Corfe Castle Community Pre-School

Corfe Castle Community Pre- School East Street, Corfe Castle, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5EE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/09/2012 12/02/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 are happy, motivated and eager to join in the wide range of fun and stimulating play and learning experiences.  The skilled team of staff have a secure knowledge of how to promote children's learning and development. This means that children are making good progress in their learning.  The programme of activities to promote children's physical development is excellent.  Staff effectively assess children's development on entry to the setting and through ongoing observation and assessment. They use this to plan challenging activities to help children move onto to the next stage in their development.  Partnerships with parents, external agencies and the school are well established. This means that children receive consistent support and contributes to making sure their individual needs are met.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Role play areas are not well organised to encourage children to get fully involved and extend their imagination  Systems of evaluation do not always enable staff to monitor the success of all aspects of the provision.

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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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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the two playrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager of the provision.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and chairperson of the provision.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, and the provider's systems to evaluate the provision.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Corfe Castle Community Pre-school opened in 1997 and was previously known as Corfe Castle Community Nursery. The committee-run group moved into the current purpose- built premises in 2008 which are situated in the Rectory gardens next to Corfe Castle First School, in Dorset. The premises provide two main play rooms with easily accessible toilet facilities, a cordoned off kitchen area and a separate office. Children have use of set areas in the adjacent school including the playground and playing field. Children attend from the surrounding areas. There are currently 30 children on roll, of these 19 are in the early years age group. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free education for children aged three and four years. The pre-school supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities with good access for those with disabilities. The group is registered on the Early Years, compulsory and voluntary Childcare Registers. It operates

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Information about the setting

five days a week during school term-time, and sessions run from 8.50am to 3pm. An after-school club runs everyday except Fridays from 3pm to 5pm. There is a team of seven staff who work with the children; of these, all have an early years qualification. The pre- school also employ a part-time administrator. The group receive support from the local authority and the school.

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

 improve the programme for Expressive Arts and Design by improving children's access to role play, to support children's imagination and stimulate their interest

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

 extend systems of self-evaluation to incorporate all aspects of the play environment to further enhance children's learning.

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who attend

Children are making good progress in their learning and development. The skilled team of staff have a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework learning and development requirements. They use this knowledge well to a plan challenging learning experiences that take account of children's interests and help children move on in their learning. As a result, children are motivated to learn and eagerly get involved in the fun and interesting play activities. The educational programmes include all seven areas of learning, with children's physical development promoted exceptionally well. Staff provide a good balance of both adult-led and child-initiated learning. However, some aspects of the environment, such as the role-play area are a little untidy which impacts on children's learning. Staff regularly involve children in the decision making process, such as what toys and activities they would like set out in the outdoor play space. Staff carry out

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who attend

an initial assessment when children first start to help them plan for a child's individual learning. They systematically record observations of children's progress and have high expectations for children. Staff intend to use these assessments on the children to help them implement the progress check at age two to share with parents.

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who attend

All children are encouraged to get involved in activities, providing an enabling environment where all children feel included. Children show confidence and work together well as they keenly undertake special tasks, such as helping to prepare snack and washing up their bowls and cups afterwards. This promotes active learning as children learn to do things independently. Staff foster children's communication and language skills successfully. They interact positively with children, asking questions to develop children's thinking, and extending their learning through the activities. For example, children are encouraged to count and work out whether there are more circle or star shapes on their paintings. This develops children's mathematical understanding.

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who attend

Staff follow set programmes of activities to support children with specific needs, this helps to develop their understanding and listening skills effectively. Children enjoy stories being read to them. However, the organisation of the book area with toys covering books does not always encourage children to use books independently. Good use is made of print, signs and symbols around the room to help children learn that print carries meaning. Children have access to a broad range of mark-making tools. Staff encourage them to write their names on their artwork, which helps to develop their emergent writing skills. Children have excellent opportunities to be physically active and exuberant. They have great fun as they join in the morning run, then make their bodies as 'small as a mouse' or as 'wide as a house'. A weekly physical education session with the school provides opportunities to learn new skills as they jump, hop, and tip-toe to the music. This helps to

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who attend

develop their balance and co-ordination. Children have good opportunities to use their senses to explore and investigate. They enjoy manipulating the dough and have fun feeling the gloop as they tell others how it sticks to them.

