Layer Preschool

Layer Pre-school Queen Elizabeth Hall, New Cut, Layer-de-la-Haye, Colchester, Essex, CO2 0JU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/10/2012 02/12/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 An established key person system ensures parents are able to engage in their child's learning and development. A pre-school website, email system, newsletters and a parent liaison officer ensure information for parents is effectively shared.  Although in the early stages, an effective system for performance management has been introduced to ensure professional development is helping practitioners to improve their knowledge, skills and practice.  Children settle well into pre-school and have formed secure attachments with their key person and staff.

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It is not yet good because

 Opportunities for children to extend their communication and understanding of number and shapes in the outdoor environment have not yet been fully embraced.  Systems to ensure all documentation is regularly reviewed and in line with the revised Early Years Foundation Stage requirements, have not been fully established.  Quiet, restful and cosy areas for younger children are not always readily available.

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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 observed activities in the main play hall and the outdoor learning environment. This included a joint observation with the pre-school manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager and staff team at Layer Pre-school. The inspector spoke with two committee members, which included the chairperson.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the children's learning journey records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff team working at Layer Pre-school, risk assessment and other documentation in relation to health and safety checks.  The inspector took account of the views of parents who were spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Layer Pre-school in Layer-de-la-Haye, Essex and is a committee run pre-school. It was established in 1972 and operates from two halls within the Queen Elizabeth village hall. Children have access to an outdoor play area. Children attend for a variety of sessions and come from the local community and surrounding areas. The pre-school is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. There are currently 39 children aged from two years to four years on roll. The pre-school opens five days a week during term time and operates from 9am until 3pm. In addition, the pre-school offers morning and afternoon sessions and a lunch club. The pre-school employs eight staff, five of whom, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. Several members of staff are currently training. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 ensure the safeguarding policies and procedures cover the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting and include examples of adults' behaviour, which might be signs of abuse and neglect, in the safeguarding policy.

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

 provide quiet and restful areas for younger children as well as areas for active exploration

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

 ensure the outdoor environment provides rich opportunities for children explore text, number and shape; drawing children's attention to, and encouraging conversation around, patterns.

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who attend

Children enjoy their play and learning time at the pre-school because they are welcomed by caring staff and offered a range of fun and exciting activities. A good key person system has been established and ensures children's development is monitored closely. There are efficient systems in place to ensure initial assessments are completed with the parents and records are in place to monitor achievements. Any concerns are noted by the key person and shared with parents. Support from other external agencies is sought if required, to ensure every child is supported and prepared for school readiness. Observations made clearly identify the children's next steps of learning and are used to inform future planning. The educational programme and resources provided enable children to access a suitable range of activities and experiences across the seven areas of learning. Partnerships with other providers of nursery provision, where pre-school children

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who attend

also attend are developing, ensuring consistency in learning and smooth transitions. Staff engage children in conversations, interactive story time and are sensitive when encouraging children to communicate and develop their language skills. For example, children are able to contribute to the story and predict the ending as staff positively encourage this. They use resources such as 'Jim' the pre-school doll to engage the children's interest and understanding. A well-stocked book corner is available, but quiet, cosy, restful areas are not always accessible for the younger child, enabling them to calm down, rest or just sit quietly.

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who attend

Children are able to initiate their own play and ideas and these are often supported by the practitioners to extend their learning. For example, children are interested in African play animals and want to make a desert. The provision of appropriate resources enables them to discuss and make the animals habitat and sand dough mountains. Children are helped to understand their world through practical experiences and role play. They learn to weigh and compare size in the play shop, and handling money and using calculators and cash registers. They experiment with volume and capacity in water activities. Visitors to the setting, such as police officers, help children understand their role within the community. They are able to dress up in a police uniform and sit in the police car.

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who attend

Children enjoy accessing the computer and are able to sit independently using the programmes available to them. They have varied opportunities to develop their physical skills. They go for regular walks to the local woods and are able to safely climb trees and balance on logs. They use stilts in the setting and persevere at this activity to master the balancing required.

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who attend

There are suitable systems in place ready to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff members have attended relevant training to act as the pre-school Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and know how to care for children with varying learning and developmental needs. No children currently on roll have English as an additional language. However, the staff have a good relationship with the area SENCO and strategies would be in place to ensure every child is supported and able to reach their potential.

