Inspire Education Group

Sarratt Ducklings Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 130613 Inspection date 02/02/2012 Inspector Fiona Robinson

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Setting address Sarratt JMI School, The Green,Sarratt, RICKMANSWORTH, Hertfordshire, WD3 6AS Telephone number 01923 266 694 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

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

Sarratt Ducklings was registered in 1992 and operates from a classroom within the separate foundation stage building that is part of Sarratt JMI School, Sarratt, Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire. It serves the local village and surrounding areas close to Watford, in Hertfordshire. All children share access to a secure, enclosed, outdoor play area and the pre-school has the use of the school hall and outdoor environment of the host school. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 26 children under eight years may attend at any one time. Of these, not more than 26 may be in the early years age group, and of these, none may be under two years. Currently there are 38 children aged from two to under five years on roll, of whom 24 receive funding. The pre-school is open weekday mornings, during term time, from 9am to 12 noon, with an optional lunch club from 12 noon to 1pm. Afternoons sessions run from 1pm to 3pm. Children come from the local area and attend for a variety of the sessions on offer.

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Description of the setting

There are eight members of staff who work with the children. Of these, five hold National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at level 3; one holds a NVQ at level 2; and one has a degree in Nursing and a diploma in Child Health. The pre-school 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 achieve well in a bright, welcoming environment because staff take into consideration their individual needs and interests. There are excellent links with parents, the host school and community, and information is shared very effectively. Children behave very well and staff ensure they are included in an interesting range of activities. The manager and staff clearly identify strengths and areas for improvement. As a result, there is good capacity 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?

 develop further the range and use of technology to support children's learning and development  develop children's problem solving and investigatory skills in the outdoor environment. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff safeguard and promote children's welfare extremely well. They have a very secure knowledge of safety and child protection procedures and know their responsibilities fully. A comprehensive range of policies and procedures are fully implemented to ensure children's safety in the indoor and outdoor areas. Staff are deployed very well to ensure children are supervised at all times. There is high security at the main doors and rigorous collection procedures are in place that are carefully followed by staff and parents. Risk assessments are conducted daily to ensure children's safety, and equipment is very well maintained. There are robust staff recruitment and vetting procedures in place to check the suitability of adults having contact with the children. Fire evacuation procedures are practised regularly, so that staff and children are familiar with the routine.

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the early years provision

The pre-school is well led and managed and staff demonstrate very good levels of dedication and commitment. There are good self-evaluation systems in place which ensure that improvements have a positive impact on children's experiences. Strong teamwork ensures consistency for children and benefits their learning and development. Good progress has been made in addressing the recommendations from the previous inspection. Staff regularly monitor and evaluate the children's achievement and progress and include their interests in their planning. Staff promote equality and diversity to an outstanding level, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and ensure children are fully integrated into all the pre-school has to offer. They involve parents and visitors very effectively as children learn about people who help them, such as the doctor, vet, builder and banker. Staff promote diversity extremely well as they learn about a wide range of

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the early years provision

different cultures and festivals, such as most recently the Chinese New Year, and excellent support is provided for children who speak English as an additional language. Planning shows that opportunities for children to explore, investigate and problem solve in the outdoor environment are not fully exploited, which impacts on the development of these skills.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. They say their children enjoy attending the pre-school because staff have created a very caring, nurturing environment in which children can have lots of fun. Parents and carers are kept very well-informed of their children's achievement and progress through informal discussions and regular consultation meetings. They are actively involved in supporting their children's learning and development at home, through sharing books with them. Parents receive comprehensive information through regular newsletters, discussions and the notice board. They are very supportive of fundraising events, such as sports day and special events, such as the Christmas nativity, harvest festival and the village bonfire. There are excellent links with the community, such as the horticultural society who advise the children on planting and growing. The relationship with the host school is outstanding and children

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the early years provision

experience a smooth transition into full-time education. They benefit from the use of the outdoor environment and attend special performances at Christmas. Staff work extremely closely with outside agencies and provide excellent support for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from well-organised, purposeful indoor and outdoor play and achieve well. Staff have a good understanding of the children's interests and build these into the wide range of activities. They skilfully use the information gained to plan the children's next steps in learning. Themes such as winter sports, our village and people who help us result in bright, colourful displays. Children behave very well and quickly settle at chosen activities, such as role play in their ski lodge. They are extremely confident and have outstanding relationships with adults and one another. Children learn to take turns and are respectful of the rules and boundaries which they helped to compile. Staff are excellent role models with high expectations and a consistent approach to managing behaviour. Children are highly motivated by a wide range of activities, such as planting daffodils and designing and making rugby shirts. Festivals such as Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas

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and outcomes for children

and the Chinese New Year are promoted through a range of creative activities and enhance their understanding of the wider world. Parents are invited into the pre- school to share their knowledge of other countries, lifestyles and customs with the children.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a good understanding of keeping healthy and feel very safe and secure at the pre-school. They make healthy choices at snack time and eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables. Children develop their physical skills well as they ride on their pedalled vehicles, balance on climbing equipment and play ball games outdoors. They behave in ways that are very safe for themselves and others. Children learn to use equipment very safely as they prepare their own pizzas, fruit salads and sandwiches for their teddy bears picnic. They benefit from talks and activities which support their excellent understanding of road and fire safety.

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and outcomes for children

Children are eager to participate in an interesting range of activities and make good progress. Their communication, language and literacy skills are developed well through role play in the bakers shop. They use their imaginations well as they re-tell the story of the Billy Goats Gruff. Children's creativity is developed well through printing colourful patterns using leaves, fruit and vegetables. Together they have compiled an informative map of their village and can readily identify where they live. Children are skilful at completing programmes on the computer; however there are fewer opportunities for them to use the a wider range of information and communication technology, such as the digital camera in activities to record and share their experiences with one another. They make colour lanterns and masks, paint firework pictures and perform a dragon dance as part of their Chinese New Year celebrations. Children develop a good understanding of

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and outcomes for children

recycling and enjoy exploring their village. Most of the children can count up to twenty and beyond by the time they leave pre-school and songs such as Five Speckled Frogs help them to practise their counting skills. They enjoy eating pasta and ice cream as they learn about life in Italy. Children are prepared well for their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 next steps in learning and full-time education. 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 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 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 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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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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