are encouraged to explore. They have a large and satisfyingly deep sand pit, where they make big constructions and move sand around with diggers. They watch how sand flows down guttering and work together to make wet sandy This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 puddles and delight in taking off shoes and socks to paddle around. This freedom to choose what to play with and where, makes children highly independent learners, full of enthusiasm, curiosity and with the skills they need for future learning. 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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