Rose Hill Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 27 Sept 2012

Rose Hill Pre-School C/O Imagine Co-operative Childcare, Ashhurst Way, OXFORD, OX4 4RF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/09/2012 15/09/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress in relation to their starting points because staff operate an effective key person system and plan well for all children. This ensures that all children receive appropriate support in their individual development  Staff promote strong communication skills in all children, including those who learn English as an additional language. Consequently, all children are able to express themselves very well  Children display high levels of self-esteem because staff offer them frequent praise and reward their good efforts. As a result children are confident to try new things and feel proud of their successes  There is a well-embedded system for supervising staff and monitoring their performance. This helps them to further develop their practice and has a good impact upon the quality of care provided for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Behaviour management strategies are not always consistent to fully support children's understanding of how to behave positively.  Opportunities for developing children's independence are not fully utilised as staff tend to help children to dress and undress, rather than encourage them to try for themselves.  Where written records are kept, these are not always clearly written or organised in such a way that enables staff to use them effectively.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector gathered feedback from parents.  The inspector observed children and staff in the indoor and outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked through documentation to confirm the suitability of staff and their ability to keep children safe

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager during story and rhyme time

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's development records and observations and assessments to confirm progress

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Information about the setting

Rosehill Pre-school registered in 2005. It operates from a purpose-built room and enclosed outdoor area within a shared building. The pre-school shares its premises with a day nursery in the Rosehill area, close to the centre of Oxford. The pre-school opens each weekday morning from 8.45am until 11.45am, and on Monday to Thursday afternoons from 12.25pm until 2.45pm, term time only. The pre-school also opens for two weeks during the summer holidays.

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Information about the setting

Currently, there are 14 children on roll who attend from Rosehill and surrounding areas. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for some children aged two years and for children aged three and four years. The pre-school currently supports a number of children with special educational needs/or disabilities and those who learn English as an additional language. The pre-school is managed by a volunteer committee and is registered on the Early Years Register. The pre-school employs three members of staff, all of whom hold a relevant qualification at level 3.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enable children to manage their feelings and behaviour by demonstrating clear and consistent boundaries and management strategies, with reasonable yet challenging expectations.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 help children to develop further independence by giving them greater opportunities to dress and undress themselves, for example, when changing coats and shoes before and after playing outdoors.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 support continual improvement of the pre-school by organising written records, action plans and information staff gather more effectively to enable all staff to make best use of them.

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who attend

Children play and learn in a welcoming environment that is bright and colourful. All children, including those who learn English as an additional language, make good progress especially in the development of communication and language. This is because staff make a concerted effort to model good communication skills. They learn key phrases in children's home language and use these, as well as English. This helps all children to understand simple instructions and build upon their existing language. Staff use sign language, including at story time, which children copy. This enables them to express themselves well. As a result, parents report that their children make fast progress in their communication after attending the pre-school.

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who attend

Children select resources for themselves and have opportunities to make choices about where and how they play. They use a craft table to create with a purpose, constructing models from their ideas and asking staff for further resources. Children are keen to go outdoors, as the area is well resourced and offers them opportunities to challenge and extend their capabilities. They walk across a wooden bridge with their arms outstretched, helping to develop their physical skills, such as balance and coordination. Staff support children to acquire the skills they need to make good progress when they start school. Staff use effective questioning and encourage children to think independently and creatively. Children are trusted to use tools safely, such as scissors on the craft table. As a result, children become confident and capable in their use.

