St Mary's Pre-School

St Mary's Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 309477 Inspection date 19/03/2012 Inspector Jeanette Brookfield

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Setting address St Mary's Church Hall, Mayfield Avenue, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 2NT Telephone number 07718 072 582 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

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

St Mary's Pre-School Playgroup is run by a management committee. It first opened in 1967 and operates from within a church hall in a residential area in the South Shore area of Blackpool. A maximum of 26 children may attend at any one time. The nursery operates from 9am to 3pm on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and on Thursday mornings from 9 am till 12 pm, during term time only. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 38 children on roll. Of which 16 children are in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education. The setting supports children with special education needs or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs six members of staff. Of these, five hold a level 3 qualification and one is also working towards a level 6 qualification. The nursery is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and is completing the 'Steps in Quality' scheme with 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 are cared for in a safe, secure and welcoming setting where the staff team know them well and acknowledge them as unique individuals. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development and enjoy an excellent range of resources both inside and outside. However, not all required information is obtained for all children, which means that not all requirements are fully met. The staff team have very good relationships with parents, carers and other early years professionals and this helps support all children effectively. Reflective practice ensures that improvements are identified and implemented. Consequently, the capacity to make continuous improvement is good.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 Ensure that information about who has legal contact with the child and who has parental responsibility for the child is obtained for all children.(safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 02/04/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure all practitioners have an up-to-date understanding of correct This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 safeguarding children procedures and be able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedure appropriately.  ensure that food provided by parents for children's packed lunch are correctly stored at correct temperature according to food safety guidance.

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the early years provision

Staff take children's safety seriously and are familiar with the potential indicators of abuse or neglect. There is a detailed safeguarding policy in place, which is shared with parents, and staff have undertaken relevant training. They are conversant with all safeguarding procedures for reporting any concerns. The thorough recruitment procedures and Criminal Record Bureau checks ensure that the staff are suitable and safe to work with children. Detailed risk assessments are undertaken to minimise hazards to children in the setting and on outings. Daily checks are also undertaken to further ensure children's safety. Most regulatory documentation is in place and used effectively to safeguard children. However, information regarding who has parental responsibility and legal contact for a child is not obtained for all children. That said, all children demonstrate feeling safe as they happily explore their surroundings with confidence and interact with familiar

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the early years provision

adults. Fire safety is carefully considered and staff encourage children to become involved through practising drills regularly. Most staff hold up-to-date first aid training, ensuring they can offer appropriate responses to minor accidents.

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the early years provision

Realistic self-evaluation procedures have been implemented to identify targeted areas for improvement in order to continually enhance the quality of care, learning and development for all children. Since the last inspection many parts of the setting have been refurbished, with new resources being purchased, the outdoor area extended and a canopy provided to support children's learning outside. This demonstrates the capacity for continuous improvement. Staff utilise training opportunities to broaden their knowledge and improve outcomes for children. For example, recent courses attended include training on meeting the needs of two- year-olds, the Common Assessment Framework and Every Child a Talker. The setting is bright, welcoming, hygienic and safe. Space and resources are organised well to support children's learning in all areas. There is easy access to toys and resources arranged at a low level to encourage independent play. The well-

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the early years provision

organised deployment of staff and an effective key worker system means that children receive good individual attention. All staff have a clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and they work purposefully with the children to ensure they receive enjoyable and challenging learning experiences on a daily basis. Observations and assessments of each child's progress and development are carefully monitored and the next steps in their learning identified and planned for.

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the early years provision

The setting is inclusive and children are valued and cared for as individuals. Included in the range of resources and activities are many which reflect cultural diversity and broaden children's awareness of the wider world. Well-established systems are in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and staff work exceptionally well with parents and other professionals to ensure This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the individual needs of children are fully met. Parents comment favourably on the care provided and the responsiveness of the setting in meeting their requests and needs. Parents receive good information about the nursery and Early Years Foundation Stage and they have daily opportunities to talk to their child's key person. Regular parent meetings keep them up-to-date with their child's learning and achievements.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very happy and settled. They move confidently around engaging in activities which reflect their interests. This is because staff gather initial information from parents when children first start at the setting, so they have a secure understanding of children's likes and dislikes. This helps to narrow the achievement gap. Planned, purposeful play and exploration with a balance of adult-led and child-led activities fosters active learning. Observation, assessment and planning for next steps effectively support children's progress in all areas of learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported as staff work with other agencies to ensure their needs are met effectively. The playrooms are bright, with attractive displays of children's creative work helping to develop their self-esteem and sense of belonging. A good range of resources, which are labelled, are accessible to all children and this enables them

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and outcomes for children

to make choices in their play. Children learn about keeping themselves safe as they use equipment safely, for example, handling small knives appropriately when playing with the play dough. They develop an awareness of safety issues as staff talk to them about crossing the road safely when walking in the local community.

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and outcomes for children

Children use a range of suitable resources that help to develop physical skills, such as climbing up the indoor slide and rocking on the see-saw together. They learn to be creative when they are given opportunities to sing songs and rhymes and role play together. For example, children organised a tea party and ironed the tablecloth before laying out crockery and food as part of their imaginary play. Children begin to solve simple problems as they complete jigsaws, build with wooden blocks, and play matching games. Staff encourage children to learn through first-hand play and exploration. For example, they grow cress and carrot tops, visit the big field and walk in the local area.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop useful skills for their future lives when they experiment with computer games and programmable toys. They develop good numeracy skills as they recognise and name numerals displayed on the walls and learn about different shapes as they talk about food at snack time. For example, children say the cucumber is round and the crackers are square. They are able to recognise their names when they self-register and can correctly recognise the initial letter of the days of the week during group time. There is a strong focus placed on developing children's communication and language skills as the setting is currently participating in the Every Child a Talker project. Children's literacy and interest in books is supported when they share stories in the book area and make marks This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 outside with chalks and crayons. The environment reflects diversity, helping

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and outcomes for children

children learn to respect each other and accept differences. They celebrate festivals, such as Chinese New Year and Easter. Excellent support is provided for those children requiring additional help and each child is recognised as having unique qualities.

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and outcomes for children

Children progress well in learning about healthy lifestyles. They enjoy the outdoor learning environment; practising balancing on coloured stepping stones and learning about the effect exercise has on their body. The children follow good hygiene practices as they wash their hands at appropriate intervals, especially before snack and lunch, and have access to tissues to clean their noses. They learn about making healthy choices as they enjoy a choice of wholesome snacks and milk or water to drink. However, perishable food provided for children's packed lunches is not always stored at the correct temperature as it is not stored in the fridge. The children develop good independence skills as they find their own place mats and fetch their lunch box from the trolley and pour their own drinks. They are praised as they demonstrate very good manners at meal times, which are sociable occasions enjoyed by both the children and staff.

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and outcomes for children

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 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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