New Longton Under 5's

New Longton Under Fives Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 309402 Inspection date 15/03/2012 Inspector Susan Rae

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Setting address The Village Hall, Boundary Close, New Longton, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 4BD Telephone number 07963 987 765 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

New Longton Under Fives Pre-School was registered in November 1992. The service is provided by a committee. It operates from within the village hall, a single storey building, in New Longton, Preston. The pre-school serves the local area. It is open Monday to Friday from 9.15am to 12.45pm, term time only. The provision offers sessional day care for a maximum of 30 children aged from two to five years. At present, there are 29 children on roll with 14 receiving nursery education funding.

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Description of the setting

All of the staff team hold an appropriate child care qualification. The manager has a degree in childhood studies; the deputy is at level 4; two staff hold level 3 qualifications and one staff member is a qualified teacher. The group receives support from the local authority and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children thrive in this pre-school. Staff, parents and others involved in the care of the children work very closely together to ensure children enjoy an inclusive environment. The free-flow play environment enables all children to make independent decisions about their play and learning. An excellent balance of adult- led and child-initiated activities results in children being competent learners with a high degree of self-confidence. They also feel valued, safe and happy. The committee and staff team demonstrate a strong ambition and have a firm commitment to improving and developing the provision. Extensive improvements to the outside area have greatly enhanced the provision, although, this area is still being developed.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 enhance the outdoor play space to fully embrace the learning opportunities it offers. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is promoted very well because staff are familiar with the extensive safeguarding policies and procedures. All staff have evaluated their safeguarding knowledge and attended additional training to make sure their practice is up-to-date and that children's safety is secured. Risk assessments are thorough and consistently evaluated by staff to guarantee all hazards to children are minimised. The setting works closely with parents to ensure they are fully informed about the health, safety and welfare of their children. Parents greatly value the level of service they receive and like the fact that the pre-school puts the individual needs of children ahead of all other priorities. The key person system means that staff are constantly available throughout the day to answer any questions or share comments. The team is well established and this continuity, along with their commitment to working in partnership, has contributed greatly to

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the early years provision

the quality of the relationships with parents, which are excellent.

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the early years provision

The self-evaluation of the provision is extensive and effective, incorporating the views of all the staff, children and parents. Staff share a vision to provide an excellent service for the children and their families that makes a positive difference to their lives. They are highly motivated in their continuous professional development and regularly review what they do and look at areas of weakness in order to move forward. For example, initiating a picture board of the areas of the provision where less verbal children can use pictures of themselves to express where, or what, they would like to play with. All the recommendations raised at the last inspection have been successfully addressed. Plans for the future are clear and focused to bring about further improvement to the provision and outcomes for children. For example, although the outdoor area has recently been extensively refurbished, the staff are seeking to improve the area further by incorporating

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the early years provision

additional ideas to maximise the learning opportunities this space offers.

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the early years provision

Excellent partnership working ensures children relish and thrive in the pre-school. Comprehensive and individualised settling-in processes support children and families as they join the pre-school, helping them to feel welcome. Valuable information is provided for parents at the time of enrolment. Each child has a home link book where staff record daily information about them. Parents also regularly use these to comment, make suggestions and share information about their children. Parent's contributions are fully valued and they are invited to spend time in the pre-school and engage in regular social functions throughout the year. Links established with the local schools and staff's vigilant attention to detail, through role play and regular discussions, ensure that children are fully supported in the transition process. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children arrive at the setting, happy, confident and full of enthusiasm. Their strong sense of security is highly promoted by the sensitive, caring, friendly staff and the vibrant, stimulating atmosphere. Children eagerly greet their friends and become absorbed in activities of their choice.

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and outcomes for children

Children have excellent opportunities to learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle. They independently wash hands before choose healthy snacks, such as milk, pears or pancakes. All children enjoy lots of physical exercise and fresh air all year round. The children confidently use the free flow of the setting to access both the indoor and outdoor space, independently putting on coats when going outside. This ensures they can access the outdoor space as much as they want. They are developing excellent physical skills in walking, running and jumping because of the wide range of equipment and activities available. For example, bikes, skipping ropes and large diggers. They energetically participate in physical activities at the end of the session, cooperating and working together when using the parachute 'going fast and slow'. This means they are very familiar with the benefits of exercise on their body.

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and outcomes for children

Children have access to a well-resourced, safe and stimulating environment which effectively supports their individual learning. They explore their senses as they use a variety of tools in the play dough, using their imagination to be creative. Children explore the outside and dig up baby carrots, excitedly sharing the discovery with staff, this stimulates other children to go and look for more. The staff are exceptionally skilled in engaging children in their interests; they frequently talk about their home life experiences, which they incorporate into play activities. For example, a child returning from holiday was interested in snorkelling, this led to a display of equipment and activities about 'under the sea'. Children gain skills in technology as they confidently use magnets, programmable toy robots, torches and the computer. Children enjoy problem solving using magnets, balancing them on different materials and making them connect together in long lines. Children

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and outcomes for children

actively support younger children to engage in activities, helping them to use the paints to paint their hands.

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and outcomes for children

The exceptional organisation of the educational programme engages children in rich, varied and imaginative experiences that are tailored to meet all their needs. Staff undertake purposeful observations and assessments that highlight children's individual interests and preferred learning styles. This information is used exceptionally well, in conjunction with observations and experiences, that parents share from home. The information is translated into individualised planning that clearly identifies each child's next step in learning. Children's learning journeys show the rapid progress that they are making. These are maintained to an extremely high standard, showing photographs of the children involved in a variety of activities, their artwork and individual observations. These are clearly linked to the six areas of learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is exemplary as adults give clear expectations and set appropriate boundaries to which they respond. Children are kind and caring and play cooperatively with each other, sharing, taking turns and negotiating with each other to find solutions. The 'tidy up song' encourages all children to actively pick up item from the floor and put them back in their original place. Children help each other and confidently ask staff where things belong. Carpet time activities help children to consider how best to use their hands and feet and develop a love of books through the reading of stories. Visitors frequently come to the setting, such as the fire department, enabling children to learn about important jobs that people do to keep us safe. Children play their part in the wider community and progress their knowledge through outings to the park and visits to the local ice-cream parlour. Children bring photos from home of themselves as babies, these are

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and outcomes for children

displayed on the wall, which greatly enhances their self-esteem and sense of belonging when discussing similarities and differences. All staff are thoroughly committed to inclusive practice, which is a strength of the setting, so children are developing respect for themselves and others. 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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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