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who attend

Staff plan thoughtful activities that support children's development in many areas, such as mathematics. For example, they encourage children to count when reciting 'ten in the bed' together at story time and to match coloured teddy bears into the correct coloured bowls in the water trough. Consequently, children show interest and are engaged throughout the session. A wide range of information is gathered from parents so staff are able to understand children's individual starting points. Each key person plans activities unique for their children because they use observations to find out about what they enjoy doing and where their interests can be developed.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The pre-school has a small group of children and staff, meaning that children are able to feel safe and form close relationship with those who are caring for them. Children are very content and well settled. Staff take time to find out about their lives through home visits and by encouraging parents to attend several settling in sessions. This means that each key person knows their children and families well and is responsive to their individual needs. When children need extra support to separate from their carer in the morning, staff respond quickly and develop effective strategies to help and support them.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are proud of what they achieve because staff value their work. When children create something that is special for them staff ask if they would like to have a photograph taken to display around the room. Staff give children stickers and frequent praise. This means that children are keen to try new things and gain a strong sense of self-esteem. Children move freely between the indoor and outdoor area and dress suitably for the weather. However, staff often assist children to put on and take off their coats instead of allowing them to gain independence by doing this for themselves. Children are gaining a good awareness of how to maintain their own hygiene through hand washing after playing in the garden and using the toilet. They enjoy a healthy snack and understand that treats, such as birthday cake, are for special occasions.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children cooperate and interact well with each other. They share and take turns because they generally have a good understanding of what adults expect of them. However, at times the pre-school uses a 'reflection chair' where staff ask children to sit when their behaviour consistently fails to meet the pre-school's expectations. Although parents are generally supportive of this approach, they refer to it as the 'naughty chair'. This name confusion has led to children not fully understanding the purpose of the chair and may feel that it is they who are unwelcome and not their behaviour. Consequently, children are not currently fully supported to manage their feelings and behaviour through clear and consistent boundaries and management strategies.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children learn to become aware of differing cultures and ethnicities because they celebrate festivals that are special for all children and observe photographs on display around them. When children ask about these celebrations, staff explain to them why they are important. Children role play together using their imagination and are beginning to form friendly relationships with each other. They are confident to ask adults to join in and willingly assign the adult a role. Staff interact positively and with enthusiasm when children include them in their play.

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provision

A thorough induction procedure helps to check the suitability of those who work at the pre-school. Staff know their individual responsibilities because they undertake regular training and work well as a team. This gives them a clear understanding of how to recognise indicators of children's well-being and knowledge of where they could obtain additional support if needed. Staff are alert to any potential risks within the environment, such as small beads that children might put into their mouths, and take appropriate action to minimise these.

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provision

Staff work closely with the local authority in order to improve the quality of care they provide for children. Since the last inspection the staff have put into place strategies to address areas of weakness. The pre-school is starting to use information from parents and children to help them assess the care and learning they provide. At times the action plans and information staff gather to support the continued improvement of the pre-school are not recorded fully or filed logically to enable all staff to make best use of them.

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provision

Staff plan wide and varied activities to support children's learning across all seven areas of learning of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. They undertake training when they identify an area they feel needs improvement and evaluate their practice through staff meetings and peer observations. There are very effective systems in place to supervise staff and monitor their performance. Staff appraisals identify long-term goals and the pre-school has high regard for continuing professional development. Staff feel supported by the manager, who conducts frequent observations of staff in order to provide supportive guidance.

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provision

Although recruitment of parents on to the committee is sometimes difficult, the volunteers remain up to date with changes within the early years sector and attend training when possible. When children need some extra support, the pre-school works with other agencies such as, speech and language therapists. They share information and build good relationships in order to make sure that children receive the care and education they need. Good links with the local school mean that children are able to be well prepared for their move up into formal education. The pre-school has equally good relationships with parents who are very complementary about the care and learning their children receive. Parents are invited into the pre-school at the end of each term to see their children's development folders and discuss their progress with their key person. Parents provide information to include in weekly plans,

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provision

such as important events happening at home and children's current interests. During special occasions, such as Christmas and Easter, the pre-school invites parents to workshop sessions where they can join in with their children. These good relationships help children to feel happy and secure at the pre-school and parents to have confidence in the staff that care for their children.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY299812 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 814851 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 14 Name of provider Rose Hill Pre-School Date of previous inspection 15/09/2008 Telephone number 01865 401852

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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

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Type of provision

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.

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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