Orleans Primary School

Calstock Under Fives Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 102895 Inspection date 25/01/2012 Inspector Sarah Wignall

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Setting address The Village Hall, The Quay, Calstock, Cornwall, PL18 9QA

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Telephone number 01822 832375 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

Calstock Under Fives is managed by a voluntary committee. It opened in 1982 and operates from the village hall in Calstock, Cornwall. A garden area is used for outdoor play activities. The setting is open on Monday and Friday from 9.00am until 12 noon and on Wednesday from 9.00am until 3.00pm. On Tuesday, the setting operates from Calstock Primary School. Sessions are offered during term time only.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 24 children aged from two to eight years may attend the setting at any one time and all may be in the early years age range. There are currently 14 children attending who are within the early years age group. The setting is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. The staff support children who speak English as an additional language. Most children live locally and some attend other early years settings. There are four members of staff, two of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to National Vocational Qualification at level 3 and above.

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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

Children are content, settled and make sound progress in their learning and development. Staff have a suitable awareness of their needs, though assessments to plan for their individual progress are not fully effective. Staff work well in partnership with parents but have yet to develop strong partnerships with other settings children attend. Organisation of the learning environment and staff deployment are satisfactory though do not always offer effective support to all children. The staff have made sound progress since their last inspection with the introduction of new members of staff and a review of all operational procedures. Clear action plans are in place to secure steady continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop systems to obtain a regular two-way flow of information with other early years providers to ensure consistency in the support to children's learning  develop assessment systems in order to match the observations of children to the expectations of the early learning goals and to identify learning priorities for each child  review the organisation of the daily routines and the deployment of staff so This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 that children are consistently and effectively supported as they play and learn review the learning environment to make sure that it is interesting, attractive and resources are accessible to every child so they can learn independently.

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the early years provision

The setting is managed by a keen and dedicated committee. They have introduced several changes since the last inspection, which have led to many positive improvements in most operational aspects of the setting. Clear safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and shared with parents. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures help to make sure that suitable persons care for children. Staff demonstrate a good awareness of action to take if concerned about children in their care. They have attended recent safeguarding training in order to update their knowledge and skills. Staff use detailed risk assessments and daily checks to assess the suitability of the environment. Regular fire drills help to make sure that children and adults are aware of action to take in the event of a fire.

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the early years provision

Children are generally cared for in one large room with occasional use of a smaller adjoining room. They have access to a suitable range of indoor activities and age- appropriate resources. Most resources are selected by staff each day and set out before children arrive. The current organisation of the learning environment does not always provide children with opportunities to self-select and access to the full range of resources. Children benefit from regular access to the well-resourced outdoor play area. Staff work within the required ratios. However, when they carry out practical tasks, such as snack preparation, there is more limited adult involvement and interaction with children.

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the early years provision

Staff promote equality and diversity adequately. They are beginning to use assessment information to plan appropriately for most children. As a result, outcomes for individual children are improving. Where children have English as an additional language the staff seek adequate information from parents to help children settle. Children have some opportunities to learn about diversity through planned topics such as Chinese New Year.

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the early years provision

The setting is a small community based group and has strong links with parents, many of whom are on the management committee. Parents are provided with good levels of information regarding the organisation of the setting and daily routines. Good settling in procedures make sure that staff are aware of individual needs and interests. Regular discussions help keep parents informed of children's progress. Parents provide positive feedback at inspection. Good links with the local primary school help support children in the transition process. However, links with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage are not fully established. The new staff team are very keen to develop the setting and have many ideas to improve practice. They are well supported by the committee who are eager to ensure that the setting thrives and is sustainable. Clear action plans have led to weaknesses at the last inspection being addressed and further areas for

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the early years provision

development identified. The staff demonstrate a sound capacity to maintain This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 improvement.

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and outcomes for children

Children are generally happy, settled and enjoy playing independently and with friends. They establish good relationships with staff and each other. Several children come together, for example, to collect blankets to make a den. They happily give each other a ride on the back of their bicycle. Children are confident as they approach staff and other adults making their needs known, for example, in asking for more fruit at lunchtime. They demonstrate a developing sense of security and belonging as they choose to play indoors or out. Children respond well to reminders to play sensibly or not to push when lining up in case others get hurt.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about shape and size as they create patterns using small pegs. They begin to learn about numbers and use these skills to problem solve. For example, they collect the right amount of cups and plates for snack time. Staff support them as they ask, 'Do you need more plates?' Children enjoy listening to stories and cuddle up with staff to look at books. Small group work is used to support older children's developing understanding of letters and sounds. Children thoroughly enjoy using their senses to explore different textures such as cornflour and water. They independently add paper to the mixture observing the change in colour that it brings saying, 'Look it's turned blue'. Staff have started to use observations and assessments of children to guide their planning. However, they do not yet use these systems to identify the appropriate next steps for all children in the setting.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing a good awareness of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. They follow good hygiene routines, for example, in visiting the toilet and washing their hands regularly during sessions. Older children confidently help themselves to drinks when they are thirsty. They are aware of the need to dress appropriately when going outside or visiting the craft table. Children benefit from regular opportunities to play outdoors and thoroughly enjoy riding around on bicycles or scooters. They develop good skills of co-ordination and control as they weave through skittles and negotiate obstacles in their way. Staff keep parents fully informed of accidents or illness at the setting and ensure they are aware of special dietary needs. Children learn to make healthy choices as they help themselves to fresh and dried fruit or savoury snacks.

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and outcomes for children

Children are appropriately supported by staff as they play and learn. As a result, they make sound progress in their learning and development. They make some choices about their learning and show an interest in things around them. They are aware of the expectations for behaviour and respond well to the calm and consistent approach of staff. 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 2 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 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 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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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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