Northampton College

Saltdean Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 130769 Inspection date 05/01/2012 Inspector Shan Jones

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Setting address St Nicholas Church Hall, Saltdean Vale,Saltdean, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 8HA Telephone number 01273 307 973 Email wehavefun@stnicholaspreschool.org.uk 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

Saltdean Pre-school has been registered since 1994 and is managed by a parent- run committee. It operates from St Nicholas Church Hall, in Saltdean on the outskirts of Brighton, East Sussex. The pre-school is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. Children have access to a secure outdoor play area. The pre- school is open Monday to Friday, term time only. Core hours are 9am to 12 noon, although some children attend to 12.55pm for a lunch club. Tuesday sessions run from 9am to 12 noon.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 30 children from two to under five years may attend the setting at any one time. There are currently 36 children on roll. The setting is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years old. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school is able to offer support to children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and to those children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school employs a total of five staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school receives support from the local authority early years mentor.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The manager and her team of staff are approachable and friendly, which is conducive to all children and their parents feeling welcome. The variety of experiences provided enables children to make generally sound progress in their learning and development. However, there are weaknesses in partnership with parents and links within the local community. Staff give appropriate consideration to the uniqueness of each child. The issues identified for improvement in the last inspection have been tackled reasonably well and the systems for self-evaluation are still being developed. This demonstrates they have capacity to make improvements to the service they provide.

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further?

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

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further?

 create a stimulating environment outdoors that offers a range of activities which will encourage children's interest and curiosity all year round  extend further the partnership with parents to involve them in their child's learning and development and to support children's learning at home This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  improve local cohesion by developing meaningful links within the community.

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the early years provision

The staff team's sound knowledge and clear procedures relating to safeguarding children help to make sure that children's welfare is promoted. Staff know the procedures they should follow and who to inform should they have any concerns about a child in their care. Suitable recruitment procedures are used to ensure that all adults working in the setting are suitable and qualified to be with the children. Written risk assessments and daily checks ensure hazards are identified and minimised. Visitors are required to sign the record book on arrival and departure, and staff are suitably deployed working directly with the children, both in and outdoors. All areas of the pre-school are clean and tidy and staff implement hygiene procedures consistently in order to avoid cross infection. The required documentation is in place and policies and procedures are appropriately shared with parents.

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the early years provision

The new manager demonstrates an enthusiasm for their work and is developing the setting's ideas for the future. There is a commitment to professional development for staff so they have opportunities to improve their knowledge, which helps to improve the outcomes for children. The manager and staff show sufficient understanding of the priorities for improvements. Staff work alongside the early years advisor to improve the service for children and parents. Recent improvements in the educational programme have had a positive impact on children, such as the review of the children's observation and assessment files. However, planning for the future lacks focus due to the absence of an effective system to evaluate and reflect on the quality of the provision.

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the early years provision

Parents are encouraged to share what they know about their children before they are cared for in the pre-school to ensure that staff are well informed about children's individual needs. However, information provided about children's learning and interests at home is not fully utilised to complement children's learning plans at the setting. The setting has developed mostly sound systems to work in partnership with other settings. They promote children's understanding of similarities and differences, and their own cultures, through a range of activities, such as celebrating festivals, including Diwali and Chinese New Year. Children have access to a selection of play resources that reflect positive images of the wider world. This creates an inclusive environment that encourages children to feel a sense of belonging and promotes their self-esteem. Although there are no children currently on roll with special educational needs and/or disabilities, there are

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the early years provision

appropriate systems in place to support them. Staff liaise with other agencies, such as specialist teachers, in order to develop their skills. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children settle well and are happy and comfortable in the staff's care, leaving their parents confidently on arrival and keenly greeting their friends. They benefit from a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. Development files are in place to record children's progress which includes photographic evidence and staff's observations of the children's achievements. These systems continue to evolve as the setting has recently revised the format they use. Children's skills in communication, language and literacy are supported effectively. They enjoy listening to stories when they keenly join in and predict what might happen next, and they enthusiastically join in with their favourite songs. The older children are starting to recognise letter names and sounds and they make good attempts to write their own names and simple words, which helps them to understand that marks have meaning. Their understanding of problem solving and number

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and outcomes for children

develops as they join in with matching games and complete jigsaws.

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and outcomes for children

The staff work hard to set up an interesting and attractive environment each day for the children to work in. Resources are at the children's height to allow them to be independent and take responsibility for what they wish to play and work with. Children move freely around the setting accessing the activities. Children relish outdoor play and have great fun as they carefully navigate their bikes as they scoot along planks landing safely at the end of the ramp. However, the outdoor learning environment is limited in the winter months and therefore children cannot explore the whole curriculum outdoors all year round.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning how to keep themselves safe. They take part in regular fire drills and are gently reminded about safety issues whilst playing; also, when they are on outings they follow road safety procedures such as holding each other's hands and walking in pairs. Children understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. They demonstrate a sound understanding of the need for an effective hygiene routine and enjoy eating nutritious snacks. Staff are well aware of any allergies or special dietary requirements. Children behave well and are learning to share and take turns. They respond positively to praise and encouragement, which raises their self-esteem as they build on their knowledge and skills for the future. Children clearly enjoy playing and learning together as they socialise with their older and younger friends during the day. Children benefit from some planned outings, such as trips to the park and visits to the farm. However, links within the

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and outcomes for children

community are not fully embedded to further raise children awareness of local services, such as firefighters, the police and other services. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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