Carleton Childcare

Carleton Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY435514 Inspection date 02/02/2012 Inspector Kathy Leatherbarrow

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Setting address Carleton St. Hildas C of E Primary School, Bispham Road, POULTON-LE-FYLDE, Lancashire, FY6 7PE Telephone number 01253882171 Email sarah@carletonchildcare.co.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

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

Carleton Pre-School has been operating for over 40 years, but was re-registered to a partnership in 2011. It operates from a purpose-built, single-story detached building situated in the grounds of Carleton St Hildas School located in the village of Carleton, near Poulton-le-Fylde. There are is an enclosed outdoor play area. The local area has shops, a park and a nature area. The pre-school is open each weekday from 8.45am until 3.45pm during term time only.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 30 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 54 children aged from two to under five years on roll, some in part-time places. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 12 members of staff, all of whom hold early years qualifications to at least level 2, and one holds a teaching degree. The pre-school provides funded education places for three- and four-year-olds.

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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

Staff have a well-developed understanding of children's individual needs, therefore their learning and welfare are successfully promoted. Children are safe and secure, and robust documentation and procedures are mostly in place to maintain their safety. Good partnerships with parents and other agencies are significant in making sure that the needs of all children are met, along with any additional needs. This means that the children progress well in relation to their age, ability and starting points. There are some systems are in place for self-evaluation, which enables the pre-school to monitor their practice.

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further?

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

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further?

 further develop the outdoor environment so that is rich in signs, symbols, notices, numbers, words and pictures that take into account children's different interests and support their learning  improve the risk assessments to ensure they cover anything with which a child may come into contact  lead and encourage a culture of reflective practice, self-evaluation and informed discussion to identify the setting's strengths and priorities for development that will improve the quality of provision for all children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are thoroughly safeguarded because staff have a secure understanding of the indicators of abuse and the procedure to follow should they have a concern about a child. Robust recruitment and selection procedures are in place and continued suitability is monitored effectively. There are comprehensive policy and procedure documents in place which are shared with all staff and parents. Risk assessments are in place to ensure the safety of all, however, these lack some detail. The management has high aspirations for quality. The staff team are highly qualified and experienced, and good ratios of staff to children are maintained. The staff team share a common sense of purpose and are keen to share innovative ideas and their good practices. The management has implemented some self- evaluation to help monitor the service they provide, however, this is not reflective to successfully identify the strengths and priorities for improvement. Staff attend a

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the early years provision

range of training and keep up to date with legislation to further develop their childcare practices and enhance their knowledge. This reflects in their practice and promotes good outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

Children play in a bright and airy setting. They move freely among the areas and there is a free-flow of activity inside and out. Children self-select from a good range of resources which are well organised to allow ease of access, with drawers and shelves being labelled with words and pictures. Examples of children's work and commercial posters adorn the walls and hang from the ceilings. This gives them a sense of belonging. The outdoor area is very well used with space for all children to use push-along and sit-and-ride toys, climb on the climbing frames, plant vegetables and listen to music. Staff are well deployed and move around the areas to support learning at the various activities.

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the early years provision

As a fully inclusive setting they welcome all children. Close monitoring of children by key carers enables early identification of additional needs. They work closely with a number of other professionals, and this ensures children's needs are well met and supported. Partnerships with parents are well established. Parents are highly complimentary about the information they receive and how their comments are valued and acted upon. Staff and parents share a wealth of information during the flexible settling-in periods and this is used skilfully in providing individual care for their child's needs. There is a daily information exchange, both in writing and verbally. Regular updates through daily diaries and the learning journals help to keep parents and carers involved in their child's learning and progress. Partnerships with other agencies are well used to support individual needs. Staff and management use information gained from other professionals to ensure

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the early years provision

children's care and learning is tailored to their individual requirements. The reception teacher from the school regularly visits the setting to read stories and get to know the children, and they also link together for some activities, including visits from the fire brigade. Detailed and regular information is shared for children who attend more than one setting to ensure continuity and progression. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the setting and make good progress in their learning and development. Children's progress is monitored through detailed observations, from which next steps are identified and linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage. Photographs show children engrossed in activities and provide examples of their development. Children are confident and happy to leave their parents and mix well with their peers and staff. There are high standards of behaviour throughout the nursery, with manners encouraged at all times. Children are polite and considerate to others and staff are good role models. Children behave safely and they willingly share the toys. There is a calm and industrious atmosphere and staff question children to reinforce or challenge their understanding. Children are very independent and staff support them to make choices throughout the day. Children know and understand the rules in the setting

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and outcomes for children

and patiently wait for their turn on the computer and follow the rules while out on a nature walk.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy healthy snacks and meals and enjoy sampling fruit and vegetables grown in the nursery garden. Menus are shared with parents regularly. Children are reminded to wash the germs off their hands prior to eating and after toileting, and regularly access tissues blow their noses. They are physically active on a daily basis and the outdoor area is very well used. Children competently use smaller tools during craft activities and are appropriately supported with the use of scissors.

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and outcomes for children

Staff make good use of incidental opportunities for supporting learning in literacy and numeracy, such as counting fingers as they put them into their gloves and finding letters or shapes in the environment. There is a well-resourced reading area and children enjoy snuggling up to share a book, or using blankets and torches to build dens. Children confidently count to 10 and many are able to recognise the numerals in the setting. They are beginning to form letters as they make notes on paper to create a shopping list in role play. Children are highly proficient in the use of the computer, using the mouse and keyboard to follow commands. They learn about the world around them and other cultures through activities and a good selection of resources on offer to them. Children have grown strawberries, runner beans and cherry tomatoes, and they recycle and create compost. This supports an ethos of sustainability. There are many creative

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and outcomes for children

activities on offer and children thoroughly enjoy sticking glitter, sequins and collage materials onto their pictures. They dress up, care for dolls and pretend to cook lunch in the well-resourced role play area. Staff have effectively resourced the outdoor provision, however, the area does not display a range of numbers, letters and symbols to support children's interests and learning. Good learning opportunities outdoors include balancing on wooden beams and stepping stones, crawling through tunnels, water painting, digging in sand, investigating butterfly and ladybird huts and exploring the nature trail and conservation area. 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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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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