ABC Pre-School

ABC Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY301639 Inspection date 14/10/2011 Inspector Rebecca McGrath

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Setting address Ellesmere Road, Culcheth, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 4BJ

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Telephone number 07712 318530 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

ABC Pre-School registered in 2005. It is owned and managed by a limited company and operates from three rooms in the Methodist Church in the Culcheth area of Warrington. The pre-school has a fully enclosed outdoor play area and is within walking distance of local shops, parks and a library.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school opens term time only. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday it is open from 9.15am to 2.45pm, on Tuesday it is open from 10am to 3pm and on Thursday it is open from 9.15am to 12.15pm.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 40 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. There are currently 45 children aged from two to under five years on roll. The setting employs nine staff, including the manager and a teacher consultant. All of the staff working directly with the children hold recognised qualifications to level 3. The pre-school receives support from an advisory teacher from the local Sure Start support team.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children thrive in this vibrant and welcoming environment. They are provided with rich experiences which enhance all aspects of the curriculum ensuring children make rapid progress during their time at the setting. The staff are highly effective in promoting each child's welfare and learning using exceptionally good resources. There is outstanding organisation, with day-to-day involvement and monitoring of the provision by the provider, which ensures the setting is fully focused on continuous improvement. There is an impressive level of commitment across the staff team and the manager places great emphasis on reflection. As a result, the pre-school maintains a consistently high standard at all levels.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 developing the self-evaluation systems to include regular reviews and information of all children's learning progress to help identify and narrow any achievement gaps between groups of children.

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the early years provision

A very strong commitment to keeping children safe means that all staff are trained and have a very good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 safeguarding. There are robust vetting procedures in place to ensure the suitability of staff working with children. There is excellent team-working by well-qualified, trained, skilled and committed staff who work to high adult-to -child ratios. This means that children's care and education is provided consistently by people they know very well. The adults consistently work with the children through their play to enrich their experiences, resulting in the children making significant gains in their development.

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the early years provision

Children feel safe as rigorous and detailed checks are done to prevent any hazards. Records, risk assessments, policies and procedures all efficiently support the safety of the setting. They are understood and followed by all staff and are explained clearly to parents through detailed induction processes, handbooks and displays. Relationships with parents and carers are excellent. Parents speak very highly of the setting and are continually kept informed of their child's progress. Parents enjoy regular exchanges of information and continually see and contribute to learning journals . The setting encourages them to spend time in the setting by holding 'Mum's and Dad's days' and inviting them on trips. This results in a very effective working relationship between parents and the setting to ensure all children's needs are met. Staff take into account parents' ideas and these are developed and contribute to the improvements of the setting.

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the early years provision

Links with local schools and other professionals are strong. The setting takes a lead role in inviting teachers into the setting to meet children before they progress to school. This ensures a smooth transition and prepares children for moving on. Effective working relationships are established with strong channels of communication between all partners involved with individual children. This successfully promotes their learning, development and welfare.

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the early years provision

Highly effective self-assessment procedures are in place to monitor and evaluate the provision which takes into consideration views from parents, children and staff. These are effectively shared at staff meetings and the manager devises plans to address any issues or areas to develop. The staff consistently work together to explore different ideas before deciding on the one that works best for their setting and the children they care for. Future plans for the setting are extremely well targeted to further promote positive outcomes for children. The manager has a good knowledge of the children. Tracking is evident and used by all staff; however, opportunities to regularly review and focus on all children's progress are not explored in order to indentify and narrow any potential achievement gaps with children.

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and outcomes for children

Relationships are very strong at all levels. The children interact extremely well together and this is further enhanced by the attentiveness of all staff members to ensure children's experiences are outstanding. Staff constantly seize opportunities to question and extend children's learning. Information from observations and assessments of each child are promptly documented and used by all staff to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 ensure learning is relevant and progressive for each child. The environment is extremely stimulating. An excellent range of accessible resources helps children to explore and interact. Children play a dynamic role in their learning and offer ideas that are fed into the planning to ensure a child-initiated approach. This is complimented by the input from the highly motivated staff who skilfully plan to enable children to benefit from a wealth of teaching and learning. The children are

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and outcomes for children

given challenges which they approach with great enthusiasm, for example, they are offered a problem solving activity to sort through materials for recycling.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to use a range of tools with great skill, enthusiastically painting on the ground with rollers, sponges and water. The children show delight as they squirt water high in the air and talk about the marks it makes when it falls against the wall. The children are developing skills for the future. They show increasing levels of attention and concentration as they look through books in the reading area. There is unlimited access to a laptop and the children demonstrate very efficient use of the mouse and a variety of suitable programmes. The children show high levels of independence, curiosity, imagination and concentration which results in them making significant gains in their learning. The children take delight in extending their imagination through an active dance session where they choose to be butterflies and flutter gracefully around the imaginary pond. This imaginative play is extended outdoors where children build a camp fire with wooden bricks and

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and outcomes for children

Children also develop a very good understanding of the natural world and community around them as they take part in activities exploring the cultures and festivals of various countries and religions and visit local community groups. They demonstrate exceptionally positive behaviour and high levels of self-control. The children work very well together, sharing their learning experiences positively and creating an effective and positive attitude towards each other's learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe because staff are vigilant about consistently reminding and teaching the children of the dangers around them. They practise regular fire evacuations and trips are stimulating and well thought-out to enable children to have fun in a safe environment. Children have innovative opportunities to engage in a wide range of physical activities, both indoors and outside. They take part in active classes, such as karate and dance which further enhances their understanding about healthy living. All children show an exceptional understanding of the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. They follow very high standards of hygiene practice and the pre-school continually promotes eating healthy foods. 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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