Midway Preschool

Midway Preschool Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY437752 Inspection date 25/06/2012 Inspector Adelaide Griffith

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Setting address Midway Hall, James Street, Midway, SWADLINCOTE, Derbyshire, DE11 7NE Telephone number 07971901904 Email juliehughes1963@hotmail.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

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

Midway Preschool is run by a committee and re-registered in 2011. The pre-school operates from a large hall which is the main room of the Midway Hall and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The pre-school serves the local area and has strong links with local schools and with the children's centre.

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Description of the setting

The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during school term times. Sessions are from 9am to 12 noon and from 12.45pm to 3.45pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. A maximum of 26 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 57 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. The pre- school 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 pre-school employs five permanent and three relief members of childcare staff, of whom two have foundation degrees, five are qualified at level 3 and one at level 2. The pre-school receives support from 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 make substantial progress from their starting points and their individual needs are addressed superbly. The implementation of policies and procedures ensure that, on the whole, children's welfare is effectively safeguarded. The staff work fully with parents and other professionals to ensure children get the support they need. The self-evaluation process is embedded and changes result in improvement to support children's care and learning admirably. There are plans to make further changes for the benefit of children and their families.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure public liability insurance is carried for the provision (Suitable premises, environment and equipment). 02/07/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 review the risk assessment to cover anything with which a child may come into contact, this is with special reference to the guinea pig. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

There are effective systems in place to protect children if there are concerns about abuse. The designated person is well informed about their responsibilities to safeguard children's welfare. A wide range of policies is reviewed annually and most safeguarding procedures are followed rigorously. However, the public liability insurance is not yet renewed to meet the requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Although the staff identify potential hazards when children are in contact with the guinea pig, these are not included in the detailed risk assessments for the premises. Consequently, the steps taken to minimise hazards to protect children are not recorded.

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the early years provision

All staff contribute to the self-evaluation process and there is a shared perception of the strength of the pre-school. For instance, they identify a cohesive team and their good knowledge of the children and their families. There is a strong commitment to training and two members of staff have completed the foundation degree. This means that the skills of the team are enhanced significantly to support children's learning and development. As this is a first inspection since registration, there are no previous recommendations to be addressed. Nevertheless, the staff demonstrate a strong capacity to maintain continuous improvement, for instance, by reviewing activities on a daily basis. The manager identifies plans to develop the outside play area to extend children's learning in the future.

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the early years provision

The highly successful partnership with parents is underpinned by open communication and the comprehensive information provided to ensure that children are well supported. Parents make exceptional contribution through their active involvement, for example by helping when the provision relocated to new premises. They write comments in their children's learning journeys and have a clear understanding of the targets to move children on to the next level of their development. Parents are extremely complimentary about the pre-school and comment favourably on the immense progress their children have made. The staff work exceedingly well with external professionals and other early years providers to maintain continuity in children's care and learning.

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the early years provision

There is equitable and inclusive provision for all children. Staff expect that all children will flourish in their care and they are well integrated into the pre-school. Children learning English as an additional language have good support from staff and guidance from specialist agencies is implemented effectively to support any additional learning and care. Staff use cards to promote children's speaking skills and discuss with parents what children can do. They are experienced and skilled in supporting children with additional needs. Good quality resources are used expertly to support children's play at all times. The highly experienced staff are committed to working with children in small groups, and one-to-one interaction provides targeted help as and when required. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children make commendable strides in their learning and some make remarkable progress in a short period. Staff are confident in the use of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and ensure that planning meets children's individual learning needs. Children enjoy their time at the pre-school where they have opportunities to choose from a vast selection of stimulating resources. The hall is set out with designated sections to promote all areas of learning and children maintain concentration during activities when playing with their friends or engaged in activities with adults.

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and outcomes for children

Children develop a wide range of skills because staff use all activities to promote learning. They encourage the children to think about what they do by asking questions, for example how to use one-handed tools that pose a challenge. Children's language skills are growing because staff implement successful methods to support these. For instance, they are asked to say what they enjoyed most in a story, sing nursery rhymes and are encouraged to explain why they have created a book. The print-rich environment helps children to develop letter recognition and some write their own names neatly and also the names of their peers.

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and outcomes for children

Children are settled in the pre-school and demonstrate their thorough knowledge of procedures, such as accessing the snack bar when their name card is brought to them by another child. Their awareness of healthy options is reinforced as they serve themselves with fresh fruit, toast, milk or water. Their independence and self-help skills are superbly promoted as they wash hands unaided or with minimal assistance. Children access the outdoor play area when the free-flow system is in operation and ride or move around in the available space. They learn to be aware of the safety of others through reminders to be careful when riding bikes. They are very well behaved and play contentedly with others or on their own. Children demonstrate a deep sense of security by sitting close to adults but also a sense of freedom as they develop their play and negotiate the use of equipment with others. They have a strong sense of belonging because their photographs are

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and outcomes for children

The staff know what children can do because a rigorous system of observations and tracking is in place to monitor their attainment. The pre-school provides a rich variety of motivating experiences that promote children's skills for the future very effectively as they progress towards the early learning goals. 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 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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