Potterspury Pre-School

Potterspury Pre School Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 219968 Inspection date 21/06/2012 Inspector Karen Cooper

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Setting address John Hellins Primary School, High Street, Potterspury, TOWCESTER, Northamptonshire, NN12 7PG Telephone number 07790 656616 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.

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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

Pottersbury Pre-School opened in 1967 and re-registered in 2000. It is run by a voluntary management committee. It operates from self-contained premises within the grounds of John Hellins Primary School in Towcester, Northamptonshire. All children share access to a secure, outdoor play area. The setting serves the local and surrounding areas.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 26 children aged from two years and six months to under five years may attend at any one time. There are currently 38 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age group. The setting is open each weekday from 8.45am until 3.15pm, term time only. It offers an optional lunch club from 11.45am until 12.15pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs four staff and three relief staff. All of the permanent staff hold a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 3 in early years. One member of staff is working towards Early Years Practitioner Status. The setting receives support from the local authority. The setting 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 good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are happy and enjoy their time at this welcoming and stimulating setting. They have access to a variety of quality toys and resources. In the main, observational assessment systems are effective in helping children make good progress in their learning and development, but sometimes lack refinement. Children are valued and their individuality respected. Excellent partnerships have been established with parents and other early years professionals, which offer consistency to enable children to make transitions between settings with ease. Policies and procedures are well-organised and mostly effective. However, fresh drinking water is not freely accessible to children at all times, which is a requirement. The enthusiastic and dedicated management and staff team have a clear vision for the setting and demonstrate a strong capacity for continuous improvement.

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further?

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure fresh drinking water is available to children at all times. (Promoting good health) 05/07/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further the processes for undertaking observational assessments of children's learning  develop further staff's knowledge of food hygiene legislation.

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded because staff demonstrate a good knowledge of child protection procedures. They are aware of the signs and symptoms of possible abuse and procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child in their care. Robust vetting procedures ensure that staff are suitable to work with the children. Ratios of staff to children are exceeded; as a result of this, children receive good levels of interaction and supervision. Staff group children effectively with key workers. The small groups enable them to build effective relationships and to get to know individual children well. Potential risks to children are effectively identified and minimised through a combination of daily checks and written risk assessments. The setting is well maintained and age-appropriate resources create a child-friendly environment to help children to settle happily.

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the early years provision

Staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs and recognise and value children's differences. All children are able to access a good selection of quality resources to learn about the wider world and other cultures. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully supported in this inclusive setting. Outstanding links with the host school and other outside agencies ensure additional support is provided where required to enable all children to participate fully in all activities.

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the early years provision

Staff are committed to raising outcomes for children and are dedicated to improvement and professional development. They work well together and this is reflected in the fun-filled, happy environment created for children. Staff regularly attend further training and workshops. However, staff who are responsible for preparing and handling food have not updated their food hygiene knowledge in order to ensure children's good health is fully promoted. Staff effectively use the self-evaluation process to identify where changes are required. They have addressed the recommendations made at the last inspection and are responsive to suggestions from parents and the committee, and information gained in staff meetings also feeds into the process.

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the early years provision

Relationships with parents are excellent and they speak very highly of the levels of care their children receive. It is evident from discussions that they appreciate and greatly value the service provided. For example, one parent stated that, 'the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 setting is wonderful and staff are very caring'. The children's development files are used as a joint process between the setting and home to ensure that parents are fully included and informed of their child's progress and development. Other information is shared informally through ongoing dialogue, regular newsletters and details posted on the notice board. The setting's daily planning is displayed to keep parents updated about the topics their children are currently engaging in. Excellent induction procedures for new arrivals include a prospectus and the opportunity for parents to stay and play for a time to help their children settle. Documentation is

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the early years provision

well-organised and stored appropriately to ensure confidentiality is maintained.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled and have formed good relationships with each other and staff. Behaviour is good in the setting. Children begin to understand the need to share and take turns, while appropriately supported by staff. Older children respond well to gentle reminders about using the outdoor equipment safely and most children respond with enthusiasm to requests for help from staff at tidy-up time. Staff are focussed on the development and achievement of all children and plan a good variety of activities to cover the six areas of learning. Therefore, children are inspired to learn through play. They demonstrate that they know the children well and regularly carry out observations, recording what they see as the children play. However, the information gained from the observations is not consistently used to help plan next steps in children's developmental progress in order to maximize learning opportunities. Photographs and samples of children's

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and outcomes for children

work are attractively presented in individual files and throughout the setting, which helps provide children with a sense of belonging.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy themselves and are engrossed in activities, which they choose themselves. For example, they use paint, glitter, glue and tissue paper to create pictures of sea creatures, such as an octopus and star fish ready for the wall display. They talk about volume, consistency, colour and texture during sand play and confidently and skillfully fill, empty and compare various sized containers. Most of all children love building mud pies and sand castles and knock them over in order to rebuild them again. Staff promotes a positive awareness of diversity through discussions, positive images and the celebration of various events and festivals. For example, children enjoy colouring pictures of their favourite football team's strip, as part of the European 2012 Football Championships. They have joined in Chinese New Year and Diwali celebrations and tasted food from other cultures. Children's mark-making skills are fostered with a range of materials

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and outcomes for children

available on a daily basis, such as crayons, chalks, paper and felt pens. They enjoy looking at books and eagerly join in with familiar stories. Children's problem solving skills are encouraged through everyday activities. They compare, sort, count and calculate as they use jigsaw puzzles, cash registers, weighing scales and build with small and large construction toys. Children have good opportunities to develop their understanding of technology through the use of computers. They are becoming skilled in using the mouse to navigate the cursor around the screen and understand that when the egg timer runs out their time is up using the computer. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 These opportunities help children develop important skills for the future. Children enjoy being active and have free flow access to the well-equipped and securely enclosed outdoor area. They use a good range of equipment to help develop their

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and outcomes for children

physical skills and enjoy using their imagination in role play. They use a climbing frame and slide with gusto and great fun is had as they include staff in their group games, such as 'What's The Time, Mr Wolf?'.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about keeping themselves safe through the discussions and activities provided. They regularly join in fire evacuation practises to ensure that they know what to do in an emergency. They are encouraged to follow good hygiene routines and know when to wash their hands. Good attention is paid to encouraging children to adopt healthy lifestyles. They learn about foods that keep them healthy and every week different types of healthy snacks are provided. Children get first-hand knowledge about fruit and vegetables, as they plant, grow and eat crops harvested from their vegetable plot. However, while children are offered a drink at snack and meal times, they are not able to independently access fresh drinking water throughout the session. This is a specific legal requirement of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff are fully aware of each child's individual dietary needs and ensure these are met.

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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 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 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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