Tilery Infant School

Woodford Pre-School Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 128493 Inspection date 27/04/2012 Inspector Lesley Hodges

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Setting address 209 High Road, South Woodford, London, E18 2PA

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Telephone number 07748 637157 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

Woodford Pre-School Playgroup registered in 1992 and is run by a voluntary management committee. It operates from Memorial Hall in South Woodford, in the London Borough of Redbridge. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Children have access to the large main hall with toilets and washing facilities, an adjacent smaller room and an enclosed outside area. The pre-school is registered to care for a maximum of 32 children at any one time, of these not more than 16 may be under three years old at any one time. There are currently 52 children in the early years on roll. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for free early years education for children aged three years. The pre-school is open each weekday during term times from 9.15am to 12.15pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12.45pm - 3.20pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school

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Description of the setting

supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. There are nine members of staff, eight of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school has achieved a quality assurance award.

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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 receive good support in this well-equipped pre-school and consequently make good progress overall. Activities are challenging, stimulating and enjoyable, and children make choices about how they play and learn. Generally, good partnerships with other professionals enable the staff team to know the individual needs of the children in their care and plan effectively to ensure all are included. The staff regularly reflect on their practice, and the manager leads this process well. She works effectively with the management committee to ensure continuous improvements to the provision.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop methods of working in partnership with other providers to further support and extend children's development  extend children's awareness of boundaries, rules and limits to help them understand why rules are important. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Practitioners have a good knowledge of safeguarding issues and the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child in their care. Effective daily routines minimise risks to children's safety. The manager carries out robust vetting procedures to ensure that only staff cleared as suitable, work with the children. Children's health needs are met well as details of allergies or other medical needs are discussed thoroughly when a child starts at the pre-school. All staff have received current first aid training, enabling them to administer appropriate first aid to children if required.

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the early years provision

Self-evaluation is effective in helping to drive further improvement. The manager uses a variety of methods to evaluate practice and her achievements have a very positive effect on the planning. This ensures staff meet the needs of all children. She has a good understanding of the pre-school's strengths and weaknesses and strives to address the areas for development in partnership with the parent run committee; for example, there are plans to improve the outside area. Recent purchases have included remote controlled cars to give children choices in the ways they develop skills in information and communication technology.

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the early years provision

Partnerships with parents are generally successful. Staff invite parents to meetings twice a year to discuss their children's progress and encourage them to take part in shared activities. For example, children plant cress seeds and parents take photographs of the cress as it grows to share with staff and other children. Parents are active in fundraising for the pre-school to purchase new equipment. Staff have established effective partnerships with the local school and outside agencies. This ensures that they support all children well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, there is no system to regularly exchange information with other providers sharing care to promote some children's development further.

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the early years provision

Staff promote equality and diversity well for all children. They welcome children who are learning English as an additional language and use visual symbols to help them learn about daily routines. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from individual attention from dedicated support staff. All children learn about choosing healthy snacks by using pictures, and staff use sign language as an additional support when needed. Children learn about self-care as they choose when to have their snack.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from using a wide range of resources indoors, which supports their learning in all areas. An attractive book area encourages children to develop a love of books. For example, one child chooses a story sack and enthusiastically asks about the characters. Children do not always use the outdoor area on a daily basis which has the potential to disadvantage those children who learn best when outside. However, staff are aware of this and have plans to install an all weather surface to make daily access easier, showing their desire to drive improvement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The pre-school provides a warm, welcoming environment for the children in the local community to learn through play. They are full of enthusiasm when they arrive and eager to learn, such as beginning to develop early reading skills as they pick out their own names. Staff are supportive of children's needs and the effective key person and assessment systems ensure that children are given positive play experiences. Children are strong communicators; they talk in small groups about how they travel to pre-school. They discuss whether they use their umbrellas or raincoats to protect them from the rain. When playing on the computer, children are excited as they point to pictures on the touch screen programme. They sit in small groups, enthusiastically telling each other the names of the items they can see.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn good healthy practices and have a good understanding of why hygiene is important. For example, one child explains that their hands should be 'nice and clean' before they eat. Children learn independence skills as they choose their snack and serve themselves from the variety of fruit available. They pour their own drinks, with adults providing support when needed. Children are learning how to keep themselves safe by taking part in regular evacuation procedures. Visits from the local police and the dentist further develop their knowledge about how to look after themselves.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop good physical skills as they play on scooters, bikes and cars in the large hall. Outdoors, they make dens with big pieces of material and play at being fire fighters using hoses to extinguish imaginary fires. Children learn about their environment by using magnifying glasses to look at insects, using their matching skills to identify the insects on a large labelled poster.

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and outcomes for children

Children willingly contribute to the daily routines, such as tidy up and song times. They help to clear up messy play activities and are encouraged to put used paper towels in the bin to keep the hall tidy. They choose songs to sing to each other and staff encourage positive behaviour through warm praise. Children generally play well together, sharing equipment and taking turns when supported by staff in small group activities. However, staff do not always consistently remind children of boundaries to support them in learning how to stay safe and understand why rules are important.

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and outcomes for children

Children's eager participation in a good range of activities demonstrates how they are learning new skills that will benefit them as they proceed to school. Children learn about numbers, shapes and weights when they use scales to weigh and balance toys. Children learn how to fit pieces together and about different sizes when they play with a variety of puzzles and construction toys. Children learn to develop early writing skills with the good use of paintbrushes, pens, stamps and stencils. They develop good early literacy skills and their imaginations, as they enjoy making up their own stories. The enthusiastic participation from the manager enhances the activity and encourages the children to join in with their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 own ideas. 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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