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

The children have established secure and trusting relationships with their key person and the other practitioners at the setting. Children are also caring toward one another. This is as a result of the partnership with parents and systems in place to ensure a smooth transition from home to pre-school. Younger children snuggle up to their key person for cuddles when they are tired and all staff are sensitive and caring towards the children's needs.

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

The hall is large and inviting for most children. Practitioners work hard with the restrictions imposed on them with regard to the premises, to create a fun and welcoming place for children. Children are encouraged to self-register and use photos of themselves to indicate they are present. They are also encouraged to write their names on entry; this creates a real sense of belonging. However, younger children have limited opportunities to access dens, cuddly toys, relax and sit quietly as cosy areas are limited and not always available. Staff have attended 'Every Child a Talker' training and are aware of the positive impact quiet spaces have on young children's language development. The introduction of heuristic play into the setting is proving popular with younger children. Practitioners understand the importance of children accessing natural play materials to explore and have identified this as an area to develop further.

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

Children are polite and behave well at the pre-school. They have been actively involved in contributing to the setting's 'golden rules' and are encouraged to take responsibility for the environment in which they play and learn. Staff are good role models and gently remind children about not running and to 'use indoor feet'. Staff explain why some behaviour is not acceptable at the children's level of understanding. Older children have some opportunities to manage acceptable risks in their play. For example, climbing trees in the wood, using the climbing apparatus and cutting fruit in preparation for a snack.

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

There are opportunities for children to use the outdoor play area as they flow freely from indoors to outdoors during session time. The provision of Wellington boots, umbrellas and appropriate clothing enable children to learn and play in the fresh air all year round. Children can use water and chunky chalks to mark make in the outdoor environment. They have great fun chasing and blowing bubbles. They dig in compost, hide dinosaurs and use the large sand pit. However, the garden is lacking in visual prompts such as text, numbers and shapes. Equipment to make sounds is also not readily available at all times.

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

The provision of a buffet style snack bar encourages children to be independent and make choices. They help in the preparation of snack and confidently pour a drink of their choice. They understand the importance of healthy nutritious foods and how to stay healthy. Even very young children are aware of the need to use tissues for runny noses and to dispose of them in the bin. They are able to take care of their own toileting needs as the bathroom is easily accessible from the playroom. Staff are always on hand to assist if required.

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provision

The committee members and the pre-school manager are aware of their individual roles and responsibilities to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, the system to monitor and evaluate policies is not robust enough as not all documentation has been reviewed and updated to meet with recent regulatory changes. For example, the safeguarding policy does not detail sufficiently the setting's policy on the use of cameras or the behaviour of adults and therefore does not fully meet the requirement within the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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provision

An effective system is in place to ensure that children are allocated a key person before they commence at the setting. The introduction of an information leaflet for parents and photographs of their child's key worker is proving useful for parents as they know who to speak to and share information. General information is also provided for parents in many forms. For example, a pre-school website, newsletters, a parent notice board in the entrance hall and weekly emails that detail the activities and the week's planning.

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provision

A recently introduced system for monitoring staff performance and development is becoming effective. Annual appraisals, regular staff meetings and attendance at training courses enable staff to share their ambition for the pre-school's development and future improvement. A satisfactory self-evaluation process is in place and considers parents', children's and all staff's views. Questionnaires are also used to obtain parents' comments.

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provision

Staff at the pre-school undergo appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures. An induction process is in place for new staff and students. This ensures that safeguarding children is effectively supported. Staff have attended safeguarding training to ensure they understand their responsibility in reporting any concerns. Organised risk assessments, fire drills and a policy document ensure children are protected from harm. The provision of high visibility jackets, risk assessments and a good staff/child ratio, when walking outdoors, ensures children are safe. All practitioners hold current first aid certificates and are able to deal with minor injuries effectively.

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provision

The pre-school have established warm and welcoming partnerships with the parents. They are invited to functions such as open evenings, sports days and Christmas shows. Parents speak very positively about all aspects of the pre-school.

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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 203940 Local authority Essex Inspection number 817986

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 39 Name of provider Layer Pre-School Date of previous inspection 02/12/2009 Telephone number 01206 734348

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Type of provision

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.

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Type of provision

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 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,

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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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