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who attend

Strong partnerships are developed with parents and carers. Parents spoken to during the inspection know their child's key person and speak positively about the provision, commenting how staff are 'very approachable'. Systems are effective in keeping parents well informed about their children's care, learning and development. This is through informal discussions, use of the 'once a month' books and formal parental consultations. Newsletters sent home provide ideas for parents to take an active role in their children's learning, such as helping children collect natural materials to create a picture at home. This contributes towards children's well-being and development.

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

Staff follow effective care practices, which help children feel emotionally secure and promote their physical and emotional health. Children are happy, settled and content. Staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs, providing reassurance for new or less confident children, which helps them form secure attachments. Children's independence is fostered well and they are confident to ask for help from adults. Staff are good role models and help children learn to share and think of others in their play. Effective strategies followed by staff provide children with clear guidance about behaviour expectations. For example, a one-minute warning is given before tidy-up time and staff sing 'it's time to tidy up'; as a result, children actively get involved in helping put away the toys. The consistent praise and encouragement from staff successfully builds children's confidence and self-esteem.

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

Staff use a daily checklist to help them identify and minimise potential risks to children, both indoors and outdoors. This makes sure that children are able to move around freely and safely in their play. Children are learning to recognise hazards, as they will often take part in assessing risks in the play environment. They know they have to wait on the path when going into the school, explaining to others that it is so the gate does not hit them. Staff help children develop a good understanding about the importance of having healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy a varied range of healthy snacks. Staff promote discussion to raise children's awareness about which foods are good to eat. Staff liaise closely with parents and follow effective procedures to support children's specific medical needs. This includes attending tailored training to ensure they have the necessary skills to care for children's individual needs.

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

The pre-school is well organised to meet the needs of the children. It offers a welcoming and stimulating environment, both in and outdoors, where children can freely access resources and make choices about their play. Children are confident to try using different tools available from the resources, such as selecting scissors to use with the dough. Effective use of free-flow between the in and outdoor areas allows children to do things in different ways and on different scales than when indoors. This means that children get lots of fresh air and exercise, and adds to their enjoyment and overall development.

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provision

All staff have an early years qualification and continue to attend training to keep their knowledge and skills updated. The staff have recently reviewed their assessments systems to reflect the changes in the learning and development requirements. Children's progress is monitored effectively as staff are able to identify when children are in need of support to help narrow gaps in learning for particular children. Weekly planning is flexible and takes account of children's interests, providing children with a broad range of play activities and experiences. Staff do some evaluation of the activities. However, they do routinely monitor the success of all areas within the pre-school to ensure they are extending all aspects of children's learning, such as in the role-play or book areas. Staff have a secure understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The clear policies and procedures, recently updated, are

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provision

implemented to support the smooth running of the pre-school. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures check the suitability of staff to work with children. Required records to support children's safety and welfare are easily accessible and kept secure. Staff regularly update their safeguarding training. This means they have a good understanding of safeguarding issues and the procedures to follow in the event of a concern about a child in their care.

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provision

The manager demonstrates strong leadership. She follows clear induction procedures to make sure that staff are clear of their roles and responsibilities. This means that staff work together well, regularly sharing information so that all children's needs are met. The pre- school management use several systems to review and evaluate their provision to help them to develop their practice further. They have addressed the two previous recommendations from the last inspection. Staff attended training on developing children's listening skills to increase their knowledge, and have introduced an initial assessment for the children on entry to the pre-school. The management committee take an active role in monitoring the provision and carry out observations of staff practice. They discuss this with staff at their annual appraisal to help staff focus on areas for development. The management and staff have a positive attitude to the ongoing improvement of the pre-

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provision

school. They work closely with support staff from the local authority, actively seeking advice to help improve their provision.

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provision

Staff establish strong partnerships with parents and others involved in children's care. This helps to promote consistency and continuity for children. Some parents have come into the group to share their skills and knowledge to extend children's experiences of the wider world. Children visit the adjacent school and join in many of the school's activities during the week, such as 'voice works' and 'golden time' sessions. This widens children's learning experiences and supports their transition onto school.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 EY304471 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 882610

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider Corfe Castle Community Pre-School Ltd Date of previous inspection 12/02/2009 Telephone number 01929 481631

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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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